HINGED DEVICE

• US 20180292860A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 10/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• 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 10,754,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured by a hinge assembly. The example can also include a flexible display positioned over the first portion, the hinge assembly, and the second portion. The example can further include a deployable bridge support that is deployed to support the flexible display at the hinge assembly when the first and second portions are rotated from a closed orientation to an open orientation.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured by a hinge assembly;

a flexible display secured to the first portion and the second portion;

a deformable member secured to the flexible display over the hinge assembly;

a first bridge structure that is associated with the first portion and is biased from the first portion into the hinge assembly and toward the second portion when the first and second portions are rotatably positioned in an open orientation to support the deformable member and biased away from the second portion and back into the first portion when the first and second portions are positioned in a closed orientation; and

,

a second bridge structure that is associated with the second portion and is biased from the second portion into the hinge assembly and toward the first portion when the first and second portions are rotatably positioned in an open orientation to support the deformable member and biased away from the first portion and back into the second portion when the first and second portions are positioned in a closed orientation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the single flexible display is fixedly secured to both the first portion and the second portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the deformable member comprises a corrugated pattern.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the deformable member defines a minimum bend radius for the flexible display.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the closed orientation is at zero degrees between the first and second portions and 360 degrees between the first and second portions and the open orientation is 180-degrees between the first and second portions.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cam that controls a position of the first bridge structure relative to the hinge assembly.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a cam follower and wherein interaction of the cam and the cam follower during rotation of the first and second portions controls the position of the first bridge structure relative to the hinge assembly.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a communication member that defines a hinge axis of the device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the hinge ends are rotatably secured to the communication member.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the cam comprises a tab on the communication member to which the hinge ends are rotatably secured and the communication member defines a hinge axis of the device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the cam follower comprises an engagement structure of the first bridge structure.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein a length of the hinge assembly changes during rotation of the first and second portions.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly is biased to a relatively shorter length and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a cam and cam follower that counter the bias to a relatively longer length during a range of the rotation.

14. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured by a hinge assembly;

a flexible display positioned over the first portion, the hinge assembly, and the second portion; and

,

a deployable bridge support that is deployed to support the flexible display at the hinge assembly when the first and second portions are rotated from a closed orientation to an open orientation.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the deployable bridge support directly supports the flexible display at the hinge assembly.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the deployable bridge support indirectly supports the flexible display at the hinge assembly.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising a re-enforcing material secured to the flexible display proximate to the hinge assembly.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the deployable bridge support directly supports the re-enforcing material.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the re-enforcing material comprises a deformable member.

20. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion that have hinge ends rotatably secured by a hinge assembly;

a flexible display positioned over the first portion, the hinge assembly, and the second portion; and

,

a bridge structure that is biased from the first portion into the hinge assembly and toward the second portion when the first and second portions are rotatably positioned in an open orientation to support the flexible display and biased away from the second portion and back into the first portion when the first and second portions are positioned in a closed orientation.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the bridge structure directly contacts the flexible display to support the flexible display.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the flexible display is secured to a deformable member that overlays the hinge assembly and wherein the bridge structure contacts the deformable member to indirectly support the flexible display.