Anti-lock hinged device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12577979-B2
Application number	US-202318382975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2023
Priority date	Oct 23, 2023
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

The description relates to hinged devices. One example can include a spine defining inner and outer arced surfaces and a hinge arm positioned between the inner and outer arced surfaces and configured to arcuately move from a retracted position to a fully extended position. The example includes an anti-lock link captured between the spine and the hinge arm to move along an arc. Rotation of the hinge arm to the fully extended position is configured to rotate the anti-lock link along the arc and partially out of the spine until the anti-lock link contacts the spine and blocks further extension of the hinge arm. Reverse rotation of the hinge arm from the fully extended position toward the retracted position is configured to initially cause the hinge arm to contact the anti-lock link and not the outer arced surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
a spine defining inner and outer arced surfaces; a hinge arm positioned between the inner and outer arced surfaces and configured to arcuately move from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position; and, an anti-lock link captured between the spine and the hinge arm to move along an arc, and rotation of the hinge arm to the fully extended position is configured to rotate the anti-lock link along the arc and partially out of the spine and reverse rotation of the hinge arm from the fully extended position is configured for a first sub-range of movement where the anti-lock link is configured to rotate with the hinge arm to cause the hinge arm to contact the anti-lock link and thereby reduce contact forces between the hinge arm and the outer arced surface and for a second sub-range of movement where the anti-lock link is blocked from rotating with the hinge arm to allow increased contact forces between the hinge arm and the outer arced surface.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the anti-lock link comprises a square U-shape, T-shape, or I-shape.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the anti-lock link is planar or curved.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge arm defines a proximal surface and an opposing distal surface.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the anti-lock link defines a proximal surface that faces the proximal surface of the hinge arm and a distal surface that faces the distal surface of the hinge arm.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein a distance between the proximal surface and the distal surface of the hinge arm is greater than a distance between the proximal surface and the distal surface of the anti-lock link.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein rotation of the hinge arm from the fully retracted position towards the fully extended position is not configured to control the position of the anti-lock link until the proximal surface of the hinge arm contacts the proximal surface of the anti-lock link.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein upon contact between the proximal surfaces, continued extension of the hinge arm is configured to continually move the anti-lock link until reaching the fully extended position of the hinge arm.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein at the fully extended position of the hinge arm, retraction of the hinge arm through the first sub-range of rotation is not configured to move the anti-lock link until the distal surface of the hinge arm contacts the distal surface of the anti-lock link.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the second sub-range of rotation extends to the fully retracted position of the hinge arm.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the anti-lock link is configured to function as a rotation limiter for the hinge arm that defines the fully extended position.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the anti-lock link comprises a constraining feature that is configured to engage the spine to stop further extension of the hinge arm and function as the rotation limiter.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the spine is secured to a housing that includes a display and the hinge arm is secured to a kickstand that is configured to support the housing in various postures.

14 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second hinge arm positioned between second inner and outer arced surfaces and configured to arcuately move from a fully retracted position to a fully extended ed position, and a second anti-lock link captured between the spine and the second hinge arm to move along an arc, and rotation of the second hinge arm to the fully extended position is configured to rotate the second anti-lock link along the arc and partially out of the spine and reverse rotation of the second hinge arm from the fully extended position is configured for the first sub-range of movement to cause the second hinge arm to contact the second anti-lock link and not the outer arced surface and for the second sub-range of movement to allow the second hinge arm to contact the outer arced surface.

15 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising a flexible display extending over the hinge arm across the spine and over the second hinge arm.

16 . A device, comprising:
a spine defining inner and outer arced surfaces; a hinge arm positioned between the inner and outer arced surfaces and configured to arcuately move from a retracted position to a fully extended position; and, an anti-lock link captured between the spine and the hinge arm to move along a path, and rotation of the hinge arm to the fully extended position is configured to rotate the anti-lock link along the path and partially out of the spine until the anti-lock link contacts the spine and blocks further extension of the hinge arm, and reverse rotation of the hinge arm from the fully extended position toward the retracted position is configured to initially cause the hinge arm to contact the anti-lock link and reduce contact forces with the outer arced surface and after rotation out of the fully extend position the anti-lock link is configured to allow higher contact forces from the hinge arm to the outer arced surface.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the spine comprises an inner spine that defines the inner arced surface and a spine cover that de-fines the outer arced surface.

18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the hinge arm defines a distal surface and a proximal surface that are spaced farther apart than a distal surface and a proximal surface of the anti-lock link.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the anti-lock link comprises a constraining feature that contacts the spine to block further extension of the hinge arm.

20 . A device, comprising:
a spine defining inner and outer arced surfaces; a hinge arm positioned between the inner and outer arced surfaces and configured to arcuately move from a retracted position to a fully extended position; and, an anti-lock link captured between the spine and the hinge arm to move along a path, and rotation of the hinge arm to the fully extended position is configured to rotate the anti-lock link along the path and partially out of the spine, and reverse rotation of the hinge arm from the fully extended position toward the retracted position is configured to initially cause the hinge arm to impart contact forces on the anti-lock link to reduce contact forces between the hinge arm and the outer arced surface.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Caplow-Munro Devin
• Yaremenko Denys V
• Tomky Brett A
• Park Daniel C
• Aagaard Karsten

Classifications

• H05K5/0226

  Hinges · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

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

• F16C11/04 Primary

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