pivot

Abstract

A pivot includes a base, a swing arm, a rotating member, and a locking unit. The base has a first recessed rail and a second recessed rail recessed along a lateral direction. The first recessed rail is arc-shaped, and the second recessed rail has a guide rail portion. The swing arm is disposed on the base and is rotatable relative to the base about a first rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between an initial position and a swing position. The rotating member is disposed on the swing arm and is rotatable relative to the swing arm about a second rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between a first position and a second position, passing through a transition position. The rotating member has a first sliding portion slidably disposed within the first recessed rail and located on the second rotation axis, and a second sliding portion slidable along the second recessed rail. The locking unit can switch between a locked state and an unlocked state restricting the swing arm to the initial position.

Description

pivot This invention relates to a hinge, and more particularly to a hinge that can be used in electronic devices such as notebook computers. Typical electronic devices such as laptops usually have a first housing (system end) and a second housing (screen end), and the heat dissipation vent is usually located at the lower rear of the first housing (system end). During the opening and closing of the electronic device, the second housing may block the heat dissipation vent, thereby affecting the heat dissipation performance of the electronic device. Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a shaft that can improve at least one problem in the prior art. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the rotating shaft includes a base, a swing rod, a rotating member, and a locking unit. The base has a first recessed rail and a second recessed rail formed recessed along a lateral direction. The first recessed rail is arc-shaped, and the second recessed rail has a guide rail portion. The swing rod is disposed on the base and can rotate relative to the base about a first rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between an initial position and a swing position. The rotating member is disposed on the swing rod and can rotate relative to the swing rod about a second rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between a first position and a second position, passing through a transition position. The rotating member has a first sliding portion slidably disposed within the first recessed rail and located on the second rotation axis, and a second sliding portion slidably disposed along the second recessed rail. The locking unit is disposed on and linked to the rotating member, and the locking unit can switch between a locked state restricting the swing rod to the initial position and an unlocked state not restricting the position of the swing rod. When the rotating member is in the first position, the locking unit is in the locked state, and the swing rod is in the initial position; when the rotating member rotates from the first position to the transition position, the rotating member, in conjunction with the locking unit, switches to the unlocked state, and the swing rod is in the initial position; when the rotating member rotates from the transition position to the second position, the swing rod is in the lowered position, and the second sliding part slides on the guide rail portion of the second concave rail. In some embodiments, the second concave rail also has an arc-shaped rail portion with one end open and the other end connected to the guide rail portion. The arc-shaped rail portion is arc-shaped and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped rail portion is equal to the distance between the center of the second sliding portion and the second rotation axis. When the rotating member is in the first position, the second sliding portion is outside the second concave rail. When the rotating member rotates from the first position to the transition position, the second sliding portion passes through the arc-shaped rail portion to the junction of the arc-shaped rail portion and the guide rail portion. In some embodiments, the guide rail is straight and tangent to the curved rail. In some embodiments, the base has a pivot shaft extending along the first axis of rotation, the swing rod has a first end located on the pivot shaft and a second end opposite to the first end, and the rotating member is rotatably inserted through the second end of the swing rod. In some embodiments, the locking unit includes a linkage member rotatably mounted on the rotating member, a fixing member mounted on the pivot shaft of the base, and a sliding member mounted on the swing rod and located between the linkage member and the fixing member. The linkage member has a first recess, and the fixing member has a second recess. The sliding member can slide relative to the swing rod between the linkage member and the fixing member to partially accommodate the first recess and / or the second recess. When the rotating member is in the first position, the first recess of the linkage member faces away from the sliding member, the sliding member cannot slide and is partially accommodated in the second recess of the fixing member, and the locking unit is in the locked state, preventing the swing rod from rotating relative to the base and locking it in the initial position. When the rotating member is in the transition position, the first recess of the linkage member faces the sliding member, the sliding member can slide and is partially accommodated in the first recess and / or the second recess, and the locking unit is in the unlocked state, allowing the swing rod to rotate relative to the base. In some embodiments, a receiving space is defined between the base and the swing arm to accommodate the linkage, the fixing member and the sliding member. The swing arm has a sliding track recessed in the lateral direction and located between the first end and the second end. The sliding member has a sliding protrusion slidably disposed on the sliding track. In this invention, during the rotation of the rotating member from the first position to the transition position, the locking unit restricts the swing arm to its initial position, ensuring that the second rotation axis around which the rotating member rotates is positioned at a higher position. During the rotation of the rotating member from the transition position to the second position, the cooperation between the second sliding part and the guide rail of the second concave rail allows the swing arm to rotate to the lower position, thereby moving the second rotation axis around which the rotating member rotates to a lower position. Therefore, during the opening and closing of an electronic device using this rotating shaft, the second housing of the electronic device can avoid the heat dissipation vent of the first housing of the electronic device at most commonly used angles, thus preventing any impact on the heat dissipation performance of the electronic device. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, one embodiment of the hinge 100 of the present invention is applicable to an electronic device (not shown), such as a notebook computer, but not limited thereto. The electronic device has a first housing (not shown) and a second housing (not shown). The first housing may, for example, have a keyboard and a touch area (not shown), and the second housing may, for example, have a screen (not shown). The hinge 100 connects the first housing and the second housing, allowing the second housing to open and close relative to the first housing. The hinge 100 includes a base 1, a swing arm 2, a rotating member 3, and a locking unit 4. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the base 1 is suitable for placement on the rear side of the first housing in a front-rear direction D1 (arrow pointing forward, arrow pointing backward). The base 1 has a first seat body 11 and a second seat body 12 arranged in a left-right direction D2 (lateral direction, arrow pointing right, arrow pointing left); a spacer body 13 sandwiched between the first seat body 11 and the second seat body 12; a first recessed rail 14 and a second recessed rail 15 recessed along the left-right direction D2 respectively formed on the first seat body 11 and the second seat body 12; and a pivoting shaft portion 16 extending along a first rotation axis A1 parallel to the left-right direction D2 and disposed on the first seat body 11, the second seat body 12, and the spacer body. The spacer body 13 sandwiched between the first seat body 11 and the second seat body 12 spaces the first recessed rail 14 and the second recessed rail 15 apart in the left-right direction D2. The first recessed rail 14 is arc-shaped. The second concave rail 15 has a guide rail portion 151 and an arc-shaped rail portion 152 that is open at one end and connected to the guide rail portion 151 at the other end. In this embodiment, the guide rail portion 151 is straight and tangent to the arc-shaped rail portion 152. However, in other embodiments, the structure of the guide rail portion 151 can be adjusted as needed and is not straight, and is not limited to this embodiment. The swing arm 2 is mounted on the base 1. The swing arm 2 is rotatable relative to the base 1 about the first rotation axis A1 between an initial position and a downward swing position. The swing arm 2 has a first end 21 located at the pivot shaft 16 and positioned in front of it, a second end 22 located opposite the first end 21 and positioned rearward, and a sliding track 23 recessed along the left-right direction D2 and located between the first end 21 and the second end 22. The sliding track 23 extends approximately along the length of the swing arm 2. In the initial position, the second end 22 is positioned higher in the vertical direction D3 (arrow pointing upwards, arrow pointing downwards); in the downward swing position, the second end 22 is positioned lower in the vertical direction D3. The rotating component 3 is disposed on the swing arm 2. Specifically, the rotating component 3 is rotatably inserted through the second end 22 of the swing arm 2. The rotating component 3 can rotate relative to the swing arm 2 about a second rotation axis A2 parallel to the left-right direction D2 between a first position and a second position, and also passes through a transition position during the rotation between the first position and the second position. The rotating component 3 includes a rotation axis body 31 rotatably inserted through the swing arm 2, and a connecting frame 32 disposed on the rotation axis body 31 and for the second housing. The rotation axis body 31 has a first sliding part 311 slidably disposed within the first concave rail 14 and located on the second rotation axis A2, and a second sliding part 312 slidably disposed along the second concave rail 15. The distance between the center of the second sliding part 312 and the second rotation axis A2 is equal to the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped rail part 152. The locking unit 4 is disposed on and linked to the rotating member 3. The locking unit 4 can switch between a locked state that restricts the swing arm 2 to its initial position and an unlocked state that does not restrict the position of the swing arm 2. The locking unit 4 has a linkage 41 that rotates synchronously with the rotating member 3, a fixing member 42 integrally formed on the base 1 and fixed to the pivot shaft portion 16, and a sliding member 43 disposed on the swing arm 2 and located between the linkage 41 and the fixing member 42. For example, the linkage 41, the fixing member 42, and the sliding member 43 are accommodated in an accommodating space defined between the base 1 and the swing arm 2. The linkage 41 has a first recess 411, and the fixing member 42 has a second recess 421. The slider 43 has a sliding protrusion 431 that is slidably disposed on the sliding track 23. Therefore, the slider 43 can slide relative to the swing rod 2 between the linkage 41 and the fixing member 42 to be partially accommodated in the first recess 411 and / or the second recess 421. In addition, in this embodiment, a torque module 5 can be added to the rotating axis body 31 of the rotating member 3, which rotates synchronously with the rotating axis body 31. The torque module 5 is used to generate a frictional force between itself and the swing rod 2 to resist the rotation of the rotating axis body 31 of the rotating member 3, thereby enabling the electronic device to be positioned at various opening and closing angles and improving the user's operating feel when opening and closing the electronic device. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, when the rotating member 3 is in the first position, the second housing is closed relative to the first housing. The first recess 411 of the linkage 41 faces away from the sliding member 43, and the sliding member 43 cannot slide and is partially accommodated in the second recess 421 of the fixing member 42, and the locking unit 4 is in the locked state. At this time, the sliding member 43 is restricted by the second recess 421 and cannot move downward, thereby preventing the swing rod 2 from rotating relative to the base 1 and locking it in the initial position. At this stage, the second sliding part 312 has not yet entered the second recessed rail 15 and is outside the second recessed rail 15. Referring to Figures 7 and 8, as the rotating member 3 rotates from the first position to the transition position, when the second housing is opened by approximately 90 degrees relative to the first housing, the locking unit 4 remains in the locked state, and the swing rod 2 is still locked in the initial position and cannot rotate relative to the base 1. During this stage, the second sliding part 312 enters the arc-shaped rail part 152 of the second concave rail 15. Referring to Figures 9 and 10, as the rotating member 3 continues to rotate to the transition position, the second housing opens approximately 120 degrees relative to the first housing. The first recess 411 of the linkage 41 faces the sliding member 43, which can slide between the linkage 41 and the fixing member 42 to partially accommodate the first recess 411 and / or the second recess 421. The locking unit 4 is activated by the rotating member 3 to switch to the unlocked state. At this time, the sliding member 43 is no longer restricted by the second recess 421 and can move downwards, thereby allowing the swing rod 2 to rotate relative to the base 1 without being locked in the initial position. However, the swing rod 2 is still in the initial position. During this stage, the second sliding part 312 moves through the arc-shaped rail 152 to the junction of the arc-shaped rail 152 and the guide rail 151. During the process of the rotating member 3 rotating from the first position to the transition position, the locking unit 4 restricts the swing rod 2 to the initial position, so that the second rotation axis A2 around which the rotating member 3 rotates is located at a higher position. This allows the second housing provided on the rotating member 3 to also be located at a higher position, so as to avoid the heat dissipation vent provided at the lower rear side of the first housing of the electronic device. Referring to Figures 11 and 12, as the rotating member 3 rotates from the transition position to the second position, when the second housing is opened approximately 150 degrees relative to the first housing, the locking unit 4 remains in the unlocked state. The swing rod 2, between its initial position and the lowered position, causes the position of the second rotation axis A2 to slightly decrease. During this stage, the second sliding part 312 slides to the end of the guide rail part 151. Referring to Figures 13 and 14, when the rotating member 3 continues to rotate to the second position, the second housing opens approximately 180 degrees relative to the first housing, the locking unit 4 remains in the unlocked state, and the swing rod 2 is in the lowered position, causing the position of the second rotation axis A2 to drop to its lowest point. During this stage, the second sliding part 312 continues to slide on the guide rail part 151 of the second concave rail 15. It should be noted that during the process of the rotating member 3 continuing to rotate from the transition position to the second position, although the locking unit 4 is in the unlocked state and the position of the swing rod 2 is not locked or restricted by the locking unit 4, the cooperation between the second sliding part 312 and the guide rail part 151 of the second concave rail 15 restricts the position of the first sliding part 311 (the second rotation axis A2), so that the swing rod 2 will not rotate or swing arbitrarily. That is to say, although the position of the swing rod 2 is not locked or restricted by the locking unit 4 during the above process, the position of the swing rod 2 and the first sliding part 311 are still determined by the position (rotation angle) of the rotating member 3, and will not be moved arbitrarily, resulting in a loose operating feel. During the process of the rotating member 3 rotating from the transition position to the second position, the second sliding part 312 cooperates with the guide rail part 151 of the second concave rail 15, allowing the swing rod 2 to rotate to the lower position, thereby moving the second rotation axis A2 around which the rotating member 3 rotates to a lower position. This allows the second housing provided on the rotating member 3 to also be located in a lower position, so as to avoid the heat dissipation vent provided at the lower rear side of the first housing of the electronic device. In summary, during the rotation of the rotating member 3 from the first position to the transition position, the locking unit 4 restricts the swing arm 2 to its initial position, ensuring that the second rotation axis A2 around which the rotating member 3 rotates is at a higher position. During the rotation of the rotating member 3 from the transition position to the second position, the cooperation between the second sliding part 312 and the guide rail part 151 of the second concave rail 15 allows the swing arm 2 to rotate to the lower position, thereby moving the second rotation axis A2 around which the rotating member 3 rotates to a lower position. Therefore, during the opening and closing process of the electronic device using the rotating shaft 100, the second housing of the electronic device can avoid the heat dissipation vents of the first housing of the electronic device at most commonly used angles, thus avoiding affecting the heat dissipation performance of the electronic device. However, the above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the contents of the patent specification shall still fall within the scope of the patent of the present invention. 100: Rotating shaft 1: Base 11: First seat body 12: Second seat body 13: Spacer body 14: First concave rail 15: Second concave rail 151: Guide rail part 152: Arc-shaped rail part 16: Pivot shaft part 2: Swing rod 21: First end 22: Second end 23: Sliding rail 3: Rotating component 31: Rotation axis body 311: First sliding part 312: Second sliding part 32: Connecting frame body 4: Locking unit 41: Linking component 411: First concave part 42: Fixing component 421: Second concave part 43: Sliding component 431: Sliding protrusion 5: Torque module D1: Front-back direction D2: Left-right direction D3: Up-down direction A1: First rotation axis A2: Second rotation axis Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the rotating shaft of the present invention, wherein a connecting frame of a rotating member of the embodiment is omitted; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment viewed from another perspective; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a partially sectional side view of the embodiment, wherein a rotating member of the embodiment is located in a first position, and a rotation axis of the rotating member of the embodiment is partially sectionalized; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the embodiment, wherein the rotating member of the embodiment is located in the first position; Figure 7 is a partially sectional side view of the embodiment, wherein the rotating member of the embodiment is located between the first position and a transition position, and the rotation axis of the rotating member of the embodiment is partially sectionalized; Figure 8 is a sectional view of the embodiment, wherein the rotating member of the embodiment is located between the first position and the transition position; Figure 9 is a partially sectional side view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located at the transition position, and the rotation axis of the rotating member of this embodiment is partially sectionalized; Figure 10 is a sectional view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located at the transition position; Figure 11 is a partially sectional side view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located between the transition position and a second position, and the rotation axis of the rotating member of this embodiment is partially sectionalized; Figure 12 is a sectional view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located between the transition position and a second position; Figure 13 is a partially sectional side view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located at the second position, and the rotation axis of the rotating member of this embodiment is partially sectionalized; Figure 14 is a sectional view of this embodiment, in which the rotating member of this embodiment is located at the second position. 100: Shaft 1: Base 11: First Body 14: First concave rail 16: Pivot shaft 2: Swing rod 21: First end 22: Second end 23: Sliding track 3: Rotating component 31: Rotation axis body 311: First sliding part 32: Connecting frame 4: Locking Unit 41: Linkage 411: first concave part 42: Fasteners 421: Second recess 43: Sliding component 431: Sliding convex part D1: Forward and backward direction D2: Left and right directions D3: up and down direction A1: First axis of rotation A2: Second axis of rotation

Claims

1. A pivot shaft includes: a base having a first recessed rail and a second recessed rail recessed in a lateral direction, the first recessed rail being arc-shaped and the second recessed rail having a guide rail portion; a swing rod disposed on the base, the swing rod being rotatable relative to the base about a first rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between an initial position and a swing position; a rotating member disposed on the swing rod, the rotating member being rotatable relative to the swing rod about a second rotation axis parallel to the lateral direction between a first position and a second position, and passing through a transition position, the rotating member having a first sliding portion slidably disposed within the first recessed rail and located on the second rotation axis, and a second sliding portion slidable along the second recessed rail; and a locking unit disposed on and linked to the rotating member, the locking unit being switchable between a locked state restricting the swing rod to the initial position and an unlocked state not restricting the position of the swing rod; When the rotating member is in the first position, the locking unit is in the locked state, and the swing rod is in the initial position; when the rotating member rotates from the first position to the transition position, the rotating member, in conjunction with the locking unit, switches to the unlocked state, and the swing rod is in the initial position; when the rotating member rotates from the transition position to the second position, the swing rod is in the lowered position, and the second sliding part slides on the guide rail portion of the second concave rail. The shaft as described in claim 1, wherein, The second concave rail also has an arc-shaped rail portion with one end open and the other end connected to the guide rail portion. The arc-shaped rail portion is arc-shaped and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped rail portion is equal to the distance between the center of the second sliding portion and the second rotation axis. When the rotating member is in the first position, the second sliding portion is outside the second concave rail. When the rotating member rotates from the first position to the transition position, the second sliding portion passes through the arc-shaped rail portion to the junction of the arc-shaped rail portion and the guide rail portion. The shaft as described in claim 2, wherein, The guide rail is straight and tangent to the curved rail. The shaft as described in claim 1, wherein, The base has a pivot shaft extending along the first axis of rotation, the swing rod has a first end located on the pivot shaft and a second end opposite to the first end, and the rotating member is rotatably inserted through the second end of the swing rod. The shaft as described in claim 4, wherein... The locking unit includes a linkage member rotatably mounted on the rotating member, a fixing member mounted on the pivot shaft of the base, and a sliding member mounted on the swing rod and located between the linkage member and the fixing member. The linkage member has a first recess, and the fixing member has a second recess. The sliding member can slide relative to the swing rod between the linkage member and the fixing member to partially accommodate the first recess and / or the second recess. When the rotating member is in the first position, the first recess of the linkage member faces away from the sliding member, the sliding member cannot slide and is partially accommodated in the second recess of the fixing member. In the locked state, the locking unit prevents the swing rod from rotating relative to the base and locks it in the initial position. When the rotating member is in the transition position, the first recess of the linkage member faces the sliding member, the sliding member can slide and is partially accommodated in the first recess and / or the second recess. In the unlocked state, the locking unit allows the swing rod to rotate relative to the base. The shaft as described in claim 5, wherein, The base and the swing arm define an accommodating space for accommodating the linkage, the fixing member and the sliding member. The swing arm has a sliding track recessed in the lateral direction and located between the first end and the second end. The sliding member has a sliding protrusion slidably disposed on the sliding track.

Images