360 static/hinge structure with deformable parts

• US 10,013,022 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Aurongzeb, Deeder M., Knoppert, Michiel, Ligameri, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cruz, Dimary Lopez
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rathod, Abhishek
• Application Number:
  US15/430,926
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 1/00 Pinless hinges; Substitutes for hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 1/02 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/12 incorporating flexible connections, e.g. leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2380/18 Handling tools for semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system. An information handling system may include a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The information handling system may also include a hinge assembly coupling the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the hinge assembly including a first hinge, a second hinge, and a deformable foam, the first hinge, the second hinge, and the deformable foam may allow the hinge assembly to bend when the first housing portion is rotated in relation to the second housing portion. In addition, the information handling system may include a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display to be placed over the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the hinge assembly and configured to bend when the hinge assembly bends.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion;

a hinge assembly coupling the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the hinge assembly comprising a deformable foam having a first deformable foam portion proximate the first housing portion, a second deformable foam portion proximate the second housing, and a third deformable foam portion between the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion,

the deformable foam comprising one or more of;

a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a vulcanized rubber, a vulcanized rubber having carbon nanotubes, a vulcanized rubber having a creek resistance material, a laminate foam, and an aramid fiber,

the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion further comprising one or more of;

a nano-fiber based foam laminate, an aramid fiber loaded with carbon nanotube, and a polymeric fiber composite including a carbon nanotube fiber,

the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion each having a stiffness greater than the third deformable foam portion, and

the deformable foam to allow the hinge assembly to bend when the first housing portion is rotated in relation to the second housing portion; and

a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display to be placed over the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the hinge assembly and configured to bend when the hinge assembly bends.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, the hinge assembly further comprising a first hinge and a second hinge allowed to deform to allow the hinge assembly to bend.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein each of the first hinge and the second hinge comprising a spring steel sheet.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly to allow the first housing portion to be rotated in relation to the second housing portion between a zero degree angle and a 360 degree angle.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein each of the first hinge and the second hinge to allow the first housing portion to be rotated in relation to the second housing portion between a zero degree angle and a 360 degree angle.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, the deformable foam further comprising one or more devices including an antenna element, a multi-frequency antenna, a balanced line tuner, a Wi-Fi element, a sensor, and a touch sensor, wherein the one or more devices are comprised of one or more of Ag nanowire, graphene, and graphene nanowire.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, the information handling system further comprises a set of magnets including a first magnet and a second magnet, the first housing portion including the first magnet and the second housing portion including the second magnet, the first housing portion and the second housing portion to be in a fixed position when the first magnet is in proximity of the second magnet such that they magnetically couple with each other.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the set of magnets is one or more of a polymer magnet and a magnet in polymer.

9. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the deformable foam has an anisotropic shape to guide directional deformation of the deformable foam.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the anisotropic shape of the deformable foam is one of an anisotropic hexagonal shape, an anisotropic honey comb shape, an anisotropic triangular shape, an anisotropic diamond shape, an anisotropic polygonal shape, and an anisotropic polygonal bar shape.

11. A method of rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system, the method comprising:

rotationally coupling a first housing portion and a second housing portion of the information handling system with a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising a deformable foam, having a first deformable foam portion proximate the first housing portion, a second deformable foam portion proximate the second housing, and a third deformable foam portion between the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion,

the deformable foam comprising one or more of;

a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a vulcanized rubber, a vulcanized rubber having carbon nanotubes, a vulcanized rubber having a creek resistance material, a laminate foam, and an aramid fiber,

the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion further comprising one or more of;

a nano-fiber based foam laminate, an aramid fiber loaded with carbon nanotube, and a polymeric fiber composite including a carbon nanotube fiber, and

the first deformable foam portion and the second deformable foam portion each having a stiffness greater than the third deformable foam portion;

allowing, by the deformable foam, the hinge assembly to bend when the first housing portion is rotated in relation to the second housing portion; and

coupling a flexible display to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display to be placed over the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the hinge assembly and configured to bend when the hinge assembly bends.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hinge assembly further comprising a first hinge and a second hinge allowed to deform allowing the hinge assembly to bend.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first hinge and the second hinge allowing the first housing portion to be rotated in relation to the second housing portion between a zero degree angle and a 360 degree angle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the hinge assembly allowing the first housing portion to be rotated in relation to the second housing portion between a zero degree angle and a 360 degree angle.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the first hinge and the second hinge comprising a spring steel sheet.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the deformable foam further comprising one or more devices including an antenna element, a multi-frequency antenna, a balanced line tuner, a Wi-Fi element, a sensor, and a touch sensor, and wherein the one or more devices are comprised of one or more of Ag nanowire, graphene, and graphene nanowire.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the information handling system further comprises a set of magnets including a first magnet and a second magnet, the first housing portion including the first magnet and the second housing portion including the second magnet, the first housing portion and the second housing portion to be in a fixed position when the first magnet is in proximity of the second magnet such that they magnetically couple with each other.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of magnets is one or more of a polymer magnet and a magnet in polymer.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the deformable foam has an anisotropic shape to guide directional deformation of the deformable foam.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the anisotropic shape of the deformable foam is one of an anisotropic hexagonal shape, an anisotropic honey comb shape, an anisotropic triangular shape, an anisotropic diamond shape, an anisotropic polygonal shape, and an anisotropic polygonal bar shape.