Position-limit hinge

• US 9,290,976 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chin-Hsing Horng
• Original Assignee: Chin-Hsing Horng
• Inventors: Horng, Chin-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): O Brien, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/521,348
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/12 with two parallel pins and one arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/162 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 position-limit hinge includes an axle housing, a first hinge shaft, a second hinge shaft, a first position-limit device set and a second position-limit device set. By means of enabling the first position-limit device set and the second position-limit device set to be alternatively changed between a position-limit status and a freely rotatable status, the first hinge shaft is driven to rotate or the axle housing is driven to turn about the second hinge shaft, enabling a cover member of an electronic device carrying the position-limit hinge to be smoothly opened relative to a base member.

Claims

1. A position-limit hinge, comprising an axle housing, a first hinge shaft, a second hinge shaft, a first position-limit device set and a second position-limit device set, wherein:

said axle housing comprises a first axle hole and a second axle hole;

said first hinge shaft comprises a first shaft portion located at one end thereof and rotatably inserted into said first axle hole of said axle housing, and a first position-limit portion located at one end of said first shaft portion and exposed to an outside of said axle housing;

said second hinge shaft comprises a second shaft portion, said second shaft portion located at one end thereof and rotatably inserted into said second axle hole of said axle housing, and a second position-limit portion located at one end of said second shaft portion and exposed to the outside of said axle housing;

said first position-limit device set comprises a first cam wheel, a second cam wheel and a first position-limit member, said first cam wheel comprising a first mounting hole fastened to said first position-limit portion of said first hinge shaft and a first actuation barrel surrounding said first mounting hole, said second cam wheel comprising a second mounting hole fastened to said second position-limit portion of said second hinge shaft and a second actuation barrel surrounding said second mounting hole, said first position-limit member being disposed between said first cam wheel and said second cam wheel, said first position-limit member having opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively stopped against said first actuation barrel and said second actuation barrel;

said second position-limit device set comprises a third cam wheel, a fourth cam wheel and a second position-limit member, said third cam wheel comprising a third mounting hole fastened to said first position-limit portion of said first hinge shaft and a third actuation barrel surrounding said third mounting hole, said fourth cam wheel comprising a fourth mounting hole fastened to said second position-limit portion of said second hinge shaft and a fourth actuation barrel surrounding said fourth mounting hole, said second position-limit member being disposed between said third cam wheel and said fourth cam wheel, said second position-limit member having opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively stopped against said third actuation barrel and said fourth actuation barrel.

2. The position-limit hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first actuation barrel of said first cam wheel comprises a first upper limit position and a first lower limit position respectively located at two opposite sides thereof, said first upper limit position being disposed near said second hinge shaft;

said second actuation barrel of said second cam wheel comprises a second upper limit position and a second lower limit position respectively located at two opposite sides thereof, said second lower limit position being disposed near said first hinge shaft;

said first position-limit member has opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively stopped against said first upper limit position and said second lower limit position.

3. The position-limit hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third actuation barrel of said third cam wheel comprises a third upper limit position and a third lower limit position respectively located at two opposite sides thereof, said third lower limit position being disposed near said second hinge shaft;

said fourth actuation barrel of said fourth cam wheel comprises a fourth upper limit position and a fourth lower limit position respectively located at two opposite sides thereof, said fourth upper limit position being disposed near said first hinge shaft;

said second position-limit member has opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively stopped against said third lower limit position and said fourth upper limit position.

4. The position-limit hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first position-limit device set comprises a first locating plate, said first locating plate comprising a first pivot hole located at one end thereof and pivotally coupled to said first position-limit portion of said first hinge shaft, a second pivot hole located at an opposite end thereof and pivotally coupled to said second position-limit portion of said second hinge shaft, a first sliding slot spaced between said first pivot hole and said second pivot hole and two first position-limit portions located in said first sliding slot at two opposite sides;

said first position-limit member comprises a first body slidably inserted through said first sliding slot and two first stop plates respectively extended from two opposite lateral sides of said first body and slidably supported on said first position-limit portions;

said first actuation barrel of said first cam wheel and said second actuation barrel of said second cam wheel are respectively stopped at opposing top and bottom sides of said first body.

5. The position-limit hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second position-limit device set comprises a second locating plate, said second locating plate comprising a third pivot hole located at one end thereof and pivotally coupled to said first position-limit portion of said first hinge shaft, a fourth pivot hole located at an opposite end thereof and pivotally coupled to said second position-limit portion of said second hinge shaft, a second sliding slot spaced between said third pivot hole and said fourth pivot hole and two second position-limit portions located in said second sliding slot at two opposite lateral sides;

said second position-limit member comprises a second body slidably inserted through said second sliding slot, second body and two second stop plates respectively extended from two opposite lateral sides of said second body and slidably supported on said second position-limit portions;

said third actuation barrel of said third cam wheel and said fourth actuation barrel of said fourth cam wheel are respectively stopped against opposing top and bottom sides of said second body.

6. The position-limit hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a positioning member disposed at one side relative to said second position-limit device set, wherein said positioning member comprises a fifth pivot hole located at one end thereof and pivotally coupled to said first position-limit portion of said first hinge shaft, a sixth pivot hole located at an opposite end thereof and pivotally coupled to said second position-limit portion of said second hinge shaft, a raised position-limit portion spaced between said fifth pivot hole and said sixth pivot hole, a first stop wall and a second stop wall respectively bilaterally located at a top side of said raised position-limit portion, and a third stop wall and a fourth stop wall bilaterally located at an opposing bottom side of said raised position-limit portion;

said first hinge shaft further comprises a first stop flange extending around the periphery thereof and abutted against said first position-limit portion and disposed between said first stop wall and said second stop wall of said raised position-limit portion;

said second hinge shaft further comprises a second stop flange extending around the periphery thereof and abutted against said second position-limit portion and disposed between said third stop wall and said fourth stop wall of said raised position-limit portion.