Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a combination housing of a notebook computer, and more particularly, to a combination housing of a notebook computer having a display housing and a main frame housing each of which includes two metal covers that are attached to a middle plastic frame, thereby forming a sandwich structure. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     With the advancement of production technology and the rationalization of price, the notebook computer has gradually replaced the desktop computer and becomes essential merchandise in the computer market. Previously, the notebook computer met working requirements of few professionals, and now it has been made widely available to all kinds of people. Therefore, in addition to having complete functions, the notebook computer also has to own shock resistance and can be protected from the electromagnetic interference. Even, it has to fulfill the recycling requirement by recovering of old notebooks for catering to the need of the market. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a conventional notebook computer  60  includes a display  40  and a main frame  50 . The bottom rim of the display  40  is pivotally coupled to the rear side of the main frame  50 . The display  40  includes a display panel  42 , a rear housing  41  for accepting the display panel  42 , and a front housing  43  for holding the display panel  42  in place. The display panel  42  includes LCD or other self-illuminating elements and contains a corresponding positioning bar  421  and positioning pieces  422  at two sides thereof. The positioning rods  421  each have a hinge  423  at the bottom thereof for a pivotal connection to a connection bar (not shown). In this way, the display  40  and the main frame  50  can be pivotally joined together. So, the display  40  can be swiveled on the main frame  50  in an open or a closed position. 
     The main frame  50  consists of a top housing  51  and a bottom housing  52  both of which are joined together to form a main frame housing  50 A. The top housing  51  and the bottom housing  52  define a receiving space for holding a keyboard  53 , a mother board and other electronic devices (e.g. hard disk drive, optical devices, etc.) that are not shown in the figures. So, the top housing  51  and the bottom housing  52  have to be provided with corresponding grooves  511 ,  521  and partition ribs  522 . 
     The housing structure of the above-mentioned notebook computer  60  primarily consists of the rear housing  41 , the front housing  43 , the top housing  51 , and the bottom housing  52 . Other small elements are not described hereinafter. These four portions are mainly formed by an injection molding process of plastic and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) or PC (Polycarbonate)+ABS material, and then fastened with screws or engaging elements. However, these plastic housings have to undergo a special surface treatment with printing or coating process. This results in recovery difficulties later. Moreover, the whole plastic injection molding machine is expensive. Meanwhile, the plastic strength is not so high as metal strength so that the thickness of the plastic housings has to be maintained above 0.8-1.2 mm for ensuring a sufficient material strength. Otherwise, the computer housing is easily damaged. So, the cost thereof is not low as well. In addition, the use of the plastic housing can&#39;t prevent the notebook computer from electromagnetic interference. This is a big imperfection, too. 
     Currently, the conventional plastic housing still leaves much to be desired. The aluminum magnesium alloy is applied to the notebook computer due to its light weight, high mechanical strength, and excellent texture. Unlike the plastic goods that can be formed by injection molding process with high efficiency, the aluminum magnesium alloy goods are made only by die casting that requires a molding tool cost triple as high as the injection molding tool cost. Moreover, the yield rate is too low as well so that the production cost is considerably increased. Accordingly, this is only applicable to the products with the requirement of the top quality. So, the production is commonly done by stamping process. However, the stamping elements still have many restrictions. For example, the depth can&#39;t be too large; otherwise, the stamping process will be completed with difficulties. The connection between metal stamping elements often produces assembly problems due to precision control difficulties. Thus, the stamping element made of aluminum ally or aluminum magnesium alloy can only be applied to the rear housing  41 , rather than to the front housing  43 , the top housing  51  and the bottom housing  52  due to the aforementioned factors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems and to provide a combination housing of a notebook computer having a display housing and a main frame housing each of which includes two metal covers that are attached to a middle plastic frame to form a sandwich structure. Moreover, the thickness of the metal covers  41 ,  51 ,  52  ranging from 0.7 mm to 0.8 and that of the metal cover  43  ranging from 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm can ensure the required structural strength, thereby making the notebook computer housing beautiful and providing it with excellent texture. Since the surface is made of metal, the notebook computer housing is abrasion-proof and crash-proof. Meanwhile, the notebook computer can be protected from the electromagnetic interference. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a combination housing of a notebook computer that utilizes an engagement of engaging parts of the metal covers in corresponding arched cavities of the middle plastic frames to permit a rapid fastening and to minimize the number of the employed screws. Accordingly, the assembly of the combination housing of a notebook computer is much simplified. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a combination housing of a notebook computer most of which can be recycled to permit an environmentally friendly reuse of resources. Meanwhile, the environmental pollution can be effectively reduced. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a combination housing of a notebook computer that employs a metal stamping mold with a lower cost than the plastic injection molding tool. Accordingly, the production cost can be minimized while the service life of the metal housings can be extended. 
     The above-mentioned objects can be fulfilled by the characteristics described in claims  1  through  3 . Advantageous design features are stated in the subordinate claims: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accomplishment of this and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptions and its accompanying figures of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional notebook computer; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of the conventional notebook computer in accordance with  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a notebook computer in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of the preferred embodiment of a notebook computer in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of a first middle plastic frame of a display housing of the invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view of a rear metal cover of the display housing of the invention; 
         FIG. 4C  is a front view of a rear metal cover of a main frame housing of the invention; 
         FIG. 4D  is a front view of a bottom metal cover of the main frame housing of the invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the section  5 A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5B  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5A  after assembly; 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the section  6 A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6B  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of  FIG. 6A  after assembly; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a notebook computer in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 8A  is an exploded side view of the display housing in accordance with  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 8B  is an exploded side view of the display housing in accordance with  FIG. 7  after assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     First of all, referring to  FIG. 3 , a notebook computer in accordance with the invention includes a conventional display  30   a  and a main frame  30   b . The other apparatuses like display panel, mother board, electronic devices, optic devices, etc. belong to the prior art so that no further descriptions thereto are given hereinafter. 
     The invention features in the combination structure of a display housing  10  and a main frame housing  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the main frame housing  20  consists of a top metal cover  21 , a first middle plastic frame  22  and a bottom metal cover  23  that are combined to form a sandwich structure. Meanwhile, the display housing  10  consists of a rear metal cover  11 , a second middle plastic frame  12  and a front metal cover  13  that are combined to form a sandwich structure. The material of the above-mentioned metal covers is preferably selected from a group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and aluminum-magnesium alloy. It should not be restricted thereto. Another equivalent metal or alloy is applicable thereto. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the rear metal cover  11  is formed in a stamping process such that a rim portion  111  is bent forward with a rear engaging part  112  at the inner side thereof. The rear engaging part  112  is formed at the same time when the rear engaging part  112  is created. Alternatively, the rear engaging part  112  can be formed separately in a reworking process. The front metal cover  13  is formed in a stamping process to create a frame-shaped body with a hollowed portion  133  at the center thereof for receiving a display panel  42  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5A , the top of the front metal cover  13  is bent backward to form a rim portion  131  with a front engaging part  132  at the inner side thereof. The second middle plastic frame  12  includes a middle protrusion portion  121  defining a front and a rear frame portion of the display housing  10  with a front and a rear cavity  122 ,  123 , respectively. In this way, the rear engaging part  112  of the rim portion  111  and the front engaging part  132  of the rim portion  131  can fit snugly in the front and the rear cavity  122 ,  123  of the second middle plastic frame  12 , respectively. Accordingly, the rear metal cover  11 , the second middle plastic frame  12  and the front metal cover  13  can be joined together to form a sandwich structure, as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the display panel  42  having positioning rods  421  and positioning elements  422  at both sides thereof is locked at the inner side of the second middle plastic frame  12  by respective locking elements  424 . The positioning rods  421  include each at the bottom thereof a hinge  423  that protrudes from the bottom side of the second middle plastic frame  12 . The display panel  42 , the positioning rods  421  and the hinges  423  belong to the prior art so that no further descriptions to their detailed elements are given hereinafter. The protruding hinge  423  is coupled to a corresponding a mounting element  227  and then fixed to tenon screw holes  225 . In this way, the display  30   a  and the main frame  30   b , as shown in  FIG. 3 , are pivotally coupled at the bottom rear side thereof. This structure doesn&#39;t fall within the scope of the claim of the invention. However, the aforementioned descriptions imply the applicability of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , each of four corners of the front metal cover  13  of the display housing  10  includes a second screw  14 . Another fixing elements equivalent to the screw are also applicable. The second screws  14  fit in corresponding through holes  124  of the second middle plastic frame  12  and are then locked in the tenon screw holes  113  of the rear metal cover  11  (see  FIG. 4A and 4B ). Accordingly, the rear metal cover  11 , the second middle plastic frame  12  and the front metal cover  13  can be tightly combined together. Meanwhile, the rear metal cover  11  protects the front metal cover  13  and the rear metal cover  11  from contact to each other while they are joined together. So, it is avoidable that uneven contact faces of both stamped metal pieces are created due to precision error resulted from the stamping process. As shown in  FIG. 5B , the display housing  10  in the combination sandwich type has a flush external rim without gap. It&#39;s because that the flexibility of the second middle plastic frame  12  can absorb the slight manufacturing error. In this way, the stamping pieces can be made flush. In addition to the above-mentioned effects, the second middle plastic frame  12  permits a beautiful appearance. So, it can serve many purposes. As shown in  FIGS. 4C ,  4 D,  6 A and  6 B, the main frame housing  20  consists of a top metal cover  21 , a first middle plastic frame  22  and a bottom metal cover  23  that are combined to form a sandwich structure. The top metal cover  21  is stamped in a form with both ends  211  bent downward while the bottom side of the top metal cover  21  defines a cavity portion. The bending ends  211  of the top metal cover  21  each have an upper engaging portion  212  at the inner side of the bending ends  211 . The bottom metal cover  23  is stamped in a form with both ends  231  bent upward while the top side of the bottom metal cover  23  defines a cavity portion. The bending ends  231  of the bottom metal cover  23  each have a lower engaging portion  232  at the inner side of the bending ends  231 . The first middle plastic frame  22  includes a middle protrusion portion  221  at the center thereof defining a front and a rear frame portion of the main frame housing  20  with a top and a bottom arched cavity  222 ,  223 , respectively. In this way, the upper engaging portion  212  of the bending end  211  and the lower engaging portion  232  of the bending end  231  can fit snugly in the top and the bottom arched cavity  222 ,  223  of the first middle plastic frame  22 , respectively. Accordingly, the top metal cover  21 , the first middle plastic frame  22  and the bottom metal cover  23  can be combined together to form a sandwich structure with a flush external rim without gaps. The sandwich structure of the main frame housing  20  is identical with that of the aforementioned display housing  10 . The difference lies in the position of cavities and other configuration designed for meeting different requirements. As shown in  FIGS. 4C and 4D , the inside of the first middle plastic frame  22  can receive a mother board, a CD-ROM, and other electronic components. So, the main frame housing  20  can be provided with partition ribs  224  and through holes  226 . Meanwhile, the bottom metal cover  23  includes cavities  234  and tenon screw holes  235  in accordance with difference requirements and notebook computer models. No further descriptions thereto are given hereinafter. Referring to  FIGS. 7 ,  8 A, and  8 B, the configuration of the display housing  10  is the same to that of the display housing of the previous embodiments. The difference lies in that the front metal cover  13  is stamped to be a flat frame with a middle cavity  133  for accepting the display panel  42 . Meanwhile, the second middle plastic frame  12  includes a middle protrusion portion  121  at a front section thereof and a cavity  122  at a rear section thereof. The cavity  122  extends from the middle protrusion portion  121  to the rear outside wall of the second middle plastic frame  12 . The cavity  122  serves to hold the rear metal cover  11  in place. The inner rim of the middle protrusion portion  121  defines a front groove  123 ′ for receiving the front metal cover  13  in place. In this way, the rear metal cover  11 , the second middle plastic frame  12 , and the front metal cover  13  of the display housing  10  are combined together to form a sandwich structure. The front metal cover  13  can be fastened in position by glue or by screws  14 . It&#39;s taken into account that the swiveling configuration and position of this embodiment are something different from that of the previous embodiment. Some of them are more complicated. So, the front metal cover  13  can be designed in a flat frame type that requires only an easier stamping process. Meanwhile, the pivoted portion of the display housing  10  extends from the bottom of the second middle plastic frame  12  and is integrally formed therewith. Alternatively, a small member  425  can be extruded and mounted around the hinge  423  as shown in  FIG. 4A . Besides, the not-shown lead of the display panel  42  can be extended from the small member  425  and enters from a pivoted connection opening  426  into the main frame for an electric connection to the circuit board. These components are not objects of the invention so that no further descriptions thereto are given hereinafter. 
     Based on the above-mentioned sandwich structure of the invention, the display housing  10  and the main frame housing  20  are made of material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and aluminum-magnesium alloy and formed in a stamped process except that the middle protrusion portions  121 ,  221  extends from the middle transitional portion. This provides not only the metal housing of high technology. All of the production speed, defect-free rate, and structural strength are also superior to the conventional plastic housing. Moreover, the metal surface is not sprayed with any coating so that all material can be recycled for reuse. This ensures an environmentally friendly application. In addition, the metal surface produces a hairline texture after a special grinding, polishing, and anodizing treatment. The fabrication of the invention doesn&#39;t require injection molds but stamping dies so that the fabrication cost can be considerably reduced. Furthermore, the stamping metal piece includes vertical sides so that the strength of the whole cover can be enhanced. In this way, the thickness of the stamping metal pieces can be lower than that of plastic members, thereby creating a light-weight and compact notebook computer. 
     Many changes and modifications in the above-described embodiments of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 3