Abstract:
A portable computer has a computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a keyboard build into the upper surface. The computer further has a panel with a viewing screen on one surface which is joined to the computer body. The connection of the viewing screen to the computer body includes a first hinge which allows movement of the viewing screen between a travel position where the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard, and an operating position in which the screen is angled relative to the keyboard so as to be visible to one using the keyboard. The connection further includes a second hinge or a slide which enables the viewing screen to be folded with the back thereof against the computer body.

Description:
The present invention relates to the mounting of a video display panel on a portable computer and, in particular, to a panel that can be mounted so the video display is visible when the panel is folded against the body of the computer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Portable computers and notebook computers have a generally rectangular computer body and a panel with a viewing screen hinged along one side of the computer body such that the viewing screen is moveable from a first position in which the screen is folded against the keyboard of the computer to a second position where the viewing screen is opened and visible to an operator using the keyboard. When the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard, the computer has the appearance of a small suitcase or notebook and is easily transportable. 
     It is sometimes desirable to mount such portable computers in an automobile such that the information in the computer would be available to the operator of the vehicle. Preferably, the automobile has an adapter or dock which will mount the computer to the dashboard while the user is in his vehicle and permit the easy removal thereof by the user when the vehicle has reached its destination. The mounting must be adequate to secure the computer while the vehicle is traveling over rugged terrain. The mounting must also render the viewing screen visible to the occupants of the front seat, yet it must consume a minimum of the limited space available within an automobile. 
     Existing portable computers having a viewing screen hinged to the computer body are difficult to mount to the dashboard of a vehicle with the keyboard and viewing screen both useable by the occupants of the front seat of because of the limited movement of the parts permitted by the hinge. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an improved housing for a portable computer which would enable the computer to be more readily mounted into an automobile. 
     Some 20 or more wires are needed to connect the screen of a portable computer to the computer body, and in prior art portable computers the wires limit the movement of a hinge connecting the screen to a computer body. If the hinge permits too much movement between the parts the repeated twisting of the connecting wires can cause the insulation between the wires to wear away, thereby causing the computer to fail. 
     It would be desirable to provide a hinge, or a hinged connector, between a computer and the associated screen which allows more movement between the parts without causing damage to the connecting wires. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention is embodied in a portable computer with a computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a keyboard built into the upper surface thereof. The computer further has a panel with a viewing screen on one surface which is pivotally joined to the computer body. 
     In accordance with the invention, the connection of the viewing screen to the computer body includes a hinge which allows movement of the viewing screen between a travel position where the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard, and an operating position in which the screen is angled relative to the keyboard so as to be visible to one using the keyboard. The connection between the viewing screen and the computer body further includes an adjusting means which enables the viewing screen to be folded with the back thereof against the computer body. 
     The adjustment means may be configured as a second hinge. In accordance with this embodiment, the second hinge interacts with the first hinge to permit movement of the panel from a first position, in which the video screen is against the keyboard, to a second position in which the panel is wrapped around the computer body and the rear surface thereof is against the lower surface of the computer body. 
     In a second embodiment of the invention, the adjusting means includes a slideable member on which the hinge is retained, the slideable member is moveable from a first position near one long side of either the computer body or the panel to a second position near the opposite long side of the computer body or panel. The movement of the slideable member permits the reversal of the viewing screen from a first position in which it is folded against the keyboard to a second position in which the back surface of the viewing screen is against the keyboard. 
     In both embodiments the hinge assembly, whether it is a double hinge or a hinge with a slideable member, has a central opening through which the wires connecting the computer to the screen can pass. To prevent damage to the wire, the wires are formed into a ribbon and the ribbon is coiled before it is inserted into the hinge assembly. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the present invention will be had after a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a computer in accordance with the present invention with the viewing screen closed down upon the keyboard; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the computer as depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the computer shown in FIG. 1 with the viewing screen open with respect to the computer body rendering it useable as a conventional portable computer; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded view of the hinge assembly for retaining the viewing screen to the computer body; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the assembled hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the halves of a hinge member employed in the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is an end view of an assembled hinge member employed in the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the computer shown in FIG. 1 with the viewing screen folded 270 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the computer shown in FIG. 1 with the viewing screen folded behind the computer body; 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of the ribbon for use in the hinge assembly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of the ribbon shown in FIG. 10 with the central portion thereof coiled for insertion into the hinge assembly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5; 
     FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a connector for retaining a viewing screen to the computer body with the screen closed on the keyboard; 
     FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the computer of FIG. 12 with the viewing screen opened from the keyboard such that the computer is ready for use by an operator; 
     FIG. 14 is a fragmentary enlarged isometric view of the attachment of the viewing screen to the computer body shown in FIG. 12 with portions of the interior thereof shown in phantom lines; 
     FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a connector for retaining the parts of a computer as shown in FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 16 is an enlarged isometric view of the computer shown in FIG. 12 with the viewing screen opened and the panel with the viewing screen thereon partially moved along the slots; 
     FIG. 17 is an isometric view of the computer body shown in FIG. 12 with the back of the viewing screen folded against the keyboard so that the screen is viewable; 
     FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the ribbon connecting the computer body to the screen from the embodiment shown in FIG. 12; and 
     FIG. 19 depicts a viewing screen folded as shown in FIG.  9  and FIG.  17  and mounted on the dashboard of an automobile. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , a portable computer, or notebook computer,  10  has a housing body  12  having an upper surface  14  in which there is a keyboard  16 . The body  12  is generally rectangular in shape having opposing long sides  18 ,  20  and short sides  22 ,  24 , and opposite the upper surface  14  is a lower surface  25 . Within the housing body  12  are electronic components  27  (shown only in FIG. 10 and 11) of the computer  10 . 
     The computer also includes a cover panel  26  hinged to the housing body  12  as further described below. The cover panel  26  has an outer surface  32  which is visible when the computer  10  is in the carrying orientation as shown in FIG. 1, a forward surface  28  having a viewing screen thereon, visible in FIG. 3, and within the cover panel  26  are other electronic components  29  (again, only shown in FIGS.  10  and  11 ). 
     The panel  26  has an outermost long side  34 , an opposing hinged long side  36  retained to the panel body by hinge members  38 ,  40  and has short sides  42 ,  44 . The short sides  42 ,  44  are approximately equal to the lengths of the short sides  22 ,  24  of the computer body  12 , and long sides  34 ,  36  are approximately equal to the lengths of the long sides  18 ,  20  of the computer body. 
     Existing portable computers have a single hinge between the panel  26  and the body  12  permitting movement of the panel between a transporting position in which the viewing screen  28  is folded against the keyboard  16  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to a second operating position in which the panel  26  is retained at an angle with respect to the body  12  so as to be visible to an operator using the keyboard  16  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4,  5 ,  6 , and  7 , the hinge members  38 ,  40  fit within notched out portions  39 ,  41  in long slide  20  of the body  12  and in aligned notched out portions  43 ,  45  of the long side  36  of panel  26 . Hinge assembly  38 , shown in FIG. 5,  6 , and  7 , is representative of both assemblies  38 ,  40 . Notched out portion  39  forms opposing faces  46  and  47  in the body  12 , and aligned with the faces  46 ,  47  are corresponding faces  48 ,  49  in panel  26  formed by notched portion  43 . 
     Extending from face  47  of the body  12  is pin  50  and opening into the opposing face  46  is an aperture  51 . Similarly, extending from face  49  of the panel  26  is a pin  52  and opening into the opposing face  48  is an aperture  53 . Extending through aperture  51  in the body  12  is a tubular member  54  retained in place by screws (not shown) and extending through aperture  53  in the panel  26  is a second tubular member  55  retained by screws  56 . Fitted around the distal ends of tubular members  54 ,  55  and around pins  50 ,  52  is a hinge member  57 . 
     As best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, hinge member  57  is formed of two halves  57 A,  57 B, which are mirror images of each other. Each of the halves  57 A,  57 B (of which  57 A shown in FIG. 7 is exemplary of both) has a recessed channel  58  therein having ends  31 ,  33  which connect to one side  35  of half  57 A. On the opposite side  37  of half  57 A are a pair of indentations  41 ,  59 . The halves  57 A,  57 B are assembled with the mated ends  31 ,  33  of the channels  58  forming apertures surrounding the ends of tubular members  54 ,  55  and the indentation  41 ,  59  form apertures surrounds the ends of pins  50 ,  52 . The channels  58  mate to form a passage through which a coiled ribbon  66  of wires is fitted as further described below. 
     The hinge members  38 ,  40  are double hinges capable of pivoting around tubular members  54  and pins  50  on the body  12  and of pivoting around tubular members  55  end pins  52  of the panel  26 . Two O-rings  62  are fitted around the distal end of tubular member  55  to create resistance to the rotation of hinge member  38  with respect to the panel  26 , and three O-rings  63  are fitted around the distal end of tubular member  54  to create resistance to movement of hinge members  38  with respect to the body  12 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a number of wires, perhaps  20  or more, are needed to connect the electronic components  27  of the computer  10  in the body  12  to the electronic components  29  of the screen  28 . It has been found that if the larger number of wires needed to connect the components  27  of the computer to the components  29  of the screen are threaded through the open parts of a hinge, such as hinge assembly  38 , the movement of the hinge will cause the wires extending through the hinge members to become damaged. Eventually the computer will fail as a result of damage to the wires joining the computer body  12  to the screen  28 . 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the wires which join the components  27  of the computer body to the components  29  of the screen are embedded in ribbon  66  of flexible insulating material. The ribbon may be manufactured using methods known in the art such as depositing lines of conductive material onto a flexible substrate. 
     As best seen in FIG. 10, the ribbon  66  has a short first end section  65  from which a plurality of wires  64 — 64  extend for attachment to the component  27  of the computer body  12 . Similarly, the ribbon  66  has a short second end section  67  from which the opposite ends  71 — 71  of the wires extend for attachment to the components  29  of the screen. Between the first end section  65  and the second end section  67  is an elongate central section  69  oriented perpendicular to both the first end section  65  and the second end section  67  as shown. 
     As seen in FIGS. 5 and 11, to fit the ribbon  66  through the central opening of the first tubular member  54 , the passage  58  of member  38 , and through the central opening of the second tubular member  55 , the central section  69  of the ribbon  66  is rolled into a coil. The rolled central section  67  is then folded as shown to conform to the shape of the interiors of the tubular members  54 ,  55  and the passage  58  of the hinge assembly  38 . A hinge assembly  38  having a rolled ribbon  66  extending through the portions thereof is rotatable with respect to in the housing body  12  and with respect to this panel  26  without causing damage to the wires of the ribbon  66 . 
     The movement of the panel  26  from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the open position shown in FIG. 3 in which the screen  28  is visible to one using the keyboard  16 , involves the rotation of the panel  26  around tubular members  55  and pins  52  of the hinge assemblies  38 ,  40 . The rotation of the hinge assemblies  38 ,  40  and the panel  26  about the tubular members  54  and the pins  50  permits the rotation of the panel  26  from the positions shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3  to the position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. When the panel is in the position shown in FIG. 9, the computer  10  can be mounted to the dashboard of an automobile, as shown in FIG. 18 with the keyboard wrapped behind the screen and the screen  28  visible to the occupants of the vehicle. 
     Referring to FIGS. 12-18 in another embodiment of a computer  68  the portions that are like those of the computer body  12 ′ and panel  26 ′ bear like indicia numbers except that they are primed. Like the first embodiment, the long side  36 ′ of panel  26 ′ has notches  45 ′ forming shoulders  46 ′ at opposite ends thereof for receiving portions of hinge assemblies  70  and  72 . 
     Referring further to FIGS. 14,  15 , and  16  in which hinge assembly  70  is representative of both assemblies  70  and  72 , the assemblies  70  each have an elongate tubular arm  74  which is rotatably received in an aperture  76  in the shoulder  46 ′ of panel  26 ′. Oriented perpendicular to the axis of the arm  74  is a downwardly (as seen in FIG. 14) extending tubular leg  77 , the lower end of which has parallel sides  77 ,  78  (shown in FIG. 15) that fit slideably between the sides of a track  86 . As best shown in FIG. 16, the upper surface  14 ′ of the housing of the computer  68  has a pair of parallel tracks  86 ,  88 , extending along each side of the keyboard  16 ′, and each track  86 ,  88  in engaged by the downwardly extending leg  76  of the associated hinge assembly  70 ,  72 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 15, the leg  76  of each hinge assembly  70 ,  72  is retained in the associated track  86 ,  88  by a tab  90  at the lower end of the leg  76 . Also, the inner opening  91  of the tubular arm  74  communicates with the opening  92  of the hollow leg  76  for receiving the coiled ribbon  66  of wires connecting the components  2 ′ of the computer to the components  29 ′ of the screen. 
     To connect the components  27 ′ of the computer to those of the screen  28 ′, the wires are again configured into a ribbon  66  having a first end section  65 , a second end section  67  and a central section  69  oriented perpendicular to the end sections  65  and  67  as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The central section  69  is again coiled as shown in FIG.  11  and inserted into the openings  91 ,  92  extending through the arm  74  and the leg  76  of the assembly  70 . Referring to FIG. 17, in this embodiment the end section  65  connecting to the components  27 ′ of the computer has an extended length as shown to permit the sliding of the legs  76  within the tracks  86 ,  88 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 16, the invention further includes releasable locks  93 ,  94  at opposite ends of slots  86  which engage the downwardly extending leg  76 . When lock  93  engages the lower end of leg  70 , the panel  26 ′ will pivot about the hinge assemblies  70 ,  72  from a closed position as shown in FIG. 12 to an open position as shown in FIG.  13 . When the hinge assemblies  70 ,  72  are moved to the opposite end of the slots  86 ,  88  and the second lock  94  is engaged, the panel  26 ′ can be rotated until the rear surface  32 ′ of the viewing screen  2 ′ 8  contacts the keyboard  16 ′ as shown in FIG.  17 . 
     As can be seen, the computer in accordance with the present invention can be oriented with the viewing screen in any of three configurations. In the first configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard to protect the parts while the device is being transported. In the second configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 13, the viewing screen  28 ′ is at an angle of approximately 100° with the keyboard  16 ′ so as to be visible while the keyboard is in use. In the third configuration shown in FIG. 9 and 17, the back  32  of the viewing screen  28  is folded against the computer body  12 ′ leaving the viewing screen  28 ′ visible. 
     Referring to FIG. 19, the computer  10 ,  68  of the present invention can be mounted against the dashboard  90  of an automobile using any suitable means, including a computer dock as disclosed in my copending application serial No. 09/425,924. Preferably, the computer  10  is mounted with the back  32 ′ of the screen  28 ′ against the body  12 ′ with the surface of the screen visible to the operator of the vehicle as shown in FIGS. 9 and 17. The computer  10  can be mounted on the dashboard of an automobile with the long sides  18 ′,  20 ′ of housing  12 ′ oriented vertically as shown in FIG.  19 . 
     Software is currently available for orienting the material displayed on the screen  28 ′ ninety degrees. Software is also available to provide a virtual keyboard  96  operable by the touch of a finger on the lower portion of the screen as shown. A computer  10 ,  68  mounted in the vehicle as shown, is therefore useable by the occupants of the vehicle. 
     While the present invention has been disclosed with respect to two embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.