Computer with hinge post and hinge mount and related methods

• US 7,463,481 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Doczy, Paul J., Lev, Jeffrey A., Moore, Earl W., Salazar, Pablo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai; Nidhi
• Application Number:
  US11/364,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 361679-686, 361724-727, 248917-924, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 345/156, 345/905, 345/157, 345/168, 345/169, 163/65, 163/66, 163/67, 439/165
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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: Y10S 248/921 Plural angular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting

Abstract

A computer base unit is disclosed, among other apparatus and methods. One embodiment of a computer base unit has a panel, the panel comprising a hinge post and a hinge mount, the hinge post configured to couple to a shaft-in-shaft hinge and the hinge mount configured to couple to a swivel hinge assembly.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a computer, comprising:

forming a first hinge post, a second hinge post, and hinge mounts on a panel of a computer base unit, the computer base unit configured for both clam-shell type and center-swivel type operations;

when configured for the clam-shell type operation,

coupling a first display assembly to a first shaft-in-shaft hinge and a second shaft-in-shaft hinge; and

coupling the first shaft-in-shaft hinge and the second shaft-in-shaft hinge to the first hinge post and the second hinge post, respectively; and

when configured for the center-swivel type operation,

coupling a second display assembly to a third shaft-in-shaft hinge and a fourth shaft-in-shaft hinge of the swivel hinge assembly, the third and fourth shaft-in-shaft hinges different than the first and second shaft-in-shaft hinges; and

coupling the swivel hinge assembly to the hinge mounts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a rear cover piece to the back of the computer base unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a cover to the computer base unit to cover an area exposed between either the first or second display assembly and a surface of the base unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a cover to the computer base unit and mounting a support bracket to the panel.

5. A method for coupling a computer base unit with different display assemblies, comprising:

providing a computer base unit having first and second hinge posts and hinge mounts on a panel of the computer base unit, the first and second hinge posts located in close proximity to separate corners of the computer base unit and separate from the hinge mounts; and

when configured for notebook display functionality, coupling a first shaft-in-shaft hinge to the first hinge post and a second shaft-in-shaft hinge to the second hinge post; and

when configured for tablet display functionality, coupling a swivel hinge assembly to the hinge mounts.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising coupling a notebook display assembly to the first and second shaft-in-shaft hinges to enable rotation of the notebook display assembly with respect to an axis parallel to a plane of the computer base unit.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising coupling a tablet personal computer display assembly to the swivel hinge assembly to enable rotation with respect to an axis parallel and an axis perpendicular to a plane of the computer base unit.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising mounting a rear cover piece to the back of the computer base unit.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising mounting a cover to the computer base unit to cover an area exposed between either of the display assemblies and a surface of the base unit.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising mounting a cover to the computer base unit and mounting a support bracket to the panel.

11. A computer comprising:

a computer base unit comprising a panel, the panel comprising a first hinge post, a second hinge post, and hinge mounts, the computer base unit configured for both clam-shell type and center-swivel type operations;

when configured for the clam-shell type operation, the computer further comprising;

a first display assembly coupled to a first shaft-in-shaft hinge and a second shaft-in-shaft hinge, the first shaft-in-shaft hinge and the second shaft-in-shaft hinge coupled to the first hinge post and the second hinge post, respectively; and

when configured for the center-swivel type operation, the computer further comprising;

a second display assembly coupled to a third shaft-in-shaft hinge and a fourth shaft-in-shaft hinge of a swivel hinge assembly, the third and fourth shaft-in-shaft hinges distinct and separate from the first and second shaft-in-shaft hinges, the swivel hinge assembly coupled to the hinge mounts.

12. The computer of claim 11, further comprising:

a cover coupled to the computer base unit; and

a support bracket mounted to the panel.

13. The computer of claim 11, wherein the swivel hinge assembly comprises a swivel hinge configured to provide rotation of the second display assembly with respect to an axis perpendicular to the plane of the computer base unit.

14. The computer of claim 11, wherein the first and second shaft-in-shaft hinges are configured to provide rotation of a coupled display assembly with respect to an axis parallel to a plane of the computer base unit.

15. The computer of claim 11, further comprising a cover coupled to the computer base unit and configured to cover areas adjacent to the swivel hinge assembly.

16. A computer, comprising:

a base unit comprising a panel;

means for coupling a clam-shell style display assembly to the panel; and

means for coupling a tablet-style display assembly different than the clam-shell style display assembly to the panel, the means for coupling the clam-shell style display assembly located in a different location of the base unit than the means for coupling the tablet-style display assembly.