Electronic apparatus with a torque variable structure connecting housing components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310848-B2
Application number	US-201414174569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Feb 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

In an embodiment there is provided an electronic apparatus in which two housings are detachable and rotatable, and in which when one housing is detached from the other housing, and having a bracket for attachment and detachment that is easily rotated. An electronic apparatus may include an upper housing having a display; a lower housing which is rotatably connected with a bracket from which the upper housing is detachable by hinges; and a torque variable structure which changes rotational torque of the bracket at the hinges. The torque variable structure is capable of reducing the rotational torque of the bracket at the hinges in a state in which the upper housing is detached from the bracket, rather than a state in which the upper housing is mounted on the bracket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a first housing having a display;
a second housing rotatably connected with a bracket from which the first housing is detachable; and
a torque variable structure having a first rotational torque of the bracket at a hinge if a first housing is detached from the second housing and which changes the rotational torque of the bracket at the hinge if the first housing is attached to the second housing.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first housing is openable and closable with respect to the second housing by rotating the bracket on which the first housing is mounted.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the torque variable structure reduces the rotational torque of the bracket at the hinge in a state in which the first housing is detached from the bracket, rather than a state in which the first housing is mounted on the bracket.

4. The electronic apparatus according of claim 1 ,
wherein the torque variable structure has a torque reduction inhibiting mechanism inhibiting the rotational torque from being reduced in a state in which the first housing is mounted on the bracket.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the torque variable structure has a housing mounting inhibiting mechanism inhibiting the first housing from being mounted on the bracket in a state in which the first housing is detached from the bracket and the rotational torque is reduced.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft and a clutch mechanism;
wherein the torque variable structure includes the shaft which is supported on a connection between the first housing and the second housing, the shaft being supported with a predetermined rotational torque, and the clutch mechanism switches a rotating force transmitted from the bracket to the shaft.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the bracket is slidable in a direction of the shaft, and the clutch mechanism has a shaft side engaging portion which is fixed not to be rotatable around the shaft and a bracket side engaging portion which is slid together with the bracket to be engageable with the shaft side engaging portion.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
an elastic member that biases the bracket in a direction in which the bracket side engaging portion is engaged with the shaft side engaging portion.

9. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a first housing having a display;
a second housing which is rotatably connected with a bracket from which the first housing is detachable by a hinge; and
a torque variable structure which changes rotational torque of the bracket at the hinge,
wherein the first housing is openable and closable with respect to the second housing by rotating the bracket on which the first housing is mounted, and the torque variable structure has a torque change inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the rotational torque from being changed in a state in which the first housing is mounted on the bracket.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the torque change inhibiting mechanism releases the change inhibition of the rotational torque in a case where the first housing is detached from the bracket.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the torque variable structure reduces the rotational torque in a state in which the first housing is detached from the bracket, rather than a state in which the first housing is mounted on the bracket.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the torque variable structure has a hinge shaft which is supported on the hinge with a predetermined rotational torque and a clutch mechanism which switches whether a rotating force is transmitted from the bracket to the hinge shaft.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the bracket is slidable in a shaft direction of the hinge shaft, the clutch mechanism has a shaft side engaging portion which is fixed not to be rotatable around the hinge shaft, and a bracket side engaging portion which is slid together with the bracket to be engageable with the shaft side engaging portion, and
the torque change inhibiting mechanism has a stopper member which prevents the bracket from sliding in a state in which the first housing is mounted on the bracket while allowing the bracket to be slid in a state in which the first housing is detached from the bracket.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the stopper member prevents the first housing from being mounted on the bracket in a state in which the first housing is detached from the bracket, and the bracket is slid to a position where the shaft side engaging portion and the bracket side engaging portion are disengaged from each other.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second housing has a keyboard, and
the first housing is a tablet personal computer operable in a state in which the first housing is separated from the second housing.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Fujino Takane
• Shinohara Eiji
• Noguchi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · 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