TWI628532B - Portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes first and second device units and at least one pivot assembly configured to pivotally connect the second device to the first device. The hinge assembly includes a first fixing unit provided to be fixed to the first device unit, a second fixing unit provided to be fixed to the second device unit, and a plurality of shaft members provided to be arranged in parallel with each other, including separately mounted First and second outer shaft members provided in the first and second fixing units, and a plurality of inner shaft members disposed between the first and second outer shaft members; and installed on the shaft members to mesh through a gear so that A gear unit is connected to the shaft members.

Description

Portable electronic device

The present invention relates to providing a portable electronic device, and more particularly to providing a portable electronic device including a display unit pivotally connected to a main body.

In a portable electronic unit including a main body and a display unit, such as a laptop computer, the display unit is usually assembled to be pivotally connected to the main body and is configured to be disposed at a plurality of angles relative to the main body.

The display unit of the portable electronic device is connected to the main body via at least one hinge to be pivotally connected to the main body. In such an example, a general hinge does not smoothly connect the display unit to the main body. This will detract from the appearance and efficacy of the portable electronic device.

The concept of the present invention provides a hinge assembly that smoothly connects a first device (such as a main body) and a second device (such as a display unit) to each other, and a portable electronic device including the aforementioned hinge assembly.

Additional features and effects of the concept of the present invention will be explained in the following description, and part of it will be apparent from the following description, or learned by implementing the present invention.

Based on the characteristics and utility of the concept of the present invention, the present invention provides a portable electronic device including first and second device units and at least one pivot assembly configured to pivotally connect the second device unit to the first device unit. The pivot assembly may include a first fixing unit provided to be fixed to the first device unit; a second fixing unit provided to be fixed to the second device unit; a plurality of shaft members provided to be arranged in parallel with each other, and including First and second outer shaft members respectively installed in the first and second fixing units, and a plurality of inner shaft members disposed between the first and second outer shaft members; and a gear unit installed in each The shaft members are arranged to connect the shaft members to each other via a gear mesh.

The gear unit may include first and second gear sets arranged to be arranged in parallel with each other.

The first gear set may include a first external gear member provided to be coupled to the first external shaft member, a second external gear member provided to be coupled to the second external shaft member, and the internal shaft A first coupling gear member group of the members, at least two adjacent inner shaft members are connected to each other via a coupling gear.

The second gear set may include a second coupling gear member group installed on the first outer shaft member, the second outer shaft member, and the inner shaft member.

The total number of shaft members can be N, the number of the first coupling gear member group can be (N / 2) -1, and the number of the second coupling gear member group can be (N / 2), where N is one I Natural number of numbers.

Each coupling member may include a first coupling member configured to be rotatably coupled to a first shaft member of two adjacent shaft members, and a second coupling member configured to be rotatably coupled to two adjacent shaft members. A second shaft member.

The hinge assembly may further include a plurality of coupling members, wherein any two adjacent shaft members are connected to each other via one of the coupling members.

Each coupling member may include a first coupling member configured to be rotatably coupled to any two adjacent shaft members, and a second coupling member configured to be rotatably coupled to any two adjacent shaft members. A second shaft member among the shaft members.

Each shaft member may include at least one elastic unit configured to prevent the second device unit from rotating due to an external torque lower than a threshold value.

The first gear set may include a first external gear member provided to be mounted on the first external shaft member, a second external gear member provided to be mounted on the second external shaft member, and a plurality of internal gear members provided To be fixedly coupled to the inner shaft members, respectively.

The hinge assembly may further include a plurality of coupling members, wherein any two adjacent shaft members are connected to each other via one of the plurality of coupling members.

The portable electronic device may further include a cover unit configured to cover at least one hinge component from the outside.

The hinge assembly may include a first hinge assembly and a second hinge assembly, which are arranged to have a structure identical to that of the first hinge assembly and maintain a distance from the first hinge assembly in a direction of a pivot axis. The covering unit may include a plurality of covering members configured to cover at least a plurality of the shaft members, and each of the covering members configured to cover the shaft member. A first shaft member in the first hinge assembly and a second shaft member in the second hinge assembly corresponding to the first shaft member.

When the second device unit is disposed at a maximum angle relative to the first device unit, each covering member may have at least a maximum angle determining surface, and the maximum angle determining surface interferes with the movement of the adjacent covering members.

Based on the features and effects of the concept of the present invention, the present invention further provides a pivot assembly configured to pivotally connect a second device unit of a portable electronic device to the first device unit. The hinge assembly may include a first fixing unit provided to be fixed to the first device unit, a second fixing unit provided to be fixed to the second device unit, and a plurality of shaft members provided to be arranged in parallel with each other, including First and second outer shaft members installed on the first and second fixing units, and a plurality of inner shaft members disposed between the first and second outer shaft members; and a gear unit installed on said The shaft members are connected to each other via gear engagement.

Based on the features and utility of the concept of the present invention, the present invention further provides a portable electronic device including first and second device units and at least one pivot assembly configured to pivotally connect the second device unit to the first device unit. The pivot assembly may include a plurality of shaft members arranged in parallel to each other, wherein each shaft member includes at least one elastic unit configured to apply a torque to the shaft member with respect to an external torque to prevent the second device unit from falling below a threshold Value of the external torque while rotating.

The elastic unit may include at least one spring washer configured to provide an elastic force toward a shaft to the shaft member to generate a moment with respect to an external moment.

The hinge assembly may further include a first portion configured to be fixed to the first device unit. A fixing unit and a second fixing unit configured to be fixed to the second device unit. The plurality of shaft members may include a first outer shaft member provided to be installed on the first fixing unit, a second outer shaft member provided to be installed on the second fixing unit, and a first outer shaft member provided to be installed on the first fixing unit. And a plurality of inner shaft members between the second outer shaft members.

The hinge assembly may further include a gear member mounted on the shaft member to connect the shaft members to each other via gear engagement.

Based on the features and utility of the concept of the present invention, the present invention further provides a pivot assembly configured to be pivotally connected to the first and second device units of a portable electronic device. The hinge assembly may include a plurality of shaft members, wherein each shaft member includes at least one elastic unit configured to apply a torque with respect to an external moment to the shaft member to prevent the second device unit from rotating due to an external torque below a threshold value.

1.1A‧‧‧Portable electronic device

10.50‧‧‧First unit

11‧‧‧ base

12‧‧‧Pivot installation department

13, 53‧‧‧ Enter key

14, 54‧‧‧Touchpad

20, 60‧‧‧Second device unit

21‧‧‧lower

23, 63‧‧‧ Display

30, 70‧‧‧ cover unit

31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36‧‧‧ cover

31‧‧‧first cover

31a, 32a, 32b, 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 71a, 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, 74b, 75a

31A‧‧‧Part I

31B‧‧‧Part Two

31C‧‧‧Part III

32‧‧‧second cover

33‧‧‧ third cover

34‧‧‧ Fourth cover

35‧‧‧ fifth cover

36‧‧‧ sixth cover

57‧‧‧upper

61‧‧‧lower

71, 72, 73, 74, 75‧‧‧ cover

71‧‧‧first cover

71A‧‧‧Part / Part I

71B‧‧‧Part II

71C‧‧‧Part III

72‧‧‧ second cover

73‧‧‧ third cover

74‧‧‧ Fourth cover

75‧‧‧ fifth cover

100A, 100B, 500A, 500B‧‧‧Pivot components

110, 510‧‧‧ first fixed unit

111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 123, 511a, 512a, 511b, 512b, 521a, 521b, 522a, 522b

120, 520‧‧‧Second fixed unit

130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 680, 690‧‧‧ shaft

130‧‧‧First outer shaft / shaft

131, 131’‧‧‧first cover installation

131a, 141a, 151a, 161a, 171a, 181a, 212, 222, 232, 236, 242, 246, 252, 256, 262, 266, 272, 276, 332, 336, 342, 346, 352, 356, 362, 366, 372, 376, 513b, 514b, 523b, 524b, 523c, 631a, 641a, 651a, 661a, 671a, 722‧‧‧ through holes

132, 142, 152, 162, 172, 182, 622, 632, 642, 652, 662, 672, 682‧‧‧ spacer

133, 183‧‧‧ Gear coupling

140, 150, 160, 170‧‧‧Inner shaft / shaft

141‧‧‧Second cover installation

151‧‧‧ third cover installation

161‧‧‧Fourth cover installation

171‧‧‧Fifth cover installation

180‧‧‧Second outer shaft

181‧‧‧Sixth cover installation

200, 700‧‧‧ gear unit

201‧‧‧The first gear set

202‧‧‧Second gear set

210、220‧‧‧External gear parts

211, 221‧‧‧ gear teeth

215, 225‧‧‧Axis Integrator

230, 240, 250, 260, 270‧‧‧ coupling gear

230‧‧‧The first coupling gear

240‧‧‧Second coupling gear

250‧‧‧ the third coupling gear

260‧‧‧Fourth coupling gear

270‧‧‧Fifth coupling gear

230, 240‧‧‧ the first coupling gear group

231, 241, 251, 261, 271‧‧‧ First Gear

235, 245, 255, 265, 275‧‧‧Second Gear

330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 810A, 810B, 820A, 820B, 830A, 830B, 840A, 840B, 850A, 850B, 860A, 860B

330‧‧‧First coupling

331, 341, 351, 361, 371‧‧‧ the first coupling section

335, 345, 355, 365, 375‧‧‧Second coupling section

340‧‧‧Second coupling

350‧‧‧third coupling

360‧‧‧Fourth coupling

370‧‧‧Fifth coupling

430A, 430B, 440A, 440B, 450A, 450B, 460A, 460B, 470A, 470B, 480A, 480B, 910, 920A, 920B, 930A, 930B, 940A, 940B, 950A, 950B, 960A, 960B, 970A, 970B, 980A, 980B, 990‧‧‧Flexible Unit

491, 503‧‧‧ nut

493, 505‧‧‧ spacers

495, 507‧‧‧washers

510A‧‧‧First Fixing

510B‧‧‧Second Fixing

520A‧‧‧Third fixture

520B‧‧‧Fourth Fixture

520C‧‧‧Fifth fixture

513a‧‧‧First installation hole

514a‧‧‧First installation hole

523a‧‧‧Third installation hole

524a‧‧‧Fourth installation hole

610‧‧‧The first outer shaft

620‧‧‧First inner shaft

630‧‧‧Second inner shaft

631, 631 ’, 641, 651, 661, 671‧‧‧ cover installation

640‧‧‧The third inner shaft

650‧‧‧Fourth inner shaft

660‧‧‧Fifth inner shaft

670‧‧‧Sixth inner shaft

680‧‧‧Seventh inner shaft

690‧‧‧Second outer shaft

710, 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, 780, 790‧‧‧ Gear

710‧‧‧The first external gear

720‧‧‧The first internal gear

730‧‧‧Second internal gear

740‧‧‧The third internal gear

750‧‧‧Fourth internal gear

760‧‧‧The fifth internal gear

770‧‧‧The sixth internal gear

780‧‧‧The seventh internal gear

790‧‧‧Second external gear

810A, 810B‧‧‧First coupling

811‧‧‧first coupling

812‧‧‧through hole

815‧‧‧Second Coupling Department

820A, 820B‧‧‧Second coupling

830A, 830B‧‧‧Third coupling

840A, 840B‧‧‧ Fourth coupling

850A, 850B‧‧‧ fifth coupling

860A, 860B‧‧‧ Sixth coupling

910‧‧‧first outer elastic unit

911, 991‧‧‧ spring washer

920A, 920B‧‧‧The first elastic unit

930A, 930B‧‧‧Second Elastic Unit

940A, 940B‧three flexible units

950A, 950B ‧‧‧ Fourth elastic unit

960A, 960B‧‧‧Fifth Flexible Unit

970A, 970B‧‧‧ Sixth Flexible Unit

980A, 980B‧‧‧Seventh elastic unit

990‧‧‧Second Outer Elastic Unit

P1, P2‧‧‧ Pivot

A, B‧‧‧ direction

By combining the description of the following embodiments and the illustrations thereof, the features and effects of the present invention will become apparent and easily accepted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portable electronic device in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device of FIG. 1 in a partially expanded state.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device of FIG. 1 without a cover.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the hinge assembly of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view of the hub assembly of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating a part of the hinge assembly of FIG. 7A. FIG.

8A is a side view illustrating a cover unit and a pair of cover mounts coupled to the cover unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is a side view of the hub assembly of FIG. 6.

Fig. 9B is a sectional view taken along the line I-I of Fig. 6.

FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10A is a side view illustrating a state where the second device unit of FIG. 9A is partially expanded. FIG.

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a partially expanded state of the second device unit of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a partially expanded second device unit of FIG. 9C.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a portable electronic device in a fully deployed state according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device of FIG. 11 in a partially unfolded state.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a cover omitted in the portable electronic device of FIG. 11.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17A is an exploded perspective view of the hub assembly of FIG. 16.

FIG. 17B is an exploded perspective view illustrating some parts of the hub assembly of FIG. 17A. FIG.

18A is a side view illustrating a cover unit and a pair of cover mounting members coupled to the cover unit.

Fig. 18B is a sectional view taken along line V-V of Fig. 18A.

19A is a side view of the hinge assembly in a fully deployed state.

FIG. 19B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 16, and illustrates the hinge assembly of FIG. 16 in a fully expanded state.

FIG. 20A is a perspective view illustrating the hinge assembly of FIG. 19A in a partially unfolded state. FIG.

FIG. 20B is a perspective view illustrating the hinge assembly of FIG. 19B in a partially unfolded state. FIG.

Indexes will be used to explain in detail exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept and as examples for explanation in accompanying drawings, where similar index numbers are used to indicate similar devices. The drawings corresponding to the following embodiments are used to explain the concept of the present invention.

Things defined in the description, such as detailed construction and devices, are provided to assist in understanding the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments can also be implemented without being specifically defined as such. In addition, functions or devices in the related art are not described in detail to avoid unnecessary details from confusing the exemplary embodiments.

1 to 4 illustrate an example of an exemplary embodiment according to the inventive concept. Portable electronic device. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10C, the portable electronic device 1 is used as a notebook computer. However, the inventive concept can be similarly applied to other kinds of electronic devices, each of which includes at least one device unit mounted to be pivotally connected to a main body to perform folding and unfolding operations.

The portable electronic device 1 may include a first device unit 10 and a second device unit 20.

The first device unit 10 may constitute a main body of the portable electronic device 1, and a plurality of input keys 13 and a touch pad 14 are formed on an upper surface of the first device unit 10. A controller (not shown) may be implemented in the form of a circuit board embedded in the first device unit 10 to control an operation of the portable electronic device 1.

The first device unit 10 may include a base 11 that can be placed on a place (such as a table, a lap, or the like), and a pivot mounting portion 12 that extends vertically from one end of the base 11. The pivot mounting portion 12 may be coupled to one side of a pivot assembly, as described below.

The second device unit 20 may constitute, for example, a display unit of the portable electronic device 1, and a display screen 23 may be formed on an inner surface of the second device unit 20. The second device unit 20 may include a display panel, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light emitting body (OLED), or a similar component to provide a display screen 23.

The second device unit 20 can be pivoted to the pivot axis P1 with respect to the first device unit 10 (see FIG. 3). For example, referring to FIG. 4, the second device unit 20 may rotate in a direction (that is, in the direction A), and the second device unit 20 faces the first device unit in this direction. 10 is folded, or the second device unit 20 can be turned in one direction (ie, in the direction B), and the second device unit 20 is unfolded toward the first device unit 10 in this direction.

Therefore, the second device unit 20 may be disposed at different angles with respect to the first device unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second device unit 20 can be completely folded toward the first device unit 10. For example, the angle between the first and second device units 10 and 20 is 0 °. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second device unit 20 can be expanded by the first device unit 10 to expose the display screen 23 to the outside. 3 and 4 illustrate the portable electronic device 1 in a fully deployed state. For example, the angle between the first and second device units 10 and 20 may be 120 °. Alternatively, a maximum angle can be set to other values (such as 130 °, 150 °, 180 °, or other similar angles).

The portable electronic device 1 may further include a cover unit 30, which may be disposed between the pivot mounting portion 12 of the first device unit 10 and the lower portion 21 of the second device unit 20.

The cover unit 30 can cover the hinge assemblies 100A and 100B as described below (see FIG. 5). The cover unit 30 may include, for example, six cover members 31 to 36 extending along the pivot axis P1 by the width of the second device unit 20. For the convenience of description, according to the approach order of each cover member to the pivot mounting portion 12 of the first device unit 10, the cover members 31 to 36 may be referred to as the first cover member 31, the second cover member 32, the third cover member 33, The fourth covering member 34, the fifth covering member 35, and the sixth (ie, last) covering member 36.

Referring to FIG. 2, each of the first to sixth covering members 31 to 36 may have at least one maximum angle determining surface. In other words, the first covering member 31 may have a maximum angle determining surface 31a, the second covering member 32 may have maximum angle determining surfaces 32a and 32b, and the third covering member 33 may have maximum angle determining surfaces 33a and 33b. In addition, the fourth covering member 34 may have the maximum angle determining surfaces 34a and 34b, the fifth covering member 35 may have the maximum angle determining surfaces 35a and 35b, and the sixth covering member 36 may have the maximum angle determining surface 36a.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, when the second device unit 20 is disposed at an angle of 120 ° (that is, at a maximum set angle) with respect to the first device unit 10, each maximum angle determining surface can contact an adjacent cover. A maximum angle of the element determines the face to interfere with the movement of the adjacent covering element. For example, the maximum angle determining surface 31a of the first covering member 31 that can contact the second covering member 32 adjacent to the first covering member 31 can be the maximum angle determining surface 32b. In addition, the maximum angle determining surface 33 a of the third covering member 33 can contact the maximum angle determining surface 34 b of the fourth covering member 34 adjacent to the third covering member 33. The additional rotation of the second device unit 20 in the direction B can be restricted by the maximum angle determining the contact between the faces. Therefore, a maximum angle between the first device unit 10 and the second device unit 20 may be determined to be, for example, about 120 °.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device 1 without the cover unit 30. Referring to FIG. 5, the portable electronic device 1 may include two hinge assemblies 100A and 100B spaced apart from each other along the pivot axis P1. The pivot assemblies 100A and 100B can be connected to the second device unit 20 to the first device unit 10 so that the second device unit 20 is pivotally connected to the first device unit 10.

In an exemplary embodiment, the portable electronic device 1 may use two hinge assemblies 100A and 100B, but may selectively use only one hinge assembly or three or more hinge assemblies.

For example, the hub assemblies 100A and 100B may have exactly the same structure. The pivot assembly 100A is representatively explained as follows, and the structure of the pivot assembly 100B can be easily understood from the description of the pivot assembly 100A.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly 100A. FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view of the hinge assembly 100A of FIG. 6. FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating a part of the hinge assembly 100A of FIG. 7A.

6, 7A, and 7B, the hinge assembly 100A may include first and second fixing units 110 and 120, a plurality of shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180, a gear unit 200, and a plurality of coupling members 330. , 340, 350, 360, and 370, and a plurality of elastic units 430A, 430B, ..., 480A, and 480B.

The first fixing unit 110 may be a part, and the hinge assembly 100A is fixed to the first device unit 10. For example, the first fixing unit 110 may be fixed to the pivot mounting portion 12 of the first device unit 10 in FIG. 2 via a screw (not shown). In this example, a plurality of screw through holes 111, 112 and 113 may be formed in the first fixing unit 110.

The first fixing unit 110 may include a first cover mounting member 131, and the first cover member 31 may be mounted on the first cover mounting member 131.

The second fixing unit 120 may be a part for fixing the hinge assembly 100A to the second device unit 20. For example, the second fixing unit 120 may be fixed to the lower portion 21 of the second device unit 20 via screws (not shown). In this example, a plurality of screw through holes 121, 122 and 123 may be formed in the second fixing unit 120.

The second fixing unit 120 may include a sixth (ie, last) covering device 181, and the sixth (ie, last) covering device 36 may be mounted on the sixth covering device 181.

The plurality of shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 may include first and second outer shaft members 130 and 180, and, for example, four inner shaft members 140, 150, 160, and 170 may be disposed in the first and Between the second outer shaft members 130 and 180.

The plurality of shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 may be disposed parallel to each other on the pivot axis P1 of the second device unit 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). A fixed distance is maintained between two adjacent shaft members of the plurality of shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180.

The first outer shaft member 130 may be mounted on the first cover mounting member 131 of the first fixing unit 110, and the second outer shaft member 180 may be mounted on the sixth cover mounting member 181 of the second fixing unit 120. The through holes 131 a and 181 a having non-circular cross-sections may be formed in the first and sixth covering members 131 and 181, respectively. The first and second outer shaft members 130 and 180 can be inserted into the through holes 131a and 181a. Since the through holes 131a and 181 may have a non-circular cross section, the first and second outer shaft members 130 and 180 may be fixed to the first and sixth cover mounting members 131 and 181, respectively. The first and sixth covering devices 131 and 181 may be parts fixed to the first and second device units 10 and 20, respectively. The first and second outer shaft members 130 and 180 may be fixed to the first and second device units 10 and 20 in a manner that prevents movement relative to the first and second device units 10 and 20, respectively.

The second, third, fourth, and fifth covering members 141, 151, 161, and 171 may be coupled to the four inner shaft members 140, 150, 160, and 170, respectively. Through-holes 141a, 151a, 161a, and 171a with non-circular cross-sections can be formed in the second, The third, fourth, and fifth covering members 141, 151, 161, and 171. For example, the inner shaft members 140, 150, 160, and 170 corresponding to the second, third, fourth, and fifth covering members 141, 151, 161, and 171 may be inserted into the through holes 141a, 151a, 161a, and 171a, respectively.

Spacers 132, 142, 152, 162, 172, and 182 protruding in a peripheral direction may be formed on the shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180, respectively. A gear coupling portion 133 having a non-circular cross section may be formed on the first outer shaft member 130 to be adjacent to the spacer portion 132, and a gear coupling portion 183 having a non-circular cross section may be formed on the second outer shaft member 180 to Near the spacer 182.

The gear unit 200 may be mounted on the shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 to connect the shaft members 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 to each other via gear engagement. The gear unit 200 includes, for example, seven gear members. For example, the gear unit 200 may include first and second external gear members 210 and 220 and five coupling gear members 230, 240, 250, 260, and 270.

If a user applies a torque to rotate the second device unit 20, the gear unit 200 may transmit a part of the torque to the shaft members 130 to 180. Each of the shaft members 130 to 180 is rotated around another adjacent shaft member to respond, and thereby the rotation operation of the second device unit 20 is performed.

The first external gear member 210 may be, for example, a spur gear having a plurality of gear teeth 211. The through hole 212 through which the first external shaft member 130 passes may be formed in the first external gear member 210. The first external gear member 210 may have a shaft integrator 215 coupled to the gear coupling portion 133 of the first external shaft member 130. Through holes (not shown) formed in the shaft integrator 215 (Illustrated) has a shape corresponding to the shape of the gear coupling portion 133. Since the gear coupling portion 133 has a non-circular cross section, the first external gear member 210 can be fixed to the first external shaft member 130.

The second external gear member 220 may be, for example, a spur gear having a plurality of gear teeth 221. A through hole 222 through which the second external shaft member 180 passes may be formed in the second external gear member 220. The second external gear member 220 may have a shaft integrator 225 that may be coupled to the gear coupling portion 183 of the second external shaft member 180. A through hole (not shown) formed in the shaft adapter 225 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the gear coupling portion 183. Since the gear coupling portion 183 has a non-circular cross section, the second external gear member 220 can be fixed to the second external shaft member 180.

A first coupling gear member group 230 and 240 may form a part of five coupling gear members 230, 240, 250, 260, and 270, and may form a first gear group 201 with the first and second external gears 210 and 220. . The two coupling gear members 230 and 240 belonging to the first group may be referred to as the first and second coupling gear members 230 and 240, respectively. In other words, the first gear set 201 may include a first external gear member 210, a first coupling gear member 230, a second coupling gear member 240, and a second external gear member 220 that are sequentially configured and gear-mesh with each other.

A second coupling gear member group 250, 260, and 270 may constitute other parts of the five coupling gear members 230, 240, 250, 260, and 270, and may form a second gear group 202 parallel to the first gear group 201 . The three coupling gear members 250, 260, and 270 belonging to the second group may be referred to as a third coupling gear member 250, a fourth coupling gear member 260, and a fifth coupling gear member 270, respectively. In other words, the second gear set 202 may include a third coupling gear 250, a fourth coupling gear 260, and a fifth coupling gear 270 that are sequentially configured and gear-mesh with each other.

For example, the first coupling gear member 230 may include first and second gear portions 231 and 235 that are integrally formed. The first gear portion 231 may have a through hole 232 with a circular cross section to be coupled to the first inner shaft member 140, and the first gear portion 231 is configured to be pivotally connected to the first inner shaft member 140. The second gear portion 235 may have a through hole 236 with a circular cross section to be coupled to the second inner shaft member 150, and the second gear portion 235 is provided to be pivotally connected to the second inner shaft member 150. A distance between the first inner shaft member 140 inserted into the first gear portion 232 and the second inner shaft member 150 inserted into the second gear portion 235 can be maintained.

The first and second gear portions 231 and 235 may have, for example, a spur gear having the same radius. The radii of the first and second gear portions 231 and 235 may be equal to the radii of the first and second outer shaft members 210 and 220. The first coupling gear member 230 is adjacent to the first external gear member 210 and the second coupling gear member 240 via the first and second gear portions 231 and 235, and may be in contact with the first external gear member 210 and the second coupling gear member 240. Gears mesh.

Each of the second, third, fourth, and fifth coupling gear members 240, 250, 260, and 270 may have the same shape as that of the first coupling gear member 230. For this reason, only brief descriptions of the second, third, fourth, and fifth coupling gear members 240, 250, 260, and 270 are provided.

For example, the second coupling gear member 240 may include first and second gear portions 241 and 245 formed integrally, and through holes 242 and 246 having a circular cross section may be formed in the first and second gear portions 241 and 241, respectively. 245. A distance between the third and fourth inner shaft members 160 and 170 can be maintained through the second coupling gear member 240. The second coupling gear member 240 passes through the first and second gear portions 241 and 245 is adjacent to the first coupling gear member 230 and the second external gear member 220, and can mesh with the first coupling gear member 230 and the second external gear member 220.

For example, the third coupling gear member 250 may include first and second gear portions 251 and 255 formed integrally, and through holes 252 and 256 having a circular cross section may be formed in the first and second gear portions 251 and 251, respectively. 255. A distance between the first outer shaft member 130 and the first inner shaft member 140 can be maintained through the third coupling gear member 250. The third coupling gear member 250 is adjacent to the fourth coupling gear member 260 via the second gear portion 255 and can be geared with the fourth coupling gear member 260.

For example, the fourth coupling gear 260 may include first and second gear portions 261 and 265, and through holes 262 and 266 having a circular cross section may be formed in the first and second gear portions 261 and 265, respectively. A distance between the second inner shaft member 150 and the third inner shaft member 160 can be maintained through the fourth coupling gear member 260. The fourth coupling gear member 260 is adjacent to the third and fifth coupling gear members 250 and 270 via the first and second gear portions 261 and 265, and can mesh with the third and fifth coupling gear members 250 and 270.

For example, the fifth coupling gear member 270 may include first and second gear portions 271 and 275, and through holes 272 and 276 having circular cross sections may be formed in the first and second gear portions 271 and 275, respectively. A distance between the fourth inner shaft member 170 and the second outer shaft member 180 can be maintained through the fifth coupling gear member 270. The fifth coupling gear member 270 is adjacent to the fourth coupling gear member 260 via the first gear portion 271 and can be gear-engaged with the fourth coupling gear member 260.

A six-axis member 130 is included in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10C. To 180, the first gear set 201 includes two coupling gear members 230 and 240 belonging to the first group, and the second gear set 202 includes three coupling gear members 250, 260, and 270 belonging to the second coupling gear member group. . If different numbers of shaft members are selected, the number of coupling gear members in the first group and the number of coupling gear members in the second group will also change. The number of shaft members may be an even number (for example, 8, 10, 12, or a similar number).

For example, the number of shaft members, the number of coupling gear members of the first group, and the number of second coupling gear member groups may be defined as follows. When the number of multiple shaft members is N (here N is a natural number), the number of coupling gear members belonging to the first group of the first gear set is (N / 2) -1, and The number of coupling gear members of the second group is (N / 2). For example, if there are 10 shaft members, 4 (= (10/2) -1) coupling gear members can be arranged in the first gear set, and 5 (= (10/2)) coupling gear members can be arranged in the first Two gear sets.

The plurality of coupling members 330, 340, 350, 360, and 370 can maintain a fixed distance between two adjacent shaft members. For the convenience of description, the plurality of coupling members 330, 340, 350, 360, and 370 may be referred to as the first coupling member 330, the second coupling member 340, the third coupling member 350, the fourth coupling member 360, and the fifth coupling member 370, respectively. .

For example, each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth coupling members 330, 340, 350, 360, and 370 may include a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion, and the first coupling portion is rotatably coupled. For coupling to a shaft member, the second coupling portion is rotatably coupled to another shaft member adjacent to the aforementioned shaft member, and the first and second coupling portions may be formed as one body. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth coupling members 330, 340, 350, 360, and 370 are described in more detail as follows.

The first coupling member 330 may include a first coupling portion 331 having a through hole 332 having a circular cross section, and a second coupling portion 335 having a through hole 336 having a circular cross section. The first coupling portion 331 is rotatably coupled to the first inner shaft member 140 via the through hole 332. In addition, the second coupling portion 335 is rotatably coupled to the second inner shaft member 150. The second inner shaft member 150 passes through the through hole 336 and is adjacent to the first inner shaft member 140. A distance between the first and second inner shaft members 140 and 150 can be maintained and fixed through the first coupling member 330.

The second coupling member 340 may include a first coupling portion 341 having a through hole 342 with a circular cross section, and a second coupling portion 345 with a through hole 346 with a circular cross section. A distance between the third and fourth inner shaft members 160 and 170 can be maintained and fixed through the second coupling member 340.

The third coupling member 350 may include a first coupling portion 351 having a through hole 352 having a circular cross section, and a second coupling portion 355 having a through hole 356 having a circular cross section. A distance between the first outer shaft member 130 and the first inner shaft member 140 can be maintained and fixed through the third coupling member 350.

The fourth coupling member 360 may include a first coupling portion 361 having a through hole 362 with a circular cross section, and a second coupling portion 365 with a through hole 366 with a circular cross section. A distance between the second and third inner shaft members 150 and 160 can be maintained and fixed through the fourth coupling member 360.

The fifth coupling member 370 may include a first coupling portion 371 having a through hole 372 having a circular cross section, and a second coupling portion 375 having a through hole 376 having a circular cross section. A distance between the fourth inner shaft member 170 and the second outer shaft member 180 can be maintained and fixed through the fifth coupling member 370.

A coupling gear member and a coupling member can be used to maintain a fixed distance between two adjacent shaft members. For example, a distance between the first and second inner shaft members 140 and 150 can be maintained fixed through the first coupling gear member 230 and the first coupling member 330.

The plurality of elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A, ..., and 480B can elastically force the gear member and the coupling member toward the spacer portions 132, 142, 152, 162, 172, and 182 of the shaft member. For example, the elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A ..., and 480B may be provided by a plurality of spring washers to maintain the compression elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A, ..., and 480B with a nut 491. In one embodiment, the spring washer may be shaped as shown in the sectional view SV1 of the elastic unit 430A in FIG. 7B. Alternatively, the elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A, ..., and 480B may be composed of one or more coil springs.

A pair of elastic units 440A and 440B that can be mounted on the first inner shaft member 140 are representatively described as follows.

The spacer 142 may be formed at an approximate center of the first inner shaft member 140.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, the second covering member 141, the second coupling member 355 of the third coupling member 350, the first coupling portion 331 of the first coupling member 330, and the elastic unit 440A may be sequentially disposed in A left side of the spacer 142 can be forced toward a left surface of the spacer 142 via a lock nut 491. The elastic unit 440A can be compressed by this force, and thus the elastic force can be provided above the left surface of the spacer 142.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the first gear member 231 of the first coupling member 230, the second gear member 255 of the third coupling gear member 250, and the elastic unit 440B. They may be sequentially disposed on a right side of the spacer 142, and may be forced toward a right surface of the spacer 142 via the lock nut 491. The elastic unit 440B can be compressed by this force, and thus the elastic force can be provided above the right surface of the spacer 142.

If an external torque lower than a threshold value is transmitted to the first inner shaft member 140, the torque generated by the elastic force provided by the pair of elastic units 440A and 440B described above may be relative to and offset the external torque. For this reason, the first inner shaft member 140 can maintain a fixed state without a rotation operation. In other words, the first inner shaft member 140 can perform a turning operation only by applying an external torque greater than a threshold value. The threshold value can be adjusted, for example, by locking the adjustment nut 491.

According to this principle, if an angle between the second device unit 20 and the first device unit 10 is set to a specific angle, as long as the applied external torque does not exceed the threshold value, this setting can be maintained at the second device unit 20 And a specific angle between the first device units 10. Therefore, the pivot assembly 100A can have a pre-stop function at a specific angle, such as between 0 ° and 120 °.

In FIGS. 6 and 7A, reference numerals 493 and 495 may represent spacers and gaskets, respectively.

8A is a side view illustrating a first cover unit 31 and a pair of cover mounting members 131 to 131 'coupled to the first cover unit 31 according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 8A. Although the following description is about the first cover member 31, this description can be similarly applied to the other cover members 32 to 36.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the cover 31 may be coupled to a hinge assembly 100A. The first cover member 131 of the first outer shaft member 130. The cover member 31 may also be coupled to the first cover installation member 131 'of the hinge assembly 100B (see FIG. 5), and the first cover installation member 131' corresponds to the first cover device member 131. Therefore, the covering member 31 can cover the first outer shaft member 130 of the hinge assembly 100A and a first outer shaft member (not shown) of the hinge assembly 100B. The first outer shaft member is relative to the first outer shaft of the hinge assembly 100A. Piece 130.

Referring to FIG. 8B, the cover 31 may include, for example, three parts 31A, 31B, and 31C. The first portion 31A may be coupled to the first cover mounting member 131 via at least one screw member, for example. The second portion 31B may be coupled to an upper portion of the first portion 31A, for example, and the aforementioned maximum angle determining surface 31a may be formed on the second portion 31B. The third portion 31C may be, for example, coupled to a lower portion of the first portion 31A to cover the aforementioned screw members that can be used to lock the first portion 31A and the first cover mounting member 131 to each other.

The operation of the hinge assembly 100A (described above) is explained below with reference to FIGS. 9A to 10C.

When the second device unit 20 is in a fully deployed state, the plurality of shaft members 130 to 180 of the hinge assembly 100A may be configured as a straight line, as shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C.

Referring to FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C, if the user applies a moment in the direction B exceeding the threshold value of the second device unit 20, this moment may be transmitted to the shaft members 130 to 180 of the hinge assembly 100A via the gear unit 200 (see FIG. 6 and Figure 7A). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10A, the shaft members 130 to 180 can perform a relative rotational movement, and a combination of the foregoing rotational movements can obtain a rotational operation performed by the second device unit 20 in the direction B.

When the aforementioned turning operation is performed, a relative turning motion occurs between gear members that are meshed with each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the first coupling gear member 230 may rotate in a clockwise direction (ie, direction B) about the first external gear member 210, and the second coupling gear member 240 may rotate around the first coupling gear member 230 at Turn clockwise. In addition, the second external gear member 220 can rotate in a clockwise direction around the second coupling gear member 240. Also, as shown in FIG. 10C, the fourth coupling gear member 260 can rotate in a clockwise direction around the third coupling gear member 250, and the fifth coupling gear member 270 can rotate in a clockwise direction around the fourth coupling gear member 260.

When the second device unit 20 is configured to be relatively inclined to the first device unit 10 as shown in FIG. 4, the cover unit 30 covering the hinge assembly 100A may be exposed to bend along a smooth curve as the same flexible member. Therefore, the second device unit 20 can be exposed to the first device unit 10 as smoothly as it is. Because the relative rotational movement between the shaft members 130 to 180 can be performed via the gear meshing between the gear members 210 to 270 along a specific path instead of an arbitrary path, the aforementioned results can be obtained.

The hinge assembly 100A shown according to FIGS. 1 to 10C may be similarly applied to the hinge assembly 1A of another exemplary embodiment described with reference to FIG. 11.

In the portable electronic device 1 according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10C, a torque may be transmitted via the gear unit 200 to cause the plurality of shaft members 130 to 180 to perform a rotational movement with respect to each other. Therefore, the second device unit 20 and the first device unit 10 can be exposed as if they are connected to each other via a single flexible member. According to this, the appearance of the portable electronic device 1 can be improved compared with the aesthetic viewpoint of the existing portable electronic device.

And, in the portable type according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10C In the electronic device 1, since the elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A, ..., and 480B, the pivot assembly 100A may have a pre-stop function. For this reason, an angle set between the first and second device units 10 and 20 can be maintained. In addition, the elastic force provided by the elastic units 430A, 430B, 480A ..., and 480B can be adjusted by the nut 491, and therefore a threshold value of a moment that enables the second device unit 20 to rotate can be easily adjusted.

11 to 14 illustrate a portable electronic device 1A according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. In FIGS. 11 to 14, a portable electronic device 1A such as a notebook computer is described.

The portable electronic device 1A may include a first device unit 50, a second device unit 60, and a cover unit 70.

The first device unit 50 may be a part constituting a main body of the portable electronic device 1A, and may include, for example, a plurality of input keys 53 and a touch pad 54. For example, a controller (not shown) may be embedded in the first device unit 50 to control the operation of the portable electronic device 1A.

The second device unit 60 may be part of a display unit constituting the portable electronic device 1A, and may include, for example, a display screen 63.

The second device unit 60 may be pivoted to the pivot axis P2 with respect to the first device unit 50 (see FIG. 13). In other words, the second device unit 60 may be rotated in one direction (that is, in the direction B), and the second device unit 60 is deployed in this direction, or the second device unit 60 may be in one direction (that is, in the direction A) Turning up, the second device unit 60 is folded in this direction. Therefore, the second device unit 60 may be opposite to the first device unit 50 Arranged between multiple angles, such as 0 ° and 180 °. As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the second device unit 60 may be fully deployed with respect to the first device unit 50 to have an angle of 180 °, for example. As shown in other examples in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second device unit 60 is disposed at an angle of 90 ° to the first device unit 50.

The cover unit 70 can cover the hinge assembly described below, so the hinge assembly cannot be seen from the outside. The cover unit 70 is disposed between an upper portion 57 of the first device unit 50 and a lower portion 61 of the second device unit 60, and may include, for example, five cover members 71 to 75. The covering members 71 to 75 may be referred to as a first covering member 71, a second covering member 72, a third covering member 73, a fourth covering member 74, and a fifth covering member 75, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 14, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth covering members 71 to 75 may have at least one maximum angle determining surface, respectively. In other words, the first covering member 71 may have a maximum angle determining surface 71a, the second covering member 72 may have a maximum angle determining surface 72a and 72b, and the third covering member 73 may have a maximum angle determining surface 73a and 73b. In addition, the fourth covering member 74 may have the maximum angle determining surfaces 74a and 74b, and the fifth covering member 75 may have the maximum angle determining surfaces 75a.

If the second device unit 60 is disposed at an angle of 180 ° with respect to the first device unit 50 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, each of the maximum angle determination surfaces can contact at least one adjacent maximum angle determination surface. For example, the maximum angle determining surface 71 a of the first covering member 71 can contact the maximum angle determining surface 72 a of the second covering member 72 adjacent to the first covering member 71. In addition, the maximum angle determining surface 73 a of the third covering member 73 that can contact the second covering member 72 adjacent to the third covering member 73 is a maximum angle determining surface 72 a. As shown in FIG. 12, because the maximum angle determines the contact between the surfaces, the second device unit 60 and the first The maximum angle between the device units 50 may be limited to an angle of, for example, 180 °.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the maximum angle between the second device unit 60 and the first device unit 50 may be, for example, 180 °. According to other exemplary embodiments, the shapes of the covers 71 to 75 may be changed so that the maximum angle between the second device unit 60 and the first device unit 50 may have other values (for example, 270 °, 360 °, or a similar angle) .

Referring to FIG. 15, the portable electronic device 1A is described and the cover unit 70 is omitted. The portable electronic device 1A may include two pivot components 500A and 500B that can be spaced apart from each other along the pivot axis P2. Rotating motion between the first and second device units 50 and 60 can be obtained via the pivot assembly 500A and 500B.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the portable electronic device 1A may use two 500A and 500B. The portable electronic device 1A may selectively use one hinge assembly or three or more hinge assemblies.

The pivot assemblies 500A and 500B may, for example, have exactly the same structure. The pivot assembly 500A is representatively explained as follows, and the structure of the pivot assembly 500B can be easily understood from the description of the pivot assembly 500A.

16, 17A, and 17B, the hinge assembly 500A may include first and second fixing units 510 and 520, a plurality of shaft members 610 to 690, a gear unit 700, a plurality of coupling members 810A, 810B, ..., 860A. And 860B, and a plurality of elastic units 910, 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B, and 990.

The first fixing unit 510 can fix the hinge assembly 500A to the first device unit 50. The first fixing unit 510 may include first and second fixing members 510A and 510B. According to an alternative embodiment, the first and second fixing members 510A and 510B may be formed integrally.

For example, two screw through holes 511a and 512a may be formed in the first fixing member 510A, and two screw through holes 511b and 512b may be formed in the second fixing member 510B. The first and second fixing members 510A and 510B can be fixed to the first through a screw (not shown) through the screw through holes 511a and 511b, and another screw (not shown) through the screw through holes 512a and 512b. A device unit 50.

The second fixing unit 520 can fix the hinge assembly 500A to the second device unit 60. The second fixing unit 520 may include a third fixing member 520A, a fourth fixing member 520B, and a fifth fixing member 520C. According to alternative embodiments, the third, fourth, and fifth fixing members 520A, 520B, and 520C may be integrally formed.

For example, two screw through holes 521a and 522a may be formed in the third fixing member 520A, and two screw through holes 521b and 522b may be formed in the fourth fixing member 520B. The third and fourth fixing members 520A and 520B may be fixed to the second via one screw (not shown) passing through the screw through holes 521a and 521b and another screw (not shown) passing through the screw through holes 522a and 522b. Device unit 60.

The plurality of shaft members 610 to 690 may include first and second outer shaft members 610 and 690 disposed at the outermost positions, and seven inner shaft members disposed between the first and second outer shaft members 610 and 690, for example. 620 to 680. The seven inner shaft members 620 to 680 can be referred to as a first inner shaft member 620, a second inner shaft member 630, a third inner shaft member 640, a fourth inner shaft member 650, and a fifth inner shaft member, respectively. 660, a sixth inner shaft member 670, and a seventh inner shaft member 680.

The plurality of shaft members 610 to 690 may be disposed parallel to each other on the pivot axis P2 (see FIGS. 13 and 15). A distance between two adjacent shaft members of the plurality of shaft members 610 to 690 can be maintained constant.

Referring to FIG. 17A, a first mounting hole 513a having a non-circular cross section and a second mounting hole 514a having a circular cross section may be formed in the first fixing member 510A. Two through holes 513b and 514b corresponding to the first and second mounting holes 513a and 514a may be formed in the second fixing unit 510B. The first outer shaft member 610 may be configured to pass through the first mounting hole 513a having a non-circular cross-section so as to be fixedly mounted on the first fixing member 510A. The first inner shaft member 620 may be configured to pass through the second mounting hole 514a having a circular cross-section so as to be rotatably mounted on the first fixing member 510A.

For example, the first outer shaft member 610 and the first inner shaft member 620 adjacent to the first outer shaft member 610 may be commonly mounted on the first fixing member 510A. A distance between the first outer shaft member 610 and the first inner shaft member 620 can be maintained constant.

Referring to FIG. 17A again, a third mounting hole 523a having a non-circular cross section and a fourth mounting hole 524a having a circular cross section may be formed in the third fixing member 520A. A through hole 523b corresponding to the third installation hole 523a may be formed in the fourth fixing unit 520B, and a through hole 523c corresponding to the third installation hole 523a and a through hole 524b corresponding to the fourth installation hole 524a may be formed in The fifth fixing member 520C. The second outer shaft member 690 may be configured to pass through the through holes 523b and 523c and the third mounting hole 523a having a non-circular cross-section so as to be fixedly mounted on the third fixing member 520A. The seventh inner shaft member 680 may be configured to pass through the through hole 524b and the fourth mounting hole 524a having a circular cross section to be rotatably mounted on the third fixing member 520A.

For example, the second outer shaft member 690 and the seventh inner shaft member 680 adjacent to the second outer shaft member 690 may be commonly mounted on the third fixing member 520A. A distance between the second outer shaft member 690 and the seventh inner shaft member 680 can be maintained constant.

The cover mounting members 631, 641, 651, 661, and 671 may be mounted on the approximate centers of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630, 340, 650, 660, and 670, respectively. The cover mounting members 631, 641, 651, 661, and 671 may be configured to surround the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shafts about the cover mounting members 631, 641, 651, 661, and 671, respectively. Pieces 630, 340, 650, 660 and 670. In other words, the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630, 640, 650, 660, and 670 may be configured to pass through the cover installation members 631, 641, 651, 661, and 671, respectively. As shown in FIG. 17A, through holes 631a, 641a, 651a, 661a, and 671a through which the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630, 340, 650, 660, and 670 pass may be formed in the cover. Set pieces 631, 641, 651, 661 and 671.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the through holes 631a, 641a, 651a, 661a, and 671a may have non-circular cross-sections, and parts of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630 may be respectively inserted into Non-circular cross-section through holes 631a, 641a, 651a, 661a, and 671a. The cover mounting members 631, 641, 651, 661, and 671 may be fixed to the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630, 340, 650, 660, and 670, respectively, so as not to be opposite to the second The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inner shaft members 630, 340, 650, 660, and 670 move.

Spacer with cylindrical shape 622, 632, 642, 652, 662, 672 And 682 may be formed on the inner shaft members 620 to 680, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 17A and 17B, the gear unit 700 may be mounted on the shaft members 610 to 690 so that the shaft members 610 to 690 can be gear-meshed with each other. The gear unit 700 may include, for example, nine gear members. For example, the gear unit 700 may include first and second external gear members 710 and 790, and first to seventh internal gear members 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, and 780. Nine gear members 710 to 790 may The gears mesh with each other to form a gear set.

If a user applies a torque to rotate the second device unit 60, the torque may be transmitted to the inner shaft members 620 to 680 via the gear unit 700, and thus the inner shaft members 620 to 680 may rotate relative to other adjacent shaft members. Based on this result, the second device unit 60 can perform a turning operation.

The first external gear member 710 may be provided, for example, as a spur gear, and has an outer surface formed with a plurality of gear teeth 711. The first external gear member 710 can be mounted on the first external shaft member 610 to rotate around the first external shaft member 610. To this end, a through hole 712 having a circular cross section through which the first external shaft member 610 passes may be formed in the first external gear member 710.

The second external gear member 790 may have, for example, the same shape as the first external gear member 710. The second external gear member 790 may be provided as, for example, a spur gear having an outer surface formed with a plurality of gear teeth 791. The second external gear member 790 may be installed on the second external shaft member 690 to rotate about the second external shaft member 690. To this end, a through hole 792 having a circular cross section through which the second outer shaft member 690 passes may be formed in the second outer gear member 790.

For example, the first to seventh internal gear members 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, and 780 may be provided as spur gears having the same shape. First to seventh internal gears The pieces 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, and 780 may be fixedly coupled to the inner shaft pieces 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, and 680. To this end, through holes through which the inner shaft members 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, and 670 pass may be formed in the first to seventh inner gear members 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, and 780, respectively, to have non-circular shapes. Shaped section. For example, a through hole 722 having a non-circular cross section as shown in FIG. 17B may be formed in each internal gear member.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the radii of the two external gear members 710 and 790 may be larger than the radii of the seven internal gear members 720 to 780, for example. However, according to another alternative embodiment, the radii of the external gear members 710 and 790 may be equal to the radii of the internal gear members 720 to 780.

The plurality of coupling members 810A, 810B, ..., 860A, and 860B can maintain a fixed distance between two adjacent inner shaft members. For example, the distance between two adjacent shaft members can refer to the distance between the central axes of the two shaft members. For the convenience of description, the multiple coupling members 810A, 810B, ..., 860A, and 860B are respectively referred to as the first coupling members 810A and 810B, the second coupling members 820A and 820B, the third coupling members 830A and 830B, and the fourth coupling member. 840A and 840B, fifth coupling members 850A and 850B, and sixth coupling members 860A and 860B.

For example, each coupling member may include a first coupling portion rotatably coupled to an inner shaft member, and a second coupling portion rotatably coupled to another inner shaft member adjacent to the aforementioned inner shaft member. In addition, the first and second coupling portions may be integrally formed.

The following representatively describes the first coupling member 810A with respect to other coupling members. shape. The first coupling member 810A may include first and second coupling portions 811 and 815, for example, integrally formed. A through hole 812 having a circular cross section through which the first inner shaft member 620 passes may be formed in the first coupling member 811. In addition, a through hole 816 having a circular cross section through which the second inner shaft member 630 passes may be formed in the second coupling member 815. A distance between the first and second inner shaft members 620 and 630 connected to each other by the first coupling member 810A can be maintained fixed.

Two adjacent inner shaft members may be connected to each other via two coupling members. For example, the first and second inner shaft members 620 and 630 described below. The distance between the first and second inner shaft members 620 and 630 can be maintained fixed through the pair of first coupling members 810A and 810B.

The plurality of elastic units 910, 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B, and 990 may be, for example, divided into first and second outer elastic units 910 and 990 included in the first and second outer shaft members 610 and 690, and included in The first to seventh elastic units 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B of the first to seventh inner shaft members 620 to 680.

The elastic force provided by the first external elastic unit 910 may generate a friction force between the first fixing member 510A and the first external gear member 710. The frictional force contributes to the generation of a torque to limit the rotation of the first external gear member 710. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the first outer elastic unit 910 may include, for example, a plurality of spring washers 911. In one embodiment, the spring washer 911 may be formed as shown in the cross-sectional view SV2 of the first outer elastic unit 910 in FIG. 17B.

According to another alternative embodiment, the first outer elastic unit 910 may be provided as a spring coil. Each spring washer 911 can be locked to the first external gear member 710 by A nut 503 maintains compression.

The elastic force provided by the second external elastic unit 990 may generate a frictional force between the third fixing member 520A and the second external gear member 790. The frictional force may help limit the generation of a moment that the second external gear member 790 rotates. In an exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the second outer elastic unit 990 may include, for example, a plurality of elastic washers 991. According to another alternative embodiment, the second outer elastic unit 990 may be provided as a spring coil. Each spring washer 991 can be maintained in compression by a nut 503 that can be locked to the second external gear member 790.

The elastic force provided by the first to seventh inner elastic units 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, and 980B can be generated in the first to seventh internal gear members 720 to 780 and the first to seventh inner shaft members 620 to 680, respectively. Friction between pieces 622 to 682. The frictional force may help limit the generation of the torque of the rotation of the first to seventh internal gear members 720 to 780. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, each inner elastic unit may be provided as a plurality of spring washers in a manner similar to the first and second outer elastic units 910 and 990 described above.

If the second device unit 60 is set to a specific angle with respect to the first device unit 50, such as between 0 ° and 180 °, and an external torque below the threshold is applied to the second device unit 60, the torque in the opposite direction may be The elastic units 910, 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B, and 990 are generated to work on the gear members 710 to 790 to prevent the movement of the gear members 710 to 790.

Therefore, a specific angle set between the second device unit 60 and the first device unit 50 can be maintained. The hub of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B The specific angle of the module 500A between 0 ° and 180 ° may have a stop prevention function. If an external torque exceeding a threshold value is applied to the second device unit 60, the second device unit 60 may perform a rotational movement. Through the locking nut 503, the threshold value can be adjusted to an appropriate value.

Reference numerals 505 to 507 may denote spacers and gaskets, respectively.

FIG. 18A is a side view illustrating the first cover unit 71 and a pair of cover mounting members 613 and 631 'coupled to the first cover unit 71. FIG. Fig. 18B is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 18A. Although the following description is for the first covering member 71, this description can be similarly applied to the other covering members 72 to 75.

Referring to FIG. 18A, the covering member 71 may be coupled to the first covering member 631 mounted on the first inner shaft member 620. The cover member 71 may be coupled to a first cover mounting member 631 'of the pivot assembly 500B of FIG. 15, and the first cover mounting member 631' is opposite to the first cover mounting member 631. Therefore, the covering member 71 can cover the first inner shaft member 620 of the hinge assembly 500A and a first inner shaft member (not shown) of the hinge assembly 500B. The first inner shaft member is relative to the first inner shaft of the hinge assembly 500A.轴 件 620。 The shaft member 620.

Referring to FIG. 18B, the covering member 71 may be divided into, for example, three portions 71A, 71B, and 71C. For example, the first portion 71A may be coupled to the first cover mounting member 631 via at least one screw member. For example, the second and third portions 71B and 71C may be coupled to the upper and lower portions of the first portion 71A, respectively, to be completely mounted on the cover 71.

Referring to FIGS. 19A to 20B, an operation of the hinge assembly 500A (above) is described as follows.

When the second device unit 60 is in a fully deployed state, the pivot assembly 500A The inner shaft members 620 to 680 can be arranged in a straight line, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B.

Referring to FIGS. 20A to 20B, if the user applies a moment (see FIG. 14) exceeding the threshold value of the second device unit 20 in the direction A, the internal gear members 720 to 780 may perform a relative rotational movement due to the moment. And, the inner shaft members 620 to 680 may perform a relative rotation motion together with the rotation motion of the internal gear members 720 to 780.

The rotation motion of the internal gear members 720 to 780 is explained in detail as follows. The second internal gear member 730 can rotate counterclockwise around the first internal gear member 720. The third internal gear member 740 can rotate counterclockwise around the second internal gear member 730. The fourth internal gear member 750 can rotate counterclockwise around the third internal gear member 740. The fifth internal gear member 760 can be rotated counterclockwise around the fourth internal gear member 750. The sixth internal gear member 770 can be rotated counterclockwise around the fifth internal gear member 760 as a center. The seventh internal gear member 780 can be rotated counterclockwise around the sixth internal gear member 770 as a center. The rotational movement of the second device unit 60 in the direction A may be obtained via a combination of the relative rotational movements of the internal gear members 720 to 780.

When the second device unit 60 is unfolded from the first device unit 50 as shown in FIG. 14, the cover unit 70 covering the hinge assembly 500A can be exposed as a flexible member bent along a smooth curve. This contributes to the beautiful design of the portable electronic device 1A. The relative rotational movement between the inner shaft members 620 to 680 can be generated through the gear meshing between the gear members 710 to 790 along a specific path instead of a random path, so the aforementioned aesthetic effect can be obtained.

The hub assembly 500A according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B may be similarly applied to the portable electronic device 1 of FIG. 1 according to the exemplary embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10C.

In the portable electronic device 1A according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, a torque may be transmitted via the gear unit 700 to enable the plurality of inner shaft members 620 to 680 to rotate. Therefore, the second device unit 60 and the first device unit 50 may be exposed as if they were connected to each other via a single flexible member. According to this, the appearance of the portable electronic device 1A can be improved compared with the aesthetic viewpoint of the existing portable electronic device.

And, in the portable electronic device 1A according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20B, the pivot assembly 500A may have a pre-stop function because of the elastic units 910, 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B, and 990. For this reason, an angle set between the first and second device units 50 and 60 can be maintained. In addition, the elastic force provided by the elastic units 910, 920A, 920B, ..., 980A, 980B, and 990 can be adjusted by the nut 503, and thus a threshold value of a moment that enables the second device unit 60 to rotate can be easily adjusted.

Although a few embodiments have been illustrated and described in the concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make changes to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the concept of the present invention. The scope of the inventive concept is provided by the application. The scope of patents and their equivalents are defined.

Claims (13)

A portable electronic device includes: first and second device units; and at least one pivot component is provided to pivotally connect the second device unit to the first device unit, and the pivot component includes: a first A fixing unit is provided to be fixed to the first device unit; a second fixing unit is provided to be fixed to the second device unit; a plurality of shaft members are provided to be arranged in parallel with each other, and the shaft members include a first and A second outer shaft member is respectively installed on the first and second fixing units, and a plurality of inner shaft members are disposed between the first and second outer shaft members; and a gear unit is installed on the first and second outer shaft members. The shaft member is configured to connect the shaft members to each other via a gear mesh, wherein the pivot assembly further includes a plurality of coupling members, wherein any two adjacent shaft members are connected to each other via one of the plurality of coupling members. , The plurality of coupling members and the gear unit are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit, so as to maintain a fixed distance between the plurality of shaft members, each of which Said And said engagement member is by means of the plurality of gear shafts are installed through. The portable electronic device according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the gear unit includes a first gear set and a second gear set arranged in parallel to each other. The portable electronic device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the first gear set includes: a first external gear member configured to be coupled to the first external shaft member; a second external gear member It is arranged to be coupled to the second outer shaft member; and a first coupling gear member group is installed on the inner shaft member, and at least two adjacent inner shaft members are connected to each other via a coupling gear member. The portable electronic device according to item 3 of the patent application scope, wherein the second gear set includes a second coupling gear member group, which is installed on the first outer shaft member and the second outer shaft member , And the inner shaft piece. The portable electronic device according to item 4 of the scope of patent application, wherein the total number of the shaft members is N, the number of the first coupling gear group is (N / 2) -1, and the The number of the second coupling gear member group is (N / 2), where N is an even natural number. The portable electronic device according to item 4 of the scope of patent application, wherein each of the coupling gears includes: a first gear portion configured to be rotatably coupled to a first shaft member of two adjacent shaft members; and The two gear portions are arranged to be rotatably coupled to a second shaft member of two adjacent shaft members. The portable electronic device according to item 3 of the scope of patent application, wherein each of the shaft members includes at least one elastic unit configured to prevent the second device unit from being caused by an external torque below a threshold value. Turn. The portable electronic device according to item 7 of the patent application scope, wherein the at least one elastic unit includes a plurality of spring washers, and the spring washers are configured to apply an elastic force along the axial direction to the shaft member. To provide a moment of the shaft member with respect to the external moment. The portable electronic device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the first gear set includes: a first external gear member configured to be mounted on the first external shaft member; a second external gear A member is provided to be mounted to the second outer shaft member; and a plurality of internal gear members are provided to be fixedly coupled to the inner shaft member, respectively. The portable electronic device according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein each of the coupling members includes: a first coupling portion configured to be rotatably coupled to a first shaft member of any two adjacent shaft members And a second coupling portion configured to be rotatably coupled to a second shaft member of any two adjacent shaft members. The portable electronic device according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, further comprising: a cover unit configured to cover the at least one hinge component from the outside. The portable electronic device according to item 11 of the scope of patent application, wherein: the hinge assembly includes: a first hinge assembly; and a second hinge assembly is provided to have the same structure as the first hinge assembly And maintaining a distance from the first pivot assembly in the direction of the pivot axis, the covering unit includes a plurality of covering members configured to cover at least several of the shaft members; and each of the covering members is provided In order to cover the first shaft member in the first hinge assembly and the second shaft member in the second hinge assembly corresponding to the first shaft member. The portable electronic device according to item 12 of the patent application, wherein when the second device unit is disposed at a maximum angle with respect to the first device unit, each of the covering members has at least one maximum The angle determines the surface, and the maximum angle determines that the surface interferes with the movement of the adjacent cover.