Abstract:
A group of assemblies—two housings and a hinge assembly—which particularly enhances the flexibility in use of electronic devices such as computer systems and cell phones. The enhancement derives from the capability of separating the three elements by pairs or one from another for use either individually or as a conjoined entity.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND 
     What is described here relates to two component electronic devices and to a hinge assembly cooperating with two such components to impart enhanced flexibility in use. 
     One type of configuration which has been used in the past for electronic devices is known as a “clamshell”. Such configurations appear in cell phones, computer system, and other devices. In a typical clamshell configuration, two housings are provided and joined by a hinge which enables pivotal movement of one housing relative to the other on an axis which extends along one side edge of the housings, at which they are joined. In a second type of configuration which has been used, special hinges which secure two housings together enable both pivotal movement on an axis which extends parallel to side edges of the housings but also enables rotational movement of one housing relative to the other about an axis which is perpendicular to the side edges. Such special hinges, seen for example in certain computer systems which have touch sensitive or responsive displays (so-called “touch screens”), permit a housing containing a display to folded over a second housing for the display to either be protected by the other housing or exposed for touching by a user. 
     SUMMARY 
     What is here disclosed is a group of assemblies—two housings and a hinge assembly—which particularly enhances the flexibility in use of electronic devices such as those described. The enhancement derives from the capability of separating the three elements by pairs or one from another for use either individually or as a conjoined entity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Some of the purposes of the technology here disclosed having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of an electronic device, particularly a computer system; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views, from opposite sides, of an illustrative electronic device having two housings and a hinge assembly as described herein; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , showing the two housings and hinge assembly separated one from another; and 
         FIG. 5  is a further enlarged perspective view showing details of the hinge assembly and one of the two housings. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     While the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present structures are shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the technology here described while still achieving the favorable results of the technology. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the scope of protection afforded the technology. 
     The term “circuit” or “circuitry” may appear in the summary, description, and/or claims. As is well known in the art, the term “circuitry” includes all levels of available integration, e.g., from discrete logic circuits to the highest level of circuit integration such as VLSI, and includes programmable logic components programmed to perform the functions of an embodiment as well as general-purpose or special-purpose processors programmed with instructions to perform those functions. 
     While various exemplary circuits or circuitry are discussed,  FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of an illustrative exemplary computer system  100 . The system  100  may be a desktop computer system, such as one of the ThinkCentre® or ThinkPad® series of personal computers sold by Lenovo (US) Inc. of Morrisville, N.C., or a workstation computer, such as the ThinkStation®, which are sold by Lenovo (US) Inc. of Morrisville, N.C.; however, as apparent from the description herein, a client device, a server or other machine may include other features or only some of the features of the system  100 . 
     The system  100  of  FIG. 1  includes a so-called chipset  110  (a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that work together, chipsets) with an architecture that may vary depending on manufacturer (e.g., INTEL®, AMD®, etc.). The architecture of the chipset  110  includes a core and memory control group  120  and an I/O controller hub  150  that exchange information (e.g., data, signals, commands, etc.) via a direct management interface (DMI)  142  or a link controller  144 . In  FIG. 1 , the DMI  142  is a chip-to-chip interface (sometimes referred to as being a link between a “northbridge” and a “southbridge”). The core and memory control group  120  include one or more processors  122  (e.g., single or multi-core) and a memory controller hub  126  that exchange information via a front side bus (FSB)  124 ; noting that components of the group  120  may be integrated in a chip that supplants the conventional “northbridge” style architecture. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the memory controller hub  126  interfaces with memory  140  (e.g., to provide support for a type of RAM that may be referred to as “system memory”). The memory controller hub  126  further includes a LVDS interface  132  for a display device  192  (e.g., a CRT, a flat panel, a projector, etc.). A block  138  includes some technologies that may be supported via the LVDS interface  132  (e.g., serial digital video, HDMI/DVI, display port). The memory controller hub  126  also includes a PCI-express interface (PCI-E)  134  that may support discrete graphics  136 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , the I/O hub controller  150  includes a SATA interface  151  (e.g., for HDDs, SDDs, etc.), a PCI-E interface  152  (e.g., for wireless connections  182 ), a USB interface  153  (e.g., for input devices  184  such as keyboard, mice, cameras, phones, storage, etc.), a network interface  154  (e.g., LAN), a GPIO interface  155 , a LPC interface  170  (for ASICs  171 , a TPM  172 , a super I/O  173 , a firmware hub  174 , BIOS support  175  as well as various types of memory  176  such as ROM  177 , Flash  178 , and NVRAM  179 ), a power management interface  161 , a clock generator interface  162 , an audio interface  163  (e.g., for speakers  194 ), a TCO interface  164 , a system management bus interface  165 , and SPI Flash  166 , which can include BIOS  168  and boot code  190 . The I/O hub controller  150  may include gigabit Ethernet support. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , the electronic device there shown is a selectively conjoined assembly of three devices. These are a first device housing  210  bearing a display  211  and having a side edge  212 ; a second device housing  214  bearing a manual input device (shown as a keyboard  215 ) and having a side edge  216 ; and a hinge assembly  218  for selectively detachably coupling the first device housing  210  and the second device housing  214 . The hinge assembly  218  when coupling the first and second housings together accommodates relative movement therebetween on two orthogonal axes, one of which extends parallel to the side edges  212 ,  216  and the other extending perpendicularly to that axis. This technology contemplates that movement of the first and second housings  210 ,  214  about the axis which parallels the side edges  212 ,  216  accommodates folding of first housing  210  over the second housing  214 . This function is similar to the conventional clam shell operation known from notebook computers and certain cell phones. Additionally, the hinge assembly, when the three elements are joined, enables movement of the first and second housings  210 ,  214  about another axis perpendicular to the side edges to accommodate rotation of the first housing  210  relative to the second housing  214 . 
     The technology here disclosed contemplates that the display  211  will be a touchscreen. Further, the first housing  210  will contain circuitry such as at least some of the elements shown in  FIG. 1  (such as a processor and supporting circuit elements) which provide the first device housing  210 , display  211 , processor and supporting circuit elements with system capabilities independently of the second device. 
     With that capability, a distinctive characteristic of this technology comes into play. That is the selectively detachable coupling of the elements provided by the hinge assembly  218  and its cooperation with the first and second housings  210 ,  214 . As will be more fully addressed hereinafter, the hinge assembly allows a user to detach the first housing  210  from the hinge assembly  218  and the second housing  214  and use the first housing device as a “slate” computer system. That is, using the touchscreen and the contained circuitry, a user may access computer operating systems, application programs and data stored in or accessible to (for example over a network connection) the device. As used herein, the phrases “system capability” and “system capabilities” refer to such user access and data manipulation. 
     Referring now to the second housing  214 , it is contemplated that a manual input device incorporated there may be a keyboard as illustrated and/or a touch pad which enables cursor manipulation on a display screen. The second housing  214 , in addition to the manual input device, may or may not also have system capability by the provision of circuitry such as at least some of the elements shown in  FIG. 1  (such as a processor and supporting circuit elements). If such elements and capability are provided, then the device may be used with an external display as a fully functional computer system. 
     It is to be noted that in  FIG. 4 , an exploded perspective view, the three elements of this arrangement—two housings and the hinge assembly—are shown separated one from another. What is here described contemplates alternative arrangements. In some implementations, the hinge assembly  218  is selectively separable from each of the two housings. In other implementations, the hinge assembly may be secured in one of the housings for retention there while the housings are separated for use. When conjoined into one super assembly, and with each of the housing elements providing system capability, the processing capability is enhanced above that achieved with either housing element standing alone. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , details of the interconnections among the three elements can be more clearly seen. In the implementation illustrated as an example (others are contemplated), the conjoined assembly has a pair of mating electrical connectors  220 ,  221 , one of the connectors being incorporated in the hinge assembly  218  and the other of the connectors being incorporated in the first device housing  210 . While not visible in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a similar pair of connectors are provided between the hinge assembly  218  and the second housing  214  where the three elements are to be separable into individual entities. The connectors  220 ,  221  enable the passage of electrical signals from components housed within one of the two housings to components housed in the other. 
     It will be noted that the hinge assembly  218  and the first device housing  210  carry a mating set of projecting portions  222  and receiving recesses  224  which align the hinge assembly and first device housing when those elements are moving into coupled relationship. Further, the characteristics of the mating projections and recesses  222 ,  224  are preferably such that the elements are both guided into engagement and coupled for transmitting any forces necessarily arising with relative movement between the housings as here described. 
     The mating assemblies  210 ,  218  are also provided with a suitable latch mechanism for maintaining the coupled relationships in use. In the illustrated implementation (others are contemplated), the latch mechanism between the first housing  210  and the hinge assembly  218  is provided by a slider  225  with tangs which enter into slots provided in the hinge assembly ( FIG. 5 ). The slider may be selectively moved by a user using a rotatable member  226  ( FIG. 3 ) mounted on the rear face of the first housing  210  and coupled to the slider. A bayonet locking collar on the hinge assembly  218  may engage a socket in the second housing  214  in implementations where the three elements are to be completely selectively separable one from the others as described above. 
     In the drawings and specifications there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the technology disclosed and, although specific terms are used, the description thus given uses terminology in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.