Hinged device with wrapped displays

• US 9,857,849 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Kabir, Aagaard, Karsten, Reed, Anthony C., Rouger, Benoit Guillaume Henri, Zheng, Ying, Tazbaz, Errol M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US15/299,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20170357294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. The example can also include a pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second hinge axis so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis. The example can also include a first display positioned on the first portion and wrapped around the hinge end between the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies. The example can further include a second display positioned on the second portion and wrapped around the hinge end between the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion;

a pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second portion so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis;

a first display positioned on the first portion and wrapped around the hinge end between the pair of hinge assemblies; and

,

a second display positioned on the second portion and wrapped around the hinge end between the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first display is wrapped axially around the first hinge axis and the second display is wrapped axially around the second hinge axis.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first display is wrapped axially around the first hinge axis at a first radius of curvature and the second display is wrapped 180 axially around the second hinge axis at the first radius of curvature.

4. The device of claim 3, beyond wrapping around the hinge end, the first display extends generally orthogonally away from the first hinge axis and then wraps back toward the first hinge axis at a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies each comprise first and second friction cylinders through which individual hinge axes pass, and wherein a curved profile of the friction cylinders matches a curved profile of the wrapped first and second displays.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first friction cylinder is defined by a first body that is secured to the first portion and the second friction cylinder is defined by a second body that is secured to the second portion.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies each include first and second hinge pins that reside within respective first and second friction cylinders.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second hinge pins each include gears that provide timing of the self-regulating hinge assemblies.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the gears directly engage to provide the timing.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising intervening gears and wherein the gears indirectly engage via the intervening gears to provide the timing.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the first and second hinge pins extend from a communication member.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the gears are rotatably retained in the communication member.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the communication member defines a passage between the first portion and the second portion and further comprising a flexible printed circuit positioned in the passage and electrically connecting components of the first portion to components of the second portion.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the components of the first portion comprise the first display and wherein the components of the second portion comprise the second display.

15. A device, comprising:

a first portion that includes a first display that is wrapped around a hinge end of the first portion;

a second portion that includes a second display that is wrapped around a hinge end of the second portion; and

,

a pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing the hinge ends of the first and second portions so that a gap between the hinge end of the first display and the hinge end of the second display remains constant during rotation of the first and second portions.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies are timed so that the rotation occurs equally relative to the first and second portions.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies are timed so that the rotation occurs equally relative to the first and second portions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the pair of hinge assemblies are timed by gears.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the rotation occurs around either the first portion or the second portion.

20. A device, comprising:

a first portion that includes a first display that is wrapped in a radiused profile around a hinge end of the first portion;

a second portion that includes a second display that is wrapped in a radiused profile around a hinge end of the second portion; and

,

a pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing the hinge ends of the first and second portions with the first and second displays interposed therebetween, and wherein the pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies have radiused profiles that match the radiused profiles of the first and second displays.