JP2003294026A - Hinge unit and portable information device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge unit capable of miniaturizing and a portable information device with a high handling property provided with the hinge unit. <P>SOLUTION: The hinge unit 4 comprises: a fixing portion 6 fixed on one of connecting portions 2a and 3a, in which a body 2 and cover body 3 are connected together in a folding-free state by means of the connecting portions 2a and 3a; a moving portion 7 which is rotatably arranged on a shaft of the fixing portion 6, is movable to other connecting portion at an axial direction, and is arranged by being fixed to a peripheral direction; an urging means for urging the body 2 and cover body 3 to an unfolding direction, and also urging the moving portion 4 and fixing portion 6 to an axial direction so as to separate each other; and a lock means for fixing the body 2 and cover body 3 in a folded state and being releasable by pressing the moving portion 7 against urging force of the urging means. The lock means is fixed by a fully closed position in a folded state of the body 2 and cover body 3, a fully opened position, and an intermediate unfolding position in the middle of them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hinge for connecting a main body and a lid so that they can be expanded and folded, and more particularly,
Cell phone, PHS, PD that can be folded with one touch when not in use
The present invention relates to a hinge device most suitable for portable information devices such as A, an electronic notebook, and an electronic dictionary.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Items such as a transmitter and a receiver of a mobile phone, which is one of portable information devices, in which a main body and a lid are unfoldably and foldably connected by a hinge are known. . In recent years, as such an article, an article on which the main body and the lid are kept in a folded state when not in use and can be deployed by one-touch operation when in use has been put on the market.

As a hinge suitable for such an article, by consolidating a function of maintaining a folded state and a function of unfolding by one-touch operation on one shaft portion, a pop-up which is easy to manufacture and is small in size is formed. A hinge has already been proposed by the inventor of the present invention (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 200-200200).
0-161336).

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the pop-up hinge. FIG. 7A shows the folded state or the fully opened fully opened state, and FIG. 7B shows the state at the time of the unfolding operation.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 41 denotes a substantially columnar pop-up hinge, which has a cylinder portion 43 fixed to a cylinder body 42 provided on one of the main body and the lid, and a cylinder body 44 provided on the other side. The button portion 45 is circumferentially locked so as to be movable in any direction.

The button portion 45 is composed of a pressing portion 46 having a side surface 46a and a shaft portion 47 projecting from the pressing portion 46. The shaft portion 47 is internally formed from a free hole 48 of one end portion 43a of the cylinder portion 43. Has been inserted into. Further, the side surface 46a has a key groove 49 extending in the axial direction, and when the key 50 in the tubular body 44 is locked in the key groove 49, the button portion 45 can be moved in the axial direction in the tubular body 44. It is locked in such a state that it cannot rotate in the circumferential direction.

The cylinder portion 43 has an end portion 43a having a through hole 48 into which the shaft portion 47 is inserted, and a cylindrical casing 43b having a hollow portion 51 inside and fixed to the cylindrical body 42. is doing. The hollow portion 51 includes a shaft portion 47, a circumferential direction, and a pressing portion 46.
Uneven portion 5 which is locked in the direction of
2, a cam 54 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the cam 2, and the cam 54 and the cylindrical housing 4
Torsion coil spring 5 that can be pressed against the rear end portion 43c of 3
5 and 5 are arranged. The cam 54 and the concavo-convex portion 52 are adapted to be locked to each other when the main body and the lid are in a folded state or in a fully opened fully opened state.

Here, since the cam 54 is biased toward the pressing portion 46 by the torsion coil spring 55 which can be pressed, the cam 54 and the uneven portion 52 are maintained in the locked state at the locking position, and The button portion 45 is maintained in a protruding state from the cylindrical body 44 via the cam 54.
Further, since the cam 54 is also urged in the circumferential direction by the torsion coil spring 55, the button portion 45 is moved to the cylinder portion 43.
When moved to the side, the cam 54 moves to release the locked state between the uneven portion 52 and the cam 54, and the circumferential biasing force of the torsion coil spring 55 is transmitted to the shaft portion 47 of the button portion 45 via the cam 54. It is like this.

The pop-up hinge 41 having such a structure
According to this, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the main body and the lid are folded, the concave-convex portion 52 and the cam 54 are locked,
The relative positions of the cylinder part 43 and the button part 45 are fixed, and the main body and the lid can be maintained in the folded state. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the pressing portion 46 of the button portion 54 is axially pressed during use, the engagement state between the concave-convex portion 52 and the cam 54 is released, so that the cylinder portion 4
Rotational force is applied to 3 and the button portion 45, so that the main body and the lid can be expanded. Further, when fully deployed, the concave-convex portion 52 and the cam 54 are locked again, the cylinder portion 43 and the button portion 45 are fixed, and the main body and the lid body are maintained in a fully deployed fully opened state. You can

[0010]

However, since the pop-up hinge configured as described above is added in addition to the original function of an article such as a mobile phone, the pop-up hinge is generally used for reasons of manufacturing and design. However, in the conventional pop-up hinge 41 as described above, in order to facilitate the pressing operation, the pop-up hinges 41 to 44 are connected to the main body or the lid body from the cylindrical bodies 42 and 44 to the button portion. It is necessary to project 45, and at the same time, the cylindrical body 42,
In order to reliably transmit the circumferential force to the button 44, the button portion 45
It is necessary to provide a sufficient engaging portion with the cylinders 42 and 44, and the pressing portion 46 of the button portion 45 becomes thicker, while the cylinder portion 43 must accommodate various members. However, there is a problem that there is a limit to miniaturization.

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge device which can be further miniaturized, and a portable information device having the hinge device and having high operability.

[0012]

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is such that the main body and the lid are foldably connected by a connecting portion, and either one of the connecting portions is foldable. And a fixed part fixed to the connecting part, and a movable part that is rotatable and coaxially provided on the fixed part, is axially movable to the other connecting part, and is locked in the circumferential direction. Department,
In a state in which the main body and the lid body are folded, the urging means for urging the main body and the lid body in the developing direction, and the urging means for urging the movable portion in the axial direction away from the fixed portion In a hinge device provided with a locking means that is locked and can be released by pressing the movable portion against the urging force of the urging means, the locking means includes a body and a lid folded. The fully closed position, the most fully opened position, and the intermediate deployed position, which is an intermediate position between them, are engaged, and the movable part is pressed at the fully closed position or the lid is opened and expanded. Then, the locked state of the locking means is released, the lid is expanded to the fully open position, and the locking means is engaged by pressing the movable portion or stopping the expansion of the lid at the fully open position. How to fold the lid from the fully open position with the lid stopped Moving the lock means to release the locking state of the locking means, the locking means is locked at the intermediate deployed position to stop the lid body, and when the lid body is folded from the intermediate deployed position, the locked state of the locking means is released. It is characterized in that the locking means is engaged and the folding is completed at the fully closed position after being released.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, the movable portion has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the urging means and the locking means are provided in a hollow portion inside the cylindrical shape. And a part of the movable portion is rotatably inserted into one of the connecting portions to which the fixed portion is fixed, in a state of being movable in the axial direction.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In addition to the configuration described in (1), the fixing portion includes a base portion that can be fixed to the one coupling portion and a shaft portion that projects from the base portion, and the movable portion locks with the other coupling portion. A cylinder portion having a side surface provided with a stopper portion, one end surface provided with a through hole of the shaft portion, and the other end surface serving as a pressing portion, wherein the biasing means is provided on the other end surface side of the cylinder portion and the shaft portion. It is characterized in that it is a pressable torsion coil spring locked to and.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure according to the third aspect, the locking means includes an uneven portion provided inside one end surface of the cylinder portion, and the shaft portion in the cylinder portion. It is characterized in that it is provided with a cam which is engaged with and which can be engaged with and disengaged from the concavo-convex portion, and the torsion coil spring is in contact with the back surface of the cam.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the fourth aspect, a guide portion that can come into contact with the inner periphery of the cylinder portion is provided on the outer periphery of the cam, and the guide portion is in contact with the inner periphery of the cylinder portion. It is characterized in that it has a relief portion that does not move.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claims 3 to 5.
In addition to the configuration of any one of,
In addition to the torsion coil spring, a compression coil spring is inserted inside the torsion coil spring to strengthen the urging force that separates the movable portion from the fixed portion in the axial direction.

The invention described in claim 7 is the invention according to claims 1 to 6.
In addition to any one of the above configurations, the base portion of the fixing portion has an engagement protrusion that engages and is fixed to the connecting portion of either the main body or the lid, and the engagement protrusion has the engagement protrusion. The invention according to claim 8 has a groove that divides the compound protrusion in the circumferential direction,
It is a portable information equipment provided with the hinge device as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7, Comprising: The said intermediate | middle deployment position is a fixed angle with which the deployment angle of the said main body and lid body is specified in the range of 110-130 degrees. It is characterized by being.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the hinge device 4 according to the present invention is applied to a mobile phone 1, and a transmitter unit 2 as a main body and a receiver unit 3 as a lid are transmitted. Connecting parts 2a and 2b of the part 2 and connecting parts 3a and 3b of the receiving part 3
The hinge device 4 and the auxiliary hinge 5 are attached to and connected to and.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the hinge device 4 is inserted into the fixing portion 6 fixed to the concave portion 3d having the engaging hole 3c of the connecting portion 3a and the through hole 2c of the connecting portion 2a. And a movable portion 7 which is rotatable with respect to the fixed portion 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fixed portion 6 has a base portion 8
The shaft portion 9 protruding from one side of the base portion 8 and the engaging projection 10 protruding from the other side are integrally formed. The side surface 8a of the base portion 8 is provided with a key groove 8b which is circumferentially engaged with the key 3e in the recess 3d. The engaging projection 10 has a claw 10a axially engaged with the engaging hole 3c.
Is provided.

Further, the engaging projection 10 has a groove 10b which divides the engaging projection 10 in the circumferential direction, and a key member 3f fitted in the groove 10b is provided in the engaging hole 3c. .

This is because when the hinge device 4 in which the fixed portion 6 and the movable portion 7 are assembled is incorporated in the connecting portions 2a and 3a,
An axial force generated by a resistance force when the engaging protrusion 10 passes through the engaging hole 3c of the connecting portion 3a works in a direction to move the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 described later away from the uneven portion 17 of the cylinder 14, and the fixing portion. Since a force is generated that shifts the relative positional relationship between the movable portion 7 and the movable portion 7 in the circumferential direction, the fixed portion 6 is opposed to this force without changing the relative positional relation between the fixed portion 6 and the movable portion 7 in the circumferential direction. This is for facilitating the work of attaching the to the connecting portion 3a.

That is, when the engaging projection 10 of the fixed portion 6 is inserted into the engaging hole 3c of the connecting portion 3a, the key 3 of the connecting portion 3a is inserted.
By pushing the key groove 8b of the base portion 8 toward e, the groove 10b is formed in the key member 3f of the engagement hole 3c while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the fixed portion 6 and the movable portion 7 in the circumferential direction. Since the fixed portion 6 can be moved forward while being fitted and the relative positional relationship between the fixed portion 6 and the movable portion 7 in the circumferential direction being kept constant, the claw 10a of the engaging protrusion 10 is engaged after passing through the engaging hole 3c. The hinge device 4 is connected to the connecting portion 3a by elastically restoring the mating protrusion 10.
Can be easily incorporated into.

The movable portion 7 has a hollow portion 11 and one end portion thereof serves as one end surface 12 provided with a through hole 12a for the shaft portion 9,
A cylinder 14 having the other end as an opening end 13, a metal end cap 15 capable of covering the opening end 13 of the cylinder 14, and a pressing prepared cap 16 covering the outside of the end cap 15. ing.

The side surface 14a of the cylinder 14 has a through hole 2
A key 14b is provided which is circumferentially engaged with the key groove 2d of c, whereby the cylinder 14 is axially locked in the through hole 2c in the axially movable state. In addition, around the opening end 13 of the cylinder 14 and the end cap 15, the engaging claws 13 a and the notches 15 that mesh with each other are provided.
b is provided, and the locking claw 13a and the cutout portion 15b are engaged with each other to secure the strength, and the shape can be maintained against the stress applied from the pressure-preparing design cap 16 during the operation.

In the hollow portion 11 of the cylinder 14, an uneven portion 17 is provided inside the one end surface 12, and the shaft portion 9 of the fixing portion 6 inserted from the free hole 12a of the one end surface 12 is provided.
Is arranged, and further, the engaging portion 18 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the uneven portion 17
A cam 18 that constitutes a locking means composed of a and a pressable torsion coil spring 19 as a biasing means are housed.

The shaft portion 9 in the hollow portion 11 is provided with a groove 9a extending in the axial direction and a slit portion 9b in a central portion in a direction different from the groove 9a. The slit portion 9b is provided in the groove 9a and the groove 9a. The annular cam 18 is engaged with the shaft portion 9 in a non-separable state by the protrusion 9c. An inwardly projecting portion 18b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cam 18, and the cam 18 engages with the groove 9a of the shaft portion 9 and cannot rotate. Further, one end of the torsion coil spring 19 is circumferentially locked to the slit portion 9b of the shaft portion 9 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and one end portion side of the torsion coil spring 19 contacts the back surface 18c of the cam 18. It is touched. The other end of the torsion coil spring 19 is locked by a cut-and-raised locking piece 15c provided on the end cap 15 so that the torsion coil spring 19 is prevented from rotating.

Since the pressable torsion coil spring 19 arranged in this manner first contacts the back surface 18c of the cam 18, it biases the cam 18 in the direction in which it is locked to the concave-convex portion 17, and at the same time, the cam 18 is pressed. A part of the movable part 7 is separated from the fixed part 6 in the axial direction via the connecting part 2 a of the transmitter part 2.
It is urged to project from.

Further, since the torsion coil spring 19 is circumferentially locked between the slit portion 9b of the shaft portion 9 and the end cap 15 of the cylinder 14, it is possible to rotate the cylinder 14 relative to the fixed portion 6. Is also urged.

In the hinge device 4 as described above, the movable part 7
The cylinder 14 is linked with the transmitter 2 by the key groove 2d and the key 14b. On the other hand, the fixed portion 6 is interlocked with the earpiece 3 by the key 3e and the key groove 8b, and further interlocked with the cam 18 by the groove 9a of the shaft portion 9.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the concavo-convex portion provided inside the one end surface of the cylinder as seen from the open end of the cylinder.
FIG. 6 is a development view of an uneven portion provided on one end surface of the cylinder.

The engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 is adapted to engage with the concave portion 17a of the uneven portion 17, and the engaging portion 18b.
Since a pair of cams is provided at a point symmetrical position with respect to the center of the cam 18, one end face 12 of the cylinder 14 is correspondingly provided.
Has a pair of concave portions 17 at a point symmetrical position with respect to the center thereof.
a and 17a are provided. In addition, the pair of recesses 1
120 in the rotational direction of the cam 18 with reference to 7a and 17a.
A pair of concave portions 17b, 17b having a phase of degrees are provided. The pair of recesses 17a, 17a serving as a reference and the recesses 17b, 17b having a phase of 120 degrees may have the same bottom surface height. In addition, the rising portion 18d of the locking portion 18b of the cam 18 is formed so that a sloped surface is formed so that the engagement and disengagement with the uneven portion 17 can be smoothly performed. Corresponding slopes are also formed in the rising portions 17c between the pair of recesses 17b and 17b having the phase of. Locking part 1 of cam 18
8b rising portion 18d and cylinder 14 recess 17
The rising portions 17c of a and 17b have a steep slope on the side where they come into contact when the earpiece 3 as the lid is unfolded, and a gentle slope at the side where they come into contact when the earpiece 3 as the lid is folded. I am trying.

Therefore, the recesses 17a, 1 of the cylinder 14 are
7b and the locking portion 18b of the cam 18 are completely locked, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 2 are firmly fixed, and the recesses 17a and 17b of the cylinder 14 move the locking portion 18b of the cam 18 from the recess 17a. When separated and released, the receiving section 3 and the transmitting section 2 can be expanded or folded.

Therefore, the fully closed position (reference position) in a state where the transmitter unit 2 as the main body and the receiver unit 3 as the lid are folded, the fully opened position where the receiver unit 3 is fully expanded, and an intermediate position therebetween. It is set so that it can be locked at an intermediate deployed position (a position having a phase of 120 degrees from the reference position in the rotation direction in the embodiment) corresponding to the above.

In the mobile phone 1, recently, since the screen 30 such as a color liquid crystal is incorporated in the receiver 3 which is a lid, the transmitter 2 which is a main body is covered with a lid. Since the weight of the earpiece 3 is large, the urging force of the torsion coil spring 19 for unfolding the earpiece 3 must be increased, and accordingly, the locking force of the locking means in each locked state is also increased. It must be done. Therefore, in order to increase the locking force of the locking means, the concave portion 17 of the uneven portion 17
Although it can be obtained by strengthening the pressing force of the engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 against the a and 17b, the urging force and the movable portion 7 for expanding the receiving portion 3 with respect to the transmitting portion 2 in the demand for miniaturization. There is a limit to the design of the torsion coil spring 19 for simultaneously increasing the urging force for axially separating the fixed portion 6 from the fixed portion 6. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the compression coil spring 20 is included in the torsion coil spring 19.
Is inserted to reinforce the pressing force of the engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 against the concave portions 17a and 17b of the concave-convex portion 17, so that the required locking force of the locking means can be obtained.
This facilitates the design of the torsion coil spring 19.

Further, by repeatedly expanding and folding the transmitter unit 2 as the main body and the receiver unit 3 as the lid, the uneven portion 17 as the locking means and the engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 are provided.
The cam 18 moves axially on the shaft portion 9 of the fixed portion 6 and the cylinder 14
It will move in the axial direction. At this time, the cam 18
Since the guide portion 18e that can come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder 14 and the escape portion 18f that does not come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder 14 are provided on the outer circumference of the cam 18, the cam 18 moves around the inside of the cylinder 14 at that circumference. Cylinder 1 moving in the axial and axial directions
Even if the inner circumference of 4 is worn away, the shavings of the cylinder 14 that have been scraped off are easily discharged from the escape portion 18f, so that the movement of the cam 18 is not hindered. This ensures durability that maintains sufficient performance even during long-term use.

Next, the structure of the auxiliary hinge 5 will be described.

The auxiliary hinge 5 is used as a pair with the hinge device 4, and is used to rotatably combine the transmitter unit 2 as the main body and the receiver unit 3 as the lid with the connecting portions 2b and 3b as the centers. It is a hinge and does not have any mechanism for expanding and folding the reception section 3 with respect to the transmission section 2 in the mobile phone 1 like the hinge device 4.

To use the mobile phone 1 using the hinge device 4 and the auxiliary hinge 5 as described above, first, the transmitter 2 is used.
In the fully closed position where the earphone and the earpiece 3 are folded, the uneven portion 17 of the one end surface 12 of the cylinder 14 of the hinge device 4 and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 are locked, so that the folded state is Can be maintained.

Therefore, the ready-made cap 1 is prepared for pressing at the fully closed position.
When the finger 6 is pressed and the movable portion 7 is continuously pressed inward, the concave and convex portions 17 as the locking means and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 are released from the locked state, and thus the earpiece 3 as the lid body. Is deployed, and at the fully open position (position at which the deployment angle is 180 degrees in the embodiment), the concave-convex portion 17 as the locking means and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 are locked, and the earpiece 3 as the lid is stopped. . That is, when the pressure-applying design cap 16 of the movable portion 7 is axially pressed against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 19 capable of pressing, the one end surface 12 of the cylinder 14 of the hinge device 4 is pressed.
The engagement between the concavo-convex portion 17 and the engagement portion 18a of the cam 18 is released, whereby the urging force of the torsion coil spring 19 in the circumferential direction causes the transmission portion 2 and the reception portion 3 to be expanded to each other. If the pressing preparation cap 16 is continuously pressed, the concavo-convex portion 17 of the one end face 12 of the cylinder 14 and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 are finally opened at the fully opened position where the transmitter 2 and the receiver 3 are fully opened. It can be locked and the expansion can be stopped to maintain the fully opened state.

Next, the earpiece 3 serving as a lid from the fully opened position.
Is moved in the folding direction, the engagement state of the concave-convex portion 17 as the locking means and the engagement portion 18a of the cam 18 is released,
At the preset intermediate deployment position (the deployment angle is 120 degrees in the embodiment), the concave-convex portion 17 as the locking means and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 are locked, and the earpiece 3 as the lid is stopped. To do. That is, if the earpiece 3 is rotated in the direction in which the earpiece 3 is folded with respect to the transmitter 2 directly from the fully open position against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 19 in the circumferential direction, the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 rises up on the uneven portion 17. The engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 is engaged with the concave portion 17b corresponding to the intermediate expanded position at the tip of the raised portion 17c by releasing the locked state with the concave portion 17a.
Can be locked and the earpiece 3 can be maintained at that position.

Further, when the earpiece 3 is further rotated in the folding direction from the intermediate deployed position, the concave-convex portion 17 of the one end face 12 of the cylinder 14 and the engaging portion 18a of the cam 18 are engaged with each other at the fully closed position, and the earpiece 3 is received. Can be completely folded into the transmitter 2 (folding is completed). In other words, if the earpiece 3 is rotated in the direction in which the earpiece 3 is folded with respect to the transmitter 2 directly from the intermediate deployed position against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 19 in the circumferential direction, the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 becomes the uneven portion 17. The rising portion 17c is lifted to release the locking state with the recessed portion 17b, and the locking portion 18a of the cam 18 is locked in the recessed portion 17a at the end corresponding to the fully closed position, and the earpiece 3 is maintained at that position. can do.

Next, a method of using the mobile phone 1 incorporating the hinge device 4 according to the above embodiment will be described.

The user can talk using the mobile phone 1 or the screen 30 while the earpiece 3 as a lid is fixed at either the fully open position or the intermediate expanded position.
Since it becomes possible to view the above-mentioned mail, it is possible to use two types of deployment positions depending on the usage situation.

That is, when the transmitter unit 2 as the main body is used while being held in hand, the receiver unit 3 as the lid is put on the ear, and the screen 30 provided on the receiver unit 3 is used. Since it is used close to the face, it is easy to use when the earpiece 3 is in the fully open position.

Further, when the transmitter unit 2 as the main body is used by placing it on a desk without holding it, it is placed diagonally forward and downward with respect to the face of the user, and thus the receiver unit as the lid body. Since the screen 30 provided on the screen 3 is easier to see when it stands up (tilted) toward the user's face, it is preferable to set the earpiece 3 to the intermediate expanded position.

According to the hinge device 4 according to the above-described embodiment, since the uneven portion 17 is provided in the hollow portion 11 of the cylinder 14 of the movable portion 7, the cam 18 and the torsion coil spring 19 are arranged, the main body The function of maintaining the transmitter unit 2 as a receiver and the receiver unit 3 as a lid in a folded state and the function of expanding the receiver by one-touch operation can be integrated in one hinge device 4, and the fixing unit 6 is minimized. The size of the connecting portion 2a required to press the movable portion 7 due to the length required to accommodate the concave-convex portion 17, the cam 18, and the torsion coil spring 19 in the movable portion 7. It is possible to secure the amount of protrusion from and the length required for the movable portion 7 to be locked with the connecting portion 2a, and it is possible to shorten the overall length of the hinge device 4 and achieve miniaturization.

Further, in the fixing portion 6 of the hinge device 4, unlike the button portion of the conventional pop-up hinge, since the shaft portion 9 is arranged at a fixed position, it is difficult to apply extra stress to the shaft portion 9 during operation, Furthermore, since the torsion coil spring 19 is directly locked to the shaft portion 9, only stress in the circumferential direction acts on the shaft portion 9, and unexpected stress such as bending stress or impact force is less likely to be applied. Therefore, the shaft portion 9 is not easily broken and the shaft portion 9
It is possible to reduce the size and weight by forming the thin and small.

Further, the cam 18 is attached to the shaft portion 9 of the hinge device 4.
Since the shaft portion 9 is inserted into the cylinder 14 and the cam 18 is engaged with the shaft portion 9, the fixed portion 6 and the movable portion 7 are engaged.
It can be connected to the cylinder 14 and is easy to assemble.

Further, since the pressurizable torsion coil spring 19 is in contact with the cam 18 and is not joined thereto, the torsion coil spring 19 does not exert a biasing force in the circumferential direction on the cam 18, and the concavo-convex portion between the cam 18 and the cylinder 14 is not applied. It is possible to prevent an excessive stress from being applied to the engaging portion with 17 and make it difficult to engage and disengage, and it is possible to maintain good operability of the movable portion 7.

In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of a mobile phone has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is similarly applied to an article in which the main body and the lid are unfoldable. This is of course possible, especially in PHS, PDA,
It is useful for small portable information devices such as electronic notebooks and electronic dictionaries.

[0055]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, the locking means has a fully closed position in which the main body and the lid are folded, and a fully opened position in which the locking mechanism is most expanded. It is locked at an intermediate expanded position which is in the middle of them, and when the movable part is pressed at the fully closed position or the lid is opened, the locked state of the locking means is released and the lid is expanded to the fully opened position. Then, when the movable portion is pressed or the lid is stopped from expanding at the fully open position, the locking means is locked and the lid stops, and when the lid is moved from the fully open position to the folding direction, the locking means is locked. Is released and the locking means is locked at the intermediate deployed position to stop the lid, and when the lid is folded from the intermediate deployed position, the locked state of the locking means is released and the locking means is locked at the fully closed position. Since folding is completed, new expansion is stopped while maintaining miniaturization Since the function is added and the user can select the deployment position of the lid body according to the use situation, the article itself including the main body and the lid body having the hinge device according to the present invention can be compared with the conventional pop-up hinge. Usability is improved.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the movable portion has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the biasing means and the locking means are housed in the hollow portion inside the cylindrical shape, and a part of the movable portion is included. Is rotatably inserted into one of the connecting portions to which the fixing portion is fixed, in such a manner that it can move in the axial direction and is rotatable. The hinge device can be used for the length required for the operation of the device and the length required for locking the movable part and the connecting part, and the length of the fixed part can be suppressed to the minimum necessary length. The overall length of the can be shortened and the size can be further reduced. The locking means for locking the movable part in the circumferential direction of the other connecting part can be employed over the entire length of the other connecting part, and in addition to the effect of claim 1, folding with the main body and the lid or It can withstand the external force generated during deployment.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the fixed portion includes a base portion that can be fixed to one of the connecting portions and a shaft portion that projects from the base portion, and the movable portion is the other connecting portion. A cylinder portion having a side surface provided with a locking portion for locking, one end surface provided with a through hole of the shaft portion, and the other end surface serving as a pressing portion, and the urging means is provided with the other end surface side of the cylinder portion and the shaft portion. Since it is a torsion coil spring that can be pressed and is locked to and, in addition to the effect of claim 1 or 2, unexpected stress such as bending stress or impact force is hard to be applied to the shaft portion, it is hard to break and the shaft portion is thin. It can be made small to be small and lightweight.

According to the invention as defined in claim 4, the locking means can be engaged with and disengaged from the concavo-convex portion provided inside the one end surface of the cylinder and the shaft portion in the cylinder. Since the torsion coil spring is in contact with the back surface of the cam, in addition to the effect of claim 3, only the axial pressing force of the torsion coil spring can be applied to the cam. In addition to the effect of 3, the engagement and disengagement between the cam and the concavo-convex portion of the cylinder can be facilitated, and the operability of the movable portion can be kept good.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the outer periphery of the cam is provided with a guide portion that can come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder and a relief portion that does not come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder. Therefore, in addition to the effect of claim 4, even if the cam moves in the cylinder in the circumferential direction and the axial direction every time the lid is opened and closed, the inner circumference of the cylinder is worn away. The scraped off shavings of the cylinder are discharged from the escape portion so that the movement of the cam is not hindered. Therefore, it is possible to provide a durable hinge device that maintains sufficient performance even during long-term use.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, as the biasing means, in addition to the torsion coil spring, a compression coil spring is inserted inside the torsion coil spring to separate the movable portion from the fixed portion in the axial direction. Since the biasing force to be exerted is strengthened, in addition to the effect according to any one of claims 3 to 5, the locking force between the cam and the concavo-convex portion of the cylinder can be set to be large, so that the weight of the lid is large. It is possible to maintain the posture in the intermediate deployed position.

Further, according to the invention of claim 7, the base portion of the fixing portion has an engaging projection for engaging and fixing to one of the connecting portions of the main body and the lid body. Since the engaging projection has a groove that divides the engaging projection in the circumferential direction, in addition to the effect according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the main body that fixes the fixing member to the key member that fits in this groove. The axial force generated by the resistance force when the engaging projection passes through the engaging hole of the connecting portion when the hinge device is incorporated in the connecting portion by being provided in the connecting portion of either one of the cover and the lid. Works to move the engaging portion of the cam away from the concave-convex portion of the cylinder, the relative positional relationship between the fixed portion and the movable portion in the circumferential direction can be kept constant, which facilitates the assembly.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 8,
At the intermediate deployment position, the deployment angle between the main body and the lid is 110-1.
Since the angle is a constant angle specified within a range of 30 degrees, in addition to the effect according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the main body is placed horizontally in the diagonally lower front of the user, it is provided on the lid. If the displayed screen is in a positional relationship almost facing the user's face and the expansion angle is in the range of 110 to 130 degrees, a small mobile phone such as a mobile phone, PHS, PDA, electronic notebook, electronic dictionary, etc. Even if the weight of the lid body relative to the main body is relatively large, unlike information processing equipment like an ordinary notebook computer, it will not fall down due to the posture of the lid in the intermediate deployed position and the moment generated by the weight. Therefore, more practical operability can be guaranteed.
In particular, the effect is more remarkable in a vertically long portable information device such as a mobile phone and a PHS.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway exploded perspective view showing an entire mobile phone using a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the hinge device according to the same embodiment is disassembled.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge device according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the hinge device according to the embodiment is mounted.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a concavo-convex portion provided inside one end surface of the cylinder of the hinge device according to the embodiment as seen from the opening end of the cylinder.

FIG. 6 is a development view of a concavo-convex portion provided on one end surface of the cylinder of the hinge device according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional pop-up hinge,
(A) is a folded state or a fully expanded state, (b)
Indicates the state during the unfolding operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 mobile phone 2 Transmitter (main body) 3 Earpiece (cover) 2a, 3a, 2b, 3b Connection part 3e key 3f key member 4 Hinge device 5 Auxiliary hinge 6 fixed part 7 Moving part 8 base 9 Shaft 10 Engagement protrusion 10b groove 11 Hollow part 14 cylinders 15 End cap 17 uneven part 18 cams 18a locking part 18b convex part 18c back 18e Guide part 18f escape area 19 torsion coil spring 20 compression coil spring

Front page continuation (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04M 1/12 H04M 1/12 D

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A fixing part, which is foldably connected to a main body and a lid by a connecting part, and is fixed to any one of the connecting parts, and is provided on the fixing part so as to be rotatable and coaxially. And a movable portion that is axially movable to the other connecting portion and that is locked and arranged in the circumferential direction, and urges the movable portion in a direction in which the main body and the lid are deployed, and Biasing means for biasing the fixed part axially away from each other and the main body and the lid are locked in a folded state, and the movable part is pressed against the biasing force of the biasing means. In the hinge device provided with a lock means that can be released by doing so, the lock means includes a fully closed position in which the main body and the lid are folded, a fully open position in which the cover is widen, and an intermediate position corresponding to an intermediate position between them. It is locked at the deployed position, and the movable part is locked at the fully closed position. By pressing or expanding the lid, the locked state of the locking means is released and the lid expands to the fully open position, and at the fully open position, the movable portion is pressed or the lid expands and unfolds. When the locking means locks and the lid stops, and when the lid is moved in the folding direction from the fully open position, the locked state of the locking means is released and the locking means locks at the intermediate deployed position. A hinge device characterized in that when the lid is stopped and the lid is folded from the intermediate deployed position, the locked state of the locking means is released and the locking means is engaged at the fully closed position to complete the folding. 2. The movable part has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the biasing means and the locking means are accommodated in a hollow part inside the cylindrical shape, and a part of the movable part is fixed to the fixed part. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge device is rotatably inserted into one of the connected portions so as to be movable in the axial direction. 3. The locking portion includes a base portion that can be fixed to the one coupling portion and a shaft portion that projects from the base portion, and the locking portion that locks the movable portion with the other coupling portion. A cylinder portion having a side surface provided, one end surface provided with a through hole of the shaft portion, and another end surface serving as a pressing portion, wherein the biasing means engages with the other end surface side of the cylinder portion and the shaft portion. The hinge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge device is a stopped and pressable torsion coil spring. 4. The locking means includes an uneven portion provided inside one end surface of the cylinder portion, and a cam engageable with the shaft portion in the cylinder portion and detachable from the uneven portion, The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein the torsion coil spring is in contact with the back surface of the cam. 5. A guide portion that can come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder portion, and a relief portion that does not come into contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder portion are provided on the outer circumference of the cam. The hinge device according to claim 4. 6. As the urging means, in addition to the torsion coil spring, a compression coil spring is inserted inside the torsion coil spring to strengthen the urging force for separating the movable portion from the fixed portion in the axial direction. The hinge device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein: 7. The base portion of the fixing portion has an engagement protrusion that engages and is fixed to one of the connecting portions of the main body and the lid body, and the engagement protrusion has the engagement protrusion in the circumferential direction. The hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a groove that divides the hinge device. 8. The intermediate development position is a constant angle specified by a development angle of the main body and the lid body within a range of 110 to 130 degrees, according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A portable information device equipped with the hinge device according to.