This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application Ser. No. 103132247, filed on Sep. 18, 2014. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a hinge structure.
2. Related Art
In recent years, along with quick development of technology, electronic apparatuses such as notebooks (NBs), tablet personal computers (PCs), smart phones, etc. are frequently used in daily life. Types and functions of the electronic apparatuses become more and more diverse, and convenience and practicality thereof make the electronic apparatuses become more popular, and the electronic apparatuses may have different applications according to user's requirements. Regarding some of the electronic apparatuses with a flat shape, for example, a tablet PC, since a use angle of a device body thereof cannot be adjusted, the tablet PC can be used in collaboration with a supporting frame to facilitate adjusting the use angle, for example, to stand on the desktop.
For example, the commonly used supporting frame is constructed by a protection cover configured on the electronic apparatus, where the protection cover is substantially composed of two flat plates and a hinge structure, and the two flat plates can rotate relative to each other through the hinge structure. In this way, when the protection cover is disposed on a back surface of the electronic apparatus, the two flat plates construct a plane, such that the use of the electronic apparatus is not affected, for example, a hand feeling of the user holding the electronic apparatus is not affected, or placing of the electronic apparatus on the desktop is not affected. When the user wants to erect the electronic apparatus on the desktop, the lower plate of the protection cover can be opened relative to the electronic apparatus to serve as a supporting frame. In other words, the lower plate of the protection cover can be opened to serve as the supporting frame, and the electronic apparatus presents a tilt state while taking a bottom thereof and the supporting frame as supporting points. However, when the user operates the electronic apparatus, for example, the user presses a screen of the electronic apparatus, an external force exerted by the user is transmitted to the hinge structure on the protection cover, and the lower plate serving as the supporting frame departs from the bottom of the electronic apparatus and is bended towards the upper plate. Now, the hinge structure is easy to be damaged. In other words, the operations performed to the electronic apparatus are liable to cause damage of the hinge structure. Moreover, when the lower plate serving as the supporting frame is not used, the user has to retrieve the lower plate to the back surface of the electronic apparatus, which increases operation complexity of the electronic apparatus.
The invention is directed to a hinge structure, which is adapted to connect two parts and expand in a fan-shape, so as to achieve a good operation mode.
The invention provides a hinge structure adapted to connect two parts, wherein the two parts are adapted to rotate relative to each other through the hinge structure. The hinge structure includes a fixing member, a rotating member and an extension member. The fixing member is adapted to be fixed at one of the two parts. The rotating member is pivotally disposed on the fixing member. The extension member is pivotally disposed on the rotating member, and is adapted to be fixed at another one of the two parts. After the rotating member rotates relative to the fixing member along a rotating axial direction and the extension member rotates relative to the rotating member along the rotating axial direction, an included angle between the extension member and the fixing member presents an acute angle, so that the two parts are adapted to stand on a platform. The extension member and the fixing member are adapted to increase the included angle therebetween through an external force exerted towards the platfo in, until the included angle presents 180 degrees and the two parts construct a plane.
According to the above description, in the hinge structure of the invention, the rotating member is pivotally disposed on the fixing member, and the extension member is pivotally disposed on the rotating member, where after the rotating member rotates relative to the fixing member along the rotating axial direction and the extension member rotates relative to the rotating member along the rotating axial direction, the included angle between the extension member and the fixing member presents an acute angle. In this way, when the fixing member and the extension member are respectively fixed at the two parts, the two parts are adapted to rotate relative to each other through the hinge structure to stand on a platform. Thereafter, even if the extension member and the fixing member take an external force, the included angle therebetween is only increased until presenting 180 degrees, so that the hinge structure is not damaged when taking the external force, and the rotated hinge structure can also be restored to an original state through the above method. Therefore, the hinge structure of the invention is adapted to connect two parts and presents a fan-shape expansion, so as to achieve a good operation mode.
In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the invention comprehensible, several exemplary embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In detail, in the present embodiment, the two parts can be an upper plate 52 and a lower plate 54 (shown in
Moreover, during a process of operating the electronic apparatus 50, for example, when the user presses the operation surface 56 by a finger, the electronic apparatus 50 receives an external force exerted towards the platform T, and the external force is transmitted to the hinge structure 100, the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54. In this way, since the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 presents the acute angle, the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 are adapted to increase the included angle θ therebetween through the external force exerted towards the platform T, until the included angle θ presents 180 degrees and the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 serving as the two parts reconstruct a plane. In other words, when the user presses the operation surface 56 by a finger during the process of operating the electronic apparatus 50, or when the user changes the stand state of the electronic apparatus 50 to an original state (suitable for laying on the platform T), in case that the external force exerted towards the platform T by the user is greater than frictions between the members of the hinge structure 100, the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 depart from each other to increase the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110. When the user continuously exerts the external force, or when the exerted external force is relatively large, the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 is increased until the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 presents 180 degrees, and the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 standing on the platform T reconstruct a plane, wherein a process thereof is shown as
Further, in the present embodiment, the clamping member 140 includes two force-exerting portions 142a and 142b and a stop portion 144 connected to the two force-exerting portions 142a and 142b. The two force-exerting portions 142a and 142b are opposite to each other for clamping the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 from outside inward, and the stop portion 144 is located above the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130. In other words, the clamping member 140 substantially presents a n-shape, where the force-exerting portions 142a and 142b are opposite to each other, and clamp the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 from outside inward along the force-exerting axial direction A2, and the stop portion 144 connected to the two force-exerting portions 142a and 142b is located above the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130. Moreover, the clamping member 140 preferably adopts an elastic material, for example, a metal elastic piece or an elastic clasp for stably clamping the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130. In this way, by using the clamping member 140, loose of the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 is avoided. An outer surface of the fixing member 110 can be configured with positioning recesses 116, and the force-exerting portions 142a and 142b of the clamping member 140 are disposed in the positioning recesses 116. In this way, the clamping member 140 is position-limited in the positioning recesses 116, and is not easy to loose during a process that the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 rotate relative to each other. Moreover, the force-exerting axial direction A2 is preferably parallel to the rotating axial direction A1, such that the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 clamped by the clamping member 140 produce frictions therebetween when rotating relative to each other. Therefore, when the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 rotate until the included angle θ (shown in
Moreover, referring to
Correspondingly, an outer side of the rotating member 120 pivotally disposed in the first connection portion 112 has two pairs of first slide poles 124a and 124b, which are respectively located at two opposite sides of the rotating member 120. A connection direction D1 of one pair of the first slide poles 124a and 124b located at one side passes through the rotating axial direction A1, and the connection direction D1 of the other pair of the first slide poles 124a and 124b located at the other side also passes through the rotating axial direction A1. In other words, the two pairs of the first slide poles 124a and 124b are symmetrically disposed at two opposite sides of the rotating member 120. In this way, the two pairs of the first slide poles 124a and 124b can be correspondingly embedded in the two pairs of first curved slideways 114a and 114b, wherein the first slide poles 124a and 124b can slide along the first curved slideways 114a and 114b correspondingly, such that the rotating member 120 is adapted to rotate relative to the fixing member 110 along the rotating axial direction A1 while taking the rotating axial direction A1 as an axial center. Based on the design of the two pairs of first curved slideways 114a and 114b and the two pairs of first slide poles 124a and 124b, the rotating member 120 can rotate relative to the fixing member 110 along the virtual rotating axial direction A1.
Similarly, in the present embodiment, the rotating member 120 has two pairs of second curved slideways 126a respectively located at two opposite sides of the rotating member 120. In detail, the two pairs of the second curved slideways 126a are located at an inner side of the second connection portion 122 presenting the n-shape, and the second curved slideways 126a located at the same side takes the rotating axial direction A1 as an axial center. In other words, the two pairs of second curved slideways 126a are symmetrically located at two opposite sides of the rotating member 120. Regarding one pair of the second curved slideways 126a, the two second slideways 126a are both arcs that take the rotating axial direction A1 as the axial center. In other words, trajectories of the two second slideways 126a can be regarded as partial arcs of two concentric circles with different radii that take the rotating axial direction A1 as a circle center, and expanded angles of the two curved slideways 126a relative to the axial center are the same. Correspondingly, an outer side of the extension member 130 pivotally disposed in the second connection portion 122 has two pairs of second slide poles 132a and 132b, which are respectively located at two opposite sides of the extension member 130, and a connection direction D2 of the pair of the second slide poles 132a and 132b located at a same side passes through the rotating axial direction A1. In this way, the two pairs of the second slide poles 132a and 132b can be correspondingly embedded in the two pairs of second curved slideways 126a, wherein the second slide poles 132a and 132b can slide along the second curved slideways 126a correspondingly, such that the extension member 130 is adapted to rotate relative to the rotating member 120 along the rotating axial direction A1 while taking the rotating axial direction A1 as an axial center. Therefore, based on the design of the two pairs of second curved slideways 126a and the two pairs of second slide poles 132a and 132b, the extension member 130 can rotate relative to the rotating member 120 along the virtual rotating axial direction A1.
Then, referring to
In detail, during the process that the extension member 130 rotates relative to the rotating member 120, before the side edge of the third recess 134 contacts the clamping member 140 located at the second position P2, the extension member 130 can smoothly rotate relative to the rotating member 120. When the side edge of the third recess 134 of the extension member 130 contacts the clamping member 140, the hinge structure 100 requires a larger external force to make the extension member 130 to drive the clamping member 140 to move relative to the first recess 118 from the second position P2 to the first position P1 through the side edge of the third recess 134. Therefore, the design of the third recess 134 and the clamping member 140 avails positioning of the hinge structure 100, so as to achieve a good operation feeling of the hinge structure 100. In the present embodiment, a rotation stroke of the clamping member 140 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 is about 20 degrees, though the invention is not limited thereto. Now, the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 presents 180 degrees, and the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 reconstruct a plane, and a process thereof is shown as
According to the above descriptions, in the present embodiment, the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 of the hinge structure 100 can rotate relative to each other along the virtual rotating axial direction A1 to present the fan-shape expansion, and a method for implementing the rotations between the above members along the virtual rotating axial direction A1 is to adopt two pairs of curved slideways that take the rotating axial direction A1 as the axial center in collaboration with two pairs of slide poles with a connection direction thereof passing through the rotating axial direction A1. Moreover, positions of the aforementioned collaborated curved slideways and the slide poles can be exchanged. For example, the two pairs of first curved slideways 114a and 114b disposed on the fixing member 110 can be adjusted to the rotating member 120, and the two pairs of first slide poles 124a and 124b disposed on the rotating member 120 can be adjusted to the fixing member 110, and the first curved slideways 114a and 114b and the first slide poles 124a and 124b still match to each other to facilitate the rotating member 120 to rotate relative to the fixing member 110 along the rotating axial direction A1, though the invention is not limited to the above implementation, and the above implementation can be adjusted according to an actual requirement. Moreover, in the present embodiment, a rotation stroke of the rotating member 120 rotating relative to the fixing member 110 is 0 to 75 degrees, and a rotation stroke of the extension member 130 rotating relative to the rotating member 120 is 0 to 75 degrees. Therefore, when the fixing member 110, the rotating member 120 and the extension member 130 present the fan-shape expansion, the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 is between 30 degrees to 180 degrees. In this way, after the hinge structure 100 of the present embodiment connects two parts (for example, the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54), the part (for example, the upper plate 52) connected to the extension member 130 is first flipped downwards to make the hinge structure 100 to present the fan-shape expansion until the included angle θ between the extension member 130 and the fixing member 110 presents an acute angle (for example, 30 degrees). Thereafter, in case that the hinge structure 100 sustains an external force, the included angle θ is gradually increased until 180 degrees to restore the original state, such that the hinge structure 100 is not damaged due to the external force. Moreover, the rotated hinge structure 100 can also be restored to its original state according to the aforementioned method. Namely, when the user does not want to use the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 connected to the hinge structure 100 to support the electronic apparatus 50, the user can exert an external force to the platform T, and the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 can expand relative to each other to drive the hinge structure 100 to restore its original state (the included angle θ presents 180 degrees). Therefore, the hinge structure 100 of the present embodiment has a good operation mode.
In summary, in the hinge structure of the invention, the rotating member is pivotally disposed on the fixing member, and the extension member is pivotally disposed on the rotating member, where after the rotating member rotates relative to the fixing member along the rotating axial direction and the extension member rotates relative to the rotating member along the rotating axial direction, the included angle between the extension member and the fixing member presents an acute angle. In other words, the rotating member and the extension member can present the fan-shape expansion relative to the fixing member. In this way, when the fixing member and the extension member are respectively fixed at the two parts, the two parts are adapted to rotate relative to each other through the hinge structure to stand on the platform. Thereafter, even if the extension member and the fixing member receive an external force, the included angle therebetween is only increased until presenting 180 degrees other than a situation that the included angle therebetween is reduced to spoil the connection relationship, so that the hinge structure is not damaged when taking the external force, and the rotated hinge structure can also be restored to its original state through the above method. Therefore, the hinge structure of the invention is adapted to connect two parts and presents a fan-shape expansion, so as to achieve a good operation mode.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103132247 | Sep 2014 | TW | national |