Hinge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927845-B1
Application number	US-201615344000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus can include a processor; an electronic component accessible by the processor; a first housing attached to a first axle that includes a first gear where the first housing includes the processor; a second housing attached to a second axle that includes a second gear where the second housing includes the electronic component accessible by the processor; and a hinge assembly that includes an intermediate axle that includes a first intermediate gear that meshes with the first gear, a second intermediate gear that meshes with the second gear, a first bridge component that securely positions the first axle parallel to the intermediate axle and a second bridge component that securely positions the second axle parallel to the intermediate axle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
an electronic component accessible by the processor;
a first housing attached to a first axle that comprises a first gear wherein the first housing comprises the processor;
a second housing attached to a second axle that comprises a second gear wherein the second housing comprises the electronic component accessible by the processor; and
a hinge assembly that comprises an intermediate axle that comprises a first intermediate gear that meshes with the first gear, a second intermediate gear that meshes with the second gear, a first bridge component that securely positions the first axle parallel to the intermediate axle and a second bridge component that securely positions the second axle parallel to the intermediate axle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first intermediate gear and the first bridge component comprise an interlocking key and a keyway.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first intermediate gear comprises the key and wherein the first bridge component comprises the keyway that receives the key and the intermediate axle and comprises an opening that receives the first axle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first axle, the second axle and the intermediate axle are keyed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gear comprises a keyway bore and wherein the first axle comprises a keyed portion that engages the keyway bore.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first intermediate gear comprises a keywayed bore and wherein the intermediate axle comprises a keyed portion that engages the keywayed bore.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second intermediate gear comprises an unkeywayed bore.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second bridge component comprises a double bored cover.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising a single bored cover that is coupled to the first bridge component.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising end caps that cover ends of the first axle, the second axle and the third axle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the end caps comprise a double bored end cap and a single bored end cap.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a 0 degree orientation of the first and second housings about an axis of the intermediate axle of the hinge assembly and a 180 degree orientation of the first and second housings about the axis of the intermediate axle of the hinge assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising a 360 degree orientation of the first and second housings about the axis of the intermediate axle of the hinge assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hinge assembly couples movement of the first housing to movement of the second housing and vice versa.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a clamshell computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a plurality of the hinge assemblies.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising the hinge assembly disposed along a first edge of the apparatus and comprising another hinge assembly disposed along a second edge of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising two of the hinge assemblies and tubular segments that span an axial distance between the two of the hinge assemblies.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the tubular segments comprise at least one wire passage for at least one wire that electrically couples the processor of the first housing to the electronic component of the second housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the tubular segments comprise an intermediate tubular segment is rotatable about an axis defined by the intermediate axle independent of rotation of a first tubular segment and a second tubular segment.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Holung Joseph Anthony
• Wong Tin-Lup
• Yebka Bouziane
• Jakes Philip John
• Plunkett Joseph David

Classifications

• E05D11/0054

  Covers, e.g. for protection · CPC title

• E05D3/06

  with two or more pins (E05D7/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05D2011/0072

  for the gap between hinge parts · CPC title

• E05Y2900/606

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title