The present invention relates to hinge assemblies, and particularly to a hinge assembly for foldable electronic devices such as mobile telephones, electronic notebooks, and so on.
With the development of the technologies of wireless communication and information processing, portable electronic devices such as mobile telephones and electronic notebooks are now in widespread use. These electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy the convenience of high technology services anytime and anywhere. Foldable electronic devices are particularly favored by consumers for their convenience.
Generally, foldable electronic devices have most of the electronics in one housing, called the main body. The other housing, called the cover, normally contains fewer electronic components than the main body. Other foldable electronic devices have all the electronics in the main body, with the cover containing no electronics. Various types of hinge assemblies are used to join a main body and a cover of a foldable electronic device, so that the cover can unfold up from and fold down upon the main body. Manufacturers are constantly seeking to reduce the volume, size and weight of portable foldable electronic devices. Thus, it is desirable that the hinge assembly coupling the main housing with the cover is modularized and miniaturized. A modularized hinge assembly has moving parts such as a cam member, a follower and a spring held together in a unified structure. The structure is easily and quickly attached to the main body and the cover during mass production. A miniaturized hinge assembly has as few parts as possible, with the parts being as small as practicable.
One kind of conventional foldable electronic device with a hinge assembly is configured as follows. The foldable electronic device is typically a mobile phone. The hinge assembly includes a housing secured to a main body of the mobile phone, a spring received in the housing, a rotary cam rod, and a shaft with a follower and a connecting portion. The rotary cam rod is received in the housing and engages with the housing. One end of the spring contacts an inner wall of the housing, and the other end of the spring resists one end of the rotary cam rod. The shaft is passed through the rotary cam rod and the spring in that order.
Although the above-described hinge assembly is suitable for some foldable electronic devices, the spring and the rotary cam rod are in direct contact with each other. Dry friction is produced between the spring and the rotary cam rod because of relative rotation therebetween. This wastes energy and causes abrasion of the spring and the rotary cam rod. The abrasion may eventually lead to premature malfunction or failure of the hinge assembly.
What is needed, therefore, is a hinge assembly which can have a relatively long working lifetime and which is energy efficient and convenient to use.
In a first preferred embodiment, a hinge assembly is provided for joining a cover to a main body of a foldable electronic device. The hinge assembly includes a shaft, a follower, a cam, a plurality of oil storing receptacles, and an urging means. The shaft has a securing portion formed at a first end thereof, for connecting to the main body of the foldable electronic device. Preferably, the follower is integrally connected with the shaft. The cam is essentially in the shape of a cylinder, and is for connecting to the cover of the foldable electronic device. The cam includes a cam surface, and defines a cam hole extending therethrough. The cam hole receives the shaft therethrough. A first end of the urging means abuts a second end of the shaft, and an opposite second end of the urging means biases the cam. The oil storing receptacles are disposed generally between the cam and the urging means. The cam surface of the cam is rotatably and movably engaged with the follower under force of the urging means.
A main advantage of the above-described hinge assembly is that the oil storing receptacles are disposed between the cam and the urging means. The oil storing receptacles store oil, and the oil flows from the oil storing receptacles to lubricate the cam and the urging means if the cam is rotated relative to the urging means. This reduces friction between the cam and the urging means. Accordingly, when the hinge assembly is assembled in a mobile phone, the energy required in opening the cover of the mobile phone is reduced. Furthermore, the working lifetime of the hinge assembly is prolonged.
In a second preferred embodiment, a hinge assembly is provided for joining a cover to a main body of a foldable electronic device. The hinge assembly includes a shaft, a follower, a cam, a plurality of oil storing receptacles, and an urging means. The shaft has a securing portion formed at a first end thereof, and a latching portion formed at an opposite second end thereof. The securing portion is for connecting to the cover of the foldable electronic device. Preferably, the follower is integrally connected with the shaft. The cam is essentially in the shape of a cylinder, and is for connecting to the main body of the foldable electronic device. The cam includes a cam surface, and defines a cam hole extending therethrough. The cam hole receives the shaft therethrough. A first end of the urging means biases the latching portion, and an opposite second end of the urging means abuts the cam. The oil storing receptacles are disposed generally between the urging means and the latching portion of the shaft. The follower is rotatably and movably engaged with the cam surface of the cam under force of the urging means.
A main advantage of the above-described hinge assembly is that the oil storing receptacles are disposed between the urging means and the latching portion of the shaft. The oil storing receptacles store oil, and the oil flows from the oil storing receptacles to lubricate the urging means and the latching portion if the latching portion is rotated relative to the urging means. This reduces friction between the latching portion and the urging means. Accordingly, when the hinge assembly is assembled in a mobile phone, the energy required in opening the cover of the mobile phone is reduced. Furthermore, the working lifetime of the hinge assembly is prolonged.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings,
Referring now to
The shaft 20 includes in sequence a securing portion 21 formed at a first end thereof, a follower 22 adjacent the securing portion 21, a large diameter portion 23, a neck portion 24, and a small diameter portion 25. The securing portion 21 is for engaging with the main body 202 of the mobile phone 200. The follower 22 includes an enlarged cylindrical portion 221, and two symmetrically opposite finger portions 222 extending in an axial direction and adjoining one end of the large diameter portion 23. The small diameter portion 25 has a latching portion 26 formed at one end thereof. A diameter of the latching portion 26 is larger than that of the small diameter portion 25.
The cam 30 is a generally cylindrical body, and defines a cam hole 31. The cam 30 has a cam surface 32 formed at a first end thereof, and has the three oil storing receptacles 33 provided in an opposite second end thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, each oil storing receptacle 33 is substantially a groove. The oil storing receptacles 33 are evenly spaced apart from each other around the cam hole 31. In alternative embodiments, there may instead be one, two, four or more oil storing receptacles 33. Further, each oil storing receptacle 33 can alternatively have another suitable shape. The cam surface 32 includes two valleys 322, two peaks 324, two moderate inclined planes 326, and two steep inclined planes 328. Preferably, the valleys 322 are located 180 degrees opposite from each other, and the peaks 324 are located 180 degrees opposite from each other. The cam 30 also has a protrusion 34 formed on an outer peripheral wall thereof, the protrusion 34 being oriented parallel to the central axis of the cam 30. The protrusion 34 is for engaging with the cover 204 of the mobile phone 200.
The spring 40 is helical and preferably metallic, with an inner diameter larger than a diameter of the large diameter portion 23 of the shaft 20. Thus the spring 40 can be located around the shaft 20. A first end of the spring 40 resists the clip 50, and an opposite second end of the spring 40 resists the second end of the cam 30.
The clip 50 is C-shaped, and is made of an elastic material. A first main surface of the clip 50 resists the spring 40, and an opposite second main surface of the clip 50 resists the latching portion 26 of the shaft 20.
Referring to
In use of the hinge assembly 10, the protrusion 34 is engaged in a cavity (not shown) of the cover 204 of the mobile phone 200, and the securing portion 21 of the shaft 20 is engaged in the main body 202 of the mobile phone 200. When the cover 204 of the mobile phone 200 is in a fully open position (or fully closed position), the finger portions 222 of the shaft 20 are located in the valleys 322 of the cam 30 and are engaged with the valleys 322. When the cover 204 of the mobile phone 200 is rotated between an open position and a closed position (or vice versa), the cam 30 rotates along with the cover 204, while the shaft 20 remains fixed in the main body 202 of the mobile phone 200. As a result, the finger portions 222 ride along the moderate inclined planes 326 of the cam surface 32 from the valleys 322 to the peaks 324, with the cam 30 moving toward the clip 50 and compressing the spring 40. Once the finger portions 222 pass over the peaks 324, the spring 40 decompresses and drives the cam 30 back toward the cylindrical portion 221, with the finger portions 222 riding along the steep inclined planes 328 from the peaks 324 to the valleys 322. The cover 204 is thus rotated automatically to the fully open position (or fully closed position) under decompression force of the spring 40. Accordingly, the cover 204 is moved 180 degrees relative to the main body 202, with the finger portions 222 once again mating in the valleys 322. In this way, the cover 204 is opened (or closed). Preferably, the structures of the cover 204 and the main body 202 are adapted to control the degree of rotation of the hinge assembly 10, such that the finger portions 222 can be held in one or more particular locations between the valleys 322 and the peaks 324. During the above-described processes, if the cam 30 is rotated relative to the spring 40, some oil flows from the oil storing receptacles 33 and lubricates the cam 30 and the spring 40. This reduces the friction between the cam 30 and the spring 40.
Referring to
In further alternative embodiments, the follower 22 can be a separate element that is not integrally formed with the shaft 20. In such case, the follower 22 defines a shaft hole, and has a cam surface or finger portions. The spring 40 can be made of nonmetallic material such as plastic. Further, the spring 40 can instead be another kind of elastic element or urging means known in the art, such as a resilient cylinder. The clip 50 can be omitted, in which case the spring 40 directly resists the latching portion 26. There can be more than one protrusion 34.
Referring to
Referring to
In further alternative embodiments, the clip 70 can be omitted. In such case, the oil storing receptacles 72 are disposed between the spring 40 and the latching portion 26 of the shaft 20. The hinge assembly 10′ may have still further alternative embodiments, similar to the alternative embodiments described above in relation to the hinge assembly 10.
It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, 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.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200420102393.9 | Dec 2004 | CN | national |