Hinge device and electronic device using this hinge device

Abstract

To stabilize opening / closing operation of an electronic device.SOLUTION: A hinge device of an electronic device includes: a center block which reaches both side parts in a width direction of a pair of first housing and second housing; synchronous rotation mechanisms rotatably attached to the center block; a pair of first rotary shaft and second rotary shaft respectively including rotation control mechanisms; a pair of slide members respectively attached to the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft in a rotatable manner; a pair of holding members slidably holding the slide members; a pair of brackets which is attached to the first housing and the second housing in a manner that the brackets may slide in an opening direction of the first housing and the second housing relative to the holding members; biasing members which bias the pair of brackets in the opening direction in a sliding manner; and a pair of guide units which is provided at both ends of the center block and guides opening / closing motion of the holding members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge device suitable for use in various electronic devices such as electronic organizers, PDAs, netbooks, and even notebook computers, and to an electronic device using this hinge device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices such as mobile terminals that have a single flexible organic electroluminescent display sheet attached across a pair of foldable first and second housings have been developed and are becoming available. Such electronic devices are divided into valley-fold types in which the pair of first and second housings are folded inward, and mountain-fold types in which they are folded outward. The present invention relates to a hinge device that is suitable for use in opening and closing mountain-fold type electronic devices. Such a hinge device and an electronic device using this hinge device are known, as described in Patent Document 1 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-159429 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The electronic device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to support the opening and closing of the first and second housings with an arm provided with an arc-shaped guide. When the hinge device is made smaller with this structure, there is a problem that when the first and second housings are changed from a closed state to an open state, the fitting amount of the guide is insufficient compared to the required guide amount, making the opening and closing operation unstable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hinge device with a compact structure that can achieve stable opening and closing operations, and an electronic device that uses this hinge device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the hinge device according to claim 1 of the present invention is a hinge device for an electronic device in which a flexible display sheet is attached across a pair of first and second housings and the pair of first and second housings is opened and closed in a mountain-fold manner, and is characterized by having: a center block that reaches both widthwise sides of the pair of first and second housings; a pair of first and second rotating shafts, each equipped with a synchronous rotation mechanism and a rotation control mechanism, rotatably attached to the center block; a pair of sliding members rotatably attached to the first and second rotating shafts, respectively; a pair of holding members that slidably hold each of the sliding members; a pair of brackets attached to each of the first and second housings and slidably attached to each of the holding members in the opening direction of the first and second housings; a biasing member that biases each of the pair of brackets in the opening direction; and a pair of guide units provided at both ends of the center block that guide the opening and closing movement of each of the holding members.

[0006] Next, the invention described in claim 2 of the present application is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are equipped with a synchronous rotation mechanism and a rotation control mechanism, and are provided as a pair with a common axis, and the pair of sliding members have both ends connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, respectively.

[0007] Next, the invention described in claim 3 of the present application is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, each of the holding members is composed of a pair of side plates and a back plate stacked on top of each other, and slidably holds each of the slide members and each of the brackets.

[0009] Next, the present invention Claim 4 The invention described in is characterized in that the hinge device has an outer cover and an inner cover that cover the outside and inside of the hinge device.

[0010] And, the present invention Claim 5 The invention described above is characterized in that the electronic device uses the hinge device described in any one of claims 1 to 4. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As configured as described above, the present invention provides a hinge device for an electronic device in which a flexible display sheet is attached across a pair of first and second housings and the pair of first and second housings is opened and closed in a mountain-fold manner, a hinge device that is compact and stable and allows the first and second housings to be opened and closed, and an electronic device that uses a hinge device with such characteristics. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show an electronic device using a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a state in which a pair of first and second housings are closed, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a state in which the pair of first and second housings are open. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B show a state in which a flexible display sheet is removed from an electronic device using a hinge device according to the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view of a state in which a pair of first and second housings are closed, and (b) is a perspective view of a state in which the pair of first and second housings are open. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show a hinge device according to the present invention in a closed state, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the hinge device in a closed state with an outer cover attached, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the hinge device in a closed state with the outer cover removed. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a hinge device according to the present invention in an open state, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view with an outer cover attached, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view with the outer cover removed. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a hinge device according to the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a hinge device according to the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge device according to the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion of a hinge device according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first connecting portion of the hinge device according to the present invention. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B show the first connecting portion of the hinge device according to the present invention, where (a) is an exploded oblique view of the entire structure, (b) is an exploded oblique view of the click stop portion seen from one direction, and (c) is an exploded oblique view of the click stop portion seen from the other side. [Figure 11] 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D show a center block of a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view thereof, FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, FIG. 1C is a left side view thereof, and FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a guide unit of the hinge device according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a guide unit of the hinge device according to the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a link arm of a guide unit of a hinge device according to the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 15] 1A and 1B show a guide base of a guide unit of a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a side view thereof and FIG. 1B is a perspective view thereof. [Figure 16] 1A and 1B show an outer guide block of a guide unit of a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from one side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view seen from the other side. [Figure 17] 1A and 1B show an inner guide block of a guide unit of a hinge device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from one side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view seen from the other side. [Figure 18] This explains the operation of the guide unit of the hinge device of the present invention, where (a) shows the closed state with an opening / closing angle of 0 degrees, (b) shows the slightly opened state, (c) shows the further opened state, and (d) shows the fully opened state with an opening / closing angle of 180 degrees. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a hinge device according to the present invention and an electronic device using the hinge device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0014] 1 and 2 schematically show an electronic device A using a hinge device B according to the present invention, with Fig. 1(a) being a perspective view of a closed state in which a pair of first and second housings 10a, 10b form an angle of 0 degrees. The electronic device A has a pair of first and second housings 10a, 10b and a flexible display sheet 13, and the pair of first and second housings 10a, 10b are connected by a hinge device B (not visible in Fig. 1). Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of an open state in which the pair of first and second housings 10a, 10b form an angle of 180 degrees.

[0015] In the closed state shown in FIG. 1(a), the flexible display sheet 13 is of a mountain fold type and is exposed to the outside, allowing images to be viewed compactly using half of the screen of the flexible display sheet 13.

[0016] Figures 2(a) and (b) are perspective views of the electronic device A in Figures 1(a) and (b) with the flexible display sheet 13 removed, and show the outer cover 8 for smoothing out the uneven parts on the outside of the hinge device B, which will be located in the width direction of the underside of the central part of the flexible display sheet 13.

[0017] Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view of the hinge device B in a closed state, and Fig. 3(b) is a perspective view of the state in which the outer cover 8 and the inner cover 11 have been removed from Fig. 3(a). In Fig. 3(a), the mounting screw holes 60a, 60a, 60a... provided in the brackets 60, 60 (only one of which is shown) are fitted to the mounting holes (not shown) provided in the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b, and the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are attached to the brackets 60, 60 with mounting screws (not shown), as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, guide units 5, 5 are provided between guide unit mounting portions 20c, 20c provided at both ends of the center block 20 that reaches both widthwise sides of each of the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b of the hinge device B and guide bases 25, 25 provided opposite each of these guide unit mounting portions 20c, 20c, to guide the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b so that they can be opened and closed.

[0018] [Configuration of hinge device B] The configuration of a hinge device B according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. According to the drawings, the hinge device B comprises a center block 20 that reaches both sides in the width direction of a pair of first and second housings 10a and 10b, a synchronous rotation mechanism 31 rotatably attached to the center block 20, a pair of first and second rotating shafts 21 and 22 each equipped with a rotation control mechanism 32, a pair of slide members 51, 51 rotatably attached to both ends of the first and second rotating shafts 21 and 22 via link arms 50, 50, 50, 50, and a slide member slidably holding each of the slide members 51, 51. The center block 20 includes a pair of holding members 40, 40 formed by overlapping side plates 38, 38 and back plates 39, a pair of brackets 60, 60 attached to each of the holding members 40, 40 so as to be slidable in the opening direction of the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b, eight biasing members 61, 61, ... that bias each pair of brackets 60, 60 in the opening direction, and a pair of guide units 5, 5 that are provided at both ends of the center block 20 and guide the opening and closing operation of each of the holding members 40, 40. In Fig. 7, the reference symbols 39a, 39a, ... on the back plates 39, 39 are protrusions that are inserted into square holes 60b, 60b, ... formed in the bracket 60.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 11, the center block 20 is a long, narrow plate with a wiring insertion portion 20b having a wiring insertion hole 20a in its center for passing wiring therethrough, and a pair of guide unit mounting portions 20c, 20c formed at both ends with a semi-circular side surface. Each guide unit mounting portion 20c, 20c has a mounting groove 20h, 20h in its center, and shallow curved first guide grooves 20f, 20f, 20f, 20f at the top and bottom, sandwiching the mounting groove 20h, 20h, and deep second guide grooves 20g, 20g, 20g, 20g formed within the first guide grooves 20f, 20f, 20f, 20f. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the holes marked with reference symbols 20d, 20d, 20d, 20d are mounting holes for mounting a first connecting portion 26 and a second connecting portion 27 (described later), and the holes marked with reference symbols 20e, 20e are mounting holes for mounting a connecting member 36 (described later).

[0020] 7 and 8, the center block 20 is fitted with a first connecting portion 26 having a first rotating shaft 21 and a second rotating shaft 22, and a second connecting portion 27 having a third rotating shaft 23 and a fourth rotating shaft 24, which share a common axis, via bearing portions 49, 49, 49, 49 consisting of upper bearing members 47, 47, 47, 47 and lower bearing members 48, 48, 48, 48. Reference symbols 47a and 48a in Figure 10 are mounting holes.

[0021] The first and second rotating shafts 21 and 22 that make up the first connecting portion 26 and the third and fourth rotating shafts 23 and 24 that make up the second connecting portion 27 have the same configuration, so only the first and second rotating shafts 21 and 22 will be described below, as shown in Figure 14. The first and second rotating shafts 21 and 22 have flanges 21a and 22a in the center, and large-diameter deformed shaft portions 21b, 21b, 22b, and 22b on either side of the flanges 21a and 22a. Small-diameter deformed shaft portions 21c, 21c, 22c, and 22c are provided at each end of each of the large-diameter deformed shaft portions 21b, 21b, 22b, and 22b. Engagement portions 21d and 22d are provided on one side of each of the small-diameter deformed shaft portions 21c, 21c, 22c, and 22c, and deformed mounting shaft portions 21e and 22e are provided at the other end. Each of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 is provided with a plurality of synchronous rotation mechanisms 31, 31 and a plurality of rotation control mechanisms 32, 32, and the configuration is the same for the third rotating shaft 23 and the fourth rotating shaft 24 of the second connecting portion 27.

[0022] The synchronous rotation mechanism 31 is composed of first gears 28, 28 and second gears 29, 29 that mesh with each other and are attached to the small-diameter deformed shaft portions 21c, 22c of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22. By meshing the gears with each other, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 can rotate synchronously. Although not described in detail, the third rotating shaft 23 and the fourth rotating shaft 24 have a similar configuration.

[0023] As shown particularly in Figures 9 and 10, the rotation control mechanism 32 comprises a friction torque generating unit F33 and a click stop unit K34. The friction torque generating unit F33 comprises a friction plate 33a through which the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are respectively rotatably inserted, a pair of friction washers 33b, 33b that are attached to the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 in contact with the friction plate 33a and restrict their rotation, and elastic members 35, 35, for example, using compression coil springs, through which the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are inserted to press the friction plate 33a and the friction washers 33b, 33b together.

[0024] The click stop portion K34 is composed of a cam plate 34a through which the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are rotatably inserted, a pair of cam washers 34b, 34b that are attached to the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 in contact with the cam plate 34a and restrict their rotation, and elastic members 35, 35 through which the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are inserted to press the cam plate 34a and the cam washers 34b, 34b together. Here, the elastic members 35, 35 are common members to the friction torque generating portion F33 and the click stop portion K34.

[0025] Next, four link arms 50, 50, 50, 50 are attached to the outer ends of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 that make up the first connecting portion 26, and the third rotating shaft 23 and the fourth rotating shaft 24 that make up the second connecting portion 27, and one slide member 51 is attached to the link arms 50 and 50 on one side, and the other slide member 51 is attached to the link arms 50 and 50 on the other side.

[0026] The slide members 51, 51 are attached to the link arms 50, 50, 50, 50 by passing connecting pins 55, 55, 55, 55 through connecting holes 50a, 50a, 50a, 50a provided at the tip of each link arm 50, 50, 50, 50 and connecting holes 51a, 51a, ... provided on both sides of the slide members 51, 51, and cubic-shaped mounting portions 55a, 55a, 55a, 55a are attached to each tip of the connecting pins.

[0027] The guide units 5, 5 have guide bases 25, 25 attached via connecting members 36, 36 attached to guide unit attachment portions 20c, 20c provided at both ends of the center block 20, and are composed of a pair of outer guide blocks 56, 56 provided between the guide bases 25, 25 and the guide unit attachment portions 20c, a pair of inner guide blocks 57, 57 provided adjacent to each pair of outer guide blocks 56, 56, and link arms 37, 37 provided between each inner guide block 57, 57. Note that, particularly in Figures 13, 14 and 18, reference symbols 37a, 37a indicate curved convex portions, 37b indicates small protrusions, 37c indicates attachment holes, and further, reference symbol 37d indicates a protrusion.

[0028] Since the guide bases 25, 25 have the same configuration, one of them will be explained below. The guide base 25 has a semicircular side surface and has a mounting groove 25a for the connecting member 36 in the center of its underside, and one side surface has a pair of shallow, arc-shaped guide grooves 25b, 25b, and deeper guide grooves 25c, 25c within these guide grooves 25b, 25b. The hole marked with designation 25d is a mounting hole for attaching the connecting member 36.

[0029] Since all the outer guide blocks 56 have the same configuration, only one of them will be described. As shown in Figure 16, this outer guide block 56 has a curved side surface, with a curved convex portion 56a on one side surface and a small protrusion 56b on this curved convex portion 56a. Furthermore, the other side surface is provided with a shallow curved groove 56c and, within this curved groove 56c, a deep and short small curved groove 56d.

[0030] Next, since all the inner guide blocks 57 have the same configuration, we will explain one of them. As shown in Figure 17, this inner guide block 57 has a curved side shape, with a curved convex portion 57a formed on one side and a small protrusion 57b formed on this curved convex portion 57a. Furthermore, the other side is formed with a shallow curved groove 57c and a deep, short small curved groove 57d within this curved groove 57c.

[0031] Although not shown in detail, the outer cover 8 covers the upper surface of the hinge device B by attaching its front and rear portions to the side plates 38, 38 of the holding members 40, 40, and the inner cover 11 covers the underside of the hinge device B by attaching mounting portions 11a, 11a, ... provided at both ends of the inner cover 11 to mounting pieces 38a, 38a, ... provided on the side plates 38 of the holding members 40, 40 with mounting screws 11b, 11b, ... to which coil springs 11c, 11c, ... act. The outer cover 8 alternates between a curved state and a flat state when the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened and closed, but the inner cover 11 is configured to be folded into three as shown in Figure 3(a) when the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are folded (0 degrees). In FIG. 6, reference symbols 8a, 8b, and 8c indicate mounting holes, and reference symbol 11d indicates a mounting hole.

[0032] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the friction torque generating unit F33 and click stop unit K34 that constitute the synchronous rotation mechanism 31 and the rotation control mechanism 32 are provided in common to the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22, and the third rotating shaft 23 and the fourth rotating shaft 24, respectively, and to avoid complexity, we will only provide a detailed explanation of the first connecting unit 26, and will omit a detailed explanation of the second connecting unit 27.

[0033] 1(a) and 2(a), which is the closed state of first housing 10a and second housing 10b, as first housing 10a and second housing 10b are opened, the operating force is transmitted from holding members 40 to slide members 51 via brackets 60, and further transmitted to first rotating shaft 21, second rotating shaft 22, third rotating shaft 23, and fourth rotating shaft 24, and first housing 10a and second housing 10b are opened to 180 degrees as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 2(b). When opened to 180 degrees, link arms 37 of guide units 5 stop, and therefore holding members 40 to which they are attached stop, preventing further opening, so first housing 10a and second housing 10b stop at the 180-degree open position.

[0034] As the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened, the synchronous rotation mechanisms 31, 31, ... operate to make the opening and closing angles of the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b the same. Furthermore, the friction torque generating units F33, F33, ... enable the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b to maintain a self-standing state without opening or closing under their own weight even when the operator releases their hands, providing a smooth operational feel to the operator. Furthermore, the click stop units K34, K34, ... automatically suck the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b open just before they are fully opened, and stabilize them in the fully open state. Furthermore, just before the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are closed to 0 degrees, they are sucked in and stabilize in the closed state, preventing them from opening uncontrollably.

[0035] That is, when the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are closed, as shown in FIG. 10, the convex portions 34c, 34c of the cam washers 34b, 34b fall into the concave portions 34d, 34d of the cam plate 34a, so the click stop portion K34 maintains a stable closed state and does not open unintentionally. Furthermore, even when the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened 180 degrees, the convex portions 34c, 34c of the cam washers 34b, 34b fall into the concave portions 34d, 34d of the cam plate 34a, so the open state can be maintained stably.

[0036] When the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened from a closed state of 0 degrees, or when they are closed from a 180-degree open state, the click stop portion K34 encounters resistance as the convex portions 34c, 34c of the cam washer 34b overcome the concave portions 34d, 34d of the cam plate 34a. However, just before the opened first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened to 180 degrees, or just before they are closed to 0 degrees, when the convex portions 34c, 34c of the cam washer 34b drop into the concave portions 34d, 34d of the cam plate 34a, a rotational torque is generated that rotates the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b in the opening direction and the closing direction, and therefore the housings can open and close automatically.

[0037] In the present invention, the flexible display sheet 13 is always pulled in its longitudinal direction via the first housing 10a and the second housing 10b to which it is attached, so that when the closed first housing 10a and the second housing 10b are opened or when they are fully opened, slack and wavy do not occur in the flexible display sheet 13. Furthermore, although the hinge device B of the present invention has the first connecting portion 26 and the second connecting portion 27, when the housing of the electronic device is small, such as a mobile phone, only one of the connecting portions may be provided. [Industrial Applicability]

[0038] The hinge device according to the present invention is configured as described above and is therefore suitable for use as a hinge device for an electronic device that uses a mountain-folded flexible display sheet, as well as an electronic device that uses this hinge device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] A Electronic equipment B Hinge device 5 Guide unit 8 Outer cover 10a First enclosure 10b Second enclosure 11 Inner cover 13 Flexible display sheet 20 Center Block 20a Wiring insertion hole 20b Wiring insertion part 20c, 20c Guide unit mounting part 20d mounting hole 20e Mounting hole 20f First guide groove (shallow) 20g Second guide groove (deep) 21 First rotating shaft 21a Flange 21b Large diameter deformed shaft 21c Small diameter deformed shaft 21d Engagement part 21e Deformed mounting shaft 22 Second rotating shaft 22a Flange 22b Large diameter deformed shaft 22c Small diameter deformed shaft 22d Engagement part 22e Deformed mounting shaft 23 Third rotating shaft 24 4th rotating shaft 25 Guide Base 28 First Gear 29 2nd Gear 31 Synchronous rotation mechanism 32 Rotation control mechanism F33 Friction torque generating part K34 Click Stop 35 Elastic member 40 Retaining member 51 Slide member 60 Bracket 60a mounting screw hole 61 biasing member

Claims

1. a pair of slide members rotatably attached to the first and second rotating shafts, respectively; a pair of holding members slidably holding the slide members; a pair of brackets attached to the first and second housings, the pair of brackets being slidably attached to the holding members in an opening direction of the first and second housings; a pair of guide units provided at both ends of the center block for guiding the opening and closing movement of the hold members;

2. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft have a pair of synchronous rotation mechanisms and rotation control mechanisms, and the pair of slide members are connected at both ends to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, respectively.

3. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members is composed of a pair of side plates and a back plate that are superimposed on each other, and slidably holds each of the slide members and each of the brackets.

4. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer cover and an inner cover for covering the outside and inside of the hinge device.

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

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