Locking mechanism

• US 10,331,175 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gault, Joseph Benjamin, Bowers, Scott Douglas, Campbell, John Stephen, Hillyerd, Anthony E., Aldehayyat, Yazan, Aagaard, Karsten, Witt, Eric Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony M
• Application Number:
  US15/649,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20170315592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 36167927, 36167928, 36167929, 36167941, 36167942, 36167943, 36167944, 36167905, 36167932
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence

Abstract

A computing device is described. The computing device may include a first portion and a second portion separably connected to the first portion. A locking mechanism may be configured to lock the first portion to the second portion. The locking mechanism may include a locking receptacle connected to the first portion and a locking protrusion connected to the second portion. The locking receptacle may include a rotating lock and may have an aperture through which the locking protrusion is insertable. The computing device may include an actuator mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism and configured to unlock the first portion from the second portion.

Claims

1. A method for transitioning a computing device between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, comprising:

receiving a signal to unlock a locking mechanism;

measuring ambient temperature;

determining required current to be applied to Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire; and

applying current to the SMA wire to transition the locking mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying current to the SMA wire includes applying current based on the determined required current to be applied to the SMA wire.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a duty cycle based on the determined required current to be applied to the SMA wire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a first portion connected to the locking mechanism and a second portion connected to the locking mechanism.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transitioning the locking mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration includes locking the first portion of the computing device to the second portion of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein transitioning the locking mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration includes unlocking the first portion of the computing device from the second portion of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking protrusion and a locking receptacle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the locking receptacle engages the locking protrusion in the locked configuration such that the locking protrusion remains within the locking receptacle when a force of 100 Newtons is applied to remove the locking protrusion from the locking receptacle.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the locking receptacle engages the locking protrusion in the locked configuration such that the locking protrusion does not move more than 75 microns from the locking receptacle when a force of 2 Newtons is applied to remove the locking protrusion from the locking receptacle.

10. A computing device, comprising:

a first portion;

a second portion separably connected to the first portion;

a locking mechanism configured to lock the first portion to the second portion, the locking mechanism includes a locking receptacle connected to the first portion and a locking protrusion connected to the second portion, the locking receptacle including a rotating lock and having an aperture through which the locking protrusion is insertable;

an actuator mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism and configured to transition the first portion and the second portion between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration;

a processor in electronic communication with the actuator; and

memory in electronic communication with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that are executable to;

receive a signal to unlock the locking mechanism;

measuring ambient temperature;

determining required current to be applied to Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire; and

apply current to the SMA wire to transition the locking mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the rotating lock rotates about an axis.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the axis about which the rotating lock rotates is parallel to a line of contact with the locking protrusion.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the rotating lock acts as a tolerance capacitor.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the rotating lock abuts an internal surface of the locking receptacle.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the locking receptacle includes a carrier having a rotating lock aperture within which the rotating lock is carried.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the rotating lock aperture within which the rotating lock is carried abuts the rotating lock.

17. A computing device, comprising:

a first portion;

a second portion separably connected to the first portion;

a locking mechanism configured to lock the first portion to the second portion;

an actuator mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism and configured to transition the first portion and the second portion between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration;

a processor in electronic communication with the actuator; and

memory in electronic communication with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that are executable to;

receive a signal to unlock the locking mechanism;

measuring ambient temperature;

determining required current to be applied to Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire; and

apply current to the SMA wire to transition the locking mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

18. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising a thermistor in electronic communication with the processor and the instructions stored on the memory being further executable to:

measure ambient temperature with the thermistor; and

determine required current to be applied to the actuator based on the ambient temperature.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein applying current to the actuator includes applying current to the actuator based on the determined required current to be applied to the actuator.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the actuator includes a SMA wire.