Hinge

• US 7,814,620 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cheng UEI Precision Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Cheng UEI Precision Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Lin, Ming-Han, Yin, Te-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy; Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELISLE, ROBERTA S
• Application Number:
  US12/021,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 162/43, 16225-257, 162/77, 16284-285, 16295-297, 163/03, 163/05, 163/08, 163/12, 163/18, 163/22, 163/25, 163/28, 16339-342, 163/37
• US Class Current: 16/330
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1078 the maintaining means acting parallel to the pivot
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1223 with a compression or traction spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/254 Fluid or viscous friction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/266 rotary
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

A hinge includes a hinge assembly and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes a stationary housing defining a cavity. A damper body rotatablely installed in the cavity has a head protruding to form a cylindrical guiding portion and a pushing portion defining two side ends apart from each other. At least one of the side ends has a step-shaped profile to make the width of the pushing portion between the side ends nonuniform, and rotatable sheets and stationary sheets are received in the cavity and alternately disposed on the guiding portion and the pushing portion. The stationary sheets are fixed to the stationary housing. Each of the rotatable sheets protrudes inwardly to form a retaining portion. The side ends of the pushing portion alternately contact the retaining portions and contact the retaining portions at intervals when the elastic force of the hinge assembly is released to drive the damper body rotating. Damper resin is filled between the adjacent stationary sheets and rotatable sheets.

Claims

1. A hinge applicable to a foldable electronic device, comprising:

a hinge assembly adapted for producing and releasing an elastic force by rotating; and

a damper assembly connected coaxially with the hinge assembly, the damper assembly including;

a stationary housing defining a cavity with an opened end and a wall opposite the opened end,

a damper body rotatablely installed in the cavity of the stationary housing, the damper body having a head, a cylindrical guiding portion axially protruding from the head and a pushing portion radially protruding from a portion of an outer periphery of the guiding portion, the pushing portion having two side ends apart from each other, at least one of the two side ends having a step-shaped profile to make the width of the pushing portion between the two side ends nonuniform, an outside surface of an outside step of the step-shaped side end being inclined inwardly from one end thereof away from other steps of the step-shaped side end towards the other end thereof adjacent to the other steps, outside surfaces of the other steps being in the same direction with the axis direction of the damper body, and

a plurality of rotatable sheets and a plurality of stationary sheets respectively received in the cavity of the stationary housing and alternately disposed on the guiding portion and the pushing portion, the stationary sheets being fixed to the stationary housing, each of the rotatable sheets protruding inwardly to form a retaining portion, when the elastic force of the hinge assembly is released to drive the damper body to rotate to open the foldable electronic device, one side end of the pushing portion contacting one end of the retaining portions in succession because of change of the width of the pushing portion in order to open the foldable electronic device gently, when the elastic force of the hinge assembly is released to drive the damper body to rotate to close the foldable electronic device, the other side end of the pushing portion contacting the other end of the retaining portions in succession because of change of the width of the pushing portion in order to open the foldable electronic device gently, damper resin being filled between the adjacent stationary sheets and rotatable sheets for restraining the pushing portion rotating.

2. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two side ends of the pushing portion both have a step-shaped profile.

3. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pushing portion is of open ring-shape.

4. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a washer received in the cavity of the stationary housing and disposed on the guiding portion for insulating the rotatable sheets and the stationary sheets from the wall of the stationary housing.

5. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head of the damper body defines a mounting recess therearound, a ring is disposed in the mounting recess to prevent the damper resin leakage.

6. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head of the damper body defines a first central hole passing through the guiding portion, the wall of the stationary housing axially defines a second central hole passing therethrough, a center pin passes through the first central hole and the second central hole and is fixed together with the wall of the stationary housing.

7. The hinge as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inside of the wall is concaved to form a concave cavity, a ring is received in the concave cavity and disposed on the guiding portion to prevent the damper resin leakage.

8. A hinge applicable to a foldable electronic device, comprising:

a hinge assembly adapted for producing and releasing an elastic force by rotating; and

a damper assembly connected coaxially with the hinge assembly, the damper assembly including;

a stationary housing defining a wall at an end thereof and opening at an opposite end thereof,

a damper body rotatablely installed in the stationary housing, the damper body having a head, the head protruding to form a pushing portion which two side ends apart from each other, at least one of the two side ends having a step-shaped profile to make the width of the pushing portion between the two side ends nonuniform, an outside surface of an outside step of the step-shaped side end being inclined inwardly from one end thereof away from other steps of the step-shaped side end towards the other end thereof adjacent to the other steps, outside surfaces of the other steps being in the same direction with the axis direction of the damper body, and

a plurality of rotatable sheets and a plurality of stationary sheets respectively received in the stationary housing and alternately disposed on the pushing portion, the stationary sheets being fixed to the stationary housing, each of the rotatable sheets protruding inwardly to form a retaining portion, when the elastic force of the hinge assembly is released to drive the damper body to rotate to open the foldable electronic device, one side end of the pushing portion contacting one end of the retaining portions in succession because of change of the width of the pushing portion in order to open the foldable electronic device gently, when the elastic force of the hinge assembly is released to drive the damper body to rotate to close the foldable electronic device, the other side end of the pushing portion contacting the other end of the retaining portions in succession because of change of the width of the pushing portion in order to open the foldable electronic device gently, damper resin being filled between the adjacent stationary sheets and rotatable sheets for restraining the pushing portion rotating.