Abstract:
An electronic device includes a first body having a first connector and a second body. A hinge located in the electronic device comprises a first hinge piece fastened to the first body, a second hinge piece fastened to the second body and pivotally coupled to the first hinge piece, and a second connector fastened to the fastened to the hinge piece and electrically connecting to the second body and the first connector individually.

Description:
This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) on patent application Ser. No(s). 092125491 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Sep. 16, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hinge and particularly to a hinge located in an electronic device having at least two bodies pivotally coupled to each other. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     For present electronic devices having at least two bodies pivotally coupled to each other, at least a hinge is generally employed for opening and closing. The hinge structure may have different designs and be symmetrical or asymmetrical. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1  for a conventional electronic device  1  that has at least two bodies pivotally coupled to each other. It includes a first body  10 , a second body  20  and a hinge  30 . The second body  20  may be pivotally coupled to the first body  10  through the hinge  30 . 
     More specifically, the second body  20  has a wire set  21  (including signal cable and power cord) passing around the hinge and through a recess  12  in the first body  10  to couple with a connector  11 . 
     The design of hinge set forth above has drawbacks, notably:
         1. During assembly operators have to pull the wire set  21  (including signal cable and power cord) of the second body  20  to the recess  12  to couple with the connector  11 . The recess  12  usually has a space constraint that could hinder operators&#39; movements.   2. For maintenance technicians and users who want to do inspection and repairs, the wire set  21  (including signal cable and power cord) has to be separated from or coupled with the connector  11  in the recess  12 . It is also not convenient.       

     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore the invention aims to provide a hinge with a connector to facilitate wire tending, shorten assembly time and speed up assembly and disassembly so that technicians and users can perform repairs and inspection easily, wherein the hinge is located in an electronic device. 
     The electronic device according to the invention includes a first body a second body and a hinge. The hinge includes a first hinge piece and a second hinge piece that are pivotally coupled to each other. When subject to a force, the second hinge piece turns about a rotation axis relative to the first hinge piece. The first hinge piece further has a first fastening portion and an extension portion. The first fastening portion is a protusion with the axial direction normal to the rotation axis. The first fastening portion has at least a first hole. The extension portion is extended from the first fastening portion to another area in a direction parallel with the rotation axis. The extension portion has at least a sixth hole. The second hinge piece includes a second fastening portion having at least a second hole. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first hinge piece further includes a second connector and a connection plate. The connection plate has at least a fifth hole to receive a fifth screw to pass through the fifth hole and the sixth hole to fasten the connection plate to the extension portion. The wire set of the second body (including signal cable and power cord) passes around the hinge and is fastened to the connection plate. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the first hinge piece further includes a second connector which has at least an eighth hole to receive a sixth screw to engage with the eighth and sixth holes to fasten the second connector to the extension portion. The wire set of the second body (including signal cable and power cord) passes around the hinge and is fastened to the second connector. 
     The second body has at least a fourth hole to receive at least a second screw to engage with the second and fourth holes to fasten the second hinge piece to the second body. 
     The first body includes a recess, a third hole and a first connector located in the recess. The recess also houses the extension portion of the first hinge piece and the first fastening portion. 
     At least one first fixing screw is provided to engage with the first and third holes to fasten the first fastening portion to the recess. Meanwhile, the second connector of the extension portion is coupled with the first connector to transmit communication signals and electric power between the first body and the second body. 
     By means of the construction set for the above, the hinge enables the first body turning relative to the second body. In addition, through electrical connection between the second connector and the first connector, the first body and the second body may establish electric connection. 
     For disassembling the electronic device, unfasten at least one first fixing screw, the second body and the hinge may be separated from the first body, and the first connector is separated from the second connector to become non-conductive. 
     Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional electronic device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an electronic device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the hinge of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of another embodiment of the hinge of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of the hinge of the invention fastened to the second body. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the first body according to the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the invention during assembly. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of the invention during disassembly. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the electronic device  40  according to the invention includes a first body  50 , a second body  60  and a hinge  70 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hinge  70  includes a first hinge piece  71  and a second hinge piece  73  coupling with each other. When subject to a force, the second hinge piece  73  turns about a rotation axis  75  relative to the first hinge piece  71 . The first hinge piece  71  further has a first fastening portion  711  and an extension portion  713 . The first fastening portion  711  is a protusion with the axial direction  77  normal to the rotation axis  75 . The first fastening portion  711  has at least a first hole  717 . The protution of the first fastening portion  711  may be designed according the space or designer&#39;s preference, and may be a cylindrical body, a square body or a triangular body. In this and another embodiment below the first fastening portion  711  is a square body. The extension portion  713  is extended from the first fastening portion  711  to another area in a direction parallel with the rotation axis  75 . The extension portion  713  has at least a sixth hole  716 . The second hinge piece  73  includes a second fastening portion  730  having at least a second hole  731 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first hinge piece  71  further includes a second connector  715  and a connection plate  720 . The connection plate  720  has at least a fifth hole  722  to receive a fifth screw  724  to engage with the sixth hole  716  to fasten the connection plate  720  to the extension portion  713 . The second body  60  has a wire set  61  (including signal cable and power cord) passing around the hinge  70  and fastened to the connection plate  720  by soldering. 
     Refer to  FIG. 4  for another preferred embodiment. The first hinge piece  71  further includes a second connector  715  which has at least an eighth hole  718  to receive a sixth screw  719  to engage with sixth hole  716  to fasten the second connector  715  to the extension portion  713 . The second body  60  has a wire set  61  (including signal cable and power cord) passing around the hinge  70  and fastened to the second connector  715 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the second body  60  has at least a fourth hole  601  to receive at least a second screw  735  to engage with the second and fourth holes  731  and  601  to fasten the second hinge piece  73  to the second body  60 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first body  50  includes a recess  52 , a third hole  53  and a first connector  51  located in the recess  52 . The recess  52  also houses the extension portion  713  of the first hinge piece  71  and the first fastening portion  711 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , at least one first fixing screw  55  is provided to engage with the first and third holes  717  and  53  to fasten the first fastening portion  711  to the first body  50 . Meanwhile, the second connector  715  of the extension portion  713  is electrically coupled with the first connector  51  to transmit communication signals and electric power between the first body  50  and the second body  60 . 
     By means of the construction set for the above, the hinge  70  enables the first body  50  turning relative to the second body  60 . In addition, through electrical connection between the second connector  715  and the first connector  51 , the first body  50  and the second body  60  may establish electric connection. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , for disassembling the electronic device, unfasten at least one first fixing screw  55 , the second body  60  and the hinge  70  may be separated from the first body  50 , and the first connector  51  is separated from the second connector  715  to become non-conductive. 
     In summary, the electronic device according to the invention has the following advantages: 
     With the second connector  715  mounted on the hinge  70 , by unfastening at least one first fixing screw  55  the first body  50  may be separated from the second body  60 . Thus disassembly time may be reduced to facilitate repairs and inspection for the technicians or users. 
     For assembling the electronic device  40 , the wire set  61  (including signal cable and power cord) of the second body  60  does not have to pass around the hinge and the recess  52  of the first body  50  to connect to the first connector  51  as the conventional device does. According to the invention, the wire set  61  (including signal cable and power cord) of the second body  60  may be connected to the second connector  715  of the extension portion  713 . Thus tending of the wire set  61  is easier and assembly time may be reduced. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.