Hinge device for a flat panel display

• US 7,114,218 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jiin Ming Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jiin Ming Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Kuan Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vogelbacker, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US11/208,875
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 163/42, 163/74, 163/30, 16337-340, 16/54, 361/683, 361/803, 248/917, 248919-923, 269 82- 85
• US Class Current: 16/342
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• 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

Abstract

A hinge device for a flat panel display which is able to be adjusted and retained at any desired angle, comprises a fixed unit and a pivotal unit, wherein the fixed unit has a base, a pair of supports, a pair spindles and a pair of bushings mounted around the spindle, the pivotal unit includes a mounting part integrated with two pivotal bearing parts, two pair of bearing blocks respectively mounted around the bushings and a connecting member, a plurality of annular grooves being defined around an aperture defined in a center of the bearing blocks corresponding to the plurality of the annular ribs formed around the external surface of the bushing, thereby the pivotal unit is able to be retained at any desired angle by the friction between the contacting surfaces of the bearing blocks and the bushing.

Claims

1. A hinge device (1) for a flat panel display, comprising a fixed unit (10) and a pivotal unit (20), wherein the fixed unit (10) comprises a base (11), a pair of supports (110), a pair of spindles (12), a pair of bushings (13), and the pivotal unit (20) comprises a mounting part (21), two pivotal bearing parts (22) integrated with the mounting part (21), two pairs of bearing blocks (23) and a connecting member (25), wherein

each one of supports (110) has a lower end thereof securely fixed on the base (11) and an upper distal end (110a) thereof extending vertically upwards, and each upper distal end (110a) of the supports (110) has a spindle bore (112) defined therein;

each one of the pair of spindles (12) has a first end (12a) thereof formed a head, and a second end (12b) thereof extending through from outside to inside of the spindle bore (112) towards a middle of the hinge device (1);

each one of the pair of bushings (13) includes a spindle bore (131) defined axially in a center thereof, and mounted around the external surface of the second end (12b) of the spindle (12) to be kept from rotation, the pair of bushing (13) having a first end thereof formed with a head (132) and a shoulder (133), and a second end portion thereof formed a plurality of projective annular ribs (134) at the external surface thereof;

the pivotal unit (20) has the mounting part (21) formed at a first end thereof to be used to mount on load, and the pair of pivotal bearing parts (22) extending perpendicularly from opposite sides of a second end thereof, each pivotal bearing part (22) having a pivotal hole (221) defined therein to receive the shoulder (133) of the bushing (13) fitted therein,

the two pairs of separated bearing blocks (23) are respectively mounted around the second end of the bushing (13), each one of the two pairs of separated bearing blocks (23) consisting of an upper block (23a) and a lower block (23b) has an aperture (231) defined in a center thereof corresponding to an external surface (135) of the second end portion of the bushing (13), an internal surface of the aperture (231) being defined with a plurality of annular grooves (232) corresponding to the plurality of annular ribs (134), the pair of upper and lower blocks (23a, 23b) are tightly mounted around the external surface of the second end portion of the bushing (13) and clamped in combination by a plurality of threading rods (24);

the connecting plate (25) is integrally formed with a pair of first connecting portions (251) and a second connecting portion (252) perpendicular thereto, wherein the first connecting portions (251) is connected to the mounting part (21) of the pivotal unit (20) by the plurality threading rods (24), and the second connecting portion is connected to the bearing blocks 23 by a plurality fasteners (26).

2. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spindle (12) has a non-circular cross section correspondingly to the spindle bore (112) defined in the distal end (110a) of the support (110).

3. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spindle bore (131) defined in the center of the bushing (13) is a non-circular bore corresponding to the cross section of the spindle (12).

4. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the friction between the pivotal unit (20) and the bushing (13) is controllable by adjusting the threading rods (24) threadingly engaged in the bearing blocks (23).

5. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the friction between the pivotal unit (20) and the bushing (13) is controllable by increasing or decreasing the number of the annular ribs formed around the bushing (13) and the corresponding number of the annular grooves (232) defined in the blocks (23).

6. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 1, wherein each one of the pivotal bearing portions (22) of the pivotal unit (20) is formed with an upper dead block (222) and a lower dead block (223) at an external surface thereof.

7. The hinge device for the flat panel display as claimed in claim 6, wherein each one of the supports (110) of the fixed unit (10) has a retaining block (113) formed at an internal surface approximal the distal end (110a) thereof and being pivotally movable between the upper dead block (222) and the lower dead block (223).

8. The hinge device for a display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting plate (25) comprises a reinforcement (253) perpendicular to the first connecting portion (251) and the second connecting portion (252).