Gapless hinge mechanism

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a zero-gap hinge mechanism, comprising an external toothed plate, an internal toothed assembly, a gap elimination unit, a cover plate, a drive wheel and an axial stopper, the external toothed plate is press-connected to the internal toothed assembly, a central boss is provided at the opening of a first inner hole provided at the center of the external toothed plate, the central boss and the central inner hole of the internal toothed assembly define a space A, and the gap elimination unit is installed in the space A. The present disclosure provides a compact hinge mechanism, which not only provides a rotation function but also eliminates the rattle gap in the rotation direction, solving the rattle of the mechanism and avoiding problems such as vibration and noise, and compared with the small tooth difference planetary gear transmission reduction mechanism commonly used in real life, the device has features such as a more ingenious structure, a smaller overall volume and a smaller eccentric distance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hinge mechanisms, and more particularly to zero-gap hinge mechanisms.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202310044986.1 and entitled "Zero-Gap Hinge Mechanism" filed with the China Patent Office on January 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] Hinge mechanisms are commonly used in the automotive and home industries. Some hinges provide rotation while also being able to stop and lock at any position according to actual needs. However, due to manufacturing precision issues, these hinges may not be able to completely eliminate rotational gaps, resulting in constant backlash. In addition, the current general practice is to use planetary gear transmission speed reduction mechanisms with small tooth difference, which have problems such as a large eccentric distance and a strong sense of sluggishness when rotating. In order to eliminate the gaps, problems such as abnormal noise and backlash may occur during adjustment due to component wear and manufacturing issues, which seriously affect comfort. In response to the above problems, the present invention provides a simple hinge mechanism that is functionally reliable and solves the above problems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] This discussion merely provides background information regarding embodiments of the present disclosure and does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a zero-gap hinge mechanism, which solves the problems of conventional hinge mechanisms, such as a large eccentric distance and a strong sense of sluggishness when rotating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to each embodiment of the present disclosure, a zero-gap hinge mechanism is provided, which includes an external toothed plate, an internal toothed assembly, a gap elimination unit, a cover plate, a drive wheel, and an axial stopper, wherein the external toothed plate is press-connected to the internal toothed assembly, a central boss is provided at the opening of a first internal hole provided at the central position of the external toothed plate, the central boss and the central internal hole of the internal toothed assembly define a space A, and the gap elimination unit is installed in the space A.

[0007] Furthermore, an external toothed belt is provided on the outside of the external toothed plate, the internal toothed assembly includes an internal toothed plate and a sleeve, the sleeve is provided in the central inner hole of the internal toothed plate, and the internal toothed plate is meshed and connected to the external toothed belt.

[0008] Furthermore, the gap elimination unit includes a drive ring, a first wedge block, a second wedge block, and a spring, the drive ring has a second inner hole, the gap elimination unit is rotatably fitted into the central boss on the outer tooth plate through the second inner hole, the first wedge block and the second wedge block are both arranged outside the drive ring, and both ends of the spring act on the first wedge block and the second wedge block, respectively.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive ring is provided with a first ring surface, a second ring surface, and a third ring surface, the first wedge block is provided with a first block surface, a second block surface, a third block surface, and a fourth block surface, the second wedge block is provided with a fifth block surface, a sixth block surface, a seventh block surface, and an eighth block surface, the third ring surface is abuttingly connected to the third block surface and the seventh block surface, respectively, the fourth block surface and the eighth block surface are both abuttingly connected to an inner hole of a sleeve on the internal gear assembly, and the first ring surface is abuttingly connected to the first block surface.

[0010] Further, a first locking feature is provided on the drive ring, a second locking feature, a drive wheel first boss and a drive wheel second boss are provided on one side of the drive wheel, and the first locking feature is lockably connected to the second locking feature.

[0011] Furthermore, the axial stopper is axially engagedly connected to the drive wheel, and the cover plate is provided on the internal gear assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the spring is a cylindrical spring.

[0013] Furthermore, the axial stop is an engagement spring. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a zero-gap hinge mechanism, which has the following beneficial effects: by providing a compact hinge mechanism, the embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a rotation function while also eliminating any play gap in the rotation direction, thereby resolving the rattle of the mechanism and avoiding problems such as vibration and noise; and compared to the small-tooth-number-difference planetary gear transmission reduction mechanism commonly used in real life, the device has features such as a more ingenious structure, a smaller overall volume, and a smaller eccentric distance.

[0015] The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosed embodiments are set forth in the drawings and description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] To better describe and explain the embodiments or examples of the inventions disclosed herein, reference may be made to one or more drawings. Any additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosed inventions, either the presently described embodiments or examples or the best modes of these inventions as currently understood. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front exploded three-dimensional schematic view of a clearance-free hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded three-dimensional schematic side view of a clearance-free hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an assembled zero-gap hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front structural schematic diagram of an assembled zero-gap hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In order to clarify the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described in this specification are only used to interpret the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0018] It should be noted that when an element is described as being "mounted" on another element, the element may be directly on the other element, or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is described as being "connected" to another element, the element may be directly connected to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

[0019] The orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms used in this specification, such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "height," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," etc., are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are intended to simplify the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to indicate that the indicated devices or elements must have a particular orientation or be constructed or operated in a particular orientation, i.e., they cannot be understood as limitations of the present disclosure.

[0020] The terms "first" and "second" used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as a measure of the relative importance of the indicated features or the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly include at least one of the indicated features. In describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless expressly and specifically limited, "plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., and "several" means at least one, e.g., one, two, three, etc.

[0021] The terms "attached," "coupled," "connected," "fixed," "installed," and the like used herein should be understood broadly. For example, "connected" may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, an internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure depending on the specific circumstances.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, a first feature being "on," "above," "upper," "on the upper surface," "below," "below," "below" or "underside" of a second feature means that the first feature and the second feature are in direct contact, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, a first feature being "on," "above," or "on the upper surface" of a second feature means that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. A first feature being "below," "down," or "underside" of a second feature means that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is smaller than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure pertain. The terms used in the description of the embodiments herein are intended only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, unless there is a contradiction in the combination of these technical features, all should be considered within the scope described herein.

[0024] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , the embodiment includes a fixed bracket P02, a seat leg rest framework P03 and a driving motor P05 are provided on the fixed bracket P02, a link P04 is provided on the seat leg rest framework P03, and the driving motor P05 is hingedly connected to the link P04, a zero-gap hinge assembly P01 is provided on the fixed bracket P02, the zero-gap hinge assembly P01 includes a gap elimination unit 3, a driving wheel 5, an external toothed plate 1 provided on the fixed bracket P02, and an internal toothed assembly 2 provided on the seat leg rest frame P03, the external toothed plate 1 is press-connected to the internal toothed assembly 2, a central boss 12 is provided at the opening of a first internal hole 13 provided at the center of the external toothed plate 1, a space A is defined by the central boss 12 and the central internal hole of the internal toothed assembly 2, and the gap elimination unit 3 is installed in the space A, The outer tooth plate 1 of the zero-gap hinge mechanism P01 is fixed to the fixed bracket P02, the inner tooth assembly 2 is fixed to the seat leg rest frame P03, and the links P04 pass through the central spline holes of the drive wheels 5 of the hinge mechanisms on both sides. The drive motor P05 is hinged to the link P04, and the angle adjustment function of the seat leg rest mechanism can be achieved by controlling the drive motor.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , in some embodiments, an external toothed belt 11 is provided on the outside of the external toothed plate 1, and the internal toothed assembly 2 includes an internal toothed plate 21 and a sleeve 22, the sleeve 22 is provided in the central inner hole of the internal toothed plate 21, and the internal toothed plate 21 is meshed and connected to the external toothed belt 11; The external toothed belt 11 on the external toothed plate 1 is meshed and connected to the internal toothed belt 21a on the internal toothed plate 21, and an eccentric distance e can be generated between the centers of the two.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in some embodiments, the gap elimination unit 3 includes a drive ring 31, a first wedge block 32, a second wedge block 33, and a spring 34. The drive ring 31 has a second inner hole 312. The gap elimination unit 3 is rotatably fitted into the central boss 12 on the external tooth plate 1 through the second inner hole 312. The first wedge block 32 and the second wedge block 33 are both disposed outside the drive ring 31. Both ends of the spring 34 act on the first wedge block 32 and the second wedge block 33, respectively. The first wedge block 32 and the second wedge block 33 are wedge-locked on both sides by the action of the spring force of the spring 34, ensuring the stability of the eccentric distance e after the external toothed plate 1 and the internal toothed plate 21 are engaged, thereby eliminating any gap in the rotational direction of the hinge mechanism.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the drive ring 31 has a first ring surface 31 a, a second ring surface 31 b, and a third ring surface 31 c; the first wedge block 32 has a first block surface 32 a, a second block surface 32 b, a third block surface 32 c, and a fourth block surface 32 d; the second wedge block 33 has a fifth block surface 33 a, a sixth block surface 33 b, a seventh block surface 33 c, and an eighth block surface 33 d; the third ring surface 31 c is abuttingly connected to the third block surface 32 c and the seventh block surface 33 c, respectively; the fourth block surface 32 d and the eighth block surface 33 d are abuttingly connected to the inner hole of the sleeve 22 on the internal gear assembly 2; and the first ring surface 31 a is abuttingly connected to the first block surface 32 a. As shown in FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the drive ring 31 is provided with a first locking feature 311, and one side of the drive wheel 5 is provided with a second locking feature 51, a drive wheel first boss 52, and a drive wheel second boss 53, and the first locking feature 311 is lockingly connected to the second locking feature 51; As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , in some embodiments, the axial stopper 6 is axially engaged and connected to the drive wheel 5, and the cover plate 4 is provided on the internal gear assembly 2; The cover plate 4 is fixed to the internal gear assembly 2, and its main function is to press the external gear plate 1 into the groove of the internal gear assembly 2 to prevent it from coming off in the axial direction. The axial stopper 6 is engaged with the drive wheel 5 in the axial direction to prevent various parts from coming off in the axial direction.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, spring 34 is a linear spring.

[0029] The spring 34 may be a linear spring or a leaf spring and is a low volume compression spring.

[0030] In some embodiments, the axial stop 6 is an engagement spring, as shown in FIG. The axial stopper 6 may be a part such as a nut or an engagement spring.

[0031] The operating principle is as follows: the drive wheel 5 of the hinge assembly rotates clockwise, which drives the drive ring 31 to rotate clockwise, and the drive ring surface 31a contacts the wedge block surface 32a, driving the wedge block 32 to rotate clockwise. At this time, a gap is generated between the surface 32d of the wedge block 32 and the inner surface of the sleeve 22. After the inner and outer toothed plates engage, the eccentric distance e becomes unstable and wedge locking between the inner and outer toothed plates is no longer present. As the wedge block surface 32b continues to compress the spring 34, the spring 34 urges the wedge block 33 to rotate clockwise, causing the entire gap elimination unit 3 to rotate clockwise, thereby changing the angle between the inner and outer toothed plates and completing the angle adjustment function of the hinge mechanism. When the drive wheel 5 rotates to the required position, it stops rotating, and the drive ring 31 stops accordingly. The wedge blocks 32 and 33 are wedge-locked on both sides by the action of the spring force of the spring 34. After the inner and outer tooth plates engage, the eccentric distance e tends to stabilize, the engagement between the inner and outer tooth plates is tight, and the hinge mechanism achieves a zero-gap lock. Conversely, by driving the wedge block 33, the reverse adjustment function can also be realized.

[0032] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described; however, unless there is a contradiction in the combination of these technical features, all should be considered within the scope of the present specification.

[0033] The above examples only illustrate some embodiments of the present disclosure, and the descriptions are specific and detailed, but should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and all of these are included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1...external toothed plate, 11...external toothed belt, 12...central boss, 13...first inner hole, 2...internal tooth assembly, 21...internal tooth plate, 21a...internal tooth belt, 22...sleeve, 3...gap elimination unit, 31...drive ring, 31a...first ring surface, 31b...second ring surface, 31c...third ring surface, 311...first engagement feature, 312...second inner hole, 32...first wedge block, 32a...first block surface, 32b...second block surface, 32c...third block surface, 32d...fourth block surface, 33...second wedge block, 33a...fifth block surface, 33b...sixth block surface, 33c...seventh block surface, 33d...eighth block surface, 34...spring, 4...Lid plate, 5...drive wheel, 51...second engagement feature, 52...drive wheel first boss, 53...drive wheel second boss, 6...stopper.

Claims

1. A zero-gap hinge mechanism comprising an external toothed plate (1), an internal toothed assembly (2), a gap elimination unit (3), a cover plate (4), a drive wheel (5) and an axial stopper (6), wherein the external toothed plate (1) is press-connected to the internal toothed assembly (2), a central boss (12) is provided at the opening of a first internal hole (13) provided at the center of the external toothed plate (1), a space A is defined by the central boss (12) and the central internal hole of the internal toothed assembly (2), and the gap elimination unit (3) is mounted in the space A; The gap elimination unit (3) includes a drive ring (31), a first wedge block (32), a second wedge block (33), and a spring (34). The drive ring (31) has a second inner hole (312). The gap elimination unit (3) is rotatably fitted into a central boss (12) on the external tooth plate (1) through the second inner hole (312). The first wedge block (32) and the second wedge block (33) are both disposed outside the drive ring (31). Both ends of the spring (34) act on the first wedge block (32) and the second wedge block (33), respectively. The drive ring (31) is provided with a first ring surface (31a), a second ring surface (31b), and a third ring surface (31c), the first wedge block (32) is provided with a first block surface (32a), a second block surface (32b), a third block surface (32c), and a fourth block surface (32d), and the second wedge block (33) is provided with a fifth block surface (33a), a sixth block surface (33b), a seventh block surface (33c), and a fifth block surface (33d). a locking surface (33c) and an eighth block surface (33d), the third ring surface (31c) being abuttingly connected to the third block surface (32c) and the seventh block surface (33c), the fourth block surface (32d) and the eighth block surface (33d) being abuttingly connected to the inner hole of the sleeve (22) on the internal tooth assembly (2), and the first ring surface (31a) being abuttingly connected to the first block surface (32a); The drive ring (31) is provided with a first engaging feature (311), and one side of the drive wheel (5) is provided with a second engaging feature (51), a drive wheel first boss (52), and a drive wheel second boss (53), and the first engaging feature (311) is engagedly connected to the second engaging feature (51); The zero-gap hinge mechanism is characterized in that the axial stopper (6) is axially engaged and connected to a drive wheel (5), and the cover plate (4) is provided on an internal tooth assembly (2).

2. 2. The zero-gap hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an external toothed belt (11) is provided on the outside of the external toothed plate (1), the internal tooth assembly (2) includes an internal toothed plate (21) and a sleeve (22), the sleeve (22) is provided in a central inner hole of the internal toothed plate (21), and the internal toothed plate (21) is meshed and connected to the external toothed belt (11).

3. 2. The zero-gap hinge mechanism of claim 1, wherein said spring (34) is a cylindrical spring.

4. 2. The zero-gap hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the axial stop (6) is an engagement spring.

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