Three-axis hinge and electronic machine using same

Abstract

The invention relates to a three-axis hinge and an electronic machine using the three-axis hinge. The present invention provides a three-axis hinge which is suitable for a thin electronic device and has a fast switching speed, high efficiency and good operability, the three-axis hinge comprising: a first hinge shaft assembled on a first housing side through a first bracket; the second hinge shaft is assembled on the second frame body side through a second bracket; one end of the first connecting component is connected with the first hinge shaft, one end of the second connecting component is connected with the second hinge shaft, and one end of the first connecting component and the opposite end of the second connecting component are connected with the third hinge shaft; according to the gear type synchronous rotating mechanism, the rotating action of any one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft generated by the opening and closing operation of the first frame body and the second frame body can be transmitted to the other hinge shaft through the third hinge shaft, so that the third hinge shaft can move back and forth along with the opening and closing operation of the first frame body and the second frame body.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application 201710340681.X filed on May 12, 2017 and entitled “Three-axis hinge and electronic machine using the same”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a preferred three-axis hinge used in electronic equipment, especially in thin notebook computers, and an electronic equipment using the three-axis hinge. Background Art

[0003] It is known from Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-1052 that a two-axis hinge is used to connect the first frame of the display part of a thin notebook computer and the second frame of the keyboard part through a synchronous rotation mechanism in a switchable manner. The known synchronous rotation mechanism of the two-axis hinge is composed of a first and second disc-shaped gear respectively assembled on the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis, and an intermediate gear composed of a bevel gear existing between the first and second gears, and the first frame and the second frame can be switched synchronously through the synchronous rotation mechanism. Due to the synchronous rotation mechanism, there is a limit to reducing the interval between the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis, so there is also a limit to thinning the first frame and the second frame. In recent years, it is required to make the notebook computer as thin as possible, especially to use a thin flexible display panel in the display part, and it is expected that a hinge that can connect the thinned first frame and the second frame in a switchable manner is provided with a synchronous rotation mechanism.

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a three-axis hinge and an electronic device using the three-axis hinge, which are used to solve the above-mentioned problems. The three-axis hinge can be suitable for a first frame and a second frame with a thin structure, and can make the first frame and the second frame open and close synchronously and effectively and quickly through a synchronous rotation mechanism. Summary of the invention

[0005] The three-axis hinge of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is a three-axis hinge that connects a first frame body and a second frame body in a manner that they can be switched on and off with each other, wherein the three-axis hinge comprises: a pair of first frame body side driving gears, which are arranged on a first bracket at a predetermined interval, and the first bracket is assembled to a first assembly plate on the first frame body side; a first hinge shaft, which is installed on the pair of first frame body driving gears in a manner that limits rotation; a pair of second frame body side driving gears, which are pulled apart by a predetermined interval in the direction of the axis and are opposite to the pair of first frame body side driving gears, and are also arranged on the second bracket at a predetermined interval, and the second bracket is assembled to the The second assembly plate on the second frame side; a second hinge shaft, which is installed on the pair of second frame side driving gears in a rotation-restricted manner; a third hinge shaft, which is shorter than the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft, and is arranged between the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft; a first connecting member and a first shaft end connecting member, which are rotatably connected to the two ends of the first hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft; a second connecting member and a second shaft end connecting member, which are rotatably connected to the two ends of the second hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft; and a gear-type synchronous rotation mechanism, which is arranged on the first connecting member The gear-type synchronous rotation mechanism is composed of a first bracket provided on the first frame side, a second bracket provided on the second frame side, a first rotating gear, a second rotating gear, a third rotating gear and a fourth rotating gear, and the first bracket has the pair of first frame side driving gears. gear, the pair of first frame side driving gears are connected to the first hinge shaft and are restricted in rotation by the first hinge shaft; the second bracket has the pair of second frame side driving gears, the pair of second frame side driving gears are connected to the second hinge shaft and are restricted in rotation by the second hinge shaft; the third rotating gear and the fourth rotating gear respectively have driven gears, the driven gears are meshed with the pair of driving gears provided on the second bracket side, and the third rotating gear and the fourth rotating gear allow the first hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft provided at a specific distance to be rotatably inserted through them together;The first rotating gear and the second rotating gear each have a driven gear, and the driven gear meshes with the pair of driving gears provided on the first bracket side. The first rotating gear and the second rotating gear allow the second hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft provided at a specific distance to be rotatably inserted through them together. By means of the gear-type synchronous rotating mechanism, the third hinge shaft can be moved in the front-rear direction of each frame body along with the switch operation of any frame body of the first frame body and the second frame body, and the switch operation of the other frame body can be automatically performed. ;

[0006] In the above invention, the synchronous rotation mechanism has a stopper device which is formed by a screw member installed on the third hinge shaft and can stop the first frame body and the second frame body at a predetermined opening angle.

[0007] In the above invention, the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are respectively provided with a friction mechanism, and the friction mechanism uses a first friction washer and a second friction washer, which are connected to the first connecting member and the second connecting member and are respectively arranged on the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in a rotationally restricted manner.

[0008] In the above invention, the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are respectively provided with a suction mechanism, and the suction mechanism uses a flat cam and a cam follower, and the flat cam is respectively arranged to allow the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft to be rotatably inserted through, and the cam follower is connected to each of the flat cams, and the cam follower is respectively arranged on the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in a rotationally restricted manner.

[0009] The electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned three-axis hinge is used between the first frame and the second frame.

[0010] Due to the above structure, if the first frame of the electronic device assembled with the three-axis hinge of the present invention is operated to switch the second frame, the first bracket assembled on the side of the first frame will rotate its axis center together with the first hinge axis through the above-mentioned synchronous rotation mechanism of the three-axis hinge. With the rotation of the first bracket, one end side of the first and second rotating gears will rotate in the opposite direction with the third hinge axis as the center, so the other end side of the first and second rotating gears will also rotate in the opposite direction in the same way. The second hinge axis passes through the other end side of the first and second rotating gears. Since the second hinge axis is assembled with the second bracket, the second frame assembled on the second bracket will rotate synchronously with the first frame in the opposite direction with the third hinge axis as the center, so the switching action of the first frame and the second frame can be realized. On the contrary, the same is true when the second frame is operated to switch the first frame. In such a case, the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis rotate around the third hinge axis, and the third hinge axis moves in the front-back direction as the first frame and the second frame are switched. In particular, when the first and second frames are closed, the third hinge axis moves to the rear of the electronic device. In this state, the first hinge axis overlaps with the second hinge axis, so that the distance between the two axes when closed can be greatly shortened compared to the existing hinges, which helps to make electronic devices such as laptop computers thinner. Furthermore, through the aforementioned synchronous rotation mechanism, if either the first frame or the second frame is operated to switch the other, as mentioned above, the other also generates a switch action at the same time, so a three-axis hinge with fast switching speed, high efficiency and good operability can be provided.

[0011] Furthermore, in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, through the aforementioned friction mechanism, a friction torque will be generated when the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis rotate, so that the first frame and the second frame can stably stop at any switching angle when the switch is operated. Furthermore, through the aforementioned suction mechanism, the first frame and the second frame can automatically rotate when they are fully closed and fully opened, so that the first frame and the second frame can automatically close and stably maintain the closed state, or automatically open and stably maintain the open state.

[0012] The present invention can also provide a thin electronic device that is easy to carry and operate by using the three-axis hinge of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 To show an example of an electronic device such as a laptop computer assembled with the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an oblique view from the front showing a state where the second frame is opened 120° relative to the first frame, (b) is an oblique view from the rear showing a state where the first frame and the second frame are in a closed state, and (c) is an oblique view from the top showing a state where the second frame is opened 180° relative to the first frame.

[0014] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state where the three-axis hinge of the present invention is mounted on an electronic device.

[0015] Figure 3 It is an exploded oblique view of the three-axis hinge of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 For Figure 3 Exploded oblique views of the three-axis hinge of the present invention viewed from different directions.

[0017] Figure 5 To illustrate the first hinge axis (the second hinge axis is the same) of the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged top view, and (b) is an enlarged side view.

[0018] Figure 6 It is an enlarged oblique view of the first bracket (the second bracket is the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 It is an enlarged front view of the first rotating gear (the second to fourth rotating gears are also the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8 To show the first friction washer (the second friction washer is the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged front view thereof.

[0021] Fig. 9 To illustrate the first flat cam (the second flat cam is the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged front view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged side view thereof.

[0022] Fig.10 To illustrate the first cam follower (the second cam follower is the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof, (b) is an enlarged front view, and (c) is an enlarged side view.

[0023] Fig.11 To illustrate the nut component in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged front view thereof.

[0024] Fig.12 To show a piece of the disc spring in the three-axis hinge of the present invention (the same applies to other disc springs), (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged side view.

[0025] Fig.13 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams of a washer in a three-axis hinge according to the present invention, wherein (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof and (b) is an enlarged front view thereof.

[0026] Fig.14It is an enlarged oblique view of the first assembly plate in the three-axis hinge of the present invention viewed from below.

[0027] Fig.15 To show the second assembly plate in the three-axis hinge of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged oblique view thereof viewed from above, and (b) is an enlarged oblique view thereof viewed from below.

[0028] Fig.16 It is a perspective view of the first axial end connecting member (the second axial end connecting member is the same) in the three-axis hinge of the present invention.

[0029] Fig.17 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the three-axis hinge of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the three-axis hinge of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the three-axis hinge of the present invention is used in a notebook computer, which is an example of an electronic device. However, the three-axis hinge of the present invention is not limited to notebook computers, but can be widely used in various electronic devices such as portable personal computers, PDAs, etc., which have a first frame and a second frame that are connected to each other in a switchable manner.

[0031] Figure 1 (a), (b), and (c) show an example of a notebook computer that uses the three-axis hinge of the present invention. The notebook computer 1 has a first frame 2 provided with a display portion 2a and a second frame 3 provided with a keyboard portion 3a, which are connected in a switchable manner by a pair of three-axis hinges 4 and 5 of the present invention located at the left and right portions of the rear thereof.

[0032] In this case, the three-axis hinges 4 and 5 have the same structure, and only one of them is shown by the figure numeral 4 and the other is shown by the figure numeral 5, and the description is omitted unless it is particularly necessary.

[0033] Figures 2 to 16 , showing an embodiment of the three-axis hinge 4 of the present invention. Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 , the three-axis hinge 4 of the present invention is assembled with a rotation control device 14 on the first hinge axis 11, the second hinge axis 12 and the third hinge axis 13. The rotation control device 14 is generally composed of a synchronous rotation mechanism 15, a friction mechanism 22, a suction mechanism 27 and an elastic device 34. The first hinge axis 11 and the second hinge axis 12 are maintained in a parallel state with the third hinge axis 13 through the first and second connecting members 24 and 26, and are configured to be rotatable around the third hinge axis 13. That is, the first connecting member 24 has a first circular shaft hole 24b provided on one end side of its main body 24a, through which the first hinge axis 11 is rotatably penetrated, and a second circular shaft hole 24c on the other end side is rotatably penetrated through the third hinge axis 13. Similarly, the second connecting member 26 has the second hinge shaft 12 rotatably penetrated in the first circular shaft hole 26b provided at one end side of the main body 26a thereof, and the third hinge shaft 13 rotatably penetrated in the second circular shaft hole 26c provided at the other end side. Therefore, the first hinge shaft 11 and the second hinge shaft 12 are connected in a manner that can rotate around the third hinge shaft 13. Furthermore, in addition to the first connecting member 24 and the second connecting member 26, the first shaft end connecting member 43 and the second shaft end connecting member 44 described later also have an auxiliary effect in keeping the first hinge shaft 11 and the second hinge shaft 12 rotatable around the third hinge shaft 13.

[0034] The first hinge axis 11, as shown in the figure ( Figure 5 Only the first hinge axis 11 is shown. Since the second hinge axis 12 has the same structure, Figure 5 In the following description, the reference numeral of the second hinge axis 12 is shown in brackets. The same applies to the following. ) is composed of: an extended end portion 11a (12a), a flange portion 11b (12b), a step portion 11c (12c), a circular shaft portion 11d (12d), a flat cross-sectional special-shaped shaft portion 11e (12e), and a male thread portion 11f (12f). The third hinge axis 13 (refer to Figure 3 ), having: an extended end portion 13a, a flange portion 13b, a step portion 13c, a circular shaft portion 13d, and a male thread portion 13e. The following specifically describes the respective components of the aforementioned synchronous rotation mechanism 15, the friction mechanism 22, the suction mechanism 27, and the elastic device 34 assembled on such a hinge shaft.

[0035] The aforementioned synchronous rotation mechanism 15, such as Figure 3 As shown, it is composed of a first bracket 16, a second bracket 17, and first to fourth rotating gears 18-21, which are assembled on the first hinge shaft 11, the second hinge shaft 12 and the third hinge shaft 13 in the following manner.

[0036] The first bracket 16 (the second bracket 17 is also of the same structure) is shown in the figure (in Figure 6 Only the first bracket 16 is shown, which has: its main body 16a (17a), fixing screw holes 16b, 16c (17b, 17c), shaft neck mounting parts 16d, 16e (17d, 17e), circular shaft hole 16f (17f), special-shaped shaft hole 16g (17g), first frame side drive gears 16h, 16i (second frame side drive gears 17h, 17i), and groove 16j (17j). The first rotating gear 18 (the second to fourth rotating gears 19-21 are also of the same structure), as shown in the figure (in Figure 7 Only the first rotating gear 18 is shown, which has: its main body 18a (19a-21a), the first and second circular shaft holes 18b, 18c (19b-21b, 19c-21c), and the driven gears 18d, 18e (19d-21d, 19e-21e). Furthermore, the driven gear 18e of the two driven gears 18d, 18e of the first rotating gear 18 in the illustrated embodiment is not necessary for the operation of the first rotating gear 18 in the illustrated embodiment, and is provided for the convenience of manufacturing and assembly, so it is not necessarily required. This point is also the same for the other second to fourth rotating gears 19-21.

[0037] The portion of the first hinge shaft 11 extending from the aforementioned circular shaft portion 11d to the special-shaped shaft portion 11e, such as Figure 3 As shown, the circular shaft hole 16f of one shaft journal mounting portion 16d of the first bracket 16, the second circular shaft hole 20c of the third rotating gear 20, the special-shaped shaft hole 16g of the other shaft journal mounting portion 16e of the first bracket 16, and the second circular shaft hole 21c of the fourth rotating gear 21 are sequentially penetrated. In this case, in order to facilitate the assembly work, the first and second brackets 16, 17, and the first to fourth rotating gears 18-21 are assembled in advance as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in the arrangement, the shaft holes are arranged in an aligned state, and the first hinge shaft 11 is passed through the shaft holes (the second hinge shaft 12 and the third hinge shaft 13 are the same), so that the operation can be easily performed. When the first bracket 16, the third rotating gear 20 and the fourth rotating gear 21 are assembled on the first hinge shaft 11, the first bracket 16 is journaled on the special-shaped shaft portion 11e of the first hinge shaft 11 in a state where it is restricted from rotating, at its special-shaped shaft hole 16g, so that the first bracket 16 is journaled on the first hinge shaft 11 as a whole in a state where it is restricted from rotating. On the other hand, the third rotating gear 20 and the fourth rotating gear 21 are journaled on the special-shaped shaft portion 11e of the first hinge shaft 11 in a freely rotatable manner at the second circular shaft holes 20c and 21c, respectively.

[0038] Similar to the first hinge shaft 11, the second hinge shaft 12 extends from the circular shaft portion 12d to the special-shaped shaft portion 12e, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the second circular shaft hole 18c of the first rotating gear 18, the special-shaped shaft hole 17g of one shaft journal mounting portion 17e of the second bracket 17, the second circular shaft hole 19c of the second rotating gear 19, and the circular shaft hole 17f of the other shaft journal mounting portion 17d of the second bracket 17 are sequentially penetrated. When the second bracket 17, the first rotating gear 18, and the second rotating gear 19 are assembled on the second hinge shaft 12 in this manner, the second bracket 17 is journaled on the special-shaped shaft portion 12e of the second hinge shaft 12 in a state where it is restricted from rotating, so the second bracket 17 is journaled on the second hinge shaft 12 as a whole in a state where it is restricted from rotating. On the other hand, the first rotating gear 18 and the second rotating gear 19 are journaled on the circular shaft portion 12d and the special-shaped shaft portion 12e of the second hinge shaft 12 in the second circular shaft holes 18c and 19c, respectively, in a freely rotatable manner.

[0039] Next, the circular shaft portion 13d of the third hinge shaft 13, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the first circular shaft hole 18b of the first rotating gear 18, the first circular shaft hole 20b of the third rotating gear 20, the first circular shaft hole 19b of the second rotating gear 19, and the first circular shaft hole 21b of the fourth rotating gear 21 are sequentially penetrated. When the first to fourth rotating gears 18-21 are assembled on the circular shaft portion 13d of the third hinge shaft 13, each rotating gear is journaled in a manner that it can rotate around the third hinge shaft 13.

[0040] As described above, in a state where the first and second brackets 16 and 17 and the first to fourth rotating gears 18 to 21 are assembled on the first hinge shaft 11, the second hinge shaft 12, and the third hinge shaft 13, the first frame side driving gear 16h of the first bracket 16 meshes with the driven gear 18d of the first rotating gear 18, and the other first frame side driving gear 16i meshes with the driven gear 19d of the second rotating gear 19. Similarly, the second frame side driving gear 17h of the second bracket 17 meshes with the driven gear 21d of the fourth rotating gear 21, and the other second frame side driving gear 17i meshes with the driven gear 20d of the third rotating gear 20.

[0041] The first bracket 16 is provided with fixing screws 41f and 41g (see FIG. 1 ) screwed in through the fixing screw holes 16b and 16c thereof and the fixing screw holes 41b and 41c of the first assembly plate 41. Figure 4), and fixed to the first assembly plate 41, and further, the first assembly plate 41 is fixed to the first frame 2 of the electronic device such as a notebook computer by using its fixing screw holes 41d and 41e. Similarly, the second bracket 17 is screwed with fixing screws 42f and 42g (see Figure 4 ), and is fixed on the second assembly plate 42. Furthermore, the second assembly plate 42 is fixed to the aforementioned second frame 3 of an electronic device such as a notebook computer by using its fixing screw holes 42d and 42e.

[0042] Next, the friction mechanism 22, such as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first friction mechanism 22a is provided on the side of the first hinge shaft 11, and the second friction mechanism 22b is provided on the side of the second hinge shaft 12. The first friction mechanism 22a is provided on the side of the second hinge shaft 12. Figure 8 ) and a first connecting member 24, and a first elastic device 34a provided on the first hinge shaft for pressing the two together. Furthermore, the second friction mechanism 22b is also of the same structure, so in the following description, the reference numerals related to the second friction mechanism 22b in the figure are indicated by brackets, and repeated descriptions are omitted. The first friction washer 23 (25) is assembled to the first hinge shaft 11 (12) by allowing the aforementioned special-shaped shaft portion 11e (12e) of the first hinge shaft 11 (12) to pass through the special-shaped shaft hole 23b (25b) provided in its main body portion 23a (25a), so that it can move in the axial direction of the first hinge shaft 11 (12), but is restricted to a state where the shaft center cannot rotate. Furthermore, the first connecting member 24 (26) which is a counterpart of the first friction washer 23 (25) is configured such that the first hinge shaft 11 (12) is rotatably inserted through the first circular shaft hole 24b (26b) provided in the main body 24a (26a), and the third hinge shaft 13 is rotatably inserted through the other second circular shaft hole 24c (26c). The friction surface 23c (refer to FIG. 24 ) of the first friction washer 23 (25) facing the first connecting member 24 (26) is Figure 8 ), a grid-like processing 23d (25d) is applied. Similarly, a grid-like processing 24e is also applied to the friction surface 24d of the aforementioned first connecting member 24 (26) opposite to the first friction washer 23 (25), thereby enhancing the friction effect generated when the two are crimped.

[0043] Elastic device 34, such as Figure 3As shown, the first elastic device 34a and the second elastic device 34b are formed. In order to make the first friction washer 23 and the first connecting member 24 press each other so as to generate friction between the two, the first elastic device 34a provided on the first hinge shaft 11 is a plurality of disc springs 35, 35 arranged in a stacked manner, which generates elastic force in the axial direction by tightening the clamping screw 38, and also serves as the elastic device of the first suction mechanism 27a described later. Furthermore, the second elastic device 34b that makes the second friction washer 25 and the second connecting member 26 press each other is also a plurality of disc springs 36, 36 arranged in a stacked manner, and also serves as the elastic device of the second suction mechanism 27b described later.

[0044] Suction mechanism 27, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the first suction mechanism 27a is provided on the first hinge shaft 11, and the second suction mechanism 27b is provided on the second hinge shaft 12. The second suction mechanism 27b has the same structure as the first suction mechanism 27a, so in the following description, the reference numerals of the second suction mechanism 27b in the figure are indicated by brackets, and repeated descriptions are omitted. The first suction mechanism 27a (27b), in the embodiment shown in the figure, has a first flat cam 28 (30) (combined with reference to Fig. 9 ) and the first cam follower 29 (31) (combined with reference to Fig.10 ), the cam surface 28b of the main body 28a (30a) of the first flat cam 28 (30) has first to fourth cam protrusions 281-284 formed at equal intervals of 90°, and first to fourth cam recesses 285-288 formed at equal intervals of 90°. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the main body 28a (30a) of the first flat cam 28 (30) is provided with blocking protrusions 28c, 28d (30c, 30d). The blocking protrusions 28c, 28d (30c, 30d) are docked with the spacer 32 (refer to the spacer 32) assembled with the third hinge shaft 13 by making its concave surface 28e (30e). Figure 3 ) can prevent the first flat cam 28 (30) from rotating (rotating) at the axis center of the first hinge shaft 11, and when the first cam follower 29 described later rotates together with the first hinge shaft 11, the first flat cam 28 (30) is also prevented from rotating together with it. On the other hand, the first cam follower 29 (31) (refer to Figure 3 , Fig.10), the cam surface 29b (31b) of the main body 29a (31a) is formed with first to fourth cam protrusions 291-294 and first to fourth cam recesses 295-298 at equal intervals of 90 degrees. The first elastic device 34a (34b) for actuating the first friction mechanism 22a (22b) can also be used in common with the first suction mechanism 27a (27b) as an elastic device for making the cam surface 28b (30b) of the first flat cam 28 (30) and the cam surface 29b (31b) of the first cam follower 29 (31) dock.

[0045] After installing the above-mentioned parts of the synchronous rotation mechanism 15, the parts of the friction mechanism 22, the parts of the suction mechanism 27, and the parts of the elastic device 34, the clamping screw 38 (40) is screwed on the male threaded portion 11f (12f) at the front end of the first hinge shaft 11 (12) through the washer 37 (39). According to the tightening amount, the elastic force of the first elastic device 34a (34b) on the above-mentioned friction mechanism 22 and suction mechanism 27 can be adjusted. The screw member 33 (refer to the screw member 33) serving as a blocking device is screwed on the male threaded portion 13e at the front end of the third hinge shaft 13. Fig.11 ). The screw member 33, which also serves as a blocking device, is provided with a protrusion 33b in the radial direction opposite to the screw hole 33a. When the first frame 2 and the second frame 3 are opened and closed, the first cam follower 29 rotating with the third hinge shaft 13 as a fulcrum and the outer periphery of the second cam follower 31 will be butted against the protrusion 33b, thereby controlling the first frame 2 and the second frame 3 not to rotate more than 90°. Therefore, in this embodiment, the blocking device is composed of the protrusion 33b provided on the screw member 33 and the outer periphery of the first cam follower 29 and the second cam follower 31.

[0046] Furthermore, a first shaft end connecting member 43 and a second shaft end connecting member 44 are assembled to the extended end portion 11a (12a) of the first hinge shaft 11 (12) and the extended end portion 13a of the third hinge shaft 13 (see Figure 3 , Fig.16 ). These components, in addition to the aforementioned first connecting component 24 and the second connecting component 26, also have the function of connecting components between the first to third hinge axes 11-13. Since the first shaft end connecting component 43 and the second shaft end connecting component 44 have the same structure, the following description will record the description of the first shaft end connecting component 43, and the description of the second shaft end connecting component 44 will be indicated by the relevant figure marks of the second shaft end connecting component 44 in the figure in parentheses, so repeated descriptions are omitted. The aforementioned first shaft end connecting component 43 (44) has a main body portion 43a (44a), assembly plate portions 43b, 43c (refer to Fig.16)(44b, 44c), and assembly holes 43d-43g (44d-44g). The assembly hole 43d on one assembly plate portion 43b of the first axial end connecting member 43 is assembled to the step portion 11c of the extended end portion 11a of the first hinge shaft 11, and the other assembly hole 43e is assembled to the step portion 13c of the extended end portion 13a of the third hinge shaft 13. The other assembly plate portion 43c ( Fig.16 ) on the assembly hole 43f, assembled on Figure 1 The same step portion (omitted in the figure) of the extended end portion of the first hinge axis of another three-axis hinge 5 assembled with the shown laptop computer 1, and another assembly hole 43g are also assembled in the same manner in the step portion (omitted in the figure) of the extended end portion of the third hinge axis of the other three-axis hinge 5. Similarly, the assembly hole 44d on an assembly plate portion 44b of the aforementioned second axial end connecting member 44 is assembled in the step portion 13c of the extended end portion 13a of the third hinge axis 13, and the other assembly hole 44e is assembled in the step portion 12c of the extended end portion 12a of the second hinge axis 12. The two assembly holes on another assembly plate portion (omitted in the figure. The same applies hereinafter) of the second axial end connecting member 44 are respectively assembled in Figure 1 The step portion of the extended end of the third hinge axis and the step portion of the extended end of the second hinge axis of the other three-axis hinge 5 assembled in the notebook computer 1 shown. Furthermore, the main body 43a of the first axis end connecting member 43 and the main body 44a of the second axis end connecting member 44 also have the function of covering the gap formed at the rear between the first frame 2 and the second frame 3 of the electronic device such as the notebook computer 1.

[0047] Next, the operation of the three-axis hinge 4 of the present invention is described below. First, if the notebook computer 1 is held with both hands, one hand touches the first frame 2, and the other hand touches the second frame 3, and one of the first frame 2 and the second frame 3 is switched to the other, the synchronous rotation mechanism 15 can make the other open at the same time, so it has the function of enabling the switch operation to be completed in a short time and easy to perform. Furthermore, when the switch is operated, the third hinge axis 13 moves forward and backward, and becomes a state of moving backward when closed, which can make the first hinge axis 11 and the second hinge axis 12 close to each other, so the thickness of the hinge can be thinned, and it can be applied to the recent use of electronic equipment to make it thinner.

[0048] Specifically, if Figure 1 (b) and Fig.17 As shown in (a), when the first frame 2 is in a closed state relative to the second frame 3, for example, the second frame 3 on the keyboard side is held with one hand and the other hand is rotated in a clockwise direction ( Fig.17) When the first frame 2 on the display side is opened, first, the first bracket 16 assembled to the first frame 2 by the first assembly plate 41 will rotate in the clockwise direction together with the first hinge shaft 11. At this time, the first frame side driving gears 16h and 16i of the first bracket 16 will also rotate in the clockwise direction, and the driven gear 18d on one end side of the first rotating gear 18 that meshes with them but is not connected to the first assembly plate 41, and the driven gear 19d on one end side of the second rotating gear 19 that is not connected to the second assembly plate 42 will rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the third hinge shaft 13. Therefore, the other end side of the first rotating gear 18 and the other end side of the second rotating gear 19 will rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the third hinge shaft 13, and the second hinge shaft 12 that passes through the second circular shaft hole 18c of the first rotating gear 18 and the second circular shaft hole 19c of the second rotating gear 19 will also rotate in the counterclockwise direction. Therefore, the second bracket 17 assembled on the second hinge shaft 12 in a non-rotatable manner also rotates counterclockwise around the third hinge shaft 13, and the second frame 3 assembled on the second bracket 17 through the second assembly plate 42 also rotates counterclockwise around the third hinge shaft 13. As a result, the first frame 2 and the second frame 3 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and the opening operation can be effectively performed. The same is true for the closing operation. If the first frame 2 moves in the closing direction, the second frame 3 also moves in the closing direction at the same time through the synchronous rotation mechanism 15, so that the closing operation can be effectively performed in a short time.

[0049] Furthermore, contrary to the above, the second frame 3 on the keyboard side can also be opened in the counterclockwise direction. In this case, if the second frame 3 is opened in the counterclockwise direction, first, the second bracket 17 assembled to the second frame 3 by the second assembly plate 42 will rotate in the counterclockwise direction together with the second hinge shaft 12. At this time, the second frame side driving gears 17h and 17i of the second bracket 17 will also rotate in the counterclockwise direction, so that the driven gear 21d on one end side of the fourth rotating gear 21 and one end side of the driven gear 20d on one end side of the third rotating gear 20 that are meshed with the third hinge shaft 13 rotate in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the other end side of the fourth rotating gear 21 and the other end side of the third rotating gear 20 will rotate in the clockwise direction with the third hinge shaft 13 as the center, and the first hinge shaft 11 penetrating the second circular shaft hole 21c of the fourth rotating gear 21 and the second circular shaft hole 20c of the third rotating gear 20 will also rotate in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the first bracket 16 assembled to the first hinge shaft 11 in a non-rotatable manner also rotates in the clockwise direction with the third hinge shaft 13 as the center, and the first frame 2 assembled to the first bracket 16 through the first assembly plate 41 also rotates in the clockwise direction with the third hinge shaft 13 as the center. As a result, the second frame 3 and the first frame 2 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and the opening operation can be effectively performed. The same is true during the closing operation. If the second frame 3 moves in the closing direction, the first frame 2 also moves in the closing direction at the same time through the synchronous rotation mechanism 15, so that the closing operation can be effectively performed in a short time.

[0050] In this way, when the three-axis hinge 4 of the present invention is used, if any one of the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3 is caused to perform a switching operation on the other, then through the aforementioned synchronous rotation mechanism 15, the aforementioned other one is also simultaneously switched, so the switching operation of the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3 is easy to perform, and the switching operation can be performed in a short time, so it can be expected that the operability can be improved.

[0051] Furthermore, in the three-axis hinge 4 of the present invention, during the above-mentioned opening operation, the first hinge axis 11 and the second hinge axis 12 will rotate with the third hinge axis 13 as a fulcrum. At this time, along with the opening and closing operation of the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3, the third hinge axis 13 will Fig.17 In particular, if Fig.17 When the first and second frames shown in (a) are closed, the third hinge axis 13 will move, for example, to a position further back than the 90° open position, i.e., the so-called avoidance state. Since the first hinge axis 11 and the second hinge axis 12 overlap, the distance between the two axes can be shortened to be shorter than that of the existing hinge when closed, and can be used to make electronic equipment thinner in recent years.

[0052] The first friction mechanism 22a of the friction mechanism 22, in the relative switching operation of the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3 mentioned above, the friction surface 23c of the first friction washer 23 rotating together with the first hinge shaft 11 is pressed against the friction surface 24d of the first connecting member 24 of the matching member through the action of the aforementioned first elastic device 34a, so that a friction torque is generated between the two. Similarly, the second friction mechanism 22b, the friction surface 25c of the second friction washer 25 rotating together with the second hinge shaft 12 is pressed against the friction surface 26d of the second connecting member 26 of the matching member through the action of the aforementioned second elastic device 34b, so that a friction torque is generated between the two. Therefore, during the switching action of the aforementioned first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3, the stopping action can be stably performed at any angular position.

[0053] The suction mechanism 27, when the opening angles of the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3 are 0°, 90°, and 180°, the first suction mechanism 27a and the second suction mechanism 27b will start to operate a little earlier before reaching these angles, and under the action of the first elastic device 34a and the second elastic device 34b, the first to fourth cam protrusions 291-294 of the cam follower 29 will fall into the first to fourth cam recesses 285-288 of the first flat cam 28, and similarly, the first to fourth cam protrusions 311-314 of the second cam follower 31 will fall into the first to fourth cam recesses 305-308 of the second flat cam 30, thereby exerting the suction function and causing the first frame body 2 and the second frame body 3 to automatically rotate (suction) in the opening direction or the closing direction. At the middle position of these angles, within the angular range in which the first to fourth cam lobes 291-294 of the cam follower 29 move toward the first to fourth cam lobes 281-284 of the first flat cam 28, the disc springs of the first elastic device 34a and the second elastic device 34b are squeezed to increase their elastic force, thereby ensuring that the aforementioned first frame 2 and the second frame 3 are stably stopped at a predetermined angular position.

[0054] Furthermore, in the embodiments other than the above, for example, when a smaller three-axis hinge is to be made, the first frame side driving gear and the second frame side driving gear on the first and second brackets 16 and 17 can be reduced from 2 to 1, respectively, and the number of rotating gears can be reduced from 4 to 2. Furthermore, the elastic device 34 can also be replaced by a coil spring or a synthetic resin. Furthermore, the driven gear can also be provided only on one end of the rotating gear. Therefore, the present invention also includes all the modified embodiments that can be easily thought of in the technical field of the claims from the above description and the records of the drawings.

[0055] The present invention is constructed as described above, so that the first frame and the second frame of an electronic device such as a notebook computer or other device can be opened synchronously with each other. The first hinge axis and the second hinge axis rotate with the third hinge axis as a fulcrum. At this time, along with the opening and closing operation of the first frame and the second frame, the third hinge axis moves in the front-back direction. In particular, when the first and second frames are closed, the third hinge axis moves to the rear of the electronic device. In this state, the first hinge axis overlaps with the second hinge axis, so the distance between the first and second hinge axes when closed can be shortened compared with the conventional hinge, which helps to make the electronic device such as a notebook computer thinner. Furthermore, if either the first frame or the second frame is operated to open and close the other, the other frame also generates a switch action at the same time, so it is a three-axis hinge with fast opening and closing speed, high efficiency and good operability.

Claims

1. A three-axis hinge, which connects a first frame and a second frame in a mutually switchable manner, wherein: The three-axis hinge comprises: a pair of first frame side driving gears, which are arranged on a first bracket at a predetermined interval, and the first bracket is assembled to a first assembly plate on the first frame side; A first hinge shaft, which is mounted on the pair of first frame-side driving gears in a rotation-restricted manner; A pair of second frame side driving gears, which are separated by a predetermined interval in the direction of the axis and are opposite to the pair of first frame side driving gears, and are also arranged on the second bracket at a predetermined interval, and the second bracket is assembled to the second assembly plate on the second frame side; a second hinge shaft, which is mounted on the pair of second frame-side driving gears in a rotation-restricted manner; a third hinge axis, which is shorter than the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis, and is disposed between the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis; A first connecting member and a first shaft end connecting member, which are rotatably connected to both ends of the first hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft; A second connecting member and a second shaft end connecting member, which are rotatably connected to both ends of the second hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft; as well as A gear-type synchronous rotation mechanism is provided between the first connecting member and the first shaft end connecting member, and between the second connecting member and the second shaft end connecting member. The rotation of any one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft generated by the switching operation of the first frame body and the second frame body is transmitted to the other of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft through the third hinge shaft. The gear-type synchronous rotation mechanism is composed of a first bracket arranged on the first frame side, a second bracket arranged on the second frame side, a first rotating gear, a second rotating gear, a third rotating gear and a fourth rotating gear, the first bracket having a pair of first frame side driving gears, the pair of first frame side driving gears are connected to the first hinge shaft and are restricted in rotation by the first hinge shaft; the second bracket having a pair of second frame side driving gears, the pair of second frame side driving gears are connected to the second hinge shaft and are restricted in rotation by the second hinge shaft; the third rotating gear and the first The four rotating gears respectively have a driven gear, and the driven gear meshes with the pair of driving gears provided on the second bracket side. The third rotating gear and the fourth rotating gear allow the first hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft provided at a specific distance to be rotatably inserted through them together; the first rotating gear and the second rotating gear respectively have a driven gear, and the driven gear meshes with the pair of driving gears provided on the first bracket side. The first rotating gear and the second rotating gear allow the second hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft provided at a specific distance to be rotatably inserted through them together, By means of the gear-type synchronous rotation mechanism, the third hinge axis can be moved in the front-rear direction of each frame along with the opening and closing operation of one of the first frame and the second frame, and the opening and closing operation of the other frame can be automatically performed.

2. The three-axis hinge according to claim 1, wherein: The synchronous rotation mechanism has a stopper device, which is formed by a screw member installed on the third hinge shaft and can stop the first frame body and the second frame body at a predetermined opening angle.

3. The three-axis hinge according to claim 1, wherein: The first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are respectively provided with a friction mechanism, and the friction mechanism uses a first friction washer and a second friction washer, which are connected to the first connecting member and the second connecting member and are respectively provided on the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft to restrict rotation.

4. The three-axis hinge according to claim 1, wherein: The first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are respectively provided with a suction mechanism, and the suction mechanism uses a flat cam and a cam follower. The flat cam is respectively arranged to allow the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft to be rotatably inserted through, and the cam follower is connected to each of the flat cams, and the cam follower is respectively arranged on the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft in a rotationally restricted manner. 5 . An electronic device using the three-axis hinge according to claim 1 between a first housing and a second housing.

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