Pivot and swivel mechanism for lap top display

• US 5,206,790 A
• Filed: 07/11/1991
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mei California, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zeos International Ltd
• Inventors: Flom, James R., Barry, Michael R., Thomas, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US07/728,570
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 248/278, 248/917, 248/918, 248/919, 248/920, 248/921, 248/922, 248/923, 16/115, 16/119, 16/282, 16/285, 16/280, 16/337, 16/342, 16/366, 16/367, 16/371, 361/380, 361/392, 361/395, 361/399
• US Class Current: 361/679.07
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/08 Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts E05D7/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/10 with non-parallel pins
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/49 Wrap springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/005 integral with the apparatus or articles to be supported
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/041 for balancing rotational movement of the head
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A laptop computer (10) with a tiltable and swivelable display (12) is connected to case (29) by a pivot mechanism (20) and a swivel mechanism (33). In the pivot mechanism (20), a first pivot (22) connects display (12) to a pivot plate (50), and the second pivot (24) connects the pivot plate (50) to base (32) of the display (12). The first pivot (22) consists of a pair of pivot pins (52) on each end of the pivot plate (50). The second pivot (24) consists of split pivot pins (54) at each end of the pivot plate (50). The pivot pins (54) and inboard shafts (58) are fastened together and inboard shafts (58) rotate within outboard shafts (56). The outboard shafts (56) and the inboard shafts (58) are surrounded by clutch springs (60), which are connected so that the clutches are in their free rotating direction, i.e., does not resist motion between them when the display is being opened, and which resist motion between the inboard shafts (58) and outboard shafts (56) when the display is being lowered, to produce a greater friction than produced by the first pivot (22). The swivel mechanism (33) consists of a first swivel member (70) fixedly attached to case (29) and a second swivel member (72) which is fixedly attached to display base (32) and nests inside the first swivel member (70). The second swivel member (72) rotates inside the first swivel member (70).

Claims

1. A laptop or notebook computer comprising:

a case;

a mother board and a keyboard in said case;

a display;

means for swivel mounting said display on said case connected between said display and said case; and

means for pivotably mounting said display on said case connected between said display and said case, said means for pivotably mounting said display on said case comprising a first pivot connected between said display and a pivot plate and a second pivot connected between said pivot plate and a base for said display, said first pivot having a greater resistance to pivoting in an opening direction of said display than said second pivot, said first pivot and said second pivot being axially displaced with respect to one another, so that said display and said pivot plate initially pivot together about said second pivot with respect to said case as said display is opened to a given extent, and said display then pivots with respect to said pivot plate about said first pivot when said display is opened a greater extent than the given extent, said second pivot having a greater resistance to pivoting than said first pivot when said display is lowered over said keyboard, so that said display initially pivots with respect to said pivot plate about said first pivot, and said display and said pivot plate then pivot together about said second pivot with respect to said case until said display is closed over said case.

2. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 1 in which said second pivot includes a clutch having a free rotating first direction and a second direction having resistance to rotation to produce the greater resistance to pivoting than said first pivot.

3. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 2 in which said clutch is a wrap spring clutch.

4. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 3 additionally comprising a latch means connected between said display and said case for fastening said display lowered over said keyboard, said spring clutch causing said display to move to an ajar position over said keyboard when said latch means is released.

5. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 1 in which said means for swivel mounting said display on said case comprises a first swivel member attached to said case and a second swivel member attached to said base for said display.

6. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 5 in which said first swivel member is fixedly attached to said case and said second swivel member is connected to rotate inside said first swivel member.

7. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 1 additionally comprising a handle attached to said case comprising an elastomeric body having a cable embedded in said elastomeric body, said cable being attached to said case.

8. The laptop or notebook computer of claim 1 additionally comprising a removable battery module in said case, said battery module having an upper surface forming part of an upper surface of said case and extending above a remainder of said case substantially a same extent as keys of said keyboard.

9. In a laptop or notebook computer having a base and a display which pivots between a closed position over said base and an open position, a pivot mechanism for said display of said laptop or notebook computer, which comprises a first pivot connected between said display and a pivot plate and a second pivot connected between said pivot plate and said base, said first pivot having a greater resistance to pivoting in an opening direction of said display than said second pivot, said first pivot and said second pivot being axially displaced with respect to one another, so that said display and said pivot plate initially pivot together about said second pivot with respect to said base as said display is opened to a given extent, and said display then pivots with respect to said pivot plate about said first pivot when said display is opened a greater extent than the given extent, said second pivot having a greater resistance to pivoting than said first pivot when said display is lowered over said base, so that said display initially pivots with respect to said pivot plate about said first pivot, and said display and said pivot plate than pivot together about said second pivot with respect to said base until said display is closed over said base.

10. The pivot mechanism for said display of said laptop or notebook computer of claim 9 in which said second pivot includes a clutch having a free rotating first direction and a second direction having resistance to rotation to produce the greater resistance to pivoting than said first pivot.

11. The pivot mechanism for said display of said laptop or notebook computer of claim 10 in which said clutch is a wrap spring clutch.

12. In combination in a laptop or notebook computer, the pivot mechanism for said display of said laptop or notebook computer of claim 9 and a swivel mechanism for said display of said laptop or notebook computer.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which said swivel mechanism comprises a first swivel member attached to said base of said computer and a second swivel member attached to a second base for said display.

14. The combination of claim 13 in which said first swivel member is fixedly attached to said base and said second swivel member is connected to rotate inside said first swivel member.