Electronic device and hinge structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021081007-A1
Application number	US-202017019344-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2020
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device including two bodies and at least one hinge structure including a connecting assembly and two rotating assemblies is provided. Each rotating assembly is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly and includes a bracket having at least one first sliding slot, a translation member translatably arranged on the bracket and having at least one second sliding slot, and a sliding member having at least one pillar penetrating the first second sliding slots at an overlapping position. The first and second sliding slots are inclined to each other and partially overlapped at the overlapping position. The two bodies are respectively connected to the sliding members. When each rotating assembly rotates, the connecting assembly guides the translation member to translate relative to the bracket to displace the overlapping position and drive the pillar to slide along the first and second slots to move the sliding member and the corresponding body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
two bodies; and at least one hinge structure, comprising a connecting assembly and two rotating assemblies, wherein the connecting assembly has two first guide portions, and each of the rotating assemblies is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly and comprises:
a bracket, having at least one first sliding slot;
a translation member, translatably arranged on the bracket and having a second guide portion and at least one second sliding slot, wherein the two first guide portions respectively correspond to the two second guide portions, and the at least one first sliding slot and the at least one second sliding slot are inclined to each other and partially overlapped at an overlapping position; and
a sliding member, having at least one pillar, wherein the at least one pillar penetrates the at least one first sliding slot and the at least one second sliding slot at the overlapping position, and the two bodies are respectively connected to the two sliding members,
wherein when each of the rotating assemblies rotates relative to the connecting assembly, the at least one first guide portion and the at least one second guide portion guide the translation member to translate relative to the bracket to displace the overlapping position, so as to drive the at least one pillar to slide along the at least one first slot and the at least one second slot to drive the sliding member and the corresponding body to move.

2 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first guide portions comprises at least one first cam, and each of the second guide portions comprises at least one second cam.

3 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the connecting assembly comprises two connecting members, a number of the at least one first cam is two, the two first cams are respectively formed on the two connecting members and face each other, the translation member is located between the two connecting members, a number of the at least one second cam is two, and the two second cams are respectively formed at two opposite ends of the translation member and respectively face the two first cams.

4 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two rotating assemblies are respectively rotatably connected to the connecting assembly along two rotation axes parallel to each other, and the translation member is translatably disposed on the bracket along a direction parallel to each of the rotation axes.

5 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two rotating assemblies are respectively rotatably connected to the connecting assembly along two rotation axes parallel to each other, an extending direction of the at least one first sliding slot is perpendicular to each of the rotation axes, and an extending direction of the at least one second sliding slot is inclined to each of the rotation axes.

6 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the rotating assemblies further comprises a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is pivotally connected to the connecting assembly, the bracket is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the translation member is translatably sleeved on the rotating shaft.

7 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge structure further comprises a linkage mechanism, and the linkage mechanism is connected between the two rotating assemblies and adapted to drive the two rotating assemblies to rotate synchronously.

8 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a gear set.

9 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the two bodies are relatively expanded from a closed state or a reversely folded state to an expanded state, each of the sliding members moves in a direction approaching the connecting assembly, and when the two bodies are relatively closed from the expanded state to the closed state or relatively reversely folded from the expanded state to the reversely folded state, each of the sliding members moves in a direction away from the connecting assembly.

10 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when the two bodies are in the expanded state, an edge of each of the bodies leans against an edge of the other body.

11 . A hinge structure, comprising:
a connecting assembly, having two first guide portions; and two rotating assemblies, each of the rotating assemblies being rotatably connected to the connecting assembly and comprising:
a bracket, having at least one first sliding slot;
a translation member, translatably arranged on the bracket and having a second guide portion and at least one second sliding slot, wherein the two first guide portions respectively correspond to the two second guide portions, and the at least one first sliding slot and the at least one second sliding slot are inclined to each other and partially overlapped at an overlapping position; and
a sliding member, having at least one pillar, wherein the at least one pillar penetrates the at least one first sliding slot and the at least one second sliding slot at the overlapping position,
wherein when each of the rotating assemblies rotates relative to the connecting assembly, the at least one first guide portion and the at least one second guide portion guide the translation member to translate relative to the bracket to displace the overlapping position, so as to drive the at least one pillar to slide along the at least one first slot and the at least one second slot to drive the sliding member to move.

12 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the first guide portions comprises at least one first cam, and each of the second guide portions comprises at least one second cam.

13 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the connecting assembly comprises two connecting members, a number of the at least one first cam is two, the two first cams are respectively formed on the two connecting members and face each other, the translation member is located between the two connecting members, a number of the at least one second cam is two, and the two second cams are respectively formed at two opposite ends of the translation member and respectively face the two first cams.

14 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the two rotating assemblies are respectively rotatably connected to the connecting assembly along two rotation axes parallel to each other, and the translation member is translatably disposed on the bracket along a direction parallel to each of the rotation axes.

15 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the two rotating assemblies are respectively rotatably connected to the connecting assembly along two rotation axes parallel to each other, an extending direction of the at least one first sliding slot is perpendicular to each of the rotation axes, and an extending direction of the at least one second sliding slot is inclined to each of the rotation axes.

16 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the rotating assemblies further comprises a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is pivotally connected to the connecting assembly, the bracket is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the translation member is translatably sleeved on the rotating shaft.

17 . The hinge structure as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a linkage mechanism, wherein the linkage mechanism is connected between the two rotating assemblies and adapted to drive

Assignees

• Jan Cheng Shiue
• Hsu Chia Hao
• Chen Chien Chu
• Lan Wei Hao
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jan Cheng-Shiue
• Hsu Chia-Hao
• Chen Chien-Chu
• Lan wei-hao

Classifications

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• G06F1/1618 Primary

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• 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