TWI764565B - Electronic device and hinge assembly thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device and a hinge assembly thereof. The electronic device includes a set-frame, a flexible panel and the above hinge assembly. The set-frame is disposed on the hinge assembly, and the flexible panel is disposed on the set-frame. The hinge assembly includes a base member, a gear shaft, a pair of worm gears, a pair of hinge brackets, a pair of first connecting rod and a pair of second connecting rod. The base member has a side surface and a top surface, wherein the top surface has a pair of arc-shaped grooves. The gear shaft is attached to the side surface of the base member, and the gear shaft has a first axial direction and a pair of gear portions arranged symmetrically in the first axial direction. The worm gears are attached to the side surface of the base member, and the worm gears and the gear portions are meshed in one-to-one manner. Each of the hinge brackets has an arc portion, and the arc portions are arranged in the corresponding arc-shaped grooves. One of the first connecting rods is connected between one of the worm gears and the corresponding arc portion, and the other first connecting rod is connected between the other worm gear and the corresponding arc portion. One of the second connecting rods is connected between one of the arc portions and the base member, and the other second connecting rod is connected between the other one of the arc portions and the base member.

Description

Electronic device and hinge assembly thereof

The present invention relates to a device and assembly, and more particularly, to an electronic device and its hinge assembly.

Hinged components are commonly found in consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks, or tablets with foldable screens, allowing two components (such as the screen and keyboard of a notebook, the stand and the screen of a tablet). ) can open and close relative to each other, or even fold the screen itself of a tablet or smartphone.

At present, the use of connecting rods is not common in the hinge design of tablet computers with foldable screens. Usually, the hinge components of foldable screens such as mobile phones use the connecting rod design. However, the design structure of the hinge assembly of the foldable screen of the mobile phone is different from that of the hinge assembly of the foldable screen tablet.

In addition, the design structure of the hinge assembly of the current foldable screen tablet computer cannot fully meet the usage requirements.

Specifically, in the current design of the hinge assembly, the trajectory of the hinge assembly during rotation is an arc shape, so during the folding process of the foldable screen, the hinge bracket will interfere with the frame. In order to prevent the hinge bracket and the frame from interfering with each other, it is necessary to hollow out a part of the frame to make an escape space.

However, the hollowed out part of the frame will cause the flexible panel to be partially suspended. Therefore, if a force is exerted on the suspended flexible panel, it is easy to cause the flexible panel to be broken and damaged because there is no support from the frame.

The "prior art" paragraph is only used to help understand the present disclosure, so the content disclosed in the "prior art" paragraph may contain some that do not constitute the prior art known to those with ordinary skill in the art. The content disclosed in the "prior art" paragraph does not represent the content or the problem to be solved by one or more embodiments of the present invention, and has been known or recognized by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field before the application of the present invention.

The present invention provides a hinge assembly with a novel structure, the hinge bracket of which does not need to be provided with an escape space.

The present invention provides an electronic device which can be opened and closed smoothly and has a prolonged service life.

A hinge assembly of the present invention includes a base, a gear rod, a pair of worm gears, a pair of hinge brackets, a pair of first connecting rods and a pair of second connecting rods. The base has a side surface and a top surface, wherein the top surface has a pair of arc grooves. A gear rod is attached to the side surface of the base, and the gear rod has a first axial direction and a pair of worm parts symmetrically arranged in the first axial direction. The worm wheel is attached to the side surface of the base, and the worm wheel and the worm part engage in one-to-one correspondence. Each hinge bracket has an arc-shaped portion, and the arc-shaped portion and the arc-shaped groove are arranged one-to-one. One of the first links is connected between one of the worm gears and the arcuate portion, and the other first link is connected between the other worm gear and the arcuate portion. One of the second links is connected between one of the arc-shaped parts and the base, and the other second link is connected between the other arc-shaped part and the base.

An electronic device of the present invention includes a frame, a flexible panel and the above-mentioned hinge assembly, wherein the frame is arranged on the hinge assembly, and the flexible panel is arranged on the frame.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned worm gear is a spur gear.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned worm gear is a positive torsion gear.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the above-mentioned gear rod rotates with the first axial direction as the rotation axis, the worm gear moves simultaneously to relatively open or relatively close the hinge bracket.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device further includes a first fixing member fixed to the side surface of the base, the first fixing member has a hollow accommodating portion, and the gear rod is accommodated in the accommodating portion so as to be opposite to the first fixing member idling.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member as the center of symmetry, respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device further includes a pair of second fixing members, which pass through the corresponding worm gear and the first connecting rod and are locked into the base.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the above-mentioned gear rod rotates with the first axial direction as the rotation axis, the worm gear moves simultaneously so that the outer edge of the hinge bracket moves along a respective cloud-shaped trajectory.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned cloud-shaped line trajectory means that when the hinge bracket is opened at 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees, the outer edge of the hinge bracket is located on a virtual circle drawn by a virtual center. , and in the states other than 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees, the outer edge of the hinge bracket is located outside the virtual circle.

Based on the above, the present invention provides a hinge assembly with a novel structure, and the electronic device using the hinge assembly can avoid the interference between the frame and the base during the opening and closing process, and therefore the frame can keep the shape intact without setting up avoidance space . Therefore, the electronic device can have a longer service life.

The foregoing and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as: up, down, left, right, front or rear, etc., are only for referring to the directions of the attached drawings. Accordingly, the directional terms used are illustrative and not limiting of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic view of an electronic device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an assembled schematic view of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the hinge assembly in FIG. 2 . Figure 3 has omitted some components in order to clearly show the meshing of the worm gear with the gear rod.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 at the same time, the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment is a tablet computer with a foldable screen, which includes a flexible panel 2 , a pair of frames 3 and a hinge assembly 4 , wherein the frame 3 is installed on the On the hinge assembly 4 , the flexible panel 2 is mounted on the plate-shaped frame 3 . The electronic device 1 can be relatively opened and closed by changing the state of the hinge assembly 4 .

The above-mentioned hinge assembly 4 includes a base 41 , a gear rod 42 , a pair of worm gears 43 , a pair of hinge brackets 44 , a pair of first connecting rods 45 and a pair of second connecting rods 46 .

The base 41 has a side surface 411 and a top surface 412 which are substantially vertically connected, wherein the top surface 412 has a pair of arc-shaped grooves 413 .

The gear lever 42 is rotatably attached to the side surface 411 of the base 41 . The electronic device 1 further includes a first fixing member 47 . The gear rod 42 of this embodiment is attached to the side surface 411 of the base 41 through the first fixing member 47 . Specifically, the first fixing member 47 is fixed on the side surface 411 of the base 41, wherein the first fixing member 47 has a hollow accommodating portion 471, and the gear rod 42 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 471, and the gear rod 42 can be opposite to the first accommodating portion 471. A fixing member 47 is idling. In other words, the first fixing member 47 is only used to attach the gear rod 42 to the side surface 411 of the base 41 , and will not affect the rotation of the gear rod 42 .

The gear rod 42 has a first axial direction A1 and a pair of worm parts 421 symmetrically arranged on the first axial direction A1. The first axial direction A1 and the assembly direction D of the gear rod 42 to the side surface 411 of the base 41 are perpendicular to each other.

The worm wheel 43 is attached to the side surface 411 of the base 41 , and the worm wheel 43 is engaged with the worm portion 421 in a one-to-one correspondence. The worm gear 43 in this embodiment is a spur gear, and the second axial direction A2 of the worm gear 43 is parallel to the assembly direction D. As shown in FIG.

The frame 3 is provided on the hinge bracket 44 , and the flexible panel 2 is provided on the frame 3 . Each hinge bracket 44 has an arc portion 441 and a body portion 442 connected to the arc portion 441 . The arc-shaped portion 441 and the arc-shaped groove 413 are provided one-to-one. The body parts 442 of the two hinge brackets 44 extend and protrude from the arc-shaped parts 441 in different directions along the first axial direction A1 . The body portion 442 provides enough space to engage with the frame 3 .

In order to allow the hinge bracket 44 to rotate relative to the base 41 in conjunction with the operation of the gear lever 42 and the worm gear 43 , the hinge bracket 44 , the worm gear 43 and the base 41 are connected together by a plurality of links.

In this embodiment, four links (two first links 45 and two second links 46) are used to connect the hinge bracket 44, the worm gear 43 and the base 41 together, and the four links are two Two are set in pairs.

The two first links 45 are connected between the worm gear 43 and the arcuate portion 441 . Specifically, one of the first links 45 is connected between one of the worm gears 43 and the arcuate portion 441 , and the other first link 45 is connected between the other worm gear 43 and the arcuate portion 441 . The two first connecting rods 45 have the same shape and size, and are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member 47 as the center of symmetry.

The two second links 46 are connected between the arc portion 441 and the base 41 . Specifically, one of the second links 46 is connected between one of the arc-shaped portions 441 and the base 41 , and the other second link 46 is connected between the other arc-shaped portion 441 and the base 41 . Similar to the arrangement of the first connecting rod 45 , the two second connecting rods 46 also have the same shape and size, and are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member 47 as the center of symmetry.

Whether the first link 45 and the second link 46 also have the same shape or size is determined according to requirements, but the first link 45 and the second link 46 are not symmetrically arranged.

The electronic device 1 further includes a pair of second fixing members 48 . The worm wheel 43 is rotatably fixed to the side surface 411 of the base 41 through the second fixing member 48 . In detail, the second fixing member 48 is rod-shaped, passes through the center of the worm gear 43 and the corresponding first connecting rod 45 and is locked into the base 41 . In other words, the second axial direction A2 of the worm wheel 43 is the axial direction of the second fixing member 48 , and is also the assembly direction D of the worm wheel 43 assembled to the base 41 .

The second fixing member 48 is only used to fix the worm gear 43 and the first connecting rod 45 on the side surface 411 of the base 41 , but does not affect the rotation of the worm gear 43 and the first connecting rod 45 .

4A-4C are flowcharts of relative closure of the hinge assembly. First, as shown in FIG. 4A , when the electronic device 1 is opened for flat use, and the hinge assembly 4 is opened by 180 degrees, the hinge brackets 44 are arranged in parallel and juxtaposed.

When the electronic device 1 is to be closed, please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C at the same time, and force can be applied to bring the two ends of the electronic device 1 relatively close to each other. At this time, the hinge bracket 44 rotates relative to the base 41 through the shape of the arc portion 441 of the hinge bracket 44 and the shape of the arc groove 413 of the top surface 412 of the base 41 cooperate with each other and guide each other.

Specifically, the hinge bracket 44 firstly rotates relative to the base 41 with the end of the second link 46 pivoted on the side surface 411 of the base 41 as a rotation axis. At the same time, the hinge bracket 44 also rotates itself with the end of the second link 46 pivoted on the hinge bracket 44 as the axis of rotation. Therefore, the arc portion 441 of the hinge bracket 44 moves along the contour of the arc groove 413 of the top surface 412 of the base 41 at the same time, and the two hinge brackets 44 gradually rotate toward each other from the state of being opened by 180 degrees.

In particular, when the hinge bracket 44 moves, the first link 45 also drives the worm wheel 43 to rotate with the rotation of the hinge bracket 44 , and the worm portion 421 of the gear rod 42 engaged with the worm wheel 43 is driven to rotate.

Incidentally, since the worm parts 421 located at both ends of the gear rod 42 are respectively meshed with one worm gear 43, as long as one of the worm gears 43 rotates, the gear rod 42 is driven by the rotating worm gear 43 to rotate, and simultaneously drives the other worm gear 43 to rotate . In other words, the two worm gears 43 complement each other and rotate synchronously.

As can be seen from the above, the paired worm gears 43 rotate synchronously, and the paired worm gears 43 rotate in opposite directions. Specifically, during the process from opening to closing of the electronic device 1, the worm gear 43 on the left in FIGS. 4A to 4C rotates counterclockwise, and the worm gear 43 on the right in FIGS. 4A to 4C rotates clockwise .

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C . In particular, when the hinge bracket 44 rotates and moves relative to the base 41 , since the lengths of the first link 45 and the second link 46 are fixed, they are subject to the When the hinge bracket 44 driven by the rotation rotates, the movement trajectory of the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 is not circular.

Specifically, when the hinge bracket 44 rotates to a certain angle relative to the base 41 with the end of the second link 46 pivoted on the base 41 as the rotation axis, limited by the length of the first link 45, the hinge The bracket 44 is rotated relative to the base 41 by using the end of the first link 45 pivotally connected to the worm gear 43 as the axis of rotation.

Due to the transformation of the rotation axis during the rotation of the hinge bracket 44 relative to the base 41, the rotation trajectory of the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 does not simply move along an arc, but along a cloud-shaped line trajectory T move.

The cloud-shaped line trajectory T is also shown in Figure 4C. Referring to FIG. 4C , the cloud-shaped line trajectory T referred to in this embodiment means that the movement trajectory of the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 does not move along an arc.

Specifically, in this embodiment, when each hinge bracket 44 is opened by 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees with its virtual center C as the rotation center (that is, the two hinge brackets 44 are relatively opened by 0 degrees, 90 degrees and 180 degrees) state), the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 is located on a virtual circle VC drawn by the virtual center C. When the opening angles of each hinge bracket 44 with its virtual center C as the rotation center are not 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees (that is, the relative opening angles of the two hinge brackets 44 are not 0 degrees, 90 degrees and 180 degrees) state), the outer edges of the hinge brackets 44 are located outside the respective virtual circles VC. Incidentally, only the virtual center C of the left hinge bracket 44 is shown in FIG. 4A , and only the virtual circle VC of the left hinge bracket 44 is shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C , but the right hinge bracket 44 also has Its virtual center C and virtual circle VC are not shown in the figure.

It can be seen from FIG. 4C that when the two hinge brackets 44 are at 180 degrees, the outer edges of the hinge brackets 44 are located on the circumference of the virtual circle VC. When the two hinge brackets 44 are closed from 180 degrees to before the angle between the two hinge brackets 44 is 90 degrees, the movement trajectory of the outer edge of the hinge brackets 44 is located within the circumference of the virtual circle VC.

When the two hinge brackets 44 are at 90 degrees (ie, one hinge bracket 44 is rotated to 45 degrees), the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 is located on the circumference of the virtual circle VC.

When the two hinge brackets 44 are closed from 90 degrees to 0 degrees, the movement trajectory of the outer edge of the hinge brackets 44 is located outside the circumference of the virtual circle VC.

Through the above-mentioned setting structure, the outer edge of the hinge bracket 44 moves along the cloud-shaped line trajectory T, and the frame 3 disposed on the hinge bracket 44 rotates and moves relative to the base 41 during the rotation and movement of the hinge bracket 44, and the frame 3 and the base There will be no structural interference between 41 and cause the problem of the clip. Therefore, there is no need for the conventional hinge assembly 4 to hollow out a part of the area at the frame 3 to make a clearance space. In this way, the frame 3 can maintain a complete structure and can provide good support to the flexible panel 2 .

Incidentally, after understanding the above description, those skilled in the art can change the size of the component or the erection structure according to the actual requirements and then change the trajectory of the cloud-shaped line without violating the spirit of the present invention, and can also achieve the same as the present invention. Technical efficacy.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 again. Incidentally, the electronic device 1 may further include a nut 49 and a washer 50, and the nut 49 and the washer 50 are screwed to the aforementioned second fixing member 48, and the nut 49 and the washer 50 are screwed together. 49 and the spacer 50 can apply force to the worm wheel 43 along the assembly direction D to compress the worm wheel 43, thereby affecting the force required for the worm wheel 43 to rotate. In other words, the torque of the hinge assembly 4 can be further adjusted by the degree to which the nut 49 and the washer 50 compress the worm gear 43 .

[Second Embodiment]

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a hinge assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 at the same time. The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the type of the worm gear 43A of the present embodiment is different from the type of the worm gear 43 of the first embodiment.

The positive torsion gear of the worm gear 43 in this embodiment. The advantage of using the spur gear is that the transmission power is large, and the rotation process of the hinge assembly 4A of this embodiment is smoother and quieter than that of the hinge assembly 4 of the first embodiment.

In addition, the implementation aspect of the worm portion 421A of the present embodiment is different from that of the worm portion 421 of the first embodiment. The thread shape of the worm portion 421A shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the shape of the positive twist worm wheel 43A.

The operation mode of the hinge assembly 4A has been described in detail in the foregoing first embodiment, so the description will not be repeated in the second embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a hinge assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6 , the difference between this embodiment and the aforementioned first and second embodiments is that the worm wheel 43A of the second embodiment and the worm portion 421 of the first embodiment are used in this embodiment.

The operation mode of the hinge assembly 4B has been described in detail in the foregoing first embodiment, so the description will not be repeated in the third embodiment.

It can be known from the foregoing first, second and third embodiments that the implementation of the worm gear and the worm portion can be selectively changed according to requirements.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a hinge assembly with a novel structure, which has the advantage of synchronously and smoothly rotating. The electronic device using this novel hinge assembly can avoid the problem of structural interference between the frame and the base, so the frame does not need to hollow out a part of the area to form an escape space, and the frame maintains the integrity of the shape and structure, so it can provide good The support of the flexible panel can extend the service life of the electronic device.

1: Electronic device 2: Flexible panel 3: Frame 4, 4A, 4B: hinge assembly 41: Pedestal 411: Side 412: Top surface 413: Arc Slot 42: Gear lever 421, 421A: worm part 43, 43A: worm gear 44: Hinged bracket 441: Arc 442: body part 45: The first link 46: Second Link 47: The first fastener 471: accommodating department 48: Second Fixture 49: Nut 50: Gasket D: Assembly direction A1: The first axis A2: The second axis T: cloud-shaped line trajectory C: virtual center VC: virtual circle

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of the electronic device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an assembly schematic diagram of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly of FIG. 2 . 4A-4C are flowcharts of relative closure of the hinge assembly. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a hinge assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a hinge assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

1: Electronic device

2: Flexible panel

3: Frame

4: Hinge assembly

41: Pedestal

411: Side

412: Top surface

413: Arc Slot

42: Gear lever

421: worm part

43: worm gear

44: Hinged bracket

441: Arc

442: body part

45: The first link

46: Second Link

47: The first fastener

471: accommodating department

48: Second Fixture

49: Nut

50: Gasket

D: Assembly direction

A1: The first axis

A2: The second axis

Claims (14)

A hinge assembly, comprising: a base having a side surface and a top surface, wherein the top surface has a pair of arc-shaped grooves; a gear lever attached to the side surface of the base, the gear lever having a first A pair of worm parts symmetrically arranged in the axial direction and on the first axial direction; a pair of worm gears, attached to the side surface of the base, and the pair of worm gears are correspondingly engaged with the pair of worm parts; a pair of hinge brackets, Each of the pair of hinge brackets has an arc-shaped portion, and each of the arc-shaped portions is disposed in a corresponding one of the pair of arc-shaped grooves; a pair of first links, the pair of first One of the connecting rods is connected between one of the pair of worm gears and the arc-shaped portion, and the other of the pair of first connecting rods is connected between the other of the pair of worm gears and the arc-shaped portion A pair of second links, one of the pair of second links is connected between one of the arc-shaped parts and the base, and the other of the pair of second links is connected between the other arc-shaped portion and the base; and a first fixing piece fixed on the side of the base, the first fixing piece has a hollow accommodating portion, and the gear rod is accommodated in the accommodating portion The middle is idling relative to the first fixing member. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of worm gears are spur gears. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of worm gears are positive torsion gears. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the gear rod rotates with the first axial direction as the rotation axis, the pair of worm gears move together to make the pair of hinge brackets relatively open or relatively closed. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of first links are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member as the symmetry center, and the pair of second links are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member as the symmetry center set up. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of second fixing pieces, which pass through the corresponding pair of worm gears and the pair of first connecting rods and are locked into the base. An electronic device, comprising: a flexible panel; a hinge assembly, comprising: a base having a side surface and a top surface, wherein the top surface has a pair of arc-shaped grooves; a gear lever attached to the base of the base The side surface, the gear rod has a first axial direction and a pair of worm parts symmetrically arranged in the first axial direction; a pair of worm gears are attached to the side surface of the base, and the pair of worm gears and the pair The worm parts engage correspondingly; a pair of hinge brackets, each of the pair of hinge brackets has an arc-shaped portion, and each arc-shaped portion is arranged in one of the corresponding pair of arc-shaped grooves In; a pair of first links, one of the pair of first links is connected between one of the pair of worm gears and the arc-shaped portion, and the other of the pair of first links connected between the other one of the pair of worm gears and the arc-shaped part; a pair of second links, one of which is connected between one of the arc-shaped parts and the base , and the other of the pair of second links is connected between the other arc-shaped portion and the base; and a first fixing piece fixed on the side of the base, the first fixing piece has a hollow an accommodating part of the gear rod, and the gear rod is accommodated in the accommodating part to idle relative to the first fixing part. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the pair of worm gears are spur gears. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the pair of worm gears are positive torsion gears. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the gear rod rotates with the first axial direction as the rotation axis, the pair of worm gears move together to make the pair of hinge brackets relatively open or relatively closed. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the pair of first links are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member as the symmetry center, and the pair of second links are symmetrically arranged with the first fixing member as the symmetry center set up. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a pair of second fixing members, which pass through the corresponding pair of worm gears and the pair of first connecting rods and are locked into the base. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the gear rod rotates with the first axial direction as the axis of rotation, the pair of worm gears move together so that the outer edges of the pair of hinge brackets follow a respective cloud shape Line track moves. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the cloud-shaped line trajectory refers to the outer edge of the pair of hinge brackets when each hinge bracket of the pair of hinge brackets is opened at 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees The outer edges of the pair of hinge brackets are positioned outside the virtual circle when they are located on a virtual circle drawn by a virtual center, and in states other than 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees.

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