Spring biased hinges and methods therefor

• US 20040226138A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harmon, Roger W., Spence, Michael F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/284
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/14 with double-acting springs, e.g. for closing and opening or checking and closing no material
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass

Abstract

A hinged housing portion (110) coupled to a second housing portion (120), for example in a wireless communications device, including a compression spring (134) coupled to one of the housing portions, a cam (142) coupled to the body member, and a follower (336) coupled between the cam and the compression spring. The compression spring compresses along a compression axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The contoured surface or cam surface urges the follower against a first side of the second housing portion with the follower force 724. The follower force is parallel to the slope of the contoured surface slope at the point of contact between the follower and the contoured surface. The follower force results in rotation of the second housing portion in a first direction or second direction of rotation about the first axis depending on the angle of the contoured surface relative to the compression spring axis.

Claims

1. An apparatus having a hinge useable in a portable electronic device comprising:

a first housing portion having a contoured surface portion wherein said first housing portion is capable of enclosing electronic circuitry;

a second housing portion pivotally coupled to said first housing portion, said second housing portion pivoting relative to said first housing portion about a first axis;

a yielding element coupled to said second housing portion exerting a yielding element force in at least a first direction; and

a follower coupled between said yielding element and said contoured surface portion wherein said follower traverses said contoured surface portion as a result of at least a combination of said yielding element force and a slope of said contoured surface portion relative to said first direction of said yielding element force.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said follower is urged against a side of said second housing portion by said combination of said yielding element force and said slope of said contoured surface portion relative to said first direction of said yielding element force such that said second housing portion rotates about said first axis relative to said first housing portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a first slope of said contoured surface portion, relative to said first direction of said yielding element force, creates a first reactive contoured surface portion force urging said follower against a first side of said side of said second housing portion thereby rotating said second housing portion in a first direction of rotation about said first axis, and

wherein a second slope of said contoured surface portion, relative to said yielding element force, creates a second reactive contoured surface portion force urging said follower against a first side of said side of said second housing portion thereby rotating said second housing portion in a second direction of rotation about said first axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the magnitude of said follower force is a function of a distance between said first axis and said contour surface portion in contact with said follower and

wherein the direction of rotation of said second housing portion relative to said first housing portion is a function of a angle of said contoured surface relative to said first housing portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the magnitude of said follower force is a function of a distance between said first axis and said contour surface portion in contact with said follower and

wherein the direction of rotation of said second housing portion relative to said first housing portion is a function of a angle of said contoured surface relative to said first housing portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said follower force is substantially parallel to said contoured surface portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said yielding element is disposed in said second housing portion at angle substantially perpendicular to said first axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said contoured surface portion is a cam coupled to said first housing portion and adapted to engage said follower.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said yielding element is a compression spring wherein said compression spring further comprises:

a first end adapted to receive said follower; and

a second end opposite said first end, said second end fixed to a portion of said second housing portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said follower is a ball bearing rollably coupled to and partially seated in said first end of said compression spring.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said ball bearing is coupled between said contour surface portion and said compression spring, wherein said ball bearing rolls along said contour surface portion during rotation of said first housing portion relative to said second housing portion about said first axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second housing portion partially encloses said contour surface portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said contour surface portion has a contour surface electrical conducting portion,

wherein said follower has an follower electrical conducting portion, and

wherein said contour surface electrical conducting portion couples to said follower electrical conducting portion at at least one position of rotation of said first housing portion relative to said second housing portion to form an electrical path for carrying electrical signals from said first housing portion to said second housing portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a second contoured surface portion of said first housing portion;

a third housing portion pivotally coupled to said first housing portion, said third housing portion pivoting about a first axis relative to said first housing portion;

a second yielding element disposed in said third housing portion; and

a second follower coupled between said second contoured surface portion and said second yielding element, said second follower urged against said second contoured surface portion by a second yielding element force of said second yielding element and said second follower urged transversely along said second contoured surface portion by a second reactive contoured surface portion force of said second contoured surface portion in response to said second yielding element force.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second housing element and said third housing element are coupled together.

16. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said follower further comprises:

a rounded portion adapted to traverse said contour surface portion

a follower shaft coupled to said rounded portion and extending into said second housing portion; and

a piston coupled to an end opposite to said rounded portion, said piston enclosed in a portion of said second housing portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a hollow portion of said second housing is divided into two portions comprising:

a spring chamber wherein said spring and at least a portion of said shaft are enclosed; and

a piston chamber positioned longitudinally adjacent to said spring chamber and adapted to receive said piston and a dampening fluid.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a first housing portion and a flip portion covering at least a portion of said first housing portion;

at least one flip arm coupled to said flip portion, said at least one flip arm rotateably coupled to said first housing portion and said at least one flip arm having a hollow portion;

a cam coupled to said first housing and at least partially covered by said hollow portion, said cam having a cam surface;

a follower movable within said hollow portion and about said cam surface, urgeable against an inner wall of said hollow portion; and

a compression spring disposed in said hollow portion, and coupled between a fixed end of said flip arm and said round follower, urging said round follower against said cam surface and urging said follower to move transversely along and parallel to said cam surface as a result of a slope of said cam surface relative to a force of the compression spring.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein said at least one flip arm further comprises:

a first tubular member forming said hollow portion, said first tubular member having a notch at a first end of said tubular member, said notch adapted to enclose at least a portion of said cam as said flip arm rotates relative to said first housing; and

a void, adapted to receive a hinge pin, said void located at said first end of said tubular member.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein said follower is a ball bearing, adapted to roll on said cam surface and to urge a force on said at least one flip arm from within said hollow portion.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein said follower comprises a rounded portion at least where said follower makes contact with said cam surface over a range of rotation of said flip arm.

22. The device of claim 19 further comprising:

a hollow portion wall dividing said hollow portion into a first hollow portion and a second hollow portion;

a shaft extending from said round portion through said compression spring in said first hollow portion and into said second hollow portion; and

a piston coupled to a end of said shaft opposite said round portion, said piston longitudinally moveable within said second hollow portion.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a dampening fluid in said second hollow portion.

24. The device of claim 21, further comprising a sleeve coupled to said follower, said sleeve enclosing said compression spring and having a reciprocal shape to that of said hollow portion.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein a dampening fluid at least fills a portion of a void between said sleeve and a hollow portion wall of said hollow portion.

26. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

a second flip arm rotateably coupled to said first housing at an opposite end along said first axis, said second flip arm having a second hollow portion;

a second cam coupled to said first housing and at least partially covered by said second hollow portion, said second cam having a second cam surface;

a second follower movable within said second hollow portion; and

a second compression spring disposed in said second hollow portion, and coupled between a fixed end of said flip arm and said round follower, urging said round follower against said cam surface.

27. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

an electrically conductive cam surface electrically coupled to an electrical circuit in the first housing portion; and

an electrically conductive follower surface electrically coupled to a second electrical circuit in said flip portion.

28. An apparatus having a hinge useable in a portable electronic device comprising:

a first housing portion having a contoured surface portion;

a second housing portion rotateably coupled to said first housing portion, said second housing portion rotating about a rotation axis relative to said first housing portion;

a yielding element disposed in said second housing portion having a compression axis substantially perpendicular to said rotation axis; and

a follower coupled between said contoured surface portion and said yielding element, wherein the combination of the yielding element force and a slope of the contoured surface portion creates a reactive contoured surface force parallel to said contoured surface portion at a point of contact between said follower and said contoured surface portion, said reactive contoured surface force urging said follower transversely across said contoured surface portion.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the magnitude of said reactive contoured surface force is a function of said slope of the contoured surface portion relative to the compression axis.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the direction of the follower force is a function of said slope of the contoured surface portion relative to the compression axis.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the follower is a ball bearing.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein

said contoured surface portion is coupled to one of said first housing portion or said second housing portion;

said follower disposed in one of said first housing portion or said second housing portion to which the cam is not coupled;

said yielding element is disposed between one of said first housing portion and said second housing portion and one of the cam or the follower,

the cam and the follower biased into engagement by the spring.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein a follower force is applied against said second housing portion in response to said reactive contoured surface force, causing said second housing portion to rotate about said first axis relative to said first housing portion.