Terminal apparatus

• US 9,201,464 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Yoshiharu, Hou, Wenlin, Dai, Huang, Yang, Daye, Shao, Junhua
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US13/686,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 163/66, 163/71, 162/82, 162/94, 163/02, 163/74, 361/679.06, 361/679.27, 361/679.09, 248/921
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• 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

The embodiment of the invention provides a hinge device and a folded apparatus having such hinge device. The hinge device comprises a hinge bracket, a first axis, and a second axis provided being parallel with each other and supported rotatably by the hinge bracket, the first axis is connected to a first body of an apparatus, and the second axis is connected to a second body of the apparatus, the first body can rotate from 0 degree to 360 degree and/or from 360 degree to 0 degree with respect to the second body by being brought by the first axis and the second axis, wherein, when the first body rotates from 0 degree to a predetermined angle and/or from the predetermined angle to 0 degree with respect to the second body, the first axis rotates and the second axis rests, and wherein, when the first body rotates from the predetermined angle to 360 degree and/or from 360 degree to the predetermined angle with respect to the second body, the second axis rotates and the first axis rests.

Claims

1. A hinge device, comprising:

a hinge bracket;

a first axis and a second axis provided parallel to each other and supported rotatably by the hinge bracket, the first axis being connected with a first body of an apparatus and the second axis being connected with a second body of the apparatus, the first body being configured to rotate from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and/or from 360 degrees to 0 degrees with respect to the second body by the first axis and the second axis;

a first recess provided on the first axis and a second recess provided on the second axis; and

a float locating member supported by the hinge bracket and configured to slide between the first axis and the second axis to be coupled to the first recess and/or the second recess,

wherein,

when the first body rotates from 0 degrees to a predetermined angle and/or from the predetermined angle to 0 degrees with respect to the second body, the first axis rotates and the second axis rests, and

when the first body rotates from the predetermined angle to 360 degrees and/or from 360 degrees to the predetermined angle with respect to the second body, the second axis rotates and the first axis rests.

2. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein:

when the first body rotates in a direction from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and/or in a direction from 360 degrees to 0 degrees with respect to the second body and when the first body rotates to the predetermined angle, the float locating member transitions from being coupled with one of the first recess and the second recess to being coupled with the other one of the first recess and the second recess.

3. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein a minimum gap between the first axis and the second axis is less than a size of the float locating member in a direction of a line connecting a center of the first axis and a center of the second axis.

4. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein a cross section of each of the first recess and the second recess has a slant side wall.

5. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein the hinge bracket comprises two support plates, the two support plates being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

6. The hinge device of claim 5, wherein:

the float locating member is sandwiched between the two support plates, and

the first recess and the second recess are between the two support plates.

7. The hinge device of claim 1, further comprising:

protrusions on the first axis and the second axis, and

stop parts corresponding to the protrusions, the stop parts being on the hinge bracket,

wherein,

the protrusions and the stop parts fit so that one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to the predetermined angle with respect to the hinge bracket, and the other one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a remaining angle by subtracting the predetermined angle from 360 degrees with respect to the hinge bracket.

8. The hinge device of claim 7, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the stop parts block the protrusions so that neither the first axis nor the second axis is configured rotate in a first direction with respect to the hinge bracket, and only rotates in a second direction.

9. The hinge device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is 180 degrees.

10. A hinge device, comprising:

a hinge bracket;

a first axis and a second axis provided parallel to each other and supported rotatably by the hinge bracket, the first axis being connected with a first body of an apparatus and the second axis being connected with a second body of the apparatus, the first body being configured to rotate from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and/or from 360 degrees to 0 degrees with respect to the second body by the first axis and the second axis;

a first cam and a second cam provided on the first axis and the second axis respectively, the first axis and the second axis being configured to bring the first cam and second cam to rotate respectively; and

a float locating member supported by the hinge bracket and configured to slide between the first axis and the second axis to be coupled to a first recess and/or a second recess,

wherein,

when the first body rotates from 0 degrees to a predetermined angle and/or from the predetermined angle to 0 degrees with respect to the second body, the first axis rotates and the second axis rests,

when the first body rotates from the predetermined angle to 360 degrees and/or from 360 degrees to the predetermined angle with respect to the second body, the second axis rotates and the first axis rests,

the first recess is provided on the first cam, and

the second recess is provided on the second cam.

11. The hinge device of claim 10, wherein:

when the first body rotates in a direction from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and/or in a direction from 360 degrees to 0 degrees with respect to the second body and when the first body rotates to the predetermined angle, the float locating member transitions from being coupled with one of the first recess and the second recess to being coupled with the other one of the first recess and the second recess.

12. The hinge device of claim 10, wherein a minimum gap between the first cam and the second cam is less than a size of the float locating member in a direction of a line connecting a center of the first cam and a center of the second cam.

13. The hinge device of claim 10, wherein:

the float locating member is a float locating cam provided between the first axis and the second axis, and

the float locating member is connected to be slidable and unrotatable to the hinge bracket.

14. The hinge device of claim 10, wherein a cross section of each of the first recess and the second recess has a slant side wall.

15. The hinge device of claim 10, wherein the hinge bracket comprises two support plates, the two support plates being parallel with each other and perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

16. The hinge device of claim 10, further comprising:

protrusions on the first cam and the second cam, and

stop parts corresponding to the protrusions, the stop parts being on the hinge bracket,

wherein,

the protrusions and the stop parts fit so that one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to the predetermined angle with respect to the hinge bracket, and the other one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a remaining angle by subtracting the predetermined angle from 360 degrees with respect to the hinge bracket.

17. The hinge device of claim 16, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the stop parts block the protrusions so that neither the first axis nor the second axis is configured to rotate in a first direction with respect to the hinge bracket, and only rotates in a second direction.

18. A hinge device, comprising:

a hinge bracket;

a first axis and a second axis provided parallel to each other and supported rotatably by the hinge bracket, a first recess and a second recess being provided on the first axis and the second axis, respectively; and

a float locating member supported by the hinge bracket and configured to slide between the first axis and the second axis to be coupled to the first recess and/or the second recess,

wherein a minimum gap between the first axis and the second axis is less than a size of the float locating member in a direction of a line connecting a center of the first axis and a center of the second axis.

19. The hinge device of claim 18, wherein:

the first axis and the second axis have a first cam and a second cam provided thereon respectively, the first axis and the second axis bring the first cam and the second cam to rotate,

the first recess is provided on the first cam, and

the second recess is provided on the second cam.

20. The hinge device of claim 19, further comprising:

protrusions on the first cam and the second cam, and

stop parts corresponding to the protrusions, the stop parts being on the hinge bracket,

wherein,

the protrusions and the stop parts fit so that one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a predetermined angle with respect to the hinge bracket, and the other one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a remaining angle by subtracting the predetermined angle from 360 degrees with respect to the hinge bracket.

21. The hinge device of claim 20, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the stop parts block the protrusions so that neither the first axis nor the second axis can rotate in a first direction with respect to the hinge bracket, and only rotates in a second direction.

22. The hinge device of claim 20, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the float locating member transitions from being coupled with one of the first recess and the second recess to being coupled with the other one of the first recess and the second recess.

23. The hinge device of claim 18, wherein:

a diameter of at least one end of a cylinder is less than a diameter of a central section, and

a slit opening is provided on the hinge bracket, at least one end of the cylinder is inserted into the slit opening to be able to slide between the first axis and the second axis so that the central section can be coupled to the first recess or the second recess.

24. The hinge device of claim 18, wherein a cross section of each of the first recess and the second recess has a slant side wall.

25. The hinge device of claim 18, wherein the hinge bracket comprises two support plates, the two support plates being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

26. The hinge device of claim 25, wherein:

the float locating member is sandwiched between the two support plates, and

the first recess and the second recess are between the two support plates.

27. The hinge device of claim 18, further comprising:

protrusions on the first axis and the second axis, and

stop parts corresponding to the protrusions, the stop parts being on the hinge bracket,

wherein,

the protrusions and the stop parts fit so that one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a predetermined angle with respect to the hinge bracket, and the other one of the first axis and the second axis is configured to rotate to a remaining angle by subtracting the predetermined angle from 360 degrees with respect to the hinge bracket.

28. The hinge device of claim 27, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the stop parts block the protrusions so that neither the first axis nor the second axis can rotate in a first direction with respect to the hinge bracket, and only rotates in a second direction.

29. The hinge device of claim 27, wherein the predetermined angle is 180 degrees.

30. The hinge device of claim 27, wherein, when the first axis and the second axis rotate to a position such that the first recess and the second recess face each other and are most approximate, the float locating member transitions from being coupled with one of the first recess and the second recess to being coupled with the other one of the first recess and the second recess.