HINGE STRUCTURE

• US 20150020351A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lin, Che-Hsien
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/366
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/42 for locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/474 Compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/298 having indentations
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices

Abstract

A hinge structure includes a first shaft, a second shaft, a pivot base and a position-limiting mechanism. The first and second shafts are pivoted on the pivot base. The position-limiting mechanism includes a first position-limiting portion, a second position-limiting portion and a position-limiting component. The first position-limiting portion is fixed to the first shaft. The second position-limiting portion is fixed to the second shaft. The position-limiting component is slidably disposed on the pivot base and has first and second ends opposite to each other. When the position-limiting component moves to a first position, the first end and the first position-limiting portion interfere with each other to stop the first shaft and the pivot base from rotating relatively. When the position-limiting component moves to a second position, the second end and the second position-limiting portion interfere with each other to stop the second shaft and the pivot base from rotating relatively.

Claims

1. A hinge structure comprising:

a first shaft;

a second shaft;

a pivot base, wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are pivoted on the pivot base; and

a position-limiting mechanism comprising;

a first position-limiting portion fixed to the first shaft;

a second position-limiting portion fixed to the second shaft; and

a position-limiting component slidably disposed on the pivot base and having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein when the position-limiting component moves to a first position, the first end and the first position-limiting portion interfere with each other to stop the first shaft and the pivot base from rotating relatively, and when the position-limiting component moves to a second position, the second end and the second position-limiting portion interfere with each other to stop the second shaft and the pivot base from rotating relatively.

2. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein the first shaft is pivoted on the pivot base along a first axis, the second shaft is pivoted on the pivot base along a second axis, the position-limiting component is slidably disposed on the pivot base along a third axis, and the first axis, the second axis and the third axis are parallel to each other.

3. The hinge structure according to claim 1, further comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are fixed on the first shaft and the second shaft respectively, and an expanding angle between the first bracket and the second bracket is adapted to be changed through the relative pivoting between the first shaft and the pivot base or the relative pivoting between the second shaft and the pivot base.

4. The hinge structure according to claim 3, wherein the hinge structure is suitable for an electronic device, the electronic device includes a display and a base, the first bracket and the second bracket connect to the display and the base respectively.

5. The hinge structure according to claim 3, wherein when the expanding angle is less than a first angle or greater than a second angle, the position-limiting component is limited to the second position, and when the expanding angle is greater than the first angle and less than the second angle, the position-limiting component is limited to the first position.

6. The hinge structure according to claim 5, wherein the first angle is 90 degrees and the second angle is 270 degrees.

7. The hinge structure according to claim 5, further comprising a stop structure, wherein the second shaft is pivoted on the stop structure and has a bump, the stop structure has a stop block, when the expanding angle increases to the second angle through the relative pivoting between the second shaft and the pivot base, the bump contacts the stop block to stop the second shaft and the pivot base from continuing to pivot relatively, and when the expanding angle decreases to the first angle through the relative pivoting between the second shaft and the pivot base, the bump contacts the stop block to stop the second shaft and the pivot base from continuing to pivot relatively.

8. The hinge structure according to claim 5, further comprising a stop structure, wherein the first shaft is pivoted on the stop structure and has a bump, the stop structure has a stop block, when the expanding angle increases to a third angle greater than the second angle through the relative pivoting between the first shaft and the pivot base, the bump contacts the stop block to stop the first shaft and the pivot base from continuing to pivot relatively, and when the expanding angle decreases to a fourth angle less than the first angle through the relative pivoting between the second shaft and the pivot base, the bump contacts the stop block to stop the first shaft and the pivot base from continuing to pivot relatively.

9. The hinge structure according to claim 8, wherein the third angle is 360 degrees and the fourth angle is 0 degree.

10. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein the position-limiting mechanism further comprises an elastic component, the elastic component connects between the position-limiting component and the pivot base, the position-limiting component is adapted to be limited to the first position via the elastic force of the elastic component, and the first position-limiting portion is adapted to resist the elastic force of the elastic component and limits the position-limiting component to the second position.

11. The hinge structure according to claim 1, wherein the first position-limiting portion has a first concave portion, the second position-limiting portion has at least one second concave portion, when the position-limiting component is located at the first position, the first end sticks into the first concave portion to stop the relative pivoting between the first shaft and the pivot base, and when the position-limiting component is located at the second position, the second end sticks into the second concave portion to stop the relative pivoting between the second shaft and the pivot base.

12. The hinge structure according to claim 11, wherein there is at least one guiding-incline inside the first concave portion, when the position-limiting component is located at the first position and the second end is aligned to the second concave portion, the first end is adapted to move away from the first concave portion along the guiding-incline through the relative pivoting between the first shaft and the pivot base, so as to drive the position-limiting component to move from the first position to the second position.