JP2005009602A - Hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge device of high convenience capable of reducing the number of components, opening and closing, or rotating between members, and knowing its rotating angle with the feeling of click. <P>SOLUTION: This hinge device is mounted between a first member 4 and a second member 6. The hinge device is composed of a mounted opening and closing mechanism part 8, a supporting shaft 42 erected on the opening and closing mechanism part, a bearing part (bearing plate 64) rotatably supported on the supporting shaft and fixed to the second member 6, a flange part 76 mounted on the supporting shaft, and having the unevenness (recessed part 86, 96 and projecting parts 88, 94) formed on its outer periphery, and a locking part 90 engaged with the unevenness of the flange part. The device is further provided with a click mechanism part 84 constituted in such a manner that the strength of the engagement is variable in accordance with the relative rotating angle of the bearing part and the flange part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hinge device used for opening / closing two members, rotating members, etc., such as a video camera, a cellular phone, and the like, and in particular, a hinge device that enables angle setting by rotation between members and opening / closing between members at a predetermined angle. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Electronic devices such as video cameras and camera-equipped mobile phones are required to shoot various scenes and check their images. To respond to the request with one device, the functional part is divided into two or more, The members are connected by a hinge device to enable opening / closing and rotation. In addition, in a camera-equipped mobile phone, the rotation and opening / closing between the members is complicated by combining the telephone function and the camera function.
[0003]
Regarding such a hinge device, there are the following patent documents.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-239287
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-7-319587 [0006]
[Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-155923
[Patent Document 4]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-227826
Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a monitor block is attached to a side surface portion of a camera body of a video camera via a hinge block, and the monitor block is opened / closed or rotated by the hinge block. The hinge block has a configuration in which the camera body and the monitor block can be opened and closed by an opening / closing shaft, and the monitor block can be rotated by a hinge body supported by the opening / closing shaft via a rotation shaft.
[0009]
Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a display unit is attached to a portable personal computer via a hinge unit, and the hinge unit has a rotation holding unit attached to an arm, and the display unit is rotatably attached to the rotation holding unit. ing. The opening / closing angle of the display unit with respect to the main body of the personal computer is set by the opening / closing angle of the arm and the opening / closing angle of the display unit with respect to the arm, and the display unit is configured to be rotatable around the position of the opening / closing angle.
[0010]
Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which a biaxial hinge having a plurality of torque generating units rotates and changes direction using two axes.
[0011]
Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a configuration in which a rotary shaft is attached by passing through an open / close shaft attached to the main body side, and a member such as a lid is rotated by an open / close angle by rotation of the open / close shaft and rotation of the rotary shaft. In this configuration, the direction can be changed around the position of the opening / closing angle.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when rotating the display part of a video camera or a mobile phone using a hinge device, it is possible to stop at a predetermined rotation angle and to feel the stop angle during the rotation operation. If the angle can be recognized along with the rotation operation, the desired angle can be set only with an operation feeling.
[0013]
Such a problem cannot be solved even by using the technique disclosed in the prior patent document.
[0014]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly convenient hinge device that has a small number of parts, can be opened and closed and rotated between members, and the rotation angle can be sensed with a click feeling.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the hinge device of the present invention includes an opening / closing mechanism portion 8 attached to the first member 4 and a support shaft 42 erected on the opening / closing mechanism portion, as illustrated in FIG. A bearing portion (bearing plate 64) that is rotatably supported by the support shaft and fixed to the second member 6, and irregularities (concave portions 86, 96, convex portions 88, 94) and a locking portion 90 that engages with the concave and convex portions of the flange portion, and the strength of the engagement depends on the relative rotation angle between the bearing portion and the flange portion. The click mechanism 84 has a different configuration depending on the configuration.
[0016]
With this configuration, the second member is attached to the first member so as to be opened and closed by the opening / closing mechanism and the support shaft, and is rotatably attached to the support shaft via the bearing portion. Accordingly, the second member is supported so as to be rotatable about the support shaft, and the relative angle between the flange portion and the bearing portion provided on the support shaft changes. Then, if it is set as the structure provided with the click mechanism part which varied the strength of engagement between both between a bearing part and a flange part according to the relative rotation angle of a bearing part and a flange part, it will be 2nd. When the member is rotated, a torque sensation is obtained by clicking on the engagement relationship by the engagement portion formed on the bearing portion and engaged with the flange portion, and a change in both rotation angles can be sensed, and the set angle The second member can be stopped.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the hinge device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge device, FIG. 2 is a front view of the hinge device, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the hinge device.
[0018]
The hinge device 2 is a connecting member that is provided between the first member 4 and the second member 6 and mechanically connects both of them. It is used for mechanical operations such as changing the angle between each other such as rotation, bending, opening and closing. The member 4 is, for example, a camera body in a video camera, a telephone body in a mobile phone, and the member 6 is, for example, a display unit.
[0019]
The member 4 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 8 that opens and closes the member 6. In this embodiment, the pair of screw holes 12 formed in the bottom surface of the groove 10 formed in the member 4 has a pair of bearing portions 14, 16 is fixed by a screw 18. The bearing portions 14 and 16 have an upright wall portion 22 formed in an L shape in a fixed portion 20 installed in the groove portion 10, a through hole 24 in the fixed portion 20, and a bearing hole 26 in the upright wall portion 22. A C-shaped opening / closing frame 28 is rotatably fixed to each bearing portion 14, 16 by a screw 30. The opening / closing frame 28 includes a pair of shaft support portions 32 in parallel with the standing wall portions 22 of the bearing portions 14 and 16, and a support portion 34 that connects the shaft support portions 32, and screws that fix the screws 30 to the shaft support portions 32. A hole 36 is formed. Each screw 30 is formed with a support shaft portion 38, and each shaft support portion 32 is rotatably inserted into the bearing hole 26, so that the opening / closing frame 28 rotates around the shaft support portion 32 in the bearing portions 14, 16. It is attached as possible.
[0020]
A support shaft 42 is fixed by a screw 44 with an arc-shaped spring plate 40 extending between the shaft support portions 32 interposed between the shaft support portions 32 of the opening / closing frame 28. The screw 44 is inserted into the through hole 46 of the support portion 34 and the through hole 48 of the spring plate 40 and is fastened and fixed to the screw hole 50 formed in the support shaft 42. As a result, the cylindrical support shaft 42 is integrally fixed to the opening / closing frame 28 in a direction orthogonal to the support portion 34, and the lower end surface of the support shaft 42 is formed on the upper surface of the mounting portion 52 formed integrally with the spring plate 40. The orthogonal relationship between the support portion 34 and the support shaft 42 is maintained by the fixation by the screw 44 and the close contact relationship on the placement portion 52.
[0021]
In addition, a mounting plate 54 is fixed to the member 6 by screws 56, and a pair of through holes 58 through which the screws 56 are inserted are formed in the mounting plate 54, and a shaft support that supports the support shaft 42 at the center. A hole 60 is formed, and a pair of screw holes 62 are formed across the shaft support hole 60. A bearing plate 64 made of a spring plate as a bearing portion supported by the support shaft 42 is fixed to the lower surface side of the mounting plate 54 by attaching a pair of screws 66 to the screw holes 62. The bearing plate 64 includes a pair of fixing portions 68 that are fixed to the mounting plate 54 and a shaft support portion 72 in which a through hole 70 is formed. The fixing portion 68 is formed with a notch 73 for allowing the screw 66 to pass therethrough, but the notch 73 may be a through hole. An inclined portion 74 is formed between the shaft support portion 72 and the fixed portion 68, and the shaft support portion 72 protrudes below the fixed portion 68 according to the inclination angle of the inclined portion 74, so that the shaft support portion 72 and the mounting plate 54. A space portion 78 into which the flange portion 76 is rotatably inserted is formed. The size of the space portion 78 depends on the inclination angle of the inclined portion 74.
[0022]
A through hole 80 is formed in the flange portion 76, a support shaft 42 is press-fitted into the through hole 80, and the support shaft 42 and the flange portion 76 are integrated, and the flange portion 76 is a support shaft from the bearing plate 64. 42 functions as a retaining stopper. The flange portion 76 maintains a slidable contact state between the mounting plate 54 and the shaft support portion 72 of the bearing plate 64, and rattling between the support shaft 42 and the member 6 is prevented. Further, the bearing plate 64 is formed with a standing wall portion 82 for reinforcement.
[0023]
When the bearing plate 64 is rotated together with the member 6, the click mechanism portion 84 that generates a click feeling includes a plurality of concave portions 86 and arc-shaped convex portions 88 formed around the flange portion 76, a shaft It is comprised by the latching | locking part 90 as an engaging part erected in the support part 72. As shown in FIG. The locking portion 90 is a stopper formed integrally with the bearing plate 64 formed of a spring plate, and has elasticity that the spring plate has. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the flange portion 76 is alternately formed with concave portions 86 that form a flat surface and convex portions 88 that form a curved surface at every angle θ around the center O of the support shaft 42. The width of the locking portion 90 is formed so as to fit into the recess 86. In this case, the angle θ is approximately 45 degrees.
[0024]
According to the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the member 6 can be rotated around the support shaft 42 in the direction of the arrow M, and this rotation rotates the bearing plate 64 together with the member 6. Therefore, the locking portion 90 rotates in contact with the concave portion 86 and the convex portion 88 of the flange portion 76 fixed to the support shaft 42. As a result, the degree of engagement between the flange portion 76 and the bearing plate 64 varies depending on the relative rotation angle between the bearing plate 64 and the flange portion 76, and a click feeling and a torque feeling are obtained. That is, the bearing plate 64 is formed of a spring plate, and appropriate elasticity is obtained in the locking portion 90, and a click feeling and a torque feeling are obtained. In this case, since the latching portion 90 forms a flat surface, the concave portion 86 is a flat surface, and the convex portion 88 is a curved surface, the concave portion 86 is latched with the latching portion 90 to stabilize the member 6 side. The surface and the convex portion 88 constitute an unstable surface which is a halfway state between the concave portion 86 and the next concave portion 86. For this reason, appropriate click feeling and torque feeling can be obtained at a predetermined angle, in the example shown in FIG.
[0025]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the member 6 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism 8 in the direction of arrow N. In this case, the standing wall portions 22 of the bearing portions 14 and 16 press the shaft support portions 32 of the opening / closing frame 28 by the restoring force of the spring plate 40, and considerable friction is generated between the two, so that the opening / closing angle can be arbitrarily set. The member 6 can be stopped.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a spherical convex portion 92 may be formed on the surface portion of the locking portion 90 that faces the concave portion 86, and a smooth rotation state and a feeling of stopping can be obtained. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, a convex portion 94 and a concave portion 96 that are curved surfaces are formed on the peripheral surface of the flange portion 76, and a convex portion 98 having a circumferential surface shape corresponding to the concave portion 96 is provided. The same function is achieved even if the locking portion 90 is formed on the bearing plate 64.
[0027]
Therefore, such a hinge device can reduce the number of parts and can be provided at low cost. In addition, in the embodiment, the case where the support shaft 42 is formed of a solid material has been described for ease of explanation. However, if these are configured as a hollow body, a conductor such as a wire is passed through the member 4 to form the member 4. And electrical connection between the members 6 is also possible.
[0028]
In the embodiment, the video camera and the camera-equipped mobile phone are illustrated as the members 4 and 6. However, the hinge device of the present invention is not limited to those used for the video camera and the camera-equipped mobile phone.
[0029]
In the embodiment, the concave portion 86 or the concave portion 96 is set in the flange portion 76 every 90 degrees. However, the number of stable surfaces and unstable surfaces is increased, for example, 0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 105 degrees. It is also possible to set a plurality of open / close angles.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The number of parts is small, and assembly is easy, and the opening and closing between members such as a main body and a display portion of a video camera, a mobile phone, etc. can be performed, and the other member can be rotated with respect to one member.
(2) It is possible to obtain a click feeling that allows the rotation angle of the member to be recognized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing the hinge device according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the hinge device according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a relationship between a flange portion and a locking portion.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a relationship between another flange portion and a locking portion.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Hinge device 4 First member 6 Second member 8 Opening / closing mechanism portion 42 Support shaft 64 Bearing plate (bearing portion)
76 Flange part 84 Click mechanism part 86, 96 Concave part 88, 94 Convex part 90 Locking part (engagement part)

Claims (1)

An opening / closing mechanism attached to the first member;
A support shaft erected on the opening / closing mechanism,
A bearing portion rotatably supported by the support shaft and fixed to the second member;
A flange portion formed on the support shaft and having irregularities on the outer periphery thereof, and a locking portion that engages with the irregularities of the flange portion, and the strength of the engagement is relative to the bearing portion and the flange portion. Click mechanism portion configured differently according to the general rotation angle,
A hinge device comprising:

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