IP Library Granted Patent US 11,216,043
Granted Patent B1
US 11,216,043 · App. 16/945,414 · Granted Jan 4, 2022

System hinge assembly

Inventors: Joseph Anthony Holung (Wake Forest, NC); Bouziane Yebka (Apex, NC); Philip John Jakes (Durham, NC); Tin-Lup Wong (Chapel Hill, NC); Joseph David Plunkett (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F1/1681E05D7/00E05D11/00G06F1/1616G06F1/1643G06F1/1656G06F1/1684H02K37/18H02S10/40E05Y2201/434E05Y2201/46E05Y2400/85E05Y2400/86E05Y2900/606
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,216,043
App. No.
16/945,414
Granted
Jan 4, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system can include a housing; a hinge assembly operatively coupled to the housing for rotation of the housing about a hinge axis, where the hinge assembly includes permanent magnets that generate a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field orientable with respect to each other via rotation of the housing, where the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field include an aligned orientation, generate a clockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a first rotational direction from the aligned orientation, and generate a counterclockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a second, opposite rotational direction from the aligned orientation; and an electromagnetic mover operatively coupled to the housing for rotation of the housing about the hinge axis.

Claims (24)

1. A system comprising:

a housing;

a hinge assembly operatively coupled to the housing for rotation of the housing about a hinge axis, wherein the hinge assembly comprises permanent magnets that generate a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field orientable with respect to each other via rotation of the housing, wherein the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field comprise an aligned orientation, generate a clockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a first rotational direction from the aligned orientation, and generate a counterclockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a second, opposite rotational direction from the aligned orientation; and

an electromagnetic mover operatively coupled to the housing for rotation of the housing about the hinge axis.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a display.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises solar cells.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a base, wherein the hinge assembly is operatively coupled to the base.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the base comprises a keyboard.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a turntable, wherein the housing rotates about an axis of the turntable.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic mover comprises an electric motor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic mover comprises an electric stepper motor.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising audio circuitry, wherein the electromagnetic mover is operatively coupled to the audio circuitry.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the audio circuitry comprises a microphone input and wherein the electromagnetic mover is actuatable responsive to receipt of signals via the microphone input.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising touch-sensitive circuitry, wherein the electromagnetic mover is operatively coupled to the touch-sensitive circuitry and wherein the electromagnetic mover is actuatable responsive to receipt of signals via the touch-sensitive circuitry.

12. The system of claim 1 , comprising a processor, memory, and operating system instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to establish an operating system environment.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetic mover is actuatable responsive to a change in a state of the operating system environment.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the change in the state comprises a transition to a lower power state.

15. The system of claim 1 , comprising a clock, wherein the electromagnetic mover is actuatable responsive to a clock signal of the clock.

16. The system of claim 1 , comprising a movable mass operatively coupled to the electromagnetic mover.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the housing comprises an adjustable center of mass adjustable via movement of the movable mass.

18. The system of claim 1 , comprising at least one battery operatively coupled to the electromagnetic mover.

19. The system of claim 1 , comprising security circuitry operatively coupled to the electromagnetic mover.

20. A method comprising:

in a system that comprises a housing, a hinge assembly operatively coupled to the housing, wherein the hinge assembly comprises permanent magnets that generate a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field orientable with respect to each other via rotation of the housing, wherein the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field comprise an aligned orientation, generate a clockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a first rotational direction from the aligned orientation, and generate a counterclockwise restoring torque responsive to rotation of the housing in a second, opposite rotational direction from the aligned orientation, and an electromagnetic mover operatively coupled to the housing for rotation of the panel, actuating the electromagnetic mover responsive to a signal to rotate the housing about an axis of the hinge assembly.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070269/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2021
From: HOLUNG, JOSEPH ANTHONY; YEBKA, BOUZIANE; JAKES, PHILIP JOHN; WONG, TIN-LUP; PLUNKETT, JOSEPH DAVID
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 057003/0681 →