Folding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11500421-B2
Application number	US-202017100838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2020
Priority date	Nov 21, 2020
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus can include a processor; memory accessible to the processor; a base housing; a display housing that includes a center panel and folding wings that fold over the center panel to form a recess for the base housing; and a hinge assembly that couples the display housing to the base housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
memory accessible to the processor;
a base housing;
a display housing that comprises a center panel and folding wings that fold over the center panel from a left side and a right side of the center panel to form a recess for the base housing, wherein the display housing comprises a continuous display that extends across the center panel and the folding wings; and
a hinge assembly that couples the display housing, at a bottom side of the center panel, to the base housing, wherein the folding wings fold open to form a continuous, substantially planar display with the center panel, and wherein that is stabilized via the base housing stabilizes the display housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in a closed orientation, the base housing is disposed in the recess, wherein, in an intermediate orientation, the folding wings are open to define a clearance for rotation of the base housing via the hinge assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a height of the recess is greater than a thickness of the base housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recess comprises a cross- sectional shape that is a stadium.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recess has a height that is greater than 4 mm and less than 40 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in an open orientation, the folding wings are disposed in a common plane with the center panel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in an open orientation, each of the folding wings defines an anhedral angle with respect to the center panel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising magnets that generate an attractive force to maintain the folding wings in a folded position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in a tent orientation, the base housing is rotated to an angle of greater than 180 degrees with respect to the display housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display housing comprises two hinge assemblies.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous display is a continuous flexible display supported by the center panel and the folding wings, wherein the continuous flexible display is bendable responsive to folding of the folding wings over the center panel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly that couples the display housing to the base housing is attached directly to the center panel of the display housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising magnets that generate an attractive force to maintain the folding wings in a folded position.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in a tent orientation, the base housing is rotated to an angle of greater than 180 degrees with respect to the display housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the folding wings comprises a speaker.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the folding wings comprises a camera.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the folding wings comprises a light.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a video conferencing mode that generates a composite image using a first camera of a first one of the folding wings and a second camera of a second one of the folding wings.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising at least one laser scanner.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base housing comprises a base surface wherein, in the closed orientation, the base surface contacts a first rim of a first one of the folding wings and a second rim of a second one of the folding wings.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Perelli Thomas
• Cichocki Ashley Martin
• Rose Alden
• Stewart Aaron Michael
• Yu Jonathan Jen-Wei

Classifications

• G06F1/1681

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

• G06F1/1688

  the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers · CPC title

• 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

• 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