Hinge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10152094-B1
Application number	US-201715657176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2017
Priority date	Jul 23, 2017
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A device can include a first housing that includes a first thickness; a second housing that comprises a second thickness; and a hinge assembly that couples the first and second housings where the hinge assembly includes two hollow axles operatively coupled to the second housing; a coupling mechanism that couples the two hollow axles; two axles, each received by a respective bore of one of the hollow axles, operatively coupled to the first housing; and a coupling mechanism that couples the two axles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first housing that comprises a first thickness;
a second housing that comprises a second thickness; and
a hinge assembly that couples the first and second housings wherein the hinge assembly comprises
two hollow axles operatively coupled to the second housing for movement therewith, wherein the two hollow axles are rotatably coupled to rotate in a common direction via a coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two hollow axles; and
two axles, each received by a respective bore of one of the hollow axles, operatively coupled to the first housing for movement therewith, wherein the two axles are rotatably coupled to rotate in a common direction via a coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two axles.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the two hollow axles comprises a hollow axle ratio region that comprises a first cross-sectional dimension and wherein one of the two axles comprises an axle ratio region that comprises a second cross-sectional dimension and comprising a coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the axle ratio region and the hollow axle ratio region.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the axle ratio region comprises an axle gear, wherein the hollow axle ratio region comprises a hollow axle gear and wherein the coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the axle ratio region and the hollow axle ratio region comprises an idler gear.

4. The device of claim 2 comprising a rotational ratio defined by the first cross-sectional dimension of the first ratio region and the second cross-sectional dimension of the second ratio region.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the first thickness exceeds the second thickness.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second housing comprises a display housing.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first housing comprises a keyboard housing.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the first housing comprises a keyboard housing and wherein the second housing comprises a display housing and comprising a closed orientation and a tablet orientation of the keyboard housing and the display housing.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two hollow axles comprises a gear.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two axles comprises a gear.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the coupling mechanisms comprises a belt.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the two hollow axles comprises a gear and wherein the coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two hollow axles comprises a gear that meshes with the gears of the two hollow axles.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the two axles comprises a gear and wherein the coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two axles comprises a gear that meshes with the gears of the two axles.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein at least one of the two axles comprises a key and wherein at least one of the two gears comprises a matching keyway.

15. A device comprising:
a processor;
memory accessible to the processor;
a keyboard housing that comprises a first thickness and a keyboard operatively coupled to the processor;
a display housing that comprises a second thickness and a display operatively coupled to the processor; and
a hinge assembly that couples the keyboard housing and the display housing wherein the hinge assembly comprises
two hollow axles operatively coupled to the second housing for movement therewith, wherein the two hollow axles are rotatably coupled to rotate in a common direction via a coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two hollow axles; and
two axles, each received by a respective bore of one of the hollow axles, operatively coupled to the first housing for movement therewith, wherein the two axles are rotatably coupled to rotate in a common direction via a coupling mechanism that rotatably couples the two axles.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein each of the coupling mechanisms comprises a gear.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein each of the coupling mechanisms comprises a belt.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein each of the coupling mechanisms comprises a chain link belt.

19. The device of claim 15 comprising a closed orientation and a tablet orientation.

20. The device of claim 15 comprising an idler gear that comprises an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the two axles and that rotatably couples one of the hollow axles and one of the axles.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Holung Joseph Anthony
• Browne Jr Michael Joseph
• Tucker Matthew Ian
• Wong Tin-Lup
• Yebka Bouziane
• Ent Ali Kathryn

Classifications

• 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

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title

• F16C11/04

  Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681 Primary

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1662

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title