Portable computer

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-51627, filed on Jul. 25, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a portable computer, and more particularly, to a portable computer in which a structure of a main body and a keyboard assembly enhances an assembling process and reduces production costs.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] In FIG. 1, a portable computer 100 generally comprises a main body 110, a display 120 such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) to display a picture, and a keyboard assembly 130 provided on an upper surface of the main body 110.

[0006] The main body 110 comprises a main board 115 mounted with a CPU (central processing unit: not shown), and a RAM (random access memory: not shown), etc., therein.

[0007] The display 120 receives a video signal from the main body 110 and displays a picture. The display 120 and the main body 110 are electrically connected by a cable (not shown). Further, the display 120 is rotatably combined to the main body 110 by a hinge, so that the portable computer 100 can be folded while not in use.

[0008] The keyboard assembly 130 is an input unit, and transmits key signals to the main board 115. The keyboard assembly 130 comprises a keyboard circuit board (not shown) which generates the key signal in response to a user's operation.

[0009] The keyboard circuit board of the keyboard assembly 130 is connected to the main board 115 through an FPC (flexible printed circuit) 133. The FPC 133 has a first end connected to the keyboard circuit board of the keyboard assembly 130, and a second end provided with a male connector 134. Therefore, the male connector 134 provided in the second end of the FPC 133 is connected to a female connector 115a provided in the main board 115, so that the key signal is transmitted from the keyboard assembly 130 to the main board 115.

[0010] In the conventional portable computer 100, an assembly process of the main body 110 and the keyboard assembly 130 is as follows.

[0011] First, the male connector 134 provided in the second end of the FPC 133 of the keyboard assembly 130 is connected to the female connector 115a provided in the main board 115. Then, a projection 135 protruding from an edge of the keyboard assembly 130 is inserted into a projection holder 112 formed in a keyboard accommodating part of the main body 110, so that the keyboard assembly 130 is combined to the main body 110.

[0012] However, in the conventional portable computer 100, the assembly process of the main body 110 and the keyboard assembly 130 is divided into two operations: electrical connection in which the main body 110 and the keyboard assembly 130 are electrically connected through the FPC 133; and mechanical combination therebetween, so that the assembly process is relatively complicated, thereby increasing total time required to assemble the portable computer.

[0013] Since, the FPC 133 is used to electrically connect the main body 110 with the keyboard assembly 130, the production cost increases.

[0014] Further, a foreign substance may be inserted into the main body 110 through a gap between the main body 110 and the keyboard assembly 130, and the foreign substance may cause damage to components such as the main board 115.

[0015] Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a portable computer in which a structure of a main body and a keyboard assembly enhances an assembly process, reduces production costs, and prevents insertion of a foreign substance into the main body.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

[0017] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a portable computer comprising a main body having a main board, a keyboard assembly to be slidingly inserted into the main body from a side of the main body along a surface of the main body and comprising a keyboard connector outwardly protruding in a direction parallel to a surface of the keyboard assembly, and a main body connector to be connected with the keyboard connector when the keyboard assembly is slidingly inserted into the main body, and transmitting a key signal from the keyboard assembly to the main board.

[0018] According to an aspect of the invention, the main body connector comprises a board-to-board connector protruding upwardly from the main board.

[0019] According to an aspect of the invention, the main body connector is positioned in an edge of the main body in relation to a sliding insertion.

[0020] According to an aspect of the invention, the main body comprises at least one connecting port electrically connected to the main board and to which an external device is connected, and the main body connector is incorporated with one of the connecting ports, being laid on the connecting port.

[0021] According to an aspect of the invention, the main body comprises an upper casing comprising a keyboard accommodating part having an open side through which the keyboard assembly is slidingly inserted, and a lower casing combined with the upper casing.

[0022] According to an aspect of the invention, one of the upper casing and the keyboard assembly is formed with guiding grooves along a sliding direction, and the other is formed with guiding projections inserted in the guide grooves and guiding the keyboard assembly to be slidingly inserted.

[0023] According to an aspect of the invention, the main body comprises a covering bracket to cover the open side of the keyboard accommodating part.

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[0034] In FIGS. 2-6, a portable computer 1 according to the present invention comprises a main body 10, a display 20 to display a picture, and a keyboard assembly 30 slidingly inserted into the main body 10 from a side of the main body 10 along a surface thereof.

[0035] The main body 10 comprises an upper casing 12 comprising a keyboard accommodating part 13 having an open side through which the keyboard assembly 30 is slidingly inserted, and a lower casing 14 combined with the upper casing 12 to form an accommodating space therebetween. The main body 10 further comprises system components such as a main board 15, a CPU and a RAM, and the system components are positioned in the accommodating space formed between the upper casing 12 and the lower casing 14.

[0036] The keyboard accommodating part 13 is formed by cutting away a surface of the upper casing 12 to accommodate the keyboard assembly 30. In the present embodiment, the keyboard accommodating part 13 has a rectangular shape, so that the keyboard assembly 30 can be slidingly inserted in the keyboard accommodating part 13.

[0037] The keyboard assembly 30 comprises a keyboard circuit board (not shown) to generate a key signal according to a user's operation, a keyboard casing 31 to accommodate the keyboard circuit board, and a keyboard 32 provided on an upper surface of the keyboard casing 31. The keyboard assembly 30 further comprises a keyboard connector 33 outwardly protruding in a direction parallel to a surface thereof, wherein the keyboard connector 33 electrically connects the keyboard circuit board with a main body connector 40 (to be described later), so that the key signal is transmitted from the keyboard circuit board to the main board 15 through the main body connector 40.

[0038] The portable computer 1 comprises the main body connector 40 to which the keyboard connector 33 is connected when the keyboard assembly 30 is slidingly inserted in the keyboard accommodating part 13. The main body connector 40 is positioned in an edge of the keyboard accommodating part 13 being opposite to the open side, wherein the main body connector 40 is electrically connected to the keyboard connector 33 when the keyboard assembly is completely accommodated in the keyboard accommodating part 13.

[0039] The main body connector 40 has a lower part being directly mounted on the main board 15, and is a board-to-board connector protruding upwardly from the main board 15. The main body connector 40 does not protrude toward the keyboard assembly 30 beyond the upper casing 12 to achieve airtight contact between the upper casing 12 of the main body 10 and the keyboard assembly 30 at an area around the main body connector 40 when the main body 10 and the keyboard assembly 30 are combined.

[0040] In the portable computer 1, opposite edges of the keyboard accommodating part 13 provided in the upper casing 12 are formed with guiding grooves 16, 16a along a sliding direction of the keyboard assembly 30, respectively. Guiding projections 36, 36a corresponding to the guiding grooves 16, 16a are formed on opposite edges of the keyboard assembly 30, wherein the guiding projections 36, 36a are inserted in the guiding grooves 16, 16a and guide the keyboard assembly 30 to be slidingly inserted in the keyboard accommodating part 13.

[0041] FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views illustrating different embodiments of the combination between the guiding projections 36, 36a and the guiding grooves 16, 16a. In FIG. 4, the guiding grooves 16 and the guiding projections 36 are semi-circularly shaped and complimentary to each other, wherein the guiding projections 36 are slidingly inserted into the guiding grooves 16. Referring to FIG. 5, in another embodiment of the present invention, the guiding grooves 16a and the guiding projections 36a are rectangular-shaped and complementary to each other, wherein the guiding projections 36a are slidingly inserted into the guiding grooves 16a. Thus, the upper casing 12 and the keyboard assembly 30 are respectively formed with the guiding grooves 16, 16a and the guiding projections 36, 36a, so that the keyboard assembly 30 is not only guided to be slidingly inserted but also firmly combined to the main body 10. Further, the sliding insertion structure between the guiding projections 36, 36a and the guiding grooves 16, 16a causes the contact between the upper casing 12 and the keyboard assembly 30 to be airtight, so that a foreign substance is prevented from being inserted into the main body 10 through a gap between the main body 10 and the keyboard assembly 30.

[0042] The main body 10 further comprises a covering bracket 50 to cover the open side of the keyboard accommodating part 13. The covering bracket 50 is a rectangular-shaped bar to cover the open side of the keyboard accommodating part 13, and comprises protrusions 57 protruding at opposite ends thereof toward the main body 10. The main body 10 comprises protrusion holes 17 into which the protrusions 57 are fitted. Thus, after the keyboard assembly 30 is combined to the main body 10, the open side of the keyboard accommodating part 13 is covered with the covering bracket 50, and the keyboard assembly 30 is prevented from detaching from the main body 10 through the open side of the keyboard accommodating part 13.

[0043] In the above-embodiment, the main body connector 40 is directly mounted on the main board 15. However, the main body connector may be incorporated with a connecting port 18, being laid on the connecting port 18 such as an earphone jack provided on the main board 15 as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

[0044] Further, in the above-embodiment, the upper casing 12 is formed with the guiding grooves 16, 16a, and the keyboard assembly 30 is formed with the guiding projections 36, 36a. However, according to another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 7,the upper casing 12 is formed with guiding projection 16b and the keyboard assembly 30 may be formed with guiding groove 36b. Thus, the cross sections of the guide grooves 16, 16a, 36b and the guide projections 36, 36a, 16b are illustrated by way of example but not limited to, and can be changed without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.

[0045] Further, in the above-embodiment, to combine the covering bracket 50 with the main body 10, there are provided protrusions 57 and protrusion holes 17. However, according to another embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 8, the covering bracket 50a may be slidingly inserted through a bracket insertion hole 17a along a lateral surface of the main body 10 to cover the open side of the keyboard accommodating part 13, and may be changed without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.

[0046] As described above, the keyboard assembly 30 is slidingly inserted into the main body 10 from a side of the main body 10 along the surface thereof, with the keyboard connector 33 outwardly protruding in a direction parallel with the surface of the keyboard assembly 30, and the main body connector 40 being connected with the keyboard connector 33 when the keyboard assembly 30 is completely inserted into the main body 10, and transmitting the key signal from the keyboard assembly 30 to the main board 15, so that electrical connection and mechanical connection between the main body 10 and the keyboard assembly 30 are performed simultaneously, thereby simplifying an assembly process and decreasing assembling time.

[0047] Further, no additional components are needed such as an FPC to electrically connect the main body 10 with the keyboard assembly 30, and therefore production costs are reduced.

[0048] Further, one of the upper casing 12 and the keyboard assembly 30 is formed with the guiding grooves 16, 16a, and the other is formed with the guiding projections 36, 36a, so that the main body 10 and the keyboard assembly 30 are combined firmly and airtight, thereby preventing a foreign substance from being inserted into the main body 10.

[0049] As described above, the present invention provides a portable computer in which a structure of a main body and a keyboard assembly enhances an assembly process, reduces production costs, and prevents insertion of a foreign substance into the main body.

[0050] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.