Opening / closing device and electronic apparatus including the same

Abstract

The invention provides an opening and closing device and an electronic apparatus provided with the opening and closing device. In the opening and closing device, the movement of a rod of a damper can be stabilized. The opening / closing device (1) performs opening / closing operation by rotating a rotating member (20) with respect to a base member (10), and is provided with: a pressure receiving member (30) that is provided to the rotating member and rotates together with the rotating member; a damping member (60) provided on the base member and having a main body portion (61) and a rod (62) protruding from the main body portion toward the pressure receiving member and advancing and retreating with respect to the main body portion; and a sliding member having a through-hole (43) into which the rod is inserted, and when the sliding member moves toward the main body part side, the distal end of the rod protrudes from the through-hole toward the pressure receiving member side, and the distal end of the rod is pressed by the pressure receiving member to move the rod toward the main body part side, thereby generating a cushioning effect. The sliding member has a tilt prevention portion (44) that prevents the lever from tilting with respect to the main body portion when the lever moves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology of an opening / closing device that performs an opening / closing operation by rotating a rotating member relative to a base member, and an electronic device including the opening / closing device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, among hinges that rotatably connect a second connection object to a first connection object, a hinge including a housing, a cam block, a slider, a biasing member, a damper, and an arm is known (see Patent Document 1). The housing of the hinge is fixed to either the first connection object or the second connection object. The cam block is rotatably supported by the housing and is fixed to the other of the first connection object and the second connection object. The slider is housed in a housing chamber of the housing so as to be movable in a direction approaching the cam block and a direction away from the cam block, and is configured to be able to contact the cam surface of the cam block. The biasing member biases the slider in a direction approaching the cam block. The arm is rotatably supported by the housing, and is configured to be able to contact the cam surface of the cam block and to be able to contact the rod portion of the damper. The damper is a fluid damper, and is configured to generate a buffering effect when the rod portion is pressed into the arm.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-29181 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the hinge, when the rod portion of the damper is pressed in, the rod portion sometimes inclines with respect to the moving direction of the rod portion. Due to such inclination of the rod portion of the damper, the contact portion between the rod portion and the arm and the contact angle between the rod portion and the arm, etc. become different from the preset situation, and sometimes the movement of the rod portion becomes unstable.

[0008] The present invention has been completed in view of the above situation, and the problem is to provide an opening / closing device capable of stabilizing the movement of the rod of the damper.

[0009] Solutions to the Problems

[0010] In the opening / closing device disclosed in the present application, a rotating member is rotatably provided on a base member, and an opening / closing operation is performed by rotation of the rotating member relative to the base member. Among them, the opening / closing device includes: a pressure receiving member provided on the rotating member and rotating together with the rotating member; a damping member provided on the base member, having a main body portion and a rod that protrudes from the main body portion toward the pressure receiving member side and moves forward and backward relative to the main body portion; and a sliding member having a through hole into which the rod is inserted, the sliding member being provided on the base member so as to be movable between the pressure receiving member and the main body portion, being pressed toward the pressure receiving member side, if the rotating member rotates in the closing direction, the sliding member is pressed by the pressure receiving member and moves toward the main body portion side, if the sliding member moves toward the main body portion side, a tip portion of the rod protrudes from the through hole toward the pressure receiving member side, and the tip portion is pressed by the pressure receiving member to move the rod toward the main body portion side, whereby the damping member generates a buffering effect, and the sliding member has an inclination preventing portion that prevents the rod from inclining relative to the main body portion during movement of the rod.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the movement of the rod of the damper can be stabilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 FIG. is a perspective view showing an open state of an opening / closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in

[0015] Figure 3 FIG. is a front view showing an open state of an opening / closing device according to the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 is Figure 3 a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in

[0017] Figure 5 FIG. is a front view showing a closed state of an opening / closing device according to the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in

[0019] Figure 7 FIG. is a top view showing a slider and a cover of a damping member of an opening / closing device according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 FIG. is a perspective view showing a slider of an opening / closing device according to the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 9 is Figure 8 the D-D line sectional view in

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals

[0023] 10. Base member; 11. Opening; 12. Support portion; 13. Damper fixing portion; 15. Rotation shaft; 20. Rotating member; 30. Compressed member; 31. First compressed portion; 32. Second compressed portion; 40. Slide block; 41. Cam portion; 42. Cylindrical portion; 43. Through hole; 44. Anti-tilting portion; 45. Plane; 46. Guide portion; 50. Spring member; 60. Damper member; 61. Main body portion; 62. Rod; 63. Cover; 100. Opening / closing device. Detailed implementation manners

[0024] The Figures 1 to 9 opening / closing device 100 described in

[0025] The opening / closing device 100 is a hinge that connects one of two members to the other member in an openable / closable manner. The opening / closing device 100 includes a base member 10 and a rotating member 20. The rotating member 20 is rotatably provided on the base member 10 via a rotation shaft 15, and an opening / closing operation is performed by the rotation of the rotating member 20 relative to the base member 10. The opening / closing device 100 is used, for example, in various electronic devices such as OA devices (e.g., scanners, fax machines, copiers, or multifunction peripherals), automobiles, toilet seats, or rice cookers. Further, the opening / closing device 100 is used, for example, to rotatably connect a cover to a main body of a printer, to rotatably connect an original pressing device to a main body of a multifunction peripheral, to rotatably connect a display to a bracket, to rotatably connect a toilet seat to a toilet, or to rotatably connect an engine hood to a vehicle body.

[0026] Hereinafter, it is assumed that the base member 10 and the rotating member 20 are arranged in the vertical direction, and are disposed such that the base member 10 is on the lower side and the rotating member 20 is on the upper side. In addition, the directions orthogonal to each other and also orthogonal to the vertical direction are referred to as the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, respectively. The rotation shaft 15 extends along the left-right direction, and the rotating member 20 rotates about the rotation shaft 15. When the opening / closing device 100 is installed in a multifunction peripheral, the base member 10 is installed on the main body portion of the multifunction peripheral, and the rotating member 20 is installed on the original pressing device of the multifunction peripheral. It should be noted that these directions do not limit the usage state of the opening / closing device 100.

[0027] In addition, hereinafter, in the rotation direction of the rotating member 20, the state where the end portion of the rotating member 20 on the side opposite to the rotation fulcrum (rotation shaft 15) rotates forward to the end is referred to as the closed state (for example, refer toFigure 5 and Figure 6 ). The state in which the end portion of the rotating member 20 on the side opposite to the rotation fulcrum (rotation shaft 15) is rotated rearward from this closed state is called the open state (for example, refer to Figures 1 to 4 ). In this open state, the state in which the end portion of the rotating member 20 on the side opposite to the rotation fulcrum (rotation shaft 15) is rotated all the way rearward is called the fully open state (refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).

[0028] The base member 10 is a substantially quadrangular prism-shaped member having the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, having an opening 11 at the upper part and a bottom at the lower part. A slider 40, a spring member 50, and a damping member 60 are accommodated in the space inside the base member 10. The base member 10 is provided with a damper fixing portion 13 for fixing the main body portion 61 of the damping member 60 on the inner side thereof. The damper fixing portion 13 is provided at the bottom of the base member 10, is substantially cylindrical and extends in the vertical direction, and has an upper opening. The damping member 60 accommodated in the base member 10 is disposed radially inside the damper fixing portion 13, and the spring member 50 is disposed radially outside the damper fixing portion 13.

[0029] The base member 10 includes left and right support portions 12. The support portions 12 project upward from the left and right portions, respectively, at the upper rear portion of the base member 10. The support portions 12 support the rotating member 20 rotatably by means of a rotation shaft 15. A through hole for inserting the rotation shaft 15 is formed in the support portion 12.

[0030] The rotating member 20 is connected to the support portion 12 of the base member 10 rotatably by means of a rotation shaft 15. A through hole for inserting the rotation shaft 15 is formed in the rear portion of the rotating member 20.

[0031] The rotation shaft 15 is inserted into the through hole of the support portion 12 of the base member 10 and the through hole of the rotating member 20. The rotation shaft 15 is a member that connects the rotating member 20 to the base member 10 rotatably. The rotation shaft 15 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The rotating member 20 is connected to the base member 10 rotatably by means of the rotation shaft 15.

[0032] The opening and closing device 100 further includes a pressure receiving member 30, a slider 40, a spring member 50, and a damping member 60 in addition to the base member 10, the rotation shaft 15, and the rotating member 20.

[0033] The pressure receiving member 30 is provided on the rotating member 20 and rotates together with the rotating member 20. As Figure 6 shown, the pressure receiving member 30 projects downward from the rotating member 20 in the closed state, and the lower end portion is formed in a curved surface shape. As Figure 1As shown, the compression member 30 includes a pair of first compression portions 31 and second compression portions 32 arranged in the left - right direction. The first compression portion 31 presses the cam portion 41 of the slider 40 described later. The second compression portion 32 presses the top end portion of the rod 62 of the damping member 60 (the cover 63 in this embodiment). The second compression portion 32 is disposed between the pair of first compression portions 31 and is formed at the left - right center of the lower part of the rotating member 20. The first compression portion 31 protrudes toward the slider 40 side more than the second compression portion 32 in the closed state.

[0034] The slider 40 is an embodiment of the sliding member related to the present invention. The slider 40 is made of a resin material. The slider 40 is configured in a cylindrical shape having an opening at the lower part and a top at the upper part. The slider 40 is housed inside the base member 10 and is configured to be movable in the up - down direction.

[0035] The slider 40 includes a pair of left - right cam portions 41, a cylindrical portion 42, and a through - hole 43. The cam portions 41 are respectively provided on the left and right of the upper surface of the top of the slider 40 and are formed of curved surfaces. The cylindrical portion 42 is formed at the left - right center of the upper surface of the top of the slider 40. The cylindrical portion 42 is disposed between the pair of left - right cam portions 41. The cylindrical portion 42 protrudes toward the rotating member 20 side more than the cam portions 41. A through - hole is formed in the top of the slider 40, and the through - hole is configured to communicate with the inside of the cylindrical portion 42. The through - hole in the top of the slider 40 and the inside of the cylindrical portion 42 are configured as the through - hole 43. The through - hole 43 is configured to allow the cover 63 of the damping member 60 described later to move in the up - down direction. The slider 40 is configured to be pressed upward by the elastic force of the spring member 50 described later, and the cam portion 41 contacts the first compression portion 31. At the contact portion where the cam portion 41 of the slider 40 contacts the first compression portion 31, a lubricant is applied to suppress wear.

[0036] The spring member 50 is composed of a metal coil - shaped spring. The spring member 50 is housed inside the base member 10, and its upper end portion is housed inside the slider 40. The spring member 50 presses the slider 40 upward, that is, in the direction approaching the compression member 30, by its own elastic force. Thereby, a state is formed in which the cam portion 41 presses the first compression portion 31, and a force is applied to the rotating member 20 in the direction of opening relative to the base member 10.

[0037] The damping member 60 is provided on the base member 10 and is disposed inside the coil - shaped spring member 50 inside the base member 10. The damping member 60 includes a main body portion 61, a rod 62, and a cover 63.

[0038] The main body portion 61 has a cylindrical shape and is provided in a state where the lower portion is pressed into the damper fixing portion 13 of the base member 10. The damper fixing portion 13 holds the main body portion 61 by surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 61, preventing the main body portion 61 from tilting in the vertical direction. The rod 62 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The rod 62 projects upward from the main body portion 61 and moves forward and backward with respect to the main body portion 61 in the vertical direction. The cover 63 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the rod 62, is provided at the top end portion of the rod 62, and moves in the vertical direction as the rod 62 moves forward and backward with respect to the main body portion 61. The cover 63 can be inserted into the through hole 43 of the slider 40 and can move in the through hole 43 in the vertical direction.

[0039] The damper member 60 is configured such that when the upper end portion of the cover 63 is pressed by the second pressing portion 32, the rod 62 moves downward with respect to the main body portion 61, and the rod 62 is gradually pressed into the main body portion 61. The damper member 60 generates a reaction force as the rod 62 is gradually pressed into the main body portion 61, producing a buffering effect. The damper member 60 is constituted by a normal fluid damper. In the contact portion where the cover 63 of the damper member 60 contacts the second pressing portion 32, a lubricant is applied to suppress wear. It should be noted that in the structure in which the cover 63 is provided on the rod 62, the cover 63 constitutes a part of the rod 62. In addition, the damper member 60 may not have the cover 63 but the following structure: the upper end portion of the rod 62 is inserted into the through hole 43 of the slider 40, and the top end portion of the rod 62 is pressed by the second pressing portion 32.

[0040] In the opening and closing device 100 configured as described above, when it is in the fully open state as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the slider 40 is pressed upward by the spring member 50, so the first pressing portion 31 contacts the cam portion 41 of the slider 40. In addition, when the opening and closing device 100 is in the fully open state, the cover 63 of the damper member 60 does not project upward from the through hole 43 of the slider 40, so the second pressing portion 32 does not contact the cover 63 of the damper member 60. If the rotating member 20 is rotated in the closing direction from such a state, the first pressing portion 31 presses the slider 40 downward by means of the cam portion 41. As a result, the slider 40 moves downward while compressing the spring member 50. If the slider 40 gradually moves downward, a state is reached where the top end portion of the cover 63 of the damper member 60 projects upward from the through hole 43 of the slider 40 (see Figure 3 and Figure 4 ). Thereby, the second pressing portion 32 contacts the top end portion of the cover 63 of the damper member 60. If the rotating member 20 is further rotated in the closing direction in such a state, as shown in Figures 5 to 6As shown, while the slider 40 gradually moves downward, the top end of the cover 63 of the damping member 60 is pressed by the second pressing portion 32, and the rod 62 is gradually pressed into the main body portion 61. By gradually pressing the rod 62 of the damping member 60 into the main body portion 61 in this way, a buffering effect achieved by the damping member 60 is generated.

[0041] Here, the rotation axis 15, which is the rotation center of the rotating member 20, is arranged behind the cover 63 of the damping member 60. Therefore, if the rotating member 20 is rotated in the closing direction and the second pressing portion 32 presses the cover 63 of the damping member 60, a load acts on the cover 63 not only downward but also backward. The opening and closing device 100 of the present embodiment includes an inclination prevention portion 44 that prevents the rod 62 from inclining backward due to the backward load acting on the top end portion of the rod 62, that is, the cover 63. Hereinafter, the inclination prevention portion 44 will be described.

[0042] The inclination prevention portion 44 is provided on the slider 40. Specifically, the inclination prevention portion 44 is constituted by the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 43 of the slider 40. The through hole 43 is configured such that the rear portion of the inner peripheral surface becomes a planar shape orthogonal to the front-rear direction and along the up-down direction. Hereinafter, this planar portion will be referred to as the plane 45. The plane 45 is a plane parallel to the rotation axis 15 of the rotating member 20. As Figure 7 shown, the through hole 43 is substantially circular in a plan view when viewed from the up-down direction, and is configured such that the distance from its center to the plane 45 is substantially the same as the distance from the central axis to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cover 63. In addition, the plane 45 is formed from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the through hole 43. Thus, if the cover 63 of the damping member 60 is inserted into the through hole 43, a state where the plane 45 of the through hole 43 and the cover 63 are in contact is formed. And the cover 63 moves in the up-down direction in a state of being in contact with the plane 45. Therefore, even if a backward load acts on the cover 63, it is possible to prevent the cover 63 from inclining backward with respect to the up-down direction. As a result, it is also possible to prevent the rod 62 from inclining backward.

[0043] In addition, regarding the damping member 60, since the main body portion 61 is fixed by the damper fixing portion 13, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the rod 62 inclines with respect to the main body portion 61 due to the inclination of the main body portion 61 side, and thus the movement of the rod 62 becomes unstable.

[0044] As described above, the inclination prevention portion 44 prevents the rod 62 from inclining with respect to the main body portion 61 of the damping member 60 when the rod 62 of the damping member 60 moves. Therefore, it is possible to make the operation stable when the rod 62 of the damping member 60 is pressed by the second pressing portion 32 and moves downward.

[0045] In addition, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 43 is used as the inclination prevention portion 44 to prevent the inclination of the rod 62 of the damping member 60. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a member in the through hole 43, which is easy to manufacture, and in addition, an increase in cost can be suppressed.

[0046] Moreover, by using the flat surface 45 to support the outer peripheral surface (curved surface) of the lid 63 of the damping member 60, the contact portion between the flat surface 45 and the lid 63 can be reduced. Therefore, the sliding resistance between the lid 63 and the flat surface 45 during the movement of the lid 63 can be reduced. In addition, since the length of the contact portion between the flat surface 45 and the lid 63 in the left-right direction with respect to the flat surface 45 is small, even if the contact position is offset in the left-right direction, the flat surface 45 will continue to contact the lid 63, reliably preventing the lid 63 from tilting backward. Even when, for example, the slider 40 is pressed downward by the first pressing portion 31 and is offset in the left-right direction, the lid 63 contacts the flat surface 45, so the inclination of the lid 63 is reliably prevented.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the inclination prevention portion 44 further includes a plurality of guide portions 46 (refer to Figures 7 to 9 ). The plurality of guide portions 46 protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 43 of the slider 40 and are provided along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface. The plurality of guide portions 46 are formed from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the through hole 43. The plurality of guide portions 46 contact the lid 63 when the lid 63 moves in the up-down direction to prevent inclination in directions other than the backward direction. It should be noted that the plurality of guide portions 46 protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface to such an extent that there is a slight gap between the lid 63 inserted into the through hole 43. This gap only needs to be such that it does not hinder the up-down movement of the lid 63.

[0048] In Figure 7 , five guide portions 46 are arranged at the front, front right, rear right, front left, and rear left of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 43, and the intervals in the circumferential direction are substantially equal, but it is not limited thereto. The number of guide portions 46 is not limited to five, and can also be configured in an appropriate number according to specifications, uses, etc.

[0049] In addition, the damper fixing portion 13 is not limited to being configured in a substantially cylindrical shape. For example, a part of the circumferential surface of the damper fixing portion 13 may be missing, or it may also be a structure in which a plurality of columnar portions are configured and the main body portion 61 of the damping member 60 is arranged inside the plurality of columnar portions.

[0050] In addition, the structure in which the compression member 30 presses the slider 40 and the rod 62 of the damping member 60 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described slider 40, a cylindrical portion 42 is provided at its top, and it is configured to press the lid 63 protruding from the cylindrical portion 42. However, the cylindrical portion 42 may not be provided, and instead, it may be configured to press the lid 63 protruding from the through-hole at the top of the slider 40. In addition, in the closed state of the opening / closing device 100, the first compression portion 31 protrudes downward more than the second compression portion 32. However, the second compression portion 32 may protrude downward more than the first compression portion 31, or the first compression portion 31 and the second compression portion 32 may have the same length. Moreover, the damping member 60 may not include the lid 63, and instead, the compression member 30 may directly press the tip of the rod 62 of the damping member 60. In this case, the size of the through-hole 43 of the slider 40 and the inclination prevention portion 44 are appropriately changed according to the diameter of the rod 62.

[0051] Moreover, the opening / closing device 100 may not include the base member 10, but may have the following structure: For example, a rotary shaft 15, a slider 40, a spring member 50, and a damping member 60 are directly provided on a connection object such as the main body of an OA device, and the rotary member 20 is rotatably provided on the connection object such as the main body of the OA device. In addition, the opening / closing device 100 may not include the rotary member 20, but may have the following structure: For example, a connection object such as a document pressing device of an OA device is rotatably provided on the base member 10 by means of the rotary shaft 15.

Claims

1. An opening and closing device, wherein a rotating member is rotatably arranged on a base member, and an opening and closing action is performed by rotating the rotating member relative to the base member, wherein: The opening and closing device comprises: A pressure-bearing member, which is disposed on the rotating member and rotates together with the rotating member; a damping member provided on the base member, comprising a main body and a rod protruding from the main body toward the pressure receiving member and advancing and retreating relative to the main body; as well as a sliding member having a through hole for inserting the rod, the sliding member being arranged on the base member in a manner movable between the pressure-receiving member and the main body, and being pressed toward the pressure-receiving member; when the rotating member rotates in a closing direction, the sliding member is pressed by the pressure-receiving member and moves toward the main body; When the sliding member moves toward the main body, the tip of the rod protrudes from the through hole toward the pressure-receiving member, and the tip is pressed by the pressure-receiving member to move the rod toward the main body, thereby producing a buffering effect of the damping member. The slide member includes a tilt preventing portion that prevents the lever from tilting relative to the main body portion when the lever moves.

2. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein: The tilt prevention portion is an inner peripheral surface of the through hole and contacts with an outer peripheral surface of the rod to prevent tilting.

3. The opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein: The pressure receiving member rotates together with the rotating member and presses the top end of the rod. The tilt preventing portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole along the through direction and has a plane parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating member. The plane contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rod on the rotation axis side to prevent the rod from tilting toward the rotation axis side.

4. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein: The tilt prevention portion includes a guide portion that protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the through hole, is provided in plurality along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface, and guides movement of the rod.

5. The opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The opening and closing device includes a damper fixing portion provided on the base member and holding the main body portion of the damper member from an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion.

6. The opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The pressure bearing member comprises: a pair of first pressure receiving parts, which press the sliding member; as well as a second pressure receiving portion, which is disposed between the pair of first pressure receiving portions and presses the rod of the damping member, The pair of first pressure receiving portions and the second pressure receiving portion are provided along the rotation axis of the rotating member, and the pair of first pressure receiving portions protrude toward the sliding member side more than the second pressure receiving portion. 7 . An electronic device comprising the opening and closing device according to claim 1 .

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