Multi-functional hinge

• US 20060101619A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wen-Hao Tai
• Original Assignee: Wen-Hao Tai
• Inventors: Tai, Wen-Hao
• Application Number:
  US10/986,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/366
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1215 with a canted-coil torsion spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2021 around a horizontal axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/044 for balancing rotational movement of the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64

Abstract

A multi-functional hinge includes a lifting frame, left and right fixing seats having mounting shafts extended through front left and front right through holes on the lifting frame, a left pivoted arm having a shaft extended through a rear left through hole on the lifting frame, a pivot shaft extended through a right pivoted arm and a rear right through hole on the lifting frame, and a link connected at two ends to eccentric butts separately provided at outer ends of the right fixing seat and the pivot shaft. An article, such as an LCD screen, a work platform or a rack, mounted on the left and right pivoted arms could be pivotally turned or swung to different viewing inclinations. And, the lifting frame could be pivotally turned about the fixing seats to different lifted positions without changing the desired viewing inclination set for the article.

Claims

1. A multi-functional hinge, comprising:

a lifting frame having through holes provided at front and rear corners;

a left fixing seat including a mounting plate and a mounting shaft sideward projected from an inner end of said mounting plate, and said mounting shaft being provided at an inner end with a threaded locking section;

a right fixing seat including a mounting plate and a mounting shaft sideward projected from an inner end of said mounting plate, and said mounting shaft being provided at an inner end with a threaded locking section;

a left pivoted arm being provided at a front end with a left pivot hole, through which a shaft of said left pivoted arm is extended to rotatably connect said left pivoted arm to a rear left one of said through holes on said lifting frame, and at a rear end with a vertically upward extended left mounting section for fixedly connecting to an article;

a right pivoted arm being provided at a front end with a right pivot hole, through which a pivot shaft is extended to rotatably connect said right pivoted arm to a rear right one of said through holes on said lifting frame, and at a rear end with a vertically upward extended right mounting section for fixedly connecting to said article;

said pivot shaft including an inward extended rectangle-sectioned shaft body, an inner end of which is a threaded locking section, said shaft body being extended through and engaged with said right pivot hole on said right pivoted arm, such that said shaft body of said pivot shaft is stuck in said right pivot hole at different positions when said article is pivotally turned or swung; and

a link mounted to a right outer side of said lifting frame by separately connecting two mounting holes provided at front and rear ends of said link to two eccentric butts formed on outer ends of said right fixing seat and said pivot shaft;

said left and said right fixing seat being respectively connected to a front left and a front right corner of said lifting frame byway of extending said mounting shafts of said left and right fixing seats through said front left and front right through holes on said lifting frame, and then screwing two nuts to said locking sections of said mounting shafts to lock said left and right fixing seats to said lifting frame;

said left pivoted arm being connected to a rear left corner of said lifting frame by way of extending an outer end of said shaft of said left pivoted arm into said rear left through hole on said lifting frame and an inner end of said shaft through said left pivot hole of said left pivoted arm, and then screwing a nut to the inner end of said shaft of said left pivoted arm to lock said left pivoted arm to said lifting frame;

said right pivoted arm being connected to said lifting frame by way of extending said shaft body of said pivot shaft through said rear right through hole on said lifting frame and said pivot hole on said right pivoted arm, and then screwing a nut to said locking section of said pivot shaft to lock said right pivoted arm to said lifting frame; and

whereby when said article is mounted on said left and said right pivoted arm, said article could be pivotally turned or swung to a desired viewing inclination; and

wherein when said rectangle-sectioned shaft body of said pivot shaft is stuck to locate in said right pivot hole of said right pivoted arm, and said link locates said pivot shaft in place, said lifting frame could be pivotally turned about said left and right fixing seats to any lifted position with said article being kept at the same desired viewing inclination without the risk of swinging forward and backward about said left and said right pivoted arm.

2. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said articled mounted to said hinge is a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.

3. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of oil rings, a pair of lugged rings, an externally toothed elastic washer, a pair of washers, and an elastic washer positioned between said left fixing seat and the corresponding nut, so that said left fixing seat is prevented from rotating along with said lifting frame when said lifting frame is turned relative to said left fixing seat.

4. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an elastic element put on said mounting shaft of said left fixing seat to provide an elastic force for said lifting frame to restore from a pivotally turned position.

5. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an oil ring, a pair of washers, and an elastic washer positioned between said right fixing seat and the corresponding nut, so that said right fixing seat is prevented from rotating along with said lifting frame when said lifting frame is turned relative to said right fixing seat.

6. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of lugged rings mounted between said lifting frame and said left pivoted arm;

and a lugged ring, a pair of washers, and an externally toothed elastic washer positioned between said left pivoted arm and the corresponding nut, so that said lifting frame is prevented from rotating along with said left pivoted arm when said left pivoted arm is turned relative to said lifting frame.

7. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sleeve, a stopper, and a lugged ring positioned between said lifting frame and said right pivoted arm;

and a lugged ring, a pair of locating rings, an externally toothed elastic washer, an elastic washer, and a washer positioned between said right pivoted arm and the corresponding nut, so that said lifting frame is prevented from rotating along with said right pivoted arm when said right pivoted arm is turned relative to said lifting frame.

8. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said link is firmly connected at two ends to said eccentric butts on said right fixing seat and said pivot shaft without the risk of easily separating therefrom by way of mounting two retaining c-rings to outer ends of said two eccentric butts.

9. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said right pivot hole is selected from the group consisting of a substantially figure-8-shaped hole and a round hole.

10. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lifting frame is fixedly mounted at two front corners on an object, and provided at a middle area with a transverse link;

said link being provided near two lateral ends with two pairs of through holes;

said object being provided on a top with a pair of vertical posts, each of which is provided near an upper end with a transverse through hole;

two fixing shafts being separately outward extended through said transverse through holes on said vertical posts and the two pairs of through holes on said transverse link; and

two retaining c-rings being separately clamped to outer ends of said two fixing shafts, so that said vertical posts are pivotally turnably connected at upper ends to said transverse link; and

each of said vertical posts being provided at a lower end with a threaded locking section;

whereby said vertical posts are movably fixed to two locating holes correspondingly provided on said object by way of downward extending said locking sections of said vertical posts through said locating holes and screwing two nuts to said locking sections below said locating holes, allowing said lifting frame to be fixedly mounted on said object and be pivotally turned or swung relative to said vertical posts.

11. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 10, wherein said object is a desktop.

12. The multi-functional hinge as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said vertical posts has a spring put thereon to provide said lifting frame with an elastic restoring force.