IP Library Granted Patent US 9,785,200
Granted Patent B1
US 9,785,200 · App. 15/250,525 · Granted Oct 10, 2017

Staged snap hinge with adjustability

Inventors: Michiel Knoppert (Amsterdam, NL); Deeder Aurongzeb (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/1681G06F1/1615G06F1/1616G06F1/1618H05K5/0017H05K5/0226
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,785,200
App. No.
15/250,525
Granted
Oct 10, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system. An information handling system includes a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The information handling system also includes a hinge assembly coupling the first and second housing portions, the hinge assembly comprising a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle, and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle. In addition, the information handling system includes a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated.

Claims (17)

1. An information handling system comprising: a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion; a hinge assembly coupling the first and second housing portions, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle; and a flexible display coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated; and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the second angle and the first angle, wherein the first snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated from the first angle to a closed position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is configured to remain engaged when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the first angle and the second angle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band has a different length than the second snapping band.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first snapping band is a different thickness than the second snapping band.

8. A method of rotationally coupling housing portions of an information handling system, comprising: rotationally coupling a first housing portion and a second housing portion of the information handling system with a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a first angle; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first and second housing portions are rotated at a second angle; and coupling a flexible display to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the flexible display covering a portion of the hinge assembly, the flexible display configured to bend when the first and second housing portions are rotated; and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the second angle and the first angle, wherein the first snapping band is configured to disengage when the first and second housing portions are rotated from the first angle to a closed position.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is configured to remain engaged when the first and second housing portions are rotated between the first angle and the second angle.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band has a different length than the second snapping band.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first snapping band is a different thickness than the second snapping band.

15. A hinge assembly for an information handling system, the hinge assembly comprising: a first snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the first snapping band configured to engage when a first housing portion of the information handling system is rotated at a first angle to a second housing portion of the information handling system; and a second snapping band with a bi-stable structure having an engaged and a disengaged position, the second snapping band configured to engage when the first housing portion is rotated at a second angle to the second housing portion; and a stabilizer material, the stabilizer material configured to stabilize the first and second housing portions between the first and second angles.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first snapping band is coupled to the first housing portion and the second snapping band is coupled to the second housing portion.

17. The hinge assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first snapping band is separated from the second snapping band by a gap.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040679/0386) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 059803/0666 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 040633 FRAME 0799 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058297/0427 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Nov 23, 2016
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040679/0386 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2016
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040633/0799 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2016
From: AURONGZEB, DEEDER; KNOPPERT, MICHIEL
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 039862/0807 →