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US 2006/0077622 A1Published application
Direct hinge for optimizing conversion
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsLeroy Keely, John Stoddard, Jon LeFors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic device that has a body portion having an internal track, a display portion having a follower member that runs along the internal track and a support arm pivotally coupled to the body portion and to the display portion and enabling the display portion to move between multiple distinct positions relative to the body portion is described. A tablet personal computer can be converted from the tablet mode to the laptop mode in a direct and efficient manner.
Claims22
An electronic device comprising:
- a body portion having a front end, a back end an internal track and an input device defining a portion of a top face of the body portion;
- a display portion having a screen with a lower end and an upper end, and the display portion further having a follower member that runs along the internal track;
- and
- a support arm including first and second ends, the first end pivotally attached to the display portion at a face opposite the display and between the lower and the upper end and the second end pivotally attached to the body portion at the top face between the front end and the back end enabling the display portion to move between a plurality of distinct positions relative to the body portion.
1 more element
(canceled)
A tablet personal computer comprising:
- a display housing including a cutout recess;
- a body housing;
- a flex circuit electronic system;
- and
- a hinge mechanism housing a portion of the flex circuit electronic system and connecting the display housing to the body housing, the hinge mechanism being configured such that when the computer is in a tablet position the hinge mechanism sits in the cutout recess surrounded by the display housing and the body housing.
2 more elements
A coupling system comprising:
- a first housing element including a display including a screen with an upper end and a lower end;
- a second housing element including a front end, a back end, and a user input region defining a portion of a top face of the second housing element;
- a third housing element having a rotational hinge at two opposite ends, one of the rotational hinges being attached to the first housing element on a face opposite the display between the upper and lower ends and the other rotational hinge being attached to the second housing element on the top face between the front end and the back end;
- and
- a coupling system movably linking the first housing element, the second housing element and the third housing element so as to permit only translation and rotation of the first housing element relative to the second housing element in the x-z plane.
2 more elements
A computer comprising:
- a display unit having a front surface with a display;
- a base unit having a user input device defining a portion of a top face of the base unit;
- and
- a connecting member that links the display unit to the base unit so as to permit the display unit to be positioned in a plurality of distinct functional positions relative to the base unit, wherein the connecting member is completely and continuously disposed both within an outline defined by the perimeter of the display unit extending in directions perpendicular to a front face of the display and within an outline defined by the perimeter of the base unit extending in directions perpendicular to the top face of the base unit.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.