The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 09, 1997
Gregory S. Patterson, Morrisville, NC (US);
Thomas D. Snyder, Raleigh, NC (US);
Ericsson Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (US);
Abstract
Two pivoting portions of a product are connected by a hinged detent. The hinged detent provides a snap feel when the product halves are closed or opened to an operable angle. It also allows for the placement of wires and connectors within the hinge. The hinged detent design further enables easy vertical axis assembly and provides for one of a multiple of operable angles to be factory-set. In adjustable hinge detents, a dial or similar mechanism can be rotated to adjust and set the desired operable angle to which the hinged product halves will be opened. Locating elements are forcibly disengaged from one set of adjusting recesses in the adjustable hinge, then rotated to different adjusting recesses of the hinge, and finally permitted to reengage the adjustable hinge in the new adjusting recesses. This mechanism permits a multitude of operable angles to be selected. Each time the product portions are reopened, they will automatically open to the previously selected angle. The adjustable hinge detent can be used, for example, to connect two v-keyboard halves, a screen to a laptop base, two components of collapsing headphones, or two parts of an adjustable stand.