JPH08247134A - Hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide smooth and complete opening and closing operation by providing two cam shafts, which are fixed onto an opening/closing member with their axial lines parallel to an side edge, and have cams respectively around the axial lines and are apart from each other on both ends of the side edge, and a spring which elastically-clamps the cam against a stationary member. CONSTITUTION: Cam shafts 10, 20 fixes shafts 11, 21 against an operation part 2 with their axes parallel to an side edge 4, secure cams 12, 22 around the axes, and are disposed on both the ends of the side edge 4. A spring 30 has a cross section of U-shape, whose two facing sides elastically-clamp cams 12, 22 of different shape. The former is holding cam, and the latter is a returning cam. The angle from (α) to (β) is opened smoothly against the elastic restoring force of the spring 30, and the angle from β is changed to the opening condition of (γ) with a little force. When large force is given to close a telephone transmitting part 3, the condition of (γ) is changed to the condition of (β) at a stretch, and the angle from (β) to (α) is returned to a closed condition automatically by the elastic restoring force. The space formed between the cam shafts 10, 20 can be used for storing wires and the like, thus reducing the size of a device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is, for example, a mobile phone, a portable computer, an electronic notebook, etc., which is folded in two when not in use, and when used, one member such as a transmitter section or a display section is predetermined. The present invention relates to a hinge device that is preferably used for electronic devices that are opened at an angle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, with the recent development of electronics technology, various information devices such as mobile phones, portable computers, electronic notebooks and the like, which are small and have a liquid crystal screen, have been developed and put into practical use. ing. These information devices are roughly composed of two members that can be opened and closed. When not in use, these members are folded in two and stored compactly. When in use, one member such as a transmitter and a display is used. A two-way spread type that is used by opening at a predetermined angle is used.

In the above-mentioned spread type information equipment, an opening / closing member and a fixing member (a member on the side of opening and closing such as a transmitter and a display unit is called an opening / closing member, and the other member is called a fixing member). The connection is made using a hinge device,
A hinge device is arranged at one side edge of the fixed member to which the opening / closing member is connected, and the entire side edge is connected as a connection area.

[0004]

The spread type information equipment is often used for portable applications, and there is always a demand for miniaturization of the equipment. However, in the above-mentioned conventional hinge device forming a part of the device, there is a problem that the entire side edge of the fixing member to which the opening / closing member is connected is occupied as the connecting region, which is contrary to the above demand. The miniaturization of the hinge device has been desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device that can be opened and closed smoothly and reliably and that contributes to downsizing of equipment.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configurations. That is, the hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing member is openably and closably connected to one side edge of the fixing member, and the hinge device has an axis parallel to the side edge of the opening / closing member. Cam shafts that are fixed to the fixed member and that are fixed to the fixing member and that have cam portions around the axis thereof and are spaced apart from both end portions of the side edge. It is characterized by comprising two springs for elastically gripping each part. The hinge device according to claim 2, wherein in the hinge device according to claim 1, the opening / closing member has a shape in which both ends are projected from the side edge, and the fixing member is provided at the side edge. It is characterized in that it is shaped to fit with the opening / closing member. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the hinge device according to the first or second aspect is characterized in that the respective cam portions of the two cam shafts have mutually different sectional shapes. In the hinge device according to claim 4, in the hinge device according to claim 3, one of the cam portions of each of the two cam shafts is a holding cam portion that is mainly held in a fixed position by the spring, The other is characterized by a returning cam portion that mainly receives an elastic restoring force by the spring.

[0007]

In the hinge device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cam portion is elastically gripped by the spring, so that the opening / closing operation is smoothly performed. By arranging the camshafts in a separated state, a space is created between the camshafts. This space can be used for purposes other than connection, and by using it as a wiring space or the like, the size of the device can be reduced. In the hinge device according to claim 2, since the opening / closing member has a shape in which both ends are projected from the side edge, and the fixing member has a shape to fit with the opening / closing member at the side edge, the hinge is used. The spring and the cam portion, which are the main components of the device, are arranged on the fixing member, and the end portion of the opening / closing member is only the fixing portion other than the cam portion of the cam shaft. The space will be enough to accommodate a little wiring. In the hinge device according to claim 3, since the two cam portions arranged at both ends of the side edge have different cross-sectional shapes from each other, the operating characteristics of the opening / closing operation, such as the holding angle, the number of holding positions, and the opening / closing operation. The arbitrariness is enhanced in the design such as the setting of the rotating force. In the hinge device according to the fourth aspect, one cam portion is the holding cam portion and the other cam portion is the returning cam portion. By changing the roles of both cam portions in this manner, the respective functions are sufficiently exhibited and the operability of opening and closing is enhanced.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a hinge device of the present invention and an example of a mobile phone to which the first embodiment is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 1
Is a mobile phone, and the operation unit 2 (fixing member) and the transmitter unit 3
(Opening / closing member). The transmitter section 3 is openably and closably connected to one side edge 4 of the operation section 2. In this case, the transmitting portion 3 has a shape in which both end portions 3 a, 3 a are projected with respect to the side edge 4, and the operating portion 2 has a shape that fits with the transmitting portion 3 at the side edge 4. , The connection is performed by the hinge device 5.

Next, the structure of the hinge device 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numerals 10 and 20 denote cam shafts, and 30 denotes a spring. The hinge device 5 includes two cam shafts 10 and 20 and the cam shafts 1 and 20.
It is mainly composed of springs 30 and 30 corresponding to 0 and 20, respectively.

The camshafts 10 and 20 are composed of shaft portions 11 and 21 made of, for example, metal and cam portions 12 and 22 made of, for example, synthetic resin. Position the shafts 11 and 21 in parallel.
Are fixed to the shaft portions 11 and 21, and cam portions 12 and 22 are fixed to the shaft portions 11 and 21 around their axes. The camshafts 10 and 20 are separated by being arranged at both ends of the side edge 4.

The spring 30 is composed of double spring bodies 31 and 32 each having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and the two opposite sides of the spring body 31 are always biased inward. The contact plates 31a and 31a elastically grip the cams 12 and 22. The spring 30 is fixed to the bracket 33 fixed to the operation portion 2, and the shaft portion 1
1, 1 and 21 are rotatably pierced.

In this embodiment, the cam portions 12 and 22 arranged at both ends of the side edge 4 have different cross-sectional shapes, which will be described with reference to FIG.

One of the two cam portions 12 and 22, for example, the cam portion 12, is a holding cam portion that is held in a fixed position mainly by the spring 30, and the other one, that is, the cam portion 22.
Is a returning cam portion that receives elastic restoring force mainly by the spring 30.

The holding cam portion 12 has a concave surface 12a,
The restoring force receiving surface 12b is provided, and the spring 3 is mainly used.
It has a function of being held at a fixed position by 0.
The concave surface 12a is an inwardly concave surface that is a holding surface that holds the holding cam portion 12 at a fixed position by the spring 30, and the return force receiving surface 12b is the holding cam portion 12 that is against the spring 30. When relatively rotated counterclockwise in the drawing, the elastic restoring force of the spring 30 receives a rotational force in a direction opposite to this rotation, and the center line P is eccentric from the axis O of the holding cam portion 12.
It is an arc surface having 1 and P2.

The return cam portion 22 has a return force receiving surface 22.
It has a function of receiving elastic restoring force mainly by the spring 30. Return force receiving surface 22b
Is elastically restored by the return cam portion 22 being positioned outside the virtual arc L1 having the axis O as the center line when the return cam portion 22 is rotated counterclockwise relative to the spring 30. It receives a force and receives a rotational force in the direction opposite to this rotation. Further, since the entire shape is a parallelogram, it is possible to set a large difference in elastic force depending on the position of the spring 30. That is, by making the entire shape a flat parallelogram, the ratio of D1 and D2 can be set large, and the force required when the spring 30 crosses the corner portion 22c can be set large. ing. Furthermore, all corners 22c and 22d are
Rounded to ensure smoothness.

Next, the opening and closing of the transmitter section 3 of the portable telephone 1 connected by the hinge device 5 will be described separately for each opening and closing stage of the transmitter section 3. 2 and 3, α is the closed position of the transmitter unit 3 with respect to the operation unit 2, β is the position where the rotation angle from α corresponds to θ1, and γ is the open position of the transmitter unit 3 with respect to the operation unit 2. Indicates a position where the rotation angle from α corresponds to θ2.

In the case of α (closed state) In the closed state shown by α in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spring 30 is placed on the restoring force receiving surfaces 12b and 22b of the holding cam portion 12 and the restoring cam portion 22, respectively. Contacted.

From α to β (when open) From the closed state, the transmitter 3 is opened, and β in FIGS.
Up to the above state, the spring 30 relatively rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure in the gripped state while contacting the respective return force receiving surfaces 12b and 22b of the holding cam portion 12 and the returning cam portion 22. Will be done. At this time, if the rotational force is released before reaching β, the return force receiving surfaces 12b, 22
Since both b receive the elastic restoring force of the spring 30, the transmitter 3
It is returned to the closed state.

[Beta] to [gamma] (when opened) When the transmitter section 3 is further opened from the state of [beta] in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spring 30 causes the holding cam portion 12 and the returning cam portion 22 to move.
From the contact state with the respective return force receiving surfaces 12b and 22b, the holding cam portion 12 has a concave surface 12a (holding surface).
The contacting state with respect to the return cam portion 22 shifts to the contacting state with the substantially planar portion which is not the holding surface. This transition takes place with a little effort. In other words, the state of β in FIGS. 2 and 3 is shifted to the state of γ all at once by applying a slight force.

When γ (open state) In the γ state of FIGS. 2 and 3, the spring 30 holds the concave surface 12a of the holding cam portion 12, so that the transmitter portion 3 can reliably and surely. Stable at a predetermined angle.

From γ to β (when closed) From the state of γ in FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to close the transmitter unit 3, the distance between the springs 30, 30 is determined by the holding cam portion 12 and the returning cam portion 22. , From D4 to D3 respectively,
It requires a great deal of force in response to being spread from 2 to D1. The magnitude of the force at this time can be individually set to a desired value for the holding cam portion 12 and the returning cam portion 22 side by the design of the spring 30. here,
The need for a large force supports the stability of holding the transmitter unit 3 in the open state. Then, due to this large force, the spring 30 suddenly shifts from the contact state with the holding surface to the contact state with the return force receiving surfaces 12b and 22b.

Β to α (when closed) From the state of β in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 to the closed state of α, the elastic restoring force of the spring 30 automatically, that is, even if there is no force to rotate to the closed state. The transmitter 3 is returned to the closed state.

2 and 3, the opening / closing operation is smoothly opened against the elastic restoring force of the spring 30 from α to β, and from the state of β, a slight force is applied to γ at once. To the open state. In addition, when the rotational force is released before reaching β, the elastic restoring force of the spring 30 returns the transmitter 3 to the closed state. The open state is stable, and a large force is required to close the transmitter 3. When a large force is applied to close the transmitter unit 3, the state is changed from γ to β at once, and from β to α, the closed state is automatically returned by the elastic restoring force of the spring 30. That is, the opening / closing operation can be performed easily and smoothly, the transmitting portion 3 can be reliably and stably held at a predetermined angle (open state), and half-opening between α and β does not occur.

According to the hinge device 5, since the camshafts 10 and 20 are arranged in the separated state, the camshaft 1
There is a space between 0 and 20. This space can be used for purposes other than connection, for example, a space for storing wiring, regardless of the hinge device 5, and can contribute to downsizing of the device.

Further, since the end portions 3a of the transmitter portion 3 are provided with only the shaft portions 11 and 21, it is possible to provide a space for accommodating a little wiring,
This can contribute to downsizing of equipment.

Further, according to the hinge device 5, the side edge 4 is
Since the two holding cam portions 12 and the returning cam portion 22 arranged at both ends of the are different in cross-sectional shape from each other, the operation characteristics of the opening / closing operation, for example, the design of setting the holding angle, the rotational force of the opening / closing operation, etc. , Arbitrariness is enhanced. That is, in this embodiment, the concave surface 12a of the holding cam portion 12 provides a reliable holding function, and the restoring force receiving surface 22b of the returning cam portion 22 provides a half-opening prevention function. Since the cross-sectional shapes are different from each other, different functions can be obtained in one hinge device 5.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the hinge device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the returning cam portion 22 is
In place of the above, only the use of the return cam portion 40 is used, and the other configurations are the same. Therefore, only the returning cam portion 40 will be described, and the other portions will be simplified.

The return cam portion 40 is provided with flat holding surfaces 40a and 40b, and the edges of the holding surfaces 40a and 40b are connected by a returning force receiving surface 40c.

Since the restoring force receiving surface 40c is located inward of the arcuate surface L2 centered on the axis O when the spring 30 is relatively rotated clockwise in the drawing, the elastic restoring force of the spring 30 causes the spring 30 to move. It has an accelerating function of rotation by giving an accelerating force to the relative rotation of. Further, if the relative rotation of the spring 30 is reversed, it receives a restoring force and has a half-opening prevention function.

In this embodiment, the holding cam portion 12,
The return cam portion 40 is used to perform the opening / closing operation in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The main difference is that in the closed state α ′, the spring 30 is held by the holding surface 40a, and when the rotation angle exceeds β ′ corresponding to θ1 (θ1 = 30 degrees in this example), the restoring force receiving surface is received. By the acceleration function of 40c, it is held on the holding surfaces 12a and 40b in the open state γ where the rotation angle is θ2 (θ2 = 150 degrees in this example). In other words, from a slight force θ1 to θ
The opening operation is done up to 2 at a stroke, giving a light operability. Further, when closed, the restoring force receiving surface 40c exhibits a half-opening prevention function.

In this embodiment, an opening / closing characteristic different from that of the first embodiment is realized. Side edge 4
By using the two cam portions having the different cross-sectional shapes as the two cam portions arranged at both ends, it is possible to enhance the arbitrariness of the opening / closing characteristics and increase the degree of freedom in design.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the hinge device of the present invention is applied to the mobile phone 1 has been taken up.
The device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a mobile phone, but can be applied to various devices such as a portable computer and an electronic notebook. Further, θ1 and θ2 can be set to arbitrary values (where θ1 <θ2).

[0034]

According to the hinge device of the first aspect, 2
Since the two cam portions are elastically gripped by the springs, the opening / closing operation can be smoothly performed. Further, since the camshafts are arranged in a separated state, a space is created between the camshafts, and by using this space for purposes other than connection, for example, a wiring space, it is possible to achieve downsizing of the device. In the hinge device according to claim 2, the spring and the cam portion, which are the main components of the hinge device, are arranged on the fixing member, and the fixing portion other than the cam portion of the cam shaft is arranged on the end portion of the opening / closing member. Therefore, the end portion of the opening / closing member can provide a space for accommodating a small amount of wiring, which can contribute to downsizing of the device. According to the hinge device of claim 3,
Since the two cam portions arranged at both ends of the side edge have different cross-sectional shapes, the operation characteristics of the opening / closing operation, for example, the design of the holding angle, the number of holding positions, the setting of the rotational force of the opening / closing operation, etc. The arbitrariness can be increased. Also, the degree of freedom in design can be increased. According to the hinge device of the fourth aspect, one cam portion is the holding cam portion and the other cam portion is the returning cam portion. By changing the roles of both cam portions in this way, it is possible to fully exhibit their respective functions and enhance the operability of opening and closing. That is, by using the holding cam portion, the opened / closed state can be held reliably and stably, and by using the return cam portion, a half-opening prevention function, a rotation acceleration function, and the like can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a hinge device of the present invention, (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone to which the first embodiment of the hinge device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a shape of a cam portion in the first embodiment, and an explanatory view showing a positional relationship between the cam portion and a spring, (a) being a holding cam portion, and (b) being a returning state. The cam part for use is shown.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the shape of a returning cam portion in the second embodiment of the hinge device of the present invention, and an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the returning cam portion and the spring.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Operation part (fixing member) 3 Transmitting part (opening / closing member) 3a End part 4 Side edge 5 Hinge device 10, 20 Camshaft 11, 21 Shaft part 12 Holding cam part (cam part) 22 Return cam part (cam) Part) 30 spring

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hinge device for connecting an opening / closing member to one side edge of a fixing member so as to be openable / closable, the hinge device being fixed to the opening / closing member with its axis being parallel to the side edge. And two cam shafts each having a cam portion around its axis and spaced apart from both ends of the side edge, and elastically gripping the cam portions of the two cam shafts fixed to the fixing member. A hinge device characterized by comprising two springs. 2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing member has a shape in which both ends are projected from the side edge, and the fixing member is fitted to the opening / closing member at the side edge. A hinge device characterized by having a shape. 3. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the cam portions of the two cam shafts comprises:
A hinge device having different cross-sectional shapes. 4. The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein one of the cam portions of each of the two cam shafts is a holding cam portion that is held in a fixed position mainly by the spring, and the other is mainly the A hinge device characterized by being a return cam portion that receives an elastic restoring force by a spring.