Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-07-10
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
C016S340000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256836
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hinge system and, more specifically, to a hinge system used to couple two components together while permitting easy separation of the two components if desired, such as a screen from the main body of a portable computer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a portable computer, a main body and a screen are typically coupled with a hinge. A hinge provides an axle along which a screen may open up away from a main body or close down toward the main body.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional hinge
10
formed with two parts: a screen fastener
30
and a main body fastener
50
. The screen fastener
30
includes a first connection plate
32
at one end, which defines two threaded holes
35
therethrough. The first connection plate
32
is fastened to a display using two screws (not shown). The other end of the screen fastener
30
includes a first cylindrical portion
36
defining a cavity
38
therethrough. The main body fastener
50
includes a boss
60
, a second cylindrical portion
70
, and a second connection plate
80
. The second connection plate
80
defines two threaded holes
85
therethrough, and may be fastened to a main body using two screws (not shown). The external diameter of the boss
60
matches the internal diameter of the cavity
38
defined through the screen fastener
30
, so that when the boss
60
is inserted in the cavity
38
, the boss
60
and the cavity
38
form a “tight fit”. Due to this “tight fit”, the screen fastener
30
and the main body fastener
50
are not easily separated and, yet, may axially rotate with respect to each other. To assemble a main body and a screen together, either fastener of the hinge
10
is fastened to one of the main body or the display without a covering, using screws. Then the covering is placed over either the main body or the display, to which the fastener has been just secured. Thereafter, the other fastener of the hinge
10
is fastened to the other of either the main body or the display without a covering, using screws. Finally, the covering is placed on the other of either the main body or the display, to complete the assembling process. When a screen and a main body need to be separated for checking or maintenance purposes, one must typically open up the screen, undo the screen covering, and unfasten the screws. Such dismantling process is cumbersome and tedious. Further, since a covering needs to be removed to unfasten screws, the process involves a risk of damaging exposed electrical circuit boards or other internal structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the disadvantages associated with the currently available hinge as described above, the present invention provides an improved hinge system that allows for easy dismantling of a screen and a main body of a portable computer.
The hinge system of the invention is used to couple a first component and a second component together in an axially rotatable manner with respect to each other, for example, a screen and a main body of a portable computer. The hinge system includes a first fastener, a clutch, and a second fastener. The first fastener includes a first end adapted to be secured to the first component, and a second end defining a first cylindrical portion. The clutch includes a first end defining a second cylindrical portion including a first cavity therein, and a boss. The first cavity is sized to tightly yet rotatably receive the first cylindrical portion of the first fastener within, so as to form an axle of the hinge. The second fastener includes a first end forming a third cylindrical portion defining a second cavity therein, and a second end adapted to be secured to the second component. The second cavity is sized to slidably receive the boss of the clutch within, in such a manner that the second cavity and the boss cannot axially rotate with respect to each other. Thus, the hinge system of the present invention not only allows the first fastener and the clutch to axially rotate with respect to each other to function as a hinge; but also permits the clutch, and thus the first fastener, to be slidably separated from the second fastener when desired.
In one aspect of the invention, the radial surface of the boss of the clutch defines at least one axially extending ridge thereon. The second cavity of the second fastener defines at least one groove sized to receive the at least one ridge provided on the radial surface of the boss. When the ridge of the boss and the groove of the second cavity are matched together, the boss and the second cavity cannot axially rotate with respect to each other, while the boss can be slid out of the second cavity along the ridge and the groove.
In another aspect of the invention, the first component to be coupled with the hinge system includes a protruding edge having a first width along the edge, and the second component includes an indented edge for receiving the protruding edge. The indented edge has a second width along the edge, which is greater than the first width. When the hinge system of the present invention is applied to couple the protruding edge and the indented edge, a gap is provided due to the difference between the first and second widths. This gap provides room for the clutch and, thus, the first fastener to be slid in and out from the second fastener. After the clutch is fully received within the second fastener, a stopping piece may be provided to fill the gap, to prevent the clutch and, thus, the first fastener from sliding out of the second fastener.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1341063 (1920-05-01), McQueen
patent: 3015126 (1962-01-01), Ahlgren
patent: 4542558 (1985-09-01), Brockhaus
patent: 4570290 (1986-02-01), Anderson
patent: 4854009 (1989-08-01), Brockhaus
patent: 4951350 (1990-08-01), Nunes
patent: 5715576 (1998-02-01), Liu
patent: 5724704 (1998-03-01), Seo
patent: 6076232 (2000-06-01), Saida et al.
Lin Cheng-Yi
Tang Shih-Yih
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Inventec C'orporation
Knight Anthony
Pickard Alison K.
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