Foldable electronic device having double-axis hinge and locking spring

• US 7,667,959 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pelkonen, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US11/314,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20070151381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 163/42, 163/37, 163/38, 163/40, 379/433.12, 379/433.13, 348/373, 348/794, 348/333.06, 361/679, 361/679.27, 455/575.3, 248/923
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/105 the maintaining means acting perpendicularly to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• 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 1/1679 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
• 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: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19884 Irregular teeth and bodies

Abstract

A foldable device has a hinge to allow it to be opened or closed. The hinge has two shafts separately secured to two panels of the foldable device. Each shaft has a coupling section with a recess on the shaft surface. A substantially planar spring having two curved sections is used to join the shafts through the corresponding coupling sections. Each curved section has a protruding portion on the inner diameter of the curved section. When the foldable device is in the closed position, the protruding portion in the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the second shaft, while the first curved section is disengaged from the recess of the first shaft. The foldable device can be opened toward a locking position where both protruding portions are engaged in the respective recesses. At any position, the hinge is rotated around only one of the shafts.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device operable at least in a first position and a second position, said foldable device comprising:

a first device part;

a second device part; and

a hinge for engaging the first device part to the second device part, the hinge comprising;

a first shaft securely attached to the first device part, the first shaft having a first length defining a first shaft axis, the first shaft having a first shaft diameter, the first shaft having at least a coupling section in part of the first length, the coupling section having a first circumferential surface and a recess on the first circumference surface, the first circumferential surface having a first coupling diameter greater than the first shaft diameter;

a second shaft securely attached to the second device part, the second shaft having a second length defining a second shaft axis, the second shaft having a second shaft diameter, the second shaft having at least a coupling section in part of the second length, the coupling section having a second circumferential surface and a recess on the second circumference surface, the second circumferential surface having a second coupling diameter greater than the second shaft diameter, wherein the second shaft is positioned in relationship to the first shaft such that the second shaft axis is substantially parallel to the first shaft axis; and

a lock spring having a first end and an opposing second end, the lock spring comprising;

a first curved section forming an open loop having an inner diameter substantially equal to the first coupling diameter of the first circumferential surface, the first curved section having a protruding portion protruding inwardly from the inner diameter; and

a second curved section forming an open loop having an inner diameter substantially equal to the second coupling diameter of the second circumferential surface, the second curved section having a protruding portion protruding inwardly from the inner diameter, wherein the first curved section is movably engaged with the coupling section of the first shaft and the second curved section is movably engaged with the coupling section of the second shaft so as to allow the lock spring to rotate in a first rotation direction and an opposite second rotation direction relative to at least one of the first and second shafts, and wherein

when the foldable device is operated in the first position, the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft, and the protruding portion of the second curved section is located at an angular distance from the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft so as to allow the lock spring to rotate in a first rotation direction around the second shaft toward the second position of the foldable device, and

when the foldable device is operated in the second position, the protruding portion of the second curved section also becomes engaged in the recess of the coupling section of second shaft.

2. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protruding portion of the first curved section and the protruding portion of the second curved section are shaped in relation to the respective recesses such that when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft and the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, it requires less force to rotate the hinge in the first direction around the first shaft than around the second shaft.

3. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft and the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, it requires less force to rotate the hinge in the second direction around the second shaft than around the first shaft.

4. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft while the protruding portion of the second curved section is spaced from the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, the open loop of the second curved section is enlarged such that the inner diameter of the open loop is larger than the second coupling diameter of the second circumferential surface and it requires less force to rotate the hinge around the second shaft than around the first shaft in either the first or the second rotation direction.

5. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein when the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft while the protruding portion of the first curved section is spaced from the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft, the open loop of the first curved section is enlarged such that the inner diameter of the open loop is larger than the first coupling diameter of the first circumferential surface and it requires less force to rotate the hinge around the first shaft than around the second shaft in either the first or the second rotation direction.

6. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lock spring is substantially planar defining a plane such that the first and second curved sections are substantially located in the plane.

7. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first device part has a first end and an opposing second end for attaching the first shaft, and the second device part has a first end and an opposing second end for attaching the second shaft, and wherein when the foldable device is operated in the first position, the first end of the first device part is adjacent to the first end of the second device part.

8. The foldable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the foldable device is operated in the second position, the first end of the first device part is spaced from the first end of the second device part.

9. The foldable electronic device of claim 8, wherein

the first device part has one or more device components disposed in a first plane between the first and second ends;

and

the second device part has one or more device components disposed in a second plane between the first and second ends, and wherein when the foldable device is operated in the first position, the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane.

10. The foldable electronic device of claim 9, wherein when the foldable device is operated in the second position, the first plane is substantially perpendicular to the second plane.

11. The foldable electronic device of claim 7, wherein

when the foldable device is operated in the first position, the foldable device is also operated in a closed position, and

when the foldable device is operated in the second position, the foldable device is also operated in an open position.

12. The foldable electronic device of claim 11, wherein when the foldable device is operated in the closed position, the second device part can be rotated away from the first device part toward the open position by rotating the hinge around the second shaft in the first rotation direction.

13. The foldable electronic device of claim 12, wherein when the foldable device is operated in the open position, the second device part can be moved further away from the first device part by rotating the hinge around the first shaft in the first rotation direction.

14. The foldable electronic device of claim 12, wherein when the foldable device is operated in the open position, the second device part can be moved closer to the first device part toward the closed position by rotating the hinge around the second shaft in the second rotation direction.

15. The foldable electronic device of claim 11, wherein when the foldable device is operated between the closed position and the open position, the second device part can be moved closer to the first device part toward the closed position by rotating the hinge around the second shaft in the second rotation direction.

16. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a mobile terminal.

17. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a computer.

18. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a personal digital assistant device.

19. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, comprising an audio-visual player.

20. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a gaming console.

28. The foldable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a shielding member having a shield surface, the shield surface having a first curved surface section for covering at least part of the length of the first shaft, a second curved surface section for covering at least part of the length of the second shaft, and a middle section joining the first curved surface section and the second curved surface section, wherein the shield surface is fixedly attached to the lock spring and the shield surface is dimensioned for allowing a connector cable to pass from the first device part to the second device part through the shielding member.

21. A hinge for use in a foldable device having a first device part and a second device part, the hinge operable at least in a first hinge position and in a second hinge position, said hinge comprising:

a first shaft for attaching to the first device part, the first shaft having a first length defining a first shaft axis, the first shaft having a first shaft diameter, the first shaft having at least a coupling section in part of the first length, the coupling section having a first circumferential surface and a recess on the first circumference surface, the first circumferential surface having a first coupling diameter greater than the first shaft diameter;

a second shaft for attaching to the second device part, the second shaft having a second length defining a second shaft axis, the second shaft having at least a coupling section in part of the second length, the second shaft having a second shaft diameter, the coupling section having a second circumferential surface and a recess on the second circumference surface, the second circumferential surface having a second coupling diameter greater than the second shaft diameter, wherein the second shaft is positioned in relationship to the first shaft such that the second shaft axis is substantially parallel to the first shaft axis; and

a lock spring having a first end and an opposing second end, the lock spring comprising;

a first curved section forming an open loop having an inner diameter substantially equal to the first coupling diameter of the first circumferential surface, the first curved section having a protruding portion protruding inwardly from the inner diameter; and

a second curved section forming an open loop having an inner diameter substantially equal to the second coupling diameter of the second circumferential surface, the second curved section having a protruding portion protruding inwardly from the inner diameter, wherein the first curved section is movably engaged with the coupling section of the first shaft and the second curved section is movably engaged with the coupling section of the second shaft so as to allow the lock spring to rotate in a first rotation direction and an opposite second rotation direction relative to at least one of the first and second shafts, and wherein

when the hinge is operated in the first hinge position, the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft, and the protruding portion of the second curved section is located at an angular distance from the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft so as to allow the lock spring to rotate in a first rotation direction around the second shaft toward the second hinge position, and

when the hinge is operated in the second hinge position, the protruding portion of the second curved section also becomes engaged in the recess of the coupling section of second shaft.

22. The hinge of claim 21, wherein the protruding portion of the first curved section and the protruding portion of the second curved section are shaped in relation to the respective recesses such that when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft and the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, it requires less force to rotate the hinge in the first rotation direction around the first shaft than around the second shaft.

23. The hinge of claim 22, wherein when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft and the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, it requires less force to rotate the hinge in the second rotation direction around the second shaft than around the first shaft.

24. The hinge of claim 22, wherein when the protruding portion of the first curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft while the protruding portion of the second curved section is spaced from the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft, the open loop of the second curved section is enlarged such that the inner diameter of the open loop is larger than the second coupling diameter of the second circumferential surface and it requires less force to rotate the hinge around the second shaft than around the first shaft in either the first or the second rotation direction.

25. The hinge of claim 22, wherein when the protruding portion of the second curved section is engaged in the recess of the coupling section of the second shaft while the protruding portion of the first curved section is spaced from the recess of the coupling section of the first shaft, the open loop of the first curved section is enlarged such that the inner diameter of the loop is larger than the first coupling diameter of the first circumferential surface and it requires less force to rotate the hinge around the first shaft than around the second shaft in either the first or the second rotation direction.

26. The hinge of claim 21, wherein the lock spring is substantially planar defining a plane such that the first and second curved sections are substantially located in the plane.

27. The hinge of claim 21, further comprising:

a shielding member having a shield surface, the shield surface having a first curved surface section for covering at least part of the length of the first shaft, a second curved surface section for covering at least part of the length of the second shaft, and a middle section joining the first curved surface section and the second curved surface section, wherein the shield surface is fixedly attached to the lock spring and the shield surface is dimensioned for allowing a connector cable to pass from the first device part to the second device part through the shielding member.