U.S. patent application number 13/768943 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-22 for interlocking flexible segments formed from a rigid material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Apple Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael S. Nasher, Peter N. Russell-Clarke.
Application Number | 20130216740 13/768943 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47843399 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130216740 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Russell-Clarke; Peter N. ;
et al. |
August 22, 2013 |
INTERLOCKING FLEXIBLE SEGMENTS FORMED FROM A RIGID MATERIAL
Abstract
A method for creating a flexible portion or bending portion
within a rigid structure. The method can also be used for creating
a flexible structure from a rigid material. The method includes
providing a substantially rigid material, such as, but not limited
to, metals, alloys, hard plastics, and the like, and selectively
removing portions of the rigid material defining a geometric
pattern in the rigid material. A bending radius of the flexible
portion is defined by the geometric pattern. The rigid structure
may be used to create an enclosure, a cover for an electronic
device, one or more hinges, or the like.
Inventors: |
Russell-Clarke; Peter N.;
(San Francisco, CA) ; Nasher; Michael S.; (San
Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apple Inc.
Cupertino
CA
|
Family ID: |
47843399 |
Appl. No.: |
13/768943 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61599766 |
Feb 16, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/33 ;
219/121.72; 428/34.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 53/063 20130101;
G06F 1/1681 20130101; B21D 31/04 20130101; B23K 26/38 20130101;
B65D 85/00 20130101; G06F 1/1616 20130101; Y10T 428/13
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/33 ;
428/34.1; 219/121.72 |
International
Class: |
B23K 26/38 20060101
B23K026/38; B65D 85/00 20060101 B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A method for creating a flexible portion in a rigid material,
comprising: providing a substantially rigid material; and
selectively removing portions of the rigid material defining a
geometric pattern in the rigid material, the geometric pattern
defining the flexible portion; wherein a bend radius of the
flexible material is defined by the geometric pattern.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geometric pattern comprises:
at least two flex apertures; and at least two sidewalls bordering
and defining the flex apertures; wherein the sidewalls are angled
between a first surface of the rigid material and a second surface
of the rigid material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible structure includes a
first flexible portion having a first bend radius and a second
flexible portion having a second flexible portion.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively removing portions of
the rigid material comprises at least one of heating the rigid
material with a laser or using electrical discharge machining.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the rigid
material is substantially planar.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rigid material is a
three-dimensional shape.
7. A method for creating an enclosure for an electronic device
comprising: providing a rigid material; and removing sections of
the rigid material to create a geometric pattern.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operation of providing a
rigid material further comprises metal molding the rigid
material.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein removing sections of the rigid
material is performed by a laser cutting device.
10. An enclosure formed of a substantially rigid material
comprising: a first plurality of flex apertures defined within the
rigid material along a first row; a second plurality of flex
apertures defined within the rigid material along a second row;
wherein the second row is positioned below the second row; the
first plurality of flex apertures are misaligned with the second
plurality of flex apertures such that a first end of each of the
first plurality of flex apertures is in a different vertical plane
from a first end of each of the second plurality of flex apertures;
and when a bending force is applied to one of the first row or the
second row, the first plurality of flex apertures and the second
plurality of flex apertures vary in shape or dimension, allowing
the rigid material to bend.
11. The enclosure of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of flex
apertures and the second plurality of flex apertures are
substantially diamond shaped.
12. A housing of a substantially rigid material, comprising: a
first plurality of interlocking features defined within the rigid
material; a second plurality of interlocking features defined
within the rigid material; and a plurality of flex apertures
defined between the first plurality of interlocking features and
the second plurality of interlocking features to separate the first
plurality of interlocking features from the second plurality of
interlocking features; wherein the first plurality of interlocking
features is movable relative to the second plurality of
interlocking features.
13. The housing of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of
interlocking features and the second plurality of interlocking
features are substantially frustum shaped.
14. The housing of claim 12, wherein each of the first plurality of
interlocking features include at least one sidewall, wherein the at
least one sidewall changes in angular orientation from a first
surface of the rigid material to a second surface of the rigid
material.
15. The housing of claim 14, wherein each of the second plurality
of interlocking features include at least one sidewall, wherein the
at least one sidewall changes in angular orientation from the first
surface of the rigid material to a second surface of the rigid
material.
16. A method of manufacturing a flexible component, comprising:
providing a substantially rigid material; and removing portions of
the rigid material to create a plurality of flex apertures, wherein
the flex apertures are defined by interlocking features adjacent
each other and spaced apart by the flex apertures; wherein each
interlocking feature has at least one sidewall and an angle of the
sidewall determines a radial bend of the rigid material; and the
rigid material is non-cylindrical.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rigid material is
planar.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein a geometric pattern is defined
in the rigid material by the plurality of flex apertures.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein a first side of the rigid
material has a first geometric pattern and the second side of the
rigid material has a second geometric pattern.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein removing portions of the rigid
material is done by one of a multi-axis laser or electrical
discharge machining.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional
application No. 61/599,766, filed Feb. 16, 2012 and titled
"Interlocking Flexible Segments Formed from a Unitary Rigid
Material;" the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to creating flexible
portions within a rigid material and more specifically, to creating
flexible segments for components of electronic devices.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many electronic devices, peripheral components or devices
(such as speakers, headphones, keyboards, etc.) may include
housings or enclosures made of a relatively rigid material, such as
plastic or metal. These types of enclosures are typically at least
somewhat rigid in order to provide protection for internal
components housed within the enclosures. However, due to the
rigidity of the material, in order for these type of enclosures or
housings to bend or flex, a separate element, such as a hinge, may
need to be connected to the rigid material. For example, laptop
enclosures may include two separate rigid components interconnected
together by one or more hinges that allow the two components to
move relative to each other. These additional components, such as
hinges, may increase the size of the enclosures and thus the size
of the electronic devices or peripheral devices, as well as
increase manufacturing costs as additional components may need to
be assembled together.
SUMMARY
[0004] Examples of embodiments described herein may take the form
of a method for creating an enclosure for an electronic device. The
method includes providing a rigid material and removing sections of
the rigid material to create a geometric pattern of interlocking
features. The geometric pattern may define the flex of the rigid
material.
[0005] Other embodiments may take the form of an enclosure formed
of a substantially rigid material. The enclosure may include a
first plurality of flex apertures defined within the rigid material
along a first row and a second plurality of flex apertures defined
within the rigid material along a second row. The second row is
positioned below the second row and the first plurality of flex
apertures are misaligned with the second plurality of flex
apertures such that a first end of each of the first plurality of
flex apertures is in a different vertical plane from a first end of
each of the second plurality of flex apertures. When a bending
force is applied to one of the first row or the second row, the
first plurality of flex apertures and the second plurality of flex
apertures vary in shape or dimension, allowing the rigid material
to bend.
[0006] Yet other embodiments of the disclosure may take the form of
a housing formed of a substantially rigid material. The housing may
include a first plurality of interlocking features defined within
the rigid material, a second plurality of interlocking features
defined within the rigid material, and a plurality of flex
apertures defined between the first plurality of interlocking
features and the second plurality of interlocking features to
separate the first plurality of interlocking features from the
second plurality of interlocking features. The first plurality of
interlocking features is movable relative to the second plurality
of interlocking features.
[0007] Other embodiments of the disclosure may take the form of a
method of manufacturing a flexible component. The method includes
providing a substantially rigid material and removing portions of
the rigid material to create a plurality of flex apertures. The
flex apertures are defined by interlocking features of the rigid
material, the interlocking features are adjacent to each other and
spaced apart from one another by the flex apertures. Each
interlocking features has at least one sidewall and an angle of the
sidewall determines a radial bend the rigid material. The rigid
material formed using the disclosed method may be non-cylindrical,
e.g., planar or a three-dimensional object that includes curves but
is not substantially cylindrical.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for creating a
flexible portion within a rigid material.
[0009] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an electronic device
including an enclosure formed of a rigid material including a
flexible portion.
[0010] FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the electronic device
including a first embodiment of the enclosure.
[0011] FIG. 2C is a side elevation view of the electronic device
including a second embodiment of the enclosure.
[0012] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of the rigid material
forming the enclosure prior to being formed with the flexible
portion.
[0013] FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the rigid material including a
first embodiment of a geometric portion forming the flexible
portion.
[0014] FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the geometric pattern of FIG.
3B during bending.
[0015] FIG. 4B is a further enlarged view of the geometric pattern
of FIG. 3B during bending.
[0016] FIG. 4C is a simplified side perspective view of the
enclosure of FIG. 2A including the geometric pattern of FIG. 3B
with a top portion partially angled with respect to a bottom
portion.
[0017] FIG. 4D is a simplified side perspective view of the
enclosure of FIG. 2A including the geometric pattern of FIG. 3B
with the top portion positioned substantially parallel to the
bottom portion.
[0018] FIG. 4E is an enlarged side perspective view of the
enclosure of FIG. 4D.
[0019] FIG. 5A is a top plan view of the rigid material including a
second embodiment of a geometric pattern forming the flexible
portion.
[0020] FIG. 5B is a simplified side perspective view of the
enclosure of FIG. 2A including the geometric pattern of FIG. 5A
with the top portion positioned substantially parallel to the
bottom portion.
[0021] FIG. 5C is an enlarged top plan view of the geometric
pattern of FIG. 5A.
[0022] FIG. 5D is an enlarged side elevation view of the geometric
pattern of FIG. 5A with the enclosure in the position illustrated
in FIG. 5B.
[0023] FIG. 5E is an enlarged top perspective view of the geometric
pattern of FIG. 5A.
[0024] FIG. 5F is a top perspective view of a row of the geometric
pattern of FIG. 5A.
[0025] FIG. 6A is a top perspective view of a row of a third
embodiment of the geometric pattern forming the flexible
portion.
[0026] FIG. 6B is a top perspective view of two rows of the
geometric pattern of FIG. 6A.
[0027] FIG. 6C is a side perspective view of a portion of the
geometric pattern of FIG. 6A.
[0028] FIG. 7A is a top plan view of a fourth embodiment of the
geometric pattern forming the flexible portion.
[0029] FIG. 7B is a top perspective view of the geometric pattern
of FIG. 7A.
[0030] FIG. 7C is a top plan view of an interlocking feature
removed from the geometric pattern of FIG. 7A.
[0031] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a pair of headphones
including an enclosure with the geometric pattern of FIG. 6A
defining the flexible portion.
[0032] FIG. 8B is a side perspective view of one of the headphones
bending by flexing along the flexible portion of the enclosure.
[0033] FIG. 9A is a top plan view of a cover for an electronic
device including a geometric pattern defined therein.
[0034] FIG. 9B is a side elevation view of the cover and the
electronic device of FIG. 9A with the cover partially
retracted.
[0035] FIG. 9C is a top perspective view of the cover and the
electronic device of FIG. 9A with the cover fully retracted and
acting as a support or stand for the electronic device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] Some embodiments described herein may take the form of a
method for creating a flexible portion or element within a rigid or
substantially rigid material. It should be noted that the term
rigid material as used herein is meant to encompass rigid
materials, semi-rigid (partially flexible materials), and
substantially any materials where an increased flexibility may be
desired. For example, the rigid material may be metal, carbon
fiber, composites, ceramics, glass, sapphire, plastic, or the like.
The flexible portion or portions defined in the rigid material may
function as a living hinge or mechanical hinge and allow the rigid
material to bend to a predetermined angle in a predetermined
direction. In some embodiments, the flexible portion may be
positioned at substantially any location of the rigid material and
may span across one or more dimensions of the rigid material (e.g.,
across a width, length, or height of the rigid material). In some
instances, the rigid material may be substantially flat or planar,
may represent a three-dimensional object (e.g., a molded or
machined component), or the like.
[0037] The flexible portion may be defined by a geometric pattern
that may be recessed and/or cut into the rigid material. In some
embodiments, the geometric pattern may define one more movable
elements that are interlocked together. The movable elements or
interlocking features may move relative to adjacent elements, but
may be prevented from disconnecting from those adjacent elements.
The flexible portion may include a plurality of movable interlocked
elements, each of which may move a predetermined amount, so that
the combination of the plurality of movable elements creates a bend
point or area for the rigid material or device or enclosure made
from the material. The amount of bending, that is, the maximum
angle through which the rigid material can deform if all movable
interlocked elements translate to their maximums, may be varied by
changing either the degree of movement between individual
interlocked movable elements or the shape of one or more elements.
Similarly, the bend angle, direction, pitch, and bend or flexing
axis may vary with the geometric pattern of the cuts. For example,
a first geometric pattern may allow the rigid material to only bend
along a single axis where as a second geometric pattern may allow
the rigid material to bend along multiple axes. As another example,
by varying the angulation of the shape of the elements, the flexing
radius may be modified.
[0038] The rigid material may include one or more different
patterns, angles, or the like. In other words, the rigid material
may have some sections that are more flexible than others, which
may be done by modifying the geometric pattern, the angulation of
the pattern, or the like.
[0039] In some embodiments, the method for creating the flexible
portion may be used to create enclosures for electronic devices,
including portable and/or peripheral devices. For example, an
enclosure for a laptop may be created from a rigid material having
a flexible portion defined around approximately a midpoint of the
material. The flexible portion may allow the rigid material to be
folded in half and thus acts as a laptop clamshell. A top portion
may support a display screen and a bottom portion may support a
keyboard, track pad, and the like, while an interior defined by
sidewalls of the rigid material may house a variety of electronic
components in accordance with conventional laptop computing
devices. In this manner, the enclosure (or a portion thereof) may
be created from a single rigid material, while still providing
flexibility and bending for the enclosure. As another example, the
method may be used to create a flexible cover for an electronic
device, such as a cover for a tablet computer or smart phone.
[0040] As another example, the method may be used to create a
housing or a portion of a housing for headphones. In this example,
the flexible segments may cooperate to form an enclosure
encompassing, and protecting, a wire where it enters the enclosure
of the headphone. The enclosure at the connection location to the
wire or cable may flex around one or more axes to provide bending
in multiple directions. This flexibility may substantially prevent
the enclosure from cracking as the wire moves relative to the
earpieces because the connection portion of the earpiece may move,
at least in part, with the movement of the communication wire.
Additionally, the flexibility may also help to prevent internal
wires of the cable from breaking as the flexibility of the housing
may increase the radius that the cable or wire may bend, thus
providing strain relief to the internal wires as it is bent.
[0041] Yet other examples include using the method to create bands,
straps, or cables having flexible sections or that may be
substantially flexible. As a specific example, the method may be
used to create a band that may support an electronic device, such
as an arm band for holding a portable electronic device on a user's
bicep. As another specific example, the method may also be used to
create strain relief sections for cables, straps, or the like. The
method may further be used to create handles, cases, bags, purses,
or the like.
[0042] Turning now to the figures, a method for creating a flexible
portion in a rigid material will be discussed in more detail. FIG.
1 is a flow chart for a method 100 for creating a flexible portion
within a rigid material. The method 100 may begin with operation
102 and the rigid material may be formed or otherwise provided. In
some embodiments, the rigid material may be metal injection molded
into a desired shape, the shape of the rigid material may be milled
or otherwise cut from a block or sheet of material, or other
manufacturing techniques may be used. The rigid material may be
substantially any material where an increased flexibility is
desired. For example the material may include metals, metal alloys,
plastics, composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced
plastic, magnetic or conductive materials, glass fiber reinforced
materials, or the like), ceramics, sapphire, glasses, printed
circuit boards, and the like. Additionally, the rigid material may
include a combination of two or more materials connected together
(e.g., through adhesive, welding, or the like). As one example, in
instances where a first material may be brittle (e.g., glass), the
material may be laminated or otherwise connected to another less
brittle material and then the combined material may be modified
using the method 100.
[0043] The formation process used in operation 102 to create the
rigid material may be varied depending on the type of material used
and/or the size/dimensions of the desired shape. For example, in
instances where the material is a hard plastic, injection molding
may be used to create the material. However, injection molding may
not be desired for other types of materials. Additionally,
operation 102 may be optional. For example, in some instances, the
rigid material may be provided from another source (e.g.,
manufacturer) and then may be manipulated, as discussed in more
detail below, to provide the flexible portion. Accordingly, in some
instances, the rigid material may be in the form of a
three-dimensional shape, such as the formed shape of a molded or
milled component. Also, it should be noted that the thickness of
the rigid material may vary as desired based on the use of the
material or shape of the component.
[0044] The shape of the rigid material after operation 102 may not
be the final shape of the component as some features such as a
small or complex apertures, or finishes such as rounded edges,
coatings, painting, and the like may be completed after the method
100 has completed. In other embodiments, such as those where the
rigid material may be injection molded, the shape of the rigid
material after operation 102 may be substantially the same as the
final shape of the rigid material (excluding the changes in shape
due to operation 110 discussed in more detail below). FIG. 3A
illustrates a top plan view of the rigid material after operation
102, and is discussed in more detail below. Alternatively or
additionally, the rigid material may include one or finishes,
coatings, decorations, or the like, prior to being manipulated
during the method 100. For example, the rigid material may be
painted, anodized, layered with one or more coatings, films, or the
like, may be applied to the material prior to operations 104 and
106 (discussed below).
[0045] After operation 102 and the shape of the rigid material is
created, the method 100 may proceed to operation 104 and a
geometric pattern may be determined. In operation 104, the desired
bending direction or axis, bending angle or degree, size of
apertures within the material, and/or spring rate for the flexible
portion may be analyzed to determine the desired geometric pattern.
The geometric pattern may be created by a processor executing one
more algorithms or may be determined by a user. The pattern may
take into a number of desired characteristics for the flexibility
of the rigid material. For example, increasing the angle of the
cuts in the geometric pattern may increase the bending radius of
the material. As another example, decreasing the width of the cuts
or the removed material may reduce the bending radius. In addition
to the bending characteristics listed above, there may be
additional characteristics of the geometric pattern, such as an
aesthetic appearance of the pattern, type of material to be used,
and so on that may also be taken into account. Different examples
of geometric patterns having one or more of the above-listed
characteristics are discussed in more detail below with respect to
FIGS. 4A, 5A, 6A, and 7A.
[0046] The geometric pattern chosen may include one or more
patterns. For example, a first section of the material may be
selected to have a first geometric pattern with a first bend radius
whereas a second section of the material may be selected to have a
second geometric pattern with a second bend radius. In this manner,
the two sections of the material (when finished) may have different
bend flexibilities. As another example, a first side of the
material may include a first geometric pattern and a second side of
the material may include a second geometric pattern. In other
words, the front side pattern may not match the backside pattern.
In this manner, the material may have a first bend radius when bent
in a first direction (e.g., the front rolled upon itself) and a
second bend radius when bent in a second direction (e.g., the back
side rolled upon itself).
[0047] Once the geometric pattern has been determined, the method
100 may proceed to operation 106 and the pattern may be provided to
a cutting mechanism or device. In some embodiments, the geometric
pattern may include sharp corners and/or small apertures. In these
embodiments, the cutting device may be a laser cutting machine,
which may use a laser to cut or engrave the geometric pattern into
the rigid material. In other embodiments, the cutting device may be
an electrical discharge machining may be used and a wire or probe
may be used to remove material in the shape of the geometric
pattern. In either of these embodiments, the geometric pattern may
be provided to the cutting device in the form of data. For example,
the geometric pattern may be provided to the cutting device by
communicating data, such as in the form engineering drawings,
computer-aided-design (CAD) files, computer aided manufacturing
(CAM) files, or computer numerical control (CNC) files, to a
processor or other component within the cutting device.
[0048] After operation 106, the method 100 may proceed to operation
108 and the geometric pattern may be incorporated into the rigid
material. In some embodiments, the cutting device may remove
sections or portions of the rigid material to form the geometric
pattern. For example, in instances where the cutting device is a
laser, a laser beam may cut apertures into the rigid material or
remove one or more layers of the rigid material to create a recess
within the rigid material. The laser beam may melt, cut, burn,
and/or vaporize the material to create the apertures and/or
recesses (engraved portions) within the rigid material. In
embodiments utilizing a laser as the cutting mechanism, the laser
may include a multi-axis head that can shift as appropriate to
create the angulation and other requirements of the geometric
pattern or patterns. For example, the position of the head of the
laser may be modified based on the shape of the cuts, while
maintaining a single cut through a portion of the material.
[0049] In other embodiments, for example, where the cutting device
is a water jet or other pressurized cutter, the material may be
removed by a pressurized stream water which may optionally include
one or more abrasive materials to assist in removing the rigid
material. Other cutting devices are also envisioned, but may depend
on the complexity of the geometric pattern and/or the type of
material for the rigid material. For example, electrical discharge
machining (EDM) may be used and a wire or probe may be used to
remove material in the shape of the geometric pattern.
[0050] It should be noted that certain portions of the geometric
pattern may have apertures defined through the rigid material,
whereas other portions of the geometric pattern may include
recesses defined only through one or two layers of the rigid
material (that is, they do not pierce through the rigid
material).
[0051] After operation 108 in which the geometric pattern has been
engraved and/or cut into the rigid material, the method 100 may
proceed to operation 110. In operation 110, a computer and/or a
user may determine whether another component should be
manufactured. If another component is to be manufactured, the
method 100 may return to operation 102. However, if another
component is not going to be manufactured, the method 100 may
terminate at an end state.
[0052] Alternatively, in instances where the material and/or the
component may not be finalized or otherwise requires additional
processing, the method may include an additional operation of
finalizing or finishing the material. For example, one or more
coatings, paints, decorations, or finishes may be applied to the
material after it has been cut. In instances where finishes may be
applied after the material has been cut with the geometric pattern,
the coatings may be applied to extend around the sidewalls of the
material formed by the cuts. However, as discussed above, in some
embodiments, the material or component may be substantially
finalized or otherwise included the desired finishes prior to being
cut. In these instances, the material may not need to be further
processed. Moreover, it should be noted that the flexible sections
may be created in a rigid material that is mounted within another
component or fixture.
[0053] The method 100 may also be used to create components having
one or more flexible portions or components that are entirely
flexible. In some embodiments, sheets or large portions of a rigid
material may be cut using the method 100, and once cut with a
geometric pattern, one or more shapes or smaller components may be
cut therefrom. For example, a large sheet of a rigid material may
be cut with a geometric pattern along its entire length and then a
plurality of smaller pieces of the material may be cut or stamped
from the large sheet. In this example, the smaller pieces may be
entirely flexible along their entire length, width, or other
dimension. As another example, the rigid material that is cut using
the method 100 may include one or more extrusions, apertures, or
the like. As a specific example, a hole or aperture may be cut into
a center of the rigid material (before or after the rigid material
is processed using the method 100) and the geometric pattern may
extend around the aperture. In this example, the edges of the
aperture may flex due to the geometric pattern, allowing the
material surrounding the aperture to remain flexible.
[0054] The method 100 and the geometric patterns discussed in more
detail below may be used to create interlocking segments for a
material, where the material shape may not be cylindrical. The
geometric patterns, such as those patterns utilizing angled
sidewalls or angulation, may allow sheets and other non-cylindrical
items to be cut and remained connected together. In other words,
rather than relying solely on the shape of the object itself to
maintain the connection of the components of the geometric pattern,
the geometric pattern, rather than the shape of the object, may be
used to allow the object to remain interconnected, despite the
apertures defined through the object. Thus, the method 100 may be
used to create components and materials for number of different
apparatuses and items.
[0055] Illustrative enclosures formed using the method 100 of FIG.
1 will now be discussed. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an
electronic device 200 including an enclosure 202 formed of a
substantially rigid material 230 including a strain relief or
flexible portion 204. The enclosure 202 may at least partially
surround one or more components of the electronic device 200, such
as a keyboard 206, track pad 208, and/or a display 210. Further,
although not shown, the enclosure 202 may house one or more
internal components (also not shown) of the electronic device 200,
such as a processor, storage medium, and so on. It should be noted
that, although the electronic device 200 in FIG. 2A is illustrated
as a computer, other electronic devices are envisioned. For
example, the enclosure 202 may be used to for smart phones, digital
music players, display screens or televisions, video game consoles,
set top boxes, telephones, and so on. The method 100 may also be
used to create enclosures (or portions thereof) for one more
peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, connection cables or
cords, earphones, and so on. Further, the method 100 may be used to
create bands (such as an arm band to support an electronic device),
garage doors, straps, handles, cases, bags, covers for electronic
devices such as tablet computers or electronic reading devices,
shades or blinds, and substantially any other components which may
require flexibility.
[0056] The enclosure 202 may also include one or more connection
apertures 212 defined therein. The connection apertures 212 may be
defined during the method 100, or in another manner (e.g., while
the rigid material is being formed). The connection apertures 212
may receive one or more cables, such as communication, data, and/or
power cables, to provide a connection port for the those cables to
the electronic device 200. For example, the connection apertures
212 may define an input/output port for universal serial bus (USB)
cable, a power cable, or a tip ring sleeve connector. The position,
size, number, and/or shape of the connection apertures may be
varied depending on the desired connectivity for the electronic
device 100.
[0057] The flexible portion 204 of the enclosure 202 may allow the
enclosure 202 (specifically, the rigid material 230) to bend in at
least one direction. FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the
electronic device 200 in a closed position, with the enclosure 202
folded at the flexible portion 204. The enclosure 202 may bend so
that a top 224 of the enclosure 202 may be folded onto or
positioned adjacent to a bottom 226 of the enclosure 202. In other
words, the top 224 may be rotated from a perpendicular, obtuse, or
other angular orientation with respect to the bottom 226 (see FIG.
2A) to a substantially parallel orientation with the respect to the
bottom 226. For example, in instances where the electronic device
200 is a laptop computer, the display 210 may be operably connected
to the top 224 and may be rotated downwards towards the bottom 226,
closing the electronic device 200. In this manner, the enclosure
202 may function as a clamshell in that it may selectively rotate
around an axis to position the top 224 relative to the bottom 226.
It should be noted that in other embodiments, both the top and
bottom 224, 226 may rotate relative to each other or only one of
the top or bottom 224, 226 may rotate. The flexible portion 204 and
the rotation of the top 224 and bottom 226 will be discussed in
more detail below.
[0058] With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the top 224 and bottom
226 may include one more portions operably connected together. The
top 224 may include a first or outer portion 214 and a second or
inner portion 216 operably connected to define a cavity within the
top 224. Similarly, the bottom 226 may include a first or outer
portion 218 and a second or inner portion 220 that may be operably
connected together to define a cavity within the bottom 226. The
cavities (not shown) may receive the one or more internal
components of the electronic device 200, as well as may at least
partially receive the display 210, the keyboard 206, and/or the
track pad 208.
[0059] In some embodiments, the outer portion 214, 218 may have
substantially the same depth as the respective inner portion 216,
220. In other words, the outer portion 214 may have a depth that
may be approximately half the depth of the cavity and the second
portion 216 may have a depth that may have approximately half of
the depth of the cavity. In these embodiments, the outer portions
214, 218 may be formed of a single rigid material 230 and the inner
portions 216, 220 may be formed of a separate rigid material that
may be operably connected to the outer portions 214, 218.
[0060] With reference to FIG. 2B, in embodiments where the top 224
and bottom 226 include two or more portions 214, 216, 218, 220, the
outer portions 214, 218 may include the flexible portion 204 and
the inner portions 216, 220 may include an inner or second flexible
portion 228. The inner flexible portion 228 may be substantially
the same as the outer flexible portion 204, so that the inner
portions 216, 220 may have approximately the same bend angle and
movement range as the outer portions 214, 218. The second inner
flexible portion 228 defined on the inner portions 216, 220 may be
substantially similar to the flexible portion 204.
[0061] In other embodiments, the inner portions 216, 220 may be
panels or plates, or may have otherwise have a reduced depth
compared to the depth of the outer portions 214, 218. In yet other
embodiments, the top 224 and bottom 226 may include a single
portion, and the cavity may be created by removing material through
one or more apertures within the top 224 and/or bottom 226. FIG. 2C
is a side elevation view of the top 224 and bottom 226 formed of a
single rigid material 230. For example, the top 224 may be at least
partially hollowed out to define a surface and four sidewalls
extending therefrom, and the display 210 may be operably connected
to the surface and sidewalls to enclose the surface. Similarly, the
bottom 226 may be formed to receive the keyboard 206, which may
form the cover portion for the bottom 226 cavity to cover the
internal components. The construction of the enclosure 202 may be
varied depending on the desired size, dimensions, and/or electronic
device 200 be housed by the enclosure 202.
[0062] In embodiments where either the outer portions 214, 218
and/or the inner portions 216, 220 may from a panel or cover, the
respective portions may terminate prior to the flexible portion 204
and thus the flexible portion 204 may form the entire hinge for the
top 224 and bottom 226. Similarly, in embodiments where the top 224
and bottom 226 are formed of a single portion as shown in FIG. 2C,
the flexible portion 204 may form the only hinge for the enclosure
202. In these embodiments, a single material portion may form the
entire enclosure 202. That is, the enclosure 202 may be
substantially unibody in that it may be formed form a single piece
of material. However, due to the flexible portion 204, discussed in
more detail below, the enclosure 202 may bend in order to fold the
top 224 towards the bottom 226 or vice versa. Briefly, the flexible
portion 204 includes a geometric pattern including interconnected
elements that may move or change shape relative to each other in
order to provide a flexibility the rigid material 230 forming the
enclosure 202.
[0063] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of an at least partially
rigid material 230 prior to being formed with the flexible portion
204. The rigid material 230 may form one of the outer portions 214,
218 and/or one of the inner portions 216, 220 (see FIG. 2B). In
other embodiments, the rigid material 230 may form both the top 224
and bottom 226 when formed of a single portion (see FIG. 2C).
[0064] As described above, with respect to FIG. 1, the method 100
may be used to create the flexible portion 204 within the rigid
material 230 by defining a geometric pattern into the rigid
material 230. FIG. 3A is a top plan view of the rigid material 230
including a geometric pattern 232. FIG. 4A is an enlarged top plan
view of the rigid material 230 with a geometric pattern 232 formed
therein to define the flexible portion 204. The geometric pattern
232 may be varied depending on the desired bend angle, position,
spring rate, and the like. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A,
the geometric pattern 232 may be a series of interconnected flex
apertures 234 positioned apart from one another to define spacing
sections or interlocking features 236. There may be one or more
rows 238, 240 of flex apertures 234 that may be misaligned from one
another. For example, a first row 238 may include flex apertures
234 offset from flex apertures 234 within a second row 240
positioned directly below the first row 238. In this manner, the
flex apertures 234 of adjacent rows 238, 240 may begin and
terminate at varying locations from one another.
[0065] The flex apertures 234, as discussed in more detail below,
may be generally linearly shaped apertures formed within the rigid
material 230. In some instances, the flex apertures 234 may have a
diameter or width that may be selected so that before the rigid
material 230 is flexed or bent, the flex apertures 234 may not be
substantially visible, improving the aesthetic appearance of the
rigid material 230. In other words, prior to bending, the flexible
portion 204 may not substantially stand out in appearance from the
other surfaces of the rigid material 230.
[0066] During the method 100, the flex apertures 234 may be formed
so that the sidewalls surrounding each aperture 234 may have
different angular orientations throughout the thickness of the
material 230. That is, the flex apertures 234 may have different
dimensions through the thickness of the material 230, as the
sidewalls 254 may vary in angular orientation (width). The varying
dimensions of the flex apertures 234 may allow the rigid material
230 forming the sidewalls 254 to be able to bend or fold, while
still maintaining structural strength.
[0067] With reference to FIG. 4A, the combination of the first row
238 and the second row 240 may be repeated throughout a length of
the flexible section 204. For example, a third row 242 may include
flex apertures 234 that may be substantially aligned with the flex
apertures 234 of the first row 238. Similarly, a fourth row 244 may
include flex apertures 232 that may be substantially aligned with
the flex apertures 234 of the second row 240. In these embodiments,
the flex apertures 234 may be considered to be aligned if a first
end 246 of the flex aperture 234 is positioned in a same vertical
plane as the first end 246 of another flex aperture 234 and a
second end 248 may be positioned in a same vertical plane as the
second end 248 of another flex aperture 234 in another row.
[0068] The shape and/or dimensions of the flex apertures 234 may be
varied depending on the desired flexibility of the rigid material
230. For example, the larger the flex apertures 234, the larger the
flexibility of the rigid material 230; however, the increase in
size of the flex apertures 234 may lead to a corresponding
reduction in rigidity and/or strength for the rigid material.
Accordingly, the size of the flex apertures 234 may be balanced
against a desired level of rigidity required to best protect the
internal components of the electronic device 202 from damage.
[0069] FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a portion of the geometric
pattern 232 during bending. With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in
some embodiments, as the rigid material 230 bends along the
flexible portion 204 the flex apertures 234 may deform or stretch
to be generally diamond shaped as rigid material 230 is stretched.
Specifically, in some embodiments, the flex apertures 234 may be
generally linearly shaped when formed and during bending may
stretch for form a diamond shape in order to accommodate the
bending force without breaking the material 230. For example, from
the first end 246, the aperture may expand in a triangularly shaped
manner, to form two apexes 250, 252, a top apex 250 and a bottom
apex 250, 252. The two apexes 250, 252 may be aligned with one
another, such that the top apex 259 may be positioned over the
bottom apex 252. From the two apexes 250, 252 the aperture 234 may
descend downwards towards the second end 248. The second end 248
may be substantially laterally aligned with the first end 246. As
the bending force is applied to the rigid material 230, the top
surface of the flex aperture 234 and the bottom surface may expand
away from each other to define the apexes 250, 252. As the bending
force increases, the apexes 250, 252 may expand farther away from
one another.
[0070] In other embodiments, the flex apertures 234 may be diamond
shaped when formed, and thus the diamond may be expanded rather
than the portions of a linear line expanding into a diamond shape
due to the bending force.
[0071] It should be noted that in some embodiments after bending,
the rigid material 230 may experience some plastic deformation in
that the shape of the flex apertures 234 may be somewhat deformed
and remain in the diamond shape, rather than the linear shape as
originally formed. However, in other embodiments, due to the
reduced thickness of the sidewalls 254, the sidewalls 254 may
resiliently return to their original shape, so that after the
bending force is removed the shape of the flex apertures 234 when
the bending ends, may return to the original linear shape.
[0072] The flex apertures 234 may be defined by sidewalls 254
within the rigid material 230. That is, the flex apertures 234 may
be defined by the material surrounding the portions of material
removed by the cutting machine during operation 108 of the method
100 in FIG. 1. The sidewalls 254 may allow the size of the flex
aperture 234 to vary in dimension as the flexible portion 204
bends. For example, the two apexes 250, 252 may extend away from
each other to increase the size of the flex aperture 234 or may
extend towards each other to decrease the size of the flex aperture
234. Similarly, the two ends 246, 248 may be compressed towards
each other or extend away from each other to vary the size of the
flex aperture 234.
[0073] As briefly discussed above, in some embodiments, the shape
of the flex apertures 234 may change along a depth or thickness of
the rigid material 230. For example, on a first side 260 of the
material 230, the flex apertures 234 may have a first size and/or
shape and on a second side 264 of the material 230 the flex
apertures 234 may have a second size and/or shape. This may be
possible as the sidewalls 254 may vary in size along a thickness of
the material. FIG. 4C is a side perspective view of the rigid
material 230 being partially bent. FIG. 4D is a side perspective
view of the rigid material 230 being more fully bent. As shown best
in FIG. 4D, a first side of the flex aperture 262 may have a
smaller diameter and a second side 262 of the flex aperture 234 may
have a diameter that is larger than the diameter on the first side
260 of the material 230. In this manner, the sidewalls 254 may form
a triangular or frustum shape in profile.
[0074] This may also allow the geometric pattern to be varied
between the first side of the material 260 and the second side 264
of the material. In other words, the first side 260 may include a
first geometric pattern and the second side may include a second
geometric pattern, one or both patterns may also be selected not
only for angulation and bend radius, but also based on aesthetics.
As one example, the first side geometric pattern may be selected
based on its bending properties and the second side geometric
pattern may be selected based on its aesthetic properties. However,
in other embodiments, the geometric pattern on both sides of the
material may be selected to be substantially identical.
[0075] The triangular shape of the sidewalls 254 (in profile) may
help to prevent the sidewalls 254 of adjacent rows 238, 240 from
encountering each other as the rigid material 230 is folded or
otherwise bent. Further, the triangular shape of the sidewalls 254
may allow the flex apertures 234 to be more flexible on the inner
surface 262 of the material 230 than on the outer surface 260 as
the sidewalls 254 may be thicker in width towards the outer surface
260. The angular orientation of the sidewalls 254 may also act as a
"stop" to prevent, reduce, or resist bending a in a particular
direction. This may help to protect internal components of the
electronic device 200 from damage. For example, as the rigid
material 230 may be used to form the enclosure 202, the angular
orientation of the sidewalls 254 may prevent bending past a
predetermined angle so that enclosure 202 does not "over bend" and
potentially damage internal components from damage. Additionally,
the angle of the sidewalls 254 may prevent or substantially resist
bending in a particular direction. Further, by varying the
thickness or size of the sidewalls 254, the flexible portion may
become more or less rigid.
[0076] The shape of the sidewalls 254 may allow the flex apertures
234 to have an increased expansion during bending in the middle of
each aperture 234, which may simultaneously minimize stresses on
the sidewalls 254 surrounding the apertures 234. This allows the
flexible portion 204 to bend without breaking or cracking the rigid
material 230, including the sidewalls 254 surrounding each of the
flex apertures 234.
[0077] With reference to FIGS. 4D and 4E, due to the geometric
pattern 232, the flexible portion 204 may bend along one or more
axes, although the flexible portion 204 may be an integral portion
of the rigid material 230. In FIGS. 4D and 4E, the top 224 is shown
folded over the bottom 226. To cause the top 224 to be forced
towards the bottom 226, a force may be applied to the top 224
compressing it towards the bottom 226 and the flex apertures 234
surrounding a rotation axis A may vary in size. Some of the flex
apertures 234 may expand whereas others may decrease. Additionally,
the sidewalls 254 surrounding the rotation axis A may be compressed
towards one another. This is possible as a thickness of the
sidewalls 254 may be decreased on the inner side 262 of the rigid
material 230 (due to the shape of the flex apertures 234), which
provides additional flexibility to the rigid material 230 and
specifically the sidewall 254. The rotation axis A may be varied
depending on the position of the compression force acting on the
top 224.
[0078] As shown in FIG. 4D, in a second position of the enclosure
202, the top 224 may be positioned substantially parallel to the
bottom 226, and depending on the thickness of the top 224 and/or
bottom 226, the top 224 and bottom 226 may be positioned in contact
with one another. In some embodiments, the flexible portion 204 may
have a spring force, such that as the flex apertures 234 vary in
shape to accommodate the bending forces of the top 224 and/or
bottom 226, a spring force may accumulate. In these embodiments,
depending on the weight of the top 226 (and other components
operably connected thereto), when the bending force is released,
the flexible portion 204 may return to an open or first position.
However, in other embodiments, the weight of the top 226, the
spring force of the flexible portion 204, or the weight of any
components operably connected to the top 224 may allow the top 224
to remain in position until adjusted by a user or the like. For
instance, after the top 224 has been positioned in the closed
position, it may remain substantially in position, at least
partially parallel to the bottom 226. In yet other embodiments, the
geometric pattern 232 may be varied so that the flex apertures 234
may be configured to maintain the enclosure 202 in a predetermined
position. For example, the geometric pattern 232 may be configured
so that the sidewalls 254 may be substantially rigid or may deform
slightly so that after the bending force is removed, the rigid
material 230 may remain in the bent position. For example, certain
portions of the geometric pattern 232 may have different shapes,
sizes, or other characteristics in order to allow the enclosure 202
to remain in a partially bent or fully bent configuration when the
bending force is removed.
[0079] The geometric pattern 232 may be varied to alter one or more
characteristics, such as the maximum bend angle or direction, of
the flexible portion 204. FIG. 5A is a top plan view of the rigid
material 230 including another embodiment of the geometric pattern
282. FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of the rigid material 230
including the geometric pattern 282 in an bent position. FIG. 5C is
an enlarged top elevation view of flexible portion 204 of FIG. 5A.
FIG. 5D is an enlarged view of a row of the geometric pattern
removed from the rigid material 230. FIG. 5E is an enlarged view of
the geometric pattern 282 in FIG. 5B. The geometric pattern 282 in
this embodiment may include one or more interlocking features
separated from one another by flex apertures 284. Each of the
interlocking features 286 may move relative to adjacent
interlocking features 286 due to the flex apertures 284. Thus, in
these embodiments, the flex apertures 296 may not stretch or expand
due to the bending force as in the FIG. 4A embodiment, but rather
may be increased or decreased due to the relative movement of the
interlocking features 286 with respect to each other.
[0080] The interlocking features 286 may be shaped in a number of
different manners, which may vary the bending available for the
flexible portion 204. With reference to FIG. 5D, in some
embodiments, the interlocking features 286 may include a narrow
neck 302 extending from an edge of the rigid material 230 or for
interlocking features 286 within an inner portion of the geometric
pattern 282, a strip 312 of material. The neck 302 may expand
outwards forming a head 304. The neck 302 and the head 304 may form
an inverted frustum, with the head 304 extending away from the edge
306 of the rigid material 230 or an edge of the strip 312.
[0081] Adjacent interlocking features 286 extending from the same
edge 306 or strip 312 may be substantially similar. As the flex
apertures 284 are defined by the sidewalls of the interlocking
features 286, the perimeter of the flex apertures 284 may generally
trace the perimeter of the interlocking features 286. As such, the
flex apertures 284 may also be generally frustum shaped. However,
the flex apertures 284 may be aligned oppositely to the
interlocking features 286 (for a single row 298, 300) such that the
head or wide portion 308 of the flex aperture 284 may extend into
the strip 312 of material, whereas the head 304 of the interlocking
features 286 may extend away from the strip 312. Further, the flex
apertures 284 may be cut between rows to define the interlocking
features 286, and as such, the interlocking features 286 of
vertically adjacent rows may be received in the flex apertures 234
of the adjacent row and the flex apertures 284 may separate rows of
interlocking features 286 from each other. The width of the flex
apertures 284 may be selected based on a desired bend radius of the
material. For example, the finer the width of the flex apertures
284, the smaller the bend radius.
[0082] The flex apertures may be integrally formed apertures that
extend along an entire dimension of the rigid material, e.g., along
the entire length or width. The flex apertures may form curved or
undulating lines that separate two portions of the material from
each other by a spacing gap. Due to the curved nature of the flex
apertures, the interlocking features may be locked together,
although the material may be disconnected by the flex apertures.
The spacing gap or the size of the flex apertures may be varied
between a first side of the material and a second side of the
material.
[0083] With continued reference to FIGS. 5A and 5C, there may be
one or more rows 298, 300 of interlocking features 286 defined
within the rigid material 230. The number of rows 298, 300 may
depend on the desired amount of bending or flexibility for the
rigid material 230. The more rows 298, 300 within the geometric
pattern 282, the more portions of the rigid material 230 may be
flexible. In some embodiments, the rows 298, 300 may define strips
312 or lengths of rigid material 230 having interlocking features
286 extending from either side. For example, a row 298, 300 may be
positioned between two other rows, and thus may include
interlocking features 286 extending from opposite sides thereof in
order to interlock with the adjacent rows. As another example, the
rigid material may have a plurality of rows that extend along its
entire length or width, so that the material may be flexible along
an entire dimension.
[0084] With reference to FIG. 5D, the interlocking features 286 may
include sidewalls 294 forming an outer perimeter of each respective
interlocking feature 286. The sidewalls 294 may extend between the
inner surface 262 and the outer surface 260. In some embodiments,
the sidewalls 294 may vary in thickness between the inner surface
262 and the outer surface 260. In these embodiments, the sidewalls
294 may angle upwards from one surface 260, 262 towards the other,
such that the angle of the sidewalls 294 with respect to a plane of
the outer surface 260 may vary along the depth or thickness of the
sidewall 294. Additionally, the sidewalls 294 may be varied in
angular orientation from each other (with respect to the plane of
the outer surface 260). For example, as shown in FIG. 5D, the first
sidewall 316 may extend into the flex aperture 284 and a second
sidewall 314 may extend away from the flex aperture 284.
[0085] With reference to FIGS. 5F and 5E, in some instances, a
first sidewall 316 may form a first side of the interlocking
feature 286 and the second sidewall 314 may form a second side of
the interlocking feature 286. Accordingly, the first side of the
interlocking feature 286 may be angled inwards from the outer
surface 260 to the inner surface 262 and the second side of the
interlocking feature 286 may be angled outwards from the outer
surface 260 to the inner surface 262. In some embodiments,
laterally adjacent interlocking features 286 may have opposite
sides that extend inwards or outwards. For example, a first
interlocking feature 286 may have a right side extending inwards
and a left side extending outwards and a second interlocking
feature 286 adjacent to the first interlocking feature 286 may have
a right side extending outwards and a left side extending
inwards.
[0086] The angled sidewalls may allow the base or rigid material to
be shaped in a number of different ways. For example, the angled
walls may allow the rigid material to have la substantially planar
shape and as the material bends (due to the flex apertures), the
flex apertures may remain interconnected through the angled walls.
Additionally, the pitch of the sidewalls may be varied to vary the
bending radius, and the pitch may be variable in the material, such
that certain portions of the material may have a first bending
radius and other portions of the material may have a second bending
radius.
[0087] With continued reference to FIGS. 5F, as viewed from the top
plan view, along the outer surface 260 the interlocking features
286 may appear to be substantially the same dimensions. However,
along the inner surface 262, the interlocking features 286 may have
varying sidewall 294 thicknesses. For example, a first flex
aperture 290 may have a decreased diameter along the inner surface
262 as compared with a second laterally adjacent flex aperture 292.
The varying thicknesses, may allow laterally adjacent interlocking
features 286 to have differing angles of movement. A first
interlocking feature 286 received within the first flex aperture
290 may be able to extend downwards towards the inner surface 262,
whereas a second interlocking feature 286 received within the
second flex aperture 292 may not be able to extend the same amount
inwards towards the inner surface 262 due to the decreased size of
the second flex aperture 292. Conversely, the first interlocking
feature received within the first flex aperture 290 may not be able
to extend as far upwards towards the outer surface 260 as the
second interlocking feature received within the second flex
aperture 292.
[0088] In embodiments where the interlocking features 286 have
varying angled sidewalls 294, the dimensions of the flex apertures
284 defined by laterally adjacent interlocking features 286 may be
different from each other. That is, a first flex aperture 290 may
be larger (when viewed from the inner surface 262) than a second
flex aperture 292 defined along the same row 298 and laterally
adjacent to the first flex aperture 290. The varying dimensions of
the flex apertures 284 due the varying angular changes of the
sidewalls 294, may function to interlock the interlocking features
286 from adjacent rows to the together, while still allowing the
interlocking features 286 to move relative to each other.
[0089] With reference to FIGS. 5B and 5E, bending the rigid
material 230 will now be discussed in more detail. As a force is
applied to one or both of the top 224 and bottom 226, the rigid
material 230 may bend along an axis A positioned within the
flexible portion 204. The force may cause one or more rows 298, 300
of the interlocking features 286 to move relative to each other.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5E, select interlocking features 286
may extend slightly outwards away from a plane of the material 230.
However, due to the alternating sidewall 314, 316 thicknesses and
the flex apertures 284 dimensions, the interlocking features 284
may remain substantially secured together. The freedom of movement
in at least one direction may provide sufficient strain relief for
the rigid material 230 to allow it to bend along the axis A without
cracking or breaking.
[0090] It should be noted that other rotation axes are possible
other than axis A. The location of the rotation axis A may depend
on the orientation of the geometric pattern 282 as well as the
location of the bending force. In some embodiments, the rotation
axis A may be positioned substantially anywhere along the flexible
portion 204. In other embodiments, the rotation axis may be fixed
in a single position and may form a living hinge in that the
material 230 such that the material 230 may only be able to rotate
along that single axis. The rotation axis may be defined by the
degree of movement between adjacent interlocking features.
Accordingly, by restricting or reducing the movement of certain
features relative to others, the flexible portion 204 may be
configured to only rotate or bend along an axis that may be aligned
with other features that may have increased movement relative to
other interlocking features.
[0091] In another embodiment, sidewalls of the interlocking
features may be similarly angled. FIG. 6A is a top plan view of
another embodiment of the interlocking features for the geometric
pattern 282. In this embodiment, interlocking features 382 may be
movably secured together by a neck portion 410 of the flex
apertures 384. That is, a head portion 406 of the interlocking
features 384 may substantially touch laterally adjacent head
portions 406 so that the neck portion 410 may be relatively
narrow.
[0092] In these embodiments, the head portions 406 of interlocking
rows may be pinched by the head portions 402 of the other row of
interlocking features 396. FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a first
row 398 interlocked with a second row 400. FIG. 6C is an enlarged
perspective view of the geometric pattern 382. As the head portion
406 may be wider than the neck portion 410 of the flex apertures
384, first row 400 may be substantially prevented from becoming
disconnected from the second row 398. However, the first row 400
may move in a first plane relative to the second row 398, until the
sidewalls of the first interlocking feature 398A encounter the
sidewalls of the second interlocking features 398B defining the
flex aperture 384. For example, the sidewalls 394 may be angled as
they extend from the outer surface 260 to the inner surface 262, so
that the upper portions of the sidewalls 394 may be narrower than
the bottom portions of the sidewalls 394. This may allow the top
portions of the sidewalls 394 to be movable relative to adjacent
interlocking features 386, while the bottom portions of the
sidewalls 394 may be secured in place. Additionally, in some
embodiments, the sidewalls of the interlocking features 386 for the
first row 398 may be oppositely angled from the sidewall of the
interlocking features 386 for the second row 400
[0093] Further, the first interlocking feature 386A may also move
in a second plane, e.g., in the Y direction away from the plane of
the rigid material 230. In some embodiments, a portion of the first
interlocking feature 386A may be pinched within the neck portion
310 of the flex aperture 384 (due to the head portions 406 of
adjacent interlocking features) such that the head portion 406 of
the first interlocking feature 386A may extend upwards or downwards
relative to the second row 398 while remaining secured thereto.
[0094] In other embodiments, the interlocking features may bend in
multiple directions and orientations. FIG. 7A is a bottom
fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of the geometric
pattern 482 including interlocking features 502 that may bend in
two directions. FIG. 7B is a top perspective view of the geometric
pattern 482. FIG. 7C is a top plan view of an interlocking feature
502A removed from the geometric pattern 482. In this embodiment,
rows 498, 500 may be formed of a series of separately interlocked
features 502A, 502B, 502C, 502D, 502E. In this manner, due to the
flex apertures 484 separating portions of the material 230, the
interlocking features 502 may be discrete elements movable
connected together to form rows 498, 500. That is, unlike the rows
298, 300 and rows 398, 400 which may include a main portion with
adjacent interlocking features extending therefrom, the rows 498,
500 may be formed of separate interlocking features 502 movably
connected together.
[0095] With reference to FIG. 7C, each interlocking feature
502A-502E may include a main body 510 with one more locking members
extending therefrom. For example, the interlocking features
502A-502E may include two legs 512, 514 extending from a first end
of the main body 510, a head 520 extending from a second end of the
main body 510 opposite the legs 512, 514, and a back portion 516
extending from a first side of the main body 510. Also, a second
side of the main body 510 may define a receiving aperture 524. The
receiving aperture 524 may include a neck portion 528 defined by
two pinching members 522, 526 that may extend into the receiving
aperture 524 at the edge of the second side of the main body 510. A
head receiving aperture 530 may be defined between the two legs
512, 514 of the interlocking feature 502.
[0096] In some embodiments, the edges of the rigid material 230
surrounding the flexible portion 204 may define portions of the
interlocking features 502A-502E. In these embodiments, these
portions of interlocking features 502 may operably connect to one
or more other interlocking features 502A-502E. Accordingly, some
portions of the geometric pattern 482 may include non-discrete
interlocking features.
[0097] With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7C, the interlocking features
502A-502E may be operably connected to one or more other
interlocking features 502A-502E. For example, within a middle
portions of the geometric pattern 482, a first interlocking feature
502A may be operably connected to four other interlocking features
502B, 502C, 502D, and 502E. For example, the head 520 of the
interlocking feature 502C may be received within the head receiving
aperture 530 in the first interlocking feature 502A, where the back
portion 516 of the first interlocking feature 502A may be received
within the receiving aperture 524 of the second interlocking
feature 502B, the head 520 of the first interlocking feature 502A
may be received within the head receiving aperture 530 within the
fourth interlocking feature 502D, and the back portion 516 of the
fifth interlocking feature 502E may be received within the
receiving aperture 524 of the first interlocking feature 502A.
Thus, the first interlocking feature 502A may be operably connected
to each of the other interlocking features 502B, 502C, 502D,
502E.
[0098] It should be noted that the bending radius of the rigid
material or forming material may be modified by varying one or more
parameters of the geometric pattern. A few parameters include,
width of the flex aperture, angulation of the sidewalls boarding
the flex apertures or grooves, pitch of the cuts, and thickness of
the rigid material.
[0099] As briefly discussed above, the rigid material 230 may be
used to form the enclosure 202 for the electronic device 200. FIG.
8A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the electronic
device 600. FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the electronic device
in a flexed position. In FIGS. 8A and 8B, the electronic device 500
is an audio output mechanism such as headphones operably and
electronically connected to a communication cable 603. The
communication cable 603 may be operably connected to a speaker 605
by the enclosure 602.
[0100] The enclosure 602 may be formed of the rigid material 230
and may optionally be operably connected to a second portion of top
of the enclosure 607. In other embodiments, the enclosure 602 may
be a substantially unitary structure, with the flexible portion 604
being located near the connection to the cable 603. The enclosure
602, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, may include the geometric pattern
382 of FIGS. 6A-6C along the length of the flexible portion 604.
This may allow the enclosure 602 to bend, while still maintaining a
rigid connection to the speaker 605. For example, the communication
cable 603 may be flexible and may move relative to the enclosure
602, which in conventional rigid enclosures may cause the enclosure
to wear and/or crack over time. As the enclosure 602 may bend and
flex as the communication cable 603 may move. Thus, the enclosure
602 may be substantially prevented from breaking or cracking due to
the movement of the communication cable 603. Additionally, the
flexibility of the enclosure 602 may increase the bending radius of
the communication cable 603 at the connection location. This may
provide a strain relief for the cable 603, which may help to
prevent internal wires or the cable 603 itself from breaking due to
a bending force. It should be noted that although the enclosure 602
is positioned at the end of the cable closest to the speakers, it
should be noted that the enclosure may be positioned at other
locations where strain relief may be desired. For example, the
flexile portion of the enclosure may be positioned at a second end
of the cable that may connect the cable to an electronic device
(e.g., through an audio port or the like). In this example, the
flexibility of the enclosure may allow the cable to remain
connected to the port, but may also flex or bend.
[0101] Using the techniques described herein, a cover, band, or the
like may be formed using a rigid or substantially rigid material.
FIG. 9A is a top plan view of a cover for an electronic device
including a geometric pattern defined therein. FIG. 9B is a side
elevation view of the cover and the electronic device of FIG. 9A
with the cover partially retracted. FIG. 9C is a top perspective
view of the cover and the electronic device of FIG. 9A with the
cover fully retracted and acting as a support or stand for the
electronic device. With reference to FIGS. 9A-9C, an electronic
device 700 including a cover 704 having the geometric pattern 282
defined therein.
[0102] As described above with respect to FIG. 5C, the geometric
pattern 282 may include a plurality of flex apertures 284 and
interlocking features that allow the rigid material forming the
cover 704 to bend or flex. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.
9A-9C, the angulation of the features defined in the cover 704
allows the cover 704 to be rolled around itself. In some
embodiments, the geometric pattern 282 may be substantially the
same as the pattern shown in FIG. 5C. However, in the example
illustrated in FIG. 9A, the flex apertures 284 may be defined in
vertical columns that extend along a height of the computing device
702. This configuration may allow the entire cover 704 to flex
about an axis parallel to the length axis of the computing device
702. In other words, the cover 704 may roll or flex in a direction
substantially parallel to the direction of the columns of the flex
apertures 284. However, it should be noted that the geometric
pattern for the cover may be selected based on a desired flex
direction, bend radius, and the like. Thus, the geometric pattern
and the bending direction illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9C are
illustrative only.
[0103] As shown in FIG. 9A, the cover 704 may lie substantially
flat against the top surface of the computing device 702 and may
protect a display 712 or other portions of the computing device
702. With reference to FIG. 9A, a first end 708 of the cover 704
may be rolled towards a second end 710 forming a rolled portion
706. As the cover 704 is rolled upon itself, the display 712 or
other portions of the computing device 702 may be exposed.
[0104] In some embodiments, with reference to FIG. 9C, the cover
702 may be configured to roll and wrap around an edge of the
computing device 702 to act as a support stand. For example, a
portion of the computing device 702 may rest on the rolled portion
706 of the cover 704, which may allow the computing device 702 to
be supported above a surface at a support angle 714. The support
angle 714 may generally correspond to the outermost radius of the
bend portion 706. In other words, the radial bend of the cover 704
may be defined by geometric pattern, the angulation of the
sidewalls defining the flex apertures and the features.
[0105] With continued reference to FIG. 9C, the second end 710 of
the cover 704 may be anchored to an edge 716 of the computing
device 702 and may rotate about the edge 716, allowing the rolled
portion 706 of the cover 704 to rotate around the edge 716 to a
backside of the computing device 702.
CONCLUSION
[0106] The foregoing description has broad application. For
example, while examples disclosed herein may focus on enclosures,
it should be appreciated that the concepts disclosed herein may
equally apply to substantially any other components constructed out
of rigid materials, such as, but not limited to, garage doors,
coverings for architectural openings (e.g., blinds or shades),
bands for supporting an electronic device around a portion of a
user, and so on. Moreover, although the discussion is made with
respect to rigid materials, the methods and techniques may be
applied to a variety of materials where an increased flexibility or
a flexible portion is desired. Accordingly, the discussion of any
embodiment is meant only to be exemplary and is not intended to
suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is
limited to these examples.
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