Hinge with multiple preset positions

• US 10,344,797 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, William L
• Application Number:
  US15/091,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20170284457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 16334, 16303, 16341, 403103, 36167927, 36167959, 248351, 248688, 248917, 4555753, 37943313, 379454
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/103 frictionally clamped
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• 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
• 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A hinge with multiple preset positions is described. According to various embodiments, the hinge mechanism enables a support component to be adjustably attached to an apparatus, such as a computing device. In at least some embodiments, the hinge mechanism utilizes preset hinge positions that enable the support component to be placed at different preset positions. For instance, the hinge mechanism is configured such that an attached support component tends to “snap” into various preset positions. In at least some embodiments, the hinge mechanism includes an emergency escape position that enables the support component to be rotated beyond normal operating positions without damaging the support component.

Claims

1. A hinge comprising:

a hinge frame with a support plate rotatably mounted on an interior surface of the hinge frame;

a cam rotatably mounted on an interior surface of the support plate, the cam including a mounting portion for mounting a moveable component to the cam;

a spring-loaded pin slidably positioned such that pivoting of the cam to a particular open position relative to the support plate enables the spring-loaded pin to engage the cam with the support plate, and further pivoting of the cam causes a corresponding pivoting of the support plate relative to the hinge frame;

a cam follower pivotably mounted within the hinge frame; and

a hinge spring mounted within the hinge frame and that applies force to the cam follower such that the cam follower is held in contact with the cam in at least some positions of the hinge.

2. A hinge as recited in claim 1, wherein the spring-loaded pin is positioned within a plate cavity within the support plate, the support plate further including a pin spring positioned within the plate cavity and that exerts force against the spring-loaded pin to enable the spring-loaded pin to slide relative to the support plate and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

3. A hinge as recited in claim 1, wherein the support plate further includes a pin spring that exerts force against the spring-loaded pin to enable the spring-loaded pin to slide in a direction that is normal to a pivoting direction of the cam and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

4. A hinge as recited in claim 1, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, and the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam.

5. A hinge as recited in claim 1, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes:

a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, wherein the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam; and

a cam pin slidably positioned at least partially within the cam,

wherein pivoting of the cam to the particular open position relative to the support plate causes the spring-loaded pin to apply pressure against the cam pin such that the cam pin slides relative to the cam and engages with the different support plate.

6. A hinge as recited in claim 1, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes:

a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, wherein the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam;

a cam pin slidably positioned at least partially within the cam; and

a different pin slidably positioned at least partially within the different support plate and positioned such that when the hinge is in a closed position, the second inside surface of the hinge frame constrains sliding movement of the different pin,

wherein pivoting of the cam to the particular open position relative to the support plate causes the spring-loaded pin, the cam pin, and the different pin to align and the different pin to not be constrained by the second inside surface of the hinge frame such that the different pin slides relative to the different support plate, the cam pin slides relative to the cam, and the spring-loaded pin slides relative to the support plate to enable the cam pin to engage the different support plate and the spring-loaded pin to engage the cam.

7. A hinge with multiple preset open positions, the hinge comprising:

a hinge frame;

a support plate rotatably engaged with the hinge frame;

a cam rotatably engaged with the support plate;

a spring-loaded pin being positioned such that pivoting of the cam to a particular open position relative to the support plate enables the spring-loaded pin to engage the cam with the support plate, and further pivoting of the cam causes a corresponding pivoting of the support plate relative to the hinge frame; and

a cam follower pivotably mounted within the hinge frame and positioned such that in at least some of the multiple preset open positions, the cam follower interfaces with the cam to provide resistance to transitioning between the at least some of the multiple preset open positions.

8. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the spring-loaded pin comprises a plate pin positioned within a cavity within the support plate, the support plate further including a pin spring positioned within the cavity and that exerts force against the plate pin to enable the plate pin to slide relative to the support plate and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

9. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the spring-loaded pin comprises a spring-loaded plate pin slidably positioned at least partially within the support plate, and the support plate further includes a pin spring that exerts force against the spring-loaded plate pin to enable the spring-loaded plate pin to slide relative to the support plate and laterally relative to the hinge frame to engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

10. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the spring-loaded pin comprises a spring-loaded plate pin slidably positioned at least partially within the support plate, and the support plate further includes a pin spring that exerts force against the spring-loaded plate pin to enable the spring-loaded plate pin to slide in a direction that is normal to a pivoting direction of the cam and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

11. A hinge as recited in claim 7, further comprising a cam pin positioned within a cavity of the cam to engage a second support plate in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

12. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the support plate engages with the cam follower in one or more of the multiple preset open positions such that interaction between the support plate and the cam follower in the one or more of the multiple preset open positions resists pivoting of the support plate relative to the hinge frame, and engagement of the spring-loaded pin with the cam enables the support plate to provide resistance to pivoting of the cam relative to the hinge frame.

13. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the spring-loaded pin is engageable in a cavity within the cam to engage the support plate with the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position, and wherein pivoting of the cam from the particular open position towards a closed position relative to the hinge frame enables the spring-loaded pin to disengage from the cam.

14. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, and the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam.

15. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes:

a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, wherein the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam; and

a cam pin slidably positioned at least partially within the cam,

wherein pivoting of the cam to the particular open position relative to the support plate causes the spring-loaded pin to apply pressure against the cam pin such that the cam pin slides relative to the cam and engages with the different support plate.

16. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the support plate is rotatably engaged with a first inside surface of the hinge frame, the cam is rotatably engaged with the support plate on a first side of the cam, and the hinge further includes a different support plate rotatably engaged with a second inside surface of the hinge frame, and the cam is rotatably engaged with the different support plate on a second side of the cam.

17. A hinge comprising:

a hinge frame with a first support plate rotatably mounted on a first interior surface of the hinge frame, and a second support plate rotatably mounted on a second interior surface of the hinge frame;

a cam rotatably mounted to the first support plate and the second support plate, the cam including a mounting portion for mounting a moveable component to the cam;

a spring-loaded pin slidably positioned such that pivoting of the cam to a particular open position relative to the first support plate enables the spring-loaded pin to engage the cam with the first support plate, and further pivoting of the cam causes a corresponding pivoting of the first support plate relative to the hinge frame;

a cam follower pivotably mounted within the hinge frame; and

a hinge spring mounted within the hinge frame and that applies force to the cam follower such that the cam follower is held in contact with the cam in at least some positions of the hinge.

18. A hinge as recited in claim 17, wherein the spring-loaded pin is positioned within a plate cavity within the first support plate, the first support plate further including a pin spring positioned within the plate cavity and that exerts force against the spring-loaded pin to enable the spring-loaded pin to slide relative to the first support plate and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

19. A hinge as recited in claim 17, wherein the first support plate further includes a pin spring that exerts force against the spring-loaded pin to enable the spring-loaded pin to slide in a direction that is normal to a pivoting direction of the cam and engage the cam in response to the cam pivoting to the particular open position.

20. A hinge as recited in claim 17, wherein the first interior surface and the second interior surface represent opposite interior surfaces of the hinge frame.