IP Library Granted Patent US 11,927,990
Granted Patent B2
US 11,927,990 · App. 17/877,963 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Computing device

Inventors: Thomas Perelli (Morrisville, NC); Ali Ent (Morrisville, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F1/1679G06F1/162
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,927,990
App. No.
17/877,963
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computing device can include a housing that includes a shell and a shell cover, where the shell cover includes a keyboard; and an electronic component secured in a component bay of the shell by a latch accessible upon displacement of the shell cover, where the component bay includes an electrical bay contact and bay magnets, where the electronic component includes an electrical component contact and component magnets, and where the component magnets are coupled to the latch and move responsive to actuation of the latch to lock the electronic component in the component bay via a magnetic attraction force between the bay magnets and the component magnets that mates the electrical bay contact and the electrical component contact and to unlock the electronic component for removal from the component bay.

Claims (25)

1. A computing device comprising:

a case that comprises a hinge assembly, a display housing that comprises a display device bay that removably receives a display device that comprises a display, and a housing that comprises a shell and a shell cover, wherein the shell cover comprises a keyboard, wherein the shell cover comprises a tool-less, hand displaceable shell cover, and wherein the hinge assembly couples the display housing and the housing; and

an electronic component secured in a component bay of the shell by a latch accessible upon displacement of the shell cover, and wherein the latch comprises a tool-less, hand operable latch,

wherein the component bay comprises an electrical bay contact and bay magnets,

wherein the electronic component comprises an electrical component contact and component magnets, and

wherein the component magnets are coupled to the latch and move responsive to actuation of the latch to lock the electronic component in the component bay via a magnetic attraction force between the bay magnets and the component magnets that mates the electrical bay contact and the electrical component contact and to unlock the electronic component for removal from the component bay.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein, to unlock the electronic component, the latch moves the component magnets to generate a magnetic repulsion force between the bay magnets and the component magnets.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises a processor.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises memory.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises a lithium-ion battery.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a plurality of component bays.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of component bays comprises a motherboard component bay and a lithium-ion battery component bay.

8. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an electrical interconnect between the electrical bay contact of the component bay and another electrical bay contact of another component bay.

9. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a printed circuit board that is electrically coupled to the electrical bay contact.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a translatable latch.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the translatable latch comprises an exposed tab.

12. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a rotatable latch.

13. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a foldable handle.

14. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises the latch.

15. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the bay component magnets are embedded in the shell.

16. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the shell cover is magnetically attachable to the shell.

17. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the display housing is electrically coupled to circuitry of the housing.

18. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the component magnets and each of the bay magnets comprise multiple north and south poles.

19. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein the multiple north and south poles control spacing between the component magnets and the bay magnets.

20. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a tablet computing device and wherein the display housing comprises a display device shell that forms at least a portion of the display device bay and that is separable from the case to operate as a tablet computing device case.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070266/0946 →
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 Dec 7, 2022
From: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD
Reel/Frame 062078/0718 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2022
From: PERELLI, THOMAS; ENT, ALI
To: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
Reel/Frame 060678/0718 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240036616A1 · Feb 1, 2024
Cited By (1)
US 12,210,391