Hinge assembly for an electronic device

• US 7,979,961 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yuan, Li-Jun, Yang, Gui-Li, Wang, Jin-Xin, Wei, Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah; Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US12/261,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 016337-339, 016/342, 016/330, 016/303, 016/374, 016/376, 016/377, 016/340, 016/367, 361/679.12, 361/679.06, 361/679.07, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.8, 379/433.12, 379/433.13, 348/373, 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/794
• US Class Current: 16/367
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683

Abstract

A hinge assembly includes a first rotating module and a second rotating module. The first rotating module includes a frame and a pivot mechanism positioned on the frame. The second rotating module includes a supporting body, a shaft, a rotating washer, a stationary washer, a resilient ring, and a nut. A first end of the shaft is fixed on the frame, and the supporting body, the rotating washer, the stationary washer, the resilient ring, and the nut are orderly sleeved on a second end, opposite to that of the first end, of the shaft. The nut fixes the supporting body, the rotating washer, the stationary washer, and the resilient rings to the shaft. The rotating washer and the stationary washer forms at least one protrusion and at least depression for receiving the at least one protrusion respectively. The pivotal shaft is configured to drive the stationary washer to rotate.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly, comprising:

a first rotating module comprising;

a frame; and

a pivot mechanism positioned on the frame; and

a second rotating module comprising;

a supporting body;

a first pivotal shaft having a deformed shaft portion;

a first rotating washer;

a first stationary washer;

a first limiting washer;

a second limiting washer;

a resilient ring, and

a first fixing element, wherein a first end of the first pivotal shaft is fixed on the frame, the supporting body defines a receiving hole, the supporting body comprises a flat portion and a connecting portion, the receiving hole communicates between the connecting portion and the flat portion;

the connecting portion defines two latching grooves, wherein the supporting body, the first rotating washer, the first stationary washer, the resilient ring, and the first fixing element are orderly sleeved on a second end, opposite to that of the first end, of the first pivotal shaft;

the first fixing element prevents the supporting body, the first rotating washer, the first stationary washer, and the resilient rings from detaching from the first pivotal shaft, one of the first rotating washer or the first stationary washer forms at least one protrusion, and the other washer defines at least depression for receiving the at least one protrusion;

the first pivotal shaft is configured to drive the first stationary washer to rotate;

the first limiting washer forms two limiting latching tabs, the limiting latching tabs are latched in the latching grooves of the supporting body; and

the second limiting washer forms a tab, the second limiting washer is non-rotatably sleeved on the first pivotal shaft.

2. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first rotating washer and the first stationary washer are substantially ring-shaped, the at least one depression is defined in the first rotating washer, the at least one protrusion is formed on the first stationary washer.

3. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pivotal shaft forms a thread in an end that is away from the frame, the first fixing element is a nut, the first fixing element engages with the thread of the first pivotal shaft.

4. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the receiving hole of the supporting body defines two depressions, a periphery of the first rotating washer forms two tabs, the tabs of the rotating member are received in the depressions of the receiving hole, thereby the first rotating washer is non-rotatably received in the receiving hole of the supporting body, the first stationary washer is non-rotatably sleeved on the first pivotal shaft.

5. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second rotating module further comprises a washer sleeved on the first pivotal shaft between the resilient rings and the first fixing element.

6. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the stationary washer defines the deformed hole in middle portion thereof, the deformed shaft portion is engaged in the deformed hole of the washer.

7. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot mechanism includes a second pivotal shaft, a connecting member, a second stationary washer, a second rotating washer, a resilient ring, a washer, and a second fixing element;

one end of the second pivotal shaft is non-rotatably fixed on the frame;

the connecting member, the second stationary washer, the second rotating washer, the resilient ring, and the washer are sleeved on the other end of the second pivotal shaft in that order;

the second fixing element prevents the connecting member, the second stationary washer, the second rotating washer, the resilient ring, and the washer detaching from the second pivotal shaft;

the connecting member and the second rotating washer are rotational relative to the second pivotal shaft;

the second stationary washer is un-rotatable relative to the second pivotal shaft.

8. A hinge assembly, comprising:

a first rotating module comprising;

a frame; and

two pivot mechanisms positioned on the frame; and

a second rotating module comprising;

a supporting body;

a first pivotal shaft having a deformed shaft portion;

a first rotating washer;

a first stationary washer;

a first limiting washer;

a second limiting washer;

a resilient ring, and

a first fixing element, wherein one end of the first pivotal shaft fixed on the frame, the supporting body defines a receiving hole, the supporting body comprises a flat portion and a connecting portion, the receiving hole communicates between the connecting portion and the flat portion;

the connecting portion defines two latching grooves, and the supporting body, the first rotating washer, the first stationary washer, the resilient ring, and the first fixing element are orderly sleeved on the other end of the first pivotal shaft;

the first fixing element prevents the supporting body, the first rotating washer, the first stationary washer, and the resilient rings from detaching from the first pivotal shaft, one of the first rotating washer or the first stationary washer forms at least one protrusion, the other washer defines at least depression for receiving the at least one protrusion, the first pivotal shaft is configured to drive the first stationary washer to rotate;

the first limiting washer forms two limiting latching tabs, the limiting latching tabs are latched in the latching grooves of the supporting body; and

the second limiting washer forms a tab, the second limiting washer is non-rotatably sleeved on the first pivotal shaft.