Electronic apparatus and connecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753497-B2
Application number	US-201514640600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 12, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic apparatus and a connecting device. The electronic apparatus includes a body; a supporting frame located at a back face of the body; a connecting device through which the supporting frame is rotatably connected with the body so that the supporting frame is unfolded by a predefined angle relative to the back face of the body and that the body is supported on the support surface through the supporting frame; the connecting device including: a first connecting part connected with the supporting frame; a second connecting part connected with the body; a rotary shaft; a first damping element; a second damping element; wherein in the case that the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in a first direction through the connecting device, the first damping element of the connecting device provides a first damping force against rotation in the first direction; in the case that the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in a second direction through the connecting device, the second damping element of the connecting device provides a second damping force against rotation in the second direction, the first direction is opposite to the second direction, and the first damping force is different from the second damping force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a body;
a supporting frame; and
a connecting device through which the supporting frame is rotatably connected with the body;
wherein the connecting device is configured to rotate in a first direction by overcoming a first damping force and is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction by overcoming a second damping force different from the first damping force,
wherein the connecting device comprises a first damping element configured to provide the first damping force and a second damping element configured to provide the second damping force,
wherein the connecting device further comprises a first connecting part connected with the supporting frame, a second connecting part connected with the body, and a rotary shaft, and
wherein:
the first connecting part is fixedly connected to the supporting frame, and the first connecting part is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and is stationary relative to the rotary shaft;
the second connecting part is fixedly connected to the body, and the second connecting part is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and is rotatable relative to the rotary shaft;
the first damping element is a first protrusion portion with a first inclination arranged at a first side of the first connecting part;
the second damping element is a second protrusion portion with a second inclination arranged at the first side of the first connecting part, the face with the first inclination of the first protrusion portion and the face with the second inclination of the second protrusion portion form a first tooth space, wherein the first inclination is smaller than the second inclination, both the first inclination and the second inclination are angles relative to the axis of the rotary shaft; and
a first tooth is provided at a first side of the second connecting part, the first side of the second connecting part is opposite to the first side of the first connecting part, and the first tooth engages with the first tooth space.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting frame is located at a back face of the body and is capable of being unfolded by a predefined angle relative to the back face of the body, so that the body is supported on the support surface through the supporting frame.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,
in the case that the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in the first direction through the connecting device, the first damping element of the connecting device provides the first damping force against rotation in the first direction;
in the case that the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in the second direction through the connecting device, the second damping element of the connecting device provides the second damping force against rotation in the second direction.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein,
the first direction is a direction in which the supporting frame is unfolded by the predefined angle relative to the back face of the body through the connecting device;
the second direction is a direction in which the supporting frame is folded by the predefined angle relative to the back face of the body through the connecting device;
the first damping force which is provided by the first damping element to resist the rotation in the first direction is smaller than the second damping force which is provided by the second damping element to resist the rotation in the second direction.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein,
the connecting device is used to provide a support force, by which the body is supported on a support surface through the supporting frame, when the supporting frame is unfolded by the predefined angle relative to the back face of the body;
the support force is provided by the second damping element; and
the support force is greater than or equal to the second damping force.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein,
the connecting device is used to provide a support force, by which the body is supported on the support surface through the supporting frame which is unfolded by any angle within the predefined angle, when the supporting frame is unfolded by any angle within the predefined angle relative to the back face of the body.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein,
the first connecting part is fixedly connected to the supporting frame, and the first connecting part is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and is stationary relative to the rotary shaft;
the second connecting device is fixedly connected to the body, and the second connecting part is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and is rotatable relative to the rotary shaft;
the first damping element is a first protrusion portion with a first inclination arranged at a first side of the first connecting part;
the second damping element is a second protrusion portion with a second inclination arranged at the first side of the first connecting part, the face with the first inclination of the first protrusion portion and the face with the second inclination of the second protrusion portion form a first tooth space; and the first inclination is smaller than the second inclination, both the first inclination and the second inclination are angles relative to the axis of the rotary shaft;
a first tooth is provided at a first side of the second connecting part, the first side of the second connecting part is opposite to the first side of the first connecting part, and the first tooth engages with the first tooth space.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the connecting device further comprises a springback device which is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and arranged at a second side of the first connecting part;
the springback device is used to provide the first damping force together with the face with the first inclination during the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in the first direction through the connecting device, or to provide the second damping force together with the face with the second inclination during the supporting frame is rotated, relative to the back face of the body, by the predefined angle around the rotary shaft in the second direction through the connecting device.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein,
the connecting device further comprises: a fitting part which is sleeved onto the rotary shaft and is capable of rotating relative to the rotary shaft and move relative to the rotary shaft in an axial direction, and is arranged between the second side of the first connecting part and the springback device;
wherein,
a second tooth is provided at a first side of the fitting part; correspondingly, a third protrusion portion with a third inclination and a fourth protrusion portion with a fourth inclination are provided at the second side of the first connecting part, and a face with the third inclination of the third protrusion portion and a face with the fourth inclination of the fourth protrusion portion form a second tooth space; the second tooth space is offset with the first tooth space in the axis of the rotary shaft; the third inclination is equal or not equal to the fourth inclination, and both the third inclination and the fourth inclination are angles relative to the axis of the rotary shaft;
the second side of the first connecting part is opposite to the first side of the fitting part, and the seco

Assignees

• Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd
• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Tian Shoudong
• Liu Shaolian
• Su Wei

Classifications

• G06F1/166 Primary

  related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle · 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

• G06F1/1626

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