Staged snap hinge with adjustability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785200-B1
Application number	US-201615250525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system. An information handling system includes a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The information handling system also includes a hinge assembly coupling the first and second housing portions, the hinge assembly comprising a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle, and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle. In addition, the information handling system includes a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising: a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion; a hinge assembly coupling the first and second housing portions, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle; and a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated; and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the second angle and the first angle, wherein the first snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated from the first angle to a closed position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is configured to remain engaged when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the first angle and the second angle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band has a different length than the second snapping band.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is a different thickness than the second snapping band.

8. A method of rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system, comprising: rotationally coupling a first housing portion and a second housing portion of the information handling system with a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle; and coupling a flexible display to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering a portion of the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated; and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the second angle and the first angle, wherein the first snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated from the first angle to a closed position.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is configured to remain engaged when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the first angle and the second angle.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band has a different length than the second snapping band.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is a different thickness than the second snapping band.

15. A hinge assembly for an information handling system, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when a first housing portion of the information handling system is rotated at a first angle to a second housing portion of the information handling system; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first housing portion is rotated at a second angle to the second housing portion; and a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

17. The hinge assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Knoppert Michiel
• Aurongzeb Deeder

Classifications

• G06F1/1615

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · 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

• 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

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title