Biaxial hinge

• US 9,104,381 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kem HongKong Limited
• Original Assignee: Kem HongKong Limited
• Inventors: Kuramochi, Ryuta
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson, Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): San, Jason W
• Application Number:
  US13/904,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 163/66, 163/42, 163/71, 163/30, 163/03, 163/37, 163/38, 163/40, 361/679.27, 455/575.3, 379/433.11, 379/433.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

To provide a biaxial hinge which enables an opening/closing movement of terminal, such as notebook PC, from 0° up to 180° or more, which ensures the opening/closing movement starting from a stable stopping position available at any opening/closing angle, a second hinge shaft attached to a second casing and a second hinge shaft attached to a second casing are connected to each other via a joint member and provided so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and a selective rotation restricting device is provided between the both hinge shafts. The selective rotation restricting device is so structured that it allows the both hinge shafts to rotate, when the first casing and the second casing are in a closed state, and it restricts one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in rotation, when the other hinge shaft rotates relative to the one hinge shaft.

Claims

1. A biaxial hinge for a terminal device having a first casing provided with a keyboard portion and a second casing provided with display portion, the biaxial hinge comprising;

a first hinge shaft mounted to a side of a first casing via a first attaching plate;

a second hinge shaft mounted to a side of a second casing via a second attaching plate;

a plurality of joint elements provided at predetermined intervals, the plurality of joint elements comprising a friction plate, a slide guide member, and a joint member, and at least one bearing hole, each of said first hinge shalt and said second hinge shaft being rotatably connected to each of said bearing holes of said plurality of joint elements in the same direction and at predetermined intervals;

means for selectively restricting the rotation of said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft, said means for selectively restricting the rotation provided between said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft and between said slide guide member and said joint member;

means for generating friction comprising means for generating first friction torque of said first hinge shaft and means for generating second friction torque of said second hinge shaft;

means for suctioning the rotation comprising, means for first suctioning the rotation of said first hinge shaft having a cam concave portion provided with an upper first bearing portion of said joint member and a cam convex portion provided with a first cam follower attached to said first hinge shaft, and

means for second suctioning the rotation of said second hinge shaft having a cam concave portion provided with a lower second bearing portion of said joint member and a cam convex portion provided with a second cam follower attached to said second hinge shaft;

means for stopping with predetermined rotation angle each of said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft, said means for stopping comprising,

means for first stopping of said first hinge shaft having a first stopper piece provided on a first locking cam member and a first stopper portion provided on a first bearing portion of a slide guide member, and

means for second stopping of said second hinge shaft having a second stopper piece provided on a second locking cam member and a second stopper portion provided on a second bearing portion of the slide guide member; and

means for pressing each of said means for generating friction torque and said means for suctioning the rotation, said means for pressing comprising,

a first elastic means for said first hinge shat having a plurality of disc springs, and

a second elastic means for said second hinge shaft having a plurality of disc springs,

wherein said means for selectively restricting the rotation comprising an engagement groove portion engaged with said joint member; and

an engagement groove portion engaged with said slide guide member, a locking member mounted between said joint member and said slide guide member in a longitudinal direction and further comprises,

an upper first locking cam member having an upper first cam convex portion provided on an outer circumference thereof, said upper first locking cam member attached to said first hinge shaft in between said joint member and said sliding guide member,

a lower second locking cam member having a lower second cam convex portion provided on an outer circumference thereof, said lower second locking cam member attached to said second hinge shaft in between said joint member and said sliding guide member, and

said a locking member slidably mounted between said upper first locking cam and said lower second locking cam in longitudinal direction and having an upper first cam convex portion and a lower second cam convex portion, alternately fitted into said upper first cam convex portion and said lower second cam convex portion by rotation angles of said first hinge shaft and said second hinge shaft,

wherein said means for generating first friction torque of said first hinge shaft comprises an upper first A friction washer provided between an upper portion of said friction plate and a flange portion of said first hinge shaft, said upper A friction washer being restricted in rotation by said first hinge shaft, an upper second A friction washer provided between said friction plate and said slide guide member, said upper second A friction washer being restricted in rotation by said first hinge shaft, and

wherein said means for generating second friction torque of said second hinge shaft comprises a lower A friction washer provided between a lower portion of said friction plate and a flange portion of said second hinge shaft, said lower A friction washer being restricted in rotation by said second hinge shaft, a lower second A friction washer provided between said friction plate and said slide guide member, said lower second A friction washer being restricted in rotation by said second hinge shaft.