Hinges and Electronics

Abstract

To provide a hinge that prevents a user from easily touching a contact part of a slider and a cam part.SOLUTION: A hinge 100 comprises: a fixed member 10 that includes a storage part 12 and is fixed to a first object to be connected; a rotating member 20 that includes a cam part 21, is fixed to a second object to be connected, and is rotatably connected with the fixed member 10 with a rotation pin 30; a slider 40 that includes a contact part 42 and is movable in a direction to approach and separate from the cam part 21 while stored in the storage unit 12; an urging member 50 that urges the slider 40 in the direction to approach the cam part 21 to bring the contact part 42 into contact with a cam surface 211 of the cam part 21; and a shield member 60 that is rotatably supported by the cam part 21 and shields the cam surface 211 and the contact part 42 with the second wing member opening at a predetermined angle with respect to the first wing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge that connects a second connection object to a first connection object in an openable and closable manner, and to an electronic device provided with the hinge. [Background technology]

[0002] A hinge that connects a first object to a second object to be connected in an openable and closable manner has been known. The hinge includes a first wing member having a housing portion and fixed to the first object to be connected, a second wing member having a cam portion and fixed to the second object to be connected and rotatably connected to the first wing member via a rotation shaft, a slider having an abutment portion and movable in a direction toward or away from the cam portion of the second wing member while being housed in the housing portion of the first wing member, and a biasing member that biases the slider in a direction toward the cam portion of the second wing member to cause the abutment portion of the slider to abut against the cam portion of the second wing member (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] This hinge is used, for example, in a multifunction printer to openably and closably connect an original cover to a main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-21586 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above hinge, the slider is biased by the biasing member, and the abutment portion of the slider and the cam portion are in contact with each other, and when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member to open or close, the abutment portion of the slider and the cam portion rub against each other as the second wing member rotates and the slider moves. For this reason, a lubricant (grease) is applied to the abutment portion to prevent damage to the abutment portion of the slider and the cam portion, etc., due to interference, wear, etc.

[0006] Here, when the document cover of the multifunction device is open, the contact part of the slider and the cam part of the rotating member are exposed. Therefore, when placing a document on the top surface of the main body, if the document is inserted all the way, the document may come into contact with the contact part or the cam part of the slider, and the lubricant may adhere to the document. In addition, if a user touches the above-mentioned part, the lubricant may adhere to the user. In addition, foreign matter may be mixed into the lubricant from the outside.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge in which the contact portion and the cam portion of the slider cannot be easily touched, and also to provide an electronic device including the hinge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The hinge of the present invention comprises a first wing member having a storage portion and fixed to a first connection object, a second wing member having a cam portion and fixed to a second connection object and rotatably connected to the first wing member via a pivot shaft, a slider having a contact portion and movable in a direction approaching and moving away from the cam portion while being stored in the storage portion, a biasing member that biases the slider in a direction approaching the cam portion to cause the contact portion to contact the cam surface of the cam portion, and a shielding member that is rotatably supported on the cam portion and shields the cam surface and the contact portion when the second wing member is opened at a predetermined angle relative to the first wing member.

[0009] In the above hinge, the shielding member may include a support member rotatably supported on the cam portion, and a cover member rotatably supported on the support member, which shields the cam surface and the abutment portion when the second wing member is opened at the specified angle relative to the first wing member.

[0010] In the above hinge, the cover member may include a protrusion that comes into contact with the first connection object when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member.

[0011] In the above hinge, the cover member may have a curved portion whose outer circumferential surface abuts against the first connection object when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member.

[0012] Moreover, an electronic device according to the present invention includes the above hinge. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the contact portion and the cam portion of the slider cannot be easily touched in the hinge. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a left side view of a multifunction peripheral including a hinge according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the hinge in a fully open position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the hinge in a fully open position. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the hinge in a fully open state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a rear view of the hinge in a fully open position. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the hinge in a fully open state. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a right side view of the hinge in a fully open state. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hinge in a fully open position. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the hinge in a fully open position. [Figure 10] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the hinge in an open position. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a right side view of the hinge in an open state. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the hinge in a closed position. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a right side view of the hinge in a closed state. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge in a closed state. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a shielding member according to a modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a right side view of a hinge in an open state with a modified shielding member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] In this embodiment, a multifunction printer 1 will be described as an example of an office machine in which a hinge 100 according to an embodiment is used. In the following description, the right side in Fig. 1 is defined as the front side of the multifunction printer 1, the left side in Fig. 1 is defined as the rear side of the multifunction printer 1, the front side of the paper in Fig. 1 is defined as the left side of the multifunction printer 1, and the back side of the paper in Fig. 1 is defined as the right side of the multifunction printer 1. In addition, the upper and lower sides in Fig. 1 are defined as the upper and lower sides of the multifunction printer 1, respectively.

[0016] 1, the multifunction machine 1 includes a main body 2 as an example of a first connected object, an original cover 3 as an example of a second connected object, and a hinge 100. The main body 2 includes an original reading device, a control device, a printing device, a display device, and an input device, all of which are not shown. The original reading device is disposed on the top surface of the main body 2. The original reading device reads an original placed on the top surface of the main body 2 (generates image information of the original).

[0017] The control device controls the operation of each part of the multifunction device 1, more specifically, the operation of the document reading device, the printing device described later, and the ADF (Auto Document Feeder) described later. The control device can also store image information generated by the document reading device and image information acquired via a line (e.g., an Internet line) connected to the main body 2.

[0018] The printing device is disposed below the document reading device. The printing device prints an image on a specified sheet of paper based on the image information stored by the control device. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays information relating to the operating status of the multifunction device 1. The input device is, for example, a button, switch, etc., and is operated when the user inputs instructions to the multifunction device 1. The display device and input device are disposed on the front top surface of the main body 2.

[0019] The document pressing plate 3 presses (presses) the document placed on the document reading device against the document reading device, thereby preventing the document from moving (changing its position relative to the document reading device) when the document reading device reads the document. The document pressing plate 3 is equipped with a pre-read document storage tray, an ADF, and a post-read document storage tray (not shown).

[0020] The ADF sequentially takes out the documents stored in a stack in the unread document storage tray one by one and places them in a predetermined reading position on the document reading device. After the document reading device finishes reading the documents, the ADF transports the documents placed in the reading position to the read document storage tray.

[0021] The hinge 100 rotatably connects the original cover 3 to the main body 2. The detailed structure of the hinge 100 will be described later.

[0022] "Office equipment" refers to a device that has at least the function of reading an original (obtaining image information of the original). Specific examples of office equipment include (a) a scanner that has the function of reading an original and the function of sending image information related to the read original to another device (e.g., a personal computer), (b) a fax machine that has the function of reading an original, the function of sending image information related to the read original to another device via a communication line, and the function of printing out image information acquired from another device, (c) a copy machine that has the function of reading an original and the function of printing out image information related to the read original, and (d) a multifunction machine that combines the functions of the scanner, fax, and copy machine.

[0023] The hinge 100 in this embodiment is used for connecting the original cover 3 to the main body 2 of the multifunction machine 1 in an openable (rotatable) manner, but the use of the hinge according to the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the hinge according to the present invention is widely applicable to "connecting one of two members (first connection object) to the other member (second connection object) in an openable and closable manner", and is used in, for example, office automation equipment such as scanners, faxes, and copy machines, or multifunction machines, automobiles, toilet seats, rice cookers, and various other electronic devices. Examples of hinges connecting one of two members to the other member in an openable and closable manner include a door part rotatably connected to the main body of a printer, an original cover device rotatably connected to the main body of a multifunction machine, a display rotatably connected to a stand, a toilet seat rotatably connected to a toilet seat, and a bonnet rotatably connected to the body of an automobile.

[0024] In the following description, the rotation angle θ of the original pressure plate 3 when it is closed (when the lower surface of the original pressure plate 3 is in contact with the upper surface of the main body 2) (more precisely, the rotation angle θ of the original pressure plate 3 relative to the main body 2) is defined as "0°", and the rotation angle θ of the original pressure plate 3 is defined so that the rotation angle θ increases (the rotation angle θ becomes positive) when the original pressure plate 3 rotates in the opening direction (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the rotation angle θ of the original pressure plate 3 relative to the main body 2 also coincides with the rotation angle of the second wing member relative to the first wing member from the closed state. For this reason, in this embodiment, both are described as "rotation angle θ".

[0025] For convenience, the following description will be given of hinge 100 based on the up-down, front-back, and left-right directions of multifunction device 1 when original cover 3 is closed relative to main body 2 (when rotation angle θ = 0°) (the up-down, front-back, and left-right directions of multifunction device 1 when original cover 3 is closed relative to main body 2 correspond to the up-down, front-back, and left-right directions of hinge 100, respectively).

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 to 15, hinge 100 includes a fixed member 10 as an example of a first wing member, a rotating member 20 as an example of a second wing member, a rotating pin 30 as an example of a rotation axis of the second wing member relative to the first wing member (a rotation axis that rotatably connects the second wing member to the first wing member), a slider 40, a biasing member 50, and a shielding member 60.

[0027] The fixed member 10 is a member that is fixed to the main body 2 and rotatably supports the rotating member 20. The fixed member 10 is a substantially cylindrical member whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction, has an opening at the top, and has a bottom at the bottom. The fixed member 10 includes a pair of left and right support portions 11 and 11, and a storage portion 12.

[0028] The support portion 11 protrudes upward from the left and right portions at the upper rear of the fixed member 10. The support portion 11 rotatably supports the rotating member 20 via a rotating pin 30. The support portion 11 is formed with a through hole into which the rotating pin 30 is inserted. The accommodating portion 12 is formed as a space surrounded by the sides and bottom of the fixed member 10 (the space inside the fixed member 10). The accommodating portion 12 accommodates a slider 40.

[0029] Here, in the hinge 100, a state in which the rotating member 20 is closest to the fixed member 10 and closed relative to the fixed member 10 (rotation angle θ=0°) is defined as a closed state (state in FIGS. 13 to 15), and a state in which the rotating member 20 is open relative to the fixed member 10 is defined as an open state (state in FIGS. 11 and 12). Also, for example, in the hinge 100, a state in which the rotating member 20 is farthest from the fixed member 10 (rotation angle θ=70°) is defined as a fully open state (state in FIGS. 2 to 10). Note that, in the hinge 100, the rotation angle θ when the rotating member 20 is in a closed state relative to the fixed member 10 and the rotation angle θ when the rotating member 20 is in a fully open state relative to the fixed member 10 are not limited to such angles, and can be set appropriately according to the specifications.

[0030] The rotating member 20 is fixed to the original cover 3 and rotatably connected to the fixed member 10 via a rotating pin 30. A through hole for inserting the rotating pin 30 is opened at the rear of the rotating member 20. The rotating member 20 has a cam portion 21. The cam portion 21 protrudes downward from the lower portion of the rotating member 20, and the lower end portion is configured as a curved cam surface 211. The cam surface 211 is formed on the cam portion 21 between a position where the hinge 100 abuts against the abutment portion 42 when the hinge 100 is in the closed state (see FIG. 15) and a position where the hinge 100 abuts against the abutment portion 42 when the hinge 100 is in the fully open state (see FIG. 10). The cam surface 211 is located forward of the axis of the rotating pin 30.

[0031] The pivot pin 30 is a generally cylindrical member. The pivot pin 30 is inserted into the through hole of the support portion 11 of the fixed member 10 and the through hole of the pivot member 20.

[0032] The slider 40 is housed in the housing portion 12 so as to be movable (slidable) between the opening side and the bottom side of the fixed member 10, i.e., in the direction approaching and moving away from the cam portion 21 of the rotating member 20 (up and down direction). The slider 40 is configured to be movable while being housed in the housing portion 12 and in contact with the inner surface of the fixed member 10 when the rotating member 20 rotates in the opening or closing direction. The slider 40 is a cylindrical member having an opening at the bottom and a bottom at the top. The slider 40 is made of a resin material.

[0033] The slider 40 includes a biasing member accommodating portion 41 and a contact portion 42. The biasing member accommodating portion 41 is formed of a space inside the slider 40. The biasing member 50 is accommodated in the biasing member accommodating portion 41 of the slider 40. The contact portion 42 is a portion that abuts against the cam portion 21. The contact portion 42 is a cylindrical member made of a metal material. The contact portion 42 is placed with its upper portion protruding into a recess formed in the front part of the upper surface of the bottom of the slider 40. The contact portion 42 may be fixed to the slider 40 or may be molded integrally with the slider 40.

[0034] A lubricant (grease) is applied to the contact portion between the cam portion 21 and the contact portion 42, that is, to the outer circumferential surface of the cam surface 211 of the cam portion 21 and the contact portion 42, in order to suppress wear.

[0035] The biasing member 50 is composed of a metallic coil spring (compression spring). The biasing member 50 is housed in the biasing member housing portion 41 and disposed within the fixed member 10. The lower end portion of the biasing member 50 abuts against the upper surface of the bottom portion of the fixed member 10, and the upper end portion of the biasing member 50 abuts against the lower surface of the bottom portion of the slider 40.

[0036] The biasing member 50 biases the slider 40 by its elastic force in a direction (upward) approaching the cam portion 21 of the rotating member 20. The biasing member 50 biases the slider 40 so that the abutment portion 42 and the cam portion 21 abut against each other when the rotating member 20 is in the closed state and the open state, and biases the rotating member 20 in a direction to open the rotating member 20 relative to the fixed member 10.

[0037] The biasing force of the biasing member 50 is set appropriately according to the specifications of the hinge 100 or the multifunction device 1. The biasing member 50 is set to have a biasing force such that, for example, when the rotation angle θ of the rotating member 20 with respect to the fixed member 10 is within a predetermined angle range, the rotating member 20 is rotated in an opening direction when the angle is equal to or greater than the predetermined angle, and the rotating member 20 is rotated in a closing direction when the angle is equal to or less than the predetermined angle.

[0038] The shielding member 60 is rotatably supported by the cam portion 21. The shielding member 60 is a member that shields the abutment portion 42 and the cam surface 211 when the rotating member 20 is open at a predetermined angle with respect to the fixed member 10 so that the cam surface 211 and the abutment portion 42 cannot be easily touched. In this embodiment, the predetermined angle is 0°<θ≦70°. That is, the shielding member 60 shields the cam surface 211 and the abutment portion 42 when the hinge 100 is in a state from a closed state to a slightly open state to a fully open state. Note that the predetermined angle may be an angle excluding the vicinity of θ=0°, such as 10°<θ≦70°.

[0039] It is sufficient that the shielding member 60 shields at least the contact portion 42 and the cam surface 211 on the side opposite the pivot pin 30 (the front side in this embodiment). In other words, it is sufficient that the shielding member 60 shields at least the contact portion 42 and the cam surface 211 on the side opposite the pivot pin 30 as viewed from the contact portion 42 and the cam surface 211. In other words, it is sufficient that the shielding member 60 shields at least the contact portion 42 and the cam surface 211 on the rotation tip side of the pivot member 20 when the hinge 100 is in the closed state. It can also be expressed that it is sufficient that the shielding member 60 shields at least the contact portion 42 and the cam surface 211 on the open side of the hinge 100.

[0040] 16, the shielding member 60 is made up of a support member 61 and a cover member 62. Note that the shielding member 60 may be made up of three or more members.

[0041] The support member 61 is a member rotatably supported by the cam portion 21. The support member 61 is configured by integrally molding a pair of left and right first shaft portions 611, 611 extending in the left-right direction on the same axis, a second shaft portion 612 extending in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right connection portions 613, 613 connecting the left and right outer ends of the first shaft portions 611, 611 to the left and right ends of the second shaft portion 612, respectively, from a resin material. The first shaft portions 611, 611 are inserted into holes 212, 212 formed on the left and right side surfaces of the cam portion 21, respectively, and are rotatably supported. The second shaft portion 612 rotatably supports the cover member 62.

[0042] The cover member 62 is rotatably supported by the support member 61, and is a member that shields the front sides of the contact portion 42 and the cam portion 21 when the rotating member 20 is open at a predetermined angle (0°<θ≦70°) with respect to the fixed member 10. The cover member 62 is composed of a tube portion 621 having a slit 622 extending in the left-right direction, a plate portion 623 extending forward from the front end portion of the tube portion 621, and a pair of left and right projections 624, 624 that protrude downward from the left and right front end portions of the plate portion 623, respectively.

[0043] The tube portion 621 is rotatably supported by the second shaft portion 612 inserted through the slit 622. The plate portion 623 is composed of a substantially rectangular first plate portion 625 extending from the tube portion 621 and a substantially rectangular second plate portion 626 extending from a front end portion of the first plate portion 625 and having a width in the left-right direction wider than that of the first plate portion 625. The left-right length of the first plate portion 625 is substantially equal to the left-right length of the cam portion 21 (cam surface 211), and the left-right length of the second plate portion 626 is longer than the left-right length of the abutment portion 42 and the left-right length of the cam surface 211. The plate portion 623 may have a shape and size that can shield at least a part of the front side of the abutment portion 42 and the cam surface 211.

[0044] As a result, when the rotating member 20 is open at a predetermined angle relative to the fixed member 10, the plate portion 623 can cover the front side of the abutment portion 42 and the cam surface 211. Therefore, even if the document is inserted all the way when the document is placed on the upper surface of the main body 2, the document comes into contact with the cover member 62, and the lubricant on the abutment portion 42 and the cam surface 211 can be prevented from adhering to the document. In addition, since the abutment portion 42 and the cam surface 211 cannot be easily touched, it is possible to prevent the lubricant from adhering to the user and to prevent foreign matter from entering the lubricant from the outside.

[0045] 12 and 14, the protrusions 624 come into contact with the upper surface of the main body 2 when the hinge 100 is in the open and closed states. In other words, when the original cover 3 is opened or closed, the protrusions 624 come into contact (slide) with the upper surface of the main body 2, thereby reducing the contact area between the cover member 62 and the main body 2 and allowing the cover member 62 to move smoothly. There is no particular limitation on the position or number of the protrusions 624, and the protrusions 624 are not essential components.

[0046] In this embodiment, when hinge 100 is in a fully open state (see FIG. 7), second shaft portion 612 is positioned above first shaft portion 611 (toward the rotation tip of rotating member 20). As a result, first plate portion 625 is positioned above the upper end of cam surface 211. Therefore, the front side of cam surface 211 can be shielded by first plate portion 625.

[0047] Next, a modified example of the shielding member 60 will be described. Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a modified shielding member 70. The shielding member 70 is composed of the above-mentioned support member 61 and a cover member 72. The cover member 72 differs from the above-mentioned cover member 62 in that it has a curved portion 724 instead of the protruding portions 624·624. Other configurations of the cover member 72 are similar to those of the above-mentioned cover member 62, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0048] The curved portion 724 is configured to be curved upward from the front end of the plate portion 623. As shown in Fig. 18, the outer peripheral surface of the curved portion 724 abuts against the upper surface of the main body 2 when the hinge 101 is in the open state. In other words, when the original cover 3 is opened or closed, the outer peripheral surface of the curved portion 724 abuts (slides against) the upper surface of the main body 2, thereby preventing the tip of the cover member 62 from getting caught on the main body 2, and the cover member 62 moves smoothly. There is no particular limitation on the position or number of the curved portion 724, and the curved portion 724 is not an essential component. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Multifunction device (electronic device) 10 Fixing member (first wing member) 12 Storage section 20 Rotating member (second wing member) 21 Cam section 30 Pivot pin (rotating shaft) 40 Slider 42 Contact part 50 biasing member 60 Shielding material 61 Support member 62, 72 Cover member 100, 101 hinge 211 Cam surface 624 Protrusion 724 Curved section

Claims

1. A first wing member having a receiving portion and fixed to a first connection object; a second wing member having a cam portion, fixed to a second connection object, and rotatably connected to the first wing member via a rotation shaft; a slider having an abutment portion and movable in a direction approaching and moving away from the cam portion while being accommodated in the accommodation portion; a biasing member that biases the slider in a direction approaching the cam portion, thereby causing the abutment portion to abut against a cam surface of the cam portion; a shielding member that is rotatably supported on the cam portion and that shields the cam surface and the abutment portion when the second wing member is opened at a predetermined angle relative to the first wing member; Equipped with The shielding member is supported by the cam portion so as to come into contact with the first connection object when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member.

2. The shielding member is A support member rotatably supported by the cam portion; The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising: a cover member rotatably supported by the support member, the cover member covering the cam surface and the abutment portion when the second wing member is in a state where the second wing member is opened at the predetermined angle relative to the first wing member.

3. The hinge according to claim 2 , wherein the cover member includes a protrusion that comes into contact with the first connection object when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member.

4. The hinge according to claim 2 , wherein the cover member has a curved portion whose outer circumferential surface abuts against the first connection object when the second wing member rotates relative to the first wing member.

5. An electronic device comprising the hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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