Hinge with translatable axis
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsAnthony E. Hillyerd, Christina Ashley Yee, Aseem Singla, Robyn Rebecca Reed McLaughlin, Kaitlyn Marley Schoeck, Hua Wang, Daniel Dhondt, Brian David Bitz, Joseph Benjamin Gault
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hinge system has a first body and a second body rotatably connected to one another around a first pivot point. The second body has a top surface and bottom surface positioned opposite one another in a vertical direction of the second body. A translation mechanism is connected to the second body and the first pivot point to displace the first pivot point in the vertical direction relative to the second body.
Claims10
A hinge system for electronic devices, the hinge system comprising:
- a first body;
- a second body rotatably connected to the first body around a first pivot point, the second body having a top surface and bottom surface positioned opposite one another in a vertical direction of the second body;
- a third body supported by the first body;
- and a translation mechanism including a link, the link connected to the first body and the second body and configured to be horizontally in-line with the second body when the first body and the third body are perpendicular to the second body, and wherein the link is configured to be perpendicular to the second body when the first body and the third body are parallel with the second body in a clamshell position and the link is configured to be parallel to the second body when the first body and the third body are parallel with the second body in a nested position, and wherein the translation mechanism positions the first pivot point at a first position in the vertical direction when the first body is in the nested position and at a second position in the vertical direction when the first body is in the clamshell position, wherein, and the first position and second position are different.
A method of moving a hinge in an electronic device, the method comprising:
- rotating a first body of the electronic device around a first pivot point connected to a second body of the electronic device via a link from a closed position to an open position and wherein the link translates from a vertical position to a horizontal position, the second body having a top surface and bottom surface positioned opposite one another in the vertical direction, a third body supported by the first body, wherein the link is configured to be horizontally in-line with the second body when the first body and the third body are perpendicular to the second body, and wherein the link is configured to be perpendicular to the second body when the first body and the third body are parallel with the second body in a clamshell position and the link is configured to be parallel to the second body when the first body and the third body are parallel with the second body in a nested position, and wherein the translation mechanism positions the first pivot point at a first position in the vertical direction when the first body is in the nested position and at a second position in the vertical direction when the first body is in the clamshell position, wherein, and the first position and second position are different;
- and rotating the first body of the electronic device from the open position to the closed position wherein the link translates from the horizontal position to the vertical position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.