GEAR HINGE DEVICE FOR PORTABLE APPARATUS

• US 20130152342A1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: AHN, Sung-Ho, BAEK, Kun-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/354
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes

Abstract

Disclosed is a gear hinge device employed in a portable apparatus including first and second housings. The gear hinge device connects the first and second housings in such a manner such that the first and second housings can be rotated about first and second hinge axes, respectively. The gear hinge device includes: a first driving unit comprising a first driving cam gear that is rotated about the first hinge axis and a second driving unit comprising a second driving cam gear that is engaged with the first driving cam gear and rotated about the second hinge axis that is parallel to the first hinge axis and a flexible auxiliary gear that is arranged coaxially to the second driving cam gear.

Claims

1. A gear hinge device for connecting first and second housings of a portable terminal in such a manner that the first and second housings can be rotated about first and second hinge axes, respectively, wherein the gear hinge device comprises:

a first driving unit comprising a first driving cam gear that is rotated about the first hinge axis, and a first auxiliary gear; and

a second driving unit comprising a second driving cam gear that is engaged with the first driving cam gear and rotated about the second hinge axis that is parallel to the first hinge axis, and a second auxiliary gear,

wherein each of the first driving cam gear, the first auxiliary, the second driving cam gear and the second auxiliary gear is provided with a set of gear teeth, and

wherein the first and second driving cam gears are arranged coaxially to the first and second auxiliary gears, respectively, and the first and second auxiliary gears are arranged to be engaged with each other.

2. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first driving cam gear and the first auxiliary gear are formed from different materials, and the second driving cam gear and the second auxiliary gear are formed from different materials respectively.

3. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second auxiliary gears are formed from a flexible resilient material.

4. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gear teeth of the first driving cam gear and the gear teeth of the first auxiliary gear have a phase shift that is different from each other, and the gear teeth of the second driving cam gear and the gear teeth of the second auxiliary gear have a phase shift that is different from each other.

5. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of gear teeth of the first driving cam gear and the second driving cam gear and the number of the gear teeth of the first auxiliary gear and the second auxiliary gear are different from each other.

6. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the gear teeth of the first driving cam gear and the second driving cam gear and the number of the gear teeth of the first auxiliary gear and the second auxiliary gear are equal to each other.

7. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first driving cam gear and the first auxiliary gear have a different size, and wherein the second driving cam gear and the second auxiliary gear have a different size.

8. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and second auxiliary gears are larger than the first and second driving cam gears, respectively.

9. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the gear teeth of the first and second auxiliary gears is larger than each of the gear teeth of the first and second driving cam gears.

10. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second auxiliary gears are integrally coupled to the first and second driving cam gears by first and second coupling parts, respectively, and wherein the first and second coupling parts comprise first and second protrusions that extend from the first and second auxiliary gears in a direction toward the first and second driving cam gears respectively along the first and second hinge axes and coupled to the first and second driving cam gears, respectively.

11. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a single driven cam supported by forces exerted by the first and second hinge springs comes into close contact with one side of each of the first and second driving cam gears, and is engaged with the first and second driving cam teeth to conduct a cam action, and a coupling guide bushing is provided on the other side to bind the first and second auxiliary gears to the first and second hinge shafts, respectively.

12. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gear teeth of the first auxiliary gear are provided in a number and phase shift that are different from those of the gear teeth of the first driving cam gear, and the gear teeth of the second auxiliary gear are provided in a number and phase shift that are different from those of the gear teeth of the second driving cam gear.

13. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gear teeth of the first auxiliary gear and the second auxiliary gear are provided in a number equal to the number of the gear teeth of the first driving cam gear and the second driving cam gear but wherein the phase shift of the gear teeth of the first driving cam gear and the second driving gear, are different from the first auxiliary gear and the second auxiliary gear.

14. A gear hinge device for connecting first and second housings of a portable terminal in such a manner that the first and second housings can be rotated about first and second hinge axes, respectively, wherein the gear hinge device comprises:

a first driving unit comprising a first driving cam gear that is rotated about the first hinge axis; and

a second driving unit comprising a second driving cam gear that is engaged with the first driving cam gear and rotated about the second hinge axis that is parallel to the first hinge axis, and a flexible auxiliary gear that is arranged coaxially to the second driving cam gear and is integrally coupled to the first driving cam gear,

wherein each of the first driving cam gear, the second driving cam gear and the auxiliary gear is provided with a set of gear teeth.

15. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the gear teeth of the second driving cam gear has a phase shift that is different from the phase shift of the auxiliary gear.

16. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second driving cam gear and the auxiliary gear have a different number of teeth from each other.

17. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second driving cam gear and the auxiliary gear have a number of teeth that are equal to each other.

18. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second driving cam gear has a size different from that of the auxiliary gear.

19. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the auxiliary gear is larger than the second driving cam gear.

20. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of the gear teeth of the auxiliary gear is larger than each of the gear teeth of the second driving cam gear.

21. The gear hinge device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the longitudinal mounting length of the second driving cam gear and the auxiliary gear in the direction of the second hinge axis is equal to longer than the longitudinal mounting length of the first driving cam gear in the direction of the first hinge axis.