Electronic apparatus

• US 8,638,546 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hoshino, Hironari
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZZUTO, CHARLES M
• Application Number:
  US13/190,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• 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: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0226 Hinges

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes: a first casing; a second casing; a hinge section which includes a first turning shaft provided at one end portion of the first casing and a second turning shaft provided at one end portion of the second casing and connects the first and second casings so as to be able to be opened or closed in a range from a folded state to a back-to-back state through the first and second turning shafts; a display section provided on one face of the second casing; and a displacement section which displaces the display section to the other end side of the second casing in the folded state and the back-to-back state of the first and second casings and displaces the display section to one end side of the second casing in a spread state of the first and second casings.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first casing;

a second casing;

a hinge section comprising a first turning shaft provided at one end of the first casing and a second turning shaft provided at one end of the second casing,

wherein the hinge section connects the first casing and the second casing, wherein the first casing and the second casing are capable of being opened or closed in a range from a folded state to a back-to-back state through the first turning shaft and the second turning shaft; and

a display section provided on one face of the second casing; and

a displacement section operable to;

displace the display section on the second casing along a plane in a first direction when the first casing and the second casing are in the folded state or the back-to-back state, and

displaces the display section along the plane in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the first casing and the second casing are in a spread state.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hinge section comprises the first turning shaft provided close to a first casing side face, and the second turning shaft provided close to a second casing side face, and wherein the display section is provided at a central portion of the one face of the second casing.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first casing and the second casing have the same thickness, and

the hinge section has the same thickness as the thicknesses of the first casing and the second casing, wherein the hinge section changes a position in accordance with opening and closing of the first casing and the second casing, and is provided so as not to protrude from a first face and a second face of the first casing and a first face and a second face of the second casing in the spread state of the first casing and the second casing.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hinge section comprises a hinge case which has the same thickness as the thicknesses of the first casing and the second casing and houses the first turning shaft and the second turning shaft.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a spring operable to biases the display section in the second direction, and

wherein the displacement section comprises a cam portion at the hinge case of the hinge section so as to displace the display section biased in the second direction by the spring, in accordance with opening and closing of the first casing and the second casing.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the hinge section comprises a first pulley housed in the hinge case and fixed to the first turning shaft, a second pulley housed in the hinge case and fixed to the second turning shaft, and a wire housed in the hinge case and wound in a figure of eight from a side face of the first pulley to a side face of the second pulley.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display section provided at a central portion of the one face of the first casing.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the display section of the first casing and the display section of the second casing is about zero degrees in the folded state,

wherein the angle between the display section of the first casing and the display section of the second casing is about 360 degrees in the back-to-back state, and

wherein the angle between the display section of the first casing and the display section of the second casing is about 180 degrees in the spread state.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transparent touch panel covers the display section on the second casing.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display section disposed on the first casing.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display section on the first casing is covered by a transparent touch panel.