HINGE MODULE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20180230724A1
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lin, Che-Hsien, Chu, Che-Hsien
• Granted Patent: US 10,174,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1042 the maintaining means being a cam and a torsion bar, e.g. motor vehicle hinge mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/18 with sliding pins or guides
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/04 Flat flaps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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: H05K 5/0226 Hinges

Abstract

A hinge module assembled to a first body and a second body of an electronic device and including a first rotating shaft assembled to the first body and having a first limiting portion, a second rotating shaft movably and rotatably assembled to the second body, a linking member, a switching member, and a transmission couple is provided. The second rotating shaft is fixed to the linking member and has a second limiting portion. The first rotating shaft is rotatably assembled to the linking member. The switching member movably passes through the linking member. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are located at two opposite ends of a moving path of the switching member to be interfered therewith. The transmission couple is respectively disposed at the second rotating shaft and the second body.

Claims

1. A hinge module configured to assemble to a first body and a second body of an electronic device, wherein the first body is adapted to be forced to be rotated and opened/closed with respect to the second body via the hinge module, the hinge module comprising:

a first rotating shaft assembled to the first body and comprising a first limiting portion;

a second rotating shaft having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein the first end is movably and rotatably assembled to the second body, and the second rotating shaft comprises a second limiting portion;

a linking member, wherein the first rotating shaft is rotatably assembled to the linking member, the second end of the second rotating shaft is connected to the linking member, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located in parallel on two opposite sides of the linking member, and the linking member comprises a third limiting portion located on a moving path of the first limiting portion;

a switching member movably passing through the linking member, wherein the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are located at two opposite ends of a moving path of the switching member, such that the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion or the second limiting portion; and

a transmission couple respectively disposed at the first end of the second rotating shaft and the second body, wherein a rotating motion of the second rotating shaft with respect to the second body is transformed into a rectilinear motion of the second body with respect to the second rotating shaft via the transmission couple,

wherein when the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion, the first rotating shaft is forced and rotated with respect to the linking member in a first direction, and after the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are interfered with each other, the first rotating shaft and the linking member are forced and synchronizedly rotated in the first direction via the second rotating shaft to drive the switching member to be disengaged from the second limiting portion and interfered with the first limiting portion,

wherein when the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion, the first rotating shaft is forced and rotated synchronizedly with the linking member in a second direction via the second rotating shaft, such that after the switching member is moved to a position corresponding to the second limiting portion, the first rotating shaft is forced and drives the switching member to be disengaged from the first limiting portion and interfered with the second limiting portion, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

2. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the first limiting portion is rotated along with the first rotating shaft, and the second limiting portion is not rotated along with the second rotating shaft.

3. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating shaft comprises a first shaft surface and a second shaft surface having different shaft diameters, and the first shaft surface and the second shaft surface form the first limiting portion.

4. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises a third shaft surface and a fourth shaft surface having different shaft diameters, and the third shaft surface and the fourth shaft surface form the second limiting portion.

5. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the moving path of the switching member is orthogonal to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

6. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises:

a shaft portion movably and rotatably assembled to the second body; and

a sleeve member fit around the shaft portion, wherein a portion of the shaft portion and a portion of the sleeve member form the second limiting portion.

7. The hinge module according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve member comprises a protrusion extending to a slide groove of the second body, the shaft portion is moved and rotated along the slide groove, the sleeve member is moved with the shaft portion along the slide groove via the protrusion, and the protrusion stops the sleeve member from rotating along with the shaft portion.

8. The hinge module according to claim 7, wherein different portions of the shaft portion and the portion of the sleeve member form the second limiting portion.

9. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the transmission couple comprises a gear rack and a gear coupled to each other, the gear rack is disposed on the second body, and the gear is fit around the second rotating shaft to be rotated along with the second rotating shaft.

10. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating shaft comprises a first shaft surface and a second shaft surface, a shaft diameter of the first shaft surface is smaller than a shaft diameter of the second shaft surface, the first rotating shaft rotatably passes through the linking member, and the third limiting portion is in contact with the first shaft surface, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion, a side face of the switching member is abutted against the first shaft surface.

11. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises a third shaft surface and a fourth shaft surface, a shaft diameter of the third shaft surface is smaller than a shaft diameter of the fourth shaft surface, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion, another side face of the switching member is abutted against the third shaft surface, and when the switching member is disengaged from the second limiting portion, the another side face of the switching member is abutted against the fourth shaft surface.

12. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion, the first rotating shaft and the linking member form an integral structure, and when the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion, the second rotating shaft and the linking member form an integral structure.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a first body;

a second body; and

a hinge module assembled to the first body and the second body such that the first body and the second body are opened/closed with respect to each other via the hinge module, the hinge module comprising;

a first rotating shaft assembled to the first body and comprising a first limiting portion;

a second rotating shaft having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein the first end is movably and rotatably assembled to the second body, and the second rotating shaft comprises a second limiting portion;

a linking member, wherein the first rotating shaft is rotatably assembled to the linking member, the second end of the second rotating shaft is connected to the linking member, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are located in parallel on two opposite sides of the linking member, and the linking member comprises a third limiting portion located on a moving path of the first limiting portion;

a switching member movably passing through the linking member, wherein the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are located at two opposite ends of a moving path of the switching member, such that the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion or the second limiting portion; and

a transmission couple respectively disposed at the first end of the second rotating shaft and the second body, wherein a rotating motion of the second rotating shaft with respect to the second body is transformed into a rectilinear motion of the second body with respect to the second rotating shaft via the transmission couple,

wherein the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion when the first body is closed with respect to the second body, the first rotating shaft is forced and rotated with respect to the linking member in a process of rotating and spreading the first body with respect to the second body, and after the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are interfered with each other, the first rotating shaft and the linking member are forced and synchronizedly rotated via the second rotating shaft in a same direction to drive the switching member to be disengaged from the second limiting portion and interfered with the first limiting portion, and the second rotating shaft drives the second body to be moved close to the first body via the transmission couple.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first limiting portion is rotated along with the first rotating shaft, and the second limiting portion is not rotated along with the second rotating shaft.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first rotating shaft comprises a first shaft surface and a second shaft surface having different shaft diameters, and the first shaft surface and the second shaft surface form the first limiting portion.

16. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises a third shaft surface and a fourth shaft surface having different shaft diameters, and the third shaft surface and the fourth shaft surface form the second limiting portion.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the moving path of the switching member is orthogonal to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises:

a shaft portion movably and rotatably assembled to the second body; and

a sleeve member fit around the shaft portion, wherein a portion of the shaft portion and a portion of the sleeve member form the second limiting portion.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the sleeve member comprises a protrusion extending to a slide groove of the second body, the shaft portion is moved and rotated along the slide groove, the sleeve member is moved with the shaft portion along the slide groove via the protrusion, and the protrusion stops the sleeve member from rotating along with the shaft portion.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein different portions of the shaft portion and the portion of the sleeve member form the second limiting portion.

21. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the transmission couple comprises a gear rack and a gear coupled to each other, the gear rack is disposed on the second body, and the gear is fit around the second rotating shaft to be rotated along with the second rotating shaft.

22. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first rotating shaft comprises a first shaft surface and a second shaft surface, a shaft diameter of the first shaft surface is smaller than a shaft diameter of the second shaft surface, the first rotating shaft rotatably passes through the linking member, and the third limiting portion is in contact with the first shaft surface, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion, a side face of the switching member is abutted against the first shaft surface.

23. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the second rotating shaft comprises a third shaft surface and a fourth shaft surface, a shaft diameter of the third shaft surface is smaller than a shaft diameter of the fourth shaft surface, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion, another side face of the switching member is abutted against the third shaft surface, and when the switching member is disengaged from the second limiting portion, the another side face of the switching member is abutted against the fourth shaft surface.

24. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein when the switching member is interfered with the first limiting portion, the first rotating shaft and the linking member form an integral structure, and when the switching member is interfered with the second limiting portion, the second rotating shaft and the linking member form an integral structure.