Hinge release mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995070-B2
Application number	US-201615252169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device with an enclosure having a base and a base is disclosed. The electronic device can include a shaft coupled with the base and the base. The shaft can be coupled with a torque component engagement feature that provides a frictional engagement with the shaft. The torque component engagement feature can magnetically couple with a magnet, or magnets. The electronic device can also include a magnetic assembly configured to magnetically couple with the shaft engagement. The magnetic assembly can provide a first magnetic field that magnetically couples the torque component engagement feature with the magnetic assembly. However, the magnetic assembly can change to a second, reduced magnetic field less than the first magnetic field. When the display assembly is rotated toward the base, the magnetic assembly changes to the second magnetic field, and the torque component engagement feature magnetically decouples from the magnetic assembly based on the reduced magnetic field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laptop having a base part rotatably coupled to a lid part, the laptop comprising:
a sensor that is capable of detecting an angular displacement between the base part and the lid part and providing an angular displacement signal based upon the detecting;
a torque element that is rotatably coupled to the lid part and that provides a torque to the lid part;
a torque component engagement feature disposed between the torque element and the base part, and the torque component engagement feature capable of detachably coupling the torque element and the base part; and
a magnetic assembly that magnetically engages the torque component engagement feature in accordance with the angular displacement such that (i) when the angular displacement is within a first range, the magnetic assembly provides a first magnetic field that causes the torque component engagement feature to couple with the base part, otherwise (ii) the magnetic assembly provides a second magnetic field that causes the torque component engagement feature and the base part to de-couple.

2. The laptop of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft that couples the base part to the lid part, and the torque component engagement feature including an opening capable of receiving and frictionally engaging the shaft.

3. The laptop of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic assembly includes an electro-permanent magnet that provides magnetic properties in accordance with the angular displacement between the base part and the lid part.

4. The laptop of claim 1 , wherein when the angular displacement is within the first range, the magnetic assembly provides a first magnetic circuit that provides a first coupling force having a first magnitude that is capable of coupling the base part and the torque component engagement feature.

5. The laptop of claim 4 , wherein when the angular displacement is not within the first range, the magnetic assembly provides a second magnetic circuit that provides a second coupling force having a second magnitude less than the first magnitude.

6. The laptop of claim 5 , wherein the second magnitude is insufficient to maintain the coupling between the base part and the torque component engagement feature.

7. The laptop of claim 2 , wherein the shaft includes a cavity and the torque element extends through the cavity.

8. The laptop of claim 1 , wherein when the angular displacement is in the first range, the laptop is in an open configuration, and when the angular displacement is not within the first range, the laptop is in a closed configuration.

9. The laptop of claim 8 , wherein when the angular displacement corresponds to the closed configuration and an angular velocity indicates that the base part is moving away from the lid part, then the magnetic assembly is capable of the torque component engagement feature to couple with the base part.

10. A portable electronic device having a base portion and a base, the portable electronic device comprising:
a shaft coupled with the base, the shaft comprising a cavity;
a torque element extending through the cavity and coupled with the base portion, the torque element configured to provide a torque in response to a rotation of the shaft, the rotation of the shaft caused by a rotation of the base with respect to the base portion;
a torque component engagement feature comprising an opening capable of receiving and frictionally engaging the shaft; and
a magnetic assembly that is capable of magnetically coupling with the torque component engagement feature based on a first magnetic field provided by the magnetic assembly, wherein the magnetic assembly is configured to provide a second magnetic field different from the first magnetic field thereby allowing the torque component engagement feature to magnetically decouple from the magnetic assembly.

11. The portable electronic device as in claim 10 , wherein the torque element is a torsional element that provides a torque related to a twist angle associated with a twisted configuration of the torsional element, the twist angle being a difference between a current angular displacement of the base with respect to an equilibrium angular displacement.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the torsional element, when in the twisted configuration, provides a counterforce to the torque component engagement feature, and
the first magnetic field maintains the coupling between the magnetic assembly and the torque component engagement feature when the counterforce is provided to the torque component engagement feature, and
the counterforce causes the torque component engagement feature to decouple from the magnetic assembly under the second magnetic field.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the magnetic assembly includes:
a first magnet having a first polarity;
a second magnet having the first polarity; and
a wire coil surrounding the second magnet, and the wire coil configured to receive an electrical current such that:
(i) when the wire coil does not receive the electrical current, the first magnet and the second magnet each provide a magnetic field that interacts to form the first magnetic field, and
(ii) when the wire coil receives the electrical current, the second magnet is capable of switching to a second polarity opposite the first polarity such that the first magnet and the second magnet each provide a magnetic field that interacts to form the second magnetic field.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the first magnetic field is characterized as having a first magnetic strength and wherein the second magnetic field is characterized as having a second magnetic strength less than the first magnetic strength.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic assembly is secured with the base portion such that the torque component engagement feature is configured to move with respect to the magnetic assembly.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a magnet that generates a magnetic field; and
a magnetic field sensor that detects the magnetic field, wherein the magnetic assembly is configured to provide the second magnetic field based upon a direction of the magnetic field determined by the magnetic field sensor.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the magnet is disposed in the base, and wherein the magnetic field sensor is disposed in the base portion.

18. A method for assembling a portable electronic device having a base and a base portion, the method comprising:
coupling a shaft with the base and the base portion, the shaft comprising a torsional element extending through a cavity of the shaft, the torsional element configured to provide a torque to the base in response to a rotation of the shaft;
securing the shaft through an opening of a torque component engagement feature; and
inserting a magnetic assembly in the portable electronic device, the magnetic assembly configured to magnetically couple the torque component engagement feature by a first magnetic field of the magnetic assembly in response to a force that rotates the base with respect to the base portion, and the magnetic assembly further capable of providing a second magnetic field different from the first magnetic field that allows the torque component engagement feature to decouple from the magnetic assembly in response to the force to the base and at least partially reduce the torque provided to the base by the torsional element.

19. The method of claim 18 , wher

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hamel Bradley J

Classifications

• 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

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/606

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• H01F7/0242

  Magnetic drives, magnetic coupling devices · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  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