Portable Device Spine Member Rigidity and Misalignment Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing portable information devices with rotatable left and right chassis face issues with maintaining spine member rigidity when folded, leading to potential damage from external forces due to relative movement of frame members, which can affect electronic components like displays.

Innovation Solution

A portable information device design featuring a spine member with multiple rotatable post members and a misalignment preventing portion that suppresses relative movement between post members, ensuring the spine member maintains rigidity and supports the chassis in the stacked form, using a flexible sheet member and specific geometries to enhance stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the spine member is made of hard resin frame members forming an arch shape, then the chassis can be folded with structural support, but the frame members may move relative to each other under external force, reducing spine member rigidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespine member rigidityVSAvoidstructural stability under external force

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The spine member is divided into multiple post members (first post member, second post member, third post member) arranged along the folding direction. Each post member is independently positioned to support the chassis at different locations, distributing the structural load and maintaining rigidity when external forces are applied during folding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A misalignment preventing portion is introduced as an intermediary structure between the post members. This portion includes a protrusion on one post member that fits into a locking hole on another post member, preventing relative movement and misalignment between post members when they abut against each other under external force.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the post members are arranged to form an arch shape for folding, then the chassis can be compacted, but the gap between chassis may cause misalignment and reduce structural integrity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefolding capabilityVSAvoidgap alignment between chassis

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The misalignment preventing portion is pre-configured on the post members during manufacturing. The protrusion and locking hole are positioned in advance to automatically align and lock the post members together when the chassis are folded, preventing gap formation and misalignment before external forces are applied.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The misalignment preventing portion features an asymmetric protrusion structure that fits into a corresponding locking hole. This asymmetric design ensures proper orientation and alignment of post members during folding, preventing lateral displacement and maintaining structural integrity when the chassis are stacked.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS11455004B2Portable information device

Publication Date: 2022.09.27 LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH

AI summary

A portable information device includes: a first chassis; a second chassis disposed adjacently to the first chassis and coupled to the first chassis to be rotatable between a flat form and a stacked form; and a spine member disposed across adjacent end portions of the first and second chassis. In the flat form, the first and second chassis are side by side in a direction perpendicular to a surface direction of the first and second chassis. In the stacked form, the first and second chassis are stacked and overlap one another in the surface direction.