Hinged device

• US 10,344,510 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2017
• 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): Delisle, Roberta S
• Application Number:
  US15/691,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20180363341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 16286, 16366
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/00 Additional features or accessories of hinges edge protecting devices E06B3/88
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/08 Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts E05D7/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/06 with two or more pins E05D7/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/18 with sliding pins or guides
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/426 for the initial opening movement
• 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 1/1618 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 1/1681 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a hinge assembly that rotatably secures a first portion relative to a hinge axis. The hinge assembly can include an element that rotates around the hinge axis and moves toward and away from the hinge axis.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that are rotatably coupled via multiple parallel hinge shafts each hinge shaft associated with;

a force generating element;

a force transferring element extending along an axis that is orthogonal to the hinge shaft; and

,

a movement constraining element configured to allow linear movement of the force transferring element parallel to the axis and rotational movement around the hinge shaft and configured to inhibit movement of the force transferring element relative to other axes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the force transferring element is associated with the force generating element and is configured to employ force from the force generating element by moving along the axis in a first direction 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 move in a second opposite direction along the axis to employ the force to create resistance to rotation during a second range of rotation.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the hinge shaft comprises a tab that contacts a portion of the force transferring element to couple the force to the hinge shaft during the first range of rotation.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the contact between the tab on the hinge shaft and the portion of the force transferring element creates the bias to rotate the first and second portions away from one another.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the force transferring element comprises a pop-up arm.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the movement constraining element comprises a hinge guide secured to the first portion.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the hinge shaft extends through the hinge guide and the pop-up arm.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the hinge guide defines a channel that extends along the axis and the pop-up arm defines a key that rides in the channel along the axis.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the hinge guide defines pins and the pop-up arm defines slots that extend parallel to the axis and wherein the pins can move linearly relative to the slots parallel to the axis but the pins and slots inhibit rotation of the pop-up arm relative to the hinge guide.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the force generating element generates a clockwise rotational force on the pop-up arm relative to the hinge guide and wherein the pins are positioned in the slots to prevent clockwise rotation due to the clockwise rotational force.

11. The device of claim 5, wherein the force generating element comprises a spring.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the spring is oriented parallel to the axis.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising an adjuster that controls pretension of the spring against the pop-up arm.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the movement constraining element is configured to constrain both linear movement of the force transferring element and rotational movement of the force transferring element.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the multiple parallel hinge shafts comprise at least a first hinge shaft and a second hinge shaft.

16. A device, comprising:

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

a force generating element;

a force transferring element extending along an axis that is orthogonal to the hinge shaft;

a movement constraining element configured to allow movement of the force transferring element parallel to the axis and configured to inhibit movement of the force transferring element relative to other axes; and

,

the force transferring element associated with the force generating element and configured to employ force from the force generating element by moving along the axis in a first direction 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 move in a second opposite direction along the axis to employ the force to create resistance to rotation during a second range of rotation.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the movement constraining element defines a channel and the force generating element defines a key that engages the channel.