Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Xerox Corporation

Brian David Bitz

Joseph Benjamin Gault

Errol Mark Tazbaz

John S Campbell

Paul J McConville

Hua Wang

Daniel Clark Park

Scott Douglas Bowers

Joe Gault

Robyn Rebecca Reed McLaughlin

David Michael Lane

Anthony James Hewett

Mike F Deily

Anthony Ernest Hillyerd

Michael Gordon Oldani

Steve Klein

Roger Gaylord Leighton

Trevor James Snyder

Karsten Aagaard

Gerald A Domoto

David A VanKouwenberg

Kevin Chen

Eric Paul Witt

Eric Davis

Brett Andrew Tomky

James David Wahl

Eugene Lee

Thomas Joseph Longo

Anthony George Picardo

Aseem Singla

Le Chang

David John Huston

Jignesh P Sheth

Scott Jeffrey Korn

Nishant Srinivasan

Stephen C Klein

Brian T Whitman

Michael Francis Deily

Daniel Dhondt

Christina Ashley Yee

Marlo E Castillo

Colin Michael Ravenscroft

Jason Dale Brown

Bonggwon Ji

Jingjiang Zhang

Ingrid Lin

Matt Fiedler

Jeff Liao

Harold A Brown

Kirk S Edwards

Craig Crandall Schoof

Whitney Anne Reed

Bernard T Selting

Ryan Behn

Beau Squire

Jim Wahl

Robyn Rebecca Reed Mclaughlin

Kaitlyn Marley Schoeck

Anthony J Hewett

Matthew J Fiedler

An electronic device includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. A torque-optional hinge connects the third portion to the second portion, and a support hinge connects the third portion to the first portion. The torque-optional hinge has a hinge axis and a means for selectively generating a torque around the hinge axis. The means for selectively generating the torque has a high-torque state and a low-torque state. The high-torque state provides a greater rotational resistance around the hinge axis than the low-torque state. The support hinge rotatably connects the first portion and the third portion and provides a torque around a support axis.

Electronic device with torque-optional hinge

This patent relates to hinged devices, such as computing devices. One example includes a first portion and a second portion. A dynamic fulcrum hinge includes a flexible material extending between the first portion and the second portion and configured to begin rotation proximate to the first portion and finish rotation proximate to the second portion when the first portion is rotated toward the second portion.

Fabric hinged device

The present description relates to devices that include portions that are moveable relative to one another. One example device includes a leaf spring positioned to receive forces between a first portion and a second portion. The leaf spring can extend from a first end to a second end and can define a perimeter where the first end and the second end are contained within the perimeter and the first end and the second end are not secured to either the first portion or the second portion.

Compact leaf spring assemblies

The description relates to devices and device adjustment. One example can include a first portion that defines a cam pivot. The example can also include a height adjuster comprising a wedge and a positioning loop positioned over the cam pivot, such that rotation of a cam on the cam pivot to contact one cam follower of the positioning loop that moves the wedge toward another component or to contact an opposite cam follower of the positioning loop that moves the wedge away from the another component.

Device cam-controlled adjustment

The description relates to devices, such as user-serviceable dimensionally-constrained devices. One example can include a first portion and a corresponding second portion. The example can also include a gap reduction assembly positioned along edges of the first portion and the second portion that biases the first and second portions toward one another. The example can also include an alignment assembly that laterally aligns corners of the first portion and the second portion and a locking assembly that locks the aligned corners of the first portion and the second portion against one another.

User-serviceable dimensionally-constrained device

Conventional laptop computers may utilize a door-hinge style or in a bezel-behind-base style hinge to connect a display with a keyboard of the laptop computer. Typically, these hinges present a discontinuous visual impression to the user. Presenting a more continuous visual impression of the hinge to the user suggests a higher overall quality of the computing device to the user and is thus desirable to the user. The disclosed virtual pivot hinge pivots about a pivot axis running between the display and the keyboard. The hardware of the hinge is located away from the pivot axis, which creates a virtual pivoting action about the axis that maintains a consistent front gap distance (or no front gap) between the display and the keyboard. The resulting visual impression to the user is that the display is floating above keyboard at the same or similar distance regardless of the display angle.

Virtual pivot hinge with sliding friction coupler

A low-pressure hinge includes a plurality of segments with at least one upper frictional element and at least one lower frictional element where the at least one upper frictional element and the at least one lower frictional element are positioned on opposing sides of a segment of the plurality of segments. The hinge further includes a compression element that compresses the at least one upper frictional element and at least one lower frictional element against the segment with a compression force having a pressure less than 5,000 pounds per square inch.

Low-pressure friction hinge

Virtual pivot hinge with multi-part friction linkage

Technologies are described relating to sequential multi-axis hinges that rotatably secure portions of a computing device. One example can include a set of hinges that rotate around a set of hinge shafts. The example can also include a shuttle cam through which an individual hinge shaft passes. The shuttle cam can be configured to move orthogonally relative to the individual hinge shaft to block rotation of the individual hinge shaft or an adjacent individual hinge shaft.

Multi-axis hinge

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices having displays that can be rotated through a range of travel. In some cases, a display can be readily adjusted to a desired physical location. The device can counter-balance the display to create a near weightless feel for the user when repositioning the display.

Device with a rotatable display

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. This example can also include a sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly rotatably securing the first portion and the second portion. The sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly can include a first set of links configured to control a relative order of rotation around individual axes of rotation of the sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly when the first and second portions are being rotated away from one another and a second different set of links configured to control the relative order of rotation around the individual axes of rotation of the sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly when the first and second portions are being rotated toward one another.

Multi-pivot hinge

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. This example can also include multiple interconnected friction engines that secure the first portion and the second portion. An individual friction engine can define an axis of rotation of the first portion relative to the second portion. The example can also include sequencing elements that control a relative order of rotation of the multiple interconnected friction engines and overlapping hinge covers that protect the multiple interconnected friction engines and stabilize the timing elements.

Covered multi-axis hinge

The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a first portion and a second portion. This example can also include a sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly rotatably securing the first portion and the second portion. The sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly can include rotation control elements configured to control a relative order of rotation around axes of rotation of the sequential multi-pivot hinge assembly.

Disclosed herein are hinge devices having reduced or minimized free play. Specifically, disclosed herein are hinge devices having surface elements positioned on a surface of a hinge component to reduce or eliminate any free play present between interacting hinge components. In one or more embodiments, the hinge includes a first hinge component having a first guide and a second hinge component having a second guide, wherein the second hinge component is rotatably mounted on at least one surface of the first hinge component such that the first guide is positioned within the second guide or the second guide is positioned within the first guide. At least one surface element is disposed on a surface of the first guide or the second guide to provide a reduction in free play at a location of the at least one surface element.

Hinge with minimized free play

Technologies are described for a fully integrated multi-pivot hinge module to rotatably secure portions of a computing device. The multi-pivot hinge module includes multiple sequential frames that are radially aligned and configured to control a relative order of opening and closing of each individual frame. The multi-pivot hinge module includes friction, timing and kinematic components for controlling the order of rotation, degree of rotation and increasing stability of the module.

Integrated multi-pivot hinge module

Growing community of inventors

Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Brian David Bitz