Hinge assembly and earphone box

A hinge assembly comprises a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a first shaft, a second shaft, and a clockwork spring. The first connecting member includes a first pivot portion. The second connecting member includes a second pivot portion. The first shaft is pivotally connected to the first pivotal portion of the first connecting member and the second pivotal portion of the second connecting member. The second shaft is configured on the first connecting member and spaced from the first shaft. The clockwork spring includes a first end and a second end away from the first end; the first end fixed to the second shaft rod, the second end fixed to the second connecting member. When the second connecting member pivots with respect to the first connecting member, the arrangement of the clockwork spring can provide a more stable pivoting force for the second connecting member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Chinese Patent Application Serial Number 202220658459.0, filed on Mar. 24, 2022, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of hinge structure, particularly to a hinge structure and an earphone box.

Related Art

The hinge structure is usually applied between two rotating parts so that the two parts can rotate relative to each other. For example, the hinge structure can be installed between the box door and the box body, or between the box cover and the box body.

As shown inFIG.1andFIG.2, the hinge assembly in the prior art includes a shaft member1, a connecting rod2, a crankshaft3and a locking means4. The shaft member1includes a first shaft11, a support member12and a second shaft13. The supporting member12is fixed on the first shaft11, and the second shaft13is rotatably connected to the supporting member12.

The first axis11and the second axis13are arranged at intervals in parallel. The first shaft11is fixed on the box body10and is rotatably connected with the box cover20. The connecting rod2is rotatably arranged on the second shaft13. The crankshaft3is rotatably connected with the connecting rod2and the crankshaft3is rotatably connected with the box cover20. The rotation center of the crankshaft3and the box cover20is parallel to the rotation center of the crankshaft3and the connecting rod2and are arranged at intervals such that the box cover20can rotate with respect to the box body10through the first shaft11, thereby opening or closing the box body10. During the rotation of the box cover20with respect to the box body10, the box cover20can drive the crankshaft3and the connecting rod2to rotate, and relative rotation occurs between the connecting rod2and the crankshaft.

However, because the hinge structure of the prior art has many components, there are many steps and high difficulty in assembling. The pivotal design among numerous components would cause the box cover20to have poor stability in the process of rotating relative to the box body10.

In view of this, how to provide a hinge structure that has fewer components and a simpler structure to facilitate assembly while providing a more stable pivoting force is an urgent problem to be solved in the industry.

SUMMARY

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hinge assembly, which can solve the problems of the existing hinge structure, such as numerous and difficult assembly steps due to numerous components, and poor stability during pivoting due to the use of tension springs.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a hinge assembly comprising a first connecting member, having a first pivot portion; a second connecting member, having a second pivot portion; a first shaft pivotally connected to the first pivotal portion of the first connecting member and the second pivotal portion of the second connecting member; a second shaft configured on the first connecting member and spaced from the first shaft; and a clockwork spring, having a first end and a second end away from the first end, the first end fixed to the second shaft rod, the second end fixed to the second connecting member.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, when the second connecting member pivots to a first position with respect to the first connecting member, the clockwork spring is in a stretched state; when the second connecting member pivots to a second position with respect to the first connecting member, the clockwork spring is in a contracted state.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the second shaft comprises has a shaft core and two shaft parts, and the two shaft parts respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the shaft core; when the clockwork spring is in a stretched state, the clockwork spring is wound on the shaft core of the second shaft.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the first connecting member comprises a first mounting portion; the first mounting portion extends from the bottom of the first pivot portion in a direction away from the first pivot portion; the second connecting member comprises a second mounting portion; the mounting portion bends and extends from one end of the second pivot portion in a direction away from the second pivot portion.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, one end of the first pivot portion of the first connecting member facing the first mounting portion comprises a first avoidance groove and an arc-shaped avoidance surface; the arc-shaped avoidance surface is farther away from the first mounting portion than the first avoidance groove.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the second pivot portion of the second connecting member comprises two pivot ends respectively located on two opposite sides of the second pivot portion; the second connecting member comprises a second avoidance groove; the second avoidance groove is located between the second pivot portion and the second mounting portion.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the second pivot portion of the second connecting member comprises a fixing groove; the second end of the clockwork spring is fixed in the fixing groove.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the first shaft is pivotally connected to a first through hole of the first pivotal joint and a second through hole of the second pivotal joint.

In one embodiment the hinge assembly of the present disclosure, the first connecting member comprises a limiting groove; the limiting groove is located on the surface of the first pivot portion away from the first mounting portion; the second shaft is accommodated in the limiting groove.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an earphone box comprising a hinge assembly of the one aspect of the present disclosure; a box body, having a first fixing part for fixing the first connecting member of the hinge assembly; and a cover body, having a second fixing part for fixing the second connecting member of the hinge assembly; wherein the hinge assembly is configured to pivot the box body and the cover body between a first position and a second position. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the clockwork spring used in the hinge assembly provides a more constant elastic restoring force than the tension spring. Therefore, when the second connecting member pivots with respect to the first connecting member, the clockwork spring can provide a more stable pivoting force for the second connecting member. Furthermore, the hinge assembly of the present disclosure has a small number of components and a simple structure, so it is more convenient to be assembled on the earphone box to speed up the working time during assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Certain terms are used throughout the description and following claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, manufacturers may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms “include/including” and “comprise/comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted as “including but not limited to”. “Substantial/substantially” means, within an acceptable error range, the person skilled in the art may solve the technical problem in a certain error range to achieve the basic technical effect.

The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the disclosure. This description is made for the purpose of illustration of the general principles of the disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the disclosure is best determined by reference to the appended claims.

As shown inFIG.3andFIG.4, the hinge assembly200of the disclosure comprises a first connecting member210, a second connecting member220, a first shaft230, a second shaft240, and a clockwork spring250.

In detail, the first connecting member210includes a first pivot portion211. The second connecting member220includes a second pivot portion221. The first shaft230is pivotally connected to the first pivot portion211of the first connecting member210and the second pivoting portion221of the second connecting member220along the horizontal direction (i.e., the X direction). The second shaft240is configured on the first connecting member210and spaced apart from the first shaft230along the vertical direction (i.e., the Y direction). The clockwork spring250has a first end251and a second end252away from the first end251. The first end251is fixed to the second shaft240. The second end252is fixed to the second connecting member220.

As shown inFIG.5andFIG.6, when the first shaft230is pivotally connected to the first pivotal portion211of the first connecting member210and the second pivoting portion221of the second connecting member220, when the second connecting member220pivots to the first position with respect to the first connecting member210, the clockwork spring250is in a stretched state. As shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, when the second connecting member220pivots to a second position with respect to the first connecting member210along the counterclockwise direction shown by the arrow inFIG.6, the clockwork spring250is in a contracted state.

Specifically, as shown inFIG.4, in the present disclosure, the second shaft240has a shaft core241and two shaft portions242. The two shaft portions242are respectively disposed at two opposite ends of the shaft core241. When the second shaft240is disposed in the limiting groove216of the first connecting member210and the clockwork spring250is in the contracted state, the clockwork spring250is wound around the shaft core241of the second shaft240.

InFIG.4, the first connecting member210further includes a mounting portion212. The first mounting portion212extends from the bottom of the first pivot portion211in a direction away from the first pivot portion211(i.e., along the Y direction). Similarly, the second connecting piece220further includes a second mounting portion222. The second mounting portion222bends from one end of the second pivot portion221in a direction away from the second pivot portion221, and then extends upward along the Y direction.

In one embodiment, one end of the first pivot portion211of the first connecting member210facing the first mounting portion212has a first avoidance groove213and an arc-shaped escape surface214. The arc-shaped avoidance surface214is farther away from the first mounting portion212than the first avoidance groove213. In addition, the second pivot portion221of the second connecting member220has two pivot ends223. The two pivot ends223are respectively located on two opposite sides of the second pivot portion221in the X direction. Through the above arrangement, when the first shaft230is pivotally connected to the first pivotal portion211of the first connecting member210and the second pivoting portion221of the second connecting member220, the two pivoting ends223of the second connecting member220can respectively abut against two ends of the first pivotal portion211in the X direction and allow the first shaft230to pass through. At this time, when the second connecting member220pivots to the first position with respect to the first connecting member210and the clockwork spring250is in a stretched state, the second pivoting portion221of the second connecting member220is located in the first avoidance groove213of the connecting member210(as shown inFIG.5andFIG.6) such that the clockwork spring250has the most stretch.

The second connecting member220further includes a second avoidance groove224. The second avoidance groove224is located between the second pivot portion221and the second mounting portion222. When the second connecting member220pivots to the second position with respect to the first connecting member210, and the clockwork spring250is in a contracted state, as shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, the first pivot portion211of the first connecting member210can abut against the second avoidance groove224of the second connecting member220, so that the second connecting member220has a maximum pivoting angle with respect to the first connecting member210.

It should be noted that besides that the second connecting member220can be pivotally connected to the first connecting member210through the two pivot ends223through which the first shaft230passes, and the maximum pivoting angle respect to the first connecting member210can be obtained through the configuration of the second avoidance groove224, the second connecting member220can also be pivotally connected to the first connecting member210through other assembly methods and pivot with respect to the first connecting member210. For example, the number of pivotal ends223can be adjusted to be more than two for the first shaft230to pass through, or the second avoidance groove224is formed to have a hollow shape to avoid being abutted by the first pivotal portion211of the first connecting member210.

In one embodiment, in order to prevent the clockwork spring250from affecting the pivoting between the first connecting member210and the second connecting member220during the contraction process, a fixing groove225can be optionally disposed on the second pivot portion221of the second connecting member220. As shown inFIG.4, the fixing groove225is located between the two pivot ends223and corresponds to the clockwork spring250. When the first end251of the clockwork spring250is fixed in the fastening portion243of the second shaft240, and the second end252of the clockwork spring250is fixed in the fixing groove225, the clockwork spring250will not touch other parts of the second connecting member220except the fixing groove225during the expansion and contraction process, so that the second connecting member220has an excellent pivoting with respect to the first connecting member210.

As shown inFIG.4, in this embodiment, the first pivotal portion211has a first through hole215, and the second pivotal portion221has a second through hole226. The first shaft230is pivotally connected to the first through hole215of the first pivot portion211and the second through hole226of the second pivot portion221, so that the second pivotal part221can pivot with respect to the first pivotal part211with the first shaft230as the axis. In addition, the aforementioned limiting groove216is located on the surface of the first pivotal portion211away from the first mounting portion212such that the second shaft240to be accommodated in the limiting groove216. In this way, when the clockwork spring250is wound around the shaft core241of the second shaft240due to being in a contracted state, the clockwork spring250is accommodated in the limiting groove216accordingly.

As shown inFIG.5andFIG.6, when the second connecting member220pivots to the first position with respect to the first connecting member210, the second pivot portion221of the second connecting member220is located in the first avoidance groove213of the first connecting member210and the clockwork spring250is in a stretched state. At this time, the clockwork spring250in the stretched state pulls the second end252fixed on the second connecting member220toward the first end251fixed on the second shaft240due to the elastic restoring force. However, since the hinge assembly200is installed in the earphone box to assist in pivoting the box body and the cover body of the earphone box, and since the box body and the cover body have buckle structures such as clamping or hooking at the end away from the hinge structure200to ensure the fixed relationship between the box body and the cover body, the aforesaid buckle structure would be used to resist the elastic recovery force of the clockwork spring250, so that the second end252fixed on the second connecting member220cannot be pulled to the first end251fixed on the second shaft240. That is to say, when the second connecting member220is pivoted to the first position with respect to the first connecting member210, and the box body and the cover body of the earphone box are closed and fixed, the second connecting member220is restricted at the first position by the first connecting member210cannot pivot.

Conversely, when the aforementioned buckle relationship is released, the box body and the cover body of the earphone box are no longer in the closed and fixed state. As shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, the clockwork spring250in the stretched state pulls the second end252fixed on the second connecting member220toward the first end251fixed on the second shaft240due to the elastic restoring force, such that the second connecting member220can pivot to the second position with respect to the first connecting member210until the second pivot portion221of the second connecting member220abuts against the top of the first pivot portion211of the first connecting member210. At this time, the second end252of the clockwork spring250fixed on the second connecting member220is closest to the first end251of the clockwork spring250fixed on the second shaft240, and the clockwork spring250is in the contracted state.

Since the elastic restoring force of the clockwork spring250pulling the second end252fixed on the second connecting member220toward the first end251fixed on the second shaft240is a constant value (that is to say, the elastic restoring force of the clockwork spring250from the stretched state restoring to the contracted state is constant), when the buckle relationship between the box body and the cover body of the earphone box is released, the second connecting member220can move from the first position with respect to the first connecting member210to the second position at a stable pivoting speed due to the elastic restoring force of the clockwork spring250, thereby increasing the user's experience when opening the cover body.

On the other hand, without changing the clockwork spring250in the hinge assembly200of the present disclosure, the distance between the first through hole215and the limiting groove216along the second direction Y can be changed to control the opening speed of the box body with respect to the box body. In this way, when the distance between the first through hole215and the limiting groove216is large, the clockwork spring250has a longer pre-stretched state, resulting in a large elastic recovery force and a faster opening speed of the cove body. When the distance between the first through hole215and the limiting groove216is small, the clockwork spring250has a short pre-stretched state, resulting in a small elastic recovery force and a slow opening speed of the cover body.

Certainly, it is also possible to change the position (i.e., adjusting the position of the fixing groove225) of the second end252of the clockwork spring250on the second connector220to make the clockwork spring250have a longer or shorter pre-tensioned state.

As shown inFIG.9, the present disclosure also provides an earphone box300, which includes the aforementioned hinge assembly200, a box body310and a cover body320. The box body310includes a first fixing part311for fixing the first connecting portion210of the hinge assembly200, and the cover body320includes a second fixing portion321for fixing the second connecting portion220of the hinge assembly200. Please refer toFIG.5,FIG.6andFIG.10together. When the second connecting member220pivots to the first position with respect to the first connecting member210, the box body310and the cover body320is in a closed state due to the action of the buckle structure (not shown in the figure). Conversely, referring toFIG.7,FIG.8andFIG.11, when the second connecting member220pivots to the second position with respect to the first connecting member210, the box body310and the cover body320is in an open state.

As shown inFIG.9, the box body310has a first accommodating space312, and the cover body320has a second accommodating space322. The first accommodating space312and the second accommodating space322can be used for accommodating earphones together. The earphone box300further includes a control circuit board330and a battery module340. The control circuit board330is disposed in the case body310and is used to control the charging of the earphone, and the battery module340is disposed in the case body310to supply power to the earphone. In addition, the box body310also has a charging hole (not shown in the figure). the charging hole is disposed on one side of the box body310away from the cover body320, and the charging hole is used for charging the earphone or the battery module340.

In summary, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the clockwork spring250used in the hinge assembly200provides a more constant elastic restoring force than the tension spring in the prior art. Therefore, when the second connecting member220pivots with respect to the first connecting member210using the first shaft230as the axis, the clockwork spring250can provide a more stable pivoting force for the second connecting member220such that the second connecting member220may move from the first position with respect to the first connecting member210to the second position at a steady pivotal speed, thereby increasing the user's experience when opening the cover body. Furthermore, the hinge assembly200of the present disclosure has a small number of components and a simple structure, so it is more convenient to be assembled on the earphone box300to speed up the working time during assembly, and can also effectively reduce the manufacturing cost.

It is to be understood that the term “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variants thereof, is intended to encompass a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device of a series of elements not only comprise those elements but further comprises other elements that are not explicitly listed, or elements that are inherent to such a process, method, article, or device. An element defined by the phrase “comprising a . . . ” does not exclude the presence of the same element in the process, method, article, or device that comprises the element.

Although the present disclosure has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it does not intend to limit the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having regard to this present disclosure that other modifications of the exemplary embodiments beyond those embodiments specifically described here may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are considered within the scope of the disclosure as limited solely by the appended claims.