Notebook Hinge Mechanism That Clears a Blocked Cooling Vent

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Solution Overview

Problem

Notebook computers experience reduced performance due to overheating as heat dissipating holes are blocked by the second body when it rotates and unfolds, leading to poor heat dissipation efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A hinge mechanism with a rack, rotating shaft, and driving component allows the second body to slide away from the heat dissipating hole as it rotates, increasing the distance between the second body and the heat dissipating hole, ensuring unobstructed airflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the second body is pivotally connected to the first body to rotate and unfold, then the portability and usability of the notebook computer are improved, but the heat dissipating hole located at the pivoting side is blocked by the lower edge of the second body, resulting in poor heat dissipating efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveportability and usabilityVSAvoidheat dissipating efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge mechanism is designed to provide not only rotational movement but also sliding movement. The lower edge of the second body is connected to the pivoting side through a hinge mechanism that includes a rack, rotating shaft, and driving component, enabling the lower edge to slide away from the pivoting side during rotation, thus dynamically adjusting its position to avoid blocking the heat dissipating hole while maintaining portability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The hinge mechanism is divided into multiple functional components: a rack fixed in the first body, a rotating shaft connected to the second body, and a driving component that couples the rack and rotating shaft. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's function, with the rack providing sliding guidance, the rotating shaft enabling rotation, and the driving component coordinating both movements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If the second body rotates and unfolds with respect to the first body, then the display area and working space are increased, but the distance between the lower edge of the second body and the heat dissipating hole decreases, causing the heat dissipating hole to be blocked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay area and working spaceVSAvoiddistance between lower edge of second body and heat dissipating hole
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge mechanism introduces a sliding dimension in addition to the rotational dimension. While the second body rotates to unfold and increase display area, the lower edge simultaneously slides in a different direction (away from the pivoting side along the rack), maintaining adequate distance from the heat dissipating hole through this additional degree of freedom

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4047449B1Portable electronic apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 ACER INC
  • EP4047449B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4047449B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4047449B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

A portable electronic apparatus (100) includes a first body (110) having a pivoting side (111) and a heat dissipating hole (112) located at the pivoting side, a second body (120), and a hinge mechanism (130). The second body (120) is rotatably and slidably connected to the first body (110) through the hinge mechanism including a rack (131) fixed in the first body as corresponding to the pivoting side, a rotating shaft (132) connected to the second body (120), and a driving component connected to the rotating shaft (132) and mechanically coupled to the rack (131). When the second body (120) rotates and unfolds with respect to the first body (110), the rotating shaft (132) rotates together with the second body (120), the driving component rotates with the rotating shaft (132), and the driving component rotates and slides with respect to the rack (131) and drives the second body (120) to slide away from the pivoting side (111) to increase a distance between the second body (120) and the heat dissipating hole (112).