JP2000022790A - Hinge unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge unit suitable for a portable telephone set and a PHS(personal handy phone system) with a flap where a flap closing state is kept stably, the flap can easily be opened, the flap is hardly damaged even when an external pressure is exerted to the flap and the flap is easily assembled at a low cost. SOLUTION: A cam 60 with a ring shaped cam shape part 63 and an actuator 70 with a similar cam shape part 76 are placed opposite to each other in a housing 40 of the hinge unit 30 and a coil spring 50 that makes press contact them is built in the housing 40. The cam has a heap for 180 degrees and a root for 180 degrees, the heap and the root have a phase difference angle smaller than 90 degrees and a slope of the cam consists of a steep slope and a gentle slope adjacent to each other. The housing 40 is fitted to a recess 21 of the telephone set main body and a projection 73 of the actuator 70 is fitted to a recess 11 of a flap 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone such as a portable telephone or a PHS, and more particularly to a flap rotating mechanism of a telephone with a flap.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, there has been a remarkable spread of mobile communication devices such as mobile phones and PHSs. However, since these devices are often worn and carried, input key buttons are often used. It may be accidentally pressed and cause a malfunction. So, when not using the equipment as a measure,
Devices equipped with flaps to protect the input key buttons are known, and these flaps close along the phone body when not in use and cover the input key buttons so that the buttons cannot be pressed To do. Then, using the device, when the button operation is required, open the flap and operate the lower input key button.

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional perspective view of a telephone with a flap, and FIG. 10 is a side view of a portion of the flap in which a plurality of states of the flap are shown so that the operation of the flap can be understood. The flap 1 has a structure in which a rotation shaft 12 is engaged with a lower end of the telephone body 2 and can rotate within a certain angle range.

In FIG. 10, when the flap 1 is in the state of A, a rotational force for further closing is exerted in the plus direction of the arrow in the figure by the urging action of the rotating mechanism described later. This urging action prevents the telephone from opening easily even when external pressure such as vibration or impact is applied to the telephone.

When the flap 1 is opened, the urging force of the rotating mechanism is switched in the minus direction of the arrow in FIG. 10 by manually rotating it to the point B in FIG. 10, and the urging force is eventually released and the rotation mechanism is stabilized at the position C. In this state, key input operation and communication are performed. If any force is applied to the flap 1 in the state C and the flap 1 is further rotated, it rotates up to the point D, but further rotation is restricted by the action of a stopper (not shown) provided on the telephone body 2 and the flap 1. . In addition, since the biasing force in the plus direction acts on the flap 1 at the position D, when the external pressure is released, the flap 1 is returned to the position C and stabilized. When the flap 1 is stored in the main body, if it is manually rotated from point C to point B or more, the urging force of the rotating mechanism is switched in the plus direction of the arrow in the drawing and returns to the state of A.

A rotating mechanism having such an urging force is shown in FIG.
1 is realized by a hinge structure shown in an exploded perspective view. Reference numeral 3 denotes a hinge unit, which has a structure in which a coil spring 5, a cam 6, and an actuator 7 are housed in a storage recess 41 of a housing 4 serving as a main body thereof, and closed by a cover 8. The outer shape of the housing 4 is substantially the same size as a pair of square hole-shaped hinge storage holes 21 formed on the left and right ends of the lower end of the main body 2, and the hinge unit 3 is stored therein.

The housing recess 4 is provided on an end face of the housing 4.
1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in the longitudinal direction and is open, and the bottom surface is closed. The storage recess 41 has a pair of anti-rotation grooves 42 symmetrically formed at a position corresponding to a rotation prevention rib 61 of the cam 6, which will be described later, to the same depth as the storage recess 41 in the outer peripheral portion thereof. A groove 43 and a hole 44 for fitting the cover 8 are provided on two opposing outer surfaces of the housing 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a coil spring, which is also a cam 6 described later.
The one end of the seat is a compression spring that abuts against the partition wall 66 of the storage recess 65 and the other end abuts against the bottom surface of the housing storage recess 41. The cam 6 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is formed with two anti-rotation ribs 61 protruding from an outer peripheral portion of the cam 6 slidably in contact with the anti-rotation groove 42 of the housing 4.

At one end of the cylinder of the cam 6 is provided the above-mentioned storage recess 65 for accommodating the coil spring 5, and at the other end thereof, a ridge 62 a and a valley 62 b are smoothly connected. The cam-shaped portion 62 is integrally formed. A plate 71 having a rounded tip at the end is formed on the surface of the actuator 7 facing the cam 6 so as to be convenient for tracing the surface of the cam-shaped portion 62. The flange 72 of the actuator 7 is formed of a housing. 4 is formed in a disk shape with a size rotatable in a state housed in the storage recess 41, and a recess formed in the shaft 12 of the flap 1 at an end opposite to the side where the plate portion 71 protrudes. There is provided a convex portion 73 which is formed in a substantially same size as the rectangular shape 11. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cover formed by pressing a thin metal plate. A through hole 81 larger than the convex portion 73 of the actuator 7 is formed on a surface having substantially the same size as the end surface of the housing, and extends from the same surface. A hook 82 having a direction, a position, and a size corresponding to the groove 43 on the side surface of the housing 4 is formed, and a protrusion 83 and a claw 84 for engaging with the hole 44 at the end of the groove 43 are provided at the end.

The hinge unit 3 having such a component configuration
Are compressed with the coil spring 5 sandwiched between the housing 4 and the cam 6 properly arranged. Cam 6
Of the cover 8 and the groove 4 of the housing 4 are accommodated in the housing recess 41 of the housing 4 in a direction in which the crest 62a and the valley 62b of the housing 4 come into contact with the plate 71 of the actuator 7.
3. The pawl 84 and the hole 44 are fitted, and the reaction force of the coil spring 5 acting between the cam 6 and the actuator 7 is received by the flange 72 of the actuator 7 and the edge of the through hole 81 of the cover 8. That is, the cam 6 which has received the reaction force of the coil spring 5 in the storage recess 41 surrounded by the housing 4 and the cover 8 does not rotate but can slide in the axial direction. Is set in a state in which sliding is possible.

When the projection 73 of the actuator 7 is rotated in such a state, the reaction force of the coil spring 5 causes a resistance to the rotational sliding between the peaks 62a and the valleys 62b of the cam 6 and the plate 71 of the actuator. Torque is generated. The torque characteristics are the valley 62b of the cam 6 and the actuator 7
Is in a state where the coil spring 5 is lightly compressed, and is most stable. Therefore, the rotation torque becomes zero.

Next, in the section where the plate portion 71 is in contact between the valley portion 62b and the peak portion 62a, the compression amount of the coil spring 5 gradually increases, so that the resistance between the cam 6 and the actuator 7 increases, and the torque also gradually increases. When the rotation of the projection 73 is released in this state, a force is applied to the plate portion 71 to return to the valley portion 62b of the cam 6, which is the most stable state.
A torque is generated to reverse the rotation so that the rotation reverses to 2b. When the apex of the peak 62a of the cam 6 and the plate 71 contact each other, the amount of compression of the coil spring 5 becomes maximum, but the plate 71 stops at the apex, and the torque is again zero.

Next, in a section where the plate portion 71 is in contact between the peak portion 62a and the valley portion 62b, a force for quickly reaching the valley portion 62b, which is the most stable state, acts and accelerates to the valley portion 62b. , A torque is generated in the direction in which the rotation proceeds.

When the projection 73 of the actuator 7 is rotated in the direction opposite to the above description, the operation in the reverse order occurs.

FIGS. 10 and 11 used in the above description.
In addition to FIG. 14, the above operation will be described in more detail. A hole 21 for housing the hinge unit 3 and the housing 4, the coil spring 5 at the lower end of the telephone body 2,
The cam 6 and the cover 8 are integrated in the rotation direction, and rotate together. On the other hand, the recess 11 for accommodating the hinge unit of the flap 1 and the actuator 7 are integrated in the rotation direction. That is, when the flap 1 is operated in a certain rotation direction and the main body 2 side is held, the cam-shaped portion 62 of the cam 6 (the continuous surface from the peak 62a to the valley 62b) and the plate 71 of the actuator 7 Friction occurs between the two to generate torque. Changes in this state of the hinge unit 3 corresponding to changes in the states of A, B, C, D, and E of the flap 1 shown in FIG. 10 are shown in FIGS.

In the state of FIG. 14A in which the flap 1 is closed, that is, in the state of FIG. 14A, the plate portion 71 is located at a position 30 ° before the bottom of the valley portion 62b, and the plate portion 71 is located at The force to return to the bottom acts and the flap 1 generates a torque to further close.

In the section from "A" to "B" where the flap 1 is to be opened, the plate portion 71 slides 30 degrees before the bottom of the valley portion 62b. The plate portion 71 is a valley portion 62b against rotation.
The flap 1 acts to return to the closed state. Therefore, in order to open the flap 1, it is necessary to apply a torque greater than the torque to be returned and open it.

In the state "B" in which the flap 1 is slightly opened, that is, in the state shown in FIG. 14B, the apex of the peak 62a is in contact with the plate 71, so that the flap 1 is in a stable state and torque is generated in the flap 1. Without being stationary.

In the section from "B" to "C" of the flap 1, the plate portion 71 slides on the bottom of the valley portion 62b from the vertex of the peak portion 62a. The force to be reached acts, and the flap 1 rotates to the point "C" without applying external force.

In the state at the point "C", that is, in the state shown in FIG. 14C, the bottom of the valley 62b and the plate 71 are in contact with each other. ing.

In the section from “C” to “D” of the flap 1, the plate portion 71 slides at a position 30 ° ahead of the bottom of the valley portion 62 b toward the ridge portion 62 a. The returning force acts, and the flap 1 generates a torque returning to “C”, and returns and stabilizes.

[0021]

According to such a conventional hinge structure, as shown in FIG. 12 which is a front view of a main portion of the cam-shaped portion 62, and FIG. The two pairs of the ridges 62a and the valleys 62b are arranged so as to face each other by 180 °, and the ridges 62a and the valleys 62b are arranged with a phase difference of 90 °. The torque from the peak and the valley to the valley is the same.
This means that the torque between AB, BC, and CD becomes the same in the flap operation.

At the point "C" where the flap is open, the state at 150 degrees from the state where the flap is closed "A" does not become a hindrance in use and it is easy to talk. If 150 ° is secured, it is necessary to raise the flap by 60 ° or more to open the flap.

Considering the operation of the flap, the larger the pretension applied when the flap is closed, the more difficult it is to open when vibration or impact is applied, which is convenient.

Further, it is easier to operate the section where the flap is lifted by raising the flap at a small angle. Further, when the flap is opened and some external pressure is applied to the flap and the section from C to D which comes into contact with the stopper is repelled with a high torque, the external pressure applied to the stopper can be reduced, and the telephone is hardly damaged.

Further, the plate portion 71 is structurally a cam-shaped portion 62.
In many cases, the surface was in contact with the cam surface at a point, and the surface was quickly deformed due to abrasion, and had poor durability. In addition, the hinge unit has a large number of parts such as five parts, and there is also a problem that parts costs and assembly costs are increased. In view of these points, the conventional hinge structure is far from satisfactory.

The present invention solves such a problem. When the flap is closed, the flap is urged with a strong torque. When the flap is opened, the flap is opened at a small rotation angle. To make it rebound, and it is durable and has few parts.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive hinge unit suitable for mobile phones, PHSs, and the like.

[0027]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a hinge unit is provided on two members which rotate relatively with each other on a device side and a flap side. The two cam-shaped portions are pressed against each other by a coil spring, and the cam shapes of the two cam-shaped members have an inclination characteristic with respect to the angle from the base line in the opposed state. They were identical to each other.

In the preceding paragraph, each of the two cam-shaped portions has a peak portion at an interval of 180 degrees and a valley portion also at an interval of 180 degrees, and the peak portion and the valley have a phase difference angle smaller than 90 degrees. The slope between the peak and the valley is gradually and steeply provided with two slopes adjacent to each other.

Further, in the preceding paragraphs, each of the two cam-shaped portions has a crest at 180 ° intervals and a valley at 180 ° intervals, and the crests and valleys are substantially 60
And a slope between the peaks and the valleys. The two slopes are provided adjacent to each other. By incorporating the above-described cam in the hinge, the flap can be easily opened and closed, is less likely to be damaged, and is durable.

Further, in the above-mentioned solution, the two members that rotate together with the device side and the side of the flap or the like and the coil spring are housed in a single housing. The member is restricted from rotating in the housing but is allowed to slide in the axial direction. The second member is rotatable but restricted from sliding in the axial direction. The housing is provided with means for attaching to the side of the flap or the like or the device side, so that the hinge is easily assembled and incorporated as a unit.

Further, in the above-mentioned solution, the housing is a substantially rectangular tube having a bottom and provided with a small ridge along the edge on the inner surface side of the opening side edge, while being rotatable in the housing. The second member has a brim portion having a diameter slightly larger than the inscribed circle of the ridge to prevent escape after assembly, thereby eliminating the need for a cover.

[0032]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a hinge unit in which cam-shaped portions each having an annular inclined surface are provided on two members which relatively rotate together with the device side and the flap side, respectively. The two cam-shaped portions are pressed against each other by a coil spring, and the cam shapes of the two cam-shaped members have the same inclination characteristics with respect to the angle from the base line in the opposed state. .

Then, the two cam-shaped portions are rotated 360
In the middle, two peaks are formed every 180 degrees, and two valleys are formed every 180 degrees. Since the adjacent peaks and valleys are formed with a phase difference angle smaller than 90 degrees,
A cam surface of two cycles in which a cam surface having a gentle inclination and a cam surface having a steep inclination are adjacent to each other during one round is provided. As the phase difference angle is smaller than 90 degrees, the slope on the steep slope side becomes steeper,
Although it is set according to the application, for example, in the case of a setting near 60 degrees, a suitable one for opening and closing the flap of the mobile phone is obtained.

The two members that rotate together with the device side, the flaps and the like, and the coil spring are housed in a single housing to form a unit. Since it is not necessary for both of the two cam-shaped portions to be pressed against each other to rotate,
Of the two members, a first member (a cam in an embodiment described later) is restricted from rotating in the housing, but is allowed to slide in the axial direction, and a second member (a cam in the embodiment described later, The actuator can rotate, but is restricted from sliding in the axial direction. Then, as respective attachment means to the device and the side of the flap or the like, the housing that rotates together with the first member is formed in a square shape, and a part of the second member is formed in a square shape,
Attach it to either the device or the flap side.

A second member (actuator in an embodiment to be described later) which has a small ridge along the edge on the inner surface side of the opening edge of the housing and which is rotatable inside the housing is provided. A flange having a diameter slightly larger than the inscribed circle of the ridge is provided to prevent escape after assembly. This makes it possible to omit the cover member that was conventionally required.

[0036]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view at the time of assembly. The same parts as those in the above-described conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals for the sake of simplicity, but the parts having the same structure and the same description will be omitted. The flap 1 has a structure in which a rotation shaft 12 is engaged with the lower end of the telephone main body 2 so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range, as in the related art.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a housing, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. One end face of the housing has a storage recess 48 for storing the coil spring 50, the cam 60, and the actuator 70, and the other end face is closed. The storage recess 48 is a space of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and grooves 45 are formed on the inner surface 4 of the recess 4 in the depth direction. The groove 45 is formed up to the innermost part except for the convex part 46 of about 1 mm from the opening end face of the storage concave part 48 (see the sectional view of FIG. 4). Further, as can be understood from a cross section orthogonal to the depth direction of the storage recess 48, four corners of a substantially square are respectively dropped to form a C plane.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a coil spring which is a tapered spring, and the outer peripheral dimension of the spring is set slightly smaller than the minimum dimension of the storage recess 48. The reason for using a tapered spring is to reduce the size of the hinge unit.
When compressed, the winding diameters are prevented from sticking together.

Reference numeral 60 denotes a cam having a square base portion 66 at one end, a rotary shaft 67 for fitting to an actuator described later on the other end, and an annular base around the root of the rotary shaft 67. The cam-shaped portion 63 is integrally formed so as to be continuous on a surface connecting the peak portion 63a and the valley portion 63b.
The base portion 66 has a C-shape formed by dropping squares at four corners. When the base portion 66 is fitted into the storage recess 48 of the housing 40, the rotation is restricted but slides in the depth direction. Possible shape.

Reference numeral 70 denotes an actuator, which has a bearing recess 75 for rotatably fitting the rotation shaft 67 of the cam 60 on a surface facing the cam 60 with a center disc-shaped collar 72 as a boundary (see FIG. 4). A cam-shaped portion 76 facing the cam-shaped portion 63 of the cam 60 is provided therearound. The cam-shaped portion 76 is
a and the valley portion 76b are continuous with a smooth surface. On the opposite surface of the actuator 70, a convex portion 73 having a quadrangular cross section which is press-fitted into the rotary concave portion 11 of the flap 1.
Are integrally formed.

The assembly of the hinge unit 30 according to the present invention constituted by such components will be described. Insert the coil spring 50 into the storage recess 48 of the housing 40,
The cam 60 is inserted from above. Subsequently, the actuator 70 is inserted so that the rotating shaft 67 and the bearing recess 75 are fitted while compressing the coil spring 50. The tip of the coil spring 50 is a concave seat 60 provided on the end face of the cam 60.
The work is easy because it fits into the a (see FIG. 4).

The outer diameter of the brim portion 72 of the actuator 70 is 0.1 mm larger than the diameter of the inscribed circle of the housing recess 48 of the housing 40.
Although set to be small by about 5 mm, the flange 72 cannot be inserted as it is because the convex portion 46 on the opening side of the storage concave portion 48 becomes an obstacle, so that the flange portion 72 is fitted with an increased load. Since the housing 40 and the actuator 70 are processed by injection molding using a plastic material having good slidability and elasticity, the storage recess 48 expands outward when fitted with a load to accommodate the actuator 70. And then return to its original form.

The function of fixing such parts is
0, the cover conventionally provided for fixing parts can be omitted.

The hinge unit 30 thus assembled
In the above, the cam 6 is operated by the action of the coil spring 50.
0 is forcibly brought into contact with the actuator 70. Also,
The base portion 66 of the cam 60 is housed in the housing recess 4 of the housing 40.
8, the rotation is restricted but slidable in the depth direction, and the actuator 70 has a disk-shaped collar 72 rotatable in the storage recess 48. The sliding is restricted to only one direction by the convex portion 46 at the opening end of the opening.

Next, the operation of the cam of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a front view of a main part of the cam-shaped portion 63 on the cam 60 side, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the same. As shown in both figures, a pair of two pairs of ridges 63a and valleys 63b that are disposed to face each other are disposed 180 ° to face each other, and the ridges 63a and the valleys 63b are out of phase by 60 °. The two ridges and two valleys have the same height and depth. Therefore, the surface 68 from the valley 63b to the peak 63a is a steep slope, and the surface 69 from the peak 63a to the valley 63b is a gentle slope (FIG. 5). As described above, since the heights of the peaks are the same, the steep slope 68 has a large rate of change per unit rotation angle, and the gentle slope 69 has a small rate of change per unit rotation angle. That is, when the cam surface is rotated at the same rotation angle with respect to the member pressed against the cam surface, a steep inclination can set a higher torque.

Although the above-described cam has been described on the cam 60 side, the same applies to the cam-shaped portion 76 provided on the actuator 70 side.
And the cam-shaped portion 76 of the actuator 70 have opposite directions and are arranged to face each other.

The hinge unit 30 is inserted into a hole 21 at the lower end of the telephone body 2 for accommodating the hinge unit 30.
Fit into and assemble. The housing 40, the coil spring 50, and the cam 60 are integrated with the telephone body 2 in the rotation direction. On the other hand, the projections 73 of the actuator 70 correspond to the recesses 11 for storing the hinge unit of the flap 1.
Are fitted, and both are integrated in the rotation direction. That is, when the flap 1 is operated in a certain rotational direction, the cam-shaped portion 63 of the cam 60 (from the peak 63a to the valley 6
3b) and the cam-shaped portion 76 of the actuator 70 (continuous surface from the peak 76a to the valley 76b), and a torque is generated.

The operation of the cam will be described in connection with the operation of the flap of the telephone. FIG. 3 shows a side view of a part of the flap 1 with a plurality of states of the flap inscribed so that the operation of the flap can be understood. Also, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the flap 1 described in FIG.
3 shows the change in the state of the hinge unit 30 corresponding to the change in the state of A, B, C, and D.

FIG. 8 shows a cam-shaped portion 63 of the cam 60.
And the cam-shaped portion 76 of the actuator 70 are developed in a plane while being compared with each other. (A) is a cam-shaped portion 76 on the actuator 70 side that rotates with the flap, and (B) is a phone body side. 7 shows a cam-shaped portion 63 on the cam portion 60 side fixed to.

FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C show the cam-shaped portion 63 of the cam 60 (continuous surface from the peak 63a to the valley 63b) and the cam-shaped portion 76 of the actuator 70.
(A continuous surface from the ridge 76a to the valley 76b) is opposed to each other, and each state is a development view.

The state of "A" in FIG. 3 in which the flap 1 is closed and accommodated in the telephone, FIGS. 7A and 9B
In the state (1), there is a peak 76a at a point closer to the peak 63a by 30 ° from the bottom of the trough 63b, and a force is applied to the actuator 70 to return to the bottom of the trough 63b, so that the flap 1 is further closed. Occurs, and the flap 1 is stable in the closed state.

The section from "A" to "B" where the flap 1 is to be opened starts from a position shifted by 30 degrees from the bottom of the valley 63b and goes along the steeply inclined surface toward the ridge 63a.
6a slides. Actuator 70 is acted on by force trying to return to valley 63b against rotation, and flap 1 is acted upon by force to return to the closed state. Therefore, in order to open the flap 1, it is necessary to open the flap 1 by applying a torque equal to or greater than the torque to be returned. If the opening hand is released halfway, the flap 1 turns in the direction of the arrow + in FIG. 3 and returns to the state of "A".

The state of "B" with the flap 1 opened, FIG.
In the state of (B), FIG. 7 (B), and FIG. 9 (C), since the peak of the peak 63a is in contact with the peak 76a, no torque is generated in the flap 1 and the flap 1 is stationary. If this point is exceeded even slightly, it will be forced to rotate in either direction. In other words, it is sufficient to rotate the flap 1 at least to this point for the telephone operation.

In the section "B" to "C" in FIG. 3 where the flap 1 is to be further opened, the peak 76a slides on the gentle slope from the top of the peak 63a to the valley 63b. 76a is accelerated, and a force for quickly reaching the valley portion 63b acts, so that the flap 1 turns in the direction of the arrow without applying an external force, and turns to the point "C".

The state at the point "C", the state in FIG.
9 (A) and the state of FIG. 9 (A), the bottom of the valley 63b is in contact with the peak 76a, so that the flap 1 is in a stable state and does not generate torque, and is stationary.

In the section from “C” to “D” of the flap 1 in FIG. 3, the crest 76a slides at a position 30 ° ahead of the crest 63a from the bottom of the trough 63b. The force to return to the valley 63b works, and the flap 1 has "C"
A torque that returns to the state is generated, and returns and stabilizes. Therefore, even if some external pressure is applied to the flap 1, a torque is generated in the flap 1 to return to the “C” state.

In the case of the conventional cam structure, as described earlier with reference to FIG. 12, the two peaks are arranged 180 degrees opposite each other, and the valleys and the peaks are arranged with a phase difference of 90 °. ,
In such a cam, the turning torque is the same regardless of whether the cam is turned in either direction of the arrow + or-at the points "B" and "C" in FIG.

However, in the cam structure of the present invention, the peaks and valleys are arranged 180 ° opposite each other.
Since they are arranged with a phase difference of 0 °, the arrow + direction, ie, the returning torque is high, the arrow − direction, ie, the traveling torque is low at the point “B” in FIG. 3, and the arrow at the point “C” in FIG. The negative direction, ie, the forward torque, is high, and the arrow + direction, ie, the return torque, is low.

With such a configuration,
The angle from the point "A" to the point "B", that is, the minimum angle that must be raised when operating the flap 1, can be reduced, and the torque at the point "A", that is, the torque in the closed state can be reduced. In addition, the pretension in a state where the flap not using the telephone is closed can be increased, and the flap does not easily open even when external pressure such as vibration or impact is applied. Further, at the point "C" in the talking state, even if some external pressure is applied, the moving torque up to the point "D" is high, so that the lock mechanism between the telephone and the flap can be made hard to be damaged at the point "D". .

In the above embodiment, the outer shape of the housing is square, but if the housing is not idling,
There is no problem in any form. Similarly, the projection of the actuator may have another shape. In addition, the housing side is attached to the telephone body and the actuator side is attached to the flap. However, even if it is reversed, there is no problem as long as the relationship between the rotation angle and the cam is maintained. Needless to say, the angle of the concave portion is set in consideration of the open angle position of the flap or the like.

In the above embodiments, the use of the hinge unit of the present invention has been described as a portable telephone. However, the hinge unit of the present invention can be widely used for a small electronic device having a lid-like opening / closing body such as an electronic notebook or a small personal computer. Can be.

[0062]

As described above, according to the hinge unit of the present invention, the flap or the like which rotates and opens and closes with respect to the main body of the device urges the flap to the closing side with a strong torque in the closed state and opens. In operation, the flap is opened lightly at a small rotation angle, so that it is easy to use. Further, when the flap is further rotated than the open angle in the use state, a large torque is generated and rebounds, so that damage can be prevented.

In the cam structure, the cams having the same shape are opposed to each other on both the fixed side and the rotating side. Therefore, the cam structure has more durability than the conventional plate-shaped movable piece that slides on the cam surface. It was obtained.

Further, since a locking structure for preventing the actuator from coming out of the housing is provided on both sides, a conventional cover is not required, the number of parts can be reduced, the assembly can be simplified, and the cost can be reflected on the cost. As described above, a hinge unit suitable for a mobile phone, a PHS, or the like can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a mobile phone.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a flap portion using the hinge unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a cam portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cam portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D are side views showing an operation state of one embodiment of the present invention.

8A and 8B are development views of a cam according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are developed views showing operating states of the cam according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a flap portion using a conventional hinge unit.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional hinge unit.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a cam portion of a conventional hinge unit.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a cam portion of a conventional hinge unit.

14 (A), (B), (C), and (D) are side views showing operating states of a conventional hinge unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 flap 2 telephone body 30 hinge unit 40 housing 46 ridge 50 coil spring 60 cam (first member) 63 cam-shaped portion 63a mountain portion 63b valley portion 70 actuator (second member) 72 rim portion 76 cam-shaped portion 76a Yamabe 76b Tanibe

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kenshi Takamura 1025 Yabe-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Tokai Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd. Yokohama Plant F-term (reference) 3J105 AA04 AB02 AB13 AB46 AB48 AB49 AC07 AC10 DA13 DA23 5K023 AA07 BB04 BB11 BB26 DD08 MM03 RR09 5K067 AA34 AA35 AA42 BB03 BB04 BB08 EE02 KK17

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A hinge unit used as a rotating shaft between a device and a flap or the like covering the surface thereof, wherein two members are relatively rotated with each of the device side and the flap or the like. The two cam-shaped portions are provided with a cam-shaped portion having an annular inclined surface, and the two cam-shaped portions are pressed against each other by a coil spring, and the cam shapes of the two cam-shaped members are opposed to each other from a base line. A hinge unit, wherein inclination characteristics with respect to an angle are the same. 2. The two cam-shaped portions are each 180 °
The ridges and the valleys are also provided with a phase difference angle of less than 90 °, and the slope between the ridges and the valleys is gradually and steeply. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slope is provided adjacently.
2. The hinge unit according to 1. 3. The two cam-shaped portions are each 180 °
The ridges and the valleys are provided with a phase difference angle of approximately 60 °, and the slope between the ridges and the valleys is gradually and gradually increased. The hinge unit according to claim 1, wherein two hinges are provided adjacent to each other. 4. A coil spring is accommodated in one housing, and two members that rotate together with the device side and the side of the flap or the like are housed in one housing. The movement is restricted but sliding in the axial direction is possible, and the second member is rotatable but restricted in the sliding in the axial direction and has an attachment means on the side of the device or flap, 4. The hinge unit according to claim 1, wherein said housing is provided with means for attaching to a side such as a flap or a device side. 5. The housing is in the form of a substantially rectangular tube with a bottom and has minute projections along the edge on the inner surface side of the opening side edge. On the other hand, the second member rotatable inside the housing includes: The hinge unit according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, further comprising a flange portion having a diameter slightly larger than an inscribed circle of the projection to prevent escape after assembly.