Hinged device

• US 5,827,082 A
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laine, Pasi
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): WITTELS, DANIEL NMN
• Application Number:
  US08/763,931
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 439/165, 439/31
• US Class Current: 439/165
• 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: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members

Abstract

The invention is related to a device comprising a base part (1), a pivoting part (2), and a hinge structure comprising a first pair of hinges (4, 5, 6) and a second pair of hinges (8, 9, 10), the hinge structure being used to pivotally mount the pivoting part on the base part, and electric connection means (12, 13) between the base part and the pivoting part, whereby a connecting piece (3) is provided between the first pair of hinges (4, 5, 6) and the second pair of hinges (8, 9, 10), the electric connection means (12, 13) having been taken through the connecting piece, and the connecting piece being mounted to partly pivot along with the pivoting part (2), the slewing angle β of the connecting piece being smaller than the slewing angle α of the hinge.

Claims

1. A device comprising a base part (1), a pivoting part (2) pivoting through a given slewing angle α

relative to said base part, and a hinge structure comprising a first pair of hinges (4, 5,

     6) and a second pair of hinges (8, 9,

     10), the hinge structure being used to pivotally mount the pivoting part on the base part, and electric connection means (12,

     13) between the base part and the pivoting part, characterised in that a connecting piece (3) is provided between the first pair of hinges (4, 5,

     6) and the second pair of hinges (8, 9,

     10), said connecting piece pivoting through a given slewing angle β

, the electric connection means (12,

     13) having been taken through the connecting piece, and the connecting piece being adapted to partly pivot along with the pivoting part (2), the slewing angle β

of the connecting piece being smaller than the slewing angle α

of the pivoting part.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting piece (3) is provided with a member (17) which allows the connecting piece to partly pivot along with the pivoting part (2).

3. A device according to claim 2, characterised in that the said member comprises a projection (17) on the outer surface of the connecting piece (3) and that the pivoting part (2) is provided with stops (19, 20) for the projection.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterised in that the connecting piece (3) is further provided with a second projection (18) and that the base part (1) is provided with a stop (21) for the second projection to restrict the pivoting of the pivoting part (2) and to keep the pivoting part (2) in a desired angle α

with respect to the base part (1).

5. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting piece (3) is an elongated cylindrical body.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the electric connection means (12, 13) have been taken through the connecting piece (3) perpendicularly or obliquely to the slewing axis.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterised in that the electric connection means (12, 13) only move when the connecting piece (3) is moved.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that each pair of hinges (4, 5, 6;

8, 9,

     10) comprises a hinge sleeve (4;

     8) attached to the base part (1) and a hinge sleeve (5;

     9) attached to the pivoting part (2), and a pivot pin (6;

     10) connecting the two.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterised in that the connecting piece (3) comprises holes (16) at both ends thereof and that the pivot pins (6, 10) extend into the holes, keeping the connecting piece in place between the pairs of hinges.

10. A device according to claim 8, characterised in that spring force is used to keep the connecting piece in place between the pairs of hinges.