Electronic device including hinge structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024596-A1
Application number	US-201715601304-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device is provided which includes a first housing including a first surface and a second surface that faces in a direction opposite or perpendicular to the first surface, a second housing including a third surface that is capable of facing the first surface and a fourth surface that faces in a direction opposite or perpendicular to the third surface, and a hinge structure at least partially inserted into a first recess open on the first surface and a second recess open on the third surface, and couples the first housing and the second housing to be rotatable in relation to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a first surface and a second surface that faces in a direction opposite or perpendicular to the first surface; a second housing including a third surface that is capable of facing the first surface and a fourth surface that faces in a direction opposite or perpendicular to the third surface; and a hinge structure at least partially inserted into a first recess open on the first surface and a second recess open on the third surface, and couples the first housing and the second housing to be rotatable in relation to each other.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge structure includes:
a first gear that rotates in the first recess of the first housing; a second gear that rotates in a direction different from the first gear, in the second recess of the second housing; and one or more link gears that are disposed on the first housing or the second housing and are rotatable when engaged with the first gear or the second gear.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing includes a display device exposed to the first surface and the second housing includes an input device exposed to the third surface.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second surface forms an outer surface of the first housing and the fourth surface forms an outer surface of the second housing, and
wherein the hinge structure is disposed inside the first surface and the third surface and is not exposed to the second surface and the fourth surface.

5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more link gears have a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the first gear or the second gear.

6 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first housing has a first imaginary axis in a direction of the first gear shaft of the first gear and rotates in relation to the second housing about the first imaginary axis, and
wherein the second housing has a second imaginary axis in a direction of the second gear shaft of the second gear and rotates in relation to the first housing about the second imaginary axis.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a first distance between the first imaginary axis and the second imaginary axis is longer than a second distance between centers of adjacent link gears.

8 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the hinge structure includes:
a support bracket having a shape in which one side is open to correspond to an arrangement direction of the first gear, the second gear, and the one or more link gears.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the support bracket includes:
a first support bracket that covers one side of the first gear, the second gear, and the one or more link gears, and a second support bracket that covers the other side of the first gear, the second gear, and the one or more link gears, and wherein the first bracket and the second bracket include grooves of which one side is open, and edge portions of the first housing and the second housing are inserted into the grooves, respectively.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the support bracket includes:
a plurality of first holes configured to allow a first gear shaft and a second gear shaft to pass through; and at least one second hole disposed between the plurality of first holes, and configured to allow a link gear shaft to pass through so as to support the one or more link gears.

11 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more link gears include:
a first link gear that is rotatable when engaged with the first gear and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first gear; a second link gear that is rotatable when engaged with the second gear and has a diameter that is equal to that of the first link gear, the second link gear being disposed to face the first link gear; a third link gear that is rotatable when engaged with the first link gear and is accommodated in or away from the first recess of the first housing according to a rotation direction; and a fourth link gear that is rotatable when engaged with the second link gear and the third link gear and is accommodated in or away from the second recess of the second housing according to the rotation direction.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein centers of a first gear shaft of the first gear and a second gear shaft of the second gear are arranged on a same line.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein centers of a first link gear shaft, which supports the first link gear, and a second link gear shaft, which supports the second link gear, are disposed on a same line, and
wherein centers of the third link gear shaft, which supports the third link gear and the fourth link gear shaft, which supports the fourth link gear, are arranged on a same line.

14 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first housing includes a first side portion and a second side portion that are disposed opposite to each other with reference to a center of an edge portion of the first housing;
the second housing includes a third side portion and a fourth side portion that are disposed opposite to each other with reference to a center of an edge portion of the second housing; and the hinge structure includes a first hinge structure connected to the first side portion and the third side portion, and a second hinge structure connected to the second side portion and the fourth side portion.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a hinge cover that is disposed to enclose an outer surface of the one or more link gears disposed in the first housing and the second housing, and rotates in response to the rotation of the one or more link gears.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the hinge cover includes:
a first hinge cover that is disposed to enclose the outer surface of the one or more link gears of the first hinge structure; and a second hinge cover that is disposed to enclose the outer surface of the one or more link gears of the second hinge structure.

17 . A hinge structure comprising:
a first gear that rotates in a first recess disposed on one surface of a first housing; a second gear that rotates in a direction different from a rotating direction of the first gear, in a second recess disposed on one surface of a second housing; and a plurality of link gears that are rotatable when engaged with the first gear or the second gear, and are accommodated in or away from the first recess or the second recess according to the rotation direction.

18 . The hinge structure of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of link gears include at least one pair of link gears, and centers of the at least one pair of link gears are arranged on a same line to be rotated in different directions.

19 . The hinge structure of claim 18 , wherein, when the first housing and the second housing are disposed to face each other, the plurality of link gears of the hinge structure are disposed in the first recess and the second recess to be invisible from the outside of the first housing and the second housing.

20 . The hinge structure of claim 18 , wherein, when the first housing and the second housing are arranged in parallel with each other, the plurality of link gears of the hinge structure protrude upward from the first recess and the second recess and are disposed to front surfaces of the first housing and the second housing so that

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Ji-Sang
• Kim Ki-Sung
• Choi Du-Yeong

Classifications

• G06F1/1681 Primary

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

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title

• E05Y2900/606

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• F16C11/04

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

• F16M11/10

  around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title