Pivotable display guide mechanism for an electronic mobile device
View Patent ↗An electronic mobile device includes a base and a pivotable assembly that is pivotable relative to the base. A linkage connects to the pivotable assembly so as to be pivotable about a first axis and connects to the base so as to be pivotable about a second axis. As such, the pivotable assembly is pivotable relative to the base about the first axis and the second axis. The electronic mobile device further includes a guide mechanism that includes a guide path defined by one of the base and the pivotable assembly. The guide mechanism further includes a guide member supported by the other of the base and the pivotable assembly. The guide member moves along the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots relative to the base to inhibit the pivotable assembly from simultaneously pivoting about both the first axis and the second axis.
1. An electronic mobile device, comprising:
a base;
a pivotable assembly being pivotable relative to the base;
a linkage connected to the pivotable assembly so as to be pivotable about a first axis and connected to the base so as to be pivotable about a second axis such that the pivotable assembly is pivotable relative to the base about the first axis and the second axis;
a guide mechanism including:
a guide path defined by one of the base and the pivotable assembly;
a guide member supported by the other of the base and the pivotable assembly, the guide member moving along the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots relative to the base to inhibit the pivotable assembly from simultaneously pivoting about both the first axis and the second axis.
2. The electronic mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the guide path includes:
a first path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots about the first axis relative to the base; and
a second path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots about the second axis relative to the base.
3. The electronic mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the first path segment is defined by a first arc having a first radius, and the second path segment is defined by a second arc having a second radius different than the first radius.
4. The electronic mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the first radius is smaller than the second radius.
5. The electronic mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the pivotable assembly pivots from a compact operating configuration to a landscape operating configuration and vice versa as the guide member moves along the first path segment, and the pivotable assembly pivots from the landscape operating configuration to a portrait operating configuration and vice versa as the guide member moves along the second path segment.
6. The electronic mobile device of claim 5 , wherein the guide member is disposed at an intersection of the first path segment and the second path segment in the landscape operating configuration.
7. The electronic mobile device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first cam partially defining the first axis and being connected to the pivotable assembly so as to pivot therewith; and
a first follower supported by the linkage and engaging the first cam to bias the pivotable assembly toward the compact operating configuration and the landscape operating configuration.
8. The electronic mobile device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second cam partially defining the second axis and being connected to the base so as to remain stationary therewith; and
a second follower supported by the linkage and engaging the second cam to bias the pivotable assembly toward the landscape operating configuration and the portrait operating configuration.
9. The electronic mobile device of claim 8 , further comprising a compression spring biasing the first follower and the second follower away from one another.
10. The electronic mobile device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a base cam partially defining the second axis and being connected to the base so as to remain stationary relative to the base; and
a base follower supported by the linkage and engaging the base cam to bias the pivotable assembly toward the landscape operating configuration and the portrait operating configuration.
11. The electronic mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the linkage remains stationary relative to the base as the pivotable assembly pivots about the first axis relative to the base, and wherein the linkage pivots relative to the base as the pivotable assembly pivots about the second axis relative to the base.
12. The electronic mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the guide path is a guide slot and the guide member is a guide post that extends into the guide slot and moves therein as the pivotable assembly pivots relative to the base.
13. The electronic mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the pivotable assembly includes a user interface device.
14. The electronic mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the user interface device is a touch-sensitive display panel.
15. The electronic mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are generally parallel.
16. An electronic mobile device, comprising:
a base;
a linkage connected to the base so as to be pivotable about a base axis;
a pivotable assembly connected to the linkage so as to be pivotable about a pivotable assembly axis disposed apart from the base axis, the pivotable assembly including a user interface device;
a guide mechanism including:
a guide member supported by one of the base and the pivotable assembly;
a guide path defined by the other of the base and the pivotable assembly, the guide path including:
a first path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots about the pivotable assembly axis relative to the base; and
a second path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide path as the pivotable assembly pivots about the base axis relative to the base.
17. The electronic mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the linkage remains stationary relative to the base as the pivotable assembly pivots about the pivotable assembly axis relative to the base, and wherein the linkage pivots relative to the base as the pivotable assembly pivots about the base axis relative to the base.
18. The electronic mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the pivotable assembly pivots from a compact operating configuration to a landscape operating configuration and vice versa as the guide member moves along the first path segment, and the pivotable assembly pivots from the landscape operating configuration to a portrait operating configuration and vice versa as the guide member moves along the second path segment.
19. An electronic mobile device, comprising:
a base;
a pivotable assembly including a user interface device and being pivotable relative to the base;
a linkage connected to the base so as to be pivotable about a base axis and connected to the pivotable assembly so as to be pivotable about a pivotable assembly axis;
a guide interface including:
a guide member supported by one of the base and the pivotable assembly;
a guide wall defined by the other of the base and the pivotable assembly, the guide wall defining:
a first path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide wall to permit the pivotable assembly to pivot about the pivotable assembly axis relative to the base and inhibit the pivotable assembly from pivoting about the base axis relative to the base; and
a second path segment along which the guide member moves relative to the guide wall to permit the pivotable assembly to pivot about the base axis relative to the base and inhibit the pivotable assembly from pivoting about the pivotable assembly axis relative to the base.
20. The electronic mobile device of claim 19 , wherein the first path segment is defined by a first arc having a first radius, and the second path segment is defined by a second arc having a second radius different than the first radius.