Hinge and stand for hand-held computer unit
AssigneeHealth Innovations, Inc.
InventorChristopher Loew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The computer includes a computer housing, a cover and a hinge. The hinge overlies the top face of the housing and has three flaps defining a pair of spaced hinged axes, the edge flaps being secured to the rear face of the housing and the proximal edge of the cover, respectively. The cover is pivoted between positions covering the display screen and control elements closing the computer and an open position. In one open position, the cover is pivoted into opposition into the rear face of the housing and latched in that position whereby the cover serves as the base of a stand for the housing with the intermediate flap of the hinge serving as a generally upright support leg supporting and elevating the upper edge of the housing, whereby the display screen and controls lie in a plane inclined to the horizontal.
Claims13
A hand-held computer unit comprising:
- a housing having a discrete width and front and rear faces, said front face having a shallow, generally rectilinear recess defined by side walls of said housing having front face portions forming part of said front face;
- a screen on said front face within said recess for displaying computer generated information;
- a cover carried by said housing for selective movement between positions overlying and covering said display screen and in opposition to said rear face, said cover in said overlying and covering position disposed within said recess between said side walls with the cover having a front face portion forming a continuation of the front face portions of said side walls;
- and
- a hinge interconnecting said housing and said cover enabling said cover for movement between said positions;
- said hinge being of a plastic material with two weakened areas spaced one from the other to define a pair of discrete, generally parallel, hinge axes pivotally connecting said hinge and said housing and said hinge and said cover, respectively;
- the distance between said hinge axes approximating the width of said housing;
- a plurality of control elements projecting from said front face within said recess, said cover having an inside face in opposition to said front face when overlying said display screen and having a plurality of discrete recesses formed therein for receiving and overlying said projecting control elements, respectively, when said cover overlies said display screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.