# US 7,088,588 B2 · Coupling structure

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- Number: US 7,088,588 B2
- Document ID: US7088588B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/753,471
- Filed: 2004-01-09
- Published: 2005-07-14
- Granted: 2006-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2004-01-09
- Assignees: Uniwill Computer Corp.
- Inventors: Chiu-Chih Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7088588B2

## 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 1/1679: {for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence)}
- Y10T 292/0959: Swinging catch
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A coupling structure includes a hook bar and a force receiving member adopted for use on an electronic device that has a folding member such as a notebook computer that consists of an upper lid and a base. The folding member is the upper lid. The force receiving member and the hook bar have respectively a portion exposed from two neighboring sides of the upper lid, and are coupled by a turning mechanism. When the force receiving member is depressed, it is moved longitudinally towards the upper lid. The turning mechanism transfers the force to push the hook bar moving transversely so that the latch tenons on the hook bar may escape the latch holes on the base to control the coupling condition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coupling structure adopted for use on electronic devices having a folding member, comprising:
a force receiving member located in the folding member having a portion exposed from one side of the folding member and movable reciprocally in only one direction;
a hook bar located in the folding member having a portion exposed from another side of the folding member abutting the one side of the folding member, where the force receiving member is exposed and is movable reciprocally only in one direction; and
a turning mechanism for coupling the force receiving member and the hook bar including a compression section and a driven section formed respectively on the force receiving member and the hook bar, wherein a longitudinal force applying to the force receiving member is transferred through the compression section and the driven section to become a transverse force for driving the hook bar, wherein the compression section of the turning mechanism is a sloped surface, and wherein the driven section of the turning mechanism is a jutting arched lug in contact with the sloped surface so that the arched lug forms a biased angle against the moving direction of the force receiving member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coupling structure of claim 1, wherein the compression section of the turning mechanism is a slot which forms a biased angle against the moving direction of the force receiving member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The coupling structure of claim 2, wherein the driven section of the turning mechanism is a strut wedging in the slot of the force receiving member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coupling structure of claim 1, wherein the hook bar is coupled with an elastic element to return the hook bar to a selected location when the force applying to the force receiving member is absent.