Portable computer

The present general inventive concept relates to a portable computer including a computer main body, a display main body coupled with the computer main body, a main board provided in the computer main body, a keyboard provided in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board without overlapping with the main board, and an auxiliary memory provided in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board and the keyboard without overlapping with the main board and the keyboard. Thus, the present general inventive concept provides a portable computer having an improved structure to minimize its thickness.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2004-108833, filed on Dec. 20, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept relates to a portable computer, and more particularly, to a portable computer having an improved structure to minimize thickness thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a portable computer comprises a display main body to display a picture thereon, and a computer main body supporting the display main body and mounted with various hardware components. The portable computer includes a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a palmtop computer, etc.

Further, the portable computer additionally comprises an auxiliary unit such as a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) drive or the like, wherein the CD-ROM or an equivalent auxiliary unit is placed in the computer main body.

For example, a conventional portable computer having a mounting structure for an auxiliary unit has been disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2000-12867. Such a conventional portable computer comprises a keyboard placed on the computer main body, and an accommodating part placed under the keyboard and accommodating the auxiliary unit, such as the CD-ROM drive.

Thus, the conventional portable computer can easily accommodate the auxiliary unit, such as the CD-ROM drive, in the accommodating part placed in the computer main body.

However, in the conventional portable computer, the accommodating part is placed under the keyboard and overlapped with the keyboard, thereby increasing the thickness of the portable computer and deteriorating the portability of the portable computer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept provides a portable computer having an improved structure to minimize the portable computer thickness.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept are achieved by providing a portable computer including a computer main body, a display main body coupled with the computer main body, a main board provided in the computer main body, a keyboard provided in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board without overlapping with the main board, and an auxiliary memory provided in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board and the keyboard without overlapping with the main board and the keyboard.

The auxiliary memory may include an optical disk drive.

The optical disk drive may include a disc accommodating part to accommodate and to support a disc, and a disc cover placed in the computer main body to open and close the disc accommodating part.

The disc cover may be rotatably coupled with the computer main body and to open and/or close the disc accommodating part.

The auxiliary memory may further include a hard disk drive, and the hard disk drive and the optical disk drive may be disposed in parallel without overlapping with each other.

The portable computer may further include a battery placed in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board, the keyboard and the auxiliary memory without overlapping with the main board, the keyboard and the auxiliary memory.

The portable computer may further include a touch pad placed in the computer main body and disposed in parallel with the main board, the keyboard and the auxiliary memory without overlapping with the main board, the keyboard and the auxiliary memory.

The keyboard may be placed in a front region of the computer main body, and the main board and the auxiliary memory may be placed in a back region of the computer main body.

The keyboard may be placed in a back region of the computer main body, and the main board and the auxiliary memory may be in front of the keyboard.

The thickness of the display main body and the computer main body together may range from 16 mm to 20 mm.

The display main body may be hingedly coupled with one edge of the computer main body.

The area of the display main body may be substantially equal to an area of the computer main body.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a portable computer comprising a main body including a keyboard, a main board, and auxiliary devices mounted therein without overlapping and substantially in parallel with each other, and a flat display rotatably coupled to one side of the main body to rotate with respect to the main body and to overlap the main body in a closed position.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of minimizing a thickness of a portable computer in a closed position, the method including disposing a keyboard, a main board, and auxiliary devices in a main body of the portable computer without overlapping each other and substantially in parallel with each other, and rotatably folding a flat display over the main body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, a portable computer1according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept comprises a computer main body10, a display main body5coupled with the computer main body10, a main board21placed in the computer main body10, a keyboard25placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel with the main board21without overlapping with the main board21, and an auxiliary memory31placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel with both the main board21and the keyboard25without overlapping with both the main board21and the keyboard25. According to the present embodiment, the portable computer1may further comprise a battery45placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel with the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31without overlapping with the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31. According to the present embodiment, the portable computer1may further comprise a touch pad27placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel with the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31without overlapping with the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31.

The computer main body10is protected by a casing11that defines an outer appearance of the computer main body. One or more hinges13couple the computer main body10with the display main body5. The one or more hinges13allows the display main body5to rotate with respect to the computer main body10in a supporting manner such that the display main body5can maintain a tilted position at various angles.

The casing11has a first side provided with connection ports15to which an ear phone, a power source or other devices may be connected, and a second side provided with a card slot17to which a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card, a compact flash (CF) card, and other hardware devices having a communication card or a memory card may be mounted.

The display main body5comprises a display panel, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, to display image data thereon. The display main body5is coupled with the computer main body10by the one or more hinges13to be supportably tiltable at different angles. Thus, the display main body5may be rotated downward toward the computer main body10and folded onto the computer main body10. Further, the display main body5may be rotated upward and away from the computer main body10(as illustrated inFIG. 1). According to the present embodiment, when the display main body5is folded onto the computer main body10, a thickness of the display main body5and the computer main body10approximately ranges from 16 mm to 20 mm. Alternatively, the thickness of the display main body5and the computer main body10together may be less than the 16 mm or more than 20 mm.

The main board21is mounted with electronic components22such as a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), or the like. Here, the main board21is placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel with the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31without overlapping with the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31. Further, the main board21is covered with a main board cover23, which allows access to the main board21when the main board cover23is opened. As illustrated inFIG. 2, the main board21is placed in a back region of the computer main body10. Alternatively, the main board21may be placed in another region of the computer main body10without overlapping with the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, the keyboard25is placed in a front region of the computer main body10without overlapping with the main board21and the auxiliary memory31. Alternatively, the keyboard25may be placed in another region of the computer main body10without overlapping with the main board21and the auxiliary memory31. The keyboard25may also include an auxiliary key pad26, such as a function key pad, or a number key pad.

The touch pad27may be placed in a predetermined region adjacent to the keyboard25and allows a user to control a position of a movable indicator displayed on a screen of the display main body5. Alternatively, the touch pad27may be placed in another region of the computer main body10. Further, selection buttons28are placed adjacent to the touch pad27and allow a user to select the position of the movable indicator displayed on the screen of the display main body5.

The auxiliary memory31may include an optical disk drive (ODD)33. Further, the auxiliary memory31may include a hard disk drive (HDD)41. However, the auxiliary memory31is not limited to the ODD33and the HDD41, but may include various memories to store and output data as long as the auxiliary memory31is placed in the computer main body10and disposed without overlapping with the main board21, and the keyboard25. As illustrated in FIG.2, the auxiliary memory31is placed in the back region of the computer main body10and disposed without overlapping with the main board21and the keyboard25. Alternatively, the auxiliary memory31may be placed in another region of the computer main body10and disposed without overlapping with the keyboard25and the main board21.

The ODD33is a device to write data on a disc, such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD), and to read the data from the disc. The ODD33comprises a disc accommodating part35to accommodate and support the disc (not shown), and a disc cover39placed in the computer main body10to open and close the disc accommodating part35. Further, the ODD33is placed in a back region of the computer main body10and disposed without overlapping with the main board21and the keyboard25.

The disc accommodating part35comprises a disc support36to support the disc (not shown) in a rotating manner, and an optical pickup head37to write data on the disc supported by the disc support36and to read data from the disc.

The disc cover39placed over the disc accommodating part35may open and close the disc accommodating part35. Here, the disc cover39is coupled with the computer main body10by a hinge (not shown) and can rotate to open/close the disc accommodating part35. The disc cover39is called a shell type disc cover, but the disc cover39is not limited to the shell type disc cover. Alternatively, the disc cover39may have various types as long as the disc cover39opens/closes the disc accommodating part35.

The HDD41is placed in the back region of the computer main body10and disposed without overlapping with the main board21, the keyboard25and the ODD33. As illustrated inFIG. 2, the HDD41may be placed between the main board21and the ODD33and covered by the main board cover23.

The battery45is placed in the back region of the main board21and the auxiliary memory31and disposed without overlapping with the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31. Here, the battery45is detachably provided in the computer main body10.

In the portable computer1having the described configuration according to the present embodiment, the main board21, the keyboard25and the auxiliary memory31are placed in the computer main body10and disposed in parallel without overlapping with one another, thereby minimizing the thickness of the computer main body10. Thus, when the display main body5is folded over the computer main body10, the thickness of the display main body5and the computer main body10approximately ranges from 16 mm to 20 mm, so that the portable computer1is slim in its closed state. As the portable computer1is slim in its closed state, the portable computer1is handy to carry and has an attractive outer appearance.

Further, the portable computer1has an added quality in that the auxiliary memory31, such as the ODD33, can be mounted thereon.

As illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4, a portable computer101according to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept has a similar configuration as the previous embodiment except that a keyboard125is placed in a back region of a computer main body110, and a main board121and an auxiliary memory131are placed in front of the keyboard125.

The keyboard125may be positioned adjacent to a touch pad127and a selection button128. However, the touch pad127and the selection button128may not be provided adjacent to the keyboard125. Alternatively, the touch pad127and the selection button128may be placed in another region of the computer main body110.

The auxiliary memory131includes an ODD133and an HDD141(seeFIG. 4), wherein the ODD133and the HDD141are placed in the computer main body110and disposed in parallel without overlapping with each other.

The other components illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4are similar to components having same reference numbers of the previous embodiment, and thus repetitive descriptions are avoided.

Thus, in the portable computer according to the present embodiment, the main board, the keyboard and the auxiliary memory are placed in the computer main body and disposed in parallel without overlapping with one another, so that the thickness of the portable computer is minimized, thereby enhancing the portability and outer appearance thereof.

Further, the portable computer has an added quality in that the auxiliary memory, such as the ODD, can be mounted thereon.

As described above, the present general inventive concept provides a portable computer, in which a main board, a keyboard and an auxiliary memory are placed in a computer main body and disposed in parallel without overlapping with one another, so that the thickness of the portable computer is minimized, thereby enhancing the portability and outer appearance thereof.

Further, the present general inventive concept provides a portable computer having an added quality in that an auxiliary memory, such as an ODD, can be mounted thereon.