Hinge assembly for electronic appliance and stand apparatus having the same

• US 20080034551A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeong, Deok Soo
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/367
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/10 with non-parallel pins
• 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 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/041 for balancing rotational movement of the head
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base

Abstract

The present invention relates a hinge assembly for an electronic appliance and a stand apparatus having the same. The present invention comprises a hinge assembly for an electronic appliance including a bracket connected to a main body of the electronic appliance, a hinge housing connected to the bracket such that a tilt angle of the electronic appliance can be adjusted, and a supporting plate connected to the hinge housing such that a swivel angle of the electronic appliance can be adjusted. The present invention further comprises a hinge cover which covers the hinge assembly and includes a detachable portion for allowing the main body to be folded in parallel with the base plate.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for an electronic appliance, comprising:

a bracket connected to a main body of the electronic appliance;

a hinge housing connected to the bracket such that a tilt angle of the electronic appliance can be adjusted; and

a supporting plate connected to the hinge housing such that a swivel angle of the electronic appliance can be adjusted.

2. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket, the hinge housing and the supporting plate are formed of a metallic material by a pressing process.

3. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bracket includes a rear portion with a plurality of fastening holes for connecting the bracket to the main body, and side portions each of which has a width increased as it goes downward.

4. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a first floor portion bent perpendicularly and inwardly from a lower end of a rear portion of the hinge housing supports bottom surfaces of second floor portions bent perpendicularly and inwardly from lower ends of side portions of the hinge housing.

5. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the side portions of the bracket and the side portions of the hinge housing are provided with fastening holes, respectively, which correspond to each other and are connected to each other by first shafts such that the tilt angle can be adjusted.

6. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first floor portion of the hinge housing and the supporting plate are provided with holes for rotation, respectively, which correspond to each other and are connected to each other by a second shaft such that the swivel angle can be adjusted.

7. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein one side of the hinge housing and one side of the supporting plate are provided with stoppers for limiting the tilt angle and the swivel angle, respectively.

8. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the side portions of the bracket is provided with the outwardly protruding stopper, each of the side portions of the hinge housing is provided with a rounded portion for guiding the stopper, and both ends of the rounded portion are provided with catching protrusions to limit a rotating range of the stopper.

9. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first floor portion of the hinge housing and the supporting plate are provided with a guide slot and a housing stopper, respectively, which correspond to each other to limit a rotating range of the hinge housing.

10. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket is provided with an elastic member for applying an elastic force to the bracket in a direction in which the bracket stands upright with respect to the supporting plate.

11. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the elastic member is inserted around and fixed to a hollow cylindrical spring guide extending from the side portion of the bracket in a direction facing toward the opposite side portion.

12. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the first shafts penetrates through the fastening holes formed on the side portions of the bracket and through the hinge housing and is fastened with a fixing nut.

13. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the elastic members is a torsion spring of which one end is fixed to the bracket and the other end is fixed to the hinge housing to apply the elastic force to the bracket in a direction in which the bracket stands upright with respect to the supporting plate.

14. A stand apparatus for an electronic appliance, comprising:

a base plate;

a hinge assembly placed on and fixed to the base plate and connected to a main body of the electronic appliance such that an tilt angle and a swivel angle of the electronic appliance can be adjusted; and

a hinge cover placed on the base plate to cover the hinge assembly and having a detachable portion for allowing the main body to be folded in parallel with the base plate.

15. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the hinge assembly includes:

a bracket connected to the main body of the electronic appliance;

a hinge housing connected to the bracket such that the tilt angle can be adjusted; and

a supporting plate connected to the hinge housing such that the swivel angle can be adjusted.

16. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hinge cover includes a coupling portion placed on and coupled with the base plate and a shielding portion extending upward from the coupling portion to cover the hinge assembly, and the detachable portion for allowing the main body to be folded in parallel with the base plate is selectively coupled with the shielding portion.

17. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the detachable portion and the shielding portion are provided with a fastening hook and a fastening protrusion at positions corresponding to each other, respectively, to thereby allow the detachable portion and the shielding portion to be selectively coupled with each other.

18. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the detachable portion is provided with a plurality of inwardly protruding projections, and a plurality of supports brought into contact with the protrusions to support the detachable portion are formed on a top surface of the coupling portion.

19. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein a lower surface of the detachable portion is provided with a stepped surface and the top surface of the coupling portion is provided with a stepped line corresponding to the stepped surface, so that the lower surface of the detachable portion is installed to the top surface of the coupling portion along the stepped line.

20. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the detachable portion is formed with a cable hole through which a cable connected to the main body passes.

21. The stand apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein a bottom surface of the base plate is provided with support plate made of a metallic material.