Micro-hinge for an electronic device

• US 10,041,282 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cheah, Bok Eng, Loo, Howe Yin, Lim, Min Suet, Kong, Chung Peng Jackson, Oh, Poh Tat
• Primary Examiner(s): Delisle, Roberta S
• Application Number:
  US14/998,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 16366, 16368, 16369
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/06 with two or more pins E05D7/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0226 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A personal computing device is provided with a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a hinge joining the first housing portion to the second housing portion. The hinge is configured to allow the first housing portion to rotate substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees relative to the second housing portion. The hinge can be implemented as a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, each hinge segment to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge to enable the rotation of the first housing portion.

Claims

1. A personal computing device comprising:

a first housing portion;

a second housing portion; and

a hinge joining the first housing portion to the second housing portion, the hinge configured to allow the first housing portion to rotate substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees relative to the second housing portion,

wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge, the hinge is joined to the first housing portion by at least three attachments along an edge of the first housing portion, and the hinge is joined to the second housing portion by at least three attachments along an edge of the second housing portion.

2. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein rotating the first housing portion allows the personal computing device to be oriented in at least two configurations.

3. The personal computing device of claim 2, wherein the at least two operating modes comprise a laptop configuration and a tablet configuration.

4. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the first housing portion houses a display device and the second housing portion houses a user interface.

5. The personal computing device of claim 4, wherein the user interface comprises a keyboard.

6. The personal computing device of claim 4, wherein the display device comprises a touchscreen display.

7. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge facilitates an electrical connection between one or more components in the first housing and one or more components in the second housing.

8. The personal computing device of claim 7, wherein the hinge comprises an electrical conduit.

9. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hinge segments comprises at least four interlocked hinge segments.

10. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge further comprises the at least three attachments to couple to the first housing and the at least three attachments to couple to the second housing.

11. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge further comprises a plurality of support rods.

12. The personal computing device of claim 1, comprising a convertible personal computing device to convert between a laptop and tablet.

13. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the edge of the first housing comprises a first end and to a second end of the edge of the second housing comprises a second edge, the first edge is parallel to the second edge, and the plurality of parallel axes of the hinge are each parallel to each of the first and second edges.

14. The personal computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel hinge segments forms a plurality of micro hinges.

15. A personal computing device comprising:

a first housing portion housing a touchscreen display device;

a second housing portion housing a keyboard and at least one data processor; and

a hinge joining the first housing portion to the second housing portion, the hinge configured to allow the first housing portion to rotate substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees relative to the second housing portion,

wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, each hinge segment to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge, the plurality of parallel axes are parallel to each of an edge of the first housing and an edge of the second housing, the hinge facilitates an electrical connection between at least the keyboard and the at least one data processor, rotation of the first housing relative to the second housing triggers transitions of the personal computing device between a laptop mode and a tablet mode, the hinge is joined to the first housing by at least three attachments along the edge of the first housing, and the hinge is joined to the second housing portion by at least three attachments along the edge of the second housing.

16. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory element;

at least one first computer component housed in a first housing;

at least one second computer component housed in a second housing;

a hinge to couple the first and second housings, the hinge configured to allow the first housing portion to rotate substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees relative to the second housing portion,

wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge, the hinge is joined to the first housing portion by at least three attachments along an edge of the first housing portion, and the hinge is joined to the second housing portion by at least three attachments along an edge of the second housing portion.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first computer component comprises a display device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second computer component comprises a keyboard device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the hinge enables conversion between a laptop mode and a tablet mode.