Hinge mechansim with adjustable torque

• US 8,381,356 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Song-Ya
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US12/912,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 16304-308, 162/85, 162/95, 162/97, 163/03, 163/30, 163/34, 163/40, 163/42, 163/86, 16321-322, 379/433.13, 455/575.3, 361/679.27
• US Class Current: 16/305
• 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

A hinge mechanism includes a shaft with shaft portion, shaft sleeve, first torque spring, and first sliding member. The shaft sleeve defines a through hole for the shaft portion extending through, a slot extending substantially parallel to the through hole, and forms hooks extending from two opposite sides of the slot. The first sliding member goes over the shaft sleeve, and the first torque spring includes a first end fixed to the shaft and a second end extending through the slot and then fixed to the first sliding member. The first torque provides torque to prevent the shaft sleeve from rotating to the shaft. When the first sliding member is moved along the shaft sleeve to compress the first torque spring, the torque can be adjusted.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism with adjustable torque, comprising:

a shaft comprising at least one shaft portion;

at least one shaft sleeve, wherein each shaft sleeve defines a through hole for one shaft portion extending through, each shaft sleeve defines a slot extending substantially parallel to the through hole, and each shaft sleeve comprises a plurality of hooks extending from two opposite sides of the slot;

at least one first torque spring, each first torque spring comprising a first end fixed to the shaft and a second end extending through the slot, wherein the at least one first torque spring provides torque to prevent the at least one shaft sleeve from rotating relative to the shaft; and

at least one first sliding member each disposed around one of the at least one shaft sleeve, wherein the second end of each of the at least one first torque spring is fixed to one of the at least one first sliding member, and each of the at least one first sliding member is moved along the one of the at least one shaft sleeve to compress a corresponding one of the at least one first torque spring, thus the torque that prevents the at least one shaft sleeve from rotating is adjusted.

2. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises a flange portion and two shaft portions connected to two opposite sides of the flange portion, and thus the hinge mechanism comprises two shaft sleeves, two first torque springs, and two first sliding members.

3. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 2, further comprising two connecting members fixed to the two opposite sides of the flange portion, wherein the first end of the first torque spring is fixed to the shaft via the connecting member.

4. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 2, further comprising two second sliding members and two second torque springs, wherein each second sliding member goes over the respective shaft sleeve and is movable between the flange portion and the first sliding member, each second torque spring is coiled around the respective shaft sleeve and two opposite ends of the second torque spring are respectively fixed to the connecting member and the second sliding member, the first sliding member comprises four engaging portions toward the second sliding member, and each second sliding member defines four engaging openings around thereof.

5. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 4, further comprising two resilient members each disposed between the first sliding member and the second sliding member.

6. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 5, wherein the two resilient members are helical springs that are coiled around the shaft portions of the shaft.

7. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 2, further comprising two fastening assemblies, wherein the shaft forms two threaded portions at a distal end of the two shaft portions, each fastening assembly is fixed on one the two threaded portions to prevent the shaft sleeves and the first sliding members from disengaging from the shaft.

8. The hinge mechanism as described in claim 7, wherein each fastening-assembly comprises an inner washer, a fixed bracket, an outer washer, and a nut sequentially placed around the threaded portion of the shaft.