Coupling device and folding electronic apparatus using the same

• US 20020155740A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tamotsu, Sawada, Masaki, Minami, Katsuichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,857,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/165
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/10 with non-parallel pins
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1215 with a canted-coil torsion spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1284 with a leaf or similar spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first

Abstract

A hinge mechanism includes flanges 23A, 23B, and a swivel mechanism includes swiveling shaft 25. Spring 26 energizes the swiveling mechanism. Resilient repulsion of spring 26 torqued energizes the swiveling mechanism to swivel toward either end of a swivelable range.

Claims

1. A coupling device of a folding electronic apparatus, said coupling device for coupling a first electronic apparatus to a second electronic apparatus of the folding electronic apparatus, said device comprising:

a hinge mechanism for unfolding the folding electronic apparatus into the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus, and folding the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus into the folding electronic apparatus;

a swivel mechanism, disposed between said hinge mechanism and the first electronic apparatus, for retaining the first electronic apparatus in a swivelable way within a predetermined swivelable range; and

a spring for energizing said swivel mechanism,

wherein said spring is mounted to said swivel mechanism such that said spring is torqued greatly when the first electronic apparatus is at a middle point in the swivelable range and the torque lowers as the first electronic apparatus approaches one of ends of the swivelable range, and

wherein resilient repulsion of said spring torqued energizes said swivel mechanism such that the first electronic apparatus swivels toward one of the ends of the swivelable range.

2. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein the swivelable range of the first electronic apparatus is 180°

.

3. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said swivel mechanism includes a swiveling shaft;

wherein said spring for energizing said swivel mechanism is a torsion coil spring, and a first end of the torsion coil spring is retained at a movable point of the swiveling shaft, and a second end is retained at a static point of said coupling device; and

wherein both the ends of the torsion coil spring and a center of the swiveling shaft are aligned when the first electronic apparatus swivels by a predetermined angle.

4. The coupling device of claim 3, wherein both the ends of the torsion coil spring and the center of the swiveling shaft are aligned when the first electronic apparatus is at a middle point between the middle point of the swivelable range and one of both the ends of the swivelable range.

5. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said swivel mechanism includes a swiveling shaft which has a protrusion on an end face of the shaft;

wherein said spring for energizing said swiveling mechanism includes a linear section at a first end, the linear section elastically urging the protrusion of the shaft, and a second end of said spring is retained stationary by said coupling device; and

wherein said spring receives greater torque at the middle point of the swivelable range than at either end of the swivelable range.

6. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein said spring is made from elastic metal thin plate which has undergone punching and then bending process.

7. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein said spring is made of resilient metal wire which has undergone bending process.

8. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein the protrusion provided on the end face of the shaft includes a bowing side face to which the linear section of said spring urges elastically.

9. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein the protrusion on the end face of the shaft is provided at a predetermined place such that said spring receives strongest torque when the first electronic apparatus is at a middle point between the middle point of the swivelable range and one of both the ends of the swivelable range.

10. A folding electronic apparatus which connects a first electronic apparatus to a second electronic apparatus with the coupling device as defined in claim 1.