Hinge structure and electronic device having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11019742-B2
Application number	US-201916280038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2019
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A hinge structure including a plurality of pivots, a driving part, two positioning gear sets, and a plurality of fixing parts is provided. The pivots are parallel to each other. The driving part is disposed at a central portion of the pivots and is perpendicular to the pivots. These two positioning gear sets are respectively sleeved around two ends of each of the pivots. The fixing parts are respectively disposed outside these two positioning gear sets. When the plurality of fixing parts is under the action of an external force, the two gear sets are moved relative to each other, and the driving part is adapted to be bent and drives the pivots to rotate synchronously with respect to a central axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge structure comprising:
a plurality of pivots disposed parallel to one another;
a driving part disposed at a central portion of the pivots and perpendicular to the pivots;
two positioning gear sets respectively sleeved at both ends of each of the pivots; and
two pairs of fixing parts respectively disposed abut at both ends of the two positioning gear sets, wherein, when the fixing parts are under an external force, the positioning gear sets are relatively moved, and the driving part is configured to be folded and drives the pivots to rotate synchronously with respect to a central axis.

2. The hinge structure of claim 1 , wherein the number of the pivots is an even number, and the driving part comprises the even number of synchronizing gears respectively sleeved on the pivots and engaged with one another.

3. The hinge structure of claim 2 , wherein a distance of each of the synchronizing gears relative to one of the two positioning gear sets is equal to the distance of the each of the synchronizing gears relative to the other of the two positioning gear sets.

4. The hinge structure of claim 2 , further comprising two rack bases respectively disposed abut at both ends of the two positioning gear sets and correspondingly located between the fixing parts, the synchronizing gears of the driving part respectively engage the rack bases.

5. The hinge structure of claim 4 , wherein each of the fixing parts has a slide, the rack bases are respectively movably located between the fixing parts, and the synchronizing gears are configured to drive the rack bases to move along the slides.

6. The hinge structure of claim 4 , further comprising an elastic support plate fixed on a side of the rack bases relatively distal from the synchronizing gears, the elastic support plate is presented as a folded state or a flat state corresponding to the driving part being folded or unfolded.

7. The hinge structure of claim 4 , wherein the rack bases are integrally connected to the corresponding fixing parts respectively, and the synchronizing gears are adapted to drive the rack bases to synchronously move with the fixing parts.

8. The hinge structure of claim 7 , further comprising an elastic support plate connected between the fixing parts and relatively distal from the synchronous gears, the elastic support plate has a plurality of collars respectively sleeved at the corresponding pivots, when the rack bases and the fixing parts are away from each other, the elastic support plate is presented as a bent state, and when the rack bases and the fixing parts are close to each other, the elastic support plate is presented as a flat state.

9. The hinge structure of claim 1 , wherein the driving part comprises an elastic steel sheet disposed through the central portion of the pivots and parallel to the positioning gear sets.

10. The hinge structure of claim 1 , further comprising at least two torsion components sleeved on the pivots and respectively located between the driving part and the two positioning gear sets.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one hinge structure comprising:
a plurality of pivots disposed parallel to one another;
a driving part disposed at a central portion of the pivots and perpendicular to the pivots;
two positioning gear sets respectively sleeved at both ends of each of the pivots; and
two pairs of fixing parts respectively disposed abut at both ends of the two positioning gear sets;

a housing for carrying the at least one hinge structure;
two carriers respectively linked to the corresponding fixing parts; and
a flexible panel disposed on the two carriers;
wherein, when the fixing parts are under an external force, the positioning gear sets drive the two carriers to relatively move, and the driving part is configured to generate a folding to drive the pivots to rotate synchronously with respect to a central axis such that the flexible panel is relatively folded or relatively unfolded.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the number of the pivots is an even number, and the driving part comprises the even number of synchronizing gears respectively sleeved on the pivots and engaged with one another.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a distance of each of the synchronizing gears relative to one of the two positioning gear sets is equal to the distance of the each of the synchronizing gears relative to the other of the two positioning gear sets.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one hinge structure further comprises two rack bases respectively disposed abut at both ends of the two positioning gear sets and correspondingly located between the fixing parts, the synchronizing gears of the driving part respectively engage the rack bases.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each of the fixing parts has a slide, the rack bases are respectively movably located between the fixing parts, and the synchronizing gears are configured to drive the rack bases to move along the slides.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , the at least one hinge structure further comprising an elastic support plate fixed on a side of the rack bases relatively distal from the synchronizing gears, the two carriers respectively disposed at both of a left side and a right side of the elastic support plate distal from the central axis.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the rack bases are integrally connected to the corresponding fixing parts respectively, and the synchronizing gears are adapted to drive the rack bases to synchronously move with the fixing parts.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one hinge structure further comprises an elastic support plate connected between the fixing parts and relatively distal from the synchronous gears, the elastic support plate has a plurality of collars respectively sleeved at the corresponding pivots, the two carriers respectively disposed on the corresponding rack bases and the fixing parts and respectively located at both of a left side and a right side of the elastic support plate distal from the central axis.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the driving part comprises an elastic steel sheet disposed through the central portion of the pivots and parallel to the positioning gear sets.

20. The electronic device of claim 11 , the at least one hinge structure further comprises at least two torsion components sleeved on the pivots and respectively located between the driving part and the two positioning gear sets.

Assignees

• Hsu Chia Hao
• Chen You Yu
• Chan Chia Huang
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hsu Chia-Hao
• Chen You-Yu
• Chan Chia-Huang

Classifications

• E05D3/122 Primary

  Gear hinges · CPC title

• E05F1/1083

  with a leaf or similar spring (E05F1/1284 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16C11/04 Primary

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

• H05K5/0226 Primary

  Hinges · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

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