Hinge mechanism with preset positions

• US 9,317,072 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Daniel C., Huang, Yi-Min, Raken, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): THAKER, NIDHI VIVEK
• Application Number:
  US14/166,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 36167901-6793, 36167955-67959, 162/77, 163/03, 163/08, 163/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 hinge mechanism with preset positions is described. In at least some implementations, the hinge mechanism enables a support component to be adjustably attached to an apparatus, such as a computing device. The support component can be rotated via the hinge mechanism to various positions to provide support for different orientations of the computing device. In at least some embodiments, a hinge mechanism utilizes preset hinge positions that enable a support component to be placed at different preset positions. For instance, the hinge mechanism is configured such that an attached support component tends to “snap” into various preset positions.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a support component movably attached to a rear portion of a mobile device; and

at least one hinge that attaches a portion of the support component to the mobile device, the hinge being configured with at least two preset open positions such that the support component is positionable relative to the mobile device according to the two or more preset open positions, and such that the hinge causes the support component to snap into one or more of the preset open positions when the support component is released in a position between the preset open positions, the hinge including;

a cam that attaches the support component to the hinge, the cam being movably engaged with a cam follower within the hinge to assume the preset open positions; and

a release feature such that if the support component is opened past a last preset open position, the support component is detached from the mobile device.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the cam follower is positioned against the cam and that applies pressure from a hinge spring against the cam, a surface profile of the cam and a surface profile of the cam follower being such that variable torque forces occur when transitioning between the preset open positions.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein an inner surface of the cam follower engages within an inner channel of the cam to stabilize the hinge.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the cam has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and the cam follower has a T-shaped cross-sectional profile.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the hinge comprises:

a hinge frame with the cam slidably mounted on a cam guide on an interior surface of the hinge frame, the cam including an inner cam surface and at least one outer cam surface;

the cam follower pivotably mounted within the hinge frame and positioned in contact with the cam, the cam follower including an inner follower surface configured to engage with the inner cam surface, and at least one outer follower surface configured to engage with the at least one outer cam surface; and

a hinge spring mounted within the hinge frame and that applies force to the cam follower such that the cam follower is held in contact with the cam.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the hinge is configured such that during movement of the cam, contact between the cam and the cam follower transitions between contact between the inner cam surface and the inner follower surface, to contact between the at least one outer cam surface and the at least one outer follower surface.

7. A hinge comprising:

a hinge frame with a cam slidably mounted on a cam guide on an interior surface of the hinge frame, the cam including an inner cam surface and at least one outer cam surface;

a cam follower pivotably mounted within the hinge frame and positioned in contact with the cam, the cam follower including an inner follower surface configured to engage with the inner cam surface, and at least one outer follower surface configured to engage with the at least one outer cam surface; and

a hinge spring mounted within the hinge frame and that applies force to the cam follower such that the cam follower is held in contact with the cam, the hinge being configured to attach a support component to a computing device to enable the computing device to be positioned in different orientations relative to an adjacent surface, the hinge being further configured such that during movement of the cam, contact between the cam and the cam follower transitions between contact between the inner cam surface and the inner follower surface, to contact between the at least one outer cam surface and the at least one outer follower surface, thus enabling the hinge to snap into multiple preset open positions when the support component is released in a position between the multiple preset open positions.

8. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the outer cam surface and the at least one outer follower surface include surface features that enable the cam to be positioned at the multiple preset open positions.

9. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the cam has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and the cam follower has a T-shaped cross-sectional profile.

10. A hinge as recited in claim 7, wherein the computing device includes a display, and wherein the different orientations present the display at different angles relative to the adjacent surface.

11. A hinge as described in claim 7, wherein the cam follower applies pressure from the hinge spring against the cam, a surface profile of the cam and a surface profile of the cam follower being such that variable torque forces occur when transitioning between the multiple preset open positions.

12. A computing device comprising:

a chassis; and

at least one hinge that attaches a support component to the chassis such that the support component is positionable via the at least one hinge at multiple preset open positions, the at least one hinge being configured such that if the support component is released between a first preset open position and a second open preset position, the support component snaps into one of the first present open position or the second preset open position, the at least one hinge enabling the computing device to be positioned in different orientations relative to an adjacent surface, the at least one hinge including;

a cam that attaches the support component to the at least one hinge; and

a cam follower positioned against the cam and that applies pressure from a hinge spring against the cam, a surface profile of the cam and a surface profile of the cam follower being such that variable torque forces occur when transitioning between the preset open positions, the variable torque forces causing the support component to snap into one of the first preset open position or the second preset open position.

13. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein:

the cam includes an inner cam surface and at least one outer cam surface;

the cam follower includes an inner follower surface and at least one outer follower surface; and

during movement of the at least one hinge from a closed position to the first preset open position, contact between the cam and the cam follower transitions from contact between the inner cam surface and the inner follower surface, to contact between the at least one outer cam surface and the at least one outer follower surface.

14. A computing device as described in claim 13, wherein the at least one outer surface of the cam includes a cam catch that engages with surface features of the at least one outer follower surface to hold the support component at one or more of the first preset open position or the second preset open position.

15. A computing device as described in claim 13, wherein at least one of the first preset open position or the second preset open position enables the support component to support the chassis at different angles relative to an adjacent surface.

16. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein a torque profile that applies to movement of the at least one hinge between the multiple preset open positions is such that movement from the first preset open position to the second preset open position requires a higher torque applied to the support component than movement from the second preset open position to the first preset open position.

17. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein an inner surface of the cam follower engages within an inner channel of the cam to stabilize the at least one hinge.

18. A computing device as described in claim 17, wherein:

the cam follower is pivotably mounted within the hinge frame; and

the inner surface of the cam follower is configured to engage with an inner cam surface of the cam, and at least one outer follower surface of the cam follower is configured to engage with at least one outer cam surface of the cam.

19. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein:

the cam is slidably mounted on a cam guide on an interior surface of a hinge frame of the at least one hinge; and

the hinge spring is mounted within the hinge frame and applies force to the cam follower such that the cam follower is held in contact with the cam.

20. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the cam has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and the cam follower has a T-shaped cross-sectional profile.