Electronic device

• US 8,405,978 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Okutsu, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US13/283,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 163/05, 163/30, 163/07, 163/48, 162/84, 163/26, 163/67, 162/21, 163/82, 340/907, 340/572.1, 439/142, 439/326, 439/165, 439/31, 439/529, 439/131, 439/49, 439/349, 416/13, 416/23, 361/807, 361/810, 361/697, 361/679.08, 361/679.01, 361/679.29, 361/679.55, 361/679.09, 361/679.33, 361/679.48, 361/679.21, 361/679.28, 361/679.04, 361/679.6, 361/679.27, 361/679.32, 361/679.41, 455/41.2, 455/78, 455/575.7, 455/575.3, 455/575.1, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/16 on hinges or pivots

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes: a first housing; a second housing; and a connector. The first housing includes a first face and a first periphery portion provided along a periphery of the first face. The second housing includes a second face and a second periphery portion provided along a periphery of the second face and positioned near the first periphery portion. The connector includes a first portion connected to the first housing and a second portion connected to the second housing. The connector rotatably connects the first housing and the second housing with each other. The connector permits a change in a distance between the first portion and the second portion to prevent a change in a distance between the first periphery portion and the second periphery portion when the first housing and the second housing are rotated with respect to each other.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first display comprising a first screen;

a first housing comprising a first face and a first edge portion, the first housing configured to house the first display, the first face configured to expose the first screen through a first opening, the first edge portion located along a periphery of the first face;

a second display comprising a second screen;

a second housing comprising a second face and a second edge portion, the second housing configured to house the second display, the second face configured to expose the second screen through a second opening, the second edge portion located along a periphery of the second face and extending in parallel with the first edge portion near the first edge portion; and

a hinge mechanism comprising a first connector connected to the first housing and a second connector connected to the second housing, the hinge mechanism being configured to rotatably connect the first housing and the second housing, the hinge mechanism being further configured to change a distance between the first connector and the second connector when the first housing rotates with respect to the second housing to maintain a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion in a state that the first edge portion and the second edge portion are in parallel with each other when the first housing rotates with respect to the second housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the hinge mechanism further comprises:

a first contact portion connected to the first housing;

a second contact portion connected to the second housing and configured to contact the first contact portion and roll around the first contact portion; and

a pusher configured to push the first contact portion against the second contact portion.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a slip preventer configured to suppress slippage between the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the slip preventer comprises a convex portion or a concave portion provided at a third contact portion at which the first contact portion contacts the second contact portion.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein

the first contact portion is provided on an exterior face of the first housing, and

the second contact portion is provided on an exterior face of the second housing.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a first housing comprising;

a first face;

an end;

a module positioned at the end; and

a first edge portion located along a periphery of the first face;

a second housing comprising;

a second face; and

a second edge portion located along a periphery of the second face and extending in parallel with the first edge portion near the first edge portion; and

a hinge mechanism configured to connect a first shaft portion supported by the first housing and a second shaft portion supported by the second housing and rotatably connect the first housing and the second housing, the hinge mechanism being further configured to change a distance between the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion when the first housing rotates with respect to the second housing to maintain a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion when the first housing rotates with respect to the second housing.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein

the hinge mechanism further comprises a first component fixed to the first shaft portion and a second component rotatably connected to the first component and fixed to the second shaft portion, and

a connection position between the first component and the second component is positioned nearer to the first edge portion and the second edge portion than to the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein

the connection position is positioned outside a first end of the first edge portion and a second end of the second edge portion in a direction along the first edge portion and the second edge portion.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein

a first recess is provided at a first end of the first edge portion of the first housing,

a second recess is provided at a second end of the second edge portion of the second housing, and

the connection position is positioned in at least one of the first recess and the second recess.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein

the hinge mechanism further comprises:

a third component supported by the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion; and

a contact element disposed between the third component and the first component or between the third component and the second component.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a first display comprising a first screen;

a first housing comprising a first face and a first edge portion, the first housing configured to house the first display, the first face configured to expose the first screen through a first opening, the first edge portion located along a periphery of the first face;

a second display comprising a second screen;

a second housing comprising a second face and a second edge portion, the second housing configured to house the second display, the second face configured to expose the second screen through a second opening, the second edge portion located along a periphery of the second face and extending in parallel with the first edge portion near the first edge portion;

a first component having a first portion, the first portion being connected at a first position to the first housing, the first position being separated in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the first edge portion from a first end of the longitudinal direction and along the first screen, the first position being separated in a thickness direction of the first housing, the first component extending toward a side of the first end from the first position;

a second component having a second portion, the second portion being connected at a second position to the second housing, the second position being separated in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the second edge portion from a second end of the longitudinal direction and along the second screen, the second position being separated in a thickness direction of the second housing, the second component extending toward a side of the second end from the second position; and

a connector configured to connect the first portion and the second portion rotatably and allow one of the first edge portion and the second edge portion to rotate with respect to the other of the first edge portion and the second edge portion at least between a folded state in which the first screen faces the second screen and an unfolded state in which the first screen and the second screen are arranged side by side to face a same side when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the first edge portion or the second edge portion.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion is maintained when the one of the first edge portion and the second edge portion rotates with respect to the other of the first edge portion and the second edge portion.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion is maintained to be equal to or lower than a fixed distance when the one of the first edge portion and the second edge portion rotates with respect to the other of the first edge portion and the second edge portion.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a first display comprising a first screen;

a first housing comprising a first face and a first edge portion, the first housing configured to house the first display, the first face configured to expose the first screen through a first opening, the first edge portion located along a periphery of the first face;

a second display comprising a second screen;

a second housing comprising a second face and a second edge portion, the second housing configured to house the second display, the second face configured to expose the second screen through a second opening, the second edge portion located along a periphery of the second face and extending in parallel with the first edge portion near the first edge portion; and

a first component having a first portion connected to the first housing at a first position separated to an opposite side of the second housing along a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the first edge portion from a first end of the longitudinal direction, the first portion extending toward a side of the first end from the first position;

a second component having a second portion connected to the second housing at a second position separated to an opposite side of the first housing along a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the second edge portion from a second end of the longitudinal direction, the second portion extending toward a side of the second end from the second position; and

a connector configured to connect the first portion and the second portion rotatably at a position which is between the first edge portion and the second edge portion and separated from and above the first screen and the second screen in an unfolded state in which the first screen and the second screen are arranged side by side to face a same side when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the first edge portion or the second edge portion.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion is maintained when the first portion rotates with respect to the second portion.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein a distance between the first edge portion and the second edge portion is maintained to be equal to or lower than a fixed distance when the first portion rotates with respect to the second portion.