WO1995028670A1

WO1995028670A1 - Portable computer

Info

Publication number: WO1995028670A1
Application number: PCT/IT1995/000054
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giacomo Viletto
Original assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A
Priority date: 1994-04-14
Filing date: 1995-04-11
Publication date: 1995-10-26
Also published as: IT232372Y1; ITTO940072V0; AU2318595A; ITTO940072U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable computer comprising a base unit (12), a display screen (14), a keyboard (16) and a pointing device (18), with a control element (19) consisting of a ball. A rubber mat (22) is fitted on an upper and front part (17) of the base unit (12), adjacently to the keyboard (16) and the control element (19), and defines two areas (24 and 25) serving as support for the palms of the hands of the computer operator in actuation of the keys of the keyboard (16) and the pointing device (18). In this way, the mat (22) provides optimum conditions of adherence and comfort for the palms of the operator's hands to rest on, when using the pointing device (18) and/or the keyboard (16).

Description

PQRTABLE COMPUTER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a portable computer comprising a

base unit, a lid fitted on the base unit, a display

screen housed in the lid, a keyboard and a pointing device. The

pointing device consists of a main control element comprising a

rolling ball and at least one actuation key.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A portable computer of this type is known in which two areas for

the palms of the operator's hands to rest on are provided directly in the base unit, on either side of the pointing device and in front of

the keyboard. In this way, however, the rest areas do not provide a

sufficiently adhesive support for the palms of the operator's hands

and, as a result, the latter tends to tire more due to the fact that,

in addition to the effort required to key on the keyboard and to

manipulate the pointing device, another effort is required to keep

the palms of the hands adherent with the support areas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem that this invention proposes to solve

is that of producing a portable computer in which the conditions of

adhesion and comfort for the palms of the operator's hands are

optimum, during activation of the pointing device and in pressing the

keys on the keyboard, and in which dust is prevented from depositing

in the mechanisms of the pointing device. This technical problem is solved by the portable computer

according to this invention, which is characterised by the fact that

a rubber mat is fitted on an upper and front part of the said base

unit, adjacently to the said keyboard and the said control

element, and defines at least one area of support for the palm of the

operator's hand in actuation of the said keyboard and said pointing

device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This and other characteristics of the present invention will

be clear in the description that follows, provided by, way of an

example though by no means an exhaustive one, with reference to the

accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front right hand side of a

portable computer, according to this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of tht; computer of Fig. 1, in a larger

scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to Fig. 1, the portable computer according to

this invention, generically referenced 11, comprises a base

unit 12 on which a lid 13 is fitted housing a display screen 14.

The base unit 12 has a substantially parallelepipedal shape and

includes a rear part 15 on which a keyboard 16 is mounted and a front

part 17 housing, in a substantially central area, a pointing device

18 of a known type, for example, of the type having as its control 95/28670 PCMT95/00054

-3-

element, a rolling ball 19 and two actuation keys 20a and 20b. In

another form, not illustrated in the drawings, the control element 19

may consist of a small lever, joined to the base unit 12. The

keyboard 16 is formed of a set of 21 keys, laid out essentially on

the same plane.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a rubber mat 22 is

fitted on the base unit 12 in front of the keyboard 16 and is

provided with a cylindrical aperture 23 (Fig. 2), concentric with the

ball 19, from which the latter-named protrudes and is of easy access to the operator. The mat 22 defines two lateral areas 24 and 25

(Fig. 1) of a type suitable for the palms of the operator's hands to

rest on, when the operator is working with the pointing device 18

and/or the keyboard 16.

The mat 22 is glued to the base unit 12 and is capable of

providing a support with optimum characteristics of adherence, stability and comfort. In this way, the conditions in which the

operator manipulates the keyboard 16 and the pointing device 18 are

improved.

The mat 22 is realized in a single sheet and is shaped in such a

way as to have a substantially rectangular profile, suitable to cover

almost all of the front part 17 of the base unit 12, in front of the

keyboard 16. It is obvious that other embodiments of the mat 22 may

be envisaged, without exiting from the scope of this invention. For

instance, the mat 22 may be realized in several parts, each fixed separately to the base unit 12.

The mat 22 also includes two areas 26 and 27 (Fig. 2)

corresponding with the actuation buttons 20a and 20b of the pointing

device 18 and each with an edge, 28 and 29 respectively, that is

raised so as to permit easy identification by the operator of the

buttons 20a and 20b below. In this way, the mat 22 prevents dust from

penetrating into the spaces between the buttons 20a and 20b, and the

base unit 12, as generally happens in known computers of this type,

and thus protects the internal mechanisms of the pointing device 18.

The buttons 20a and 20b have known characteristics and are designed

to actuate contacts associated with known circuits controlling

execution of the functions of the computer.

In a preferred embodiment, the mat 22 is made of a silicone

rubber with hardness characteristics 55 SHA and is of a thickness of

approx. 1.2 mm which is reduced to 0.5 mm in correspondence with the

areas 26 and 27, so as to be more flexible and as a result fit to to

provide the operator greater sensitivity when actuating the

corresponding buttons 20a and/or 20b. It is clear that various

changes and/or additions of parts may be made to the portable

computer described up to this point, without exiting from the scope

of the present invention.

Claims

1 - A portable computer (11) comprising a base unit (12), a keyboard

(16), a display screen (14) and a pointing device (18) with at least

one actuator button (20a, 20b) and a control element (19) for

controlling the position of a track on the display screen (14) , in

which the keyboard (16) and the control element (19) are arranged

next to each other and substantially on the same plane, characterised

in that a rubber mat (21) is fitted on an upper front part of the

base unit (12) adjacently to the keyboard (16) and the control element (19), and defines at least one support area (24, 25) for the

palm of the hand of the operator of the computer (11) , in actuating the keyboard (16) and the pointing device (18).

2 - A computer according to claim 1, characterised in that a portion

of the mat (22) covers said at least one actuator button of the

pointing device (18) .

3 - A computer according to claim 2 characterised in that the

thickness of the said portion is lower than that of the support area (24, 25) of the rubber mat (22).

4 - A computer according to claim 1, in which the said keyboard (16)

is arranged on a rear part of the base unit (12) and the pointing

device (18) is arranged in a front part of the base unit (12) in a

substantially central position, characterised in that the rubber mat

(22) is laid parallel with the keyboard (16) and comprises two areas

(24, 25) for the palms of the operator's hands to rest on, on either side of the pointing device (18).

5 - A computer according to claim 4, characterised in that the said

rubber mat (22) is shaped in such a way as to define an aperture (23)

through which the said control element (19) protrudes.

6 - A computer according to claim 5, in which the said control

element (19) consists of a ball, characterised in that the aperture

(23) is formed by a cylindrical hole concentric with the ball.