Housing for mobile computing device having construction to slide and pivot into multiple positions

• US 8,126,519 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US11/849,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.4, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/566, 455/550.1, 361/681, D14/138.AB, D14/138.AC, D14/181, D14/257
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A housing for a computing device is provided that includes a base segment and a frontal segment. The base segment and the frontal segment may be coupled to enable the frontal segment to slide between an extended and contracted position. Additionally, the base segment and the frontal segment may be pivotally engaged to enable the frontal segment to pivot 180 degrees (or thereabouts) when in the extended position, and then to slide from the pivoted position into the contracted position.

Claims

1. A housing for a mobile computing device, the housing comprising:

a base segment comprising a pair of engagement members, the pair of engagement members being substantially positioned at a midpoint along a length of the base segment; and

a frontal segment that is (i) linearly coupled to the base segment to move between an extended position and a contracted position without pivoting, the contracted position corresponding to a minimum overall length of the housing and the extended position corresponding to a maximum overall length of the housing, and (ii) pivotally coupled to the base segment, via the pair of engagement members of the base segment, to pivot, while remaining connected at a given position, from a first relative position to a second relative position and from the second relative position to the first relative position, such that a top surface of the frontal segment can move in an arc that is about 180 degrees in moving from the first position to the second position.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the frontal segment is linearly coupled to the base segment to be capable of moving between the extended position and the contracted position when the frontal segment is in the first relative position and when the frontal segment is in the second relative position.

3. The housing of claim 2, wherein the frontal segment provides housing for one or more components that are accessible to a user when the frontal segment is in the first relative position, and wherein the one or more components are inaccessible to the user when the frontal segment is in the second relative position.

4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the given position corresponds to the extended position.

5. The housing of claim 1, wherein the frontal segment includes a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, each of the first and second lateral surfaces extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the frontal segment, and wherein each of the first and second lateral surfaces includes a corresponding track;

and

wherein each engagement member of the pair of engagement members is retained within the corresponding tracks of one of the first or second lateral surfaces.

6. The housing of claim 5, wherein the frontal segment is structured to provide a display surface, and the base segment is structured to position a keyboard on a region of the base face, wherein the region is occluded when the base segment and frontal segment are in the contracted position.

7. A housing for a mobile computing device, the housing comprising:

a base segment having a base face and a pair of engagement members, the pair of engagement members being substantially positioned at a midpoint along a length of the base segment; and

a frontal segment having a first face and a second face, the first face being directed in an opposite direction from the second face;

wherein the base segment and the frontal segment are linearly coupled to enable the base segment and the frontal segment to be moved between an extended position and a contracted position, and wherein when the frontal segment and the base segment are in the extended position, the frontal segment is enabled to pivot, via the pair of engagement members, between (i) an upright position in which the first face and the base face are oriented outward in a first direction, and (ii) a downward position in which the first face is oriented towards the base face and the second face is oriented in the first direction.

8. The housing of claim 7, wherein the base segment includes a pair of sidewalls that retain a perimeter section of the frontal segment as the frontal segment moves linearly between the extended position and the contracted position, and pivotally between the upright position and the downward position.

9. The housing of claim 7, wherein when the frontal segment is in the extended and upright positions, a portion of the base face is exposed, and wherein when the frontal segment is in the contracted position, the portion of the base face is inaccessible to a user.

10. A housing for a mobile computing device, the housing comprising:

a base segment having a base face;

a frontal segment having a first face and a second face, the first face being directed in an opposite direction from the second face and including a display;

wherein the frontal segment and the base segment are coupled to enable (i) a first contracted position in which the first face and the base face are both oriented in a first direction, the second face is oriented towards the base face, and a length of the housing is minimized;

(ii) a first extended position in which the first face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, the second face is oriented towards the base face, and the length of the housing is maximized;

(iii) a second extended position in which the second face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, and the first face is oriented towards the base face; and

(iv) a second contracted position in the second face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, the first face is oriented towards the base face, and the length of the housing is minimized.

11. The housing of claim 10, wherein the base segment and the frontal segment are linearly moveable between the first contracted position and the first extended position, and between the second extended position and the second contracted position.

12. The housing of claim 10, wherein the base segment and frontal segment are coupled to enable the frontal segment to pivot from the first extended position to the second extended position.

13. The housing of claim 10, wherein the base segment includes a pair of sidewalls that extend from the base face, wherein the pair of sidewalls retain a perimeter of the frontal segment.

14. A mobile computing device comprising:

a housing comprising a base segment having a base face;

a frontal segment having a first face and a second face, the first face being directed in an opposite direction from the second face;

wherein the frontal segment and the base segment are coupled to enable (i) a first contracted position in which the first face and the base face are both oriented in a first direction, the second face is oriented towards the base face, and a length of the housing is minimized;

(ii) a first extended position in which the first face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, the second face is oriented towards the base face, and the length of the housing is maximized;

(iii) a second extended position in which the second face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, and the first face is oriented towards the base face; and

(iv) a second contracted position in the second face and the base face are both oriented in the first direction, the first face is oriented towards the base face, and the length of the housing is minimized;

one or more internal components, including a processor, provided in at least one of the base segment or the frontal segment;

a display surface provided on the first face of the frontal segment, so as to be exposed when the frontal segment is in the first contracted position and in the first extended position, and inaccessible when the frontal segment is in the second contracted position.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 14, further comprising one or more input features provided on the base face, the one or more input features being exposed when the frontal segment is in the first extended position.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 14, further comprising a keyboard interface provided on the base face, the keyboard interface being exposed when the frontal segment is in the first extended position.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein the base segment and the frontal segment of the housing are linearly moveable between the first contracted position and the first extended position, and between the second extended position and the second contracted position.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein the base segment and frontal segment of the housing are coupled to enable the frontal segment to pivot from the first extended position to the second extended position.