Hinge device and electronic apparatus using the same

Abstract

To provide a hinge device capable of preventing an OLED sheet from being broken by bringing a bent part of the OLED sheet into contact with a center frame that is a constituent member of the hinge device in an opening / closing operation of a pair of housings of an electronic apparatus.SOLUTION: A hinge device couples a pair of housings so as to open / close them and is capable of forming an accommodation part in which a bent part of an OLED sheet can be accommodated. On the side of each coupling part of the pair of housings, a center frame which extends to both ends thereof is provided, and the center frame is provided with a pair of side frames which is mounted to the pair of housings so as to be slid and opened / closed via slide arms. A pair of support frames is mounted to the side frames via sub hinges and the pair of side frames is further mounted to the center frame via slide actuation arms in which a guide mechanism is disposed, such that a clearance is generated between the bent part of the OLED sheet and the center frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge device suitable for use in various electronic devices such as notebook computers, tablets, and mobile devices, in which a pair of housings that constitute the electronic devices are arranged to be openable and closable, and a flexible display sheet made of, for example, organic light-emitting diode (EL) (hereinafter also referred to as an OLED sheet) is arranged across the pair of housings in a bendable and unfoldable manner, and to an electronic device using this hinge device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, devices have been developed and are becoming available in the market in which an OLED sheet is attached across a pair of housings that make up the electronic device, and the OLED sheet is configured to be bendable and unfoldable. As a hinge device that realizes the opening and closing operations of such electronic devices, a hinge device using multiple arms is known from Patent Document 1 listed below. This known hinge device is provided with a housing portion that can house the bent portion of the OLED sheet that is bent when the pair of housings are folded. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-538038 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventionally known OLED sheet has a problem in that the curved portion of the OLED sheet in the housing portion comes into contact with the components of the hinge device, particularly the center frame, every time the pair of housings of the electronic device are opened or closed, which can cause malfunctions. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device that is configured so that the curved portion of the OLED sheet does not come into contact with the center frame, which is a component of the hinge device, when the pair of housings of the electronic device are opened or closed, thereby preventing damage to the OLED sheet, and an electronic device that uses this hinge device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention described in claim 1 of the present application is a hinge device that connects a pair of housings of an electronic device, each housing having an OLED sheet attached across them, so that the pair of housings can be opened and closed, and that can form an accommodation section that can accommodate a curved portion of the OLED sheet, wherein a center frame is provided on each connecting side of the pair of housings, reaching both ends of the housings, and a pair of side frames that are attached to the pair of housings respectively are provided on this center frame so that they can slide open and close via slide arms, and a pair of support frames are attached to each of the side frames via sub-hinge, and the pair of side frames are further attached to the center frame via slide operating arms that have guide mechanisms disposed thereon, so that when the pair of housings are closed, the pair of housings slide in a direction away from the center frame, and a gap is created between the curved portion of the OLED sheet and the center frame.

[0006] Next, the invention described in claim 2 of the present application is characterized in that the slide operating arm may be provided with a rotation control unit or may not be provided with a rotation control unit.

[0007] Next, the invention described in claim 3 of the present application is characterized in that the guide mechanism is composed of a pair of sub-guide members each having curved guide grooves facing each other at the points where they are attached to the center frame, and a pair of curved guide convex portions provided on the slide operating arm that is slidably inserted into the pair of curved guide grooves of the sub-guide members, and the center of rotation of the curved guide grooves is located on the viewing surface of the OLED sheet.

[0008] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 4 of the present application is characterized in that the support frame has a frame guide attached to its underside, which is attached to the slide operating arm so as to be swingable.

[0009] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 5 of the present application is characterized in that the support frame prevents rattling when the pair of housings are opened by engaging an arm hook provided on the underside of the support frame with a hook pin provided on the slide arm.

[0010] The invention as set forth in claim 6 of the present application is characterized in that it is an electronic device that uses the hinge device described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention is configured as described above, so that when the pair of housings are closed, the housings slide in a direction away from the center frame via the side arms. This creates a certain gap between the curved portions of the OLED sheet attached across the housings and the center frame of the hinge device when the pair of housings are closed, preventing them from coming into pressure contact with each other and thereby preventing damage to the OLED sheet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show an electronic device using a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B show an electronic device using the hinge device shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the electronic device in an open state, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the electronic device with an OLED sheet removed. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a hinge device according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the hinge device shown in FIG. 3, in which FIG. 4A is a partially exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of the rotation support base and the rotation restriction base. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a slide actuation arm without a rotation control unit; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a slide actuation arm having a rotation control unit; [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a side frame portion. [Figure 9] 1A is a partially exploded perspective view of a support frame, FIG. 1B is a partially exploded perspective view of the rear surface, and FIG. 1C is a partially enlarged perspective view of the support frame. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the side frame, in which (a) is a perspective view of the open state, (b) is a perspective view of the closed state, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the side frame. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the support frame, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view in an open state, (b) is a cross-sectional view in an intermediate state, and (c) is a cross-sectional view in a closed state. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the slide operating arm, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view in the open state, (b) is a cross-sectional view in the intermediate state, and (c) is a cross-sectional view in the closed state. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the relationship between a side frame and a support frame. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the support frame, in which (a) is a perspective view showing a portion of the frame guide and slide operating arm, (b) is a partial perspective view showing the frame guide and slide pin attached to the side frame and support frame, (c) is a partial perspective view in the open state, (d) is a partial perspective view in the intermediate state, (e) is a perspective view in the closed state, (f) is a side cross-sectional view in the open state, (g) is a side cross-sectional view in the intermediate state, (h) is a side cross-sectional view in the closed state, and (i) is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the operating angle of the support frame. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the support frame, in which (a) is a perspective view in an open state, (b) is a cross-sectional view of a part thereof, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of another part. [Figure 16]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of rotation shafts of the hinge device. [Figure 17] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of a slide arm, in which (a) is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration, (b) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between an OLED sheet and a first rotation center, and (c) is another cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the OLED sheet and the first rotation center. [Figure 18] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the details of the slide arm section, where (a) is a side view of each part of the slide arm, (b) is a side view illustrating the sliding stroke of the arc guide, and (c) is a side view illustrating the sliding stroke of a conventional arc guide. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the support of an OLED sheet by a slide arm, in which (a) is a perspective view of the slide arm, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the slide arm in a closed state, taken at the sub-guide portion, (c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the slide arm in an open state, and (d) is a side view of another shape of the slide arm. [Figure 20] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a slide actuation arm and a rotation control unit, in which (a) is an assembled perspective view and (b) is an exploded perspective view. [Figure 21] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of a synchronization unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of a hinge device according to the present invention and an electronic device using the hinge device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 and 2 schematically show a notebook computer A as an example of an electronic device using the hinge device according to the present invention.

[0014] Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the notebook PC A when the OLED sheet is in a closed state. The exterior of the notebook PC A is composed of a pair of housings 10 to which an OLED sheet 12 (not visible in Fig. 1) is attached, and a base cover 11, and the pair of housings 10 are connected so as to be able to open and close via a hinge device B (not visible in Fig. 1) provided on the base cover 11. As shown in the side view of Fig. 1(b), the pair of housings 10 rotate in the direction of arrow 10b around a first rotation center 10a provided near the connecting portion of the pair of housings 10.

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the notebook PC A in an open state, with Figure 2(a) showing a state in which the OLED sheet 12 is attached to the pair of housings 10 and Figure 2(b) showing a state in which the OLED sheet 12 has been removed. Figure 2(b) exposes the center frame 20 and support frame 22, which are components of the hinge device B, as well as the main plane 30a and sub-plane 31a of the slide arm sections U30a and U30a', which are features of the present invention. Here, the center frame 20 is provided adjacent to the connecting portion side of the pair of housings 10. The OLED sheet 12 moves from the open state shown in Fig. 2(a) to the closed state shown in Fig. 1(a) by the above-mentioned rotational operation. In the closed state, the bent portion 12b (Fig. 11(c)) of the OLED sheet 12 is accommodated in the accommodation portion S created by the hinge device B.

[0016] Most of the components constituting the hinge device B of the present invention are symmetrical about an axis that is the longitudinal direction of the base cover 11. Therefore, the following description will be given using one of the axially symmetrical components.

[0017] The hinge device B is made up of a frame unit U20, an arm unit U30, and a rotation control unit U40, and the layout of each unit will be explained first. 3 is a perspective view of the hinge device B, in which arm units U30 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right. Rotation control units U40 are provided adjacent to the two arm units U30 at both ends, while the two central arm units U30' are not provided with rotation control units U40.

[0018] [Frame unit U20 configuration] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge device B in the open state, and the slide operating arm U30b and the rotation control unit U40 are not disassembled. In FIG. 4, the center frame 20 is fixed to the base cover 11 (not shown) with a screw S4 using the mounting hole 20b, as shown in detail in FIG. 7. The slide operating arm U30b, the rotation control unit U40, and the center frame 20 are fixed with a screw S1 by matching the mounting holes 35c and 36c shown in FIG. 20 with the mounting screw hole 20d provided on the back side of the center frame 20. The slide arm portion U30a is inserted into the center frame 20 and is clamped by the rotation restriction base 32 to restrict rotation. The rotation restriction base 32 and the center frame 20 are positioned by the positioning hole 32c, and are fixed with a screw S2 by matching the mounting hole 32b with the mounting screw hole 20c provided on the back side of the center frame 20 shown in FIG. 7. The slide arm portion U30a' has a similar configuration and is restricted from rotation by the rotation restriction base 32'. The slide operating arm U30b' is rotatably supported by a shaft 40' relative to the shaft hole 37a of the rotation support base 37. The rotation support base 37 and the center frame 20 are fastened together with screws S3 by combining the mounting holes 37b with the mounting screw holes 20e shown in Fig. 7. Note that Fig. 5 shows the rotation support base 37 attached to the center frame 20, while Fig. 7 shows it detached. The frame unit U20 is composed of a center frame 20, side frames 21, a support frame 22, sub-hinge 23, support pin 24, and frame guide 25. Details of the frame unit U20 are shown in Figs.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the arm unit U30', and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the arm unit U30 and the rotation control unit U40. The center frame 20 and side frame 21 are not shown for clarity. The arm unit U30' shown in FIG. 5 is composed of a slide arm section U30a' having a slide arm 30' and a sub-guide 31', and a slide actuation arm U30b' having a slide actuation arm 34', but does not include a rotation control unit U40. As described above, the arm unit U30 shown in FIG. 6 is composed of a slide arm section U30a having a slide arm 30 and a sub-guide 31, and a slide actuation arm U30b having a slide actuation arm 34, and the rotation control unit U40 is provided coaxially with the second rotation center 34a of the slide actuation arm U30b. The rotation control unit U40 is composed of a mechanism for synchronizing the opening and closing of the pair of housings 10 when opening and closing them, a mechanism for holding the housings 10 at a desired opening and closing angle, and a mechanism for applying an appropriate load to the opening and closing of the housings 10.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the center frame 20, illustrating the state in which the rotation restricting base 32 and the rotation supporting base 37 are attached to the center frame 20. As shown in FIG.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the arm units U30, U30', side frames 21, 21', and sub-hinge 23. An arm pin 33 is rotatably inserted into a circular shaft hole 30g provided at the tip 30c of the slide arm 30 of the slide arm section U30a, and the arm pin 33 is inserted into a circular shaft hole 21a of the side frame 21. Therefore, the side frame 21 is rotatable relative to the slide arm 30. Furthermore, the sliding piece 34d of the slide actuation arm 34 of the slide actuation arm U30b is inserted into the sliding groove 21c of the side frame 21. Therefore, the side frame 21 is slidable parallel to the slide actuation arm 34. Here, "parallel sliding" refers to a state in which the sliding piece 34d extending in one direction is fitted into the sliding groove 21c extending in the same direction so as to be slidable only in the extension direction. The slide arm section U30a' and the slide actuation arm U30b' have a similar configuration. A support pin 24, which serves as a fourth rotation center 24a, is rotatably inserted into a circular shaft hole 23a in the sub-hinge 23, and the support pin 24 is inserted into a circular shaft hole 21b in the side frames 21, 21'. Therefore, the sub-hinge 23 is rotatable relative to the side frames 21, 21'. In Figure 8, the side frame 21 is connected to the housing 10 (not shown) using a mounting hole 21d and a positioning hole 21h.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support frame 22, with FIG. 9(a) being a perspective view of the front, FIG. 9(b) being a partial perspective view of the back, and FIG. 9(c) being a partially enlarged perspective view of the front. FIG. 9(a) shows the mounting layout of the sub-hinge 23 and frame guide 25 relative to the support frame 22, and details are shown in FIG. 9(c). The sub-hinge 23 is positioned on the positioning shaft 22g (FIG. 9(b)) on the back of the support frame 22 by the positioning hole 23c, and the mounting holes 23b and 22a are combined and crimped with rivet R1. This supports the support frame 22 rotatably about the fourth rotation center 24a relative to the side frames 21 and 21'. The frame guide 25 is positioned on the positioning shaft 22h (FIG. 9(b)) on the back of the support frame 22 by the positioning hole 25c, and the mounting holes 25b and 22f are combined and crimped with rivet R2. FIG. 9(b) shows the position of an arm hook 22c (described later) on the support frame 22.

[0023] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the opening and closing control of the side frame 21, with Figure 10(a) being a perspective view of the open state, Figure 10(b) being a perspective view of the closed state, and Figure 10(c) being a schematic diagram illustrating the opening and closing operation of the side frame 21. Here, the opening and closing control of the slide arm portion U30a and the slide operating arm U30b will be explained, and the slide arm portion U30a' and the slide operating arm U30b' will not be explained because they have the same configuration.

[0024] As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 10(c), the side frame 21 is supported by the slide arm 30 (shown by the line segment connecting the first rotation center 10a and the third rotation center 33a) so as to be able to open and close with a predetermined rotation radius L1 and rotate by an amount θ1, which is the amount of opening from the open state to the closed state. As described above, the side frame 21 is supported by the slide arm 30 so as to be able to rotate around the arrow 33b at the third rotation center 33a. The side frame 21 is further guided by the sliding piece 34d of the slide actuation arm 34 and slides in the direction of the arrow 21e (FIG. 10(a)) as the slide actuation arm 34 rotates by an amount θ2 from the open state to the closed state. Because the side frame 21 slides parallel to the slide actuation arm 34, the side frame 21 rotates around the second rotation center 34a while maintaining the same direction as the slide actuation arm 34. In this way, the slide actuation arm 34 plays a role in controlling the angle of the side frame 21 during opening and closing. In the layout of the first rotation center 10a and the second rotation center 34a in the present invention, if the rotation angle θ2 of the slide operating arm 34 is set to 90 degrees from horizontal to vertical, the rotation angle θ1 of the slide arm 30 is larger than θ2, for example, 102 degrees.

[0025] Here, we will explain why the side frame 21 is opened and closed by both the slide arm 30 and the slide actuation arm 34. As shown in FIG. 10(c), as the side frame 21 transitions to the closed state, it moves relative to the slide actuation arm 34 in the radial direction of arrow 21f. This is because the first rotation center 10a of the slide arm 30 is located above the second rotation center 34a of the slide actuation arm 34 (in the direction of arrow 21g) on ​​the paper surface at an axial distance. More specifically, the first rotation center 10a, which sets the rotation radius of the side frame 21, is located on the viewing surface 12c (FIG. 17(b)) side of the OLED sheet 12, and the second rotation center 34a, which sets the angle of the side frame 21, is located on the support surface 12a (FIG. 17(b)) side, which is opposite the viewing surface 12c of the OLED sheet 12. The greater the axial distance between the first rotation center 10a and the second rotation center 34a, the greater the relative movement of the side frame 21 with respect to the slide actuation arm 34. The face length (the length of the OLED sheet 12 in the opening / closing direction) is always kept constant by the slide operating arm 30, and the OLED sheet 12 is moved to the closed state in an appropriate posture by the slide operating arm 34. Then, the pair of housings 10 slide in a direction away from the center frame 20 via the side frames 21. Therefore, in the closed state, the OLED sheet 12 is supported by the pair of housings 10 and pulled up toward the top of the page (in the direction of arrow 21g), and the bent portion 12b (FIG. 11(c)) can be accommodated in an appropriate position.

[0026] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the operation of the slide arm units U30a and U30a', with FIG. 11(a) showing the open state, FIG. 11(b) showing the intermediate state, and FIG. 11(c) showing the closed state. The OLED sheet 12 is attached to the housing 10 connected to the side frame 21. In the open state, the first rotation center 10a is located near the viewing surface 12c (FIG. 17(b)) side in the thickness direction of the OLED sheet 12. As described above, the side frame 21 moves in the direction of the arrow as the state transitions to the closed state. Therefore, in the intermediate state shown in FIG. 11(b), the OLED sheet 12 rises to a position where it overlaps with the first rotation center 10a (the first rotation center 10a is located within the thickness of the OLED sheet 12). In the closed state shown in FIG. 11(c), the OLED sheet 12 exceeds the first rotation center 10a (the first rotation center 10a is located on the support surface 12a (FIG. 17(b)) side of the OLED sheet 12).

[0027] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the operation of the slide operating arms U30b and U30b', with FIG. 12(a) showing the open state, FIG. 12(b) showing the intermediate state, and FIG. 12(c) showing the closed state. The sliding piece 34d of the slide operating arm 34 and the side frame 21 are parallel. Therefore, the housing 10 connected to the side frame 21 is perpendicular to the base cover 11 in the closed state shown in FIG. 12(c), and is horizontal in the open state shown in FIG. 12(a). This allows the OLED sheet 12 to be supported on a good plane in the open state.

[0028] Here, the sliding piece 34d of the slide operating arm 34 is angled by φ1 with respect to the horizontal plane of the housing 10. Therefore, as the open state transitions to the closed state, the side frame 21 moves in the direction of the arrow and also in the direction of the arrow 21i. This makes it possible to narrow the distance L2 between the pair of side frames 21 in the closed state shown in Figure 12(c), thereby achieving compactness and narrowing the gap L3 between the housing 10 and the base cover 11, thereby achieving a high-quality appearance. Furthermore, the slide operating arm 34 is linked to the rotation control unit U40, which will be described in detail later, and therefore plays a role in synchronizing the opening and closing of the pair of side frames 21, maintaining the open and closed states, and stabilizing the opening and closing load.

[0029] 13 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the arm unit U30, the side frame 21, and the support frame 22. As described with reference to FIG. 9, the support frame 22 is supported rotatably about the fourth rotation center 24a relative to the side frame 21. The slide pin 34e of the slide actuation arm 34 is inserted into the slide groove 25a of the frame guide 25 provided in the support frame 22, and the frame guide 25 slides along the slide pin 34e of the slide actuation arm 34. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(b), as the closed state approaches, the support frame 22 retracts in a V-shape in the direction of the arrow 24b, thereby expanding the storage space for the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12.

[0030] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the support frame, where Figure 14(a) is a perspective view showing a portion of the frame guide component and the slide operating arm component, Figure 14(b) is a partial perspective view showing the frame guide and slide pin attached to the side frame 21 and the support frame 22, Figure 14(c) is a partial perspective view in the open state, Figure 14(d) is a partial perspective view in the intermediate state, Figure 14(e) is a perspective view in the closed state, Figure 14(f) is a side view in the open state, Figure 14(g) is a side view in the intermediate state, Figure 14(h) is a side view in the closed state, and Figure 14(i) is a side view illustrating the operating angle of the support frame. A pair of slide pins 34a of a slide operating arm 34 is inserted into the left and right slide grooves 25a of the frame guide 25 in Figure 14(a) as shown in Figure 14(b). 14(c) to 14(d), the angle of the support frame 22 relative to the side frame 21 changes as the state changes from the open state to the closed state. This is because the support frame 22 rotates around the fourth rotation center 24a due to the relationship between the sliding groove 25a of the frame guide 25 and the sliding pin 34e of the slide operating arm 34.

[0031] Specifically, the coordinate of the fourth rotation center 24a is set by the rotation angle of the slide arm 30 about the first rotation center 10a, and the coordinate of the sliding pin 34e is set by the rotation angle of the slide actuation arm 34 about the second rotation center 34a. Therefore, the amount of rotation of the support frame 22 is controlled according to the relative angle between the slide arm 30 and the slide actuation arm 34. More specifically, in Figures 14(f), (g), and (h), as the slide actuation arm 34 transitions from the open state to the closed state, the side frame 21 slides in the direction of the arrow, as described in Figure 10(c). Accordingly, the relative position of the slide groove 25a of the frame guide 25 and the slide pin 34e of the slide actuation arm 34 changes, and the support frame 22 rotates relative to the side frame 21 due to the cam shape of the slide groove 25a. As a result, the support frame 22 supports the back surface of the OLED sheet 12 in the open state, and rotates via the sub-hinge 23 in the closed state, retreating from the side frame 21 to form a storage section S for the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12.

[0032] Setting of the retraction angle of the support frame 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 14(i). A circle having a predetermined radius R is drawn with the fourth rotation center 24a as its center. Draw a line segment 25f that is parallel to the support frame 22 and passes through the sliding start point 25d, and connects the line segment 25e with the intersection point 34h of the circle of radius R. A line segment 25g is created by tilting the line segment 25f around the fourth rotation center 24a by an angle (10 degrees) obtained by subtracting the angle (for example, 5 degrees) between the line segment 25f and the vertical line segment 10c of the side frame 21 from the target retraction angle (for example, 15 degrees) of the support frame 22. The locus of the slide groove 25a in the frame guide 25 is a circle (with radius R) that passes through the end point 34e (which becomes the slide pin 34e) and the start point 25c of the line segment 25g and has the line segment 25e as a tangent. In this way, by appropriately setting the target retraction angle of the support frame 22 and accommodating the OLED sheet 12, the reliability of the OLED sheet 12 can be ensured.

[0033] FIG. 15 illustrates the support of the support frame 22, with FIG. 15(a) being a perspective view in the open state, FIG. 15(b) being a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the support frame 22 and the arm unit U30, and FIG. 15(c) being a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the support frame 22 and the center frame 20. In FIG. 15(b), the arm hook 22c provided in the arm hook region 22b (shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 9) of the support frame 22 clamps the hook pin 30h provided on the slide arm 30. Also, in FIG. 15(c), the door stop surface 22e of the support frame 22 provided in the door stop surface region 22d of the support frame 22 abuts against the door stop 20a of the center frame 20 in the open state. Here, as shown in FIG. 14(f), in the open state, the fourth rotation center 24a and the sliding pin 34e are close to each other and the base line is short, so the rotation control accuracy of the support frame 22 by the sliding pin 34e and the sliding groove 25a is low. At this time, by providing the door contact surface 22e and the arm hook 22c, rattle of the support frame 22 can be prevented, and the step between the support frame 22 and the center frame 20 can be eliminated more reliably.

[0034] As described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 15 , in the frame unit U20 of the present invention, the posture of the side frame 21 is controlled by the “rotation” (first rotation center 10a) and “parallel sliding” (sliding piece 34d) assigned to the slide arm 30 and the slide actuation arm 34, respectively. Specifically, the slide arm 30 supports the side frame 21 so that it can rotate with a predetermined rotation radius L1. The side frame 21 rotates around the second rotation center 34a while maintaining the same direction as the slide actuation arm 34 by sliding parallel to the direction in which the slide piece 34d of the slide actuation arm 34 extends. As described above, the first rotation center 10a is located on the viewing surface 12c side of the OLED sheet 12, and the second rotation center 34a is located on the support surface 12a side opposite the viewing surface of the OLED sheet 12. In other words, the first rotation center 10a is located above the second rotation center 34a (21g in FIG. 10(c)). As a result, the pair of housings 10 connected to the side frames 20 move in the direction of arrow 21f as they approach the closed state, and the OLED sheet 12 moves away from the structural portion of the hinge device B (is lifted upward 21g). This structure allows the OLED sheet 12 to be spaced apart from the hinge mechanism in the closed state, thereby improving the reliability of the OLED sheet 12.

[0035] In addition, the support frame 22 is rotatably supported around the fourth rotation center 24a of the side frame 21, and its rotation is controlled in relation to the sliding movement of the slide actuation arm 34 and the side frame 21. This means that the rotation of the support frame 22 is controlled by utilizing the relative angle change between the slide arm 30 and the slide actuation arm 34. This allows the accommodation space for the OLED sheet 12 to be expanded.

[0036] 16 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the rotation axes of the hinge device in an intermediate state, in which an arm unit U30 and a rotation control unit U40 are provided on a frame unit U20. The slide arm portion U30a of the arm unit U30 rotates (revolves) the side frame 21 about a first rotation center 10a and rotates (spins) the side frame 21 about a third rotation center 33a. The slide operating arm U30b supports the side unit 21 so that it can rotate and slide parallel to the rotation about a second rotation center 34a. The support frame 22 is supported rotatably relative to the side frame 21 about a fourth rotation center 24a.

[0037] FIG. 17 illustrates the relationship between the slide arm unit U30a and the first rotation center 10a. FIG. 17(a) is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 17(b) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the OLED sheet 12 and the first rotation center 10a, and FIG. 17(c) is a cross-sectional view illustrating another relationship between the OLED sheet 12 and the first rotation center 10a. In FIG. 17(a), the slide arm unit U30a is composed of a sub-guide 31 whose rotation is restricted by a rotation restriction base 32 and a slide arm 30 sandwiched and guided between the pair of sub-guides 31. The adjacent surfaces of the sub-guides 31 have arc guides formed by arc grooves and arc shafts, guiding the slide arm 30 to allow for arc-shaped sliding. The connecting pin 31h of the sub-guide 31 is provided to prevent the pair of sub-guides 31 from coming off when sandwiching the slide arm 30. A feature of the arc guide is that it can be used as a virtual axis, eliminating the need for a physical axis (shaft), which makes it possible to position the OLED sheet 12 near the first rotation center 10a in the present invention. Although details will be described later, by providing the first rotation center 10a on the viewing surface 12c side in the thickness direction of the OLED sheet 12, it is possible to lift the OLED sheet 12 significantly upward 21g in the closed state. The first rotation center 10a is located above the viewing surface 12c of the OLED sheet 12 (in the direction of arrow 21g) as shown in Fig. 17(b), or on the viewing surface 12c side of the thickness center 12d of the OLED sheet 12 as shown in Fig. 17(c).

[0038] The combination of the slide arm 30, the sub-guide 31 and the rotation restricting base 32 will be described below. 1. Main arc shafts 30b are provided on both sides of the slide arm 30, and are slidably combined with first sub-arc grooves 31b provided in each of a pair of sub-guides 31. The main arc shafts 30b and the first sub-arc grooves 31b constitute a main arc guide. 2. The second sub-arc groove 31d provided in the sub-guide 31 is slidably combined with the center arc shaft 20f provided in the center frame 20. The second sub-arc groove 31d and the center arc shaft 20f form a sub-arc guide. The slide arm 30 is sandwiched between sub-guides 31 on the left and right, and the main arc guide and sub-arc guide share the opening and closing amount, allowing the slide arm 30 to perform arcuate movement with a large stroke despite its small size.

[0039] 1. The relative sliding distance between the slide arm 30 and the sub-guide 31 is set by the main regulating section, which is a combination of the main regulating shaft 30d provided on the main arc shaft 30b and the sub-regulating hole 31c (Figure 18) provided in the first sub-arc groove 31b. 2. The sub-regulation portion, which combines the sub-regulation surface 31e (FIG. 18) provided on the sub-guide 31 and the base regulation surface 32a provided on the rotation regulation base 32, sets the relative sliding amount of the sub-guide 31 with respect to the rotation regulation base 32. 3. The pair of sub-guides 31 are assembled to the center arc shaft 20f of the center frame 20 with the slide arm 30 sandwiched between them, and the rotation restriction base 32 is screwed to the center frame 20 as described above, thereby assembling the slide arm unit U30a. The slide arm unit U30a' has a similar configuration.

[0040] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the details of the slide arm unit U30a, with Figure 18(a) being a side view of each component of the slide arm unit U30a, Figure 18(b) being a side view illustrating the sliding stroke of the arc guide of the present invention, and Figure 18(c) being a side view illustrating the sliding stroke of the arc guide of the prior art. Based on Figure 18(a), the configuration of the slide arm unit U30a will be described from the center frame 20 down from the top to the bottom of the page. 1. The center frame 20 is provided with a center arc groove 20f having a locus along an arc centered on the first rotation center 10a. 2. The sub-guide 31 has a first sub-arc groove 31b having a trajectory along an arc centered on the first rotation center 10a, and a sub-regulation hole 31c in the first sub-arc groove 31b. In addition, a second sub-arc groove 31d (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the sub-guide 31, and the above-mentioned center arc shaft 20f is combined with it, and they slide relative to each other. 3. The slide arm 30 is provided with a main arc shaft 30b having a trajectory along an arc centered on the first rotation center 10a, and a main restriction shaft 30d on the main arc shaft 30b. In addition, a main arc shaft 30b (not shown) and a main restriction shaft 30d (not shown) on the main arc shaft 30d are also provided on the back surface of the slide arm 30, and the above-mentioned first sub-arc groove 31b and sub-restriction hole 31c are combined and slide relative to each other. 4. The sub-guide 31 is provided with a second sub-arc groove 31d having a trajectory along an arc centered on the first rotation center 10a. The back surface of the sub-guide 31 is provided with a first sub-arc groove 31b (not shown) and a sub-regulation hole 31c (shown by hidden lines) in the first sub-arc groove 31b, and the above-mentioned main arc shaft 30b and main regulation shaft 30d (shown by imaginary lines) are combined and slide relative to each other. 5. The center frame 20 is provided with a center arc axis 20f (shown by a hidden line) having a locus along an arc centered on the first rotation center 10a, and the above-mentioned second sub-arc groove 31d is engaged therewith, and they slide relative to each other. 6. The rotation of the sub-guide 31 is restricted by the base restriction surface 32 a of the rotation restriction base 32 attached to the center frame 20 and the sub-regulation surface 31 e of the sub-guide 31 . As described above, the main arc guide is formed by combining the main arc shaft 30b with the first sub-arc groove 31b, and the sub-arc guide is formed by combining the second sub-arc groove 31d with the center arc shaft 20f. Similarly, the main restriction portion is formed by combining the main restriction shaft 30d with the sub-restriction hole 31c, and the sub-restriction portion is formed by combining the sub-restriction surface 31e with the base restriction surface 32a.

[0041] 18(a), the main joint 30e which is the joint of the slide arm 30 and the sub-joint 31f which is the joint of the sub-guide 31 have semicircular shapes 30f, 31g whose arc is the projected image of the circle including the main arc guide and the sub arc guide, with the chord being the projected image of the main plane 30a and sub-plane 31a which receive the support surface 12a (FIG. 17(b)) of the OLED sheet 12, and a compact shape which serves both to open and close the side frame 21 (arc guide) and to support the OLED sheet 12 (main plane 30a, sub-plane 31a). Here, the main joint 30e and the sub-joint 31f constitute a guide mechanism G. More specifically, the guide mechanism G is made up of a pair of sub-guide members each having a curved guide shaft (center arc shaft 20f) facing each other at the points attached to the center frame 20, a curved guide groove (first sub-arc groove 31b) in the sub-joint 31f slidably inserted into the curved guide shaft 20f of the sub-guide member, and a curved guide shaft (main arc shaft 30b) in the main joint 30e slidably inserted into the curved guide groove.

[0042] FIG. 18(b) is an explanatory diagram of the engagement amount, and will be described using the engagement amount between the slide arm 30 and the sub-guide 31 as an example. Here, because the trajectory of the arc-shaped guide is circular, the following explanation will express the sliding stroke and engagement amount as angles. In FIG. 18(b), the shaft angle θ3, which is the width of the main regulation shaft 30d (shown by an imaginary line) inserted from the slide arm 30 into the sub-regulation hole 31c of the sub-guide 31, is 10 degrees, while the regulation hole angle θ4 of the sub-regulation hole 31c is 61 degrees. The sliding angle θ6, which is the difference between these angles, is 51 degrees. θ6 is set as half the sliding angle of 102 degrees, the opening and closing amount of the slide arm 30 described in FIG. 10(c). In contrast, the guide angle θ5 of the main arc-shaped groove 30b is set to 100 degrees. Therefore, the difference between the guide angle θ5 and the sliding angle θ6 in the closed state results in an engagement angle of 49 degrees. In this way, in the closed state, a fitting angle of 49 degrees can be set, which is approximately the same as the sliding angle of 51 degrees between the slide arm 30 and sub-guide 31. This allows the housing 10 to maintain a stable posture not only in the open state where all of the arc guides are fitted, but also in the closed state. The sliding angle between the sub-guide 31 and center frame 20 is also 51 degrees, just like θ6, so the slide arm 30 has a total opening and closing amount of 102 degrees relative to the center frame 20.

[0043] [Comparison of first rotation center 10a of multiple arc guides and single arc guide] FIG. 18(c) illustrates a conventional arc guide using a single arc guide. In FIG. 18(c), the single arc guide requires the slide arm 30 alone to ensure the opening and closing amount of the OLED sheet 12, so the sliding angle θ6 in FIG. 18(b) is doubled. This increases the curvature of the arc guide that fits into the semicircular shape 31g of the same size as in the present invention, resulting in a smaller rotation radius. In contrast, in the present invention, the opening and closing amount of the OLED sheet 12 is shared among multiple arc guides, namely, the slide arms 30 and sub-guides 31, thereby reducing the curvature of the arc guide (increasing the rotation radius). Therefore, the position of the first rotation center 10a in FIG. 18(b) can be positioned a distance D1 in the direction of arrow 21g (FIG. 17) compared to the position of the first rotation center 10a in FIG. 18(c). This structure allows the first rotation center 10a to be positioned closer to the viewing surface 12c of the OLED sheet 12, thereby increasing the inter-axial distance with the second rotation center 34a.

[0044] Even in the case of a single arc guide, the first rotation center 10a can be positioned on the viewing surface 12c side of the OLED sheet 12 by enlarging the main joint portion 30e of the slide arm 30, but this results in the hinge device B becoming larger. In the present invention, by using the sub-guide 31, the first rotation center 10a can be arranged on the viewing surface 12c side of the OLED sheet 12, and the reliability of the OLED sheet 12 can be ensured, even though the hinge device B is compact.

[0045] [Support of OLED sheet 12 by slide arm unit U30a] FIG. 19 illustrates how the slide operating arm unit 30 supports the OLED sheet 12. FIG. 19(a) is a perspective view of the slide arm unit U30a, FIG. 19(b) is a cross-sectional view of the slide arm unit U30a in the closed state taken along the sub-guide 31, FIG. 19(c) is a cross-sectional view of the slide arm unit U30a in the open state taken along the slide arm 30, and FIG. 19(d) is a side view of another shape of the slide arm 30. As shown in FIG. 19(c), the slide arm 30 is provided with a main flat surface 30a that abuts against the support surface 12a (FIG. 17(b)) of the OLED sheet 12. Similarly, a sub-flat surface 31a provided on the sub-guide 31 also abuts against the support surface 12a of the OLED sheet 12. In this way, the slide arm 30 and the sub-guide 31 also support the OLED sheet 12, thereby improving the reliability of the OLED sheet 12. Incidentally, "supporting" the OLED sheet 12 does not necessarily mean that the main plane 30a and the sub-plane 31a are in contact with the OLED sheet 12; for example, they are usually spaced apart, and when an external force is applied to the OLED sheet 12, the main plane 30a and the sub-plane 31a receive the support surface 12a of the OLED sheet 12, preventing depression.

[0046] The slide arm 30 and the sub-guide 31 each have a main restricting portion and a sub-restricting portion, and therefore rotate independently when transitioning from the closed state to the open state. The main plane 30a of the slide arm 30 and the sub-plane 31a of the sub-guide 31 are planes in different directions (out of phase) in the closed state, but are aligned in the same plane (in phase) in the open state to support the OLED sheet 12. By making the phases different in the closed state, the OLED sheet 12 is surrounded from the periphery and the oscillation of the OLED sheet 12 is controlled, as shown in Figure 19(b).

[0047] 19(b), the main plane 30a becomes a wall surface portion 30k that is close to the OLED sheet 12 when in the closed state, which can restrict the shaking of the OLED sheet 12 and improve the reliability of the OLED sheet 12 when it is folded and carried.

[0048] To improve the reliability of the OLED sheet 12, it is preferable that the main plane 30a and the sub-plane 31a be provided between the first rotation center 10a and the arc guide portion (main arc guide, sub arc guide), and it is also preferable that the first rotation center 10a be provided near the OLED sheet 12. Specifically, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 19(c), the first rotation center 10a is provided on the viewing surface 12c side of the OLED sheet 12, and the main plane 30a is provided near the support surface 12a on the opposite side of the OLED sheet 12 from the viewing surface 12c. This means that the main plane 30a and sub-plane 31a that support the OLED sheet 12 are provided between the arc guide portion and the first rotation center 10a.

[0049] The main flat surface 30a and the sub-flat surface 31a are not limited to a planar shape, and may be a semicircular shape 30f including an arc guide, with a protrusion 30i provided on the inside, as shown in Figure 19(d). In the present invention, the flat surfaces (main flat surface 30a, sub-flat surface 31a) and the protrusion 30i are collectively referred to as the receiving portion.

[0050] As described above, the slide arm unit U30a does not require a physical rotation axis due to the arc guide. Furthermore, by dividing the opening and closing amount of the hinge device B among multiple arc guides (main arc guide, sub arc guide), the first rotation center 10a can be positioned on the viewing surface 12c side of the OLED sheet 12. This allows the distance between the first rotation center 10a and the second rotation center 34a to be increased, and in the closed state, the OLED sheet 12 is lifted upward as indicated by arrow 21g. Furthermore, in the open state, the slide arm unit U30a also supports the OLED sheet 12, improving the reliability of the OLED sheet 12. Even in the closed state, the main plane 30a restricts the OLED sheet 12 from shaking, improving reliability. Furthermore, in the closed state, the housing 10 is raised in the direction of the arrow 21g in Fig. 10(c), and as the opened state approaches, the housing 10 descends to the side opposite the arrow 21g, so that the housing 10 can cover the base cover 11 while maintaining a gap L4, as shown in Fig. 19(c). Furthermore, in the closed state, a gap L3 can be provided between the housing 10 and the base cover 11, as shown in Fig. 19(b). This has resulted in a notebook computer A that is highly reliable and has a high-quality exterior.

[0051] Figure 20 illustrates the slide operating arm U30b and the rotation control unit U40, with Figure 20(a) being an assembled perspective view and Figure 20(b) being an exploded perspective view. As shown in Figure 20(b), the slide operating arm 34 has a non-circular shaft hole 34c provided in a joint portion 34b, and rotates around a circular shaft hole 35a in the torque adjustment base 35 and a circular shaft hole 36a in the rotation synchronization base 36 together with a shaft 40 that passes through the non-circular shaft hole 34c by a non-circular shaft portion 40b. Here, the rotation of the slide operating arm 34 relative to the shaft 40 is restricted, and the rotational load of the rotation control unit U40, described below, is transmitted to the slide operating arm 34 through the shaft 40. The shaft 40 rotates around a second rotation center 34a, which is different from the first rotation center 10a, and the slide operating arm 34 also rotates coaxially.

[0052] A second flat surface 34f that supports the OLED sheet 12 in the open state is provided at the joint 34b of the slide actuation arm 34. In the closed state, a restricting portion 34g adjacent to the second flat surface 34f restricts the OLED sheet 12 from swinging (FIG. 12(c)).

[0053] As described above, the side frame 21 and the sliding piece 34d of the slide operating arm 34 maintain a stable angle relative to each other because they slide over a long fitting length. In addition, the slide operating arm 34 has a second flat surface 34f and a restricting portion 34g, which reliably supports the OLED sheet 12 in the open state and restricts the OLED sheet 12 from shaking in the closed state.

[0054] 20, the rotation control unit U40 is composed of a control shaft portion U40a, a friction generating portion U40b that applies an appropriate load to the opening and closing operation of the pair of housings 10, a locking portion U40c that holds the pair of housings 10 in an open state and a closed state, a biasing portion U40d that biases the friction generating portion U40b and the locking portion U40c, and a synchronizing portion U40e that synchronously opens and closes the pair of housings 10. The control shaft portion U40a includes a shaft 40 and a fastening bolt 41, first and second friction plates 42 and 43 as the friction generating portion U40b, first and second cams 44 and 45 as the locking portion U40c, a lock spring 46 and a spring receiver 47 as the biasing portion U40d, and a main gear 48 and a sub gear 49 as the synchronizing portion U40e.

[0055] In Figure 20, where multiple parts of the same shape are used, the part numbers of overlapping elements have been omitted. The synchronization portion U40e, locking portion U40c, friction generating portion U40b, and biasing portion U40d are coaxially mounted on the shaft 40, which is the control shaft portion U40a. A fastening bolt 41 is screwed into the threaded portion 40c at the tip of the shaft 40. The biasing portion U40d, locking portion U40c, friction generating portion U40b, slide operating arm 34, and synchronization portion U40e are arranged with this fastening bolt 41 as the base. The mechanism will now be described starting from the fastening bolt 41 side.

[0056] The lock spring 46, which is the biasing portion U40d, is made up of multiple disc springs, and the shaft 40 passes through a circular shaft hole 46b of the lock spring 46. The irregularly shaped shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 also passes through an irregularly shaped shaft hole 47a of the spring receiver 47. The multiple disc springs are arranged in two groups, with multiple sheets stacked on top of each other with their orientations changed, and the spring receiving surfaces 47b of the spring receiver 47 face each other adjacent to each group.

[0057] The irregular shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 passes through the irregular shaft hole 45a of the second cam 45, and the second cam 45 is restricted in rotation by the shaft 40. The irregular shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 passes through the circular shaft hole 44a of the first cam 44, and the shaft 40 is rotatable relative to the first cam 44. Here, because two shafts 40 pass through the pair of circular shaft holes 44a of the first cam 44, the first cam 44 cannot rotate around each of the shafts 40. In this way, the two shafts 40 can rotate independently relative to the first cam 44, but the first cam 44 cannot rotate relative to the shaft 40. The cam surface 44b of the first cam 44 facing the second cam 45 and the cam surface 45b of the second cam 45 facing the cam surface 44b are in a phase where the peaks and valleys mesh with each other in the closed state and the open state, but do not mesh with each other in other states. Therefore, due to the action of the cam surfaces, the pair of housings 10 are sucked into the closed state or the open state as they approach that state, and are locked.

[0058] The irregular shaped shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 penetrates a circular shaft hole 42a of the first friction plate 42, which is the friction generating portion U40b, and the first friction plate 42 is rotatable relative to the shaft 40. Here, two shafts 40 respectively penetrate a pair of circular shaft holes 42a of the first friction plate 42, and the first friction plate 42 cannot rotate around each of the shafts 40. In this way, the two shafts 40 can rotate independently relative to the first friction plate 42, but the first friction plate 42 cannot rotate relative to the shaft 40. The irregular shaped shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 penetrates a irregular shaped shaft hole (not shown) of a second friction plate 43 that faces the first friction plate 42, and the second friction plate 43 is restricted from rotating relative to the shaft 40. The next first friction plate 42 is provided so as to sandwich the second friction plate 43. The surfaces of the first friction plate 42 and the second friction plate 43 that face each other are matte-finished, and when the second friction plate 43 rotates together with the shaft 40 relative to the first friction plate 42, friction torque is generated, applying a rotational load to the shaft 40. A positioning hole 42b provided in the first friction plate 42 is combined with a positioning shaft provided in the torque adjustment base 35, thereby positioning the torque adjustment base 35 and the first friction plate 42.

[0059] The hinge device B of the present invention is designed to be compact, and the rotation control unit U40 is also compact to match. However, if the diameters of the first and second friction plates 42, 43 and the first and second cams 44, 45 are reduced, the torque generated by each will also decrease. Therefore, in the present invention, a locking portion U40c and a friction generating portion U40b are provided on both of the two shafts 40, and a rotation control unit U40 is provided on each of the arm units U30 at both ends of the hinge device B shown in Figure 3. This arrangement realizes a rotation control unit U40 that is compact yet has large friction torque and locking torque and can operate reliably.

[0060] The irregular shaft portion 40b of the shaft 40 passes through the irregular shaft hole 48a of the main gear 48, and the rotation of the main gear 48 is restricted by the shaft 40. The sub-gear 49 is rotatably supported by the circular shaft hole 49a with respect to the pair of sub-transmission shafts 35b and 36b, which serve as a fifth rotation center 49c. The teeth 48b of the pair of main gears 48 provided on each of the two shafts 40 mesh with the teeth 49b of the pair of sub-gears 49. As shown in FIG. 21 , the pair of sub-gears 49 mesh with each other. Therefore, when one of the pair of slide operating arms 34 is rotated, the other also rotates in synchronization. The slide operating arm 34 controls the opening and closing of the hinge device B, and therefore, synchronized rotation allows for high-quality opening and closing operations.

[0061] The shaft 40 passes through the rotary shaft hole 35a of the torque adjustment base 35 and the rotary shaft hole 36a of the rotation synchronization base 36. As described above, the threaded portion 40c at the tip of the shaft 40 is screwed into the screw hole 41a of the fastening bolt 41. The synchronizing portion U40e, friction generating portion U40b, locking portion U40c, and biasing portion U40d on the shaft 40 are sandwiched between the bolt head 40a and the fastening bolt 41, and the thrust biasing force of the biasing portion U40d in the direction of arrow 46a is controlled by the amount of threading of the fastening bolt 41. This makes it possible to adjust the locking force and friction generating force, enabling smooth opening and closing operations.

[0062] The present invention is configured as described above and therefore has the following advantages. First, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11(a), the support plates 22, 22 swingably attached to the side plates 21, 21... via the sub-hinge 23, 23... are flush with the center frame 20 and the holding surface of the OLED sheet 12 of each housing 10, 10 when the housings 10, 10 are opened 180 degrees, and support the OLED sheet 12 so as not to create any recesses or protrusions on the surface of the OLED sheet 12. When the housings 10, 10 start to be closed from this state, the support plates 22, 22 swing while being guided by the sub-hinge 23, 23... as a fulcrum, and when the housings 10, 10 are closed from the state shown in Figures 10(b) and 11(b) as shown in Figures 10(c) and 11(c), a housing portion S for accommodating the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12 is formed.

[0063] 10(c) and 11(c), in the closed state at 0° where the housings 10, 10 of the notebook computer A are closed, a gap K is provided between the lower end surface of the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12 and the upper surface of the center frame 20 of the hinge device B, and they do not come into contact with each other. Next, as shown in Fig. 10(b) and 11(b), even at that intermediate open angle, the housings 10, 10 are guided by the sub-guide 31 and move closer to each other toward the center frame 20, but the gap K between the lower surface side of the OLED sheet 12 and the upper surface side of the center frame 20 of the hinge device B is maintained, and they do not come into contact with each other.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11(a), in the open state where the housings 10, 10 are opened to 180 degrees, the top surface of the hinge device B, including the center frame 20, is flush with the surface where the housings 10, 10 contact the OLED sheet 12, and no recesses or protrusions are formed on the OLED sheet 12, so that the OLED sheet 12 can maintain a flush state with other surfaces. When the housings 10, 10 are closed from the fully open state shown in Figure 10(a) and Figure 11(a), the housings 10, 10 are guided by the guide portions 31, 31... and gradually move away from the center frame 20, so that as shown in Figure 10(b) and Figure 11(b), the OLED sheet 12 is closed with a gap K generated between the underside of the OLED sheet 12 and the hinge device B, particularly the center frame 20 side, and as shown in Figure 10(c) and Figure 11(c), even when the housings 10, 10 are closed, a gap K is generated between the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12 and the hinge device B, particularly the center frame 20, so that they do not come into pressure contact with each other.

[0065] In this way, even if an OLED sheet is attached across both of a pair of housings that are connected to each other so that they can be opened and closed, the hinge device B of the present invention can prevent the bent portions 12b of the OLED sheet 12 that are generated when the housings 10, 10 are opened and closed from coming into pressure contact with the hinge device B, thereby preventing deterioration and failure of the OLED sheet 12 that would otherwise occur, and improving the durability of the electronic device. [Industrial Applicability]

[0066] The hinge device B of the present invention is configured as described above, and therefore, in particular when a pair of housings of various electronic devices is folded, the bent portion 12b of the OLED sheet 12 is prevented from contacting the hinge device B, particularly the center frame 20, thereby preventing failure of the OLED sheet 12 and improving reliability.

[0067] The present invention relates to a hinge device suitable for use in foldable electronic devices configured with an OLED sheet draped across a pair of housings, such as notebook computers, electronic organizers, PDAs, netbooks, video display devices, and portable game consoles, as well as to a foldable electronic device using this hinge device. However, the hinge device according to the present invention is not limited to notebook computers and can be widely used in foldable electronic devices configured to connect a pair of housings, each with an OLED sheet attached to its surface, so that they can be opened and closed, as described above. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to devices made of OLED sheets (organic EL), and can be applied to any bendable viewing device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] A laptop B Hinge device G guide mechanism K gap S storage section 10. Cabinet 10a First rotation center 11 Base cover 12 OLED sheets 20 Center Frame 20f Center arc axis (sub-arc guide) 21 Side frame 21c sliding groove 22 Support Frame 23 Sub-hinge 24 support pins 24a 4th rotation center 25 Frame Guide 25a sliding groove 30 Slide arm 30a Main Plane 30b Main arc axis (main arc guide) 31 Sub-guides 31a Sub-plane 31b 1st sub-arc groove (main arc guide) 31d Second sub-arc groove (sub-arc guide) 32 Rotation control base 33 Armpin 33a Third rotation center 34 Slide actuation arm 34a Second rotation center 34d sliding piece 34f 2nd plane 35 Torque adjustment base 36 Rotation Synchronous Base 37 Rotating support base 40 shaft 41 Fastening bolt 42 First friction plate 43 Second friction plate 44 First Cam 45 Second Cam 46 Lock spring (disc spring) 47 Spring holder 48 Main Gear 49 Sub Gear U20 Frame Unit U30 Arm Unit U30a´ slide arm U30b Slide operating arm U40 Rotation Control Unit U40a Control shaft U40b Friction area U40c lock part U40d biasing part U40e Synchronous Unit

Claims

1. A hinge device that can openably connect a pair of housings of an electronic device having an OLED sheet attached across the pair of housings, and can form a storage section that can accommodate a curved portion of the OLED sheet, wherein a center frame is provided on each connecting side of the pair of housings, reaching both ends of the pair of housings, and a pair of side frames that are attached to the pair of housings respectively are attached to this center frame so that they can slide open and close via slide arms, a pair of support frames are attached to each of these side frames via sub-hinge, and the pair of side frames are further attached to the center frame via slide operating arms that have guide mechanisms, so that when the pair of housings are closed, the pair of housings slide in a direction away from the center frame, and a gap is created between the curved portion of the OLED sheet and the center frame.

2. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the slide operating arm is either provided with a rotation control unit or not provided with a rotation control unit.

3. The hinge device described in claim 1, characterized in that the guide mechanism is composed of a pair of sub-guide members each having curved guide grooves facing each other at the points where they are attached to the center frame, and a pair of main arc shafts provided on the slide operating arm that is slidably inserted into the pair of curved guide grooves of the sub-guide members, and the center of rotation of the curved guide grooves is located on the viewing surface of the OLED sheet.

4. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the support frame has a frame guide attached to a lower surface thereof and swingably attached to the slide operating arm.

5. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the support frame prevents rattling when the pair of housings are opened by engaging an arm hook provided on the underside of the support frame with a hook pin provided on the slide arm.

6. An electronic device, comprising the hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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