# US 10,481,634 B2 · Portable information device

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- Number: US 10,481,634 B2
- Document ID: US10481634B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/288,916
- Filed: 2019-02-28
- Published: 2019-06-27
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-10
- Assignees: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: Fumitake Mizoguchi; Takehito Yamauchi; Kazuya Tatsuno; Kenji Watamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481634B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/1616: {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}
- G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]}
- G06F 1/1637: {Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing}
- G06F 1/1641: {the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable}
- G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)}
- G06F 1/1683: {for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A portable information device is capable of securing the appearance quality and the durability of products while having a foldable configuration. The portable information device has a backbone member provided throughout and between the inner surface of one edge portion of a first chassis member and the inner surface of one edge portion of a second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member connected by a hinge mechanism. The backbone member is provided to the inner surface of the one edge portion of the first chassis member so as to be slidable in an X direction from the second chassis member to the first chassis member along the inner surface, and is non-slidably fixed to the inner surface of the one edge portion of the second chassis member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A portable information device comprising:
a first chassis member and a second chassis member, one edge portions of which are disposed adjacent to each other;
a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting the one edge portions of the first chassis member and the second chassis member;
a display between an inner surface of the first chassis member and an inner surface of the second chassis member and is foldable into a double-folded state; and
a backbone member between the inner surface of the first chassis member and the inner surface of the second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member, wherein,
the backbone member forms, when bent, a bent portion covering the gap so as to project from the gap when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into a double-folded state by the hinge mechanism,
the backbone member has a wall member closing at least one part of an opening formed in a side portion of the bent portion,
a first plate member fixed to a side of the inner surface of the first chassis member to support a rear surface of the display; and
a second plate member fixed to a side of the inner surface of the second chassis member to support the rear surface of the display, wherein,
one end surfaces of the first plate member and the second plate member abut each other when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are opened into a flat shape by the hinge mechanism and the one end surfaces are separated from each other, and simultaneously separated from the rear surface of the display when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into the double folded state by the hinge mechanism.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein:
the wall member is in a side portion of the backbone member and is a projection piece projecting towards a rear surface of the display from the side portion.

### Claim 3

A portable information device comprising:
a first chassis member and a second chassis member, one edge portions of which are disposed adjacent to each other;
a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting the one edge portions of the first chassis member and the second chassis member;
a display between an inner surface of the first chassis member and an inner surface of the second chassis member and is foldable into a double-folded state; and
a backbone member between the inner surface of the first chassis member and the inner surface of the second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member, wherein,
the backbone member forms, when bent, a bent portion covering the gap so as to project from the gap when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into a double-folded state by the hinge mechanism,
the backbone member has a wall member closing at least one part of an opening formed in a side portion of the bent portion; a first plate member fixed to a side of the inner surface of the first chassis member to support the rear surface of the display; and a second plate member fixed to a side of the inner surface of the second chassis member to support the rear surface of the display, wherein, one end surfaces of the first plate member and the second plate member abut each other when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are opened into a flat shape by the hinge mechanism and the one end surfaces are separated from each other, and simultaneously separated from the rear surface of the display when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into the double folded state by the hinge mechanism and
the wall member supports at least one of rear surfaces of the first plate member and the second plate member when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are opened to a flat shape.

### Claim 4

A portable information device comprising:
a first chassis member and a second chassis member, one edge portions of which are disposed adjacent to each other;
a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting the one edge portions of the first chassis member and the second chassis member;
a display between an inner surface of the first chassis member and an inner surface of the second chassis member and is foldable into a double-folded state; and
a backbone member between the inner surface of the first chassis member and the inner surface of the second chassis member so as to cover a gap between the one edge portion of the first chassis member and the one edge portion of the second chassis member, wherein,
the backbone member forms, when bent, a bent portion covering the gap so as to project from the gap when the first chassis member and the second chassis member are folded into a double-folded state by the hinge mechanism,
the backbone member has a wall member closing at least one part of an opening formed in a side portion of the bent portion,
the backbone member has a plurality of belt-like, plate-like members arranged side by side along a direction from the first chassis member to the second chassis member and a flexible sheet-like member connecting the plate-like members, and
the wall member is in at least one part of at least the plate-like member forming the bent portion among the plurality of plate-like members.