IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,460,880
Granted Patent B2
US 11,460,880 · App. 16/481,958 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Covers to conceal inner portions of apparatuses

Inventors: Arthur Zarnowitz (Palo Alto, CA); Henry Chu (Palo Alto, CA); Victor Su (Taipei, TW); Marcus Hoggarth (Palo Alto, CA); Isaac Teece (Palo Alto, CA); Andrew Guscott (Palo Alto, CA); Harc Lee (Palo Alto, CA); Gianluca Berruti (Palo Alto, CA); Kang-Han Cheng (Palo Alto, CA); Sung-Hsuan Weng (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
G06F1/1601F16M11/2021F16M2200/068
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,460,880
App. No.
16/481,958
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some examples, an apparatus can include an arm and a cover connected to the arm, where the cover conceals an inner portion of the apparatus when the arm is in a vertical orientation relative to a base of the apparatus, and the cover is concealed in the inner portion of the apparatus when the arm is in a horizontal orientation relative to the base of the apparatus.

Claims (49)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an arm; and

a cover connected to the arm, wherein the cover includes:

a top door connected to the arm;

a bottom door; and

a hinge connected to the top door and the bottom door;

wherein:

the cover conceals an inner portion of the apparatus when the arm is in a vertical orientation relative to a base of the apparatus;

the cover is concealed in the inner portion of the apparatus when the arm is in a horizontal orientation relative to the base of the apparatus; and

the arm is to rotate towards the top door and the bottom door to cause the top door to rotate and the bottom door to rotate such that the top door and the bottom door fold in on each other about the hinge from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

a plurality of channels included in sidewalls of the apparatus are to guide the hinge, the top door, and the bottom door such that the top door and the bottom door fold in on each other about the hinge to conceal the cover in the inner portion of the apparatus as the arm rotates through a range of motion from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the hinge includes a plurality of pins, wherein:

a first pin of the plurality of pins connects the hinge to a bottom portion of the top door, and wherein the first pin of the plurality of pins is located in a top channel of the plurality of channels;

a second pin of the plurality of pins is located in a middle channel of the plurality of channels;

a third pin of the plurality of pins connects the hinge to a top portion of the bottom door, and wherein the third pin of the plurality of pins is located in a bottom channel of the plurality of channels; and

the top channel is to guide the first pin, the middle channel is to guide the second pin, and the bottom channel is to guide the third pin as the arm rotates through a range of motion from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation to cause the top door and the bottom door to fold in on each other about the hinge.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a flexible material with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the flexible material is connected to the arm and the second end of the flexible material is connected to a constant force spring included in the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

as the arm rotates through a range of motion from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation, the constant force spring is to deflect to keep the flexible material taut such that the cover conceals the inner portion of the apparatus; and

as the arm rotates through the range of motion from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation, the constant force spring is to wind to conceal the cover in the inner portion of the apparatus.

6. A system, comprising:

an arm;

a housing, including:

a cover connected to the arm, wherein the cover includes:

a top door connected to the arm at a top portion of the top door;

a bottom door; and

a hinge including a plurality of pins, wherein the hinge is connected to the top door via a first pin of the plurality of pins and connected to the bottom door via a third pin of the plurality of pins; and

a plurality of channels in sidewalls of the housing;

wherein the plurality of pins are located in the plurality of channels such that the plurality of channels guide the top door, the bottom door, and the hinge as the top door rotates and the bottom door rotates such that the top door and the bottom door are to fold in on each other about the hinge in response to rotation of the arm from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation relative to a base of the housing.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the hinge further includes a second pin of the plurality of pins, and wherein the second pin is located in a channel of the plurality of channels to guide the top door, the bottom door, and the hinge as the top door and the bottom door fold in on each other about the hinge in response to rotation of the arm.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first pin includes a torsion spring.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the torsion spring of the first pin applies a force to an inner surface of the top door such that the top door is oriented lengthwise with respect to the bottom door when the arm is in the vertical orientation.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the third pin includes a torsion spring.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the torsion spring of the third pin applies a force to an inner surface of the bottom door such that the bottom door is oriented lengthwise with respect to the top door when the arm is in the vertical orientation.

12. A computing device, comprising:

an arm;

a display connected to the arm; and

a housing, including:

a cover, wherein the cover includes:

a top door connected to the arm;

a bottom door; and

a hinge including a plurality of pins, wherein the hinge is connected to the top door via a first pin of the plurality of pins and connected to the bottom door via a third pin of the plurality of pins; and

a plurality of channels in sidewalls of the housing, wherein each channel of the plurality of channels includes a unique shape;

wherein the plurality of pins are located in the plurality of channels such that the unique shape of each of the plurality of channels is to guide each of the top door, the bottom door, and the hinge as the top door rotates and the bottom door rotates such that the top door and the bottom door fold in on each other about the hinge in response to rotation of the arm from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation relative to a base of the housing.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein:

the top door includes an outer surface and the bottom door includes an outer surface; and

the top door and the bottom door are to fold in on each other about the hinge such that the outer surface of the top door is adjacent to the outer surface of the bottom door in response to rotation of the arm from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation.

14. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the unique shape of each of the plurality of channels is to guide each of the top door, the bottom door, and the hinge as the top door and the bottom door fold away from each other about the hinge in response to rotation of the arm from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation such that the top door is oriented lengthwise with respect to the bottom door.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2019
From: ZARNOWITZ, ARTHUR; CHU, HENRY; SU, VICTOR; HOGGARTH, MARCUS; TEECE, ISAAC; GUSCOTT, ANDREW; LEE, HARC; BERRUTI, GIANLUCA; CHENG, KANG-HAN; WENG, SUNG-HSUAN
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 049900/0280 →
Continuity (1)
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