Abstract:
A trigger hinge used in a mobile flip-up electronic device is disclosed to include a female shaft, a male shaft set mounted in the female shaft, and a trigger device mounted at the male shaft set. When the user opens or closes the mobile flip-up electronic device to rotate the male shaft set relative to the female shaft, a pushing and moving piece of the trigger device is moved forward or backward to switching on/off switch, and thereby booting up or shutting down the mobile flip-up electronic device. Thus, the invention enhances the application and convenience of use of mobile flip-up electronic devices.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hinge technology, and more particularly, to trigger hinge for use in a flip-up electronic device to let the cover member and base member of the flip-up electronic device to be biased relative to each other and to provide a trigger function. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Hinges are widely used in mobile flip-up 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. However, conventional hinges for mobile flip-up electronic device simply allow two joined members to be turned relative to each other without providing any trigger function to start up the mobile flip-up electronic device. 
     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 trigger hinge for use in a mobile flip-up electronic device, which is capable of providing a trigger function to start up the mobile flip-up electronic device. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a trigger hinge of the invention includes a female shaft, a first male shaft and a second male shaft pivotally mounted in the female shaft, and a trigger device including a rotating member that is pivotally coupled to the second male shaft, a linkage member and a pushing and moving member. During rotation of the first male shaft of the male shaft set, a first push block is moved toward or away from the rotating member, driving the linkage member to move the pushing and moving piece forward or backward in switching on or off the mobile flip-up electronic device in which the trigger hinge is used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an oblique elevational view of a trigger hinge in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  corresponds to  FIG. 1 , illustrating the first connection member and the second connection member moved away from each other. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the trigger hinge in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge in the initial position. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to a first angular position. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic operational plain view, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to the first angular position. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to a second angular position. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic operational plain view, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to the second angular position. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to a third angular position. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic operational plain view, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to the third angular position. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to a fourth angular position. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic operational plain view, illustrating the trigger hinge moved to the fourth angular position. 
         FIG. 13  is an oblique top elevational view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge in the fourth angular position. 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic applied view of the present invention, illustrating the trigger hinge used in a mobile flip-up electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a trigger hinge in accordance with the present invention is shown. The trigger hinge comprises a female shaft  1 , a male shaft set  2 , and a trigger  3 . 
     The female shaft  1  comprises a shaft body  11  defining a first barrel  12  and a second barrel  13  in a parallel manner. 
     The male shaft set  2  comprises a first male shaft  21 , a second male shaft  22 , a transmission mechanism  23 , a first positioning member  24 , a second transmission member  25 , a first connection member  26 , and a second connection member  27 . 
     The first male shaft  21  and the second male shaft  22  are respectively inserted through the first barrel  12  and second barrel  13  of the female shaft  1 . The transmission mechanism  23  comprises a first transmission member  231 , a second transmission member  232 , and a link  233 . The first transmission member  231  is fixedly connected to the first male shaft  21 . The second transmission member  232  is fixedly connected to the second male shaft  22 . The link  233  has two opposite ends thereof respectively pivotally connected to the first transmission member  231  and the second transmission member  232 . The pivoted point between the link  233  and the first transmission member  231  is at an eccentric location relative to the axial center of the first transmission member  231 . The pivoted point between the link  233  and the second transmission member  232  is at an eccentric location relative to the axial center of the second transmission member  232 . The first positioning member  24  comprises a first push block  241  disposed adjacent to the second male shaft  22  and defining a connection space  242 . The first positioning member  24  and the second positioning member  25  are respectively pivotally connected to the first male shaft  21  and the second male shaft  22 . The first connection member  26  and the second connection member  27  are respectively fixedly connected to the first male shaft  21  and the second male shaft  22 . The second connection member  27  comprises a limiter plate  28  extended from one side thereof and defining a plurality of ribs  281  and a through hole  282 , and a stop rod  283  mounted in the through hole  282 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 14  and  FIGS. 1-3  again, the trigger device  3  comprises a rotating member  31 , a linkage member  32 , a pushing and moving member  33 , a first pivot pin  34 , a second pivot pin  35 , and a switch  36 . The rotating member  31  comprises a center axle hole  311  located at the center thereof, a first pivot hole  312  disposed at an eccentric location, and a second push block  313  protruded from one side thereof around a part of the center axle hole  311 . The center axle hole  311  of the rotating member  31  is pivotally coupled to the second male shaft  22  of the male shaft set  2  to insert the second push block  313  into the connection space  242  so that the second push block  313  and the rotating member  31  can be rotated by the first push block  241 . The linkage member  32  comprises a first through hole  321  and a second through hole  322  respectively disposed near two opposite ends thereof. The first pivot pin  24  has two opposite ends thereof respectively pivotally connected to the first pivot hole  312  and the first through hole  321 . The pushing and moving member  33  comprises a triggering tip  333  located at one end thereof, a second pivot hole  332  located at an opposite end thereof, and a longitudinal sliding slot  331  spaced between the triggering tip  333  and the second pivot hole  332 . The second pivot pin  35  has two opposite ends thereof respectively pivotally connected to the second pivot hole  332  and the second through hole  322 . The longitudinal sliding slot  331  is coupled to the stop rod  283  at the limiter plate  28  of the second connection member  27 . The stop rod  283  in this embodiment is a rivet. After the longitudinal sliding slot  331  of the pushing and moving member  33  is coupled to the stop rod  283 , the plain end of the stop rod  283  is hammered down, preventing disconnection of the pushing and moving member  33  from the limiter plate  28  of the second connection member  27 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 14 , the switch  36  is disposed at an outer side relative to the triggering tip  333  of the pushing and moving piece  33 . The switch  36  can be a photoelectric switch, solenoid switch, induction switch or mechanical switch. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-8 , the first connection member  26  is movable from an initial position of 0° angle shown in  FIG. 4 . When the first connection member  26  is forced away from initial position, it drives the first male shaft  21  to rotate the first transmission member  231 . Because the pivoted point between the link  233  and the first transmission member  231  is at an eccentric location relative to the axial center of the first transmission member  231  and the pivoted point between the link  233  and the second transmission member  232  is at an eccentric location relative to the axial center of the second transmission member  232 , the first transmission member  231  will be moved around the second transmission member  232  at this time. 
     During movement of the first transmission member  231  around the second transmission member  232 , the first push block  241  of the first positioning member  24  is rotated, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . When the first connection member  26  is rotated to 90° angle, there is still a gap left between the first push block  241  and the second push block  313 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , when the first connection member  26  is rotated to 180° angle, the first push block  241  of the first positioning member  24  touches the second push block  313 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , and  FIG. 14  again, when the first connection member  26  is rotated to 270° angle, the first push block  241  of the first positioning member  24  pushes the second push block  313  of the trigger device  3  to move, causing rotation of the rotating member  31  to move said linkage member  32 . At this time, the pivoted point between the linkage member  32  and the pushing and moving piece  33  is moved away from the axial center of the rotating member  31 , causing the pushing and moving piece  33  to be moved forward along the track defined by the limiter plate  28  and the longitudinal sliding slot  331 . During forward movement of the pushing and moving piece  33 , the triggering tip  333  of the pushing and moving piece  33  will be forced to touch the switch  36 , thereby switching on the switch  36 . On the contrary, when the pushing and moving piece  33  is moved backward, the triggering tip  333  is moved away from the switch  36 , thereby switching off the switch  36 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11-13 , when the first connection member  26  is rotated to 360° angle, the two pivoted ends of the linkage member  32  and the axial center of the second male shaft are almost kept on the same plane, and the pushing and moving piece  33  is extended out to the extent. On the contrary, when the first connection member  26  is turned in the reversed direction from 360° angle back to 0° angle, the first push block  241  pushes the second push block  313  to turn backwards, causing the linkage member  32  back to its former position, and thus the pushing and moving piece  33  is retracted. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  13  again, the ribs  281  of the limiter plate  28  of the male shaft set  2  are designed to minimize the contact area between the limiter plate  28  and the pushing and moving piece  33 , reducing the friction and enabling the pushing and moving piece  33  to be moved along the track defined by the longitudinal sliding slot  331  and the limiter plate  28  smoothly and stably without causing much friction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the trigger hinge is shown used in a mobile flip-up electronic device comprising a cover member  5  having a display screen mounted therein and a base member  4  pivotally connected to the cover member  5  by the trigger hinge. The cover member  5  and the base member  4  are respectively connected to the first male shaft  21  and the second male shaft  22 . When the cover member  5  is turned from the close position at the top side of the base member  4  to the bottom side of the base member  4 , the pushing and moving piece  33  of the trigger device  3  is moved forward along the longitudinal sliding slot  331  by the male shaft set  1  to trigger the switch  36  in the base member  4 , thereby causing the mobile flip-up electronic device to boot up. On the contrary, when the cover member  5  is turned from the bottom side of the base member  4  to the top side thereof, the pushing and moving piece  33  of the trigger device  3  is moved backwardly along the longitudinal sliding slot  331  by the male shaft set  1  in direction away from away from the switch  36 , thereby causing the switch  36  to switch off the mobile flip-up electronic device. 
     In actual application, the trigger hinge can be used to switch on or off a connection port, keyboard, voice device or video device of a tablet computer or any of a variety of other mobile flip-up electronic devices. For example, the trigger hinge can be moved to trigger the switch  36 , thereby starting up a voice device or video device, or retracting a keyboard to the inside of the base member  4 , or moving a connection port out of the base member  4 . 
     In conclusion, the key technology of the present invention is to let the male shaft set  2  move the first push block  241  of the first positioning member  24  toward or away from the second push block  313  of the rotating member  31  during movement of the trigger device  3  with the male shaft set  2 , thereby driving the pushing and moving piece  33  of the trigger device  3  to switch on or off the switch  36 .