Micro-hinge for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036187-B2
Application number	US-201614996568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 29, 2014
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus is provided including a docking device to accept a computing device, the docking device including a keyboard and a hinge to connect the computing device to the keyboard, the hinge is configured to allow the computing device, when connected to the hinge, to rotate relative to the keyboard in a laptop orientation. The hinge includes a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments at least partially enclosed in a flexible covering, and each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a docking device to accept a computing device, wherein the docking device comprises a keyboard and a hinge to connect the computing device to the keyboard,
wherein the hinge is configured to allow the computing device, when connected to the hinge, to rotate relative to the keyboard in a laptop orientation,
wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, the hinge segments are enclosed in a flexible covering, and each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a tablet computer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge facilitates an electrical connection between the computing device and the keyboard.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the hinge comprises an electrical conduit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hinge segments comprises at least four interlocked hinge segments.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the hinge facilitates an open and closed position of the laptop orientation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge further comprises a plurality of support rods.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge connects to a first end of the computing device, a first edge of the first end comprises a length of the first end, and the plurality of parallel axes of the hinge are each parallel to the first edge.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parallel hinge segments forms a plurality of micro hinges.

10. A method comprising:
attaching a computing device to a docking device, wherein the docking device comprises a keyboard and a hinge to connect the computing device to the keyboard, wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, the hinge segments are enclosed in a flexible covering, and each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge;
rotating, using the hinge, the computing device relative to the keyboard in a laptop orientation; and
detaching the computing device from the docking device.

11. A system comprising:
a computing device;
a docking device to accept the computing device, wherein the docking device comprises a keyboard and a hinge to connect the computing device to the keyboard,
wherein the hinge is configured to allow the computing device, when connected to the hinge, to rotate relative to the keyboard in a laptop orientation,
wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of interlinked parallel hinge segments, the hinge segments are fully enclosed in a flexible external covering, and each hinge segment is to rotate about a respective one of a plurality of parallel axes of the hinge.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computing device comprises a display.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the display comprises a touchscreen display.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the hinge comprises an electrical conduit.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computing device comprises a tablet computer.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hinge facilitates an electrical connection between the computing device and the keyboard.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of hinge segments comprises at least four interlocked hinge segments.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein rotation of the hinge facilitates an open and closed position of the laptop orientation.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hinge further comprises a plurality of support rods.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hinge connects to a first end of the computing device, a first edge of the first end comprises a length of the first end, and the plurality of parallel axes of the hinge are each parallel to the first edge.

21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of parallel hinge segments forms a plurality of micro hinges.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Cheah Bok Eng
• Loo Howe Yin
• Lim Min Suet
• Kong Chung Peng Jackson
• Oh Poh Tat

Classifications

• G06F1/3256

  Power saving in optical drive · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F1/1662

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  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 title

• G06F1/3265

  Power saving in display device · CPC title