JP2008151332A - Hinge mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact hinge mechanism capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured with pressing work to embody high holding force. <P>SOLUTION: The hinge mechanism has a hinge axial cross section formed in an approximately polygonal shape. The approximately polygonal shape is a square shape whose four corners are chamfered. Chamfered portions are inscribed in a concentric circle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hinge mechanism suitable for a micro hinge used in a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a notebook personal computer.

  In portable devices such as cellular phones, the folding type has been the mainstream recently. In this foldable mobile phone, a hinge device is used to rotatably connect the display unit and the operation unit. There are 1-axis type and 2-axis type in the hinge device. The single-shaft type has an advantage that the structure is simple, but has a disadvantage that the rotation range is limited to 160 degrees to 170 degrees. On the other hand, although the structure is slightly complicated, the biaxial type has an advantage that the display unit and the operation unit rotate around the respective axes, so that the opening / closing operation can be half of the entire opening / closing angle.

  As a general biaxial hinge structure, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, a spur gear is provided on each of the two axes constituting the hinge, and these are engaged with each other. As such a hinge shaft, as disclosed in FIG. 9 of the above-mentioned document, it is common to use a hinge having a circular cross section. However, it is difficult to fix such a shaft with a circular cross section, and usually it is fixed by cutting a part (one or two surfaces) of the shaft flat and inserting it into the hole of the same shape. It was. However, in the manufacture of such a shaft, there is a problem that the processing cost becomes high because the shaft processed into a cylindrical shape must be further flat-cut only in the vicinity of the end portion.

  In addition, for the purpose of obtaining a strong holding force in the mounting hole, Patent Document 2 discloses a hinge device in which the outer shape of the fitting connection portion to be fitted into the mounting hole is not a circular cross section, but a substantially regular polygonal cross section. Is disclosed. However, this hinge device is a uniaxial hinge, and since the biasing body and the cam mechanism are built in the fitting connection part, the outer shape becomes large and is not suitable for a small portable device. Since the two shafts must be connected by an interlocking mechanism, this structure itself is not applicable.

JP 2006-64000 A JP 2003-113833 A

  In order to solve the conventional problems as described above, an object of the hinge mechanism according to the present invention is to provide a small hinge mechanism that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured by a press or the like and can realize a high holding force.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the hinge mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that the cross section is formed of a hinge shaft having a substantially polygonal shape.

  It is desirable that the axis has a cross-sectional shape in which four corners of a square are chamfered.

  It is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the shaft is a substantially polygon inscribed in a circle. In the bearing part, in order to hold a substantially polygonal shaft in a rotatable manner, it is more desirable that at least the bearing contact part has a shape in which four corners of a square are chamfered along a circumscribed circle.

  The shaft of the hinge mechanism as described above is preferably formed by press molding.

  The substantially polygonal hinge shaft according to the present invention can be applied not only to a conventional uniaxial hinge but also to a parallel biaxial hinge composed of two parallel axes.

  Further, in the parallel biaxial hinge as described above, each of the two axes is disposed inside the main body attaching member, and at least one end of the shaft is fixed to the main body attaching member, and also inside the main body attaching member. It is also preferable that the bearing unit is rotatably supported.

  Each of the two axes may be provided with an interlock mechanism for interlocking the two axes and a click mechanism for generating a click.

  Furthermore, it is also preferable that the central portion of the one-side shaft mounting portion of the main body mounting member is formed hollow and supported by the bearing portion.

  Since the cross-sectional shape of the hinge mechanism according to the present invention is substantially polygonal, a high holding force can be easily ensured by forming a hole of the same shape in the support member when the shaft end is fixed with rotation. it can. In addition, by making the outermost shape of the shaft cross section a curved surface along the circumscribed circle, the pivotable support at the bearing can be facilitated in the same way as a normal cross-section circular shaft.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shaft shape of a hinge mechanism according to the present invention. Although the shaft 10 has a step in the middle, the overall cross-sectional shape is formed in a substantially square shape. An anti-rotation portion 11 at the end of the shaft 10 is formed thinner than the main body, and this portion is fitted and fixed to a shaft mounting portion (not shown).

  FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a single-shaft hinge using the hinge shaft shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows an assembly drawing thereof. The hinge shaft support portion 6 protrudes at two locations of the main body attachment member 1, and the hinge shaft 10 inserted through the shaft hole 41 provided in the support portion 6 is rotatably supported. A cam follower 43 is fixed to the right hinge shaft support 6 in FIG. 3 and is engaged with the cam 20 fixed to the hinge shaft 10 by a biasing spring 60. A shaft mounting portion 71 also serving as a click mechanism case is fixed to the hinge shaft 10 at the right end of the hinge, and is connected to, for example, a mobile phone member at the main body mounting portion 2 extending from the mounting portion 70. Since the main body attaching portion 1 is connected to another member such as a cellular phone, for example, the folding cellular phone can be opened and closed through the hinge mechanism.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a main part of a parallel biaxial hinge as another embodiment of the hinge mechanism according to the present invention. The hinge shaft 10 is formed in a quadrangular shape with four corners chamfered, and a cam 20 for generating a click on each shaft and a gear of an interlocking connection mechanism 30 for interlocking the two shafts are fixed. . These shafts are further connected to a cam follower and a hinge base that rotatably supports the shaft, but are omitted in this figure for easy understanding of the shaft configuration. Each of the two shafts 10 is further inserted and fixed at one end 11 into the shaft mounting holes 3 of the main body mounting portions 1 and 2. Although not shown, since the shaft mounting hole 3 has the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 10, when the shaft is inserted and fixed, a strong holding force against the rotational moment is exhibited.
FIG. 5 shows a fixed state of the cam 20 and the hinge shaft 10 in the embodiment shown in FIG. The hinge shaft 10 is formed in a square shape in cross section, and the four corners are chamfered 12 in a curved shape along concentric circles, and thus has a substantially square shape. By inserting this shaft into the substantially square shaft hole 22, a strong holding force can be exerted against the moment around the shaft. In order to fix the cam 20 on the hinge shaft 10, the vicinity of the contact between the cam and the hinge shaft may be caulked.

  FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the hinge shaft 10 and the hinge base 40 for the embodiment shown in FIG. The hinge base 40 is formed in a U shape when viewed from the side, and includes a base portion 45 parallel to the hinge shaft 10 and support portions 46A and 46B perpendicular to the hinge shaft 10. In addition, a cam holding plate 42 is fixed to the hinge base 40 by screwing in a fixing hole 44 to the hinge base 40. The cam holding plate 42 is formed in an L shape when viewed from the side, and includes a fixing portion parallel to the hinge base portion 45 and a cam follower holding portion parallel to the hinge base support portion. Two shaft holes 41 are formed in each of the hinge base support portion 46A and the cam follower holding portion of the cam holding plate 42, and the hinge shaft 10 is inserted and supported rotatably.

  FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the shaft hole 41 and the hinge shaft 10 in the hinge base support portion 46A. The shaft hole 41 of the hinge base support portion 46A is formed in a circular shape, and the hinge shaft 10 has a chamfered portion 13 formed in a curved shape along the inner periphery of the shaft hole 41. It is supported by the hole 41 and can freely rotate within the shaft hole.

  FIG. 8 shows a completed view of the parallel biaxial hinge mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. The main body attaching portions 1 and 2 are connected by inserting the hollow protrusion 5 formed in the main body attaching portions 1 and 2 directly into the shaft hole of the hinge base support portion 46B on the opposite side via the hinge shaft 10 on the front side. . A hollow hole 4 is formed in the main body attachment portion protrusion 5, and an electric wiring harness or the like can be wired through the hole. A gear mechanism 30 for interlocking the two hinge shafts 10 is provided between the hinge base support 46A and the cam holding plate 42. Of course, the shaft interlocking connection mechanism 30 can use not only gears but also other mechanisms. The cam 20 is disposed adjacent to the cam follower 43 fixed to the cam holding plate 42. Further, since the cam 20 biases the cam toward the cam holding plate 42 by the spring 60, the hinge shaft rotates. A click can be generated at a predetermined position.

  The substantially polygonal shaft in cross section of the hinge mechanism according to the present invention can be manufactured by press molding. First, a metal flat plate hoop material having a predetermined thickness is punched out and pressed into several times to form a square shape. Finally, the chamfered portion is also formed by pressing, and the hinge used in the embodiment of the present invention A shaft can be manufactured. Since the above work can be performed in a series of steps, a mold is required, but if it is produced in large quantities, it takes less time and manufacturing time, so compared to the case where a flat part is formed on a conventional round shaft. The cost can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, a high-holding force can be easily secured and a low-cost hinge mechanism can be provided for portable devices such as a mobile phone and a notebook personal computer. It contributes to.

It is a perspective view which shows the axial shape of the hinge mechanism by this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the Example of the 1 axis | shaft hinge using the hinge axis | shaft shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram of the uniaxial hinge shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which shows the Example principal part of the parallel biaxial hinge mechanism by this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the relationship between the hinge axis | shaft and cam of the hinge mechanism Example shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows another principal part of the hinge mechanism Example shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the relationship between the hinge base | substrate support part and hinge axis | shaft in the hinge mechanism Example shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the completion state of the hinge mechanism Example by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body attachment member 2 Main body attachment member 3 Shaft attachment hole 4 Hollow hole 5 Protrusion part 6 Hinge shaft support part 10 Hinge shaft 11 Shaft rotation prevention end part 12 Chamfer part 13 Chamfer part 20 Cam 21 Cam protrusion 22 Cam shaft hole 30 Axis interlocking Connecting mechanism 40 Hinge base 41 Shaft hole 42 Cam holding plate 43 Cam follower 44 Cam holding plate fixing hole 45 Hinge base base 46A, 46B Hinge base support 50 Cam holding plate fixing screw 60 Energizing spring 70 Click mechanism 71 Click mechanism case

Claims (8)

A hinge mechanism characterized by comprising a hinge shaft having a substantially polygonal cross section. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the shaft has a cross-sectional shape in which four corners of a quadrangle are chamfered. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the shaft is a substantially polygon inscribed in a circle. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shaft is formed by press molding. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises two parallel axes. Each of the two shafts is disposed inside the main body mounting member, and at least one end portion of the shaft is fixed to the main body mounting member, and is also rotatably supported by a bearing portion disposed inside the main body mounting member. 6. The hinge mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: The hinge mechanism according to claim 6, wherein each of the two axes is provided with an interlock mechanism for interlocking the two axes and a click mechanism for generating a click. 8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 7, wherein a central portion of the one-side shaft mounting portion of the main body mounting member is formed hollow and supported by the bearing portion.

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