Portable information device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10082827-B2
Application number	US-201715855695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A portable information device is capable of securing the appearance quality and the durability of products while having a foldable configuration. The portable information device has a backbone member provided throughout and between the inner surface of one edge portion of a first chassis member and the inner surface of one edge portion of a second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member connected by a hinge mechanism. The backbone member is provided to the inner surface of the one edge portion of the first chassis member so as to be slidable in an X direction from the second chassis member to the first chassis member along the inner surface, and is non-slidably fixed to the inner surface of the one edge portion of the second chassis member.

First claim

We claim:

1. A portable information device comprising:
a first chassis member and a second chassis member foldably connected by connection of one edge portions disposed adjacent to each other by a hinge mechanism;
a display over inner surfaces of the first chassis member and the second chassis member, and which is foldable into a double-folded state; and
a backbone member provided throughout and between an inner surface of the one edge portion of the first chassis member and an inner surface of the one edge portion of the second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member connected by the hinge mechanism, wherein the backbone member is on the inner surface of the one edge portion of the first chassis member so as to be slidable in a direction from the second chassis member to the first chassis member along the inner surface and is non-slidably fixed to the inner surface of the one edge portion of the second chassis member.

2. The portable information device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the backbone member is a flexible sheet-like member, and
a reinforcing member is stuck to an inner surface of the flexible sheet-like member and extends along the one edge portions of the first chassis member and the second chassis member.

3. The portable information device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
two or more reinforcing members are arranged in parallel along a direction from the one edge portion of the first chassis member to the one edge portion of the second chassis member, and
the reinforcing members form an arch shape in which side surfaces of the reinforcing members abut on each other on an inner surface side of a bending portion of the flexible sheet-like member in a state where the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into a double-folded state through the hinge mechanism.

4. The portable information device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic member energizing the backbone member along a slide direction from the second chassis member to the first chassis member.

5. The portable information device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a groove portion for passing a wiring line connecting the first chassis member side and the second chassis member side is in an inner surface of the backbone member along a direction from the first chassis member to the second chassis member.

6. The portable information device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a lid member closing an opening of the groove portion.

7. The portable information device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a support plate fixed to the inner surface sides of the first chassis member and the second chassis member, and supports a rear surface of the display, and
a metal sheet-like member is the lid member.

8. The portable information device according to claim 6 , wherein:
one end portion of the lid member is fixed to a surface of the backbone member and another end portion opposite to the one end portion of the lid member is movably placed on the surface of the backbone member in a slide direction of the backbone member.

9. The portable information device according to claim 8 , wherein:
the other end portion of the lid member extends beyond an end portion of the backbone member.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Yamauchi Takehito
• Amano Masayuki
• Watamura Kenji
• Horikoshi Seita

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title