JP2008141712A - Hinge device and mobile phone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To configure a hinge device which uses gears each of which is inexpensive, easy to be worked and small-sized, and which is made to be suitable for downsizizng. <P>SOLUTION: In the hinge device 3 for a mobile phone, gears 31, 32, 33, 34 constituting a rotary force transmission mechanism 60 are constituted of laminated gears of a laminated structure and can be made compact at a low cost. Between a bracket 10 and a bracket 14 constituting the rotation force transmission mechanism 50, when rotation force is applied to either the bracket 10 or the bracket 14, inverse rotation force is transmitted to the other. Namely, when rotation force is applied to the bracket 10, a spindle 21 is rotated, a cam follower 27 is rotated, the gear 31 is rotated, and the rotation is transmitted through the gears 33, 34 to the gear 32. When the gear 32 is rotated, a spindle 23 is rotated, a cam follower 28 coupled thereto is rotated, and the bracket 14 is rotated. At such a time, the cam followers 27, 28 are elastically engaged with the surface of a cam 26 and functioned as a rotating angle regulating means 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hinge device that can be attached to two housings and folded and folded in half, and a cellular phone provided with the hinge device.

Conventionally, as a hinge device for a mobile phone, a rotation support member for supporting a shaft is provided on one side of two casings, and a bearing portion to which the shaft is fitted is provided on the other side. One that is rotatably supported by a shaft or one that is supported by two shafts is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
In the hinge device described in Patent Document 1, since the two casings are rotatably held by a common spindle, even if the shaft portion is provided in one casing, Requires a protruding arm. Moreover, even if the shaft portion is provided in each housing, the shaft portion protrudes, so that the opening surface does not become a continuous flat shape but a protruding shape.

On the other hand, in the hinge device described in Patent Document 2, the first and second main shafts are built in the first and second housings, respectively, so that the main shaft portion has no irregularities, and the opening surfaces of the two housings can be opened. It can be a continuous plane.
However, the hinge device that is pivotally supported by two shafts used in the mobile phone has a large shape due to the use of at least four gears, and therefore is required to be downsized. In order to meet the demands for miniaturization, there is a problem that precision processing of the gears is necessary to make the gears small, and the gears cannot be easily manufactured and are expensive. In addition, the hinge device described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that the rotation angle restricting means including a cam and a spring is provided outside the hinge mechanism, and the mounting structure of the housing prevents miniaturization.
JP 2004-52892 A JP 2006-234160 A

As described above, the hinge device pivotally supported by the two shafts used in the mobile phone is required to be further downsized, and precision machining for downsizing the gears constituting the hinge device is not easy and expensive. There was a problem that it would also become. Further, there has been a problem that the rotation angle restricting means including a cam and a spring is provided outside the hinge mechanism, and the mounting structure of the housing hinders downsizing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device capable of using a gear that is easy to process and small in size at a low cost and that is suitable for miniaturization, and a mobile phone provided with the hinge device.

According to the present invention, there is provided a hinge device for opening and closing the first casing and the second casing in a folded manner, the first mounting bracket attached to the first casing, and the second casing. A second mounting bracket attached to each of the brackets, and at the other end of each bracket so that the first mounting bracket and the mounting portion side of the second mounting bracket are rotatable in the approaching and separating directions. A first main shaft and a second main shaft that are arranged in parallel to each other to transmit the rotation, and a frame that supports the rotation shaft via the second main shaft, a cam surface, the first main shaft, and the first There is provided a hinge device comprising rotation angle restricting means comprising first and second cam followers that are integrally rotated with the two main shafts and elastically engage with the cam surface.
In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a hinge device for opening and closing the first casing and the second housing in a folded manner, the first mounting bracket attached to the first casing, the first bracket 2 at the other end of each bracket so that the second mounting bracket attached to the housing 2 and the mounting portion side of the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are rotatable in the approaching and separating directions. The first main shaft and the second main shaft that are arranged in parallel to each other to transmit the rotation of each bracket, and the frame that is pivotally supported via the second main shaft, and the plate-shaped plate that is provided on the first main shaft and punched out of sheet metal. A first laminated gear constituted by laminating a plurality of gears; a second laminated gear constituted by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears provided on the second main shaft and punched out of sheet metal; The sheet metal is interposed between the first and second laminated gears. The third and fourth laminated gears configured by laminating a plurality of punched plate-like gears and the first, second, third, and fourth laminated gears are connected in a gear train, There is provided a hinge device comprising a rotational force transmission mechanism having a function of transmitting reverse rotational forces from one to the other between the first main shaft and the second main shaft.
In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a mobile phone provided with a hinge device for opening and closing the first housing and the second housing in a folded manner, and the mobile phone is attached to the first housing of the mobile phone. 1 mounting bracket, a second mounting bracket attached to the second casing of the mobile phone, and the first mounting bracket and the mounting portion side of the second mounting bracket can be rotated in a direction in which they approach and separate from each other. A first main shaft disposed in parallel with the other end of each bracket to which rotation of each bracket is transmitted, and a frame pivotally supported via the second main shaft, and provided in the frame. A rotation angle restricting means comprising a cam surface, and first and second cam followers that rotate integrally with the first main shaft and the second main shaft and elastically engage with the cam surface, respectively. Said first spindle A first laminated gear formed by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears provided by punching a sheet metal and a plurality of plate-like gears provided on the second main shaft and punched by a sheet metal. A second laminated gear configured, and third and fourth laminated gears configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears, each of which is interposed between the first and second laminated gears and punched out of sheet metal. The first, second, third, and fourth laminated gears are connected in a gear train, respectively, and transmit reverse rotational forces from one to the other between the first main shaft and the second main shaft. There is provided a mobile phone characterized in that a hinge device having a rotational force transmission mechanism having a function to perform is provided.

The hinge device of the present invention can be reduced in size by using a gear that is easily processed and reduced in size at a low cost and is suitable for downsizing.
In addition, the mobile phone of the present invention can be provided with a small-sized hinge device by using a gear that is easily processed at low cost and has a small size and is suitable for downsizing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone 1 provided with a hinge device according to the present invention. The cellular phone 1 includes a thin flat first casing 4 and a second casing 5 that can be folded and opened in two by a hinge device 3 covered with a decorative cover 2. The first housing 4 is provided with a keyboard 6, and the second housing 5 is provided with a liquid crystal display 7. FIG. 1 shows a state where the mobile phone 1 is opened. Brackets 10 and 11 provided on the hinge device 3 are fixed to the first housing 4 with screws (not shown) through fixing holes 12 and 13. In addition, brackets 14 and 15 provided on the hinge device 3 are fixed to the second housing 5 with screws (not shown) through fixing holes 16 and 17.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the mobile phone 1 as viewed from the A direction, and shows a state where the first casing 4 and the second housing 5 are connected by the hinge device 3 and opened at 160 degrees.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section in a state in which the cellular phone 1 is closed, and the first casing 4 and the second casing 5 are maintained in a substantially parallel folded state by the hinge device 3.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of the hinge device 3.
FIG. 4A shows a schematic configuration viewed from above with the hinge device 3 opened. The bracket 10 is formed of sheet metal or the like and is fixed to the main shaft 21, and the bracket 11 is formed of sheet metal or the like and is rotatably fixed to the pivot shaft 22. The bracket 14 is formed of sheet metal or the like and is fixed to the main shaft 23, and the bracket 15 is formed of sheet metal or the like and is rotatably fixed to the pivot shaft 24.

The main shafts 21 and 23 and the pivot shafts 22 and 24 are provided so as to be supported by a frame 25 processed into a substantially U shape by a sheet metal as a holding plate. Further, a cam 26, cam followers 27 and 28, and extension springs 29 and 30 are provided in the frame 25 as rotation angle restricting means 40 that controls the rotation of the main shafts 21 and 23. The hinge device 3 has a configuration in which a cam 26, cam followers 27 and 28, and extension springs 29 and 30 as rotation angle restricting means 40 are provided in a frame 25 which is a hinge mechanism.
The main shaft 21 is provided with a gear 31, and the main shaft 23 is provided with a gear 32. Gears 33 and 34 are provided between the gears 31 and 32, as will be described in detail later.

The main shaft 21 is pivotally supported on the left side surface (left side in the figure) of the frame 25, and the other end side is pivotally supported by an attachment frame 36 attached to the frame 25 with screws 35.
The main shaft 23 is also pivotally supported on the left side surface (left side in the figure) of the frame 25, and the other end is pivotally supported by an attachment frame 36 attached to the frame 25 with screws 35.
The gears 31, 32, 33, and 34 are provided to be engaged between the left side of the frame 25 (left side in the figure) and the cam 26. That is, the main shaft 21 is fixed to the bracket 10 from the left side in the figure, is pivotally supported on the left side surface of the frame 25, is provided with a gear 31, passes through the cam 26, is fixed to the cam follower 27, and is pivotally supported on the mounting frame 36. ing. The main shaft 23 is fixed to the bracket 14 from the left side in the drawing, is pivotally supported on the left side surface of the frame 25, is provided with a gear 32, passes through the cam 26, is fixed to the cam follower 28, and is pivotally supported on the mounting frame 36. .
The gear 33 is provided between the left side of the frame 25 (left side in the figure) and the cam 26 by a shaft 37, and the gear 34 is provided between the left side of the frame 25 (left side in the figure) and the cam 26 by a shaft 38. Is provided. The main shafts 21 and 23, the shafts 37 and 38, and the gears 31, 32, 33, and 34 constitute a rotational force transmission mechanism 50.
FIG. 4B shows a configuration viewed from the B direction, and gears 33 and 34 are arranged in series between the gear 31 of the main shaft 21 and the gear 32 of the main shaft 23.
FIG. 4C shows a configuration in which the frame 25 and the mounting frame 36 are viewed from the C direction, and are fixed with screws 35.

  FIG. 5A shows the configuration of the gears 31 and 32, and a plurality of gears 60 (for example, 30) are stacked on the main shafts 21 and 23. FIG. 5B shows the shape of one blanking gear 60, which is manufactured, for example, by punching a 0.2 tSPCC steel plate. The gear 60 is provided with two embossments for fixing each gear 60, and an H cut hole is formed in the center. The gear 60 is manufactured, for example, with a gear tooth profile of involute, a tooth profile of parallel teeth, a module of 0.2, a pressure angle of 20 degrees, a number of teeth of 12, and a reference pitch circle diameter of 2.4 mm. The gears 31 and 32 are not provided with a tooth profile of 45 degrees in order to determine the opening / closing angle of the hinge device 3.

FIG. 6A shows the configuration of the gears 33 and 34, and a plurality of gears 70 (for example, 30) are stacked on a shaft (not shown). FIG. 6 (b) shows the shape of one punching gear 70, which is manufactured by punching a 0.2 tSPCC steel plate, for example. The gear 70 is provided with two embossments for fixing each gear 70, and a hole through which a shaft (not shown) is passed in the center. The gear 70 is manufactured, for example, with a gear tooth profile of involute, a tooth profile of parallel teeth, a module of 0.2, a pressure angle of 20 degrees, a number of teeth of 11, and a reference pitch circle diameter of 2.2 mm.
The gears 31, 32, 33, and 34 configured in this manner are inexpensive and enable miniaturization.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the rotation angle restricting means 40 of the hinge device 3 includes a cam 26 and cam followers 27, 28. The cam followers 27, 28 are arranged on the surface of the cam 26 with the extension springs 29, 28, respectively. 30 is elastically engaged.
The rotation angle restricting means 40 of the hinge device 3 has a large load at the beginning of rotation when the bracket 10 and the bracket 14 are relatively rotated and opened and closed, and when the state shifts from one state to another state. Overcoming it, the load is reduced and it functions to be stable in the closed state and the open state. Thus, the opening and closing operation of each of the two folded casings 4 and 5 has a snap action.
In the rotational force transmission mechanism 50, the gears 31, 32 are fixed to the main shafts 21, 23, respectively, and the gears 33, 34 are rotatably provided with respect to the center support shaft. The gears 31, 32, 33, and 34 are configured by an even number of gear trains.

Next, the opening / closing operation in the hinge device 3 in such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
When a rotational force is applied to one of the bracket 10 and the bracket 14 between the bracket 10 and the bracket 14 constituting the rotational force transmission mechanism 50, the reverse rotational force is transmitted to the other. That is, when a rotational force is applied to the bracket 10, the main shaft 21 rotates, the cam follower 27 rotates, the gear 31 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the gear 32 via the gears 33 and 34. When the gear 32 rotates, the main shaft 23 rotates, the cam follower 28 coupled thereto rotates, and the bracket 14 rotates. At this time, the cam followers 27 and 28 are elastically engaged with the surface of the cam 26 and function as the rotation angle restricting means 40.

Next, an opening / closing operation of the first casing 4 and the second casing 5 in the cellular phone 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4.
In FIG. 1, the brackets 10 and 11 of the hinge device 3 are fixed to the first casing 4, and the brackets 14 and 15 are fixed to the second casing 5.
For example, when the operation of closing the second casing 5 is started, the main shaft 23 of the bracket 14 in the hinge device 3 is rotated.
In FIG. 4, when a rotational force is applied to the bracket 14, the main shaft 23 rotates, the cam follower 28 rotates, the gear 32 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the gear 31 via the gears 34 and 33. When the gear 31 rotates, the main shaft 21 rotates, the cam follower 27 coupled thereto rotates, and the bracket 10 rotates. At this time, the cam followers 27 and 28 are elastically engaged with the surface of the cam 26 and function as the rotation angle restricting means 40.

With the rotational force transmission mechanism 50 as described above, the closing operation of the second housing 5 can be performed smoothly. Conversely, the opening operation of the second casing 5 can also be performed smoothly.
Moreover, since rotation of the 1st housing 4 and the 2nd housing 5 connects 2 axis | shafts (main shafts 21 and 23) with the hinge apparatus 3, the positional displacement of housings does not produce, but a sense of stability can be given.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by using the laminated gear for the hinge device, a small and inexpensive rotational force transmission mechanism 50 can be configured, so that the hinge device can be miniaturized. .
Further, by providing the rotation angle restricting means 40 in the hinge device, the entire device can be reduced in size.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, the embodiments may be combined as appropriate as possible, and in that case, the combined effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect described in the column of the effect of the invention Can be obtained as an invention.

1 is a schematic view of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. Sectional drawing which shows the state which looked at the mobile telephone of FIG. 1 from the side. Sectional drawing which shows the state which looked at the place which closed the mobile telephone from the side. The figure which shows schematic structure of the hinge apparatus of a mobile telephone. The figure which shows the structure of a laminated gear. The figure which shows the structure of a laminated gear.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mobile phone, 2 ... Hinge cover, 3 ... Hinge device, 4 ... 1st housing, 5 ... 2nd housing | casing, 10, 11, 14, 15 ... Bracket, 21, 23 ... Main axis | shaft, 22, 24 ... Axis, 25 ... frame, 26 ... cam, 27, 28 ... cam follower, 31, 32, 33, 34 ... gear (laminated gear), 35 ... screw, 36 ... mounting frame, 37, 38 ... shaft, 40 ... rotation angle regulating means, 50: A rotational force transmission mechanism.

Claims (4)

A hinge device for opening and closing a first housing and a second housing in two folds,
A first mounting bracket attached to the first housing;
A second mounting bracket attached to the second housing;
The other mounting portions of the brackets are arranged in parallel to each other so that the rotation of the brackets is transmitted so that the mounting portion sides of the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are rotatable toward and away from each other. A frame that pivotally supports the first main shaft and the second main shaft;
Rotation comprising a cam surface and first and second cam followers provided in the frame and rotated integrally with the first main shaft and the second main shaft and elastically engaged with the cam surface, respectively. Angle regulation means;
A hinge device comprising: A hinge device for opening and closing a first housing and a second housing in a two-fold manner,
A first mounting bracket attached to the first housing;
A second mounting bracket attached to the second housing;
The other mounting portions of the brackets are arranged in parallel to each other so that the rotation of the brackets is transmitted so that the mounting portion sides of the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are rotatable toward and away from each other. A frame that pivotally supports the first main shaft and the second main shaft;
A first laminated gear provided on the first main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
A second laminated gear provided on the second main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
Third and fourth laminated gears configured by laminating a plurality of plate-shaped gears that are interposed between the first and second laminated gears and punched out of sheet metal,
The first, second, third, and fourth laminated gears are connected in a gear train, and transmit reverse rotational forces from one to the other between the first main shaft and the second main shaft. A rotational force transmission mechanism with function,
A hinge device comprising: A hinge device for opening and closing a first housing and a second housing in a two-fold manner,
A first mounting bracket attached to the first housing;
A second mounting bracket attached to the second housing;
The other mounting portions of the brackets are arranged in parallel to each other so that the rotation of the brackets is transmitted so that the mounting portion sides of the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are rotatable toward and away from each other. A frame that pivotally supports the first main shaft and the second main shaft;
Rotation comprising a cam surface and first and second cam followers provided in the frame and rotated integrally with the first main shaft and the second main shaft and elastically engaged with the cam surface, respectively. Angle regulation means;
A first laminated gear provided on the first main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
A second laminated gear provided on the second main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
Third and fourth laminated gears configured by laminating a plurality of plate-shaped gears that are interposed between the first and second laminated gears and punched out of sheet metal,
The first, second, third, and fourth laminated gears are connected in a gear train, and transmit reverse rotational forces from one to the other between the first main shaft and the second main shaft. A rotational force transmission mechanism with function,
A hinge device comprising: A mobile phone provided with a hinge device for opening and closing the first housing and the second housing in a two-fold manner,
A first mounting bracket attached to the first housing of the mobile phone;
A second mounting bracket attached to the second housing of the mobile phone;
The other mounting portions of the brackets are arranged in parallel to each other so that the rotation of the brackets is transmitted so that the mounting portion sides of the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are rotatable toward and away from each other. A frame that pivotally supports the first main shaft and the second main shaft;
Rotation comprising a cam surface and first and second cam followers provided in the frame and rotated integrally with the first main shaft and the second main shaft and elastically engaged with the cam surface, respectively. Angle regulation means;
A first laminated gear provided on the first main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
A second laminated gear provided on the second main shaft and configured by laminating a plurality of plate-like gears punched out of sheet metal;
Third and fourth laminated gears configured by laminating a plurality of plate-shaped gears that are interposed between the first and second laminated gears and punched out of sheet metal,
The first, second, third, and fourth laminated gears are connected in a gear train, and transmit reverse rotational forces from one to the other between the first main shaft and the second main shaft. A rotational force transmission mechanism with function,
A mobile phone characterized in that a hinge device is provided.

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