Handle attachment

• US 8,964,376 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Eric, Yin, Memphis-Zhihong, Hoffman, Dustin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US13/260,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 36167955-67959, 36167921-6793, 36167901-67909, 3616791-67919, 36167921-67929, 36167931-67945, 36167955-6796, 361724-747, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/575.8, 455/325, 455/556.1, 455/550.1, 455/90.1, 292 1- 62, 292/113, 29216911-16923, 29234111-34119, 248917-924, 248 80- 88, 2481551-1555, 248166-173, 2481801-1862, 2482291-23151, 248/271.4, 248/292.14, 2483161-3168
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/166 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: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0985 Discrete pivotable or rotatable actuator

Abstract

A handle attachment including a mounting mechanism configured to couple the handle attachment to a computing machine and a clutch mechanism configured to reposition the handle attachment and lock the handle attachment in at least one position from the computing machine.

Claims

1. A computing machine comprising:

a handle attachment;

a first end mounting mechanism and a second end mounting mechanism configured to couple a first end and a second end of the handle attachment to a base of the computing machine; and

a clutch mechanism configured to rotate and selectively lock the handle attachment at a plurality of positions with respect to the computing machine, the clutch mechanism including;

indentations corresponding to the plurality of positions,

an indentation component engageable with the indentations to selectively lock the handle attachment at the corresponding plurality of positions, and

a first portion rotatable with rotation of the handle attachment, and

a second portion engaged to one of the first end and second end mounting mechanisms and including a housing and being non-rotatable while the first portion rotates, and the second portion further including a shaft protruding from a bottom wall of an inner chamber of the housing and extending from the inner chamber to protrude through a spring having an end portion engaged with the indentation component that is located radially away from a longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein the first portion includes an orifice to rotatably engage the shaft.

2. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end mounting mechanisms comprise rails along which the handle attachment is slideable.

3. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the clutch mechanism includes a motor configured to rotate and lock the handle attachment in at least one of the plurality of positions in response to a user accessing the handle attachment.

4. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the first end of the handle attachment and the second end of the handle attachment include apertures to couple respectively with the first end mounting mechanism and the second end mounting mechanism.

5. The computing machine of claim 4, wherein the first end mounting mechanism and the second end mounting mechanism include modules configured to engage the apertures of the first end of the handle attachment and the second end of the handle attachment.

6. The computing machine of claim 5, wherein the clutch mechanism couples the module of one of the first end and second end mounting mechanisms to the respective aperture of the handle attachment.

9. The computing machine of claim 2, wherein the first portion is rotatable with respect to the second portion as the handle attachment slides along the rails.

11. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the clutch mechanism further includes a spring to bias the indentation component into a respective one of the indentations.

18. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the housing has an outer surface with a flat side and an arcuate side, the flat side of the outer surface when engaged to the one of the first and the second end mounting mechanisms maintaining the second portion non-rotatable while the first portion rotates.

19. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the clutch mechanism is a first clutch mechanism to engage the first end mounting mechanism, the computing machine further comprising a second clutch mechanism to engage the second end mounting mechanism.

20. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the first portion has a housing separate from the housing of the second portion.

21. The computing machine of claim 1, wherein the shaft is non-rotatable while the first portion rotates.

7. A method for repositioning a handle attachment comprising:

coupling a first end and a second end of the handle attachment to a computing machine;

providing a mounting mechanism to couple the handle attachment to the computing machine; and

configuring a clutch mechanism to rotate and selectively lock the handle attachment at a plurality of positions, the clutch mechanism to rotate the handle attachment around an axis on the computing machine in response to a user accessing the handle attachment, the clutch mechanism including;

indentations corresponding to the plurality of positions,

an indentation component engageable with the indentations to selectively lock the handle attachment at the corresponding plurality of positions, and

a first portion rotatable with rotation of the handle attachment, and

a second portion including a housing and being non-rotatable while the first portion rotates, when the second portion is engaged to the mounting mechanism, and the second portion further including a shaft protruding from a bottom wall of an inner chamber of the housing and extending from the inner chamber to protrude through a spring having an end portion engaged with the indentation component that is located radially away from a longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein the first portion includes an orifice to rotatably engage the shaft.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the clutch mechanism includes a motor configured to reposition the handle attachment to an open position when the user is accessing the handle attachment and reposition the handle attachment to a closed position when the user is not accessing the handle attachment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion includes the indentations, and the second portion includes the indentation component.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a rail along which the handle attachment is slideable.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion is rotatable with respect to the second portion as the handle attachment slides along the rail.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion includes the indentations, and the second portion includes the indentation component.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the clutch mechanism further includes a spring to bias the indentation component into a respective one of the indentations.

17. The computing machine of claim 8, wherein the first portion includes the indentations, and the second portion includes the indentation component.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a handle attachment;

mounting mechanisms configured to couple the handle attachment to a base of a machine; and

a clutch mechanism configured to rotate and selectively lock the handle attachment at a plurality of positions with respect to the machine, the clutch mechanism including;

indentations corresponding to the plurality of positions,

an indentation component engageable with the indentations to selectively lock the handle attachment at the corresponding plurality of positions, and

a first portion rotatable with rotation of the handle attachment, and

a second portion engaged to one of the mounting mechanisms and including a housing and being non-rotatable while the first portion rotates, and the second portion further including a shaft protruding from a bottom wall of an inner chamber of the housing and extending from the inner chamber to protrude through a spring having an end portion engaged with the indentation component that is located radially away from a longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein the first portion includes an orifice to rotatably engage the shaft.