IP Library Granted Patent US 10,082,839
Granted Patent B1
US 10,082,839 · App. 15/628,835 · Granted Sep 25, 2018

Flexible information handling system display hinge and ramp support structure

Inventors: Kevin M. Turchin (Cedar Park, TX); Gerald R. Pelissier (Mendham, NJ); John T. Morrison (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/1681G06F1/1652G09F9/301H04M1/0216H05K5/0017H05K5/0226G09F15/0068H04M1/0247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,082,839
App. No.
15/628,835
Filed
Jun 21, 2017
Granted
Sep 25, 2018
Kind
B1
Art Unit
2835
USPC
361/679.27
Abstract

An information handling system having rotationally coupled housing portions supports a flexible display disposed across the housing portions with a hinge structure that manages flexible display curve radius in a folded configuration. A dual axis synchronized hinge defines the flexible display bend radius by the distance between the hinge axes and by a shape memory alloy planar support fixed in position relative to the hinge. A ramp structure engages a flexible display frame during rotation to an open position to maintain the display frame in a planar configuration.

Claims (41)

1. An information handling system comprising:

first and second housing portion;

processing components disposed in at least one housing portion, the processing components cooperating to process information;

a dual axes hinge rotationally coupling the first and second housing portions between a closed configuration and a planar configuration, the hinge having a housing that supports first and second axes spaced by set distance; and

a flexible display structure disposed over the first and second housing portions, the flexible display structure having a first display frame slidingly engaged with the first housing portion, a second display frame slidingly engaged with the second housing portion, a flexible support disposed between the first and second display frames and an OLED film disposed over the first and second display frames; and

an interconnect bar fixed to the hinge between the two axes and fixed to the flexible support between the two display frames, the interconnect bar maintaining the OLED film in a fixed position relative to the dual axes hinge during rotation of the housing portions.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the flexible support comprises a shape memory alloy that manages OLED film bend radius in the closed configuration and provides support under the OLED film in the open configuration.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the shape memory alloy comprises nickel titanium.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the flexible support comprises stainless steel.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein each display frame comprises a soft link disposed proximate the hinge, the soft link providing bending of the display frame as the housing portions rotate to the closed position.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 further comprising a first planar configuration support disposed at a fixed location relative to the first housing portion and aligned to engage the first display frame proximate the soft link, the planar configuration support maintaining the first display frame as a planar surface with the housing portions rotate to the planar configuration.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the planar configuration support comprises a ramped surface that engages the first display frame as rotation of the housing portions towards the planar configuration slides the display frame towards the hinge.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the planar configuration support comprises opposing ramped surfaces, a first ramped surface fixed in position relative to the first housing portion, the second ramped surface fixed in position relative to the display frame.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a biasing device interfaced with at least one of the display frames and biasing the interfaced display frame to slide in coordination with rotation of the housing portions.

10. A method for rotationally coupling information handling system housing portions having a flexible display, the method comprising:

coupling a first housing portion to a first axis of a dual axis hinge;

coupling a second housing portion to a second axis of the dual axis hinge;

coupling a flexible planar support to a fixed position relative to the dual axis hinge;

disposing a flexible display over the first and second housing portions, the flexible display having a first frame support disposed at the first housing portion, a second frame support disposed at the second housing portion and an OLED film disposed over the first and second frame supports; and

managing a bend radius of the OLED film by bending the flexible planar support about its fixed position relative to the hinge, the bend radius defined in part by a distance between the first and second hinge axes.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the flexible planar support comprises a shape memory alloy.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the flexible planar support comprises a nickel titanium alloy.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the flexible planar support comprises stainless steel.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein managing a bend radius further comprises:

flexing the first and second frame supports proximate the hinge as the housing portions rotate to the closed configuration; and

bringing the OLED film of the first and second portions to a parallel alignment past the flex of the frame support in the closed configuration.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

rotating the housing portions to a planar configuration;

engaging a first ramp structure of the first housing portion with the first display frame to maintain the first display frame in a planar configuration; and

engaging a second ramp structure of the second housing portion with the second display frame to maintain the second display frame in a planar configuration.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the hinge comprises a synchronized hinge.

17. A hinge comprising:

a hinge housing;

first and second axles extending from the hinge housing and configured to couple to first and second bodies, the first axle rotating the first body relative to the hinge housing, the second axle rotating the second body relative to the hinge housing;

a shaped metal alloy sheet fixed to the hinge housing to have a planar configuration between the first and second axles in an open location, the shaped metal alloy sheet configured to bend from the planar configuration to a folded configuration in response to transition of the first and second axles from the open to a closed position, the folded configuration adapted to support a desired flexible display film bend radius.

18. The hinge of claim 17 wherein the shape metal alloy comprises nickel titanium.

19. The hinge of claim 17 further comprising an interconnect bar having an upper surface welded to the shape metal alloy and a body coupled to the hinge housing.

20. The hinge of claim 17 further comprising:

a first display frame coupled to the shape metal alloy proximate the first axle and having a flexible joint;

a second display frame coupled to the shape metal alloy proximate the second axle and having a flexible joint; and

first and second ramp structures coupled to the display frame proximate the first and second flexible joints and configured to engage a structure of the first and second bodies to support a planar disposition.

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 (043775/0082) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060958/0468 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 043772 FRAME 0750 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0606 →
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 (CREDIT) Recorded Sep 6, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043772/0750 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Sep 6, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043775/0082 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2017
From: TURCHIN, KEVIN M.; PELISSIER, GERALD R.; MORRISON, JOHN T.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 042766/0302 →
Cited By (5)
US 12,219,723 US 12,282,363 US 12,436,576 US 12,524,043 US 12,663,837