Wobble-resistant hinge structure

• US 7,797,797 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jarllytec Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jarllytec Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Haung Wen, Chiang, Chia Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): SULLIVAN, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US11/714,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 16/367
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1014 for maintaining the hinge in only one position, e.g. closed
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/10 with non-parallel pins
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a wobble-resistant hinge structure, comprising a main frame body having a main plate; a first pivotal axle with one end of its axle rod being inserted with the main plate, at least a resilient plate body with a succession of wave or uneven surface, and a support part, and with the free end of the axle rod being capped, wherein the resilient plate body is disposed with at least a pair of flat portions and the support part corresponding to the flat portions s protrudingly to form a pair of support legs, which are held compressingly against the flat portions and are supported by the main plate, such that the application of external force on the resilient plate body will not result in wobbling.

Claims

1. A wobble-resistant hinge structure, comprising:

a main frame body having a main plate;

a first pivotal axle with one end of an axle rod being inserted through the main plate, at least a resilient plate body, and a support part, and with the free end of the axle rod being capped on a rotation frame, wherein the resilient plate body has wave-like curved surface portions and at least a pair of flat portions located between the wave-like curved surface portions and the support part has a pair of support legs protruding downwardly from a bottom thereof and corresponding to the flat portions of the resilient plate body, the pair of support legs being compressed against the pair of flat portions of the resilient plate body and being located between the main plate and the rotation frame.

2. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient plate body is a wave spring.

3. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main plate of the main frame body extends downwardly from an edge thereof to form a side plate extending vertically;

the free end of the axle rod on one end of the pivotal axle is capped on the rotation frame and a rod ring on the other end is disposed with a pair of flat indented faces;

further comprises a second pivotal axle having an axle rod with one end thereof being inserted with the side plate to be rotatably connected to a frame and the other end sidewardly protruding to form two pressing tenons, between which a guided channel is formed;

consequently, the two pressing tenons of the axle rod are held compressingly against one indented face of an axle ring to render the first pivotal axle into a locked state;

on the other hand, when the rotation frame and the main frame body are flipped to a specific angle by the first pivotal axle, the rod ring moves to be accommodated in the guided channel so as to release the pivotal axle form the locked state and thus a vertical rotation is possible.

4. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 3, further comprises a third pivotal axle having a central rod inserted through a connection hole of a connection plate corresponding to the side plate, an intermediate ring, and a horizontal frame hole of a frame, and finally is capped on an end thereof.

5. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pressing ring has the same shape of the rod ring, a rod neck is disposed between the pressing ring and the rod ring, and a pair of indented flat faces are formed on the pressing ring to render the pressing tenon pressing against the two indented faces when the pressing tenon is in a non-operating closed state.

6. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main plate is bored to have an axle hole, the axle rod of the first pivotal axle adjacent to the main frame body is inserted with a positioning plate and corresponding to a pair of radial slots is protrudingly disposed with two radial plate tenons such that the positioning plate is rotated to render the two plate tenons slipping into the two radial slots.

7. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main plate is bored to have an axle hole, the circumference of which is protrudingly formed to have two end tenons to establish the required rotation angle, the axle rod of the first pivotal axle adjacent to the main plate of the main frame body is inserted first with a driven plate and then a stop plate, the stop plate radially protrudes to form a fan-shaped stop tenon, and the circumference of the driven plate protrudes downwardly to form two driving tenons;

when the driven plate is rotated, one of the driving tenon will push one end of an adjacent stop tenon and thus the stop plate will rotate accordingly until the other end of the stop tenon contacts an end tenon, which is the limit of the rotation.

8. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the side plate is bored to have a side hole, the circumference of which is radially formed to have a pair of tenon slots, the axle rod of the second pivotal axle is inserted with an auxiliary plate between the side plate and the frame, and the auxiliary plate is protrudingly disposed with a connection tenon corresponding to the two tenon slots, respectively;

such that when the main frame body is rotated, the two connection tenons will slip into the two tenon slots, which amounts to the main frame body is rotated to a specific angle with respect to the second pivotal axle.

9. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the side plate is bored to have a side hole, the circumference of which is formed to have a stopper, the axle rod of the second pivotal axle is inserted with a limit plate between the side plate and the frame, and the limit plate is formed to have two bulgings according to the required flip angle;

such that when the main frame body is rotated, a stop action will be encountered when the stopper contacts either of the bulgings during the rotating course.

10. The wobble-resistant hinge structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the auxiliary plate is formed to have an indented portion to accommodate the limit plate.