Hinge with a torsion spring

• US 20070006422A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shin ZU Shing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lu, Sheng-Nan, Liu, Te-Yang
• Application Number:
  US11/402,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/337
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1215 with a canted-coil torsion spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• 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 hinge with a torsion spring has a base, a pintle, at least one torsion spring, two joint members, and two washer assemblies. The base is attached to a support of an LCD display, and the pintle is mounted through the base. The torsion spring is mounted around the pintle, one end of the torsion spring is attached to the base, and the other end is attached to the joint member. When the angle of the display is adjusted, the joint members rotate relative to the pintle. With the torsion resilience provided by the torsion spring, the support will not be rotated with the joint members, so that the users can adjust the display angle with one hand.

Claims

1. A hinge comprising:

a base having sleeves extending from two ends of the base, the sleeves each having an opening aligning with each other, two side faces of the base respectively having a lug;

a pintle mounted through the sleeves and having two non-circular shanks;

two joint members mounted at two ends of the pintle, and respectively having a slot to sliding holding one of the lugs of the base inside;

at least one torsion spring mounted on the pintle between the sleeves, each one of the at least one torsion spring having two ends attached respectively to the pintle and one of the joint members; and

two washer assemblies comprising multiple washers and elastic pieces mounted around the pintle, the washers and the elastic pieces all having non-circular through holes mounted securely on the shanks, two fasteners mounted securely on the two ends of the pintles.

2. The hinge with torsion spring as claimed in claim 1, wherein each joint member has a fix wing and a coupling wing, the fix wing and the coupling wing are perpendicular to each other, the coupling wing has a hole defined in the coupling wing and is mounted around the pintle, and a curved slot is defined around the hole of the coupling wing, and the coupling wing has an extended portion formed toward the base and connected to one end of a corresponding torsion spring.

3. The hinge with torsion spring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a sleeve extending from a middle of the base and having an opening aligning with the openings in the sleeves on the ends of the base, and two torsion springs are mounted respectively between adjacent sleeves.

4. The hinge with torsion spring as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sleeves at the two ends of the base respectively have two first orifices defined in the sleeves, the pintle has two second orifices corresponding to the first orifices, and multiple bolts are mounted respectively through the first orifices and the second orifices.

5. The hinge with torsion spring as claimed in claim 4 further comprising two bush mounted around the pintle, wherein the torsion springs are mounted respectively around the bushes.