Hinge device and electronic device equipped with hinge device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612626-B2
Application number	US-201414521724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A hinge device used in an electronic device used by opening a second housing from a closed state to a predetermined angle relative to a first housing, includes: a first housing connector configured to rotatably hold a hinge rotating shaft on the first housing; a second housing connector configured to fix the hinge rotating shaft to the second housing; a hinge torque generation mechanism provided in a connection between the first housing connector and the second housing connector and configured to generate a predetermined rotation torque between the hinge rotating shaft and the first housing connector; a hinge lock mechanism provided on the first housing side and configured to restrain rotation of the hinge rotating shaft in response to input of a lock signal; and a control unit capable of generating the lock signal to the hinge lock mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge device used in an electronic device used by opening a second housing from a closed state to a predetermined angle relative to a first housing, comprising:
a first housing connector configured to rotatably hold a hinge rotating shaft on the first housing;
a second housing connector configured to fix the hinge rotating shaft to the second housing;
a hinge torque generator provided in a connection between the first housing connector and the second housing connector and configured to generate a predetermined rotation torque between the hinge rotating shaft and the first housing connector;
a hinge lock provided on the first housing side and configured to restrain rotation of the hinge rotating shaft in response to input of a lock signal, the hinge lock including a first gear provided on the hinge rotating shaft and rotated in synchronization with the hinge rotating shaft, a second gear provided on the first housing side and continuously engaged with the first gear, and an actuator capable of restraining rotation of the second gear by applying pressure on a part of the second gear; and
a controller capable of generating the lock signal to the hinge lock.

2. The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device, and
the controller generates the lock signal when it is detected that a finger of an operator of the electronic device touches the touch panel.

3. The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device,
an approach sensor is provided in the first housing, the approach sensor being configured to detect that a finger of an operator of the electronic device approaches the touch panel, and
the controller generates the lock signal when it is detected that the finger of the operator of the electronic device approaches the touch panel.

4. The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device,
an opening and closing operation detector is provided on the sides of the second housing except for the side on which the second housing connector is provided, the opening and closing operation detector being configured to detect operations of opening and closing the second housing relative to the first housing by an operator of the electronic device, and
the controller stops generation of the lock signal during detection of the opening and closing operations of the second housing relative to the first housing by the opening and closing operation detector.

5. The hinge device according to claim 4 , wherein
the opening and closing operation detector is a pressure-sensitive sensor disposed in an outer periphery of the second housing.

6. The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuator performs a restraining operation upon receipt of the lock signal.

7. The hinge device according to claim 6 , wherein the actuator includes a displacer configured to be displaced when the lock signal is inputted, and a pressure lever configured to increase a displacement amount of the displacer.

8. The hinge device according to claim 7 , wherein a stacked piezoelectric element formed by alternately laminating piezoelectric elements and electrodes is used as the displacer.

9. An electronic device used by opening a second housing from a state of being closed by a hinge device to a predetermined angle relative to a first housing, the hinge device including:
a first housing connector configured to rotatably hold a hinge rotating shaft on the first housing,
a second housing connector configured to fix the hinge rotating shaft to the second housing,
a hinge torque generator provided in a connection between the first housing connector and the second housing connector and configured to generate a predetermined rotation torque between the hinge rotating shaft and the first housing connector,
a hinge lock provided on the first housing side and configured to restrain rotation of the hinge rotating shaft in response to input of a lock signal, the hinge lock including a first gear provided on the hinge rotating shaft and rotated in synchronization with the hinge rotating shaft, a second gear provided on the first housing side and continuously engaged with the first gear, and an actuator capable of restraining rotation of the second gear by applying pressure on a part of the second gear, and
a controller capable of generating the lock signal to the hinge lock.

10. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 9 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device, and
the controller generates the lock signal when it is detected that a finger of an operator of the electronic device touches the touch panel.

11. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 9 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device,
an approach sensor is provided in the first housing, the approach sensor being configured to detect that a finger of an operator of the electronic device approaches the touch panel, and
the controller generates the lock signal when it is detected that the finger of the operator of the electronic device approaches the touch panel.

12. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 9 , wherein
a touch panel is provided in the second housing of the electronic device,
an opening and closing operation detector is provided on the sides of the second housing except for the side on which the second housing connector is provided, the opening and closing operation detector being configured to detect operations of opening and closing the second housing relative to the first housing by an operator of the electronic device, and
the controller stops generation of the lock signal during detection of the opening and closing operations of the second housing relative to the first housing by the opening and closing operation detector.

13. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 12 , wherein the opening and closing operation detector is a pressure-sensitive sensor disposed in an outer periphery of the second housing.

14. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 9 , wherein
the actuator performs a restraining operation upon receipt of the lock signal.

15. The hinge device according to claim 14 , wherein the actuator includes a displacer configured to be displaced when the lock signal is inputted, and a pressure lever configured to increase a displacement amount of the displacer.

16. An electronic device comprising the hinge device according to claim 15 , wherein a stacked piezoelectric element formed by alternately laminating piezoelectric elements and electrodes is used as the displacer.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Onda Nobuhiko

Classifications

• G06F1/1679 Primary

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  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

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · 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