Mechanical attach and retention feature

• US 10,073,494 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: McCracken, Ivan Andrew, Wang, Hua, Aagaard, Karsten, Whitt, III, David Otto, Winter, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ramon M
• Application Number:
  US15/209,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20170031390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks

Abstract

A mechanical attach and retention feature is described. An apparatus may include a cover portion that is configured to cover at least a portion of a display device of a computing device having a mobile form factor that is configured to be held by one or more hands of a user. The apparatus includes, a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the cover portion, a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine, and a connection portion that is rotationally connection to the second mid-spine. The connection portion is configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device and a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an input portion, the input portion including a keyboard having one or more physical keys;

a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and a connection portion of the input device; and

the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to a computing device using one or more protrusions configured to be received within one or more cavities of the computing device.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input device is configurable to cover a display device of the computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through the use of magnetism.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the input device and the computing device.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the input device and the computing device.

6. An keyboard device that is configurable to cover a display of a computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device, the keyboard device comprising:

an input portion comprising one or more physical keys;

a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and a connection portion of the keyboard device; and

the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using one or more protrusions configured to be received within one or more cavities of the computing device.

7. The keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through the use of magnetism.

8. The input device of claim 6, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the keyboard device and the computing device.

9. The keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the keyboard device and the computing device.

10. A system comprising:

a computing device and an input device;

the computing device comprising;

a display; and

a housing comprising one or more cavities positioned along one side of the housing, the one or more cavities configured to receive one or more protrusions positioned on a connection portion of an input device in order to form a removable physical coupling to the input device;

the input device comprising;

an input portion comprising one or more physical keys; and

a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and the connection portion of the input device.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the input device is configurable to cover the display of the computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more cavities and the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the input device and the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more cavities and the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the input device and the computing device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling through the use of magnetism.