HINGED DEVICE

• US 20180166842A1
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Kabir
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2370/00 Apparatus relating to physics, e.g. instruments in general G01 - G12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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: H01R 35/00 Flexible or turnable line connectors , i.e. the rotation angle being limited rotary current collectors, distributors H01R39/00

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. The example can also include a communication member spanning between the first and second portions and defining first and second parallel hinge pins. The first hinge pin can include a first cam follower that is received in a first multi-lobe cam of the first portion that forces the first portion away from the first hinge pin when the first and second portions are oriented at non-parallel orientations and allows the first portion to be biased toward the second hinge pin at parallel orientations.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion;

a self-spacing hinge assembly rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second portion so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis;

the self-spacing hinge assembly comprising a communication member that defines first and second hinge pins;

the first hinge pin defining the first hinge axis and including a first cam follower that is orthogonal to the first hinge axis;

a first multi-lobe cam defined relative to the first portion; and

,

a first biasing element that biases the first portion toward the first hinge axis unless acted upon by the first multi-lobe cam.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first multi-lobe cam comprises alternating cam lobes and cam recesses, and at non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions, individual cam lobes of the first multi-lobe cam engage the first cam follower and overcome the first biasing element and force the first portion away from the first hinge axis to increase space between the first and second portions and at parallel orientations the first cam follower engages individual cam recesses of the first multi-lobe cam and the first biasing element biases the first portion toward the first hinge axis and decreases the space between the first and second portions.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the parallel orientations comprise zero degrees, 180 degrees, and/or 360 degrees.

4. The device of claim 2, further comprising a first spring body that is fixedly secured to the first portion and wherein the first multi-lobe cam is defined by the first spring body.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first multi-lobe cam is defined in the first spring body.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the first hinge pin is received in a first hinge body and further comprising a biasing element that can bias the first spring body away from the first hinge body and toward the first hinge axis.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the bias of the first biasing element is overcome when the first cam follower engages an individual cam lobe of the multi-lobe cam.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising the second hinge pin defining the second hinge axis and comprising:

the second hinge pin defining the second hinge axis and including a second cam follower that is orthogonal to the second hinge axis;

a second multi-lobe cam defined relative to the second portion; and

,

a second biasing element that biases the second portion toward the second hinge axis unless acted upon by the second multi-lobe cam.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinge pins each include primary gears that provide timing of the self-spacing hinge assemblies so that the extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to the extent of rotation around the second hinge axis.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the primary gears directly engage to provide the timing.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising intervening secondary gears and wherein the primary gears indirectly engage via the intervening secondary gears to provide the timing.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first display and wherein the second portion comprises a second display.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first biasing element comprises a first spring that is oriented orthogonally to the first hinge axis and a second biasing element comprises a second spring that is oriented orthogonally to a second hinge axis.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the first multi-lobe cam is bilaterally symmetrical.

15. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion; and

,

a communication member spanning between the first and second portions and defining first and second parallel hinge pins, the first hinge pin including a first cam follower that is received in a first multi-lobe cam of the first portion that forces the first portion away from the first hinge pin when the first and second portions are oriented at non-parallel orientations and allows the first portion to be biased toward the second hinge pin at parallel orientations.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second hinge pin includes a second cam follower that is received in a second multi-lobe cam of the second portion that forces the second portion away from the second hinge pin when the first and second portions are oriented at non-parallel orientations and allows the second portion to be biased toward the second hinge pin at parallel orientations.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the communication member includes a timing element that causes equal rotation by the first and second portions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the timing element comprises gears.

19. A device, comprising:

a first portion that includes a first display;

a second portion that includes a second display; and

,

a self-spacing hinge assembly rotatably securing first and second hinge ends of the first and second portions around first and second hinge axes, the first and second portions defining multi-lobe cams that force the first and second portions away from the first and second hinge axes at non-parallel orientations of the first and second portions and allow the first and second portions to be biased toward the first and second hinge axes at parallel orientations of the first and second portions.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the multi-lobe cams are formed in the first and second portions.