Computing device employing a self-spacing hinge assembly

• US 10,241,548 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tazbaz, Errol Mark, Aagaard, Karsten, Siddiqui, Kabir, Whitt, David Otto
• Primary Examiner(s): Edmonds, Lisa Lea
• Application Number:
  US15/374,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/06 Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts F16D3/16
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 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 hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. The example can also include a pair of self-spacing hinge assemblies rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions and camming the first and second hinge ends apart from one another at non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions sufficient to prevent contact of the first and second hinge ends at the non-parallel orientations while allowing the first and second hinge ends to contact one another at other orientations.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion;

a self-spacing hinge assembly rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second portion so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis;

the self-spacing hinge assembly comprising a communication member that defines first and second hinge pins;

the first hinge pin defining the first hinge axis and including a first multi-lobe cam in line with the first hinge axis;

a first cam follower fixed to the first portion;

a first biasing element that biases the first portion toward the first hinge axis; and

,

the first multi-lobe cam comprising alternating cam lobes and cam recesses, and at non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions, individual cam lobes of the first multi-lobe cam engage the first cam follower and overcome the first biasing element and force the first portion away from the first hinge axis to increase space between the first and second portions and at parallel orientations the first cam follower engages individual cam recesses of the first multi-lobe cam and the first biasing element biases the first portion toward the first hinge axis and decreases the space between the first and second portions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the parallel orientations comprise zero degrees, 180 degrees, and/or 360 degrees.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-parallel orientations comprise acute orientations, perpendicular orientations, and/or obtuse orientations.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising the second hinge pin defining the second hinge axis and comprising:

a second multi-lobe cam in line with the second hinge axis,

a second cam follower fixed to the second portion; and

,

a second biasing element that biases the second portion toward the second hinge axis.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising the second multi-lobe cam comprising alternating cam lobes and cam recesses, and at the non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions individual cam lobes of the second multi-lobe cam engage the second cam follower and overcome the second biasing element and force the second portion away from the second hinge axis to increase space between the first and second portions and at the parallel orientations the second cam follower engages individual cam recesses of the second multi-lobe cam and the second biasing element biases the second portion toward the second hinge axis and decreases the space between the first and second portions.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinge pins each include primary gears that provide timing of the self-spacing hinge assemblies so that the extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to the extent of rotation around the second hinge axis.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the primary gears directly engage to provide the timing.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising intervening secondary gears and wherein the primary gears indirectly engage via the intervening secondary gears to provide the timing.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first display and wherein the second portion comprises a second display.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first biasing element comprises a first spring that is oriented orthogonally to the first hinge axis and a second biasing element comprises a second spring that is oriented orthogonally to a second hinge axis.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first hinge pin is received in a first hinge body and a second hinge pin is received in a second hinge body and the first cam follower comprises a first spring body and a second cam follower comprises a second spring body and wherein the first spring is positioned between the first hinge body and the first spring body and the second spring is positioned between the second hinge body and the second spring body.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first hinge body is slideably secured in the first portion and the second hinge body is slideably secured in the second portion.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first multi-lobe cam is bilaterally symmetrical.

14. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion; and

,

a communication member spanning between the first and second portions and defining first and second parallel hinge pins, the first hinge pin including a first multi-lobe cam that forces the first portion away from the second portion when the first and second portions are oriented at individual non-parallel orientations and allows the first portion to approach the second portion at individual parallel orientations.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the second hinge pin includes a second multi-lobe cam that forces the second portion away from the first portion when the first and second portions are oriented at individual non-parallel orientations and allows the first portion to approach the second portion at individual parallel orientations.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the individual non-parallel orientations comprise all orientations between 1 degree and 179 degrees or a subset of orientations from 1 degree to 179 degrees.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the communication member includes a timing element that causes equal rotation by the first and second portions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the timing element comprises gears.

19. A device, comprising:

a first portion that includes a first display;

a second portion that includes a second display; and

,

a pair of self-spacing hinge assemblies rotatably securing first and second hinge ends of the first and second portions and camming the first and second hinge ends apart from one another at non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions sufficient to prevent contact of the first and second hinge ends at the non-parallel orientations while biasing the first and second hinge ends toward one another at other angles.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the pair of self-spacing hinge assemblies further comprise multi-lobe cams that are contacted by cam followers positioned on the first and/or second portions.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein at least one of the other angles comprises a parallel orientation of the first and second portions where the first portion is oriented 180 degrees from the second portion.