JP2009068550A - Hinge structure of foldable portable electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide hinges rotating by opening/closing operation in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and members for regulating the rotation of the hinges without being thickened in the thickness direction and without causing enlargement in size. <P>SOLUTION: This hinge structure installs a first hinge 4 so as to be openable operating in a first direction in a display case by a first installation member 5 by relatively rotating the display case and an operation case from a folded-up state. A second hinge 6 operating in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction so as to be openable is installed in the operation case by a second installation member 87 by relatively rotating the display case and the operation case from the folded-up state. The first hinge 4 and the second hinge 6 are orthogonally connected to each other by a connecting member 8 in an overlap-free state. The rotation of the other hinge is regulated when rotating one hinge by a common regulating member 9 arranged between the first hinge 4 and the second hinge 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biaxial hinge structure that can be opened in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction from the folded state of a first casing and a second casing of a portable electronic device.

A foldable mobile phone that allows the display unit and the main body to be folded relative to each other and allows the display unit to be rotated. Then, there is a technique that enables the display unit to be rotated, or a technique that restricts the folding of the display unit when the display unit can be rotated (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-188641 A

Patent Document 1 is a foldable mobile phone provided with a biaxial hinge, and it is shown that regulation for rotation and folding is performed. However, when both regulation are performed according to respective states, Had to set up each mechanism.
In addition, for example, there is a display unit that can be opened in a folded state or a display unit that can be opened sideways. However, when it is opened in one state, it is opened in the other state. If it is desired to regulate the same, as in the case of Patent Document 1, if each of the regulating portions in each state is provided, the size is increased.
In addition, if the hinge portions for rotation and folding are crossed in the thickness direction, the thickness increases.

  An object of the present invention is to increase the size of a foldable portable electronic device having a biaxial hinge that can be opened in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction from the folded state of the display unit casing and the operation unit casing. In addition, without increasing the thickness in the thickness direction, the hinge portions that rotate by the opening and closing operations in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and members that restrict the rotation of the hinge portions are provided.

    In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention described in claim 1 makes the first casing (for example, the display section casing) and the second casing (for example, the operation section casing) foldable. A foldable portable electronic device, wherein the first casing and the second casing are rotated relative to each other from the folded state and opened in a first direction. A first attachment member that attaches one hinge portion to the first housing, and the first housing and the second housing are relatively rotated from a folded state, and the first direction A second hinge part that opens in a second direction orthogonal to the second hinge part, a second attachment member that attaches the second hinge part to the second housing, the first hinge part, and a second hinge part A connecting member that is orthogonal to the hinge part and is connected without overlapping, and provided between the first hinge part and the second hinge part; And a common restricting member for restricting the rotation of the other hinge part when one of the hinge parts is rotating, and a hinge structure of a foldable portable electronic device.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the hinge structure of the foldable portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each of the mounting members is plate-shaped and is fixed to the respective casings by a fixing means. It is characterized by that.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the hinge structure of the foldable portable electronic device according to the first or second aspect, wherein at least one of the hinge portions includes a plurality of shaft members. To do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hinge structure for a foldable portable electronic device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the second hinge portion includes the first casing and the second casing. The regulation member is brought into contact with the regulation surface of the first hinge part by rotation to release the casing from the folded state, and further, the regulation member is held to regulate the rotation of the first hinge part. The member is configured to release the holding that restricts the rotation of the first hinge part when the second hinge part rotates to fold the first casing and the second casing. Features.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hinge structure for a foldable portable electronic device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first casing and the second casing are separated by the first hinge portion. The restriction member is pushed and brought into contact with the restriction surface of the second hinge portion by rotation for releasing the housing from the folded state, and the rotation of the second hinge portion is held to be restricted. Further, the restricting member is an elastic member that pushes and separates from the restricting surface of the second hinge part when the first hinge part rotates to fold the display part case and the operation part case. And holding to restrict the rotation of the second hinge portion is released.

  According to the present invention, the respective hinge portions that are rotated by the opening and closing operations in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and the regulating members that regulate the rotation of the hinge portions, respectively, are not increased in size and are thickened in the thickness direction. Can be provided without.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone as a configuration of an embodiment of a foldable portable electronic device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 shows an exploded state of the mobile phone. 1a is a main display unit, 1b is a sub display unit, 2 is an operation unit housing, 2a is an operation unit, 3 is a hinge case, 4 is a first hinge unit, 5 is a first attachment member, and 6 is a second display unit. The hinge portion, 7 is a second mounting member, 8 is a connecting member, and 9 is a regulating member.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a display unit housing 1 having a main display unit 1a on one side and a sub display unit 1b on the other side, and an operation unit housing 2 having an operation unit 2a on the other side. Are coupled via a biaxial hinge unit inside the hinge case 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the biaxial hinge unit includes a first hinge part 4, a first attachment member 5, a second hinge part 6, a second attachment member 7, a connecting member 8, a regulating member 9, and the like. It is comprised by.

  By this biaxial hinge unit, the display unit housing 1 and the operation unit housing 2 are opened in the vertical direction from the folded state shown in FIG. 1A, so that the portable style shown in FIG. 1B is obtained. Alternatively, the PC style shown in FIG. 1C can be obtained by performing an opening operation in the lateral direction. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the biaxial hinge unit. FIG. 3A shows a folded state, FIG. 3B shows a portable style, and FIG. 3C shows a PC style.

  As illustrated, the first hinge portion 4 includes a first attachment member 5 integrated with one end of a hollow rotating shaft 4a. The first mounting member 5 is plate-shaped, and is fixed to one end side of the display unit housing 1 by a fixing means, specifically, a screw. A circular cam 11 is integrated with the other end of the rotating shaft 4a. The cam 11 has a regulating surface 11a that is a flat surface.

  The second hinge portion 6 includes a second attachment member 7 that is integrated with one end of a pair of left and right hollow rotation shafts 6 a whose axes are orthogonal to the rotation shaft 4 a of the first hinge portion 4. The pair of left and right second mounting members 7 are plate-like, and are fixed to one end side of the operation unit housing 2 by fixing means, specifically, screws. In addition, a circular cam 12 is integrally provided on the other end side of the rotation shaft 6 a on the rotation shaft 4 a side of the first hinge portion 4. The cam 12 has a regulating surface 12a that is a flat surface.

  As described above, the rotation shaft 4a of the first hinge portion 4 and the pair of left and right rotation shafts 6a of the second hinge portion 6 are rotatably supported by the coupling member 8 which is a combination of plate-like members. A cable (not shown) is inserted into each of the hollow rotating shafts 4a and 6a.

  As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, the connecting member 8 is assembled with a restricting member 9 that selectively engages with any of the restricting surfaces 11 a and 12 a of the cams 11 and 12. That is, the regulating member 9 is assembled to the connecting member 8 so as to be movable along the guide pins 13 between the cams 11 and 12. Specifically, the regulating member 9 is plate-shaped, and a pair of left and right guide pins 13 that engage with the elongated hole 9 a are fixed to the connecting member 8. The restricting member 9 is formed with a restricting surface 9b that engages with the restricting surface 11a of the cam 11 on one end side (right side in the figure), and engages with the restricting surface 12a of the cam 12 on the other end side (lower left side in the figure) The regulation surface 9c to be formed is formed.

  Further, an elastic member that urges the regulating member 9 toward the cam 11 side of the first hinge portion 4, that is, a spring 14 is assembled between the connecting member 8 and the elastic member. In other words, a spring 14 is provided to urge the regulating member 9 in a direction away from the cam 12 of the second hinge portion 6, and the regulating surface 9 c of the regulating member 9 has a movement allowance corresponding to the width of the cam 12. S is provided.

  In the above, the rotation shaft 4a of the first hinge portion 4 and the pair of left and right rotation shafts 6a of the second hinge portion 6 are arranged so as not to cross each other in the thickness direction, as shown in FIG. ing. Thereby, thinning and space saving are achieved.

As shown in FIG. 4, the biaxial hinge unit described above is configured such that, in the folded state, the regulating member 9 moves to the cam 11 side of the first hinge portion 4 by the bias of the spring 14, and the regulating surface of the regulating member 9 9b is in a state of being engaged with the restriction surface 11a of the cam 11.
Thus, both the first hinge part 4 and the second hinge part 6 are allowed to rotate.

  Therefore, the display unit housing 1 and the operation unit housing 2 can be opened in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 5 by rotating the rotary shaft 6a of the second hinge unit 6 from the folded state. FIG. 7A shows the rotation restriction of the biaxial hinge unit in the portable style.

  Further, the display unit housing 1 and the operation unit housing 2 can be opened in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 6 by rotating the rotation shaft 4a of the first hinge unit 4 from the folded state. FIG. 7B shows the rotation restriction of the biaxial hinge unit in the PC style. The restriction member released from the engagement with the restriction surface 11a by the rotation of the cam 11 integrated with the rotation shaft 4a. 9, the circular portion of the cam 11 is in contact with the restricting surface 9b, and the restricting surface 11c of the restricting member 9 rides on the restricting surface 12a of the cam 12 of the second hinge portion 6 against the urging force of the spring 14. Engage. Accordingly, the rotation of the rotation shaft 6a of the second hinge portion 6 is restricted, and the rotation of the rotation shaft 4a of the first hinge portion 4 is allowed.

  As described above, according to the biaxial hinge unit of the embodiment, the hinge portions 4 and 6 that rotate by the opening and closing operations in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and the rotation of the rotation shafts 4a and 6a of the hinge portions 4 and 6 are restricted. The regulating member 9 can be provided without causing an increase in size and without sticking in the thickness direction.

(Modification)
FIG. 9 shows a portable style as an example of a modified mobile phone. In the above-described embodiment, the second hinge 6 is provided with a pair of left and right rotating shafts 6a, as shown in the figure. The second hinge portion 6 may have a single rotation shaft 6a.
As another modification, the rotation shaft 6a may be arranged at a position away from the right side in the figure.
Furthermore, as another modification, a configuration in which a pair of upper and lower rotating shafts 4a is provided on the side of the display unit housing 1 may be employed.

In the above embodiment, the cellular phone is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and all portable devices such as a calculator, an electronic dictionary, a digital camera, a video camera, a PDA, a notebook computer, and a wearable personal computer. Can be used.
Further, the first casing and the second casing may be casings having any function, for example, both casings may be provided with a touch panel.
Further, the configuration of the housing, the hinge part, the attachment member, the connecting member, the restricting member, and the elastic member is also arbitrary. For example, the rotating shaft of the hinge part is hollow, but it may be solid or otherwise specific. Of course, the detailed structure can be changed as appropriate.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a foldable portable electronic device to which the present invention is applied; FIG. 1A shows a folded state of a mobile phone; FIG. It is shown figure (c). It is a disassembled perspective view of the mobile phone of FIG. FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of the biaxial hinge unit of FIG. 2; FIG. 3A is a view when folded, FIG. 2B is a portable style, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a folded state in which the hinge case of FIG. 2 is removed and the mobile phone is shown from the biaxial hinge unit side. It is the perspective view which similarly showed the carrying style. It is the perspective view which similarly showed PC style. It is the perspective view which shows the rotation control of a biaxial hinge unit, The figure (a) which showed one rotation control (at the time of carrying style), and the figure (b) which showed the other rotation control (at the time of PC style). It is the figure which showed the arrangement configuration of a hinge axis | shaft. It is a disassembled perspective view of the biaxial hinge unit of the housing | casing which showed the modification and showed the portable style.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display part housing | casing 1a Main display part 1b Sub display part 2 Operation part housing | casing 2a Operation part 3 Hinge case 4 1st hinge part 4a Rotating shaft 5 1st attachment member 6 2nd hinge part 6a Rotating shaft 7 1st 2 mounting member 8 connecting member 9 regulating member 9a long hole 9b regulating surface 9c regulating surface 11 cam 11a regulating surface 12 cam 12a regulating surface 13 guide pin 14 elastic member

Claims (5)

A foldable portable electronic device in which a first casing and a second casing are freely foldable,
A first hinge portion that relatively rotates from a state in which the first housing and the second housing are folded, and opens in a first direction;
A first attachment member for attaching the first hinge portion to the first housing;
A second hinge portion that relatively rotates from a state in which the first housing and the second housing are folded, and opens in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A second attachment member for attaching the second hinge portion to the second housing;
A connecting member for connecting the first hinge part and the second hinge part orthogonally and in a state of not overlapping,
A common restricting member that is provided between the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion and restricts the rotation of the other hinge portion when one hinge portion is rotating. Folding portable electronic device hinge structure.   2. The hinge structure for a foldable portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each of the attachment members has a plate shape and is fixed to the casing by a fixing means.   The hinge structure for a foldable portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the hinge portions includes a plurality of shaft members.   When the second hinge portion rotates to release the first housing and the second housing from the folded state, the restriction member abuts against the restriction surface of the first hinge portion, and the first hinge portion Further, the restricting member is configured to rotate the first hinge and the second housing so that the second hinge portion performs a folding operation on the first housing. The hinge structure for a foldable portable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding for restricting the rotation of the hinge portion is released.   By the rotation for releasing the first housing and the second housing from the folded state by the first hinge portion, the restricting member is pushed into the restricting surface of the second hinge portion and comes into contact therewith. And holding the second hinge portion so as to restrict the rotation of the second hinge portion, and the restricting member rotates the first hinge portion by folding the display portion housing and the operation portion housing. 4. The elastic member according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that is pushed away from the restriction surface of the second hinge part and releases the holding that restricts the rotation of the second hinge part. The hinge structure of the foldable portable electronic device according to one item.

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