Connecting system of multi-section housing and electronic device provided with that connecting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826647-B2
Application number	US-201514887526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A connecting system of a multi-section housing provided at one end face of a first and second housing superposed with their display surfaces at the outsides, comprising: a first shaft vertical to superposed surfaces of first and second housing; and a second shaft perpendicular to the first shaft, wherein if a center line of the first shaft is arranged on a line bisecting the end face to the left and right and the center line of the second shaft is arranged on the superposed surfaces of the first and second housing, the first shaft can be used to allow the second housing superposed over the first housing to be rotated by 180 degrees and, in this state, the first housing can be made to rotate by the second shaft by 180 degrees so as to arrange the display surfaces of the first and second housings on the same plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connecting system of a multi-section housing having a first connecting device which is provided at a center part of single end faces of first and second housing sections of the same dimensions which are superposed with display surfaces at the outsides, the first connecting device comprising:
a first shaft which is provided in a direction vertical to superposed surfaces of the first and second housing sections; and
a second shaft which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft; wherein
when a center line of the first shaft is arranged on a line bisecting the end faces to the left and right, and a center line of the second shaft is arranged on the superposed surfaces of the first and second housing sections, by making the second housing section which is superposed below the first housing section rotate by the first shaft by 180 degrees and in this state making the first housing section rotate by the second shaft by 180 degrees, the display surfaces of the first and second housing sections can be formed on the same plane.

2. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1 , wherein
the first shaft is a columnar shaped shaft which is bisected at a diametrical position of the circle into a first semicircular shaft and a second semicircular shaft,
the second shaft is provided at the split surfaces of the first semicircular shaft and the second semicircular shaft so as to enable rotation of the first semicircular shaft by 180 degrees,
one end of the second semicircular shaft is buried in the second housing section so that the split surfaces become the same plane as the single end faces, and
the other end of the second semicircular shaft sticks out from the superposed surfaces and is fit into a groove which is provided at the superposed surfaces of the first housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed.

3. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 2 , wherein
the outer circumferential surface of the first shaft at the side which is fit into the first housing section is provided with a ridge over the entire circumference so that the first housing section does not detach from the first shaft.

4. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1 , further comprising:
third and fourth housing sections connected by the first connecting device in the same way as the first and second housing sections are connected and are superposed under the second housing section in that order; and
second connecting devices which are arranged between the first and fourth housing sections and between the second and third housing sections, wherein
the second connecting devices are provided with first hinges which connect single end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and second hinges which connect end faces of the second and third housing sections at opposite sides to the end faces at the first hinge sides, and
the first shafts are used to make the second and third housing sections rotate with respect to the first and fourth housing sections by 180 degrees and, in the finished rotation state, the second shafts are used to make the first and fourth housing sections rotate with respect to the second and third housing sections while the second connecting devices are used to make end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections approach each other, and, when rotation of the first and fourth housing sections with respect to the second and third housing sections ends, end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections abut whereby a single flat surface is formed.

5. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 1 , further comprising:
third and fourth housing sections connected by the first connecting device in the same way as the first and second housing sections are connected and are superposed under the second housing section in that order; and
second connecting devices which are arranged between the first and fourth housing sections and between the second and third housing sections, wherein
the second connecting devices are provided with first hinges which connect single end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and second hinges which connect end faces of the second and third housing sections at opposite sides to the end faces at the first hinge sides, and
the first shafts are used to make the second and third housing sections rotate with respect to the first and fourth housing sections by 180 degrees and, in the finished rotation state, the second shafts are used to make the first and fourth housing sections rotate with respect to the second and third housing sections while the second connecting devices are used to make end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections approach each other, and, when rotation of the first and fourth housing sections with respect to the second and third housing sections ends, end faces of the first and fourth housing sections and end faces of the second and third housing sections abut whereby a single flat surface is formed.

6. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 5 , wherein the length of a normal descended from the first shaft to the second shaft is defined as X, so that
end faces of the first and fourth housing sections at the same sides of the first shafts and the second shafts are extended parallel to the second shafts by exactly the length 2X to the outside whereby first extended parts are provided,
end faces of the second and third housing sections at the opposite sides of the first shafts and the second shafts are extended parallel to the second shafts by exactly the length 2X to the outside whereby second extended parts are provided, and
end faces of the first extended parts and end faces of the second extended parts are formed to be on the same plane when the second and third housing sections are rotated by the first shafts by 180 degrees.

7. The connecting system of a multi-section housing according to claim 6 , wherein
the flat surface is comprised of display surfaces of an image,
the first extended parts are provided with leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the second housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed and leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the third housing section when the third and fourth housing sections are superposed, and
the second extended parts are provided with leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the first housing section when the first and second housing sections are superposed and leg parts with end faces which form the same plane as the display surface of the fourth housing section when the third and fourth housing sections are superposed.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Yutaka

Classifications

• H04M1/0247 Primary

  comprising more than two body parts · CPC title

• G09F9/40

  in which the desired character is selected from a number of characters arranged one beside the other, e.g. on a common carrier plate · CPC title

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• H05K5/0017 Primary

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title