BIAXIAL HINGE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20160201367A1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kem HongKong Limited
• Original Assignee: Kem HongKong Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 9,540,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2011/085 the friction depending on the opening angle
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• 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

Abstract

A biaxial hinge which allows a first casing having a keyboard and a second casing having a display to open and close 360 degrees relative to each other. The biaxial hinge ensures that the keyboard, rubber feet, and other parts can sink relative to the first casing. The biaxial hinge includes a biaxial hinge portion and an actuating mechanism. The biaxial hinge portion includes a rotation controlling unit. The actuating mechanism includes a fixed cam part, a slide cam part facing the fixed cam part, and a link part.

Claims

1. A biaxial hinge of an electronic device, such as tablet notebook PC, which couples a first casing on a keyboard side and a second casing on a display side, thereby these casings being openable and closable 360 degrees relative to each other,

said biaxial hinge comprising a biaxial hinge portion and an actuating mechanism for actuating an operation means working on a keyboard portion, rubber feet and others provided on said first casing or said second casing;

said biaxial hinge portion comprising;

a means for controlling the rotation, said means making a first hinge shaft attached to said first casing via a first attaching plate and a second hinge shaft attached to said second casing via the second attaching plate rotatable in parallel via a plurality of joint members, as well as controlling the rotation of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft;

said actuating mechanism comprising;

a fixed cam member, said first hinge shaft passing through said fixed cam member in a rotatable manner;

a slide cam member attached facing said fixed cam member, thereby said slide cam member being slidable in one direction in an axial direction of said first hinge shaft; and

a link member provided between said slide cam member and said attaching plate for converting a slide movement of said slide cam member in an axial direction of said first hinge shaft into a movement perpendicular to said axial direction and transferring the converted movement to said operation means.

2. The biaxial hinge according to claim 1,

said means for controlling the rotation comprising:

a means for synchronizing the rotation, said means causing one of said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft to synchronously rotate in a direction different from a rotation of other hinge shaft;

a means for generating friction torque respectively provided on said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft; and

a means for sucking respectively provided on said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft.

3. The biaxial hinge according to claim 1,

said means for controlling the rotation comprising:

a means for selectively restricting the rotation, said means restricting the rotation of one hinge shaft during the rotation of other hinge shaft, thereby both hinge shafts rotating one after the other;

said means for generating friction torque respectively provided on said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft; and

a means for sucking respectively provided on said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft.

4. The biaxial hinge according to claim 1, said operation means being a means for sinking of said keyboard portion, said means for sinking consisting of a cam mechanism for moving upwards and downwards a keyboard portion holding plate in association with said slide movement of said actuating member of said actuating mechanism, and said keyboard portion being provided on an upper part of said keyboard portion holding plate.

5. The biaxial hinge according to claim 1,

the actuating mechanism comprising:

said fixed cam member rotating together with the first hinge shaft;

said slide cam member attached facing the fixed cam member so as to be slidable in one direction in an axial direction of the first hinge shaft; and

an elastic member provided between said slide cam member and said first attaching plate for urging a slide movement of the slide cam member in one direction; and

a link member for converting the slide movement of the slide cam member in an axial direction of the first hinge shaft into the movement perpendicular to the axial direction and transferring the converted movement to said operation means.

6. The biaxial hinge according to claim 2, said means for synchronizing the rotation comprising:

a gear supporting member also functioning as first joint member for pivotally supporting said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft toward the identical direction;

an intermediate gear having a lower bevel tooth portion on a lower part and an upper bevel tooth portion on an upper part, said intermediate gear being pivotally supported between a lower projecting portion and an upper projecting portion of said gear supporting member in a rotatable manner;

a first gear meshed with said lower bevel tooth portion, the rotation of said first gear being restricted by said first hinge shaft, thereby said first gear being attached to said first hinge shaft; and

a second gear meshed with said upper bevel tooth portion, the rotation of said second gear being restricted by said first hinge shaft, thereby said second gear being attached to said first hinge shaft.

7. The biaxial hinge according to claim 2, said means for generating friction torque consisting of a first means for generating friction torque and a second means for generating friction torque, said first means for generating friction torque comprising:

a friction plate also functioning as second joint member;

a first A friction washer and a first B friction washer provided on both sides of the lower part of said friction plate, between said first gear of said means for synchronizing the rotation and said cam plate member of said means for sucking of said biaxial hinge portion, thereby said first A friction washer and said first B friction washer being rotatable together with said first hinge shaft; and

a first elastic means provided on said first hinge shaft for bringing said first A friction washer and said first B friction washer into press contact with said friction plate and said cam plate member;

said second means for generating friction torque comprising;

a friction plate also functioning as second joint member;

a second A friction washer and a second B friction washer provided on both sides of the upper part of said friction plate, between said second gear of said means for synchronizing the rotation and said cam plate member of said means for sucking of said biaxial hinge portion, thereby said first A friction washer and said first B friction washer being rotatable together with said second hinge shaft; and

a second elastic means provided on said second hinge shaft for bringing said second A friction washer and said second B friction washer into press contact with said friction plate and said cam plate member.

8. The biaxial hinge according to claim 2, said means for sucking consisting of a first means for sucking and a second means for sucking, said first means for sucking comprising:

a first A cam concave portion and a first B cam concave portion, each having substantially a circular arc shape and provided outside on one side toward a third A bearing hole of said cam plate member for bearing said first hinge shaft, said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft passing through said cam plate member, said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft being rotatable;

a first cam follower attached to said first hinge shaft, the rotation of said first cam follower being restricted by said first hinge shaft, said first cam follower comprising a first A cam convex portion and a first B cam convex portion on a side facing said first A cam concave portion and said first B cam concave portion; and

a first elastic means for bringing said first A cam concave portion into press contact with said first A cam convex portion, as well as said first B cam concave portion with said first B cam convex portion;

said second means for sucking comprising;

a second A cam concave portion and a second B cam concave portion, each having substantially a circular arc shape and provided outside on one side of a third B bearing hole of said cam plate member for bearing said second hinge shaft, said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft passing through said cam plate member, said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft being rotatable;

a second cam follower attached to said second hinge shaft, the rotation of said second cam follower being restricted by said second hinge shaft, said second cam follower comprising a second A cam convex portion and a second B cam convex portion on a side facing said second A cam concave portion and said second B cam concave portion; and

a second elastic means for bringing said second A cam concave portion into press contact with said second A cam convex portion, as well as said second B cam concave portion with said second B cam convex portion.

9. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 1.

10. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 2.

11. A electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 3.

12. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 4.

13. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 5.

14. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 6.

15. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 7.

16. An electronic device using the biaxial hinge according to claim 8.