Concept Development
Ultimately, we are creating a concept of a product for the case owner within the scope of this project. So, for the concept development, our focus was on the external aspects of the laptop, meaning the hinge mechanism, dimensions, and overall looks and style.
Chosen Hinge Mechanism
After the concept presentation, we still had 3 potential hinge mechanisms:
Although we presented the suitcase style hinge, it was clear that some iterations had to be made in terms of what is realistic. However, we also needed a starting point. Therefore, we critically looked at each potential mechanism again and chose one based on which one best fit with the requirements.
The table below shows each consideration per hinge type, from which we based our choice.
Firstly, there is the built-in mechanical hinges. It has a sliding mechanism which allows the adjustment of the height of the screen. The pros are that the adjustment would be easy and that the cables would not be exposed. However, the mechanism would be very complicated and would not allow for the adjustment of the viewing angle, only the height. Furthermore, the sliding mechanism would not be the most durable mechanism as it has a lot of moving parts that interact with each other.
Looking at our most important requirements, functionality and durability, the second hinge mechanism seems to fit the best. It allows for a lot of freedom for the users and the handle adds functionality. It uses less material and has less chance of breaking because of the rotation points, which divide the load on several points instead of only one hinge.
Further Hinge Development
We decided to continue with the suitcase hinges as a starting point. As further iterations on this were made, we realized that the handle aspect is not really necessary. It takes up more space in a bag, and ultimately, the case owner would not carry it using the handle because they have to carry any object in front of their body to distribute the weight. Considering the laptop market, the handle could still be interesting but even then, a number of people carry their laptop in a bag. So, the question remains whether it would be an added value. Then, we looked into making the hinges sturdier by spreading them over the width of the laptop. This led to final hinge mechanism, as can be seen in the picture below.
Click on the image to enlarge.
To visualize better what this mechanism would look like, some renders were made.
Click on the image(s) to enlarge.
Market Research for Dimensions and Weight
To choose the dimension of the laptop, market research was conducted. We looked at different categories of laptops. Withing each category, specific dimensions and weights were noted down to create a rough average. Based on this and the wishes of the case owner, dimensions were selected, as can be seen below.
For the full market research, click the following link: Market Research
Click on the image to enlarge.
For the dimension, we used the LG gram 16 as reference:
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This laptop has a big enough screen to see comfortably but also not too big so it can still be portable.
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This laptop has the lightest weight among the 16-inch laptops.
The table below lists all the dimensions per laptop part.
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Width: 35.6 cm
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Depth: 24.3 cm
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Height (when closed): 1.68 cm --> Thickness of the bottom part should be thicker than the screen.
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16:10 ratio
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Screen diagonal: 16 inch/40.6 cm
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Calculated width: 34.4 cm
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Calculated height: 21.6 cm
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Side bezels: 0.6 cm
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Top bezel (with camera): 1 cm
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Bottom bezel: 1.7 cm (these parts are usually bigger to also accommodate hinges etc.)
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Width: 33 cm
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Height: 11 cm
The LG gram 16 has a full-size keyboard, however it has a compact layout; assume it has a 1800 layout).
Because we could not find the exact dimensions of this keyboard, we measured the dimensions of one of our own keyboards:
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Keyboard has a very similar keyboard layout as the LG gram 16
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Laptop width is almost the same as the laptop width (mine is 36 cm)
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Height: 6.5 cm
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Width: 10.5 cm
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Placement should be a bit more to the left because of the numpad.
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Although the dimensions were chosen, we could not fully adhere to them for the final concept and prototype. We wanted to create a 16-inch laptop. However, due to the hinge mechanism, the 16-inch diagonal of the top part is actually split between the screen and the hinge mechanism. So, if the hinges are 5 cm long, the screen is 5 cm short to still keep the overall 16-in diagonal size.
Besides the dimension, we also looked at the weight. Looking back at the list of requirements, we can see that the required weight should not exceed 2 kg. Market research concludes that 15–16-inch laptops’ weight range is between 1.4 – 2.3 kilograms. Additionally, it suggests that the heaviest laptops are gaming laptops with top tier specifications such as powerful graphics cards and processors that require lots of additional cooling solutions that very often include heatsinks, fans and vapour chambers. All of this hardware greatly increases the weight of the device.
There are few solutions for our problem. First, designing a system with only a processor with integrated graphics with passive cooling. This solution nearly guarantees a weight below the required 2 kilograms, even when taking in consideration the heaviest version of the hinge construction with stainless steel hinges and metal support plates. However, this design provides the worst software performance. The second solution is to find a perfect balance between weight, performance and quality. This would require many variations of system, hinge and chassis construction and materials. The third solution is extending the weight limit up to the range of ~2.3-2.5 kilograms that vastly exceeds the original limit. However, it should still be in an allowable limit for a laptop. This design allows for more flexibility in choosing hardware and creates an opportunity for the most powerful system.
Assuming the second solution is the best way to achieve the highest efficiency our product, for this weight assumption we choose this option. It is solely based on market research, and it did not involve any physical testing. Moreover, from the market research, we learned that the average weight range of mid-tier laptops with discrete GPUs fits between 1.8 – 1.95 kilograms. It is hard to assume the additional weight of our hinge system. Therefore, we chose 200 grams as a reasonable margin. According to that, the final assumed weight of our design should close in the range of 2 – 2.15 kilograms, which is slightly above desired weight. However, it can still be reduced after further testing and concept iterations.
Hinge Explanation
The images below show a schematic of the hinge mechanism in a 2D and 3D view.
The characteristics of our product result in more complex hinge system. Where majority of current laptops on the market use only two individual hinges, ours uses six and it is the smallest amount possible for the mechanism to work. The placement of each hinge is indicated on the schematic with red colour. To decrease the costs and weight, not all joints have a hinge included. Indicated in blue are stability pins that generate no torque but offer stability to the whole system.
What users sees is only a cover for the whole construction that prevents dust and debris from getting into the mechanism. Underneath there is a system of hinges and pins alongside the display cable. This concept involves screwing the hinges to metal plates in the ‘extension parts’ to provide a solid mounting point. However, it is expected that it may increase the weight significantly, so an alternative of some chosen polymers is possible. The stability pins are held together by the plastic casing of the construction.
It is possible to use currently existing hinges on the market and it is not required to manufacture these on our own. However, they must fulfil our requirements. Since the forces in this mechanism are higher than in majority of laptops, we think stainless-steel hinges would be best. They provide more durability than zinc alloys and are less expensive than aluminium. On the other hand, if weight is more of a concern than cost, then aluminium is a slightly better option as it weighs less than steel.
For the working mechanism of the hinge, we chose the torque mechanism. The torque hinge generates force using an additional part, like a spring or damper, and in total consists of more parts than a friction mechanism. The force in friction hinge mainly relies on the friction generated between main parts, joined by the screw. The second mechanism is cheaper to manufacture but may not fulfil our requirements. In order for the system to work properly, it is expected that the hinges provide stability at any position. The torque hinges provide controlled resistance and stable motion and are generally more precise. This greatly increases the precision of the whole system and positively influences the user experience. However, in the end, some of the friction hinges are still expected to work to an acceptable level. So, it is possible to reduce costs, but then we are sacrificing reliability and user comfort.
Ultimately, the hinge mechanism will be a compromise between reliability, durability, weight, and cost. Because the case owner values functionality and long-lasting products, we think it would be worth it to go with the stainless-steel torque hinge mechanisms. To still keep the costs and weight as low as possible, however, compromises could be made.
Style
The case owner’s preferred styles were ‘modern’ and ‘Scandinavian’. The modern style means that a product such as a laptop should still look like a laptop, with a certain feeling of technology. Additionally, a contrasting colour accent does add value for the case owner. Specifically if it is their favourite colour: chili red.
Ultimately, the laptop still needs to look profession, for the case owner will use it in their professional work environment. Red accents however, such as on the hinges will create a more customized product. Furthermore, the neutral colours and wood material of the the Scandinavian styles can be incorporated, similarly to the hinges, so as an accent.
Click through the following images to see some colour iterations!
Once we had a clear idea of the hinge mechanism, dimensions, and potential style incorporation in mind, we could combine all the aspect together into a final concept.