Structure of planetary type dual-shaft hinge

A planetary type dual-shaft hinge includes a female shaft, a male shaft set including first and second male shafts respectively inserted through the female shaft, and a transmission mechanism including first and second transmission members respectively connected to the first and second male shafts and a link pivotally coupled between the first and second transmission members in such a manner that the pivoting points between the link and the first and second transmission members are disposed at two opposite sides relative to the central axes of the first and second transmission members so that when the user opens the cover member of the flip-up electronic device in which the hinge is used, the first male shaft is turned around the second male shaft to smoothen the movement of the cover member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hinge technology, and more particularly to an improved structure of planetary type dual-shaft hinge, which provides a variable radius in a flip-up electronic device by using a female shaft to match with two male shafts so that when the cover member of the flip-up electronic device is opened from the base member thereof, the female shaft and the male shafts are rotated to smoothen the pivoting motion of the cover member, enabling the cover member and base member of the flip-up electronic device to be kept on one same plane after the flip-up electronic device is fully opened.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hinges are intensively used in flip-up mobile electronic devices such as notebooks, smart phones, and etc. to pivotally connect a base member and a cover member together, allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Some flip-up mobile electronic devices allow the cover member to be turned from the top side of the base member to the bottom side thereof, enabling the flip-up mobile electronic devices to be used as a tablet computer.

A hinge for this application is a dual-shaft design. Taiwan Patent Publication Number M413776 discloses a dual-shaft hinge design. According to this design, first coupling means and second coupling means are provided at two opposite sides of connection plate means; the first coupling means provides a first opening at an end edge thereof adjacent to one side of connection plate means; the second coupling means provides a second opening at an end edge thereof adjacent to an opposite side of connection plate means; a first male shaft and a second male shaft are respectively mounted in the first coupling means and the second coupling means. When opening a cover member from a base member of a flip-up electronic device using the hinge, the first male shaft and the second male shaft are rotated one after another in a proper order, allowing the cover member to be easily lifted with less effort. However, when reversing the cover member relative to the base member to close the flip-up electronic device, mush resisting force will be produced. According to this conventional design, the first coupling means and the second coupling means can wear quickly with use, resulting in elastic fatigue losing and losing their functions to rotate in sequence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a planetary type dual-shaft hinge for use in a flip-up electronic device, which uses a transmission mechanism to couple a first male shaft and a second male shaft in a female shaft, enabling the first male shaft to be turn around the second male shaft when the user opens the cover member of the flip-up electronic device from the base member, smoothening the operation.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a planetary type dual-shaft hinge of the invention comprises a female shaft, a male shaft set and a transmission mechanism. The female shaft comprises a shaft body defining a first barrel and a second barrel in a parallel manner. The male shaft set comprises a first male shaft rotatably inserted through the first barrel of the female shaft, and a second male shaft rotatably inserted through the second barrel of the female shaft. The first male shaft comprises a first hinge plate located at one end thereof. The first hinge plate defines a first mounting portion. The second male shaft comprises a second hinge plate located at one end thereof. The second hinge plate defines a second mounting portion. The transmission mechanism comprises a first transmission member, a second transmission member and a link. The first transmission member is fixedly connected to an opposite end of the first male shaft opposite to the first hinge plate. The second transmission member is fixedly connected to an opposite end of the second male shaft opposite to the second hinge plate. The link has two opposite ends thereof respectively pivotally coupled to the first transmission member and the second transmission member. The first transmission member and the second transmission member are disposed at one same side relative to the female shaft. Further, the pivoting point between the link and the first transmission member is disposed within the area between the central axis of the first transmission member and the first mounting portion. Further, the pivoting point between the link and the second transmission member is disposed at one lateral side relative to the central axis of the second transmission member and remote from the second mounting portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a planetary type dual-shaft hinge in accordance with the present invention is shown. The planetary type dual-shaft hinge comprises a female shaft1, a male shaft set2, and a transmission mechanism3.

The female shaft1comprises a shaft body11defining a first barrel12and a second barrel13in a parallel manner.

The male shaft set2comprises a first male shaft21, a second male shaft22, and a constraint plate23. The constraint plate23defines a first constraint hole231and a second constraint hole232. Further, the constraint plate23is disposed at one side relative to the female shaft1. The first male shaft21is inserted through the first constraint hole231of the constraint plate23and the first barrel12of the female shaft1. The second male shaft22is inserted through the second constraint hole232of the constraint plate23and the second barrel13of the female shaft1. Further, the first male shaft21and the second male shaft22are respectively affixed to a first hinge plate24and a second hinge plate25. The first hinge plate24comprises a first connection portion241connected to the first male shaft21, and a first mounting portion242extended from the periphery of the first connection portion241. The second hinge plate25comprises a second connection portion251connected to the second male shaft22, and a second mounting portion252extended from the periphery of the second connection portion251.

The transmission mechanism3comprises a first transmission member31, a second transmission member32, a link33, a first coupling shank34, and a second coupling shank35. The first transmission member31is a circular plate member, defining a first non-circular center mounting hole311attached to one end of the first male shaft21remote from the first hinge plate24for synchronous rotation with the first male shaft21, a first pivot hole312disposed at one side relative to the first non-circular center mounting hole311in a parallel manner, and a first bearing surface313extending around the periphery thereof. The second transmission member32is a circular plate member, defining a second non-circular center mounting hole321attached to one end of the second male shaft22remote from the second hinge plate25for synchronous rotation with the second male shaft22, a second pivot hole322disposed at one side relative to the second non-circular center mounting hole321in a parallel manner, and a second t bearing surface323extending around the periphery thereof. Further, the combined length of the radius of the first transmission member31and the radius of the second transmission member32is equal to the distance between the central axis of the first shaft21and the central axis of the second male shaft, enabling the first bearing surface313of the first transmission member31to be abutted against the second bearing surface323of the second transmission member32. The link33is an elongated plate member defining a first through hole331and a second through hole332. The first coupling shank34has its two opposite ends respectively pivotally coupled to the first pivot hole312of the first transmission member31and the first through hole331of the link33. The second coupling shank35has its two opposite ends respectively pivotally coupled to the second pivot hole322of the second transmission member32and the second through hole332of the link33. Because the first pivot hole312and the second pivot hole322are respectively disposed at one side relative to the first non-circular center mounting hole311and the second non-circular center mounting hole321, the pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31is deviated from the connection point between the first transmission member31and the first male shaft21, and the pivoting point between the link33and the second transmission member32is deviated from the connection point between the second transmission member32and the second male shaft22.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4andFIG. 2again, when biasing the first hinge plate24to rotate the first male shaft21, the first male shaft21drives the first transmission member31to rotate. Because the pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31is disposed within the area between the central axis of the first transmission member31and the first mounting portion242and the pivoting point between the link33and the second transmission member32is disposed at one lateral side relative to the central axis of the second transmission member32and far from the second mounting portion252, rotating the first transmission member31can drive the first coupling shank34to push the link33. Further, because the two opposite ends of the link33are respectively pivotally coupled to the first transmission member31and the second transmission member32, the thrust force produced during rotary motion of the first coupling shank34can drive the first transmission member31to turn about the second transmission member32, causing the first male shaft21to rotate.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6andFIG. 2again, when using the planetary type dual-shaft hinge in a flip-up electronic device5, the first mounting portion242of the first hinge plate24and the second mounting portion252of the second hinge plate25are respectively affixed to cover member51and base member52of the flip-up electronic device5. When opening the cover member51from the base member52, the first transmission member31will be turned about the second transmission member32.

In the present preferred embodiment, the first transmission member31is turned around the second transmission member32from the top side to the bottom side through 180-degrees angle, and the pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31is turned around the first male shaft21through 360-degrees angle, allowing the cover member51of the flip-up electronic device5to be turned from the top side of the base member52to the bottom side thereof. When the cover member51is turned to one lateral side of the base member52and kept on the same plane relative to the base member52, the pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31is turned around the first male shaft21through 180-degrees angle, and the first transmission member31is turned around the second transmission member32through 90-degrees angle. Further, because the first bearing surface313of the first transmission member31is abutted against the second bearing surface323of the second transmission member32, the second bearing surface323of the second transmission member32provides support to the first transmission member31during turning of the first transmission member31around the second transmission member32, smoothening the motion of the first transmission member31.

As stated above, the key technology of the present invention to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional designs is that the female shaft1accommodates the first male shaft21, which is affixed to the first transmission member31, and the second male shaft221, which is affixed to the second transmission member32; the link33is pivotally coupled with the first transmission member31and the second transmission member32; the pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31is disposed within the area between the central axis of the first transmission member31and the first mounting portion242of the first hinge plate24of the male shaft set2; the pivoting point between the link33and the second transmission member32is disposed at one lateral side relative to the central axis of the second transmission member32and far from the second mounting portion252of the second hinge plate25of the male shaft set2. Thus, rotating the first male shaft21can drive the first transmission member31to turn around the second transmission member32smoothly, eliminating the drawbacks of the prior art design. The pivoting point between the link33and the first transmission member31and the pivoting point between the link33and the second transmission member32are disposed in reversed directions relative to the central axes of the first male shaft21and second male shaft22so that the cover member51and the base member52can be kept on the same plane after turning of the cover member51through 180-degrees angle relative to the base member52, avoiding any elevation difference between the cover member51and the base member52.