Information Handling System Low Profile Hinge
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsJason S. Morrison, Laurent A. Regimbal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable information handling system hinge rotationally couples lid and main housing portions to each other with one or more shafts that rotate relative to the housing portions and/or each other. Threads integrated along the shaft length engage off axis with a friction element that generates resistance to housing portion rotational movement. Placement of the friction element in length and/or width vectors aids reduction of the system housing height vector.
Claims20
A portable information handling system comprising:
- a housing having a main portion and a lid portion;
- a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;
- a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;
- a display disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor and memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images;
- a hinge coupled to the main and lid portions, the hinge coordinating rotation of the main and lid portions relative to each other at least in part with a shaft that rotates about an axis, the shaft having threads;
- and
- a friction element interfaced with the shaft threads, the friction element resisting hinge rotation by translating force from the shaft to a friction body that moves off-axis from the shaft rotation.
A method for rotationally coupling portable information handling system lid and main portions to each other, the method comprising:
- translating relative motion of the lid and main portions to rotation of a shaft of a hinge coupling the lid and main portion to each other;
- translating rotation of the shaft from a thread integrated with the shaft to a friction element interfaced with the thread;
- and
- generating resistance to the shaft rotation with the friction element.
A portable information handling system hinge comprising:
- a bracket configured to couple with a housing;
- a shaft fixedly coupled to the bracket and having threads integrated along a length;
- and
- a friction element interfaced with the threads to translate relative rotational movement of shaft into an off-axis movement that introduces resistance to rotational movement of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.