Example from Japan: Better Hinge and Screen Integration

[bzar]

Why can't we have pretty and durable?...

Feel free to suggest something. Of course it's a matter of aesthetics what qualifies as pretty.

The case taking any shocks is definitely more durable than shocks being handled by the hinge or keyboard/display. Top/bottom half bridges going all the way around is more durable than relying on a couple of nibs (no space for stuff to get between keyboard and screen, shock being absorbed by the entire case instead of two spots). One hinge is more durable than two hinges (less moving parts, better durability). With bezel is more durable than without bezel (more case between screen and source of impact from the sides).

 

[Neelix]

I guess with those devices that have no bezel, they either run the touchscreen over the bezel area too and edge it at the edge of the lid.

My mum has a phone like that... It's a nightmare to hold it because If I get a good grip on the edges I'm touching enough of the screen to register *as* a touch on the screen which can have unpredictable results.

- Neelix

 

[God Ginrai]

I don't really have any comments either way about ekianjo's screen idea.

However, I'm honestly very surprised that the Shoulder buttons are the only problem people are noticing with the hinge ekianjo suggested. There's a much bigger problem there. The whole backside is one piece that is not part of the base. That means you would not be able to have any of the ports we need on the back. (USB, microUSB, miniHDMI, etc.)

-God Ginrai

 

[Klumpen]

One hinge is more durable than two hinges (less moving parts, better durability).

Exactly the opposite.

Two hinges on the far end are way more durable than one in the middle because of leverage.

Chances are always higher that an existent crack opens up than a new one is developing,

having a single hinge in the middle leaves two natural gaps (cracks) on both sides which can be levered wider easily, while hinges on the far end prevent that,

best solution are always two hinges going through the entire lenght but most importantly cover the far left and far right.

 

[Neelix]

I'm not sure what it is your imagining with a hinge "in the middle" as opposed to being "on the ends" but I'm pretty sure you're missing the point. The Pandora is hinged once - the metal part of the hinge may only be on one side, but the lid is secured at both ends and hinges on one axis.

The device ekianjo showed us is hinged twice, Once on the base, and once on the screen, each of which appears to work exactly the same way as the single hinge on the Pandora. If either of those hinges becomes loose, then it doesn't matter if the other one keeps it's position, because the lid will still flop around on the loose hinge.

To be honest, I don't see the appeal of the design. There is nothing to protect the keys from the screen (unintended input) or the screen from the keys (scratches and/or unintended input) and the the pandora's design doesn't really lend itself to being reversed anyway. (Awkward to hold it without unintended input)

God Ginrai also has an excellent point about that hinge design interfering with the ports.

- Neelix

 

[ekianjo]

One hinge is more durable than two hinges (less moving parts, better durability).

I would argue exactly against your point. With two hinges you put much less stress on each individual hinge, therefore they become way more durable than a single hinge. We have seen the issue with single hinge design both on Pandora and DS, multiple times. There's a reason this single-hinge design fails, and trying to make the hinge more robust is just trying to make a faulty design work longer, that's all. It will always fail over a long enough time. 

 

[bzar]

I would argue that the chain is exactly as strong as its weakest link. I understand your rationale about putting the strain on two parts instead of one, but I'm not convinced it works like that.

Suppose one of the hinges (1) is, by natural variance in production, sturdier than the other one (2). Putting torque on the entire hinge complex causes the hinge 2 give first, resulting in little stress to hinge 1. From the point of view of hinge 2, hinge 1 might almost as well be solid. The difference to the case of a one-hinge system is that now we get two hinges, and the one that happens to be worse determines the overall quality.

In addition we get a more complex design and no place for the ports.

 

[sswam]

hinges aren't connected "in serial" like chains, they are attached "in parallel"

 

[bzar]

^ Read the first post suggestion. Those hinges are very much in series.

 

[thatgui]

I don't really have any comments either way about ekianjo's screen idea.

However, I'm honestly very surprised that the Shoulder buttons are the only problem people are noticing with the hinge ekianjo suggested. There's a much bigger problem there. The whole backside is one piece that is not part of the base. That means you would not be able to have any of the ports we need on the back. (USB, microUSB, miniHDMI, etc.)

-God Ginrai

In theory, you could make two of these "double hinges" (maybe <1cm in width each) and put them besides the shoulder buttons. This would still mean loosing some ports (second USB and one MicroUSB i guess), but could work. But I would only try that if I had a LOT of money and time on my hands (for both development and support).

 

[ekianjo]

But I would only try that if I had a LOT of money and time on my hands (for both development and support).

Yeah, as ED mentioned, so I'm not sure it's really useful to continue discussing the hinge design at this point - I understand he wants to minimize the cost and ensure the Pyra comes out sooner than later. Maybe if the Pyra is a huge success and bring back a lot of ROI to ED, he would be open to reconsider the hinge design for subsequent models.