Belt synchronized expandable dual axle hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11016539-B2
Application number	US-201916583816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A portable information handling system housing rotationally couples first and second housing portions with a hinge assembly having first and second axles held in a parallel fixed lateral disposition by interaction of first and second chassis that slide to move the axles to varied distances. The first and second axles transfer rotation through one or more belts and first and second transfer pulleys rotationally coupled with members that adjust transfer pulley positions as the distance between the first and second axles change to maintain belt tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising: a housing having first and second housing portions;
a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;
a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;
a display disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the display operable to present the information as visual images; and
a hinge assembly rotationally coupling the first and second housing portions to rotate between open and closed positions, the hinge assembly having first and second axles, the first axle having a first bracket coupled to the first housing portion, the second axle having a second bracket coupled to the second housing portion, the first and second axles coupled in a spaced parallel relationship by a belt assembly configured to vary a distance between the first and second axles
wherein the belt assembly comprises:
a first axle pulley aligned with and coupled to the first axle; second axle pulley aligned with and coupled to the second axle; a first transfer pulley coupled by a first frame in a fixed spaced relationship with the first axle pulley;
a second transfer pulley coupled to a second frame in a fixed spaced relationship with the second axle pulley; a first belt rotationally interfacing the first axle pulley and the first transfer pulley;
a second belt relationally interfacing the second axle pulley and the second transfer pulley; and
a third belt rotationally interfacing the first and second transfer pulleys, the first, second and third belt cooperating to synchronize the first and second axles.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a first chassis coupled to the first frame at the first axe; the first frame rotating about the first axe; and
a second chassis slidingly engaged with the first chassis and coupled to the second frame at the second axle, the second frame rotating about the second axle;
wherein the first and second chassis slide relative to each other to define a variable distance, between the first and second axles.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising a biasing device coupled to the first axle and cooperating with the first frame to bias the first transfer pulley away from the first second axle.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the display has a compression restraint, the biasing device resisting varying of distance between the first and second axles until pressure at the display associating with rotation of the housing portions to a closed position falls within a predetermined threshold of the compression restraint.

5. The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising a counter rotation drive disposed between the first axle and the first housing portion to translate predetermined rotation of the first axle into increased distance between the first and second axles.

6. An information handing system comprising: a housing having first and second housing portions;
a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;
a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;
a display disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the dlsplay operable to present the information as visual images; and
a hinge assembly rotationally coupling the first and second housing portions to rotate between open and dosed positions, the hinge assembly having first and second axles, the first bracket coupled to the second housing portion, the first and second axles coupled in a spaced parallel relationship by a belt assembly configured to vary a distance between the first and second axles;
wherein the belt assembly comprises;
a first axle pulley aligned with and coupled to the first axle;
a second axle pulley aligned with and coupled to the second axle;
first and second transfer pulleys disposed between the first and second axle pulleys;
a first frame coupled between the first axle pulley and the first transfer pulley;
a second frame coupled between the second axle pulley and the second transfer pulley;
a third frame coupled between the first and second transfer pulleys; and a belt wrapped plural times around the first axle pulley, routed around both transfer pulleys to the second axle pulley and wrapped plural times around the second axle pulley, the belt translating rotation between the first and second axle pulleys, the first, second and third frames cooperating to vary the distance between the first and second axles.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 further comprising grooves formed in the first and second axle pulleys and the first and second transfer pulleys, the grooves guiding the belt during rotation of the first and second axles.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 further comprising a first spring coupled to the first axle and a second spring coupled to the second axle, the first and second springs cooperating to bias the first and second axles towards each other.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Hallar James H
• Morrison John Trevor

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

• E05D11/1028

  for maintaining the hinge in two or more positions, e.g. intermediate or fully open · CPC title

• G06F1/1618 Primary

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · 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

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title