VIRTUAL PIVOT HINGE WITH SLIDING FRICTION COUPLER

• US 20200133350A1
• Filed: 12/28/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: GAULT, Joseph Benjamin, BITZ, Brian D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,061,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1618 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 1/1656 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: 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 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0226 Hinges

Abstract

Conventional laptop computers may utilize a door-hinge style or in a bezel-behind-base style hinge to connect a display with a keyboard of the laptop computer. Typically, these hinges present a discontinuous visual impression to the user. Presenting a more continuous visual impression of the hinge to the user suggests a higher overall quality of the computing device to the user and is thus desirable to the user. The disclosed virtual pivot hinge pivots about a pivot axis running between the display and the keyboard. The hardware of the hinge is located away from the pivot axis, which creates a virtual pivoting action about the axis that maintains a consistent front gap distance (or no front gap) between the display and the keyboard. The resulting visual impression to the user is that the display is floating above keyboard at the same or similar distance regardless of the display angle.

Claims

1. A virtual pivot hinge comprising:

a pivot element connecting a first hinged component to a second hinged component and projecting a pivot axis of the hinge into free space adjacent the hinge; and

a friction element also connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component, the friction element including;

a friction arm with a first end rotatable with reference to the first hinged component and a second end extending away from first hinged component toward the second hinged component; and

a coupler slidably connected to the second end of the friction arm and rotatable with reference to the second hinged component.

2. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 1, wherein the first end of the friction arm rotates about a bearing journal affixed to the first hinged component.

3. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 2, wherein the coupler rotates within a bearing housing affixed to the second hinged component.

4. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 3, wherein one or both of a first bearing between the first end of the friction arm and the bearing journal and a second bearing between the coupler and the bearing housing provides resistance to pivoting to the hinge.

5. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 1, wherein the pivot element includes a pair of leaves each connected to a knuckle comprising interleaved portions of each leaf constrained to angular motion about the pivot axis of the hinge.

6. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 1, wherein the pivot element and the friction element lie at separate physical locations between the first hinged component and the second hinged component.

7. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible service loop connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component as a living hinge opposite the pivot axis of the hinge.

8. The virtual pivot hinge of claim 1, wherein a range of motion of the hinge is approximately 180 degrees.

9. A method of manufacturing a virtual pivot hinge for a computing device comprising:

creating a pivot element projecting a pivot axis into free space adjacent the pivot element;

connecting a first hinged component to a second hinged component with the pivot element;

creating a friction element including;

a friction arm with a first end rotatable with reference to a bearing journal and a second end extending away from the bearing journal; and

a coupler slidably connected to the second end of the friction arm and rotatable with reference to a bearing housing; and

connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component with the friction element via the bearing journal and the bearing housing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the pivot element includes:

forming a first leaf;

forming a second leaf; and

interleaving the leaves at a knuckle thereby constraining motion of the pivot element to angular motion about the pivot axis.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the friction element includes:

forming the friction arm;

placing a first end of the friction arm about a bearing journal;

forming the coupler;

placing the coupler within a bearing housing; and

extending the friction arm through a slot in the coupler.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the pivot element connects the first hinged component to the second hinged component at a separate physical location from where the friction element connects the first hinged component to the second hinged component.

13. A computing device comprising:

a first hinged component;

a second hinged component;

a pivot element connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component and projecting a pivot axis into free space adjacent the first hinged component and the second hinged component; and

a friction element also connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component, the friction element including;

a friction arm with a first end rotatable with reference to the first hinged component and a second end extending away from first hinged component toward the second hinged component; and

a coupler slidably connected to the second end of the friction arm and rotatable with reference to the second hinged component.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the first hinged component and the second hinged component are each one or more of a keyboard, a display screen, a touchscreen, a touchpad, a kickstand, and a screen cover.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the pivot element maintains a consistent gap spacing between the first hinged component and the second hinged component throughout a range of motion of the pivot element.

16. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising:

a flexible service loop connecting the first hinged component to the second hinged component as a living hinge opposite the first hinged component and the second hinged component from the pivot axis.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the flexible service loop conceals the pivot element and the friction element.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein one or both of the first hinged component and the second hinged component includes venting apertures, wherein the flexible service loop conceals the venting apertures.

19. The computing device of claim 16, further comprising:

electronic connections between the first hinged component and the second hinged component, wherein the flexible service loop conceals the electronic connections.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the flexible service loop includes a pocket to store a stylus.