JPH0736618A - Portable computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a drive device only when necessary by eliminating the need for detachment and independent carrying of the drive device at the time of carrying a computer. CONSTITUTION:In the portable computer to which the drive device, where selection/release of a menu displayed on a display screen can be pointed with even a track ball independent of key operation, is connected, a computer main body 11 is provided with a storage space, and the drive device 20 is set in a slide case 21, and this slide case 21 can be drawn out of and stored in the storage space.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable computer and, more particularly, to a drive device housing structure in which a menu displayed on a display screen can be selected and released by a trackball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in demand for handheld portable computers such as so-called laptop computers and book computers. Some of such portable computers can select / cancel the menu displayed on the display screen by a drive device other than the key operation. Such a drive device is generally called a mouse.

This mouse appears when selecting an item displayed on the display screen. For example, a rolling trackball for moving an arrow mark or the like to any position in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions on the display screen, and an arrow. It is provided with a switch for selecting / deselecting the item designated by the mark, and is connected to the CPU board of the computer main body by a cord.

[0004]

However, since the above-mentioned conventional mouse is externally attached by a cord connection, there is a problem that when carrying the computer, the mouse has to be detached from the computer body and held separately.

The present invention eliminates the need for removing the drive unit and carrying another when the computer is carried,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer that enables the drive device to be used only when necessary.

[0006]

In the portable computer of the present invention for solving the above problems, a drive device capable of pointing and selecting a menu displayed on a display screen with a trackball other than key operation is connected. In the portable computer, a storage space is provided in the computer main body, the drive device is internally provided in a slide case, and the slide case can be pulled out and stored in the storage space.

[0007]

The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments. The portable computer 10 includes a computer body 1
1 and a display screen that can be opened and closed (not shown). The computer main body 11 is provided with a keyboard 12 and has a CPU board (not shown) for controlling the operation of the computer, a DC / DC converter for supplying power to the CPU board, a hard disk drive, etc. The battery required for driving the computer main body 11 is removably loaded in the battery loading space.

A storage opening 13 is formed in the front part of the computer main body 11, and a storage space 14 is opened at the bottom from the storage opening 13 toward the inside of the computer main body 11. This storage space 14
It is for accommodating a drive device 20 described later.
Guide rails 15 are provided on both inner walls of the storage space 14 so as to project in the front-rear direction of the computer main body 11. On the inner surface of the bottom of the computer main body 11 facing the storage space 14, a stopper 16 is provided at the center, and both side positions of this stopper are provided. Guide pins 17 are respectively provided on the above.

The drive device 20 is used to select / cancel the menu displayed on the display separately from the key operation of the keyboard 12, and is installed in the slide case 21. This drive device 20 is mainly composed of a rollable trackball 2 as shown in FIG.
2. A rolling amount detector 23 that detects the rolling amount of the trackball 22 and moves the arrow mark on the display in up, down, left, and right directions according to the rolling amount, and a switch board 24 having left and right switches 24a, A switch button 25 for pressing the switch 24a is provided. The switch board 24 and the rolling amount detector 23 are connected by a connecting member 26 and a flexible cable 26a, and the switch board 25 is also connected by a flexible wiring board 27 to the CPU board of the computer main body 11.
Reference numeral 21a is a pressing lid of the drive device 20, which has windows for projecting the upper portion of the trackball 22 and the pressing portion of the switch button 25, respectively.

The slide case 21 in which the drive device 20 is installed has side guide grooves 28 on both sides thereof for engaging with the guide rails 15 provided on the storage space 14 side, and a slider 29 on the rear part. It is fixed. On the bottom surface of the slider 29, a long recess 30 into which the stopper 16 formed on the bottom side of the computer main body 11 is inserted is formed in the center, and bottom guide grooves 31 into which the guide pins 17 are fitted are formed on both sides. Further, click holes 32 are formed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the slider 29. The click hole 32 is engageable with the protrusion 18 provided on the corresponding bottom portion of the computer main body 11, and serves to regulate the amount of forward and backward movement of the slide case 21.

In the slide case 21, the side guide grooves 28 are fitted to the guide rails 15, the bottom guide grooves 31 are fitted to the guide pins 17, the long recesses 30 are fitted to the stoppers 16, and then the slide case 21 is pushed into the computer main body 11 side. As a result, it is assembled into the computer main body 11 and stored in the storage space 14.

Now, the slide case 21 inside the drive unit 20 is stored in the storage space 14,
If you want to use the trackball 22 to select / deselect menus on the display screen,
When it is desired to use the drive device 20, the slide case 21 may be pulled out to the front. Then, the front click hole 32 is disengaged from the projection 18, and the slide case 21 becomes slidable. If the slide case 21 is further pulled in this state, the side guide groove 28 of the slide case 21 is on the guide rail 15, and the bottom guide groove 31 is on the guide pin 1.
While being guided by 7, it is pulled out of the computer main body 11. Then, the rear click hole 32 has the protrusion 1
The position at which the slide case 21 is engaged is the end position for pulling out the slide case 21. At this time, since the inner end of the long recess 30 contacts the stopper 16, the subsequent slide is restricted, and even if the slide case 21 is pulled out in this state, it cannot be pulled out easily. With this, drive device 2
0 is pulled out of the computer main body 11, and the user
By operating the trackball 22 and the switch button 25 without selecting a key, a menu on the display screen can be selected / released.

Computer main body 11 of drive unit 20
To store the inside, it is sufficient to push in the slide case 21. Click the slide case 21 to click the rear click hole 3
2 is disengaged from the protrusion 18. Then, the push-in is continued as it is, and the place where the front click hole 32 engages with the protrusion 18 becomes the push-in end position, and the drive device 20 is easily stored in the storage space 14. Therefore, the drive device 20 is installed in the computer main body 1 in this way.
If the computer is stored in the portable terminal 1, it is not necessary to carry the computer separately, and convenience is improved. Further, since the drive device 20 is not touched during storage, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation after startup.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, while the storage space is provided in the computer body, the drive device is internally provided in the slide case, and the slide case can be pulled out and stored in the storage space. It is possible to eliminate the need to remove the drive unit and carry another computer when carrying a computer, which improves convenience and
Since the drive unit can be used for drawers only when necessary,
It is also possible to prevent an erroneous operation of this device after the startup.

[0015]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway, partially enlarged perspective view showing a mounted state of the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a drive device and a slide case that constitute the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the slide case of FIG. 3 viewed from the bottom side.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a storage space for storing a slide case as seen from the bottom side.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a relationship between a slider constituting a slide case and a bottom portion of a computer main body by a relationship between a long recess and a stopper.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the same relationship as in FIG. 6 in the relationship between a click hole and a protrusion.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the same relationship as in FIG. 6 with the relationship between the bottom guide groove and the guide pin.

[0016]

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 portable computer 11 computer main body 12 keyboard 13 storage opening 14 storage space 15 guide rail 16 stopper 17 guide pin 18 protrusion 20 drive device 21 slide case 22 trackball 23 rolling amount detector 24 switch board 24a switch 25 switch button 27 flexible wiring Substrate 28 Side guide groove 29 Slider 30 Long recess 31 Bottom guide groove 32 Click hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A portable computer to which a drive device for pointing / selecting a menu displayed on a display screen, which can be pointed by a trackball different from a key operation, is connected, and a storage space is provided in the computer body and the drive device is provided. A portable computer in which a slide case is internally provided, and the slide case can be pulled out and stored in the storage space.