Information handling system with thin flex hinge

• US 10,234,899 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brocklesby, Brandon J., Morrison, Jason S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony M
• Application Number:
  US15/978,629
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 36167904, 36167926-6793, 36167955, 16221, 16277, 16302, 16366
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling

Abstract

A flex hinge assembly includes a first flex hinge, which in turn includes multiple flexible sheets, a mounting bracket, multiple flexible spacer sheets, and a friction linkage element. A first flexible sheet bends at a different radius than a second flexible sheet when the first flex hinge is transitioned from a first position to a second position. The mounting bracket is fixed to a first end of each of the flexible sheets, and fixes the first end of each of the flexible sheets to a first portion of an information handling system. A first spacer sheet is located between and in physical communication with the first and second flexible sheet. The friction linkage element is mounted to the second flexible sheet and engaged with slots within a second end of each of the flexible sheets. A second mounting bracket couples the second end of a center flexible sheet to the information handling system.

Claims

1. A flex hinge assembly comprising:

a flex hinge including;

a plurality of flexible sheets including first and second flexible sheets, wherein the first flexible sheet bends at a different radius than a second flexible sheet when the flex hinge is transitioned from a first position to a second position;

a first mounting bracket fixed to a first end of each of the flexible sheets, the first mounting bracket to fix the first end of each of the flexible sheets to a first portion of an information handling system;

a plurality of flexible spacer sheets including a first spacer sheet, wherein the first space sheet is located between and in physical communication with the first and second flexible sheets;

a friction linkage element mounted to the second flexible sheet and engaged with slots within a second end of each of outer flexible sheets of the flexible sheets; and

a second mounting bracket coupling the second end of the second flexible sheet to a second portion of the information handling system.

2. The flex hinge assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of support bars including first and second support bars, the first support bar is in physical communication with a top sheet of the flexible sheets, and the second support bar is in physical communication with a bottom sheet of the flexible sheets, wherein a surface of the first support bar is curved to allow the top sheet to flex without inducing additional stress on the top sheet.

3. The flex hinge assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a shroud in physical communication with the support bars, the shroud is connected between the first and second portions of the information handling system to cover the flex hinge.

4. The flex hinge assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a boss connected to the first and second support bars, the boss to cause the first and second support bars to clamp the flexible sheets together to prevent separation during flexing.

5. The flex hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein friction linkage element includes:

a first linkage arm in physical communication with a top sheet of the flexible sheets and with a neutral sheet of the flexible sheets; and

a second linkage arm in physical communication with a bottom sheet of the flexible sheets and with a neutral sheet of the flexible sheets, wherein compression between the first and second linkage arms and the neutral sheet provide a friction force greater than a force from the bending of the flexible sheets.

6. The flex hinge assembly of claim 5, wherein the friction force holds the flex hinge in a flexed shape.

7. The flex hinge assembly of claim 6, the flex hinge to flex and to unflex in response to a force being exerted by a user on the flexible sheet that is greater than the friction force of the first and second linkage arms.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a first display portion;

a second display portion; and

a flex hinge including;

first, second, and third flexible sheets, the first flexible sheet slidable a different amount than the third flexible sheet relative to the second flexible sheet when the flex hinge is transitioned from a first position to a second position;

a first mounting bracket fixed to a first end of each of the flexible sheets and fixed to the second display portion, the first mounting bracket to fix the first end of each of the flexible sheets to the first display portion;

a first spacer sheet located between and in physical communication with the first and second flexible sheets;

a friction linkage element mounted to the second flexible sheet and engaged with slots within a second end of each of the flexible sheets, the friction linkage element to movably couple the second end of each of the flexible sheets to the second display portion; and

a second mounting bracket coupling the second end of the second flexible sheet to a second portion of the information handling system.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of support bars including first and second support bars, the first support bar is in physical communication with the third flexible sheet, and the second support bar is in physical communication with first flexible sheet, wherein a surface of the first support bar is curved to allow the third sheet to flex without inducing additional stress on the third sheet.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising:

a shroud in physical communication with the support bars, the shroud is connected between the first and second display portions to cover the flex hinge.

11. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising:

a boss connected to the first and second support bars, the boss to cause the first and second support bars to clamp the flexible sheets together to prevent separation during flexing.

12. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein friction linkage element includes:

a first linkage arm in physical communication with the third flexible sheet and with the second flexible sheet; and

a second linkage arm in physical communication with the first flexible sheet and with the second flexible sheet, wherein compression between the first and second linkage arms and the second sheet provide a friction force greater than a force from the bending of the first, second, and third flexible sheets.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the friction force holds the flex hinge in a flexed shape.

14. The information handling system of claim 13, the flex hinge to flex and to unflex in response to a force being exerted by a user on the flexible sheet that is greater than the friction force of the first and second linkage arms.

15. An information handling system comprising:

a first display portion;

a second display portion; and

a first flex hinge including;

first, second, and third flexible sheets, the first flexible sheet to slide a different amount than the third flexible sheet relative to the second flexible sheet when the first flex hinge is transitioned from a first position to a second position;

a first mounting bracket fixed to a first end of each of the flexible sheets and fixed to the second display portion, the first mounting bracket to fix the first end of each of the flexible sheets to the first display portion;

a first spacer sheet located between and in physical communication with the first and second flexible sheets;

a friction linkage element mounted to the second flexible sheet and engaged with slots within a second end of each of the flexible sheets, the friction linkage element to movably couple the second end of each of the flexible sheets to the second display portion; and

a second mounting bracket coupling the second end of the second flexible sheet to a second portion of the information handling system;

a second flex hinge including;

first, second, and third flexible sheets, the first flexible sheet to slide a different amount than the third flexible sheet relative to the second flexible sheet when the second flex hinge is transitioned from a first position to a second position;

a first mounting bracket fixed to a first end of each of the flexible sheets and fixed to the second display portion, the first mounting bracket to fix the first end of each of the flexible sheets to the first display portion;

a first space sheet located between and in physical communication with the first and second flexible sheets; and

a friction linkage element mounted to the flexible spacer sheets and engaged with slots within a second end of each of the flexible sheets, the friction linkage element to movably couple the second end of each of the flexible sheets to the second display portion; and

a second mounting bracket coupling the second end of the second flexible sheet to a second portion of the information handling system; and

a flat cable bundle to coupled the first display portion with the second display portion, the flat cable bundle located between the first and second flex hinges.

16. The information handling system of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of support bars including first and second support bars, the first support bar is in physical communication with the third flexible sheet of the first flex hinge and with the third flexible sheet of the second flex hinge, and the second support bar is in physical communication with the first flexible sheet of the first flex hinge and in physical communication with the first flexible sheet of the second flex hinge of the first flex hinge and the third flexible sheet of the second flex hinge, wherein a surface of the first support bar is curved to allow the third sheet to flex without inducing additional stress on the third sheet.

17. The information handling system of claim 16, further comprising:

a shroud in physical communication with the support bars, the shroud is connected between the first and second display portions to cover the first flex hinge, the second flex hinge, and the flat cable bundle.

18. The information handling system of claim 17, further comprising:

a boss connected to the first and second support bars, the boss to cause the first and second support bars to clamp the flexible sheets of the first flex hinge together to prevent separation during flexing, and the boss to clamp the flexible sheets of the second flex hinge together to prevent separation during flexing.

19. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein friction linkage element includes:

a first linkage arm in physical communication with the third flexible sheet and with the second flexible sheet; and

a second linkage arm in physical communication with the first flexible sheet and with the second flexible sheet, wherein compression between the first and second linkage arms and the second sheet provide a friction force greater than a force from the bending of the first, second, and third flexible sheets.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, the first flex hinge to flex and to unflex in response to a force being exerted by a user on the flexible sheet that is greater than the friction force of the first and second linkage arms.