Hinged device

• US 10,227,808 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Kabir
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mukund G
• Application Number:
  US14/947,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20170145725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 36167927, 36167928, 36167955, 4555753, 16320
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2005/106 with non-cylindrical portions
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/10 Pins, sockets or sleeves; Removable pins E05D15/522 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 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

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. This example can also include a hinge assembly and a magnetic assembly. The hinge assembly can rotatably secure the first portion to the second portion. The magnetic assembly can be positioned relative to the hinge assembly and the first and second portions that bias the first and second portions to a closed position where the first and second portions overlay one another and to an open position where the first and second portions are juxtaposed and coplanar.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion having respective hinge ends, top surfaces, and bottom surfaces, where intersections of the hinge ends and the top surfaces define inner corners of the first and second portions; and

,

a hinge assembly secured to the hinge ends of the first portion and the second portion, the hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions such that the top surfaces are folded together in a first closed orientation and the bottom surfaces are folded together in a second closed orientation that is 360 degrees rotation from the first closed orientation, the hinge assembly comprising a cam that brings the hinge end of the first portion and the hinge end of the second portion toward one another when the device is opened and the first portion and the second portion are adjacent and coplanar and hide the hinge assembly with respect to the top and bottom surfaces of the device, and wherein the cam comprises a cam surface that interacts with another cam surface of the hinge assembly to space the inner corner of the first portion and the inner corner of the second portion away from one another when the first and second portions are extended toward one another to define an oblique angle when the top surface is folded toward the first closed orientation, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises hinge pins that space apart from one another in response to the cam surface interacting with the another cam surface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cam is located in the hinge assembly, or wherein the cam is configured to move the hinge assembly into and out of one of the first and second portions during rotation.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly defines first and second axes of rotation and wherein the cam comprises a first cam that acts relative to the first axis of rotation and a second cam that acts relative to the second axis of rotation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a first hinge sub-assembly at a first end of the first and second portions and a second hinge sub-assembly at a second end of the first and second portions.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a spine extending between the first hinge sub-assembly and the second hinge sub-assembly.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the spine includes opposing recesses, and further comprising magnets positioned in the recesses.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising additional magnets positioned in the first and second portions that interact with the magnets to predispose the first and second portions to orient at angles of 0 degrees relative to one another, 180 degrees relative to one another, or 360 degrees relative to one another rather than intervening angles.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly predisposes the first and second portions to orient at angles of 0 degrees relative to one another, 180 degrees relative to one another, or 360 degrees relative to one another rather than intervening angles.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge ends of the first and second portions define a recess and wherein the hinge assembly defines first and second axes of rotation and wherein the cam comprises a first cam that acts relative to the first axis of rotation and a second cam that acts relative to the second axis of rotation.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a first hinge sub-assembly at a first end of the first and second portions and a second hinge sub-assembly at a second end of the first and second portions, and a spine extending between the first hinge sub-assembly and the second hinge sub-assembly, wherein the first hinge sub-assembly includes the cam and the spine includes the another cam surface.

11. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion having inward and outward facing surfaces;

a hinge assembly rotatably securing the first portion and the second portion such that the inward facing surfaces are folded together and overlay one another in a first closed position and the outward facing surfaces are folded together and overlay one another in a second closed position, the hinge assembly comprising a cam surface, another cam surface, and hinge pins, where the hinge pins space apart from one another in response to the cam surface interacting with the another cam surface; and

,

a magnetic assembly positioned relative to the hinge assembly and the first and second portions that biases the first and second portions to the first closed position where the inward facing surfaces overlay one another, to a fully open position where the first and second portions are juxtaposed and corners of the inward facing surfaces abut to form a single coplanar surface, and to the second closed position where the outward facing surfaces overlay one another.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the magnetic assembly further applies an attractive force to pull the first and second portions toward one another in the fully open position.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the attractive force pulls the first and second portions against one another in the fully open position.

14. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion having respective hinge ends, top surfaces, and bottom surfaces, where intersections of the hinge ends and the top surfaces define inner corners of the first and second portions; and

,

a hinge assembly secured to the hinge ends of the first portion and the second portion, the hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions such that the top surfaces are folded together in a first closed orientation and the bottom surfaces are folded together in a second closed orientation, the hinge assembly comprising a cam surface that interacts with another cam surface of the hinge assembly to space the inner corner of the first portion and the inner corner of the second portion away from one another when the first and second portions are extended toward one another to define an oblique angle when the top surface is folded toward the first closed orientation, the hinge assembly further comprising hinge pins that space a part from one another in response to the cam surface interacting with the another cam surface.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the hinge assembly comprises first and second hinge arms secured to the first and second portions, respectively, and wherein the first and second hinge arms define the hinge pins.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the hinge assembly is hidden with respect to the top and bottom surfaces of the device when the device is in a fully opened position.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the hinge assembly comprises first and second hinge arms secured to the first and second portions, respectively, and a spine there between, and the cam surface is positioned on the first hinge arm and the another cam surface is positioned on the spine.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the hinge assembly comprises first and second hinge arms and a spine there between, the first hinge arm slideably secured to the first portion and rotatably secured to the spine, and the second hinge arm slideably secured to the second portion and rotatably secured to the spine.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the top surfaces comprise displays.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a processor that generates a single graphical user interface for collective presentation across the displays when the device is in an open angular orientation and separate graphical user interfaces when the device is in other orientations.