Hinged device

• US 10,296,044 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Kabir, Tazbaz, Errol Mark, Aagaard, Karsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US15/618,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20180356858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/08 Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts E05D7/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/13 by motors, magnets, springs, weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured relative to a hinge shaft. The example can also include a u-shaped friction arm extending from a first end positioned around the hinge shaft to a second end positioned around the hinge shaft and a pop-up assembly positioned along the hinge shaft between the first end and the second end and configured to create a bias to rotate the first and second portions away from one another.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured relative to a hinge shaft;

a u-shaped friction arm extending from a first end positioned around the hinge shaft to a second end positioned around the hinge shaft; and

,

a pop-up assembly positioned along the hinge shaft between the first end and the second end and configured to create a bias to rotate the first and second portions away from one another.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the u-shaped friction arm is curvilinear between the first and second ends.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the u-shaped friction arm has straight side elements extending away from the hinge shaft and connected by a straight element that is perpendicular to the side elements.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the u-shaped friction arm defines a first aperture at the first end and a second aperture at the second end and wherein the first and second apertures comprise radiused regions and flat regions facing the hinge shaft.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the hinge shaft comprises a friction surface on a portion of a diameter of the hinge shaft and wherein friction between the hinge shaft and the u-shaped friction arm is greater when an individual radiused region opposes the friction surface than when an individual flat region opposes the friction surface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the pop-up assembly is nested within the u-shaped friction arm.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the pop-up assembly comprises a spring.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the pop-up assembly is configured to generate a force and wherein the force is applied to the hinge shaft during a range of rotation between the first and second portions to create the bias and wherein the force is applied to the u-shaped friction arm during a different range of rotation to create resistance to rotation around the hinge shaft.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the pop-up assembly comprises a force transferring element that couples the force to either the hinge shaft or the u-shaped friction arm depending on an orientation of the first and second portions.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the force transferring element comprises a pop-up arm that is biased against the u-shaped friction arm by a spring except during the range of rotation.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein during the range of rotation a tab on the hinge shaft contacts the pop-up arm and forces the pop-up arm away from the u-shaped friction arm.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the contact between the pop-up arm and the tab on the hinge shaft creates the bias to rotate the first and second portions away from one another.

13. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that are rotatably coupled via a hinge shaft;

a force generating element; and

,

a force transferring element associated with the force generating element, the force transferring element configured to employ force from the force generating element to bias the first and second portions to rotate away from one another during a first range of rotation between the first and second portions and to employ the force to create resistance to rotation during a second range of rotation.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the force generating element comprises a spring.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the force transferring element is configured to move orthogonally to the hinge shaft to either employ the force to bias the first and second portions to rotate away from one or to employ the force to create resistance to rotation during a second range of rotation.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the force transferring element comprises a pop-up arm that engages a friction arm unless acted upon by a tab on the hinge shaft.

17. A device, comprising:

a first portion that includes a first display and that is rotatably coupled by a hinge assembly to a second portion that includes a second display; and

,

a spring that is, based upon an orientation of the first and second portions, alternatively coupled to the first and second portions to bias the first and second portions away from one another or the spring is coupled to the hinge assembly to increase resistance to rotation of the first and second portions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a pop-up arm and a friction arm and wherein the pop-up arm couples or decouples the spring from the friction arm depending on the orientation of the first and second portions.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the friction arm is u-shaped from a first end positioned around a hinge shaft of the hinge assembly to a second end positioned around the hinge shaft.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first end and the second end interact with the hinge shaft to offer additional resistance that varies with the orientation of the first and second portions.