Information handling system hinge and flexible cover

• US 9,507,388 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hampton, Patrick A., Tsen, Chiu Jung, Pelissier, Gerald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US14/873,691
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/12 incorporating flexible connections, e.g. leaf springs
• 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 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling

Abstract

A portable information handling system has lid and main portions rotationally coupled to each other with a set of hinges having motion managed by rack and pinion gears. The rack translates motion between pinions by moving outward from the housing portions during rotation of the housing portions. A flexible cover over the rack stretches in response to movement of the rack to contain the hinges within the portable information handling system structure.

Claims

1. A portable information handling system comprising:

a main housing portion having a keyboard for accepting key inputs;

a lid housing portion having a display for presenting information as visual images;

a processor operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processor and memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images; and

a hinge coupled to the main housing portion and lid housing portion to hold the main and lid housing portions in rotational relationship with each other, the hinge having a first support element coupled to the main housing portion and a second support element coupled to the lid portion, each support element having a pinion gear, the hinge having a rack disposed between and engaged with each pinion gear, the hinge transferring force between the main and lid housing portions by interaction of the rack and the pinion gears and;

a flexible cover enclosing the hinge, the rack pressing against the flexible cover to expand the flexible cover during rotational motion of the main and lid portions.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the hinge further comprises plural racks couple together by a connection plate extending between each rack.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 2 further comprising a cable router integrate in the connection plate and aligned to route cables between the main and lid housing portions.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein each hinge support element comprises a bracket support and a bracket, the bracket coupling to bracket supports of opposing hinge support elements to provide a rotational element.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the main and lid portions rotate substantially 360 degrees relative to each other.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 further comprising plural hinges coupled to the main and lid portions, each hinge having opposing pinions interfaced with each other by a rack.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 6 further comprising:

a connection plate coupled to each rack; and

a flexible cover disposed over the plural hinges, the connection plate pressing against the flexible cover to stretch the cover in response to movement of the racks.

8. A method for rotationally coupling a portable information handling system first and second housing portions, the method comprising:

rotating the first portion relative to the second portion;

translating the rotating from a pinion of the first portion to a rack and from the rack to a pinion of the second portion; and

moving the rack between the pinions, the rack extending outward from the pinions as the first and second housing portions move to a position proximate to each other and;

enclosing the rack and pinions in a flexible material; and

stretching the flexible material with force translated by the rack extending outward.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein enclosing the rack and pinions further comprises enclosing the rack and pinions in a protective sheath of thermoplastic configured to stretch in response to force applied by the rack.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

coupling the first and second portions to each other with plural hinges, each hinge having opposing pinions interfaced by a rack; and

coupling the plural racks to each other with a connection plate, the connection plate translating motion of each rack to the other racks.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein stretching the flexible material further comprises pressing the connection plate against the flexible material.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising routing cables to communicate information between the first and second housing portions through the connection plate.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first portion comprises a main portion having an integrated keyboard and the second portion comprises a lid having an integrated display.

14. A hinge for rotationally coupling housing portions to each other, the hinge comprising:

a first support element coupled to a first housing portion and having a first pinion;

a second support element coupled to a second housing portion and having a second pinion;

a rack disposed between the first and second support elements and interfaced with the first and second pinions, the rack translating motion between the support elements by interaction with the pinions; and

a flexible sheath enclosing the rack and pinions, the sheath stretch in response to movement of the rack.

15. The hinge of claim 14 further comprising:

a bracket support integrated with each of the first and second support elements; and

a bracket coupled to the bracket supports to form the rotational axis of the first and second support elements.

16. The hinge of claim 14 further comprising a connection plate coupled to the rack, the connection adapted to translate rack movement to a distal rack of a different hinge.

17. The hinge of claim 16 wherein the connection plate includes cable routing structure to route cables between the first and second housing portions.

18. The hinge of claim 17 the first portion comprises an information handling system lid housing portion having an integrated display and the second portion comprises an information handling system main housing portion having an integrated keyboard.