Positioning structure for a rotatable hinge

• US 7,530,144 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shin ZU Shing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shin ZU Shing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Chung-Yu, Lu, Sheng-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; William L.
• Application Number:
  US11/297,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 163/42, 163/74, 163/66, 163/71, 163/67, 248/917, 248/919, 248/922, 248/923, 361680-683
• US Class Current: 16/342
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• 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 rotatable hinge includes a fixed frame provided to be adapted for engagement with a laptop computer base and a rotatable portion rotatable relative to the fixed frame and provided to be adapted for engagement with a laptop computer screen. The fixed frame is composed of a circular wall and a connection base integrally formed with the circular wall. The rotation portion has an extension extending from a bottom of the sleeve to be received in a through hole defined in the circular wall so that the rotation portion is able to be rotatable relative to the fixed portion. The extension has a flange formed thereon and a sectorial block formed on an outer periphery of the flange. The circular wall has a limiting boss formed on a peripheral edge thereof to be selectively connected to the sectorial block so as to limit the rotational movement of the rotation portion relative to the fixed frame.

Claims

1. In a rotatable hinge including a fixed frame adapted for engagement with a laptop computer base and a rotation portion rotatable relative to the fixed frame and adapted for engagement with a laptop computer screen, the fixed frame including a circular wall and a connection base integrally formed with the circular wall and configured in such a way that the connection base is engageable with the laptop computer base, the rotation portion having a sleeve, two securing devices respectively provided to two different ends of the sleeve and an extension extending from a bottom of the sleeve to be received in a through hole defined in the circular wall so that the rotation portion is rotatable relative to the fixed frame, wherein the improvements comprise:

the extension having a flange formed thereon and a sectorial block formed on an outer periphery of the flange,

the circular wall having a limiting boss formed on a peripheral edge thereof to be selectively connected to the sectorial block so as to limit the rotational movement of the rotation portion relative to the fixed frame,

the circular wall having protrusions formed on the peripheral edge thereof,

the extension having a stationary washer and the stationary washer having holes defined to correspond to the protrusions of the circular wall such that the protrusions are received and riveted in the holes to secure engagement between the stationary washer and the circular wall.

2. The rotatable hinge as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extension further has a first washer and a second washer securely mounted therearound, and the stationary washer is provided between the first washer and the second washer so that the first washer and the second washer are rotatable relative to the stationary washer.

3. The rotatable hinge as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the holes of the stationary washer are elongated.

4. The rotation hinge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the extension has elongated recesses defined in an outer periphery thereof and the first washer has first fingers formed on an inner periphery defining a first through hole therethrough and the second washer has second fingers formed on an inner periphery defining a second through hole thereof so that after the first washer and the second washer are mounted around the extension of the rotation portion, the first fingers and the second fingers are received in the elongated recesses to secure engagement among the first washer, the second washer and the extension.

5. The rotation hinge as claimed in claim 2, wherein the extension has elongated recesses defined in an outer periphery thereof and the first washer has first fingers formed on an inner periphery defining a first through hole therethrough and the second washer has second fingers formed on an inner periphery defining a second through hole thereof so that after the first washer and the second washer are mounted around the extension of the rotation portion, the first fingers and the second fingers are received in the elongated recesses to secure engagement among the first washer, the second washer and the extension.

6. The rotatable hinge as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the first washer has two oppositely formed first bosses formed on a bottom thereof and the second washer has two oppositely formed second bosses formed on a top thereof and the stationary washer has two oppositely defined cutouts defined in an inner periphery defining a through hole thereof to correspond to and selectively receive therein the first bosses and the second bosses so that a positioning effect is provided to the rotation portion relative to the fixed frame.