Connecting system of multi-section housing and electronic device provided with that connecting system

• US 9,826,647 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burtner, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US14/887,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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: G09F 9/40 in which the desired character is selected from a number of characters arranged one beside the other, e.g. on a common carrier plate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0206 Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0208 characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0227 Rotatable in one plane, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units

Abstract

A connecting system of a multi-section housing provided at one end face of a first and second housing superposed with their display surfaces at the outsides, comprising: a first shaft vertical to superposed surfaces of first and second housing; and a second shaft perpendicular to the first shaft, wherein if a center line of the first shaft is arranged on a line bisecting the end face to the left and right and the center line of the second shaft is arranged on the superposed surfaces of the first and second housing, the first shaft can be used to allow the second housing superposed over the first housing to be rotated by 180 degrees and, in this state, the first housing can be made to rotate by the second shaft by 180 degrees so as to arrange the display surfaces of the first and second housings on the same plane.

Claims

1. A connecting system of a multi-section housing having a first connecting device which is provided at a center part of single end faces of first and second housing sections of the same dimensions which are superposed with display surfaces at the outsides, the first connecting device comprising:

a first shaft which is provided in a direction vertical to superposed surfaces of the first and second housing sections; and

a second shaft which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft;

wherein

when a center line of the first shaft is arranged on a line bisecting the end faces to the left and right, and a center line of the second shaft is arranged on the superposed surfaces of the first and second housing sections, by making the second housing section which is superposed below the first housing section rotate by the first shaft by 180 degrees and in this state making the first housing section rotate by the second shaft by 180 degrees, the display surfaces of the first and second housing sections can be formed on the same plane.

2. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1, wherein

the first shaft is a columnar shaped shaft which is bisected at a diametrical position of the circle into a first semicircular shaft and a second semicircular shaft,

the second shaft is provided at the split surfaces of the first semicircular shaft and the second semicircular shaft so as to enable rotation of the first semicircular shaft by 180 degrees,

one end of the second semicircular shaft is buried in the second housing section so that the split surfaces become the same plane as the single end faces, and

the other end of the second semicircular shaft sticks out from the superposed surfaces and is fit into a groove which is provided at the superposed surfaces of the first housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed.

3. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 2, wherein

the outer circumferential surface of the first shaft at the side which is fit into the first housing section is provided with a ridge over the entire circumference so that the first housing section does not detach from the first shaft.

4. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1, further comprising:

third and fourth housing sections connected by the first connecting device in the same way as the first and second housing sections are connected and are superposed under the second housing section in that order; and

second connecting devices which are arranged between the first and fourth housing sections and between the second and third housing sections, wherein

the second connecting devices are provided with first hinges which connect single end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and second hinges which connect end faces of the second and third housing sections at opposite sides to the end faces at the first hinge sides, and

the first shafts are used to make the second and third housing sections rotate with respect to the first and fourth housing sections by 180 degrees and, in the finished rotation state, the second shafts are used to make the first and fourth housing sections rotate with respect to the second and third housing sections while the second connecting devices are used to make end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections approach each other, and, when rotation of the first and fourth housing sections with respect to the second and third housing sections ends, end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections abut whereby a single flat surface is formed.

5. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1, further comprising:

third and fourth housing sections connected by the first connecting device in the same way as the first and second housing sections are connected and are superposed under the second housing section in that order; and

second connecting devices which are arranged between the first and fourth housing sections and between the second and third housing sections, wherein

the second connecting devices are provided with first hinges which connect single end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and second hinges which connect end faces of the second and third housing sections at opposite sides to the end faces at the first hinge sides, and

the first shafts are used to make the second and third housing sections rotate with respect to the first and fourth housing sections by 180 degrees and, in the finished rotation state, the second shafts are used to make the first and fourth housing sections rotate with respect to the second and third housing sections while the second connecting devices are used to make end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections approach each other, and, when rotation of the first and fourth housing sections with respect to the second and third housing sections ends, end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections abut whereby a single flat surface is formed.

6. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 5, wherein the length of a normal descended from the first shaft to the second shaft is defined as X, so that

end faces of the first and fourth housing sections at the same sides of the first shafts and the second shafts are extended parallel to the second shafts by exactly the length 2X to the outside whereby first extended parts are provided,

end faces of the second and third housing sections at the opposite sides of the first shafts and the second shafts are extended parallel to the second shafts by exactly the length 2X to the outside whereby second extended parts are provided, and

end faces of the first extended parts and end faces of the second extended parts are formed to be on the same plane when the second and third housing sections are rotated by the first shafts by 180 degrees.

7. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 6, wherein

the flat surface is comprised of display surfaces of an image,

the first extended parts are provided with leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the second housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed and leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the third housing section when the third and fourth housing sections are superposed, and

the second extended parts are provided with leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the first housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed and leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the fourth housing section when the third and fourth housing sections are superposed.