JP2007016813A - Hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To elongate a service life of a hinge device capable of generating click sound. <P>SOLUTION: In this hinge device generating click sound by striking a side face 13a, (13b) of an engagement projecting portion 13 to a side face 12a (12b) of an engagement recessed portion 12, the engagement projecting portion is formed on a hitting member 6, and the engagement recessed portion is formed on a second hinge member 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hinge device capable of generating a click sound.

  In general, this type of hinge device is disposed between first and second hinge members that are rotatably connected about a rotation axis, and is disposed between the first and second hinge members, and is rotated around the first hinge member. A movable member that is immovably coupled to be movable in the direction of the rotational axis, and is disposed between the movable member and the second hinge member, and is pivotably coupled to the second hinge member so as to be immovable. And a biasing means for biasing the movable member toward the striking member. A spherical body is provided on a surface of the movable member facing the striking member, and the striking member faces the movable member. A cam portion is provided on the surface. This cam portion converts the urging force of the urging means into a rotating urging force by abutting against the sphere. The striking member is pivotally biased by this pivotal biasing force.

  An engaging recess is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the striking member. An engagement protrusion that enters the engagement recess is formed on the surface of the second hinge member that faces the striking member. The width of the engagement protrusion in the circumferential direction is narrower than the width of the engagement recess in the same direction. Therefore, the striking member is rotatable with respect to the second hinge member by the difference in width between the engaging protrusion and the engaging recess, and when the striking member is rotated by the rotation biasing force, the striking member is engaged. The side surface of the protruding portion hits the side surface of the engaging recess at high speed. Thereby, a click sound is generated.

JP 2002-181031 A

  In the conventional hinge device, the thickness of the striking member is kept thin in order to shorten the overall length of the hinge device. If the striking member is thin, the area of the side surface of the engaging recess is correspondingly reduced. For this reason, there exists a possibility that the side surface where the engagement protrusion part and the engagement recessed part mutually contact | abut may be crushed early, or it may lack.

  If the length of the second hinge member is shortened and the thickness of the striking member is increased accordingly, the side surfaces of the engagement recess and the engagement protrusion that contact each other without increasing the total length of the hinge device. The area can be increased. However, for example, when the transmitter and receiver of a mobile phone are connected to each other by a hinge device so as to be rotatable, the first hinge member and the second hinge are respectively connected to the connecting cylinders provided in the transmitter and receiver. The hinge members are respectively fitted. Therefore, when the length of the second hinge member is shortened, the fitting length of the second hinge member with respect to the connecting cylinder part is shortened accordingly, and a backlash occurs between the connecting cylinder part and the second hinge member, and the feed There is a possibility that the talking unit and the receiving unit cannot be smoothly rotated. For this reason, shortening the length of the second hinge member and increasing the thickness of the striking member by that amount has not been actually performed.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention is capable of rotating about the first hinge member and the first hinge member about the rotation axis, and cannot move away from a predetermined position in the direction of the rotation axis. It is arranged between the connected second hinge member, the first hinge member and the second hinge member, and is connected to the first hinge member so as not to be rotatable and movable in the rotational axis direction. The movable member is disposed between the movable member and the second hinge member so as to abut against the second hinge member, and is coupled to the second hinge member so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis. A striking member and a biasing means that biases the movable member toward the striking member, and one of the opposing surfaces of the movable member and the striking member is in contact with the other opposing surface. Protrusions are provided and the other facing surface is In the hinge device provided with a cam portion for converting the urging force of the urging means into a rotation urging force for rotating the striking member by abutting against the abutting protrusion, the outer peripheral surface of the second hinge member is An engaging recess that extends from the end surface on the striking member side along the rotational axis is formed, and an engaging protrusion that enters the engaging recess is formed on the surface of the striking member that faces the second hinge member. The engagement protrusion in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis is formed so that the striking member can be rotated by a predetermined minute angle about the rotation axis with respect to the second hinge member. The width of the portion is set to be narrower than the width of the engaging recess in the same direction.
In this case, a contact recess is formed on the surface of the striking member facing the movable member, the cam portion is formed on the opening side end of the inner surface that defines the contact recess, and the engagement protrusion is It is desirable that the engaging recess is disposed at substantially the same position in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis.

  According to the present invention having the above-described characteristic configuration, since the engagement recess is formed in the second hinge member, the length of the engagement recess in the rotation axis direction can be increased. Accordingly, the length of the engagement protrusion formed on the striking member can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to increase the area of the side surfaces of the engaging protrusion and the engaging recess that abut each other. Therefore, it can prevent that each side surface of an engagement protrusion part and an engagement recessed part is crushed early, or is missing. Further, the engagement protrusion can be elongated regardless of the thickness of the striking member. In addition, even if the length of the engagement protrusion is increased, the engagement protrusion enters the engagement recess. Therefore, the total length of the hinge device does not increase.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 show a cellular phone A in which a hinge device 1 (see FIG. 3 and subsequent figures) according to the present invention is used. This mobile phone A has a transmitter B provided with a microphone and operation buttons (none shown) on the front B1, and a receiver provided with a speaker and a liquid crystal display (none shown) on the front C1. Part C. The transmitting part B and the receiving part C are connected so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis L by the hinge device 1 according to the present invention.

  That is, at one end portion of the transmitting portion B, a pair of connecting cylinder portions B2 and B2 are arranged so that their axes coincide with the rotation axis L and are separated from each other in the direction of the rotation axis L. At one end of the receiving part C, a connecting cylinder part C2 is formed with the axis line coinciding with the rotation axis line L. The connecting cylinder part C2 is inserted between the connecting cylinder parts B2 and B2. One connecting cylinder part B2 and one end part of the connecting cylinder part C2 adjacent thereto are rotatably connected by the hinge device 1, and the other connecting cylinder part B2 and the other end part of the connecting cylinder part C2 adjacent thereto are connected. Are connected by a hinge device 1 so as to be rotatable. Thereby, the transmission part B and the reception part C are connected so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis L. In the following, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the position of the transmitter B is fixed and the receiver C rotates with respect to the transmitter B. The range of rotation of the receiver C relative to the transmitter B is limited between a folding position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a call position indicated by an imaginary line approximately 160 ° away from the folding position. The folding position is regulated by the front face C1 of the receiving part C hitting the front face B1 of the sending part B, and the call position is determined by the end part of the receiving part C hitting the end part of the sending part B. It is regulated.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the hinge device 1 includes a first hinge member 2, a second hinge member 3, a hinge shaft 4, a movable member 5, a striking member 6, and a coil spring (biasing means) 7. Yes.

  The first hinge member 2 has a cylindrical shape, one end is open, and the other end has a bottom 2a. A through hole 2b is formed at the center of the bottom 2a. The hinge shaft 4 is inserted into the through hole 2b so as to be rotatable and slidable. A head 4 a is formed at one end of the hinge shaft 4. When the head 4a abuts against the bottom 2a, the hinge shaft 4 is prevented from coming off from the through hole 2b in the direction from the bottom 2a side of the first hinge member 2 toward the opening.

  The other end of the hinge shaft 4 protruding from the first hinge member 2 is fitted and fixed in a through hole 3 a formed at the center of the second hinge member 3. As a result, the second hinge member 3 is rotatably connected to the first hinge member 2 via the hinge shaft 4. The hinge shaft 4 may be rotatably fitted in the through hole 3a. In that case, you may fit the hinge axis | shaft 4 in the through-hole 2b of the 1st hinge member 2 so that rotation is impossible. Further, as long as the second hinge member 3 is restricted from moving beyond a predetermined position in the direction from the first hinge member 2 side to the second hinge member 3 side, the second hinge member 3 moves in the direction of the rotation axis L with respect to the hinge shaft 4. You may connect so that movement is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first hinge member 2 is non-rotatably fitted to the connecting tube portion B2 of the transmitting portion B, and the second hinge member 3 is attached to the connecting tube portion C2 of the receiving portion C. It is fitted so that it cannot rotate. In addition, the first hinge member 2 and the second hinge member 3 are connected via a hinge shaft 4 so as to be rotatable. Therefore, the connecting cylinder portions B <b> 2 and C <b> 2 are rotatably connected via the first hinge member 2, the hinge shaft 4, and the second hinge member 3. Moreover, since the axis of the hinge shaft 4 is made to coincide with the rotation axis L, the connecting cylinders B2 and C2 are connected so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis L, and as a result, the transmitter B and the receiver C is connected to be rotatable about a rotation axis L.

  Since the first hinge member 2 is fitted to the transmitting portion B so as not to rotate, the first hinge member 2 rotates integrally with the transmitting portion B. However, since it is assumed here that the position of the transmitter B is fixed, it is assumed that the position of the first hinge member 2 is also fixed. On the other hand, since the second hinge member 3 is non-rotatably fitted to the reception part C, the second hinge member 3 rotates integrally with the reception part C. Thus, the respective rotation positions of the second hinge member 3 are given the same names as the respective rotation positions of the receiver C. For example, the position of the second hinge member 3 when the receiver C is located at the folding position and the call position is also referred to as the folding position and the call position, respectively.

  An intermediate portion of the hinge shaft 4 positioned between the first hinge member 2 and the second hinge member 3 is fitted in the through hole 5a of the movable member 5 so as to be rotatable and slidable. The movable member 5 is connected to the opening side end of the first hinge member 2 so as not to rotate and to be movable in the direction of the rotation axis L. Therefore, the movable member 5 rotates integrally with the first hinge member 2. However, since the first hinge member 2 does not rotate, the movable member 5 also does not rotate.

  The striking member 6 has a substantially disk shape, and a through hole 6a is formed at the center thereof. An intermediate portion of the hinge shaft 4 positioned between the movable member 5 and the second hinge member 3 is fitted in the through hole 6a so as to be rotatable and slidable. Therefore, the striking member 6 can rotate with respect to the second hinge member 3 and can move in the direction of the rotation axis L. However, as will be described below, the striking member 6 does not rotate with respect to the second hinge member 3 except for a minute angle and does not move in the direction of the rotation axis L at all. That is, the striking member 6 behaves integrally with the second hinge member 3 except that the striking member 6 is relatively rotated by a minute angle.

  A coil spring 7 is arranged concentrically outside the intermediate portion of the hinge shaft 4 located between the movable member 5 and the bottom 2a of the first hinge member 2. One end and the other end of the coil spring 7 are in contact with the bottom 2a and the movable member 5, respectively. Therefore, the coil spring 7 biases the movable member 5 toward the striking member 6 side.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, a pair of spherical bodies (abutting protrusions) 8 and 9 are partly opposed to the striking member 6 side from the facing surface 5 b on the facing surface 5 b of the movable member 5 facing the striking member 6. It is buried in a state of projecting. The pair of spheres 8 and 9 are arranged symmetrically about the rotation axis L. That is, they are arranged 180 ° apart in the circumferential direction on the same circumference around the rotation axis L. The pair of spheres 8 and 9 are pressed against the striking member 6 by the biasing force of the coil spring 7 acting on the movable member 5. As a result, the urging force of the coil spring 7 acts on the striking member 6 via the movable member 5 and the pair of spheres 8 and 9, and the striking member 6 is pressed against the second hinge member 3. Therefore, the striking member 6 does not substantially move in the direction of the rotation axis L with respect to the second hinge member 3.

  The biasing force of the coil spring 7 acts on the second hinge member 3 via the movable member 5, the pair of spheres 8 and 9, and the striking member 6, and further acts on the hinge shaft 4 so that the head 4a is moved to the first hinge. It is pressed against the bottom 2 a of the member 2. As a result, the first hinge member 2, the second hinge member 3, the hinge shaft 4, the movable member 5, the striking member 6, the coil spring 7 and the pair of spheres 8 and 9 are integrated so as not to be separated. That is, the whole hinge device 1 is unitized so that it can be handled integrally.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a pair of contact recesses 10 and 11 are formed on the surface 6 b of the striking member 6 facing the movable member 5. As shown in FIG. 7, the opening-side end portion of the inner peripheral surface (inner surface) of the contact recess 10 is configured by an arc surface having a substantially quadrant cross section. Of the arcuate surface, one end in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis L is a first cam portion (cam portion) 10a, and the other end is a second cam portion (cam portion) 10b. The contact recess 11 has the same shape and the same dimensions as the contact recess 10, and as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the rotation of the circular arc surface constituting the inner peripheral surface of the contact recess 11. One end portion around the movement axis L is a first cam portion (cam portion) 11a, and the other end portion is a second cam portion (cam portion) 11b. The first cam portions 10a, 11a and the second cam portions 10b, 11b are in smooth contact with the facing surface 6b formed by a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis L.

  The pair of contact recesses 10 and 11 are disposed 180 degrees apart from each other on the same circumference as the circumference on which the pair of spheres 8 and 9 are disposed. Moreover, the contact recesses 10 and 11 are positions where the second hinge 3 (the receiving part C) is separated from the folding position by a predetermined angle (for example, 15 °) toward the call position (hereinafter referred to as a first position). Spheres 8 and 9 come into contact with the first cam portions 10a and 11a of the contact recesses 10 and 11, respectively, and the second hinge member 3 is folded at the talking position and from there. When the spheres 8 and 9 are positioned between the tatami position and a position separated by a predetermined angle (for example, 15 °) (hereinafter referred to as a second position), the spheres 8 and 9 It arrange | positions so that it may each contact | abut to the 2nd cam parts 11b and 10b.

  When the spheres 8 and 9 abut against the first cam portions 10a and 11a, the urging force of the coil spring 7 is converted into a first rotation urging force that urges the striking member 6 in the direction from the talking position to the folding position. Is done. This first turning biasing force acts on the second hinge member 3 via the striking member 6. Therefore, when the second hinge member 3 is positioned between the folding position and the first position, the second hinge member 3 is rotated to the folding position by the first rotation biasing force and is maintained at the folding position. When the spheres 8 and 9 abut against the second cam portions 11b and 10b, respectively, the urging force of the coil spring 7 is converted into a second rotational urging force that urges the striking member 6 in the direction from the folding position toward the talking position. Is done. The second turning biasing force acts on the second hinge member 3 via the striking member 6. Accordingly, when the second hinge member 3 is positioned between the call position and the second position, the second hinge member 3 is rotated to the call position by the second turning biasing force and is maintained at the call position.

  4-6, on the outer peripheral surface of the second hinge member 3, a pair of engaging recesses 12 extending from one end surface on the striking member 6 side to the other end side in parallel with the rotation axis L, 12 is formed. The pair of engaging recesses 12 and 12 are arranged symmetrically about the rotation axis L.

  On the other hand, a pair of engaging protrusions 13 and 13 extending in parallel with the rotation axis L toward the second hinge member 3 side are provided on the outer peripheral side portion of the surface 6c of the striking member 6 facing the second hinge member 3. Is formed. The pair of engaging protrusions 13 and 13 are disposed at substantially the same position in the circumferential direction centered on the pair of contact recesses 10 and 11 and the rotation axis L. Thereby, the contact recessed parts 10 and 11 can be arrange | positioned in the radial direction outer side of the striking member 6 as much as possible.

  The engagement protrusions 13 and 13 enter the engagement recesses 12 and 12, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the width of the engagement protrusion 13 in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis L is narrower than the width of the engagement recess 12 in the circumferential direction by a predetermined length. Therefore, the engagement protrusion 13 can move in the circumferential direction in the engagement recess 12 by the difference in width from the engagement recess 12, and the striking member 6 can move in the second hinge member 3 by that amount. It is possible to rotate with respect to.

  In the mobile phone A in which the hinge device 1 having the above-described configuration is used, it is assumed that the reception unit C is now located at the folding position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the spheres 8 and 9 are in contact with the first cam portions 10a and 11a, respectively. Therefore, the striking member 6 is urged in the direction from the talking position to the folding position (the direction from the right side to the left side in FIG. 7) by the first rotation urging force, and the one side surface 13a of the engagement protrusion 13 is engaged. It abuts against one side surface 12 a of the recess 12. As a result, the second hinge member 3 is biased in the same direction, and the second hinge member 3 and the receiving part C are maintained in the folded position.

  When the reception unit C is rotated from the folding position to the call position side, the reception unit C is rotated against the first rotation urging force until the reception unit C reaches the first position from the folding position. . When the receiving part C reaches the first position, the spheres 8 and 9 come into contact with the contact points between the first cam parts 10a and 11a and the facing surface 6b. Therefore, after that, the first turning biasing force does not act, and the receiving part C turns to the talking position side against the frictional resistance acting between the spheres 8 and 9 and the facing surface 6b. When the receiving part C reaches the second position, as shown in FIG. 8, the spheres 8 and 9 come into contact with the contact points between the second cam parts 11b and 10b and the facing surface 6b, respectively. Therefore, when the receiving part C exceeds the second position, the spheres 8 and 9 come into contact with the second cam parts 11b and 10b, respectively. As a result, the striking member 6 is rotationally biased by the second rotational biasing force in the direction from the folding position to the talking position (the direction from the left side to the right side in FIG. 8). At this time, with respect to the direction from the folding position to the talking position, the striking member 6 can rotate with respect to the second hinge member 3 by the difference in width between the engagement protrusion 13 and the engagement recess 12. The striking member 6 rotates at a high speed with respect to the second hinge member 3, and the other side surface 13b of the engagement protrusion 13 collides with the other side surface 12b of the engagement recess 12 at a high speed as shown in FIG. This generates a click sound. When the other side surface 13b of the engagement protrusion 13 abuts against the other side surface 12b of the engagement recess 12, the second rotational biasing force is transmitted from the striking member 6 to the second hinge member 3, so that the movable member 6, the first 2 The hinge member 3 and the receiving part C are rotated to the call position by the second turning biasing force and are maintained at the call position.

  In the case where the reception unit C located at the call position is rotated to the folding position, the reception unit C is rotated against the second rotation urging force from the call position to the second position. Between the second position and the first position, the receiver C is rotated against the frictional resistance acting between the spheres 8 and 9 and the facing surface 6b. After the receiving part C reaches the first position, when the spheres 8 and 9 come into contact with the first cam parts 10a and 11a, respectively, the striking member 6 is moved to the second hinge member by the first turning biasing force. 3, the side surface 13 a of the engagement protrusion 13 abuts on the side surface 12 a of the engagement recess 12 at a high speed. This generates a click sound. Thereafter, the striking member 6, the second hinge member 3, and the talking section C are rotated to the folding position by the first rotation biasing force and are maintained at the folding position.

  In the hinge device 1 configured as described above, since the engagement recess 12 is formed in the second hinge member 3 having a long length in the rotation axis L direction, the length of the engagement recess 12 can be increased. Thereby, the areas of the side surfaces 12a and 12b can be increased. On the other hand, since the engaging protrusion 13 is fitted into the engaging recess 12, the length of the engaging protrusion 13 can be increased without increasing the thickness of the striking member 6. Therefore, the area of the side surfaces 13a and 13b of the engagement protrusion 13 can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the side surfaces 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b of the engaging recess 12 and the engaging protrusion 13 that are in contact with each other from being crushed or lost early.

  Moreover, since the length of the 2nd hinge member 3 is long, the fitting length with the connection cylinder part C2 of the 2nd hinge member 3 can be lengthened. Therefore, the play which generate | occur | produces between the 2nd hinge member 3 and the connection cylinder part C2 can be made small. Further, since it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the striking member 6 and the engaging protrusion 13 having a long length enters the engaging recess 12, the overall length of the hinge device 1 can be kept short.

In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, it can change suitably.
For example, in the above embodiment, the receiving unit C is configured to generate a click sound both in the vicinity of the folding position and in the vicinity of the call position, but the click sound is generated only in either one. You may make it make it.
In the above embodiment, the movable member 5 is provided with the spheres 8 and 9, and the striking member 6 is provided with the contact recesses 10 and 11. However, the movable member 5 is provided with the contact recesses 10 and 11, The hitting member 6 may be provided with spheres 8 and 9.
Further, it is possible to omit the first hinge member 2 and use the hinge shaft 4 as the first hinge member. In such a case, the movable member 5 is fitted to the hinge shaft 4 so as not to be rotatable and movable in the axial direction, and the coil spring is interposed between the movable member 5 and the head 4 a of the hinge shaft 4. 7 is provided. Further, the second hinge member 3 and the striking member 6 are fitted to the hinge shaft 4 so as to be rotatable and movable in the axial direction. However, since the second hinge member 3 receives the urging force of the coil spring 7 acting on the second hinge member 3 via the movable member 5 and the striking member 6, the second spring member 3 has the coil spring 7 at a predetermined location on the hinge shaft 4. It is fitted so that it cannot move forward in the direction of action of the urging force.

It is a top view which shows an example of the mobile telephone using the hinge apparatus based on this invention in the state which rotated the receiving part to the call position. It is a side view which shows the same mobile phone in the state which rotated the receiving part to the folding position. It is an expanded sectional view of the X circle part of FIG. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the hinge apparatus based on this invention used for the mobile phone, Comprising: FIG. 4 (A) is the front view, FIG.4 (B) is the side view, FIG.4 (C) Is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 4D is a bottom view thereof. It is a disassembled perspective view of the same embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the same embodiment viewed from a different direction from FIG. 5. It is an expanded sectional view which follows the XX line of Drawing 4 (D) when the 2nd hinge member is located in a folding position. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 7 when a 2nd hinge member rotates to the 2nd position. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 7 which shows a state when the side surface of an engagement protrusion part has faced the side surface of the engagement recessed part. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 7 which shows a state when the 2nd hinge member is located in a call position.

Explanation of symbols

L Rotating axis 1 Hinge device 2 First hinge member 3 Second hinge member 5 Movable member 5b Opposed surface 6 (with striking member) Strike member 6b (with movable member) Facing surface 6c (with second hinge member) Opposing surface 7 Coil spring (biasing means)
8 Sphere (Abutting protrusion)
9 Sphere (Abutting protrusion)
10 Contact recess 10a First cam portion (cam portion)
10b Second cam part (cam part)
11 Contact recess 11a First cam portion (cam portion)
11b Second cam part (cam part)
12 engaging recess 12a side surface 12b side surface 13 engaging protrusion 13a side surface 13b side surface

Claims (2)

A first hinge member, a second hinge member connected to the first hinge member so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis and not movable away from a predetermined position in the rotation axis direction; and the first hinge A movable member disposed between the member and the second hinge member and coupled to the first hinge member so as not to be rotatable and movable in the direction of the rotational axis; the movable member and the second hinge; A striking member that is disposed in contact with the second hinge member and is pivotably connected to the second hinge member about the pivot axis; and the movable member is disposed on the striking member side. A biasing means that biases the movable member and the striking member on one of the opposed surfaces of the movable member and the striking member. By attaching to the abutting protrusion, The biasing force of the means in the hinge device cam portion is provided to convert the turn biasing force for rotating said striking member,
On the outer peripheral surface of the second hinge member, there is formed an engagement recess extending from the end surface on the striking member side along the rotation axis, and on the surface of the striking member facing the second hinge member, the above-mentioned An engagement protrusion that enters the engagement recess is formed, and the rotation axis is set so that the striking member can rotate by a predetermined minute angle with respect to the second hinge member about the rotation axis. A hinge device characterized in that a width of the engaging protrusion in the circumferential direction as a center is set narrower than a width of the engaging recess in the same direction.   A contact concave portion is formed on the surface of the striking member facing the movable member, the cam portion is formed on the opening side end portion of the inner surface that defines the contact concave portion, and the engaging protrusion is the rotation axis. A hinge device characterized by being arranged at substantially the same position as the engaging recess in the circumferential direction centered on the center.

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