360 degree bi-stable dual pivot hinge

• US 9,523,226 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, Lawrence, Patel, Prashant
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/640,627
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/452.1, 455/561, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/127.5, 206/508, 206/503, 206/349, 206/372, 206/581, 206/316.1, 206/308.1, 312/362, 312/223.2, 312/219, 312/221, 312/215, 312/328, 312/333, 312/404, 312/319.1, 312/111, 361/679.27, 361/679.01, 361/679.46, 361/679.55, 361/679.11, 361/679.09, 361/679.56, 361/679.3, 361/679.28, 361/679.47, 361/679.58, 361/679.08, 361/679.4, 361/579.55, 361/679.26, 361/679.33, 361/679.37, 361/679.59, 361/679.57, 361/679.43, 361/679.41, 439/638, 439/359, 439/357, 439/348, 439/350, 439/76.1, 439/427, 439/502
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• 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 1/1681 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes

Abstract

In one general aspect, a computing device includes a lid, and a base coupled to the lid by a hinge, the hinge including a bi-stable hinge part including a toggle pivot and a toggle link bar, and a barrel hinge part including a hollow shaft, at least one friction element surrounding a first portion of the hollow shaft, and a casing surrounding a second portion of the hollow shaft, the casing being connected to the toggle link bar. The computing device includes a first mounting tab connected to the toggle link bar and connected to the base, and a second mounting tab connected to the at least one friction element and connected to the lid. The barrel hinge part enables the at least one friction element to rotate about the hollow shaft causing the lid to rotate relative to the base.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a lid;

a base coupled to the lid by a hinge, the hinge including;

a bi-stable hinge part including a toggle pivot and a toggle link bar; and

a barrel hinge part including a hollow shaft, at least one friction element surrounding a first portion of the hollow shaft, and a casing surrounding a second portion of the hollow shaft, the casing being connected to the toggle link bar;

a first mounting tab being connected to the toggle link bar and being connected to the base; and

a second mounting tab being connected to the at least one friction element and being connected to the lid,

wherein the barrel hinge part enables the at least one friction element to rotate about the hollow shaft causing the lid to rotate relative to the base, the rotation being from a first position to a second position,

wherein the bi-stable hinge part has two stable rotational positions and unstable rotational positions between the two stable rotational positions,

wherein the bi-stable hinge part enables the toggle pivot to rotate causing the lid to rotate relative to the base, the rotation being from the second position to a third position, and

wherein a diameter of the bi-stable hinge part is less than a diameter of the barrel hinge part.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wires that pass through the hollow shaft.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of wires connect a first electrical component in the base of the computing device to a second electrical component in the lid of the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the first electrical component is a main logic board.

5. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the second electrical component is one of a display, a camera sensor, a touch sensor, or an ambient light sensor.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge is coupled to the base such that the bi-stable hinge part is located within a recess included in the base, and the barrel hinge part is located outside of the base, and horizontally offset from the bi-stable hinge part.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first position is a position where the lid is in contact with the base, wherein the second position is a position where the lid is placed at an angle that is approximately 270 degrees with respect to the base, and wherein the third position is a position where the lid is placed at an angle that is approximately 360 degrees with respect to the base.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the barrel hinge part enables the lid to rotate about the base with different amounts of resistance at different angular ranges from the first position being in contact with the base to the second position being at an angle that is approximately 270 degrees with respect to the base.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the bi-stable hinge part includes a torsion spring, a first arm of the torsion spring being connected to the first mounting tab and a second arm of the torsion spring being connected to the toggle pivot.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the bi-stable hinge part enables the lid to rotate from the second position to the third position when a torque applied to the lid when at the second position is greater than a resistance of the torsion spring.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the torsion spring enables the lid to rotate from the second position directly to the third position when the resistance of the torsion spring is overcome, the third position having the lid being at an angle that is approximately 360 degrees with respect to the base.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the toggle pivot is surrounded by at least one friction element, the at least one friction element being connected to the first mounting tab.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the bi-stable hinge part enables the lid to rotate from the second position to the third position when a torque applied to the lid when at the second position is greater than a resistance of the at least one friction element surrounding the toggle pivot.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the toggle pivot enables an applied torque needed to overcome the at least one friction element surrounding the toggle pivot to be less than an applied torque needed to overcome the at least one friction element surrounding the hollow shaft.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the third position places the lid at an angle that is approximately 360 degrees with respect to the base.

16. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one friction element surrounding a first portion of the hollow shaft includes a detent, and wherein rotating the at least one friction element of the barrel hinge to the detent causes the lid to rotate to the first position.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein a first applied torque is needed to cause the lid to rotate to the first position, and a second applied torque is needed to cause the lid to rotate to the second position and to the third position, the second applied torque being greater than the first applied torque.

18. A method of coupling a base to a lid of a computing device using a hinge, the method comprising:

coupling a first mounting tab to the base, the first mounting tab being connected to a bi-stable hinge part that includes a toggle pivot and a toggle link bar; and

coupling a second mounting tab to the lid, the second mounting tab being connected to a barrel hinge part that includes a hollow shaft, at least one friction element surrounding a first portion of the hollow shaft, and a casing surrounding a second portion of the hollow shaft, the casing being connected to the toggle link bar,

wherein the barrel hinge part enables the at least one friction element to rotate about the hollow shaft causing the lid to rotate relative to the base, the rotation being from a first position to a second position,

wherein the bi-stable hinge part has two stable rotational positions and unstable rotational positions between the two stable rotational positions,

wherein the bi-stable hinge part enables the toggle pivot to rotate causing the lid to rotate relative to the base, the rotation being from the second position to a third position, and

wherein a diameter of the bi-stable hinge part is less than a diameter of the barrel hinge part.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting a first electrical component in the base of the computing device to a second electrical component in the lid of the computing device using a plurality of wires that pass through the hollow shaft.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

placing the toggle pivot within a recess included in the base so that the barrel hinge part is located outside of the base, and horizontally offset from the bi-stable hinge part.