Auxiliary opening and closing mechanism and portable electronic device therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753498-B1
Application number	US-201615351383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An auxiliary opening and closing mechanism includes a moving magnetic component, an electromagnetic component, a fixing magnetic component, a detecting unit, a power unit, and a control unit. The electromagnetic component and the moving magnetic component are disposed in one of a display module and a host module of a portable electronic device. The fixing magnetic component is disposed in the other one of the display module and the host module. The detecting unit is for detecting a disposing angle of the portable electronic device. The control unit controls the power unit to provide a current for the electromagnetic component according to the disposing angle, so that the electromagnetic component drives the moving magnetic component to move to a first position for generating a magnetic attracting force between the moving magnetic component and the fixing magnetic component to attach the monitor module and the host module to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An auxiliary opening and closing mechanism adapted for facilitating opening and closing operations of a display module and a host module of a portable electronic device, the auxiliary opening and closing mechanism comprising:
a moving magnetic component disposed on one of the display module and the host module, the moving magnetic component having a first passive magnetic property;
an electromagnetic component disposed on the one of the display module and the host module and adjacent to the moving magnetic component, the electromagnetic component selectively magnetically repulsing or magnetically attracting the moving magnetic component for driving the moving magnetic component to move along a first direction;
a fixing magnetic component disposed on the other one of the display module and the host module and located at a position corresponding to the moving magnetic component, the fixing magnetic component having a second passive magnetic property;
a detecting unit disposed in the portable electronic device and for detecting a disposing angle of the portable electronic device;
a power unit disposed in the portable electronic device and coupled to the electromagnetic component and detecting unit; and
a control unit coupled to the detecting unit and the power unit, the control unit determining the portable electronic device is located at a horizontal position or a non-horizontal position according to the disposing angle detected by the detecting unit;
wherein when the control unit determines the portable electronic device is located at the non-horizontal position, the control unit controls the power unit to provide a first current for the electromagnetic component, so that the electromagnetic component generates a first active magnetic property to magnetically attract or magnetically repulse the moving magnetic component with the first passive magnetic property to move to a first position along the first direction, and when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, a first magnetic attractive force is generated between the first passive magnetic property of the moving magnetic component and the second passive magnetic property of the fixing magnetic component for attaching the display module and the host module to each other.

2. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein when the control unit determines the portable electronic device is located at the horizontal position, the control unit controls the power unit to provide a second current opposite to the first current for the electromagnetic component, so that the electromagnetic component generates a second active magnetic property opposite from the first active magnetic property for driving the moving magnetic component to move to a second position along a second direction opposite to the first direction, and when the moving magnetic component is located at the second position, a second magnetic attractive force less than the first magnetic attractive force is generated between the first passive magnetic property of the moving magnetic component and the second passive magnetic property of the fixing magnetic component for attaching the display module and the host module to each other.

3. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the first current or the second current for the electromagnetic component after the power unit provides the first current or the second current for a predetermined period.

4. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the moving magnetic component comprises a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole opposite to the first magnetic pole, the first passive magnetic property is defined by an arrangement of the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole, the fixing magnetic component comprises a third magnetic pole and a fourth magnetic pole opposite to the third magnetic pole, the second passive magnetic property is defined by an arrangement of the third magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole, the first magnetic pole is opposite to the third magnetic pole, the second magnetic pole is opposite to the fourth magnetic pole, the first magnetic pole is substantially aligned with the third magnetic pole when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, and the first magnetic pole is substantially deviated from the third magnetic pole when the moving magnetic component is located at the second position.

5. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the second magnetic pole of the moving magnetic component is substantially aligned with the fourth magnetic pole of the fixing magnetic component when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, the second magnetic pole of the moving magnetic component is substantially deviated from the fourth magnetic pole of the fixing magnetic component when the moving magnetic component is located at the second position, the arrangement of the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole of the moving magnetic component and the arrangement of the third magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole of the fixing magnetic component are substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

6. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the arrangement of the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole of the moving magnetic component and the arrangement of the third magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole of the fixing magnetic component are substantially parallel to the first direction and the second direction.

7. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 6 , further comprising an actuating unit disposed on the portable electronic device and coupled to the control unit, the actuating unit being for providing an actuating signal for the control unit to control the power unit to provide a third current for the electromagnetic component, so that the electromagnetic component generates the first active magnetic property to drive the moving magnetic component to move to a third position along the first direction, when the moving magnetic component is located at the third position, the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole of the moving magnetic component being substantially aligned with the fourth magnetic pole and the third magnetic pole of the fixing magnetic component, respectively, to generate a magnetic repulsing force between the moving magnetic component and the fixing magnetic component for separating the display module and the host module from each other.

8. The auxiliary opening and closing mechanism of claim 7 , wherein the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the third current or to provide the second current for the electromagnetic component after the power unit provides the third current for a predetermined period.

9. A portable electronic device comprising:
a display module;
a host module;
a pivoting mechanism pivotally connecting the display module and the host module; and
an auxiliary opening and closing mechanism for facilitating opening and closing operations of the display module and the host module, the auxiliary opening and closing mechanism comprising:
a moving magnetic component disposed on one of the display module and the host module, the moving magnetic component having a first passive magnetic property;
an electromagnetic component disposed on the one of the display module and the host module and adjacent to the moving magnetic component, the electromagnetic component selectively magnetically repulsing or magnetically attracting the moving magnetic component for driving the moving magnetic compo

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Liang Chen-Yi
• Sun Jui-Hung
• Hsieh Ming-Ju

Classifications

• G06F1/1675

  Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1677 Primary

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · 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

• H01F7/064

  Circuit arrangements for actuating electromagnets (circuit arrangements for obtaining special operating characteristics H01F7/18; driving circuits for electromagnets making use of a switching regulator H01H47/325) · CPC title