Multiple-shaft hinge device and electronic apparatus using the multiple-shaft hinge device

Abstract

To provide a multiple-shaft hinge device which can be smoothly opened and closed by suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles or looseness in a cover when opening and closing the multiple-shaft hinge device.SOLUTION: A multiple-shaft hinge device couples a hinge shaft attached to one housing of an electronic apparatus with a hinge shaft attached to the other housing such that they are rotatable relative to each other, and couples the pair of housings such that they are relatively openable and closable over 360 degrees. The multiple-shaft hinge device includes: a base frame on which the multiple-shaft hinge device is provided; an attachment plate with one end thereof being swingably attached to the base frame and the other end being attached to the housing; a cover that is attached to a lower surface of the attachment plate; and a cover sliding mechanism that is attached to an end part in a long direction of the attachment plate and energizes the cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-axis hinge device suitable for use in various electronic devices such as mobile phones, electronic notebooks, PDAs, netbooks, and notebook computers, which is formed by attaching a flexible display sheet made of, for example, organic EL across both surfaces of a pair, and an electronic device using this multi-axis hinge device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices such as mobile phones have been developed, which are formed by attaching a single flexible display sheet made of organic EL across both surfaces of a pair. In the multi-axis hinge device used in such electronic devices, the rotating parts are separate, and by connecting a hinge shaft attached to one housing and a hinge shaft attached to the other housing so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to each other, the pair of housings can be opened and closed relative to each other over 360 degrees. In a conventional multi-axis hinge device, a slide mechanism for biasing a flexible display sheet is attached to a mounting base. When an opening / closing operation is performed on either one of the pair of housings, either one or both of the pair of housings can slide with respect to either one of the pair of housings. Therefore, there is a device that can extend the flexible display sheet when the pair of housings are opened (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in conventional technology, the radius of curvature of the bent portion of the flexible display sheet attached to the multi-axis hinge device differs between the 0° closed state (hereinafter referred to as the inward-folded state) shown in Figure 1(a) and the 360° open state (hereinafter referred to as the outward-folded state) shown in Figure 1(c). As a result, when transitioning from the outward-folded state to the inward-folded state, wrinkles formed in the cover on the back of the multi-axis hinge device overlap and cause jamming. When transitioning from the inward-folded state to the outward-folded state, slack formed in the cover on the back of the multi-axis hinge device rubs against the housing, which can prevent the opening and closing device from opening and closing smoothly.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve these problems and to provide a multi-axis hinge device that can open and close smoothly by suppressing wrinkles and sagging in the cover when the multi-axis hinge device is opened and closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, the multi-axis hinge device described in claim 1 of the present application is a multi-axis hinge device that connects a hinge shaft attached to one housing of an electronic device and a hinge shaft attached to the other housing so that they can rotate relative to each other, and connects a pair of housings so that they can be opened and closed relative to each other over 360 degrees, and is characterized by comprising: a base frame on which the multi-axis hinge device is provided; a mounting plate, one end of which is pivotably attached to the base frame and the other end of which is attached to the housing; a cover attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate; and a cover slide mechanism attached to the end of the mounting plate in the longitudinal direction and biasing the cover.

[0007] Next, the multi-axis hinge device according to claim 2 of the present application is characterized in that the cover slide mechanism comprises an elastic member, a cover biasing portion biased by the elastic member, and a slide bracket attached to the mounting plate, the cover having ear portions erected on the mounting plate side, the elastic member, the cover biasing portion, and the ear portions being housed in the slide bracket, the ear portions being screwed to the cover biasing portion and biased by the elastic member.

[0008] Next, the multi-axis hinge device described in claim 3 of the present application is characterized in that, in the inward-folding state, the elastic member is compressed toward the base frame side, and the cover is biased toward the housing side by the restoring force of the elastic member, and in the outward-folding state, the elastic member is pulled toward the housing side, and the cover biasing portion is biased toward the base frame side by the restoring force of the elastic member.

[0009] Next, the multi-axis hinge device described in claim 4 of the present application is characterized in that the slide bracket has a sliding portion that extends in the biasing direction of the elastic member, and the cover biasing portion slides along the sliding portion.

[0010] Next, the multi-axis hinge device according to claim 5 of the present application is characterized in that the cover biasing portion has an insertion hole into which the elastic member is inserted, and the elastic member is held within the slide bracket by having one end on the housing side inserted into the insertion hole and the other end on the base frame side supported by a fastener screwed to the slide bracket.

[0011] Furthermore, the electronic device described in claim 6 of the present application is characterized by using the pair of housings, a flexible display sheet mounted across both inner surfaces of the pair of housings, and a multi-axis hinge device described in any one of claims 1 to 5 that connects the pair of housings so as to be rotatable by relative rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, and is positioned on the back side of the flexible display sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, wrinkles and sagging of the cover are suppressed when opening and closing the multi-axis hinge device, allowing for smooth opening and closing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]The example shows an electronic device having a flexible display sheet using a multi-axis hinge device, where (a) is a perspective view of the housing when the flexible display sheet is folded inward, (b) is a perspective view of the housing when the flexible display sheet is unfolded, and (c) is a perspective view of the housing when the flexible display sheet is folded outward. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the arrangement of the housing and multi-axis hinge device when the flexible display sheet in the embodiment is in the unfolded state. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the mounting plate, base frame, cover, and lower cover in the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a perspective view of the cover slide mechanism in the embodiment, and Figure 4(b) is a perspective view from below. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram for the mounting of the cover slide mechanism in the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of the slide bracket in the embodiment, and Figure 6(b) is a perspective view from below. [Figure 7] These are five views of the slide bracket in the embodiment, with Figure 7(a) being a top view, Figure 7(b) a front view, Figure 7(c) a right side view, Figure 7(d) a left side view, and Figure 7(e) a bottom view. [Figure 8] These are cross-sectional views of the slide bracket in the embodiment; Figure 8(a) is the AA cross-sectional view of Figure 7(b), and Figure 8(b) is the BB cross-sectional view of Figure 7(b). [Figure 9] Figure 9(a) is a perspective view of the cover biasing section in the embodiment, with Figure 9(b) being a perspective view of the bottom surface from a different direction. [Figure 10] These are five views of the cover biasing section in the embodiment, with Figure 10(a) being a top view, Figure 10(b) a front view, Figure 10(c) a right side view, Figure 10(d) a left side view, and Figure 10(e) a bottom view. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 10(b) in the embodiment. [Figure 12]It is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the cover slide mechanism in the embodiment. Fig. 12(a) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram during deployment, Fig. 12(b) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram in the inner-folded state, and Fig. 12(c) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram in the outer-folded state.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an example of a multi-axis hinge device according to the present invention and an electronic device using this multi-axis hinge device will be described with reference to the drawings.

Example

[0015] Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of a mobile phone A in an inner-folded state using the multi-axis hinge device B in this embodiment. In this example, the mobile phone A is cited as an example of an electronic device using an opening / closing device for explanation, but it is not limited thereto. It can be widely used in terminal devices configured to connect a pair of housings 1 with a single flexible display sheet 4 attached to the surface so as to be able to open and close with each other, such as an electronic notebook, a PDA, a netbook, and even a notebook computer.

[0016] In Fig. 1(a), the mobile phone A is divided into a pair of housings 1 and a back cover 2. The back cover 2 is composed of a lower cover 21, a cover 22, a slide bracket 23, and a base bracket 24. The switch 3 is provided to activate the display of the flexible display sheet 4. As will be described later, the pair of housings 1 is connected to a mounting plate and is swingably supported with respect to the base frame 6 by a multi-axis hinge device B (not visible in Fig. 1) provided on the base frame 6.

[0017] Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of the mobile phone machine A when the angle formed by the pair of housings 1 is opened to approximately 180 degrees to deploy the flexible display sheet 4 (hereinafter, the deployed state). When the angle formed by the pair of housings 1 is 360 degrees, Fig. 1(c) is obtained. In Fig. 1(c), the flexible display sheet 4 is in the outer-folded state, and the mobile phone machineWhile maintaining the compactness of A, users can receive information displayed on the flexible display sheet 4.

[0018] Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the multi-axis hinge device B and the pair of housings 1 when the flexible display sheet 4 is in the deployed state. The flexible display sheet 4 and other components have been omitted to illustrate the multi-axis hinge device B. In Figure 2, the multi-axis hinge device B consists of a hinge mechanism 7, a locking mechanism 8, a housing slide mechanism 9, a cover slide mechanism 10, a synchronization mechanism 11, a flexible display sheet guide mechanism 12, and a cover guide mechanism 13. Each of these mechanisms is attached to the base frame 6 shown in Figure 3.

[0019] The hinge mechanism 7 and the base frame 6 are connected to the third mounting screw hole 6c of the base frame 6. and the fourth mounting screw hole 6d The hinge arm 72 extends from the hinge synchronization section 71 and its mounting hole 72a is screwed into the first mounting screw hole 5a provided in the pair of mounting plates 5 shown in Figure 3. As a result, the pair of mounting plates 5 are pivotably supported on the pivot axis 1a of the hinge arm 72. Since the hinge mechanism 7 is provided on the base frame 6, the pair of mounting plates 5 are pivotably supported on the base frame 6. The pivot axis 1a of the hinge arm 72 is structured to swing within the hinge synchronization section 71 in order to achieve three states for the pair of housings 1: inward folding, unfolded, and outward folding.

[0020] The locking mechanism 8 and the base frame 6 are screwed into the fifth mounting screw hole 6e of the base frame 6. The lock arm 84 extending from the first joint 82 of the lock synchronization part 81 is connected to the pair of mounting plates 5 via the second joint 83, lock joint 85, and lock bracket 86. The locking mechanism 8 is provided to hold the pair of mounting plates 5 in an inward folded state, an extended state, and an outward folded state, and each joint is provided with a load generating part that generates an operating load. Furthermore, by connecting the base frame 6 and the mounting plates 5 with multiple joints, such as the first and second joints, the configuration prevents overlapping engagement with the hinge mechanism 7.

[0021] The housing slide mechanism 9 and the base frame 6 are screwed into the fifth mounting screw holes 6e, 6e of the base frame 6. Here, the fifth mounting screw holes 6e are fastened together with the aforementioned lock mechanism 8. The housing slide mechanism 9 is a mechanism that removes the slack in the flexible display sheet 4 that occurs when the housing transitions from an outward-folded state to an inward-folded state by pulling the pair of housings 1 in the direction of arrow 1c. The housing slide mechanism 9 consists of a slide arm section 91 that picks up the oscillation of the pair of mounting plates 5, a tension conversion section 92 that changes the direction of movement of the mounting plates 5 picked up by the slide arm section 91, and a tension bracket section 93 that transmits the movement of the tension conversion section 92 to the pair of housings 1. The mounting hole 93a of the tension bracket section 93 is screwed into a mounting screw hole (not shown) provided in the pair of housings 1. As a result, the pair of housings 1 can receive appropriate tension according to the oscillation state of the mounting plates 5.

[0022] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cover slide mechanism 10 in an embodiment, where Figure 4(a) is a perspective view from above and Figure 4(b) is a perspective view from below. In Figure 4, the cover slide mechanism 10 consists of a slide bracket 23, an elastic member 101, and a cover biasing part 102, and is a mechanism that suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the cover 22 when transitioning to an inward or outward folding state. Further details of the cover slide mechanism 10 will be described later.

[0023] The synchronization mechanism 11 and the base frame 6 are screwed into the second mounting screw hole 6b of the base frame 6. The synchronization mechanism 11 has a pair of synchronization shafts 111 and a pair of synchronization gears 112 that mesh with the synchronization shafts 111 as the axis of rotation, and is provided for the rotational synchronization of the pair of mounting plates 5.

[0024] The flexible display sheet guide mechanism 12 guides the flexible display sheet 4 so that it does not move in any direction other than the direction of arrow 1c and its reverse direction, by having flexible display guide pins 122 fitted into elongated holes 121 adhere to a protective sheet backing the flexible display sheet 4.

[0025] The cover guide mechanism 13 guides the cover 22 so that it does not move in any direction other than the direction of arrow 1c and its reverse direction, by having a cover guide pin 132 fitted into the elongated hole 131 and engaging with the guide hole 22b of the cover 22.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the cover 22 is attached to the base frame 6 by screwing it into the mounting hole 22c and the first mounting screw hole 6a of the base frame 6. The lower cover 21 is attached to the mounting plate 5 by screwing it into the mounting hole 21a of the ear portion and the second mounting screw hole 5b of the mounting plate 5. Furthermore, the hooks 21b and 21c are engaged with the slide bracket 23.

[0027] The multi-axis hinge device B is composed of the above-mentioned multiple mechanisms, each of which plays a different role.

[0028] Next, we will explain in detail the cover slide mechanism 10, which suppresses wrinkles and sagging in the cover 22 when the multi-axis hinge device B is opened and closed. Although the cover slide mechanism 10 is provided in both of the pair of housings 1, the cover slide mechanism 10 provided in one housing 1 and the cover slide mechanism 10 provided in the other housing 1 have the same configuration, so we will explain one of the cover slide mechanisms 10 and omit the explanation of the other cover slide mechanism 10.

[0029] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the mounting of the cover slide mechanism 10 in an embodiment. In Figure 5, the slide bracket 23 is attached to the mounting plate 5, and the cover biasing portion 102, the elastic member 101, and the lugs of the cover 22 are attached to the sliding portion 23g of the slide bracket 23, which will be described later. 22a1 The ear portion of cover 22 is housed within it. 22a1 The cover biasing portion 102 is screwed into it and biased by the elastic member 101, thereby preventing wrinkles and looseness from occurring in the cover when transitioning to an inward or outward folded state. 22a1 These are erected from the cover 22 to the mounting plate 5 (upper) side, and the mounting holes 22a2It has.

[0030] In the following description, when the cover slide mechanism 10 is attached to the mounting plate 5, the flexible display 4 side of the slide bracket 23 is defined as the Z1 (up) direction, the cover 22 side as the Z2 (down) direction, the longitudinal housing 1 side of the slide bracket 23 as the X1 (left) direction, the base frame 6 side as the X2 (right) direction, the short outer side of the slide bracket 23 as the Y1 (rear) direction, and the inner side as the Y2 (front) direction. The vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions are mutually orthogonal. Note that the definitions of directions in this embodiment are examples only.

[0031] Figure 6(a) is a perspective view from above, and Figure 6(b) is a perspective view from below. Figure 7 is a five-view drawing of the slide bracket 23 in this embodiment, where Figure 7(a) is a plan view, Figure 7(b) is a front view, Figure 7(c) is a right side view, Figure 7(d) is a left side view, and Figure 7(e) is a bottom view. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the slide bracket 23 in this embodiment, where Figure 8(a) is Figure 7(b) AA section view, Figure 8(b) is Figure 7(b) This is a cross-section of the BB.

[0032] In Figures 6 to 8, the slide bracket 23 has a first mounting hole 23a, a second mounting hole 23b, a third mounting hole 23c, a first engaging portion 23e, a second engaging portion 23f, and a sliding portion 23g.

[0033] The first mounting hole 23a is a hole drilled to attach the slide bracket 23 to the mounting plate 5. The slide bracket 23 is attached to the mounting plate 5 by screwing the first mounting hole 23a into the screw hole 5c of the mounting plate 5.

[0034] The second mounting hole 23b is located on the ear portion of the cover 22. 22a1 This is a hole drilled for attaching the cover biasing portion 102. The ear portion of the cover 22 is attached via the second mounting hole 23b. 22a1 Mounting holes 22a2 The cover biasing portion 102 and the mounting hole 102b of the cover biasing portion 102 are screwed together with fasteners C such as screws, so that the cover biasing portion 102 is attached to the ear portion of the cover 2222a1 It is attached to

[0035] The third mounting hole 23c is of the slide bracket 23 right A hole drilled at the end. A shaft-shaped fastener through which the elastic member 101 is inserted. C By screwing it into the third mounting hole 23c, the fastener C This supports the elastic member 101.

[0036] Slide bracket 23 left The first engaging portion 23e and the second engaging portion 23f are formed in that order from the end, and the first engaging portion 23e and the second engaging portion 23f engage with the hooks 21b and 21c of the lower cover 21. The lower cover 21 is attached to the slide bracket 23 by screwing the mounting hole 21a of the ear portion into the second mounting screw hole 5b of the mounting plate 5, and by the hook 21b engaging with the first engaging portion 23e and the hook 21c engaging with the second engaging portion 23f.

[0037] The sliding portion 23g is a groove extending in the left-right direction formed between the second mounting hole 23b and the third mounting hole 23c, and has a sliding surface 23h that is slid by the cover biasing portion 102. The sliding portion 23g is connected to the cover biasing portion 102, the elastic member 101, and the lugs of the cover 22. 22a1 The cover biasing portion 102 is housed within the sliding portion 23g and slides along the sliding surface 23h in a left-right direction due to the biasing force of the elastic member 101.

[0038] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cover biasing section 102 in the embodiment, where Figure 9(a) is a perspective view from the bottom and Figure 9(b) is a perspective view of the bottom from a different direction. Figure 10 is a five-view drawing of the cover biasing section 102 in the embodiment, where Figure 10(a) is a plan view, Figure 10(b) is a front view, Figure 10(c) is a right side view, Figure 10(a) is a top view, Figure 10(b) is a front view, Figure 10(c) is a right side view, Figure 10(b) is a right side view, Figure 10(c right side view, Figure 10(b) is a right side view, Figure 10(c) is a right side view, 10 (d) is a left side view, and Figure 10(e) is a bottom view. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cover biasing section 102 shown in Figure 10.

[0039] In Figures 9 to 11, the cover biasing portion 102 has a substantially T-shaped cross-section and is provided with a projection 102a that protrudes in the front-rear direction at its upper end. The cover biasing portion 102 also has a mounting hole 102b, an insertion hole 102c, a contact portion 102d, and a sliding surface 102e.

[0040] The mounting hole 102b is of the cover biasing portion 102 left This is a hole drilled at the end. (Leg portion of cover 22) 22a1 Mounting holes 22a2 The cover 22 is attached to the cover biasing part 102 by screwing it into the mounting hole 102b.

[0041] The insertion hole 102c is the cover biasing portion 102 right This is a hole drilled at the end into which the elastic member 101 is inserted. The elastic member 101 has one end on the third mounting hole 23c side of the slide bracket 23 connected to a shaft-shaped fastener. C It is supported by and held within the sliding portion 23g of the slide bracket 23 by inserting the other end into the insertion hole 102c.

[0042] The contact portion 102d is provided on a part of the front end of the cover biasing portion 102 and has an inclined surface 102f that slopes diagonally downward from the right end to the left end, and the inclined surface 102f and the ear portion of the cover 22 22a1 The ear portion of cover 22 comes into contact with each other. 22a1 The ear portion comes into contact with the inclined surface 102f of the cover biasing portion 102, and the ear portion 22a1 of Installation hole 22a2 The fastener C, through which the fastener C is inserted, is screwed into the mounting hole 102b of the cover biasing section 102, thereby attaching it to the cover biasing section 102.

[0043] Furthermore, the front and rear ends of the cover biasing portion 102 are sliding surfaces 102e, which face the sliding surface of the slide bracket 23. The sliding surface 102e of the cover biasing portion 102 slides along the sliding surface 23h.

[0044] Next, the operation of the cover slide mechanism 10 in the inward-folded and outward-folded states will be explained with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the cover slide mechanism 10 in the embodiment, where Figure 12(a) is a schematic cross-section in the unfolded state, Figure 12(b) is a schematic cross-section in the inward-folded state, and Figure 12(c) is a schematic cross-section in the outward-folded state. In order to explain the operation of the cover slide mechanism 10, the detailed configuration of the multi-axis hinge device B, such as the synchronization mechanism 11, is omitted from Figure 12.

[0045] In Figure 12, compared to the unfolded state, the elastic member 101 is compressed in the inward-folded state and stretched in the outward-folded state. That is, in the inward-folded state, the elastic member 101 is compressed toward the base bracket 24 side (left direction), and the restoring force of the elastic member 101 biases the cover biasing part 102 toward the housing 1 side (right direction). As a result, the cover 22, which is screwed onto the cover biasing part 102, is always biased toward the housing 1 side (right direction), i.e., in the direction that smooths out wrinkles that form on the cover 22. In this way, the multi-axis hinge device B of this embodiment suppresses the formation of wrinkles on the cover 22 in the inward-folded state, and allows for smooth opening and closing.

[0046] Furthermore, in the outward-folded state, the elastic member 101 is pulled toward the housing 1 (to the right), and the restoring force of the elastic member 101 biases the cover biasing portion 102 toward the base bracket 24 (to the left), so the cover 22 screwed to the cover biasing portion 102 is normally nibe - The bracket 24 side (to the left), that is, the direction in which the slack in the cover 22 is removed. In this way, the multi-axis hinge device B of this embodiment suppresses the occurrence of slack in the cover 22 when it is folded outwards, and allows for smooth opening and closing.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, a multi-axis hinge device B is provided that connects a hinge shaft attached to one housing 1 of an electronic device and a hinge shaft attached to the other housing 1 so that they can rotate relative to each other, thereby connecting the pair of housings 1 so that they can be opened and closed relative to each other over 360 degrees. The multi-axis hinge device B comprises a base frame 6 on which the multi-axis hinge device B is provided, a mounting plate 5 with one end pivotably attached to the base frame 6 and the other end attached to the housing 1, a cover 22 attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate 5, and a cover slide mechanism 10 attached to the end of the mounting plate 5 in the longitudinal direction to bias the cover 22. As a result, when opening and closing the multi-axis hinge device B, wrinkles and sagging of the cover 22 are suppressed, and it can be opened and closed smoothly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a simple configuration can be used to suppress wrinkles and sagging in the cover 22. [Industrial applicability]

[0048] As described above, the present invention provides a multi-axis hinge device B that can open and close smoothly by suppressing wrinkles and sagging in the cover when the multi-axis hinge device B is opened and closed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 cabinet 1a Pivot axis 2. Back cover 3 switches 4 Flexible display sheet 5. Mounting plate 5a First mounting screw hole 5b Second mounting screw hole 5c screw hole 6 Base frame 6a First mounting screw hole 6b Second mounting screw hole 6c Third mounting screw hole 6d Fourth mounting screw hole 6e Fifth mounting screw hole 7. Hinge mechanism 8. Locking mechanism 9. Housing sliding mechanism 10. Cover slide mechanism 11 Synchronization mechanism 12 Flexible display sheet guide mechanism 13. Cover guide mechanism 21 Lower Cover 21a Mounting hole 21b, 21c hooks 22 Cover 22a 1 ear part 22a2 Mounting hole 22b Guide hole 22c mounting holes 23 Slide bracket 23a First mounting hole 23b Second mounting hole 23c Third mounting hole 23e 1st engagement part 23f 2nd engaging part 23g Sliding part 23h Sliding surface 24 Base Bracket 71 Hinge synchronization section 72 Hinge Arm 72a Installation hole A mobile phone B Multi-axis hinge device C Fastener 81 Lock Synchronization Section 82 First joint 83 Second joint 84 Lock Arm 85 Lock Joint 86 Lock Bracket 91 Slide arm section 92 Tension conversion section 93 Tension bracket section 93a Mounting hole 101 Elastic member 102 Cover biasing section 102a Projection piece 102b Mounting hole 102c Insertion hole 102d Contact part 102e Sliding surface 102f slope 111 Synchronized shaft 112 Synchronized gear 121 long hole 122 Flexible display guide pins 131 long hole 132 Cover guide pins

Claims

1. A multi-axis hinge device that connects a hinge shaft attached to one housing of an electronic device and a hinge shaft attached to the other housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and connects the pair of housings so as to be openable and closable relatively over 360 degrees, a base frame on which the multi-axis hinge device is provided; a mounting plate having one end pivotally attached to the base frame and the other end attached to the housing; a cover attached to a lower surface of the mounting plate; a cover slide mechanism attached to an end of the mounting plate in a longitudinal direction and configured to bias the cover; A multi-axis hinge device comprising:

2. The multi-axis hinge device according to claim 1, the cover slide mechanism includes an elastic member, a cover biasing portion biased by the elastic member, and a slide bracket attached to the mounting plate, The cover has an ear portion standing on the mounting plate side, The elastic member, the cover biasing portion, and the ear portion are housed in the slide bracket, A multi-axis hinge device, wherein the ear portion is screwed to the cover biasing portion and biased by the elastic member.

3. The multi-axis hinge device according to claim 2, In the case of the inwardly folded state, the elastic member is compressed toward the base frame, and the cover is biased toward the housing by the restoring force of the elastic member. A multi-axis hinge device, characterized in that, in the outwardly bent state, the elastic member is pulled toward the housing, and the cover biasing portion is biased toward the base frame by the restoring force of the elastic member.

4. The multi-axis hinge device according to claim 3, The slide bracket has a sliding portion extending in a biasing direction of the elastic member, A multi-axis hinge device, wherein the cover biasing portion slides along the sliding portion.

5. The multi-axis hinge device according to claim 4, The cover biasing portion has an insertion hole into which the elastic member is inserted, A multi-axis hinge device, characterized in that the elastic member is held within the slide bracket by having one end on the housing side inserted into the insertion hole and the other end on the base frame side supported by a fastener screwed into the slide bracket.

6. An electronic device comprising: the pair of housings; a flexible display sheet attached across both inner surfaces of the pair of housings; and a multi-axis hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which rotatably connects the pair of housings by relative rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, and is positioned on the rear side of the flexible display sheet.

Images