Tablet Computer

• US 20120236485A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Over The Sun, LLC
• Original Assignee: Over The Sun, LLC
• Inventors: Staats, Kai, Roach, Leonard, Miller, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A tablet computer is composed of a tablet component and a keyboard component. The tablet component houses all of the essential hardware of tablet computer including the central processing unit (CPU), the memory, the power supply, and a touch screen display. The keyboard component is a simple peripheral device that offers no computing functionality unless connected with the tablet component. The tablet component and keyboard component can mate to form a notebook-type computer. The tablet component and keyboard component can mate in an orientation allowing use of only a tablet computing user interface. The tablet component is removable from the keyboard component and functions independently as a tablet computing device. The keyboard component has a counterbalance armature to oppose the moment of inertia due to the changing center of mass of the tablet computer as the tablet component is moved from a closed to an open position.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a tablet component;

a keyboard component removably connected with the tablet component, wherein the keyboard component further comprising a rotating tension hinge having a first surface; and

a counterbalance armature attached to the keyboard component that extends from the keyboard component, wherein the counterbalance armature defines a second surface and when the counterbalance armature is at least partially housed within the keyboard component in a retracted position, the first surface interfaces with the second surface and prevents the tablet component from being manipulated from a closed position to the open position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the counterbalance armature extends from the keyboard component to oppose a moment of inertia of the device when the tablet component is connected with and in an open position with respect to the keyboard component.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the counterbalance armature further comprises two or more rails that are respectively received and housed within two or more slots in a housing of the keyboard component.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the keyboard component further comprises an engagement structure in each of the two or more slots that engage the rails.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein a cross-section of each of the rails is T-shaped.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the tablet component further comprises a touch screen display on a front face and the front face is positioned adjacent to and opposite a top face of the keyboard component when the device is in a closed position.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the tablet component further comprises a back face and a display and interface screen on a front face and the back face is positioned adjacent to and opposite a top face of the keyboard component while the front face remains exposed when the device is in a closed position.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the counterbalance armature functions as a handle for the device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard component further comprises one or more fixed tension hinges and a rotating tension hinge rotationally engaged with the one or more fixed tension hinges.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the rotating tension hinge further comprises an interface tab and the tablet component further comprises a slot configured to releasably engage the interface tab.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the interface tab further comprises one or more connection traces and the slot in the tablet component further comprises one or more receptacles configured to communicatively engage the connection traces.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard component lies in a plane and the counterbalance armature extends along the plane of the keyboard component.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the counterbalance armature is forced to mechanically extend from the keyboard component as the tablet component moves into an open position with respect to the keyboard component.

14. A computer comprising

a computer component;

a keyboard component removably connected with the computer component, the keyboard component weighing less than the computer component and comprising a rotating tension hinge having a first engagement surface; and

a counterbalance armature attached to the keyboard component wherein the counterbalance armature is retractable with respect to the keyboard component and defines a second engagement surface and when the counterbalance armature is in a retracted position, the first surface interfaces with the second surface and prevents the computer component from being manipulated from a closed position to an open position.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein the counterbalance armature is at least partially housed within the keyboard component when in a retracted position.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein the keyboard component further comprises a housing that defines two or more slots and the counterbalance armature further comprises two or more rails that are respectively received and housed within the two or more slots.

17. The computer of claim 14, wherein the keyboard component further comprises one or more fixed tension hinges and a rotating tension hinge rotationally engaged with the one or more fixed tension hinges.

18. The computer of claim 17, wherein:

the rotating tension hinge further comprises a first engagement surface;

the counterbalance armature is retractable with respect to the keyboard component and defines a second engagement surface, and

when the counterbalance armature is at least partially housed within the keyboard component in a refracted position, the first engagement surface interfaces with the second engagement surface and prevents the computer component from being manipulated from a closed position to the open position.

19. A method comprising:

opening a computer component containing computer hardware with respect to a removably connected keyboard component lying in a plane, the keyboard component weighing less than the computer component, wherein the keyboard further comprises a rotating tension hinge having a first engagement surface;

extending a counterbalance armature with a second engagement surface retractably attached to the keyboard component, the counterbalance armature extending from the keyboard component along the plane when the computer component is connected with and in an open position with respect to the keyboard component; and

interfacing the first engagement surface with the second engagement surface to prevent the computer component from being manipulated from a closed position to the open position.

20. The method of clam 19, further comprising releasably engaging a slot on the computer component with an interface tab on a rotating tension hinge on the keyboard component.