IP Library Granted Patent US 12,585,311
Granted Patent B2
US 12,585,311 · App. 18/395,686 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Computing device

Inventor: Matthew Sean Hilliard (Morrisville, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F1/1681G06F1/1616
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,585,311
App. No.
18/395,686
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device can include a first housing that includes a pivot and a hinge recess that includes a stop surface; a second housing that includes a pivot and a hinge recess; a hinge link that includes a first portion coupled to the pivot of the first housing, a second portion coupled to the pivot of the second housing, and a concave portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, where the concave portion includes a stop; and a bearing coupled to the pivot of the first housing, where, upon transitioning the second housing with respect to the first housing between a closed position and a fully open position, at a predefined open position, the stop contacts the stop surface and the bearing locks the hinge link in a locked link position.

Claims (24)

1 . A device comprising:

a first housing that comprises a pivot and a hinge recess that comprises a stop surface;

a second housing that comprises a pivot and a hinge recess;

a hinge link that comprises a first portion coupled to the pivot of the first housing, a second portion coupled to the pivot of the second housing, and a concave portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the concave portion comprises a stop; and

a bearing coupled to the pivot of the first housing, wherein the bearing comprises a uni-directional bearing that rotates only in an opening direction of the second housing with respect to the first housing, and wherein, upon transitioning the second housing with respect to the first housing between a closed position and a fully open position, at a predefined open position, the stop contacts the stop surface and the bearing locks the hinge link in a locked link position.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, in the locked link position, the second housing is pivotable via the pivot of the second housing.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the closed position corresponds to an angle of approximately 0 degrees, and wherein the predefined open position corresponds to an angle of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 60 degrees.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the predefined open position corresponds to an angle of approximately 30 degrees.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, between the closed position and the predefined open position, the pivots operate with a level of friction less than or equal to a first level of friction, and wherein, between the predefined open position and the fully open position, the pivots operate with a level of friction greater than the first level of friction.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, between the closed position and the predefined open position, the pivots operate with a level of torque less than or equal to a first level of torque, and wherein, between the predefined open position and the fully open position, the pivots operate with a level of torque greater than the first level of torque.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge link is rotatable in a closing direction of the second housing with respect to the first housing via frictional movement about the pivot of the first housing.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the fully open position comprises an angle of approximately 180 degrees.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the closed position comprises an angle of approximately 0 degrees.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises a base housing and wherein the second housing comprises a display housing that comprises a display.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the base housing comprises a processor and memory accessible to the processor and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the display.

12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the predefined open position comprises an open angle less than a viewing angle of the display of the display housing.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the viewing angle of the display comprises an open angle greater than approximately 30 degrees.

14 . The device of claim 10 , wherein at an open position of the display housing with respect to the base housing that is greater than the predefined open position, friction force of the pivots exceeds gravitational force to maintain the open position.

15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the gravitational force corresponds to a horizontal position of the base housing wherein the acceleration of gravity is normal to the base housing.

16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein between the closed position and the fully open position, the pivots operate individually over separate positional ranges.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the pivot of the first housing operates over a first positional range from the closed position to the predefined open position and wherein the pivot of the second housing operates over a second positional range from the predefined open position to the fully open position.

18 . A method comprising:

in a computing device that comprises a base housing that comprises a base housing pivot and a hinge recess that comprises a stop surface, a display housing that comprises a display housing pivot and a hinge recess, and a hinge link, that comprises a first portion coupled to the pivot of the base housing, a second portion coupled to the pivot of the display housing, and a concave portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the concave portion comprises a stop that contacts the stop surface, locking the hinge link via a uni-directional bearing, coupled to the base housing pivot that rotates only in an opening direction of the display housing with respect to the base housing, in a locked position at a predefined open position of the display housing with respect to the base housing, wherein, in the locked position of the hinge link, the display housing is pivotable with respect to the base housing via the display housing pivot.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the hinge link is rotatable in a closing direction of the display housing with respect to the base housing via frictional movement about the base housing pivot.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2024
From: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 066946/0333 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 25, 2023
From: HILLIARD, MATTHEW SEAN
To: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
Reel/Frame 065949/0404 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250208666A1 · Jun 26, 2025
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