Slider cover for computing device

• US 9,769,293 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gu, Jiawei
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US14/516,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

Techniques including use of a slider cover for a computing device are described. In one or more implementations, the slider cover includes a cover body and a pair of hinge assemblies secured along opposing edges of the cover body. The hinge assemblies are designed to attach to a housing for a computing device having a pair of tracks extending along opposing edges of the housing. Engagement of the tracks with the hinge assemblies forms an attachment of the housing to the slider cover designed to enable the housing and slider cover to slide relative to one another in parallel planes and the housing to pivot around a pivot axis formed by the pair of hinge assemblies. Accordingly, manipulation of the housing relative to the slider cover may occur via the hinge assemblies to assume multiple different configurations for an apparatus that includes the slider cover.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a slider cover having a cover body and a pair of hinge assemblies secured along opposing edges of the cover body, the pair of hinge assemblies each comprising a pivot bracket secured to the cover body and a slider arm pivotably attached to the pivot bracket via a pivot mechanism; and

a housing for a computing device having a pair of tracks, one track of the pair of tracks extending across a first edge of the housing, another track of the pair of tracks extending across a second edge of the housing, the first edge and the second edge being different and opposing edges of the housing, the pair of tracks engaged with the pair of hinge assemblies to form an attachment of the housing to the slider cover that enables the housing and the slider cover to remain parallel to each other while sliding relative to one another in different and parallel planes and the housing to pivot around a pivot axis formed by the pair of hinge assemblies causing the slider arms to follow movement of the housing and flip from one end to an opposite end of the slider cover.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the slider arms include slides extending along the sliders arms that are complementary to the pair of tracks, and the attachment of the housing to the slider cover is achieved by engagement of the pair of tracks with the slides of the slider arms.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein the attachment of the housing to the slider cover by engagement of the pair of tracks with the slides of the slider arms enables manipulation of the housing relative to the slider cover to assume multiple different configurations including:

a closed configuration in which the housing and the slider cover are aligned in parallel planes such that a display device of the computing device faces inward between the parallel planes and is thereby protected by the slider cover;

at least one viewing configuration in which the slider arms are pivoted around the pivot axis to position the housing at a viewing angle, the housing supported at the viewing angle by a support member integrated with the slider cover configured to rotate out of the cover body and adjoin with the housing on a back side of the housing; and

an open configuration in which the slider arms and housing are pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees with respect to the closed configuration and the housing and the slider cover are aligned in parallel planes such that a display device of the computing device faces outward from the parallel planes.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is configured as an integral component of the computing device.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is configured as a case separate from the computing device designed for removable insertion of the computing device into the housing.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to form a communicative and physical coupling to the computing device when inserted into the housing.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the pair of tracks comprises rails extending along opposing edges of the housing and the pair of hinge assemblies include complementary grooves configured to slidably couple with the rails.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the pair of tracks comprise recessed portions extending along opposing edges of the housing and the pair of hinge assemblies include complementary protrusions configured to slidably couple with the recessed portions.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the tracks are removably engaged with the hinge assemblies such that the housing is detachable from the slider cover.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is pivotable one-hundred and eighty degrees around the pivot axis.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the slider cover is configured to include a support member configured to rotate out from the cover body and support the housing at one or more viewing angles relative to the cover body to enable viewing of a display device of the computing device.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the support member is configured to rotate out from the cover body approximately ninety degrees.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the support member is configured to adjoin with one or more complementary grooves extending across a back side of the housing to provide the support and achieve the one or more viewing angles.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the slider cover includes input functionality including at least one of a keyboard or trackpad.

15. A slider cover for a computing device comprising:

a cover body including an input device;

a pair of hinge assemblies secured along opposing edges of the cover body, each of the hinge assemblies having a pivot bracket secured to the slider cover and a slider arm pivotably attached to the pivot bracket via a pivot mechanism, the slider arms configured to receive a housing for the computing device via slides extending along the slider arms that are complementary to a pair of tracks disposed on the housing, one track of the pair of tracks extending across a first edge of the housing, another track of the pair of tracks extending across a second edge of the housing, the first edge and the second edge being different and opposing edges of the housing, such that engagement of the slider arms with the pair of tracks enables the housing and the slider cover to remain parallel to each other while sliding relative to one another in different and parallel planes and the housing to pivot around a pivot axis formed by the pair of hinge assemblies causing the slider arms to follow movement of the housing and flip from one end to an opposite end of the slider cover; and

a support member configured to rotate out from the cover body and support the housing at one or more viewing angles relative to the cover body to enable viewing of a display device of the computing device.

16. A slider cover as described in claim 15, wherein the slider arms are configured to removably receive the housing by engagement of the slider arms with the pair of tracks such that the housing is attachable and detachable from the slider cover.

17. A slider cover as described in claim 15, wherein the slider arms are configured to pivot about the pivot axis and slide along the pair of rails to position the slider cover and the housing relative to one another in multiple configurations including at least a closed configuration in which a side of the housing from which a display device is viewable lays flat against the slider cover and the slider cover acts as a protective cover and an open configuration in which the slider arms are flipped one hundred and eighty degrees with respect to the closed configuration, such that the housing lays flat against the cover body with the side of the housing from which the display device is viewable facing outward.

18. A system comprising:

a computing device having a slate form factor;

a housing for the computing device having a pair of tracks, one track of the pair of tracks extending across a first edge of the housing, another track of the pair of tracks extending across a second edge of the housing, the first edge and the second edge being different and opposing edges of the housing; and

a slider cover having;

a cover body including a keyboard;

a support member configured to rotate out from the cover body and support the housing at one or more viewing angles relative to the cover body to enable viewing of a display device of the computing device; and

a pair of hinge assemblies secured along opposing edges of the cover body, each of the hinge assemblies having a pivot bracket secured to the slider cover and a slider arm pivotably attached to the pivot bracket via a pivot mechanism, the slider arms connecting the slider cover to the housing via slides extending along the sliders arms that are complementary to the pair of tracks enabling the housing and the slider cover to remain parallel to each other while sliding relative to one another in different and parallel planes, the slider arms configured to pivot about the pivot axis and slide along the pair of tracks causing the slider arms to follow movement of the housing and flip from one end to an opposite end of the slider cover and to position the slider cover and housing relative to one another in multiple configurations including a closed configuration in which the slider cover lays flat against a surface of the computing device having the display device and acts as a protective cover, a viewing configuration in which the housing is positioned at one of said viewing angles and the support member is positioned to support the housing, and an open configuration in which the housing is flipped one hundred and eighty degrees with respect to the closed configuration, such that the housing lays flat against the cover body and a side of the housing from which the display device of the computing device is viewable faces outward.

19. A system as described in claim 18, wherein the support member is configured to collapse down within a cavity of the cover body.

20. A system as described in claim 18, wherein the pair of tracks comprises rails extending along opposing edges of the housing and the slides comprise complementary grooves extending along the sliders arms.