Sliding hinge and electronic device having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876337-B2
Application number	US-201916568219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A sliding hinge including a torque module, two brackets, a support plate, a driving gear set, and a sliding bracket is provided. The torque module has a first shaft and a second shaft adapted to rotate in opposite directions and produce a torque. The brackets are respectively disposed on the first shaft and the second shaft. The support plate is disposed on one of the brackets. The driving gear set is disposed on the support plate and coupled to the first shaft. The sliding bracket is coupled to the driving gear set and slidably disposed on a top surface of the support plate. The brackets are adapted to rotate relative to the torque module by the first shaft and the second shaft, such that the brackets are overlapped or unfolded with each other while the driving gear set drives the sliding bracket to slide along the support plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding hinge, comprising:
a torque module, having a first shaft and a second shaft adapted to rotate in opposite directions and produce a torque;
two brackets, respectively disposed on the first shaft and the second shaft and adapted to move between an overlapped position and an unfolded position;
a support plate, disposed on one of the two brackets;
a driving gear set, disposed on the support plate and coupled to the first shaft; and
a sliding bracket, coupled to the driving gear set and slidably disposed on a top surface of the support plate, wherein
the two brackets are adapted to rotate relative to the torque module by the first shaft and the second shaft, such that the two brackets are overlapped with each other or unfolded with each other while the driving gear set drives the sliding bracket to slide along the support plate, when the two brackets are overlapped with each other, the sliding bracket is relatively away from the first shaft, and when the two brackets are unfolded with each other, the sliding bracket is relatively close to the first shaft.

2. The sliding hinge according to claim 1 , wherein the torque module has a plurality of clamps and a rotating gear set, the first shaft and the second shaft are slidably passed through the plurality of clamps and arranged parallel to each other, the rotating gear set is sleeved on the first shaft and the second shaft, and the plurality of clamps are clamped on two sides of the rotating gear set.

3. The sliding hinge according to claim 2 , wherein the rotating gear set comprises an even number of rotating gears, the plurality of rotating gears are engaged with each other, and two of even number of the rotating gears located on the two ends of the rotating gear set are respectively sleeve-fitted on the first shaft and the second shaft.

4. The sliding hinge according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding bracket has a sliding groove and a plurality of positioning posts, the plurality of positioning posts are passed through the sliding groove and fixedly connected to the support plate, and the sliding bracket is adapted to slide along the plurality of positioning posts by the sliding groove.

5. The sliding hinge according to claim 4 , wherein the sliding bracket has a rack portion, disposed on a side surface of the sliding bracket and parallel to the sliding groove, the driving gear set is coupled to the rack portion, and when the first shaft rotates, the driving gear set is adapted to drive the rack portion to slide relative to the support plate along a horizontal direction.

6. The sliding hinge according to claim 4 , wherein the driving gear set comprises a first helical gear and a second helical gear, the first helical gear is sleeved on the first shaft, the second helical gear is pivotally connected to the support plate and engaged with the first helical gear, and a first axis of the first helical gear is perpendicular to a second axis of the second helical gear.

7. The sliding hinge according to claim 6 , wherein the driving gear set further comprises:
a first gear, connected to the second helical gear and adapted to rotate coaxially;
two second gears, pivotally connected to the support plate and engaged with each other, wherein one of the two second gears engages with the first gear;
a rack base, slidably disposed on a bottom surface of the support plate relative to the top surface and engaged with the second gear away from the first gear;
a third gear, pivotally connected to the support plate and engaged with the rack base; and
a fourth gear, connected to the third gear and adapted to rotate coaxially, located on the top surface of the support plate, and coupled to the sliding bracket, wherein
the first gear rotates to drive the two second gears, such that the rack base slides relative to the support plate and synchronously drives the third gear and the fourth gear to rotate, and then the sliding bracket is driven by the fourth gear.

8. The sliding hinge according to claim 7 , wherein the rack base has a through groove and a guiding post, the guiding post is passed through the through groove and fixedly connected to the support plate, the third gear is disposed outside the through groove and spaced apart from the guiding post, and the rack base is adapted to slide linearly along the guiding post by the through groove.

9. The sliding hinge according to claim 7 , wherein the first gear has a tooth portion and a smooth portion, and a distribution angle of the tooth portion is greater than a distribution angle of the smooth portion.

10. The sliding hinge according to claim 9 , wherein when an included angle of the two brackets is between 0 to 90 degrees, the smooth portion of the first gear faces the second gear, such that the first gear is uncoupled from the second gear during a rotational process.

11. The sliding hinge according to claim 9 , wherein when an included angle of the two brackets is between 90 to 180 degrees, the tooth portion of the first gear faces the second gear, such that the first gear engages with the second gear during a rotational process.

12. An electronic device, comprising:
a first body, comprising a first outer casing and a first screen, the first screen being slidably disposed on the first outer casing;
a second body, comprising a second outer casing and a second screen, the second screen being fixed to the second outer casing; and
a sliding hinge, disposed on the first body and the second body, comprising:
a torque module, having a first shaft and a second shaft adapted to rotate in opposite directions and produce a torque;
two brackets adapted to move between an overlapped position and an unfolded position, respectively disposed on the first shaft and the second shaft, and respectively connecting the first outer casing and the second outer casing;
a support plate, disposed on one of the two brackets and located on the first outer casing;
a driving gear set, disposed on the support plate and coupled to the first shaft; and
a sliding bracket, coupled to the driving gear set and slidably disposed on a top surface of the support plate, the first screen connected to the sliding bracket,

wherein, the two brackets are adapted to rotate relative to the torque module by the first shaft and the second shaft, such that the first body and the second body are overlapped or unfolded with each other while the driving gear set drives the sliding bracket to slide along the support plate, when the first body and the second body are overlapped with each other, the sliding bracket is relatively away from the first shaft, and when the first body and the second body are unfolded with each other to 180 degrees, the sliding bracket is relatively close to the first shaft, driving the first screen to move toward the second screen and to be in close proximity to each other, so as to shield the torque module.

Assignees

• Lin Che Hsien
• Lu Ko Yen
• Chu Che Hsien
• Shen Chun An
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lin Che-Hsien
• Lu Ko-Yen
• Chu Che-Hsien
• Shen chun-an

Classifications

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• F16C11/04 Primary

  Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) · CPC title

• E05D15/06 Primary

  for wings sliding horizontally more or less in their own plane · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title