HINGE ASSEMBLIES

• US 20160070310A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Holung, Joseph Anthony, Yebka, Bouziane, Wong, Tin-Lup, Horikoshi, Seita, Uchiyama, Yoshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 9,625,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling

Abstract

An apparatus can include a processor; memory accessible by the processor; a first housing that includes a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween; a second housing that includes a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween; a first gear operatively coupled to the first housing; and a second gear operatively coupled to the second housing where the first and second gears mesh to orient the first and second housings in a front side to front side orientation and in a back side to back side orientation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory accessible by the processor;

a first housing that comprises a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween;

a second housing that comprises a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween;

a first gear operatively coupled to the first housing; and

a second gear operatively coupled to the second housing wherein the first and second gears mesh to orient the first and second housings in a front side to front side orientation and in a back side to back side orientation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gear comprises a rotational axis, a major axis and a minor axis and wherein the second gear comprises a rotational axis, a major axis and a minor axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the rotational axes are offset.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the minor axis of the first gear is substantially aligned with the thickness of the first housing and wherein the major axis of the second gear is substantially aligned with the thickness of the second housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first housing comprises a display.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second housing comprises a keyboard.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first gear and the second gear comprise teeth.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first gear and the second gear comprise helical gears.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first gear comprises a clockwise helix and wherein the second gear comprises a counter-clockwise helix.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gear and the second gear comprise lobe gears, wherein the first gear comprises a plurality of lobes and wherein the second gear comprises a plurality of lobes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one cam mechanism that operates via meshed rotation of the first gear and the second gear.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the first housing is less than the thickness of the second housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first and second gears mesh to orient the first and second housings in a planar orientation wherein the planar orientation comprises the first housing centered with respect to the thickness of the second housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second gears comprises conical sections.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the conical sections comprise ellipses.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second gears comprise radial faces wherein the radial faces comprise elliptical shapes.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a guard wherein the guard comprises parallel plates.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a cabling mechanism that carries a cable wherein the cable electrically couples circuitry of the first housing to circuitry of the second housing.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gear comprises an axle and wherein the second gear comprises an axle.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory accessible by the processor;

a first housing that comprises a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween;

a second housing that comprises a front side and a back side and a thickness therebetween;

a first gear operatively coupled to the first housing;

a second gear operatively coupled to the second housing; and

an intermediate gear wherein the first and second gears mesh with the intermediate gear to orient the first and second housings in a front side to front side orientation and in a back side to back side orientation.