Mechanical attach and retention feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073494-B2
Application number	US-201615209559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A mechanical attach and retention feature is described. An apparatus may include a cover portion that is configured to cover at least a portion of a display device of a computing device having a mobile form factor that is configured to be held by one or more hands of a user. The apparatus includes, a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the cover portion, a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine, and a connection portion that is rotationally connection to the second mid-spine. The connection portion is configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device and a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
an input portion, the input portion including a keyboard having one or more physical keys;
a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and a connection portion of the input device; and
the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to a computing device using one or more protrusions configured to be received within one or more cavities of the computing device.

2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the input device is configurable to cover a display device of the computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device.

3. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through the use of magnetism.

4. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the input device and the computing device.

5. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the input device and the computing device.

6. An keyboard device that is configurable to cover a display of a computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device, the keyboard device comprising:
an input portion comprising one or more physical keys;
a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and a connection portion of the keyboard device; and
the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using one or more protrusions configured to be received within one or more cavities of the computing device.

7. The keyboard device of claim 6 , wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through the use of magnetism.

8. The input device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the keyboard device and the computing device.

9. The keyboard device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the keyboard device and the computing device.

10. A system comprising:
a computing device and an input device;
the computing device comprising:
a display; and
a housing comprising one or more cavities positioned along one side of the housing, the one or more cavities configured to receive one or more protrusions positioned on a connection portion of an input device in order to form a removable physical coupling to the input device;

the input device comprising:
an input portion comprising one or more physical keys; and
a first mid-spine and a second mid-spine that are positioned between the input portion and the connection portion of the input device.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the input device is configurable to cover the display of the computing device when not being utilized to provide input to the computing device.

12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cavities and the one or more protrusions are configured to support communication of data between the input device and the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cavities and the one or more protrusions are configured to support the transfer of power between the input device and the computing device.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling through the use of magnetism.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Mccracken Ivan Andrew
• Wang Hua
• Aagaard Karsten
• Whitt Iii David Otto
• Winter Andrew E

Classifications

• H04M1/185

  Improving the shock resistance of the housing, e.g. by increasing the rigidity · CPC title

• G06F2200/1634

  Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · 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

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title