Patent Application
20110317338
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge, especially to a hinge mounted between a cover and a body of an electronic device to allow the cover pivoting relative to the body.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
The conventional hinge is mounted between a cover and a body of an electronic device. The conventional hinges have disclosed various structures to provide torque variation so that the force exerted by users to open the cover varies accordingly, and that does help users to easily open/close the cover. Also, said conventional structure has to provide positioning function in a manner such that the cover of the electronic device can be kept at certain visual angle. In general, in order to achieve the above function, there are two kinds of the hinge structures: (1) a structure with a resilient sleeve embracing a pintle, both having corresponding flat surfaces to be selectively engaged with each other, during the rotation of the pintle, as the positioning function, and (2) a structure with a stationary positioning washer (or called a cam) non-rotatably mounted on a pintle and a rotating positioning washer rotatably mounted on the pintle, each having corresponding protrusions and detents to be engaged as so to generate the torque variation and positioning function.
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Generally, when the cover is pivoted over 35 degrees, both two conventional hinges are capable of holding the cover with its weight at a certain visual angle even though the torque is less than the largest torque. However, with the popularity of the electronic device and the development of the touch panel, the touch panel is widely mounted in the cover to replace the traditional display panel. When the user acts on the touch panel, the cover bears extra force besides its own weight. The conventional hinges do not provide enough torque to hold the cover with extra force. Thus, the conventional hinge is not suitable for the cover with touch panel.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a hinge to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a hinge to hold the cover of the electronic device when subjected to extra force. The hinge is mounted between the cover and the body of the electronic device and has an eccentric sleeve and a resisting assembly abutting against each other. When the cover is pivoted, the eccentric sleeve is rotated as well. Because the eccentric sleeve has sectors with varied radius, the resisting assembly is compressed to conduct various resisting forces when the eccentric sleeve is rotated. When the cover is opened to normal visual angle, the hinge provides a constant largest torque. Therefore, the cover is held at the normal visual angle even though the user hits the touch panel on the cover.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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The resisting assembly 20 is mounted in the stationary frame 10, is mounted between the first sidewall 11 and the second sidewall 12 and has a slide 22 and at least one resilient element 21. The slide 22 is mounted slidably between the first sidewall 11 and the second sidewall 12 of the stationary frame 10 and has a rib 221 formed on an outer surface of the slide 22. The resilient element 21 is clamped between an inner surface of the slide 22 and the end wall 13 of the stationary frame 10. Each resilient element 21 may be a spring and may be mounted around the post 131 on the end wall 13.
The eccentric sleeve 30 is mounted in the stationary frame 10, is mounted across the first sidewall 11 and the second sidewall 12 and has an axial hole 31, an initial sector 32, a lifting sector 33 and a steady sector 34. The axial hole 31 aligns with the keyed hole 111 and the through hole 121. The initial sector 32, the lifting sector 33 and the steady sector 34 are defined in sequence on the eccentric sleeve 30 and selectively abut the rib 221 of the slide 22. The lifting sector 33 has a first end 331 and a second end 332. The first end 331 is connected to the initial sector 32. The second end 332 is connected to the steady sector 34. The initial sector 32 has a radius that is a distance from a center 311 of the axial hole 31 to a periphery edge of the initial sector 32. The lifting sector 33 has a radius that is a distance from a center 311 of the axial hole 31 to a periphery edge of the lifting sector 33. The steady sector 34 has a radius that is a distance from a center 311 of the axial hole 31 to a periphery edge of the steady sector 34. The radius of the initial sector 32 is constant. The radius of the lifting sector 33 is gradually increased. The radius of the steady sector 34 is constant. The radius of the initial sector 32 is smaller than the radius of the steady sector 34. The first end 331 of the lifting sector 33 has a radius the same with the radius of the initial sector. The second end 332 of the lifting sector 33 has a radius the same with the radius of the steady sector 34.
The included angle of the initial sector 32 is at least 35 degrees, the included angle of the lifting sector 33 is at least 55 degrees, and the included angle of the steady sector 34 is at least 35 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, the included angle of the initial sector 32 is 125 degrees for corresponding to the rib 221 of the slide 22, the included angle of the lifting sector 33 is 55 degrees, and the included angle of the steady sector 34 is 180 degrees to provide constant torque.
With reference to
The torque generating assembly may be a resilient sleeve 50 mounted rotatably around the pintle 40 and is connected securely to the eccentric sleeve 30. The resilient sleeve 50 has a flat surface 51 formed on an inside wall thereof and selectively flushing with the flat surface 42 of the pintle 40 to provide positioning function.
Various structures are used to secure the eccentric sleeve 30 and the resilient sleeve 50. In a preferred embodiment, the hinge further comprises a connecting sleeve 60 and a connecting bracket 70 to secure the eccentric sleeve 30 and the resilient sleeve 50. The connecting sleeve 60 is mounted through the through hole 121 of the second sidewall 12 of the stationary frame 10 and has two protrusions 61 formed separately on an end thereof The eccentric sleeve 30 has two protrusions 35 formed separately on an end thereof The protrusions 61 of the connecting sleeve 60 respectively engage between the protrusions 35 of the eccentric sleeve 30 to hold the connecting sleeve 60 with the eccentric sleeve 30. The connecting bracket 70 is mounted securely around the connecting sleeve 60. The resilient sleeve 50 has a fastening wing 52 extending from an edge thereof The connecting bracket 70 is attached securely to the fastening wing 52 of the resilient sleeve 50. The resilient sleeve 50 may have an extending wing 521 formed perpendicularly on an end of the fastening wing 52.
The stationary frame 10 further has a stop 122 formed on an outside surface of the second sidewall 12. The connecting sleeve 60 has an arc limit 62 formed on an outside wall thereof and selectively abutting the stop 122 of the stationary frame 10 to limit the rotating angle of the eccentric sleeve 30 and the resilient sleeve 50.
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Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
