Mechanical attach and retention feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423826-B2
Application number	US-201414229196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A mechanical attach and retention feature is described. An apparatus may include a cover portion that is configured to cover at least a portion of a display device of a computing device having a mobile form factor that is configured to be held by one or more hands of a user. The apparatus includes, a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the cover portion, a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine, and a connection portion that is rotationally connection to the second mid-spine. The connection portion is configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device and a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of a display device of a computing device having a mobile form factor such that the computing device is configured to be held by one or more hands of a user;
a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the cover portion;
a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine; and
a connection portion that is rotationally connected to the second mid-spine, the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using:
a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device; and
a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel.

2. An apparatus device as described in claim 1 , wherein:
the first mid-spine is rotationally connected to the cover portion and the second mid-spine using flexible hinges: or
the second mid-spine is rotationally connected to the second mid-spine and the connection portion using flexible hinges.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is configured to be removed from the cavity along an axis defined by a height of the protrusion from the projection and to resist movement along at least one different axis.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 3 , wherein the protrusion is configured to mechanically bind within the cavity in order to resist the movement along the at least one different axis.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 3 , wherein the height of the protrusion is between 1.9 and 3.0 millimeters.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 5 , wherein the height is approximately 2.2 millimeters.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 3 , wherein the protrusion and the projection each include top surfaces defined along respective axes that are normal to the axis defined by the height of the protrusion from the projection and sides that follow the axis, approximately, that is defined by the height.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 7 , wherein the sides have a chamfer disposed proximal to a top side having an angle that is greater than an angle of other portions of the sides of the protrusion.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 7 , wherein the sides have a first portion having an angle of approximately 1.5 degrees from the axis defined by the height.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 9 , wherein the first portion is disposed on the side between the protrusion and the cover portion.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 7 , wherein the sides have a second portion having an angle of approximately 63.5 degrees from the axis defined by the height.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11 , wherein the second portion follows a longitudinal axis of the connection portion.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through use of magnetism.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 13 , wherein the magnetism is supported through use of a magnetic coupling device that is disposed on the connection portion or the computing device.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is formed using a glass-filled resin.

16. An apparatus comprising:
a cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of a display device of a computing device having a mobile form factor such that the computing device is configured to be held by one or more hands of a user; and
a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the cover portion;
a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine;
a connection portion that is rotationally connected to the second mid-spine of the cover portion, the connection portion configured to form a removable physical coupling to the computing device using:
a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel formed in a housing of the computing device; and
a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel, the protrusion is configured to be removed from the cavity along an axis defined by a height of the protrusion from the projection and to resist movement along at least one different axis, the protrusion having sides along the axis having:
a first portion disposed on the side between the protrusion and the cover portion; and
a second portion that follows a longitudinal axis of the connection portion, the second portion having an angle in relation to the axis that is greater than an angle of the first portion in relation to the axis.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 16 , wherein the connection portion is further configured to form the removable physical coupling to the computing device through use of magnetism.

18. A computing system comprising:
a computing device and an input device that are configured to be physically coupled using:
a projection that is configured to be disposed within a channel; and
a protrusion disposed on the projection, the protrusion configured to be received within a cavity formed as part of the channel, the protrusion is configured to be removed from the cavity along an axis defined by a height of the protrusion from the projection and to resist movement along at least one different axis, the protrusion having sides along the axis having:
a first portion disposed on the side between the protrusion and an input portion; and
a second portion that follows a longitudinal axis of a connection portion of the input device, the second portion having an angle in relation to the axis that is greater than an angle of the first portion in relation to the axis;
the input device comprising a first mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the input device, and a second mid-spine that is rotationally connected to the first mid-spine, the connection portion rotationally connected to the second mid-spine of the input device.

19. A computing system as described in claim 18 , wherein the projection is included as part of the connection portion that is further configured to enable the computing device and the input device to be physically coupled through use of magnetism.

20. A computing system as described in claim 19 , wherein the magnetism is supported through use of a magnetic coupling device that is disposed on the connection portion or the computing device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Mccracken Ivan Andrew
• Wang Hua
• Aagaard Karsten
• Whitt Iii David Otto
• Winter Andrew E

Classifications

• G06F2200/1634

  Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer · 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

• H04M1/185

  Improving the shock resistance of the housing, e.g. by increasing the rigidity · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · 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