Hinged device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720151-B2
Application number	US-202017104595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	Aug 3, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices, such as hinged computing devices. One example can include a first portion and a second portion that are rotatably secured to a hinge assembly that define a first hinge axis that the first portion rotates around and a second hinge axis that the second portion rotates around. The hinge assembly can also include a first timing gear associated with the first portion and a second timing gear associated with the second portion. The first timing gear can rotate around a first timing axis that is parallel to and offset from the first hinge axis. The second timing gear can rotate around a second timing axis that is parallel to and offset from the second hinge axis. The first and second timing gears can directly intermesh with one another to synchronize rotation around the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a first portion and a second portion that are rotatably secured to rotate around a first hinge shaft that defines a first hinge axis and second hinge shaft that defines a second hinge axis through a range of rotation from a closed orientation to an open orientation;
first and second timing arms that define first and second timing gears positioned at least partly in opposing ends of an obround-shaped communication member; and,
the first and second timing gears intermesh through the range of rotation to synchronize rotation around the first and second hinge axes, the first timing gears rotating around a first timing shaft that defines a first timing axis and the second timing gears rotating around a second timing shaft that defines a second timing axis, the first and second timing shafts are parallel to and not co-extensive with the first and second hinge shafts, the first and second timing arms configured to be biased toward the timing axes relative to the first and second portions at the closed orientation and to create a pop up force on the first and second portions from the bias.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is secured to a first friction arm and the second portion is secured to a second friction arm.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first timing arm can move linearly relative to the first friction arm toward and away from the first hinge axis and the first timing arm can rotate axially relative to the first friction arm within a defined angular range.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first timing arm defines a first travel slot and the first friction arm defines a first travel pin and interaction of the first travel pin in the first travel slot allows the relative linear movement and defines the relative axial rotation, or wherein the first timing arm defines a first travel pin and the first friction arm defines a first travel slot and interaction of the first travel pin in the first travel slot allows the relative linear movement and defines the relative axial rotation.

5. A device, comprising:
a hinge assembly comprising an obround-shaped communication member through which first and second hinge axes pass at a fixed distance from one another;
a first portion that is secured to the hinge assembly to rotate around the first hinge axis and a second portion that is secured to the hinge assembly to rotate around the second hinge axis; and,
the hinge assembly further comprising a first timing gear associated with the first portion and positioned at least partly in the communication member and a second timing gear associated with the second portion and positioned at least partly in the communication member, the first timing gear rotating around a first timing axis that is parallel to and offset from the first hinge axis, the second timing gear rotating around a second timing axis that is parallel to and offset from the second hinge axis, the first and second timing gears directly intermeshing with one another to synchronize rotation around the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first timing gear defines a first travel slot and the second timing gear defines a second travel slot, or wherein the first timing gear defines a first travel pin and the second timing gear defines a second travel pin.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first travel slot allows relative linear movement between the first timing gear and the first portion and defines and limits relative rotational movement between the first timing gear and the first portion, and wherein the second travel slot allows relative linear movement between the second timing gear and the second portion and defines and limits relative rotational movement between the second timing gear and the second portion.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first timing gear is part of a first timing arm and the second timing gear is part of a second timing arm.

9. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first timing gear includes an element that at least in part allows the first timing gear to move linearly relative to the first portion in a direction perpendicular to the first hinge axis and defines relative rotational movement between the first timing gear and the first portion.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the element is a pin or a slot.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Park Daniel C
• Yaremenko Denys V

Classifications

• 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

• G06F1/1616

  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

• H04M1/022

  The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  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

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title