Device having pivotable hinges

• US 7,499,540 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oliver, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dabney; Phylesha
• Application Number:
  US11/027,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433.13, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/575.3, 455/550.1, 162/21, 162/23, 16229-232, 162/42, 162/43, 163/03, 16366-367, 163/19, 163/30
• US Class Current: 379/433.13
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/10 with non-parallel pins
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• 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 1/1679 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0222 Foldable in two directions, i.e. using a two degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

In one embodiment, a device (100) having a first portion (102) and a second portion (104), the first or second portion being pivotably adjustable in two directions to reveal the other of the first or second portion, has a biaxially pivotable hinge (106) and a disengagable uniaxially pivotable hinge (108). The biaxially pivotable hinge (106) interconnects the first and second portions (102, 104). The uniaxially pivotable hinge (108) is capable of selectively (a) interconnecting the first and second portions (102, 104) and (b) releasing connection between the first and second portions (102, 104), the selectivity being dependent upon relative rotational position of the first portion (102) and the second portion (104) about the uniaxially pivotable hinge (108).

Claims

1. A cellular telephone/personal digital assistant combination device having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being pivotably adjustable in two directions relative to the second portion, the device comprising:

a biaxially pivotable hinge interconnecting the first portion and the second portion; and

a disengagable uniaxially pivotable hinge capable of selectively (a) interconnecting the first portion and the second portion and (b) releasing connection between the first portion and the second portion, the selectivity being dependent upon a rotational position of the first portion relative to the second portion about the uniaxially pivotable hinge,

wherein the uniaxially pivotable hinge comprises;

a female portion; and

a male portion, wherein the male portion comprises an actuator having an engagement interface profile, which, cooperates with a complementary profile of the female portion, wherein the depth of engagement of the male portion with the female portion increases from a disengaged position to a fully engaged position with increase in rotational separation of the first portion relative to the second portion measured perpendicularly to an axial direction to the second hinge.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement interface profile includes a stop surface and a ramp surface that interacts with a land and a ramp structure of the complementary profile, to compress or allow expansion of a biasing member, which in turn decreases or increases depth of engagement of the male portion with the female portion, respectively.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the biasing member is a coil spring.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the male portion includes structure rendering it pivotable with one of the first portion and the second portion.

5. A cellular telephone/personal digital assistant combination device comprising:

a display housing;

a keypad housing;

a first hinge interconnecting the display housing and the keypad housing that is pivotable in at least two directions; and

a second hinge interconnecting the display housing and the keypad housing, the second hinge having a first portion and a second portion said first portion being automatically disengagable from said second portion when the display housing is at less than a selected pivot angle relative to the keypad housing,

wherein the first portion of the second hinge and the second portion of the second hinge are biased into engagement with each other, further wherein the first portion comprises;

an engagement interface profile which cooperates with a complementary profile of the second portion, wherein the depth of engagement of the first portion with the second portion increases from a disengaged position to a fully engaged position with increase in rotational separation of the display housing from the keypad housing measured perpendicularly to an axial direction to the second hinge.

6. The combination device as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of the first portion and the second portion of the second hinge is disposed at one of the display portion and the keypad portion, and the other of the first portion and the second portion is disposed at an other of the first portion and the second portion.

7. The combination device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the combination device is in a cellular telephone mode when the display housing is rotated relative to the keypad housing about an axis of the second hinge.

8. The combination device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the engagement interface profile of the first portion which when cooperating with the complementary profile of the second portion urges an actuator out of engagement with the second portion upon rotational separation of the display housing from the keypad housing in a direction transaxial to the second hinge.