JP2017157706A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus capable of easily and smoothly using a table lamp.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus 10 comprises a table lamp 14 which is rotatably coupled to a device casing 12 through hinge mechanisms 18 and 19, and can be rotated at a housing position along the device casing 12 and a standing position projected from the device casing 12. The electronic apparatus is constructed so that the device casing 12 can be held in a standing posture by setting the table lamp 14 at the standing position. The hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 comprises: an operation button 24 that allows a hinge shaft 26 to move to a shaft direction other side against an energization force of an elastic member 38 when an operation surface 24a is pressed and operated; and a clutch part 30 that is set to a connection state which cannot be rotated between the hinge shaft 26 and a fitting cylinder 28 in a state where the operation button 24 is not pressed and operated, and is set to an isolation state which is freely rotated between the hinge shaft 26 and a fitting cylinder 28 when the operation button 24 is pressed and operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a stand for standing is turnable with respect to a device housing via a hinge mechanism.

  In recent years, tablet personal computers (tablet PCs) having a touch panel type liquid crystal display and no physical keyboard are rapidly spreading. In general, tablet PCs may be operated while being held by hand or placed on a desk or the like, and when operated while placed on a desk or the like, a stand is used to stand up. May be used in a standing position.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic apparatus having a stand that is provided on the back surface of a stand so as to be rotatable via a hinge.

Special table 2015-518190 gazette

  In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a predetermined rotational torque is applied to the hinge that rotatably supports the stand on the back surface of the electronic device. Therefore, when using the stand that is housed along the back surface of the electronic device, the user needs to hook the end portion of the stand with a fingertip or a nail and cause it from the back surface with a force larger than the rotational torque of the hinge. For this reason, when using the stand, it is necessary to raise the stand while looking at the back of the electronic device, and to open it to a desired angular position with a force larger than the rotational torque, which is troublesome. For example, in the case of a user with a thick finger or a user with a short nail, there is a possibility that the stand cannot be raised easily and smoothly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus that can use a stand easily and smoothly.

  The electronic device according to the present invention is rotatably connected to the device housing via a hinge mechanism, and can be rotated between a storage position along the device housing and an upright position protruding from the device housing. An electronic device capable of holding the device housing in an upright posture by setting the stand to the upright position, wherein the hinge mechanism is not rotatable with respect to the device housing and is axially A hinge shaft urged to one side in the axial direction by an elastic member, a mounting cylinder body rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft, and attached to the stand, and an operation An operation button having a surface disposed on an outer surface of the device housing and moving the hinge shaft to the other side in the axial direction against the urging force of the elastic member when the operation surface is pressed; The button is not pressed In this state, the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder are in a non-rotatable connection state, and when the operation button is pressed, the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder rotate with each other. And a clutch portion that is in a freely separated state.

  According to such a configuration, when the stand is rotated from the stowed position to the standing position, for example, the operation button is pressed in a state where the device housing is set to a desired angle and the clutch portion is in the disengaged state. To do. If it does so, the attachment cylinder body with which the stand was attached with respect to the hinge axis | shaft connected with the apparatus housing | casing side so that rotation was impossible will be in a free rotation state. As a result, the stand opens with its own weight, for example, with respect to the hinge shaft via the mounting cylinder. Therefore, by releasing the pressing operation on the operation button in a state where the stand has a desired opening angle, the clutch portion is again connected and the stand is fixed at the set angular position. As described above, when using the stand, the user can open the stand to a desired angular position by operating the operation button without looking at the back of the electronic device. For this reason, it becomes possible to use a stand easily and smoothly.

  The stand is attached to the attachment cylinder via a stand attachment part rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the attachment cylinder, and rotates between the stand attachment part and the attachment cylinder. It is good also as a structure provided with the torque generation part which provides a torque. As a result, even if the stand that is in the stowed position or the standing position and the clutch portion is in the connected state is forcibly rotated manually, the external force on the stand exceeds the rotational torque at the torque generating portion. In some cases, the stand rotates. For this reason, it is prevented that an excessive load is applied to the connecting portion between the clutch portion and the hinge shaft and the device housing, and these are damaged.

  Further, the electronic device according to the present invention is rotatably connected to the device housing via a hinge mechanism, and is rotated between a storage position along the device housing and an upright position protruding from the device housing. An electronic device comprising a movable stand, wherein the device housing can be held in a standing posture by setting the stand to the standing position, wherein the hinge mechanism is freely rotatable with respect to the device housing. A hinge shaft that is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction, a mounting cylinder that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft, and to which the stand is attached, and an operation surface are disposed on the outer surface of the device housing. An operation button for moving the hinge shaft to the other side in the axial direction when the operation surface is pressed, and biasing the hinge shaft to one side in the axial direction opposite to the moving direction by the pressing operation of the operation button And the hinge shaft A torque generator for applying a rotational torque between the mounting cylinder and a torque generated by the torque generator between the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder in a state where the operation button is not pressed. On the other hand, when the operation button is pressed, the clutch portion that is in a rotationally separated state in which no rotational torque is applied by the torque generating portion between the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder when the operation button is pressed. It is characterized by providing.

  According to such a configuration, when the stand is rotated from the stowed position to the standing position, for example, the operation button is pressed in a state where the device housing is set to a desired angle and the clutch portion is in the disengaged state. To do. If it does so, the attachment cylinder body with which the stand was attached with respect to the hinge axis | shaft connected with the predetermined | prescribed rotational torque via the torque generation part on the apparatus housing | casing side will be in a free rotation state. As a result, the stand opens with its own weight, for example, with respect to the hinge shaft via the mounting cylinder. Therefore, by releasing the pressing operation on the operation button in a state where the stand has a desired opening angle, the clutch portion is again connected and the stand is fixed at the set angular position. Thus, when using the stand, the user can open the stand to a desired angular position by operating the operation button without looking at the back of the electronic device. For this reason, it becomes possible to use a stand easily and smoothly.

  The clutch portion includes a plurality of protrusions formed in a circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the hinge shaft, and a plurality of protrusions formed in a circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder. A recess that can be engaged with each other and movably in the axial direction, and the protrusion of the hinge shaft and the recess of the mounting cylinder are engaged with each other in a state where the operation button is not pressed. On the other hand, when the operation button is pressed, the meshing state may be released and the disconnected state may be established. Then, for example, by appropriately setting the number of teeth (number of teeth) in the circumferential direction of the hinge shaft of the convex portion and the concave portion, the fixing angle position of the stand can be adjusted, and the stand can be fixed at a desired angle. Become.

  The device housing includes a contact member that contacts the hinge shaft and elastically deforms or moves when the operation button is pressed and the hinge shaft moves to the other side in the axial direction. It may be. If it does so, since a hinge axis | shaft will contact | abut to a contact member with respect to pressing operation of an operation button and a click feeling and a clicking sound will be generated, a high operation feeling will be acquired.

  According to the present invention, when the stand is opened and closed, the stand can be freely rotated by simply pressing the operation button. Therefore, the stand can be used easily and smoothly.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an electronic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view schematically showing the configuration of one of the hinge mechanisms. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a state where the operation button of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is pressed. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the rotating operation of the stand of the electronic device, FIG. 6A is a view showing a state where the stand is in the storage position, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which has a stand in a standing position. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional plan view schematically showing the configuration of one hinge mechanism mounted on the electronic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a state where the operation button of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is pressed. FIG. 9 is a rear view of an electronic apparatus according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the electronic device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the electronic device 10 shown in FIG.

  The electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment is a tablet PC that includes a turnable stand 14 on the back surface 12a of the device housing 12 and can be held in a standing posture on a desk or the like. The present invention is applicable to various electronic devices such as a display device and a terminal device, in addition to portable information devices such as a tablet PC, a smartphone, and an electronic notebook.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electronic device 10 includes a display 16 including a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit on a surface 12 b of the device housing 12. The device housing 12 is formed in a thin box shape with a resin back cover 12c on the back surface 12a and a resin surface cover 12d on the surface 12b side. Various electronic components such as a substrate, an arithmetic unit, and a memory (not shown) are accommodated in the device housing 12.

  The stand 14 is a thin plate-like member made of resin in which the three edge portions along the outer periphery are formed to be slightly thicker than the center portion. The stand 14 is rotatably connected to the device housing 12 via a pair of left and right hinge mechanisms 18, 19 provided on the lower end side of the back cover 12 c of the device housing 12. The stand 14 can be stored in a shallow stepped recess 20 formed on the back surface 12 a of the device housing 12. In the vicinity of the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 on both the left and right sides of the stand 14, support end portions 14a are formed so as to protrude. The stand 14 is rotatably supported with respect to the device housing 12 by fastening and fixing the stand attachment portions 22 of the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 to the support end portions 14a.

  The stand 14 is housed in the recess 20 and is formed so as to be substantially flush with the back surface 12a of the device housing 12 (see FIG. 3), and the support end 14a side via the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19. Can be turned to an upright position (see FIGS. 1 and 2) in which the open end 14b on the opposite side is turned away from the back surface 12a. The stand 14 is in a state in which the open end portion 14b side greatly protrudes from the back surface 12a in the standing position. The stand 14 can hold the electronic device 10 in a standing posture by landing the protruding open end portion 14b and the bottom surface 12e of the device housing 12 on a desk or the like.

  4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view schematically showing the configuration of one hinge mechanism 19, and is a view of the electronic device 10 with the stand 14 in the storage position as seen from the back surface 12a side as shown in FIG. . FIG. 5 is a partial sectional plan view showing a state where the operation button 24 of the hinge mechanism 19 shown in FIG. 4 is pressed. Since the other hinge mechanism 18 may have the same configuration except that it has a bilaterally symmetric structure with respect to the one hinge mechanism 19, the one hinge mechanism 19 will be representatively described below, and the other hinge mechanism 18 will be described. Detailed description and illustration are omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hinge mechanism 19 (18) includes a hinge shaft 26, an operation button 24, an attachment cylinder 28, a clutch part 30, a stand attachment part 22, and a torque generation part 32. Is provided.

  The hinge shaft 26 is a shaft member that serves as a rotation shaft of the stand 14. The hinge shaft 26 is provided with an operation button 24 on one end side, and the other end side is inserted and supported in the shaft hole 34 of the device housing 12. A plurality of shaft-side convex portions 26a formed in the circumferential direction and extending in the axial direction are formed on the outer peripheral surface on the other end side of the hinge shaft 26, and a plurality of shaft-side convex portions 26a are arranged in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 34. A housing-side recess 34a that is formed and extends in the axial direction is formed. The shaft-side convex portion 26a of the hinge shaft 26 and the housing-side concave portion 34a of the shaft hole 34 are engaged with each other while the hinge shaft 26 is movable in the axial direction. As a result, the hinge shaft 26 and the shaft hole 34 are connected by a fitting structure called serration or spline, and the hinge shaft 26 is supported so as to be non-rotatable and movable in the axial direction with respect to the device housing 12. The fitting structure of the hinge shaft 26 and the shaft hole 34 may be another structure as long as the hinge shaft 26 is connected to each other in a state in which the hinge shaft 26 cannot rotate and is movable in the axial direction.

  A thin disc-shaped flange 26 b that is coaxial with the hinge shaft 26 and has a large diameter is provided integrally with the hinge shaft 26. One end surface of the flange 26 b is provided so as to be in contact with the end surface of the mounting cylinder 28. The other end surface of the flange 26b is fixed to the other end of an elastic member 38 having one end fixed to an annular pedestal 36 provided on the end surface of the device housing 12. The elastic member 38 is an annular spring member provided so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft 26. The elastic member 38 biases the hinge shaft 26 to one side in the axial direction by biasing the flange 26b to one side in the axial direction (left side in FIG. 4). The pedestal 36 may be omitted.

  A diameter-expanded portion 26c having a slightly enlarged diameter is provided at a position adjacent to one end side (left side in FIG. 4) of the flange 26b of the hinge shaft 26, and a plurality of radially-expanded portions 26c are arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface. A convex portion 26d that is formed and extends in the axial direction is formed.

  The operation button 24 is fixed to one end side of the hinge shaft 26 and is urged to one side in the axial direction integrally with the hinge shaft 26 by an elastic member 38. The outer surface of the operation button 24 is an operation surface 24a. The operation surface 24a is exposed to the outer surface of the device housing 12 through an opening formed on the outer surface of the device housing 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

  In the case of the present embodiment, the device housing 12 is formed with one or a plurality of recesses that open perpendicularly to the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 34, and can be projected and retracted in the shaft hole 34 by the coil spring 39 a. A conical abutting member 39b biased by is arranged. Thus, when the operation button 24 is pressed, the tip of the hinge shaft 26 comes into contact with the contact member 39b and presses it against the biasing force of the coil spring 39a. As a result, since a click feeling and a click sound are generated in response to the pressing operation of the operation button 24, a high operation feeling can be obtained. Instead of the contact member 39b, for example, a configuration in which a leaf spring that is elastically deformable in a bent chevron shape is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 34, or the like may be employed.

  The attachment cylinder 28 is a part to which the stand 14 is attached. The mounting cylinder 28 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft 26 by being inserted into the axial through hole 28a in a state where the hinge shaft 26 can freely rotate and move in the axial direction. The mounting cylinder 28 has a stepped cylindrical shape in which a small-diameter portion 28b is formed from one end side of the outer peripheral surface to substantially the center. One end side (left side in FIG. 4) of the small diameter portion 28 b is closed by a disc-like stopper 40 connected to the end surface of the mounting cylinder 28. Accordingly, an annular annular recess 41 formed by the small diameter portion 28 b is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 28.

  On the inner peripheral surface on the other end side (right side in FIG. 4) of the through hole 28a, a plurality of recesses 28c are formed that are arranged in the circumferential direction and extend in the axial direction (see also FIG. 5). The convex portion 26d of the hinge shaft 26 and the concave portion 28c of the mounting cylinder 28 mesh with each other in a state where the hinge shaft 26 is movable in the axial direction. As a result, the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 are connected by a fitting structure called serration or spline, and the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 are supported so as to be non-rotatable and movable in the axial direction.

  The clutch portion 30 is composed of a convex portion 26d of the hinge shaft 26 and a concave portion 28c of the mounting cylinder 28 that are connected to each other so as not to rotate and to move in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 4, in a state where the operation button 24 is not pressed, the hinge shaft 26 moves to the one end side in the axial direction by the urging force of the elastic member 38, and the flange 26 b is in contact with the end surface of the mounting cylinder 28. In this state, since the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c of the clutch portion 30 are engaged with each other, the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 are in a non-rotatable connection state. On the other hand, when the operation button 24 is pressed as shown in FIG. 5, the hinge shaft 26 moves to the other end side in the axial direction against the urging force of the elastic member 38, and the flange 26 b is attached to the mounting cylinder 28. Separate from the end face. In this state, since the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c of the clutch portion 30 are separated from each other and are not engaged with each other, the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 are separated from each other so as to be freely rotatable.

  The stand attachment portion 22 includes a connecting cylinder portion 22a that is rotatably inserted on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 28b of the attachment cylinder body 28, and an attachment plate 22b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the connection cylinder portion 22a. The mounting plate 22b is a portion to which a mounting portion (not shown) of the stand 14 is fastened and fixed by screwing or the like. The connecting cylinder portion 22a is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the small-diameter portion 28b by inserting the small-diameter portion 28b into the axial through hole 22c in a state where the small-diameter portion 28b is free to rotate and cannot move in the axial direction. The connecting cylinder portion 22a is set to have a smaller axial length than the small diameter portion 28b, and is disposed at a position where one end surface abuts on the stopper 40 in the annular recess 41 of the mounting cylinder 28.

  The torque generating part 32 is a part that applies rotational torque between the connecting cylinder part 22 a of the stand attaching part 22 and the attaching cylinder body 28. The torque generating portion 32 includes a friction member 32 a that is sandwiched between the other end surface of the connecting tube portion 22 a of the stand mounting portion 22 and the side wall surface of the annular recess 41. The friction member 32a is formed by laminating a plurality of annular leaf springs or disk springs that are extrapolated to the small diameter portion 28b of the mounting cylinder 28, for example. The friction member 32a is sandwiched between the other end surface of the connecting cylinder portion 22a and the side wall surface of the annular recess 41 so as to urge the connecting cylinder portion 22a toward the stopper 40, thereby attaching the connecting cylinder portion of the connecting cylinder portion 22a. A predetermined rotational torque is applied to the rotation with respect to 28.

  The rotational torque generated by the torque generating unit 32 can rotate the stand 14 with a certain amount of manual force through, for example, the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19, and the stand 14 in the standing position can be rotated by the weight of the electronic device 10. Without being set, the electronic device 10 is set to such a degree that it can be held at a desired standing angle. The torque generating part 32 may be configured so that a desired rotational torque can be applied between the stand attaching part 22 and the attaching cylinder 28. For example, the torque generating part 32 includes an inner peripheral surface of the connecting cylindrical part 22a and an outer peripheral face of the small diameter part 28b. You may comprise by setting the sliding resistance between.

  Next, the operation | movement which uses the stand 14 of the electronic device 10 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the rotation operation of the stand 14 of the electronic device 10, and FIG. 6A is a view showing a state where the stand 14 is in the storage position. ) Is a diagram showing a state where the stand 14 is in the standing position.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, in a state where the stand 14 is in the storage position and the operation button 24 is not pressed, the clutch portion 30 has a convex portion 26d and a concave portion 28c as shown in FIG. The connection state is in mesh. For this reason, the mounting cylinder 28 is non-rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 26 that is non-rotatably connected to the device casing 12. In addition, a predetermined rotational torque is applied between the mounting cylinder 28 and the stand mounting portion 22 by the torque generating portion 32. As a result, the stand 14 fastened and fixed to the stand attachment portion 22 is held in the storage position in a stable state without rattling.

  Even when the stand 14 is forcibly rotated manually by this manual operation or the like, the stand 14 will not be opened by the torque generated by the torque generator 32 with some external force. However, when the external force with respect to the stand 14 exceeds the rotational torque at the torque generator 32, the stand 14 opens toward the standing position. For this reason, it is prevented that an excessive load is applied to the coupling portion between the clutch portion 30 and the hinge shaft 26 and the device housing 12 to damage them.

  Next, when the stand 14 in the storage position is rotated to the standing position, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the side of the device housing 12 is grasped by hand, and the device housing 12 is held on the desk surface 44a. The desired standing angle is set as above. In this state, the operation buttons 24 of the left and right hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 are pressed into the device casing 12.

  Then, in each hinge mechanism 18, 19, the hinge shaft 26 moves to the other end side in the axial direction against the urging force of the elastic member 38 by the operation button 24 pressed as shown in FIG. Is in a separated state in which the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c are not meshed with each other. For this reason, the mounting cylinder 28 is freely separated from the hinge shaft 26 that is non-rotatably connected to the device housing 12. In addition, a predetermined rotational torque is applied between the mounting cylinder 28 and the stand mounting portion 22 by the torque generating portion 32.

  As a result, the mounting cylinder 28 is rotated with respect to the hinge shaft 26 by the weight of the stand 14, and the stand 14 is opened as shown in FIG. 6B, so that the open end 14b is on the desk surface 44a. Land. Therefore, the pressing operation on the operation button 24 is released. Then, the hinge shaft 26 moves to one axial end side as shown in FIG. 4 by the urging force of the elastic member 38, and the clutch portion 30 returns to the connected state in which the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c are engaged with each other. As a result, the stand 14 is held in the upright position positioned at the opening angle shown in FIG. 6B, so that the electronic device 10 is independent at the set angle even if the user releases the hand from the electronic device 10. .

  Note that the electronic device 10 in a state of standing on the stand 14 in this way is pressed toward an angle at which the electronic device 10 lies further than the standing angle shown in FIG. 6B (the direction of falling to the right in FIG. 6B), for example. In such a case, an excessive load may be applied to the coupling portion between the clutch portion 30 and the hinge shaft 26 and the device housing 12. In this regard, in the electronic device 10, the torque generation unit 32 is provided between the mounting cylinder 28 that is integrally connected to the device housing 12 side and the stand mounting portion 22 that is integrally connected to the stand 14 side. Intervene. For this reason, even when an external force in the tilt direction is applied to the standing electronic device 10, the external force applied between the mounting cylinder 28 and the stand mounting portion 22 generates a rotational torque at the torque generating portion 32. When the time is exceeded, the stand 14 is further opened. As a result, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the coupling portion between the clutch portion 30 and the hinge shaft 26 and the device housing 12 to damage them.

  On the other hand, when the stand 14 in the upright position is stored in the storage position as shown in FIG. 6 (A), for example, if the electronic device 10 is placed with its back surface 12a facing upward, the operation button 24 is pressed. Good. Then, since the stand 14 is again placed in the storage position by its own weight, the stand 14 is fixed at the storage position when the pressing operation on the operation button 24 is released. The stand 14 in the standing position can be stored in the storage position by, for example, pushing the stand 14 against the rotational torque of the torque generator 32 to the storage position manually.

  As described above, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment is rotatably connected to the device housing 12 via the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19, and the storage position along the device housing 12 and the device housing 12 are connected. A stand 14 that can be rotated to an upright position protruding from the body 12 is provided, and the device housing 12 can be held in an upright position by setting the stand 14 to the upright position. The hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 are supported so as to be unrotatable and movable in the axial direction with respect to the device casing 12, and are hinged to the axial direction by the elastic member 38, and the hinge shaft 26 is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of 26, the mounting cylinder 28 to which the stand 14 is attached, and the operation surface 24a are arranged on the outer surface of the device housing 12, and when the operation surface 24a is pressed, an elastic member The operation button 24 that moves the hinge shaft 26 to the other side in the axial direction against the urging force of 38, and the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 cannot rotate with each other in a state where the operation button 24 is not pressed. On the other hand, a clutch portion 30 is provided that places the hinge shaft 26 and the mounting cylinder 28 in a freely separated state when the operation button 24 is pressed.

  Accordingly, when the stand 14 is rotated from the storage position to the standing position, for example, the operation button 24 is pressed in a state where the device housing 12 is set to a desired angle and the clutch portion 30 is brought into a disconnected state. If it does so, the attachment cylinder 28 in which the stand 14 was attached with respect to the hinge axis | shaft 26 connected with the apparatus housing | casing 12 side so that rotation was impossible will be in a free rotation state. As a result, the stand 14 opens with the weight of the hinge shaft 26 through the mounting cylinder 28, for example. Therefore, by releasing the pressing operation on the operation button 24 in a state where the stand 14 has a desired opening angle, the clutch unit 30 is again connected and the stand 14 is fixed at the set angular position. As described above, when using the stand 14, the user can open the stand 14 to a desired angular position simply by operating the operation button 24 without looking at the back surface 12 a of the electronic device 10. For this reason, it becomes possible to use the stand 14 easily and smoothly.

  In the electronic device 10, the stand 14 is attached to the attachment cylinder 28 via a stand attachment part 22 that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the attachment cylinder 28, and the stand attachment part 22 and the attachment cylinder are attached. A torque generator 32 that applies rotational torque to the body 28 is provided. Therefore, even when the stand 14 in the retracted position or the standing position and the clutch portion 30 is in the connected state is to be forcibly rotated manually, the external force on the stand 14 is rotated by the torque generating portion 32. When the torque is exceeded, the stand 14 rotates. For this reason, it is prevented that an excessive load is applied to the coupling portion between the clutch portion 30 and the hinge shaft 26 and the device housing 12 to damage them.

  In the electronic device 10, the clutch portion 30 is formed with a plurality of convex portions 26 d formed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the hinge shaft 26, and a plurality in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 28, The convex portion 26d of the hinge shaft 26 has a concave portion 28c that can be engaged with each other and can be moved in the axial direction. The convex portion 26d of the hinge shaft 26 and the concave portion 28c of the mounting cylinder 28 are provided with the operation button 24. Are engaged with each other without being pressed, and when the operation button 24 is pressed, the meshing state is released and a disconnected state is established. Thereby, for example, by appropriately setting the number of meshes (the number of teeth) in the circumferential direction of the hinge shaft 26 between the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c, the fixed angle position of the stand 14 can be adjusted, and the stand 14 can be adjusted at a desired angle. It can be fixed.

  FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional plan view schematically showing the configuration of one hinge mechanism 19A mounted on the electronic apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is the hinge shown in FIG. It is a partial cross section top view which shows the state which pressed the operation button 24 of the mechanism 19A. Even in the case of the present embodiment, the other hinge mechanism 18A may have the same configuration except for the left-right symmetrical structure with respect to the one hinge mechanism 19A. However, the specific description and illustration of the other hinge mechanism 18A will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the hinge mechanism 19A (18A) includes a hinge shaft 50 in which the shaft-side convex portion 26a is omitted from the hinge shaft 26 of the hinge mechanism 19 (18) shown in FIGS. The hinge mechanism 19 (18) is different from the hinge mechanism 19 (18) in that it includes a stand attachment portion 52 that integrally forms the cylinder 28 and the stand attachment portion 22 and a torque generation portion 54 that is disposed at a different position from the torque generation portion 32.

  The hinge shaft 50 is not provided with the shaft-side convex portion 26 a on the other end side, and the housing-side concave portion 34 a is not provided in the shaft hole 34 of the device housing 12. For this reason, the hinge shaft 50 is connected to the device housing 12 in a state in which it cannot rotate and is movable in the axial direction.

  The stand attachment portion 52 includes an attachment cylinder 56 having a shape that does not have the small-diameter portion 28 b as compared with the attachment cylinder 28 described above, and an attachment plate 22 b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the attachment cylinder 56. As described above, the hinge mechanism 19 </ b> A is configured to attach the stand 14 by providing the attachment plate 22 b directly to the attachment cylinder 56.

  The torque generator 54 is a portion that applies rotational torque between the hinge shaft 50 and the device housing 12. The torque generating unit 54 includes a friction member 54 a sandwiched between the end face of the flange 26 b of the hinge shaft 50 and the pedestal 36 of the device housing 12. The friction member 54 a is provided with a spring member in which a plurality of annular leaf springs or disc springs are stacked so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft 50. The friction member 54a is sandwiched between the other end surface of the flange 26b and the pedestal 36 so as to bias the hinge shaft 50 toward one end in the axial direction (left side in FIG. 7) via the flange 26b. Thereby, the friction member 54a applies a predetermined rotational torque to the rotation of the hinge shaft 50 with respect to the device housing 12, and simultaneously biases the hinge shaft 50 to one side in the axial direction.

  The rotational torque by the torque generator 54 may be set to be equivalent to the rotational torque of the torque generator 32 described above. The torque generator 54 may be configured to apply a desired rotational torque between the hinge shaft 50 (stand mounting portion 52) and the device housing 12.

  In the electronic apparatus 10A provided with such a hinge mechanism 19A (18A), first, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the stand 14 is in the storage position and the operation button 24 is not pressed, FIG. As shown, the clutch portion 30 is in a connected state in which the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c are engaged with each other. For this reason, the mounting cylinder 56 of the stand mounting portion 52 is connected to the hinge shaft 50 so as not to rotate. In addition, a predetermined rotational torque is applied between the hinge shaft 50 and the device housing 12 by the torque generator 54. As a result, the stand 14 fastened and fixed to the stand attachment portion 52 is held in the storage position in a stable state without rattling.

  Even when the stand 14 is forcibly rotated manually by this manual storage position, the stand 14 is not opened by the torque generated by the torque generator 54 with a certain amount of external force. However, when the external force with respect to the stand 14 exceeds the rotational torque at the torque generator 54, the stand 14 opens toward the standing position. For this reason, it is prevented that an excessive load is applied to the clutch portion 30 and the clutch portion 30 is damaged.

  Next, when the stand 14 in the storage position is rotated to the standing position, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the side of the device housing 12 of the electronic device 10A is grasped by hand to be placed on the desk surface 44a. In order to obtain a desired standing angle. From this state, the operation buttons 24 of the left and right hinge mechanisms 18A and 19A are pressed into the device casing 12.

  Then, in each hinge mechanism 18A, 19A, the hinge shaft 50 moves against the friction member 54a to the other end side in the axial direction by the operation button 24 pressed as shown in FIG. 26d and the recessed portion 28c are separated from each other. For this reason, the attachment cylinder 56 is freely separated from the hinge shaft 50 connected to the device housing 12 with a predetermined rotational torque.

  As a result, the mounting cylinder 56 is rotated with respect to the hinge shaft 50 by the weight of the stand 14, and the stand 14 is opened as shown in FIG. 6B, so that the open end 14b is on the desk surface 44a. Land. Therefore, the pressing operation on the operation button 24 is released. Then, the hinge shaft 50 moves to the one axial end side as shown in FIG. 7 by the biasing force of the friction member 54a, and the clutch portion 30 returns to the connected state in which the convex portion 26d and the concave portion 28c are engaged with each other. As a result, the stand 14 is held at the standing position positioned at the opening angle shown in FIG. 6B, so that the electronic device 10A is self-supporting at the set angle even when the user releases the electronic device 10A. .

  It should be noted that the electronic device 10A standing in the stand 14 in this way is pressed toward an angle at which the electronic device 10A lies further than the standing angle shown in FIG. 6 (B) (the direction in which the electronic device 10A falls to the right in FIG. 6 (B)). If this is done, an excessive load may be applied to the clutch unit 30. In this regard, in this configuration example, the torque generating portion 54 is interposed between the hinge shaft 50 integrally connected to the stand mounting portion 52 and the device housing 12. For this reason, even when an external force in the tilting direction is applied to the standing electronic device 10A, the external force applied between the hinge shaft 50 and the device housing 12 via the stand mounting portion 52 is the torque generating portion. When the rotational torque at 54 is exceeded, the stand 14 further opens. As a result, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the clutch portion 30 and breakage thereof.

  On the other hand, when the stand 14 in the standing position is stored in the storage position as shown in FIG. 6A, for example, if the electronic device 10A is placed in a state where the back surface 12a faces upward, the operation button 24 is pressed. Good. Then, since the stand 14 is again placed in the storage position by its own weight, the stand 14 is fixed at the storage position when the pressing operation on the operation button 24 is released. The stand 14 in the standing position can be stored in the storage position by, for example, pushing the stand 14 against the rotational torque of the torque generator 54 to the storage position manually.

  As described above, the electronic device 10A according to the present embodiment is rotatably connected to the device housing 12 via the hinge mechanisms 18A and 19A, and the storage position and the device housing along the device housing 12 are connected. 12 is provided with a rotatable stand 14 that protrudes from an upright position protruding from 12, and the device housing 12 can be held in an upright position by setting the stand 14 to the upright position. The hinge mechanisms 18A and 19A are supported by the hinge shaft 50 supported so as to be freely rotatable and movable in the axial direction with respect to the device housing 12, and are supported rotatably on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft 50, and the stand 14 is attached. The mounting cylinder 56 to be operated, the operation surface 24a are disposed on the outer surface of the device casing 12, and the operation button 24 for moving the hinge shaft 50 to the other side in the axial direction when the operation surface 24a is pressed, the hinge A torque generator 54 that urges the shaft 50 to one side in the axial direction opposite to the moving direction by the pressing operation of the operation button 24, and applies rotational torque between the hinge shaft 50 and the mounting cylinder 56, In a state in which the button 24 is not pressed, the connection between the hinge shaft 50 and the mounting cylinder 56 is applied with rotational torque from the torque generator 54, while the operation button 24 is pressed. The case, and a clutch portion 30 to rotate freely separating state where the rotation torque is not applied by the torque generator 54 and between the hinge axis 50 and the mounting cylinder 56.

  Accordingly, when the stand 14 is rotated from the storage position to the standing position, for example, the operation button 24 is pressed in a state where the device housing 12 is set to a desired angle and the clutch portion 30 is brought into a disconnected state. If it does so, the attachment cylinder 56 to which the stand 14 was attached with respect to the hinge axis | shaft 50 connected with the predetermined | prescribed rotational torque via the torque generation part 54 by the apparatus housing | casing 12 side will be in a free rotation state. As a result, the stand 14 is opened with its own weight, for example, with respect to the hinge shaft 50 via the mounting cylinder 56. Therefore, by releasing the pressing operation on the operation button 24 in a state where the stand 14 has a desired opening angle, the clutch unit 30 is again connected and the stand 14 is fixed at the set angular position. As described above, when using the stand 14, the user can open the stand 14 to a desired angular position simply by operating the operation button 24 without looking at the back surface 12 a of the electronic apparatus 10 </ b> A. For this reason, it becomes possible to use the stand 14 easily and smoothly.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 (18A and 19A) are arranged near the bottom surface 12e of the device casing 12, and the stand 14 is opened and closed in a rotational direction in which the open end portion 14b is tilted downward from above. However, the rotation direction of the stand 14 may be another direction. For example, like the electronic device 10B shown in FIG. 9, the hinge mechanisms 18 and 19 (18A and 19A) are arranged near the center of the device housing 12, and the stand 14 is rotated in a direction in which the open end 14b is raised upward from below. The structure which opens and closes may be sufficient.

  In the above embodiments, the left and right hinge mechanisms 18, 19 (18A, 19A) are described as having the same configuration except for the left-right symmetrical structure. However, for example, only one hinge mechanism 19 (19A) has an operation button. 24 may be provided, and the other may be configured such that the hinge shaft 26 (50) is rotatably supported with respect to the device housing 12.

  The contact / separation structure of the clutch part 30 may be other than the fitting structure such as the serration described above. For example, a plurality of protrusions arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on the end face of the flange 26b, and a plurality of recesses arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on the opposite end face of the mounting cylinder 28 (56), and both are fitted at a predetermined angle. It may be a structure or the like.

10, 10A, 10B Electronic device 12 Device housing 12a Rear surface 12b Surface 14 Stand 16 Display 18, 18A, 19, 19A Hinge mechanism 22, 52 Stand mounting portion 22a Connecting cylinder portion 22b Mounting plate 22c, 28a Through hole 24 Operation button 24a Operation surface 26, 50 Hinge shaft 26a Shaft side convex portion 26b Flange 26c Expanded diameter portion 26d Convex portion 28, 56 Mounting cylinder 28b Small diameter portion 28c Recessed portion 30 Clutch portion 32, 54 Torque generating portion 32a, 54a Friction member 34 Shaft hole 34a Housing-side recess 38 Elastic member 39a Coil spring 39b Abutting member 40 Stopper 41 Annular recess

Further, the electronic device according to the present invention is rotatably connected to the device housing via a hinge mechanism, and is rotated between a storage position along the device housing and an upright position protruding from the device housing. An electronic device comprising a movable stand, wherein the device housing can be held in a standing posture by setting the stand to the standing position, wherein the hinge mechanism is freely rotatable with respect to the device housing. A hinge shaft that is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction, a mounting cylinder that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft, and to which the stand is attached, and an operation surface are disposed on the outer surface of the device housing. An operation button for moving the hinge shaft to the other side in the axial direction when the operation surface is pressed, and biasing the hinge shaft to one side in the axial direction opposite to the moving direction by the pressing operation of the operation button And the hinge shaft A torque generator for applying a rotational torque between the apparatus housing, in a state where the operation button is not pressed, by mutually non-rotatable connection state between the mounting cylinder and the hinge axis while rotating torque by the torque generating unit is a state like granted between the device housing and the mounting cylinder, when the operation button is pressed, the mounting cylinder and the hinge axis by mutually rotate freely disconnection state between, and a clutch unit to the rotational torque by the torque generating unit, is assigned have state between the device housing and the mounting cylinder It is characterized by that.

The hinge shaft 50 is not provided with the shaft-side convex portion 26 a on the other end side, and the housing-side concave portion 34 a is not provided in the shaft hole 34 of the device housing 12. For this reason, the hinge shaft 50 is connected to the device housing 12 in a state of being freely rotatable and movable in the axial direction.

As described above, the electronic device 10A according to the present embodiment is rotatably connected to the device housing 12 via the hinge mechanisms 18A and 19A, and the storage position and the device housing along the device housing 12 are connected. 12 is provided with a rotatable stand 14 that protrudes from an upright position protruding from 12, and the device housing 12 can be held in an upright position by setting the stand 14 to the upright position. The hinge mechanisms 18A and 19A are supported by the hinge shaft 50 supported so as to be freely rotatable and movable in the axial direction with respect to the device housing 12, and are supported rotatably on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft 50, and the stand 14 is attached. The mounting cylinder 56 to be operated, the operation surface 24a are disposed on the outer surface of the device casing 12, and the operation button 24 for moving the hinge shaft 50 to the other side in the axial direction when the operation surface 24a is pressed, the hinge A torque generator 54 that urges the shaft 50 to one side in the axial direction opposite to the moving direction by the pressing operation of the operation button 24, and applies a rotational torque between the hinge shaft 50 and the device housing 12 , in a state where the button 24 is not pressed, by mutually non-rotatable connection state between the hinge axis 50 and the mounting cylinder 56, by the torque generating unit 54 between the mounting cylinder 56 and the apparatus housing 12 While the rolling condition shaped torque is applied, when the operation button 24 is pressed, by a mutually freely rotatable disconnection state between the hinge axis 50 and the mounting cylinder 56, the mounting cylinder body and a clutch portion 30 which rotational torque is to have state that is imparted by the torque generator 54 between 56 and the device housing 12.

Claims (5)

A stand that is pivotably connected to the equipment housing via a hinge mechanism, and is rotatable to a storage position along the equipment housing and an upright position protruding from the equipment housing; An electronic device capable of holding the device housing in a standing posture by setting the standing position,
The hinge mechanism is
A hinge shaft that is supported so as to be unrotatable and movable in the axial direction with respect to the device housing, and is biased to one side in the axial direction by an elastic member;
A mounting cylinder that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft and to which the stand is attached;
An operation button is disposed on the outer surface of the device casing, and the operation shaft moves the hinge shaft to the other side in the axial direction against the biasing force of the elastic member when the operation surface is pressed.
While the operation button is not pressed, the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder are connected to each other in a non-rotatable connection state, and when the operation button is pressed, the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder A clutch part that allows the body to rotate freely separated from each other;
An electronic device comprising: The electronic device according to claim 1,
The stand is attached to the attachment cylinder through a stand attachment portion that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the attachment cylinder.
An electronic apparatus comprising: a torque generating unit that applies a rotational torque between the stand mounting unit and the mounting cylinder. A stand that is pivotably connected to the equipment housing via a hinge mechanism, and is rotatable to a storage position along the equipment housing and an upright position protruding from the equipment housing; An electronic device capable of holding the device housing in a standing posture by setting the standing position,
The hinge mechanism is
A hinge shaft supported so as to be freely rotatable and axially movable with respect to the device housing;
A mounting cylinder that is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the hinge shaft and to which the stand is attached;
An operation button is disposed on the outer surface of the device casing, and the operation button moves the hinge shaft to the other side in the axial direction when the operation surface is pressed.
A torque generator for biasing the hinge shaft toward one side in the axial direction opposite to the moving direction by the pressing operation of the operation button, and applying a rotational torque between the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder;
When the operation button is pressed, while the operation button is pressed, while the connection between the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder is in a connected state in which rotational torque is applied by the torque generating unit. A clutch part between the hinge shaft and the mounting cylinder, in which a rotational torque by the torque generating part is not applied, and a free-running clutch part;
An electronic device comprising: The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2,
The clutch portion includes a plurality of protrusions formed in a circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the hinge shaft, and a plurality of protrusions formed in a circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder. A recess that can be engaged with each other and movably fitted in the axial direction,
The convex portion of the hinge shaft and the concave portion of the mounting cylinder are engaged with each other in a state where the operation button is not pressed, and are engaged with each other when the operation button is pressed. Is released to enter the disconnected state. In the electronic device of any one of Claims 1-4,
The device housing includes a contact member that abuts against the hinge shaft and elastically deforms or moves when the operation button is pressed and the hinge shaft moves to the other side in the axial direction. Features electronic equipment.

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