Opening / closing device and terminal device using the same

Abstract

To make a terminal device thin, operate an actuation mechanism in a housing, and also generate friction torque.SOLUTION: An opening device comprises: a fitting base 10 fitted to a first housing side; a support member 50 fitted to a second housing side; a first hinge shaft 40A; a second hinge shaft 40B; a first slide mechanism 7A; a second slide mechanism 7B; a pair of a first drive belt 30A and a second drive belt 30B for winding the first slide mechanism 7A and the second slide mechanism 7B to the first hinge shaft 40A / second hinge shaft 40B while changing a winding direction of the respective one end part sides, and coupling the pair of the first slide member 20A and second slide member 20B to a third slide member 20C / fourth slide member 20D; and a link mechanism 8 for reversing slide directions of the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing device that connects a first housing and a second housing that are relatively openable and closable to each other in terminal devices such as notebook computers, laptop computers, electronic dictionaries, and PD (Personal Digital Assistant), and a terminal device using this opening / closing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for an opening / closing device that connects a first housing on the keyboard side and a second housing on the display side of a terminal device such as a notebook computer or an electronic dictionary using a hinge shaft so as to be openable and closable, for example, an opening / closing device represented by Patent Document 1 below is used. When the first housing and the second housing are relatively opened and closed, an operating mechanism for operating the protrusion and retraction of a rubber foot or the like provided on the first housing side is provided between the opening / closing device and the first housing on the keyboard side. Further, it has a friction torque generating means using a friction washer or a friction plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, terminal devices that are designed to be portable, such as notebook computers, have been required to be even thinner. However, the hinge described in Patent Document 1 requires a disk-shaped friction washer or friction plate with a predetermined friction area attached to the hinge shaft in order to obtain the necessary frictional torque. Therefore, there is a limit to thinning the first housing and the second housing. In addition, in order to operate the protrusion and retraction of rubber feet or the like provided on the first housing, the operating mechanism provided between the hinge and the first housing side also has a certain thickness, and there is also a problem that it cannot cope when an opening / closing device that can make the first housing thinner is developed.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an opening / closing device having an operating mechanism (slide mechanism) with the first housing adapted to the thinner design of the terminal device, and a terminal device using this opening / closing device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the opening / closing device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a mounting base attached to the first housing side, a support member attached to the second housing side, a hinge shaft that is rotationally constrained to the support member and rotatably connects the support member to the mounting base, and a slide mechanism that converts the rotational movement of the hinge shaft into a slide movement. The slide mechanism is configured by winding each one end side around the hinge shaft in a direction changing the winding direction, and connecting each other end side to a pair of slide members of the slide mechanism provided on the mounting base side with a pair of first drive belts and second drive belts, and a link mechanism provided between the pair of slide members and reversing the mutual slide directions, and The pair of first drive belts and second drive belts are each provided with engagement holes that engage with the hinge shaft side and each slide member side of the slide mechanism at both ends thereof, and elongated holes for allowing an engagement portion provided on the hinge shaft to pass between the respective engagement holes.

[0007] Next, the opening / closing device according to claim 2 of the present invention includes a mounting base attached to the first housing side, a support member attached to the second housing side, a plurality of hinge shafts that are rotatably constrained and attached to the support member and rotatably connect the support member to the mounting base, and a slide mechanism including a plurality of first and second slide mechanisms that convert the rotational movement of these hinge shafts into a slide movement. These slide mechanisms are respectively wound around one end side of each hinge shaft in a direction changing the winding direction, and the other end sides are respectively connected to a pair of slide members of the slide mechanism provided on the mounting base side. The slide mechanism is composed of a pair of first drive belts and second drive belts, and a link mechanism provided between the pair of slide members and reversing their slide directions. In addition, the pair of first drive belts and second drive belts are each provided with engagement holes that engage with the respective hinge shaft sides and each slide member side of the slide mechanism at both ends thereof, and elongated holes for allowing the engagement portions provided on the respective hinge shafts to pass between the respective engagement holes. It is characterized by this.

[0008] Next, in the opening / closing device according to claim 3 of the present invention, the first drive belt and the second drive belt are attached to the respective slide members via respective adjusting members slidably adjustably attached to the respective other end sides to the respective slide member sides.

[0009] Next, the opening / closing device according to the present invention Claim 4 is characterized in that the link mechanism is composed of a link member rotatably attached at its central portion between the pair of slide members, with one end engaged with one of the slide members and the other end engaged with the other of the slide members.

[0010] Next, in the opening / closing device according to the present invention Claim 5 the slide members of the slide mechanism are characterized by exhibiting frictional resistance.

[0011] Next, in the opening / closing device according to the present invention Claim 6 at least the first drive belt and the second drive belt are thin and flexible metal films.

[0012] And, the opening / closing device according to the present invention Claim 7 The terminal device is characterized in that the second housing constituting the same is connected to the first housing so as to be openable and closable by the opening and closing device described above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the invention of claim 1, It includes a mounting base attached to the first housing side, a support member attached to the second housing side, a hinge shaft that is rotatably constrained and attached to the support member and that rotatably connects the support member to the mounting base, and a slide mechanism that converts the rotational movement of the hinge shaft into a sliding movement. The slide mechanism includes a pair of first drive belts and second drive belts that are wound around one end side of the hinge shaft with the winding direction changed and that are respectively connected to a pair of slide members of the slide mechanism provided on the mounting base side at the other end sides, and a link mechanism provided between the pair of slide members and configured to reverse the sliding directions of the pair of slide members. The pair of first drive belts and second drive belts are each provided with engagement holes that engage with the hinge shaft side and each slide member side of the slide mechanism at both ends thereof, and elongated holes for allowing an engagement portion provided on the hinge shaft to pass between the respective engagement holes. The first housing and the second housing are connected via a hinge shaft and a slide mechanism. The opening and closing operation of the second housing becomes a rotational operation of the hinge shaft, and the slide mechanism can convert the rotational motion into a sliding motion to operate the operating mechanism inside the first housing or the second housing, or generate a frictional torque. Since it is possible to eliminate the friction washer and the disc spring that require a predetermined radius as in the prior art, the thickness of the opening and closing device in the vertical direction can be reduced, and as a result, the terminal device using this opening and closing device can be made thinner. Also, since the winding direction of one drive belt around the hinge shaft is changed, in any opening and closing operation of the opening and closing device, the drive belt wound around the hinge shaft causes one slide member to extend, and this operation causes the other slide member to retract by the link mechanism, and the other drive belt is wound back. Therefore, in any opening and closing operation of the opening and closing device, the link mechanism operates to assist the sliding operation of each pair of slide members, so it is possible to prevent the drive belt from getting entangled or slack, and the opening and closing device can perform a suitable opening and closing operation. Furthermore, when the opening and closing device is opened and closed, since a pair of slide members alternately move forward and backward, it is possible to create a frictional torque by this movement, operate the operating mechanism inside the housing, and furthermore, the housing itself can be expanded and contracted with respect to the opening and closing device.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 2, since the opening and closing device has a plurality of hinge shafts and a plurality of slide mechanisms that convert the rotational motion of each hinge shaft into a sliding motion, when the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing device is performed, it is possible to prevent the support member from performing a rotational motion deviated from the rotation axis of the opening and closing device.

[0015] Claim 3 According to the invention, since the first drive belt and the second drive belt are attached to the respective slide members via the respective adjusting members which are slidably adjustable with their other end sides on the slide member sides, it is possible to easily correct elongation, slack, twisting, deflection, etc. of the drive belts which may occur due to repeated opening and closing operations of the opening and closing device.

[0016] Claim 4 According to the invention, the link mechanism is constituted by a link member which is rotatably attached at its central portion between a pair of slide members and engages one end portion thereof with one of the slide members and the other end portion thereof with the other of the slide members. Therefore, in any of the opening and closing operations of the opening and closing device, the link mechanism can assist the slide operations of the pair of slide members, so that the opening and closing device can perform a suitable opening and closing operation.

[0017] Claim 5 According to the invention, since the slide member can be configured to exhibit frictional resistance, the opening and closing device can be stably stopped and held at an arbitrary opening angle during the opening and closing operation, and the user can use the first housing and the second housing in a state where they are opened at an arbitrary opening angle.

[0018] Claim 6 According to the invention, from the first drive belt to Second Since the drive belt is constituted by a metal film, the first drive belt to Second The drive belt can be made thin, so that the opening and closing device can be made thinner from this aspect.

[0019] Claim 7 According to the invention, since the first housing and the second housing constituting the terminal device are connected so as to be openable and closable by the above-described thin opening and closing device, the terminal device can be made thinner.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings when implemented in a first housing provided with a keyboard portion of a notebook personal computer as a terminal device, a second housing provided with a display portion, or a first housing and a second housing using a flexible display sheet. However, the terminal devices for implementing the present invention include laptop personal computers other than notebook personal computers, and terminal devices such as PDs including electronic dictionaries. In addition, it can be used in various devices and containers that require a friction torque generation mechanism when opening and closing the first housing and the second housing.

[0022] [Embodiment] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the notebook personal computer 1 is connected by the opening / closing devices 4, 4 according to the present invention provided at the left and right positions at the rear end thereof, such that the first housing 2 provided with a keyboard portion and the second housing 3 provided with a display portion are relatively openable and closable. The notebook personal computer 1 can open and close the second housing 3 and the first housing 2 relative to each other between 0° and 180° by the opening / closing devices 4, 4. In the drawings, the second housing 3 is shown on the lower side and the first housing 2 is shown on the upper side.

[0023] The display portion 3a provided on the second housing 3 has a function of displaying a calculated image and also has a function enabling a touch input operation on the screen by a finger or the like. In the present embodiment, a pair of opening / closing devices 4, 4 having the same configuration are provided on the left and right of the notebook personal computer 1. Since the configurations of the opening / closing devices 4, 4 are the same, in the following description, the right opening / closing device 4 in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) will be described.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the opening / closing device 4 includes a mounting base 10 attached to the first housing 2, a support member 50 attached to the second housing 3, and a pair of first hinge shafts 40A and second hinge shafts 40B that are rotatably connected to the mounting base 10 while being rotationally constrained to the support member 50. In this specification, when both the first slide mechanism 7A and the second slide mechanism 7B are included, it may be simply referred to as the slide mechanism 7.

[0025] In the embodiment, the hinge shaft is composed of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, and a pair of first slide mechanisms 7A and second slide mechanisms 7B are provided corresponding to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B. However, it is possible to use a single hinge shaft and a slide mechanism corresponding to this hinge shaft.

[0026] Of course, this does not prevent the opening and closing device 4 from having one or more combinations of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B and the first slide mechanism 7A and the second slide mechanism 7B.

[0027] As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 to 4 and FIG. 10, the mounting base 10 of the opening and closing device 4 has a planar rectangular shape and includes a guide base portion 11 surrounded by side walls 16, 16, 16 provided on the rear end side and a part of the left and right sides, four guide groove portions 12, 12, 12, 12 provided in pairs and spaced apart by a predetermined distance at a lower level on the tip end side of the guide base portion 11, guide member mounting portions 13, 13, 13, 13 formed along one side portion of each of these guide groove portions 12, 12, 12, 12, guide walls 14, 14 provided between the guide groove portions 12, 12, 12, 12, first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B formed on the extension lines of the guide walls 14, 14, side walls 16, 16, 16 surrounding three sides of the main surface 18 of the guide base portion 11, and first and second hinge shaft receiving walls 17a and 17b and a third hinge shaft receiving portion 17d adjacent to the guide member mounting portions 13, 13. The mounting base 10 is attached to the first housing 2. The guide groove portions 12, 12 ···, the guide member mounting portions 13, 13, 13, 13, the guide walls 14, 14, and the first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B are also components of the first slide mechanism 7A and the second slide mechanism 7B. The guide member mounting portions 13, 13, 13, 13 are each provided with a pair of high inclination portions 13a and low inclination portions 13b alternately.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the guide base portion 11 is formed in a flat plate shape, and side walls 16, 16, 16 are erected at the same height from three sides of the main surface 18 of the guide base portion 11. On the remaining one side of the main surface 18 and in the vicinity thereof, guide groove portions 12, 12... guide member mounting portions 13, 13, 13, 13, guide walls 14, 14, first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B, a first hinge shaft receiving wall 17a, a second hinge shaft receiving wall 17b, and a third hinge shaft receiving wall 17d are formed. The guide base portion 11 houses at least a part of a slide member described later, a guide member 60 described later, a link member 70 described later, and a slide member cover 80.

[0029] In the present embodiment, each of the guide groove portions 12, 12... extends in the direction parallel to the short side direction of the guide base portion 11 and toward the main surface 18 at four locations (in pairs) near the end of one long side of the mounting base 10. In each of the guide groove portions 12, 12..., the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D advance and retreat in the direction in which each of the guide groove portions 12, 12... extends. Guide member mounting portions 13, 13, 13, 13 and guide walls 14, 14 are formed along the direction in which each of the guide groove portions 12, 12... extends.

[0030] Further, in each of the guide groove portions 12, 12..., concave portions 12a, 12a... in which protrusions 25 (described later) of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D can slide are formed. Each of the concave portions 12a, 12a... has a substantially oval shape in which a straight portion extends in a direction parallel to the short side direction of the guide base portion 11 in plan view (the advancing and retreating direction of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D). Further, in the guide groove portion 12, four risers 12b are formed so as to connect the end portions on the side of the first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B of the guide wall 14 and the end portions in the vicinity of the guide member mounting portion 13. The risers 12b can prevent the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D from entering excessively into the mounting base 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the attachment portions 13, 13, 13, 13 for guide members and the like are formed at four locations along the guide groove portions 12, 12, ··· (two of which formed in the center are adjacent). Guide members 60, 60, ··· are attached to the attachment portions 13, 13, 13, 13 for guide members and the like, and the guide members 60 and the guide wall 14 restrict the movement of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D in the direction along the long side of the guide base portion 11. Further, slide covers 80, 80 are attached to the attachment portions 13, 13, 13, 13 for guide members and the like. The top of the attachment portion 13 for guide members and the like has a high top 13a and a low top 13b. The low top 13b is formed so that its height decreases as it approaches the guide groove portion 12, and the thickness of the guide members 60, 60, ··· attached to the attachment portions 13, 13, ··· for guide members and the like can be made thicker at positions closer to the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D.

[0032] In this embodiment, the guide walls (guide portions) 14, 14 are formed at two locations, one by one, between the attachment guide walls 14 from adjacent guide groove portions 12, 12, at substantially the same height as the side wall 16 (specifically, the guide wall 14 is lower by the thickness of the slide member cover 80). The guide walls 14, 14 guide the forward and backward movement of the width expansion portions 23, which will be described later, of each of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D along the extending direction of the guide groove portions 12, 12, ···. As shown in FIG. 10, the first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B are formed at two locations, one by one, on the extension lines L1, L2 from the guide walls 14, 14 toward the central portion of the attachment base 10. The first link member 70A and the second link member 70B are rotatably attached to the first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, 15B formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0033] The side wall 16, the first hinge shaft receiving wall 17a, the second hinge shaft receiving wall 17b, and the third hinge shaft receiving wall 17d are formed at the same height from the main surface 18 of the guide base portion 11, and the upper ends are attached to the first housing 2. The first hinge shaft receiving wall 17a, the second hinge shaft receiving wall 17b, and the third hinge shaft receiving wall 17d are formed with holes 17c, 17c, ··· for attaching the outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b described later.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first slide mechanism 7A includes first slide members 20A and 20B that slide in the guide groove portions 12, 12, a slide member cover 80 that covers a part of the upper portions of the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B, the above-described guide groove portions 12, 12, guide member mounting portions 13, 13, a guide wall 14, a first and second link member rotation shafts 15A, first drive belts 30A and second drive belts 30B, and guide members 60, 60. The first slide mechanism 7A converts the rotational movement (rotation operation) of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B into a slide operation of the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B.

[0035] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the second slide mechanism 7B includes third slide members 20C and 20D that slide in the guide groove portions 12, 12, a slide member cover 80 that covers a part of the upper portions of the third slide member 20C and the fourth slide member 20D, the above-described guide groove portions 12, 12, guide member mounting portions 13, 13, a guide wall 14, a second link member rotation shaft 15B, third drive belts 30C and fourth drive belts 30D, and guide members 60, 60. The second slide mechanism 7B converts the rotational movement (rotation operation) of the second hinge shaft 40B into a slide operation of the third slide member 20C and the fourth slide member 20D.

[0036] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, FIGS. 16(a) and FIGS. 17(a), the first slide member 20A and the third slide member 20C are short, and the second slide member 20B and the fourth slide member 20D are long, but they may be of the same length. In the description of each of the following slide members, the first slide member 20A, the fourth slide member 20D, the second slide member 20B, and the third slide member 20C are different only in the lengths of the first extended portions 22A to 22D, and the other configurations are the same.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4, 16, and 17, each of the first slide members 20A to 20D includes drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, 21, 21 that accommodate the first drive belts 30A to 30D, respectively; first extended portions 22A to 22D that extend in the advancing and retreating directions of each of the first slide members 20A to 20D from the drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, 21, 21; widened portions 23, 23, 23, 23 that slide along the guide wall 14 when each of the first slide members 20A to 20D advances and retreats; locking portions 24, 24, 24, 24 formed between the drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, 21, 21 and the first extended portions 22A to 22D; and protrusions 25, 25 provided on the back sides of the drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21. Further, each of the first slide members 20A to 20D has end retainers 95, 95, 95, 95 attached to the contact surfaces 21a, 21a, 21a, 21a (FIGS. 4 to 8).

[0038] The drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, 21, 21 are members for accommodating and fixing the end portions 31, 31, 31, 31 of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D. As shown in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b), the holes 31b of the end portions 31 of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are locked to the locking portions 95c at the upper part of the drip-shaped end retainer 95 in a side view, and the vicinity of the end portions 31 of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are brought into contact with the contact surface 21a of the drive belt accommodating portion 21. Thereafter, the screw 96 is screwed into the insertion holes 95b and 21b of the end retainer 95, and the holding portion 95a of the end retainer 95 is pressed against the contact surface 21a, thereby fixing the end portion 31 to the contact surface 21a of the slide member. The contact surface 21a is formed so as to intersect the main surface 18 of the guide base portion 11. Thereby, the tip sides of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D approach the guide base portion 11, and the end portions 31 of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D can be made difficult to come off from the drive belt accommodating portion 21. As shown in FIG. 18(a), the insertion hole 95b of the end retainer 95 is an oval hole, and by attaching the linear portion of the oval so as to coincide with the direction in which the slide member advances and retreats, the end retainer 95 can be adjusted with respect to the slide member in the direction in which the slide member advances and retreats, and it becomes easy to correct the deviation and deflection of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D.

[0039] Returning to FIGS. 4, 16, and 17, the first extending portions 22A to 22D of the first to fourth slide members 20A to 20D extend along the advancing and retreating directions of the first to fourth slide members 20A to 20D from the respective drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, 21, 21. Link holes 22a, 22a, 22a, 22a are formed in the first extending portions 22A to 22D, respectively. The link holes 22a, 22a, 22a, 22a are oblong with a straight portion extending in the short side direction of the first extending portions 22A to 22D (the axial direction of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B), and the end portions of the first link member 70A and the second link member 70B are rotatably and movably attached within the link holes 22a, 22a, 22a. As shown in FIG. 4, the first extending portions 22A and 22D of the first slide member 20A and the fourth slide member 20D are shorter than the second extending portions 22B and 22C of the second slide member 20B and the third slide member 20C.

[0040] The widened portion 23 is a portion widened in a direction orthogonal to the advancing and retreating direction of the slide member from a part of the drive belt accommodating portion 21 to the first extending portions 22A to 22D. By being widened, it has a width slightly smaller than the distance between the guide wall 14 and the guide member 60. The widened portion 23 is regulated by the guide wall 14 and the guide member 60 so that the movement of the slide member in a direction intersecting the advancing and retreating direction of the slide member is restricted when the slide member advances and retreats, and the winding of the first to fourth drive belts 30A to 30D is not disturbed, and the slide can be performed smoothly.

[0041] Each locking portion 24, 24,... is a wall surface protruding toward the first extending portions 22A to 22D on the back side of the respective drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21,.... When the slide member slides toward the back of the guide base portion 11, each locking portion 24, 24,... is locked to the risers 12b, 12b,... to prevent the slide member from moving deeper into the guide base portion 11 than the risers 12b, 12b,....

[0042] Each protrusion 25, 25,... is a part that protrudes along the advancing and retreating direction at the left and right ends of the back surface (the bottom surface of the slide member) of each drive belt accommodating portion 21, 21,... Concavities and convexities (not shown) are formed on the lower end (the surface that contacts the guide groove portion 12) of each protrusion 25, 25,... When the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D advance and retreat on the guide groove portions 12, 12,..., the concavities and convexities formed on each protrusion 25, 25,... slide on the concavities and convexities formed on the guide groove portions 12, 12,..., whereby the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D exhibit frictional resistance. Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, among the lower portions of the screws 96, 96,... screwed into each insertion hole 21b, the portions protruding from the back side (lower side) of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D protrude toward the concave portions 12a, 12a,... of the guide groove portions 12, 12,..., thereby restricting the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D from moving in the direction along the long side of the guide base portion 11.

[0043] Each end portion 26, 26,... of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D is an end portion on the side opposite to the first extended portions 22A to 4 extended portions 22D of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D, and openings 27, 27,... are formed between each end portion 26, 26,... and the contact surfaces 21a, 21a,....

[0044] The support portions 28, 28 formed near the end portions of the second and third extended portions 22B, 22C of the second and third slide members 20B, 20C are convex portions and are members for contacting and sliding on the guide base portion 11.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b), in this embodiment, the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are members made of metal such as stainless steel, for example. They have a predetermined width that can be accommodated in the drive belt accommodating portion 21 and are in the form of thin plates with a thickness of about 0.3 mm. The first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D have an end portion 31, an end portion 32, an intermediate portion 33, and an opening portion 34. The end portion 31 of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D is attached to the slide member, and the end portion 32 is attached (wound) to each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B, and transmits the rotational movement of each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B to the slide member. The first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are wound in opposite directions around each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B for each adjacent slide member. Note that the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D have the same configuration except for the direction in which they are wound around each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B.

[0046] Each of the end portions 31, 31,... of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D has a contact surface 31a, 31a,... that contacts the contact surfaces 21a, 21a,... a hole (engagement hole) 31b, 31b,... for locking each locking portion 95c, 95c,... and a fixing portion 31c, 31c,... that is fixed to the end retainers 95, 95,.... As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, each of the contact surfaces 31a, 31a,... locks the locking portions 95c, 95c,... to the holes 31b, 31b,... to fix the fixing portions 31c, 31c,... of the end retainers 95, 95,... to the locking portion 24, 24,... side of the drive belt accommodating portion 21, 21,... and contacts the contact surfaces 21a, 21a,... of the drive belt accommodating portion 21, 21,.... By inserting and screwing the screws 96, 96,... into the portions formed on the contact surfaces 31a, 31a,... of the opening portions 34, 34,..., each of the end portions 31, 31,... of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D is fixed to the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D.

[0047] Each end 32, 32, ··· of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D is an end on the side opposite to the ends 31, 31, ··· of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D, and is attached (wound) to each first hinge shaft 40A and second hinge shaft 40B. By fitting the convex portions 44a, 44a of the pulleys 44, 44 (to be described later) of each of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B into the fitting holes (engagement holes) 32a, 32a, ··· of each end 32, 32, ···, the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are fixed to each of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B.

[0048] Each intermediate portion 33, 33, ··· of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D has a portion that serves as a wrap-around amount around each of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B when the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D move forward and backward. A fold is formed at the boundary with the ends 31, 31, ··· that serve as the wrap-around amount around each of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B. The length of the wrap-around amount of the intermediate portions 33, 33, ··· may be determined according to the opening and closing angle of the opening and closing device 4 and the diameter of each of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B.

[0049] The respective openings 34, 34, ··· of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are elongated holes formed in a rectangular shape near the center in the width direction of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D from the end portions 32, 32, ··· to the intermediate portions 33, 33, ···. When the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are wound around the respective first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B, the convex portions 44a, 44a, ··· of the pulleys 44, 44, ··· fitted in the fitting holes 32a, 32a, ··· of the respective end portions 32, 32, ··· project into the openings 34, 34, ···. By allowing the respective convex portions 44a, 44a, ··· to escape into the openings 34, 34, ···, it is possible to prevent the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D from being pushed outside the respective first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B by the convex portions 44a, 44a, ···, and it is possible to prevent the thickness of the opening / closing device 4 from increasing. Further, on the end portion 31, 31, ··· side of the openings 34, 34, ···, screws 96, 96, ··· are inserted through end presses 95, 95, ··· to fix the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D to the drive belt accommodating portions 21, 21, ···.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 and FIG. 14, each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B is rotatably restrained and attached to the support member 50, and connects the second housing 3 to the first housing 2 (the support member 50 to the mounting base 10) so as to be relatively rotatable, and serves as an opening / closing axis when opening and closing. Each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B has shafts 41, 41, pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a, and large-diameter portions 42, 42. As shown in FIG. 14, pulleys 43, 44, 43, 43, 44, 43 described later are inserted in this order from the side of the large-diameter portions 42, 42 into the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a of each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B, and large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 described later are inserted (see FIG. 14). Each end portion 32, 32,... of the first drive belts 30A to the fourth drive belts 30D is placed on the pulleys 43, 43,..., and the convex portions 44a, 44a,... of the pulleys 44, 44,... are fitted, and each end portion 32, 32,... of the first drive belts 30A to the fourth drive belts 30D is fixed to each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B. Each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B has the same configuration. The first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B are interlocked with the first slide member 20A and the fourth slide member 20D.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B have a circular cross-section with a diameter of φ1.8 mm. When both ends of each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B are inserted between L-shaped outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a and inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b described later and attached to the first hinge shaft receiving wall 17a, the second hinge shaft receiving wall 17b, and the third hinge shaft receiving wall 17d of the mounting base 10, the shafts 41, 41 are cylindrical bodies inserted into the outer hinge shaft receivers 90a and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b. The shafts 41, 41 serve as the rotation axes of the support member 50.

[0052] Each pulley mounting portion 41a, 41a is a portion having a substantially oval cross-section obtained by cutting the circular cross-section of the shafts 41, 41 with two parallel straight lines. As shown in FIG. 4, two sets of pulleys 43, 44, 43 and a large-diameter pulley 45 having openings with a shape substantially equal to the cross-section of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a are fitted to the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a. The pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a are rod-shaped members inserted into the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b. The pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a serve as the rotation shafts of the support member 50.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the large-diameter portions 42, 42 and the large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 (see FIG. 14) have an outer diameter of φ3.3 mm, and the large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 are ring-shaped members. The large-diameter portions 42, 42 and the large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 are rotatably attached between the outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b with the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B, and are for restricting the axial movement of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B between the outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b. The circular cross-section of the shafts 41, 41 changes to a substantially oval cross-section (the cross-section of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a) with the large-diameter portions 42, 42 as the boundary. The large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 have openings 45a, 45a with a shape substantially equal to the cross-section of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a, and have an outer diameter R1 substantially equal to the outer diameter R of the large-diameter portions 42, 42. Near the middle of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a, they are inserted into and engaged with hinge shaft fitting holes 51a and 52a of the support member 50, which will be described later. The pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a with the large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 fitted thereto are inserted into and engaged with hinge shaft fitting holes 51b and 52b of the support member 50, which will also be described later.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 14, the pulleys 43, 43, 43, 43,... which are drive belt mounting members, are ring-shaped members with an outer diameter R2 = 2.7 mm for mounting both side ends of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D. Each pulley 43, 43, 43, 43 has openings 43a, 43a, 43a, 43a at the center with a shape substantially equal to the cross-section of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a.

[0055] The pulleys 44, 44, 44, 44, which are drive belt fixing members, are ring-shaped members for fixing the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, respectively. The pulleys 44, 44, 44, 44 have one convex portion (an example of an engaging portion) 44a, 44a, 44a, 44a on the outer periphery and two concave portions 44b, 44b, 44b, ··· sandwiching the convex portions 44a, 44a, 44a, 44a. The convex portions 44a, 44a, 44a, 44a protrude about 0.3 mm from the main body portions of the pulleys 43, 43, 43, 43, and the concave portions 44b, 44b, 44b, 44b are recessed about 0.1 mm from the main body portions of the pulleys 43, 43, 43, 43. The pulleys 44, 44, 44, 44 also have openings 44c, 44c, 44c, 44c at their centers that are substantially equal in cross-section to the cross-sections of the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a, 41a, 41a.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, FIGS. 11, and FIGS. 12, the hinge shaft receivers include outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a attached to first hinge shaft receiver mounting walls 17a, 17a formed at the corner sides of the mounting base 10, and inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b attached to the third hinge shaft receiver mounting wall 17d. The outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b are all formed in an L shape in side view, and the outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90a are slightly larger than the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and FIGS. 11, the outer hinge shaft receiver 90a includes a base 91a attached to the first hinge shaft receiver mounting wall 17a and the second hinge shaft receiver mounting wall 17b, a bearing portion 92a that bends and protrudes vertically from the base 91a, and a circular bearing hole 93a formed in the bearing portion 92a for inserting the shaft 41. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and FIGS. 12, the inner hinge shaft receiver 90b includes a base 91b attached to the third hinge shaft receiver mounting wall 17d, a bearing portion 92b that bends and protrudes vertically from the base 91b, and a circular bearing hole 93b formed in the bearing portion 92b for inserting the pulley mounting portion 41a. The outer hinge shaft receivers 90a, 90e and the inner hinge shaft receivers 90b, 90b rotatably support the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, respectively.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and (b), the support member 50 includes a first shaft fitting portion 51 provided with screw mounting holes 53a, 53a, a second shaft fitting portion 52, and a second housing fixing portion 53. The support member 50 transmits the movement of the second housing 3 to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B.

[0058] As particularly shown in FIG. 9, the support member 50 has a first shaft fitting portion 51 and a second shaft fitting portion 52 screwed onto a second housing fixing portion 53 having a rectangular planar shape. The first shaft fitting portion 51 and the second shaft fitting portion 52 are each a member having a substantially U-shaped cross-section in plan view, and the hinge shaft fitting holes 51a, 51b, 52a, and 52b are openings having an elliptical cross-section substantially equal to the cross-section of the pulley mounting portion 41a. The first shaft fitting portion 51 and the second shaft fitting portion 52 are fitted with the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a between the pulleys 44, 44 into the hinge shaft fitting holes 51a, 52a, and the pulley mounting portions 41a, 41a after the large-diameter pulleys 45, 45 are fitted are fitted into the hinge shaft fitting holes 51b, 52b. Then, the movement (rotation) of the support member 50 is transmitted to the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D via the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, respectively. That is, when the second housing 3 is opened and closed, the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B synchronize with the support member 50, and the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D move forward and backward.

[0059] The second housing fixing portion 53 is a thin plate-like member, and as particularly shown in FIG. 9, it is attached to the first shaft fitting portion 51 and the second shaft fitting portion 52 via attachment screws 51c, 51c, 52c, 52c. Thereby, the movement of the second housing 3 can be transmitted to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 19, the guide members 60, 60, 60, 60 are members having the same configuration with a substantially U-shaped cross-section in plan view. Describing one of the guide members 60, the guide surface 61 of the guide member 60 guides the slide member 20 to move in a direction along the short side of the guide base portion 11 together with the guide wall 14, and restricts the slide member 20 from moving in a direction along the long side of the guide base portion 11. The attachment portion 62 of the guide member 60 is attached to the top portion 13b of the guide member attachment portion 13 with an attachment member such as a screw in the attachment hole 63, and the thickness of the guide member 60 is formed to be thicker as it is closer to the slide member 20.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 21, the first link member 70A and the second link member 70B that constitute the link mechanism 8 form a substantially oval outer shape in plan view. The first link member 70A links the movements of the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B, and the second link member 70B is a member that links the movements of the third slide member 20C and the fourth slide member 20D. The first link member 70A and the second link member 70B have rotation shaft holes 71, 71 that are circular holes having a cross section substantially equal to the cross section of the link member rotation shafts 15, 15, and slide member connection protrusions 72, 72, 72, 72 that are attached to the link holes 22a, 22a, ···.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 21, the rotation shaft holes 71, 71 of the first link member 70A and the second link member 70B are circular holes formed at the center, and are rotatably attached to the first link member rotation shaft 15A provided on the mounting base 10. The slide member connection protrusions 72, 72, ··· of the first link member 70A and the second link member 70B are inserted into the link holes 22a, 22a ··· provided in the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D, and assist the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B and the third slide member 20C and the fourth slide member 20D to slide alternately.

[0063] There are two slide member covers 80 having the same configuration. One of them is shown in FIGS. 20(a) to (c). According to the drawing, the slide member cover 80 has a cover portion 81, a convex portion 82, and a hole 83. The cover portion 81 is a rectangular plate-like body, and covers the upper surfaces of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. The slide member covers 80, 80 are attached to the low tops 13b, 13b ··· provided on the mounting base 10 by inserting screws or the like through the holes 83, 83, ··· of the respective convex portions 82, 82, ··· and screwing them.

[0064] (Structure of the opening and closing device) Next, the structure of the opening and closing device 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, under the slide member covers 80, 80, the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D are sequentially arranged on the guide groove portions 12, 12,... of the mounting base 10 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the short side direction of the guide base portion 11.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first slide member 20A is connected to the first drive belt 30A, and the second slide member 20B is connected to the second drive belt 30B. Further, the third slide member 20C is connected to the third drive belt 30C, and the fourth slide member 20D is connected to the fourth drive belt 30D.

[0066] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first drive belt 30A and the second drive belt 30B are respectively attached to the first hinge shaft 40A with their winding directions changed, and the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D are similarly attached to the second hinge shaft 40B with their winding directions changed. Thereby, for any opening and closing operation of the second housing 3, the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D act, so that a stable opening and closing operation can be performed.

[0067] Further, the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B are connected to the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B from the slide member cover 80 side, and the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B from the guide base portion 11 side. Thereby, for any opening and closing operation of the second housing 3, the first drive belt 30A and the third drive belt 30C wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B act, so that a stable opening and closing operation can be performed.

[0068] (Opening and closing operation of the opening and closing device) First, a case will be described where the user opens the second housing 3 from a closed state of 0° with respect to the first housing 2 (Fig. 22(a)) through an open state of 90° (Fig. 22(b)) to an open state of 180° (Fig. 22(c)). The opening / closing device 4 transmits the movement of the second housing 3 opening to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B via the support member 50, and transmits the rotation of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B as the movement of the first drive belt 30A and the third drive belt 30C being wound up and the movement of the second drive belt 30B and the fourth drive belt 30D being unwound. At this time, due to the movement of the first drive belt 30A and the third drive belt 30C being wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, the movement of the first slide member 20A and the third slide member 20C is converted into a movement of sliding toward the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B. On the other hand, the movement of the second drive belt 30B and the fourth drive belt 30D being unwound is the movement of unwinding the ends 32, 32 of the second drive belt 30B and the fourth drive belt 30D. However, since the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are thin metal films, when the second drive belt 30B and the fourth drive belt 30D are unwound from the sides of the respective ends 32, 32, the respective ends 32, 32 and the intermediate portions 33, 33 may shrink and wrinkle, and there is a risk that the rotational movement of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B cannot be sufficiently converted into the sliding movement of the second slide member 20B and the fourth slide member 20D.Therefore, as the first drive belt 30A and the third drive belt 30C are wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, causing the first slide member 20A and the third slide member 20C to move toward the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, the first link member 70A, which is rotatably connected to the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B, rotates counterclockwise in a plan view as indicated by the white triangular arrows in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b). As a result, the second slide member 20B, which is rotatably connected to the first link member 70A, slides in a direction away from the first hinge shaft 40A, thereby preventing the formation of wrinkles and creases on the side of the end portion 31 of the first drive belt 30A while it is being rewound, and converting the rotation of the first hinge shaft 40A into the sliding motion of the second slide member 20B.

[0069] Further, the opening and closing device 4 transmits the movement of the second housing 3 opening to each first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B via the support member 50, and transmits the rotation of the second hinge shaft 40B as the movement of the third drive belt 30C being wound around the second hinge shaft 40B and the movement of the fourth drive belt 30D being unwound. At this time, the movement of the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D being wound around the second hinge shaft 40B is converted into the movement of the third slide member 20C sliding toward the second hinge shaft 40B, while it becomes the movement of unwinding the end portion 32 of the fourth drive belt 20D. However, since the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D are thin metal films, when the fourth drive belt 30D is unwound from the end portion 32 side, the end portion 32 and the intermediate portion 33 may shrink and wrinkles may form, and the rotational movement of the second hinge shaft 40B may not be sufficiently converted into the sliding movement of the fourth slide member 20D. For this reason, as the third slide member 20C moves toward the second hinge shaft 40B side due to the movement of the third drive belt 30C being wound around the second hinge shaft 40B, the second link member 70B rotatably connected to the third slide member 20C rotates counterclockwise in a plan view as shown by the white triangular arrows in FIGS. 22(a) and (b). As a result, the fourth slide member 20D rotatably connected to the second link member 70B slides in a direction away from the second hinge shaft 40B, so that the fourth drive belt 30D is unwound while preventing wrinkles from occurring due to shrinkage from the side of the end portion 31, and the rotation of the second hinge shaft 40B is converted into the sliding movement of the fourth slide member 20D. Thereby, as shown by the white triangular arrows in FIGS. 22(a) and (b), the movement of opening the second housing 3 of the opening and closing device 4 from the first housing 2 is realized.

[0070] Next, with reference to FIGS. 23(a) to (c), a case will be described in which the user closes the second housing 3 from a state where it is opened 180° with respect to the first housing 2 and closes it to a state of 0°. The opening / closing device 4 transmits the movement of closing the second housing 3 to the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B via the support member 50, and the rotation of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B is transmitted as the movement in which the first drive belt 30A and the third drive belt 30C are wound back around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B and the movement in which the second drive belt 30B and the fourth drive belt 30D are wound up. In this case, a movement opposite to the case of opening the second housing 3 occurs.

[0071] As described above, in the opening / closing device 4 of the present embodiment, the driving force transmission means can be accommodated in a thickness approximately equal to that obtained by winding the thin first drive belts 30A to 30D with a thickness of 0.3 mm around the respective pulleys 43, 43,... and 44, 44,... having a diameter of 2.7 mm. Therefore, the opening / closing device 4 and the notebook personal computer 1 which is a terminal device using the opening / closing device 4 can be made thinner.

[0072] That is, the first housing 2 and the second housing 3 are connected via the first hinge shaft 40A, the second hinge shaft 40B, and the first and second slide mechanisms 7A, 7B. The opening and closing operation of the second housing 3 becomes the rotational operation of the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, and the first and second slide mechanisms 7A, 7B convert the rotational motion into a sliding motion. Therefore, like the conventional technology, since the friction washer and the disc spring that require a predetermined radius can be eliminated, the thickness of the opening and closing device 4 in the vertical direction can be reduced. As a result, the notebook computer 1, which is a terminal device using this opening and closing device 4, can be made thinner. Furthermore, although specific illustrations are omitted, the sliding operations of the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D are guided by an interlocking member (not shown) in the second housing 3, and the second housing 3 can be slid with respect to the mounting base 10 or the internal mechanism can be operated. Or, when the second housing 3 can be slid, for example, when a flexible display is used as the display means, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring during the opening and closing operation.

[0073] Also, according to the above embodiment, the first drive belts 30A to 30D are provided with openings 34, 34,... for allowing the convex portions (engagement portions) 44a, 44a,... provided on the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B to escape between the engagement holes 31b, 31b,... and 32a, 32a,... engaged with the first hinge shaft 40A, the second hinge shaft 40B side and each slide member 20A, 20B side. Therefore, when each of the first drive belts 30A to 30D is wound around the first hinge shaft 40A and the second hinge shaft 40B, each of the first drive belts 30A to 30D rides over the convex portions (engagement portions) 44a, 44a,... to prevent sagging, slack, etc. of each of the first drive belts 30A to 30D.

[0074] According to the above embodiment, the first slide mechanism 7A can prevent the deviation and disengagement of the first drive belt 30A and the second drive belt 30B by restricting the movement of the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B in a direction orthogonal to the slide direction by the guide members 60, 60,... and the guide walls 14, 14,... facing the guide members 60, 60,.... The same applies to the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D.

[0075] Since the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are attached via the end retainers 95, 95,... that are slidably adjustable to the respective first slide members 20A to 20D on their respective other end sides, it is possible to easily correct the elongation, slack, twist, and sagging of the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D that may occur due to repeated opening and closing operations or the like.

[0076] According to the above embodiment, the first link member 70A enables the forward and backward movement of the first slide member 20A and the second slide member 20B to be performed more reliably, so that the deviation of the first drive belt 30A and the second drive belt 30B can be prevented. The same applies to the third drive belt 30C and the fourth drive belt 30D.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, if the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D are configured to exhibit frictional resistance, the opening and closing device 4 can be more stably stopped and held at an arbitrary opening angle during the opening and closing operation, and the user can use the first housing 2 and the second housing 3 in a state where they are opened at an arbitrary opening angle.

[0078] Further, according to the above embodiment, since the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D are made of a thin and flexible metal film, they can be made thin, so that the opening and closing device 4 can be made thinner.

[0079] [Other Embodiments] The terminal device of the above-described embodiment included two opening / closing devices 4. However, the terminal device may have one opening / closing device 4, or may have three or more opening / closing devices. The number of opening / closing devices may be determined according to the convenience of the space for installing the opening / closing devices and the torque required for the opening / closing devices, etc.

[0080] In the first slide mechanism 7A and the second slide mechanism 7B of the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, they may show friction resistance in other configurations without showing friction resistance, or depending on the use purpose of the opening / closing device, the opening / closing device may not show friction resistance.

[0081] Also, in the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, the first link member 70A and the second link member 70B were rotatably supported by the mounting base 10, but the link member 70 may be rotatably supported by, for example, a slide member cover or the like.

[0082] Also, in the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, the second housing 3 was configured to be closed on the side of the slide member cover 80, but the second housing 3 may be configured to be closed on the side of the mounting base 10.

[0083] In the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, the guide members 60, 60,... were used, but it may be possible to cope with this, for example, by providing rails for guiding the first slide member 20A to the fourth slide member 20D on the slide member cover without using guide members.

[0084] Also, in the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D were made of metal, but they may be made of a strong synthetic resin, or other materials may be used for the drive belt.

[0085] In the opening / closing device 4 of the above-described embodiment, the second housing 3 was openable and closable with respect to the first housing 2 in the range of 0° to 180°, but other angular ranges may also be possible.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the pulleys 44, 44,... of each of the first hinge shafts 40A and the second hinge shafts 40B have a diameter of 2.7 mm, and the first drive belt 30A to the fourth drive belt 30D have a thickness of 0.3 mm. However, the diameter of the pulley and the thickness of the drive belt may be even smaller values or other values. Further, instead of using a pulley, a convex portion may be provided on the hinge shaft itself to wind the drive belt around it. Therefore, the present invention encompasses all modified embodiments that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art from the above description and the description of the drawings within the scope described in the claims.

Industrial Applicability

[0087] Since the opening / closing device according to the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the opening / closing device itself, reduce the thickness of the terminal device itself, and at the same time operate the internal mechanisms of the first housing and the second housing by the opening / closing device. Furthermore, it is suitably used as an opening / closing device that can also create a frictional torque during the opening / closing operation of the first housing and the second housing, and a terminal device using this opening / closing device.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0088] 1 Notebook personal computer (terminal device) 2 First housing 3 Second housing 4 Opening / closing device 7 Slide mechanism 7A First slide mechanism 7B Second slide mechanism 8 Link mechanism 10 Mounting base 14 Guide wall (guide portion) 15A First link member rotation shaft 15B Second link member rotation shaft 20A First slide member 20B Second slide member 20C Third slide member 20D Fourth slide member 21 Drive belt housing portion 30A First drive belt 30B Second drive belt 30C Third drive belt 30D Fourth drive belt 40A First hinge shaft 40B Second hinge shaft 43, 44 Pulleys 50 Support member 70A First link member 70B Second link member

Claims

1. An attachment base attached to the first housing side, a support member attached to the second housing side, a hinge shaft that is rotationally constrained and attached to the support member and rotatably connects the support member to the attachment base, and a slide mechanism that converts the rotational movement of the hinge shaft into a sliding movement. The slide mechanism includes a pair of first drive belts and a pair of second drive belts that are wound around one end side of the hinge shaft with the winding direction changed and the other end sides are respectively connected to a pair of slide members of the slide mechanism provided on the attachment base side, and a link mechanism provided between the pair of slide members and reversing their sliding directions. The pair of first drive belts and second drive belts are provided with engagement holes engaged with the hinge shaft side and the respective slide member sides of the slide mechanism at both ends thereof, and elongated holes for allowing an engagement portion provided on the hinge shaft to escape between the respective engagement holes. An opening and closing device characterized by this.

2. An attachment base attached to the first housing side, a support member attached to the second housing side, a plurality of hinge shafts that are rotationally constrained and attached to the support member and rotatably connect the support member to the attachment base, and a plurality of slide mechanisms that convert the rotational movements of these hinge shafts into sliding movements. These slide mechanisms are wound around one end side of each hinge shaft with the winding direction changed and the other end sides are respectively connected to a pair of slide members of the slide mechanism provided on the attachment base side, and a pair of first drive belts and second drive belts, and a link mechanism provided between the pair of slide members and reversing their sliding directions. The pair of first drive belts and second drive belts are provided with engagement holes engaged with the respective hinge shaft sides and the respective slide member sides of the slide mechanism at both ends thereof, and elongated holes for allowing an engagement portion provided on each hinge shaft to escape between the respective engagement holes. An opening and closing device characterized by this.

3. The opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first drive belt and the second drive belt are attached to the respective slide members via respective adjusting members slidably adjustable on the respective other end sides to the respective slide member sides.

4. The opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the link mechanism is composed of a link member rotatably attached at its central portion between the pair of slide members, with one end portion engaged with one of the slide members and the other end portion engaged with the other of the slide members.

5. The opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slide member of the slide mechanism exhibits frictional resistance.

6. The opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the first drive belt to the second drive belt is a thin and flexible metal film.

7. A terminal device, characterized in that the second housing is connected to the first housing so as to be openable and closable by the opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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