Radius hinge

• US 9,684,343 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tazbaz, Errol M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O BRIEN, JEFFREY D
• Application Number:
  US14/303,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20150362956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/06 with two or more pins E05D7/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/14 with four parallel pins and two arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/16 with seven parallel pins and four arms
• 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

Abstract

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a display portion that includes a display screen and an input portion that includes an input device. This example can also include a radius hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions. The radius hinge assembly can be configured to provide a curvilinear articulation that allows 360 degrees of relative rotation between the first and second portions.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a display portion that includes a display screen and an input portion that includes an input device; and

,

a hinge assembly rotatably securing the display and input portions, the hinge assembly including;

at least first and second adjacent offset stacks, the first stack comprising a first display portion element, a first timed link element, and a first input portion element, the second stack comprising a second display portion element, a second timed link element, and a second input portion element, the first and second timed link elements having generally opposing first and second ends and a first hole formed through the first end and a second hole formed through the second end, and,

a first axis pin passing through the second hole of the first timed link element of the first stack and the first hole of the second timed link element of the second stack and a second axis pin that passes through the first hole of the first timed link element of the first stack and the second display portion element of the second stack and a third axis pin that passes through the first input portion element of the first stack and the second hole of the second timed link element of the second stack, such that the first, second, and third axis pins secure the second stack in an offset manner relative to the first stack.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the input portion comprises a housing, and wherein the first input portion element is secured to the housing.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the display portion comprises a housing, and wherein the first display portion element is secured to the housing.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly is configured to allow 360 degrees of rotation of the display portion and the input portion relative to one another.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each stack includes a single timed link element and wherein each end of the single timed link element is geared.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each stack includes a single timed link element and wherein only one of the first or the second ends is geared.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein relative to the first stack, the first end of the first timed link element does not engage the first display portion element and the second end of the first timed link element engages the first input portion element in a no-slip one-to-one rotational engagement and relative to the second stack the first end of the second timed link element engages the second display portion element in a no-slip one-to-one rotational engagement and the second end of the second timed link element does not engage the second input portion element.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the offset manner is defined by a pitch diameter of the second end of the first timed link element of the first stack and the first end of the second timed link element of the second stack.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, the first axis pin, the second axis pin, and the third axis pin are oversized compared to the holes in the first and second stacks to create a friction fit.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first axis pin, the second axis pin, and the third axis pin compress the first and second stacks against one another.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the first axis pin, the second axis pin, and the third axis pin comprise threaded bolts that receive threaded nuts that can be tightened to compress the first and second stacks against one another.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second axis pin and the third axis pin are on opposite sides of the first axis pin and further comprising a fourth axis pin that is adjacent to the second axis pin and distal to the first axis pin and a fifth axis pin that is adjacent to the third axis pin and distal to the first axis pin and wherein the fourth axis pin passes through a second hole in the second display portion element of the second stack and a hole in the first display portion element of the first stack and the fifth axis pin passes through a hole in the second input portion element of the second stack and a second hole of the first input portion element of the first stack and wherein the second and fourth axis pins share common link covers on each side of the first and second stacks and the first and third axis pins share other common link covers on each side of the first and second stacks.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a display portion that includes a display screen and an input portion that includes an input device; and

,

a radius hinge assembly rotatably securing the display and input portions and configured to facilitate a curvilinear articulation that allows 360 degrees of relative rotation between the display and input portions, the radius hinge assembly including;

at least first and second adjacent offset stacks, the first stack comprising a first display portion element directly engaging the display portion and a first input portion element directly engaging the input portion, the first display portion element positioned next to a first timed link element of the first stack, the second stack comprising a second display portion element directly engaging the display portion and a second input portion element directly engaging the input portion, the second display portion element positioned next to a second timed link element of the second stack, the first stack being offset from the second stack such that an individual axis of the curvilinear articulation that allows the 360 degrees of relative rotation passes through the first timed link element and does not pass through the second timed link element.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the radius hinge assembly rotates around a set of elongate parallel axis pins and the curvilinear articulation forms a curve of the radius hinge assembly, the curve viewed in a plane that is transverse to long axes of the axis pins.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the radius hinge assembly comprises timed gearing to control curvature of the curvilinear articulation for the 360 degrees of relative rotation.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the input device comprises a touch pad, a keyboard, and/or a touch sensitive display screen.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the first and second adjacent offset stacks each include a single timed link element or wherein the first and second adjacent offset stacks each include multiple serially arranged timed link elements.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the first and second adjacent offset stacks each include multiple timed link elements and a first end of the first timed link element of the first stack does not engage the first display portion element of the first stack and a second end of the first timed link element engages a first end of another timed link element of the first stack in a no-slip one-to-one rotational engagement and a second end of the another timed link element of the first stack engages the first input portion element of the first stack in a no-sop one-to-one rotational engagement and a first end of the second timed link element of the second stack engages the second display portion element of the second stack in a no-slip one-to-one rotational engagement and a second end of the second timed link element engages a first end of another timed link element of the second stack in a no-slip one-to-one rotational engagement and a second end of the another timed link element of the second stack does not engage the second input portion element of the second stack.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a first portion that includes an electronic component and is electrically connected by conductors to a second portion that includes a second electronic component; and

,

a radius hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions, the radius hinge assembly including at least first, second, and third offset stacks that collectively control rotation of the first and second portions relative to one another while preserving a minimum bend radius for the conductors between the first portion and the second portion, the first, second, and third offset stacks having a same number of parts including respective first portion elements directly engaging the first portion, respective second portion elements directly engaging the second portion, and timed link elements, the second stack being offset from the first and third stacks such that an axis of the rotation of the first and second portions passes through an individual first portion element of the first stack, an individual timed link element of the second stack, and an individual first portion element of the third stack.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the radius hinge assembly allows the rotation from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and wherein the minimum bend radius occurs at 0 degrees and 360 degrees and a bend radius increases at intermediate degree values from the minimum bend radius.