Hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459809-B1
Application number	US-202117354231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Apr 1, 2021
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A hinge includes first and second rotary members each rotatably mounted on a base seat about an axis in an axial direction between unfolded and folded positions, and a synchronizing unit including first and second racks which are movably mounted on the base seat in a lateral direction and respectively coupled with the first and second rotary members, and at least one pinion which is interposed between and meshes with the first and second racks to make opposite synchronizing movements of the first and second racks to transmit rotations of the first and second rotary members and the movements of the first and second racks to make opposite synchronizing rotations of the first and second rotary members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge comprising:
a base seat;
at least one first rotary member mounted on said base seat and rotatable relative to said base seat about a first axis in an axial direction between a first unfolded position and a first folded position;
at least one second rotary member mounted on said base seat and rotatable relative to said base seat about a second axis in the axial direction between a second unfolded position and a second folded position; and
a synchronizing unit including a first rack which is mounted on said base seat and movable relative to said base seat in a lateral direction transverse to the axial direction, a second rack which is mounted on said base seat and movable relative to said base seat in the lateral direction, at least one pinion which is interposed between and meshes with said first and second racks to make opposite synchronizing movements of said first and second racks in the lateral direction, a first transmitting assembly which couples said first rotary member with said first rack to transmit a rotation of said first rotary member to make the movement of said first rack, and a second transmitting assembly which couples said second rotary member with said second rack to transmit the movement of said second rack to make a rotation of said second rotary member so as to make opposite synchronizing rotations of said first and second rotary members from the first and second unfolded positions to the first and second folded positions,
said base seat having at least one first rail feature extending around the first axis, and at least one second rail feature extending around the second axis, said first rotary member having a first sliding portion which is slidably engaged with said first rail feature to be rotatable relative to said base seat about the first axis between the first unfolded position and the first folded position, said second rotary member having a second sliding portion which is slidably engaged with said second rail feature to be rotatable relative to said base seat about the second axis between the second unfolded position and the second folded position.

2. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first axis is parallel to the second axis, said base seat having a first sliding slot and a second sliding slot which extend in the lateral direction and which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, said first and second racks being slidably engaged in said first and second sliding slots, respectively, said pinion being interposed between said first and second sliding slots and being rotatable about a pinion axis which extends in an upright direction that is transverse to both the axial direction and the lateral direction.

3. The hinge as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said base seat has first and second guiding protrusions formed in said first and second sliding slots, respectively, and elongated in the lateral direction, said first and second racks respectively having first and second guiding grooves extending in the lateral direction to be fittingly and slidably engaged with said first and second guiding protrusions, respectively.

4. The hinge as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said base seat has a pinion receiving slot formed between and in communication with said first and second sliding slots for accommodating said pinion and permitting rotation of said pinion therein.

5. The hinge as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said first rack has a first rack body slidably disposed in said first sliding slot, and a first connecting portion extending from an end of said first rack body and outwardly of said first sliding slot, said second rack having a second rack body slidably disposed in said second sliding slot, and a second connecting portion extending from an end of said second rack body and outwardly of said second sliding slot, said first transmitting assembly including a first transmitting shaft extending in the axial direction and interconnecting said first connecting portion and said first rotary member, said second transmitting assembly including a second transmitting shaft extending in the axial direction and interconnecting said second connecting portion and said second rotary member.

6. The hinge as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said first transmitting assembly further includes a first confining hole formed in said first connecting portion and elongated in the upright direction, said second transmitting assembly further including a second confining hole formed in said second connecting portion and elongated in the upright direction, said first transmitting shaft being disposed on said first rotary member and slidably confined in said first confining hole, said second transmitting shaft being disposed on said second rotary member and slidably confined in said second confining hole.

7. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base seat has two of said first rail features which are spaced apart from and aligned with each other in the axial direction, and two of said second rail features which are spaced apart from and aligned with each other in the axial direction, said hinge comprising two of said first rotary members which are rotatably mounted on said first rail features, respectively, and two of said second rotary members which are rotatably mounted on said second rail features, respectively, said first transmitting shaft having two shaft ends which are respectively connected with said first rotary members and a middle portion which rotatably and slidably extends through said first confining hole, said second transmitting shaft having two shaft ends which are respectively connected with said second rotary members and a middle portion which rotatably and slidably extends through said second confining hole.

8. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base seat has a first arcuate slot and a second arcuate slot such that said first sliding portion and said second sliding portion are slidably disposed in said first arcuate slot and said second arcuate slot, respectively, said first rail feature having two first rails formed at two sides of said first arcuate slot in the axial direction, said first sliding portion having two first arcuate flanges which are slidably engaged with said first rails, respectively, said second rail feature having two second rails formed at two sides of said second arcuate slot in the axial direction, said second sliding portion having two second arcuate flanges which are slidably engaged with said second rails, respectively.

Assignees

• Fositek Corp

Inventors

• Hsu An-Szu

Classifications

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title

• E05D11/00 Primary

  Additional features or accessories of hinges {(edge protecting devices E06B3/88)} · CPC title

• E05Y2201/722

  Racks · CPC title

• E05Y2201/716

  Pinions · CPC title

• E05Y2900/60

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic