Abstract:
A snap hinge device for a folding-type portable terminal is provided with a gap between an outer face of a hinge shaft and an inner face of a second cam so that the outer face of the hinge shaft and the inner face of the second cam are compelled to strike into each other an generate and aural snap by an urging of an elastic member at the time of opening/closing the folder of the portable terminal. As a result of the aural snap, users experience a feeling of use at the time of opening/closing the folder, and a sense of comfort therefrom.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This US Patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from a Korean Patent application entitled “Snap Hinge Device For Folding-Type Portable Terminal,” filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Oct. 11, 2010, and assigned Serial No. 10-2010-0098998, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly to a snap hinge device for a folding-type portable terminal. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general and as used herein, the term, portable terminal, covers all kinds of portable electronic devices, such as cellular phones, smart phones, PDAs, notebook PCs, web boards, electronic books, etc. Portable terminals that enable mobile communication may be classified as bar-types, folding-types, sliding-types or the like in accordance with their entire external appearance. 
         [0006]    Among the above-mentioned various types of portable terminals, a folding-type portable terminal includes a body, a folder, and a hinge device for rotatably interconnecting the body and the folder. A person with an ordinary skill in the art may easily appreciate such a basic construction for a folding-type portable terminal. 
         [0007]    A hinge device employed in a folding-type portable terminal provides a semi-automatic folder opening/closing force at the time of the opening/closing action of the folder. That is, during the opening action of the folder, the hinge device provides a force for urging the folder to be closed toward the body until the folder is opened to a predetermined level of angle (approximately 30 to 45 degrees) from zero degrees. As the folder is opened beyond this predetermined level to another level of angle (approximately 120 to 170 degrees), the hinge device provides a force for urging the folder to be opened away from the body, wherein the hinge typically provides an anchoring force when the folder is fully opened. The semi-automatic folder opening/closing force is provided in consideration of a user&#39;s convenience in the opening/closing action of the folder. 
         [0008]    Such a hinge device, which provides a semi-automatic folder opening/closing force, basically includes a housing, a shaft, an elastic member, and a cam unit. A person with an ordinary skill in the art may easily appreciate such a basic construction of a hinge device. 
         [0009]    Although such a hinge device with semi-automatic folder opening/closing force is convenient, the hinge device has a disadvantage that it cannot provide a feeling of use for stimulating the user&#39;s physical senses while the user opens or closes the folder. The phrase “feeling of use” as used herein in relation to an opening/closing of a folder is meant to describe a folding condition recognizable by the user&#39;s senses, i.e., aurally, visually or tactually. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a hinge device for use in portable terminals that overcomes the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art. 
         [0011]    The present invention provides a hinge device employed in a folding-type portable device that provides a feeling of use for stimulating the user&#39;s physical senses at the time of opening/closing a folder of a folding-type portable device. 
         [0012]    Where the above-mentioned feeling of use in opening/closing a folder is to be aural, a sound should be produced at the time of opening/closing the folder. Likewise, if the feeling of use is to be visual, the opening/closing action should produce a light detectable by the eye using a light emission means or the like. If the feeling of use is to be tactual, a force detectable by a user&#39;s sense of touch should be provided by a motor or the like force generating device. 
         [0013]    An aspect of the present invention provides a snap hinge device for a folding-type portable device which informs a user of the opening/closing action of a folder by an aural snap. 
         [0014]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a snap hinge device for a folding-type portable terminal which aurally informs a user of the opening/closing action by using a gap between a hinge shaft and a second cam. That is, a snap hinge device for a folding-type portable terminal includes a gap g 2  formed between an outer face of the hinge shaft and an inner face of the second cam such that the outer face of the hinge shaft and the inner face of the second cam strike into each other at the time of opening/closing the folder, thereby providing a snap. 
         [0015]    Preferably, one end of the hinge shaft is formed with top and bottom rectangular flat faces, and the second cam is fitted on the top and bottom flat faces, wherein the gap g 2  is formed between the top and bottom flat faces and the inner face of the second cam. Most preferably, another gap g 1  is formed between the outer face of the second cam and the inner face of the cam cover, where the gap g 2  is smaller than the other gap g 1  so that an aural snap is provided by the gap g 2  at the time of opening/closing the folder. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The above aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an inventive snap hinge device employed in a folding-type portable terminal according to the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the inventive snap hinge device; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing the inventive snap hinge device in an assembled state; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a portion of the snap hinge device of  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a side view showing a gap condition of the inventive snap hinge device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same elements will be designated by the same reference numerals although they are shown in different drawings. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the inventive snap hinge device H may be employed in a folding-type portable terminal. As used herein, “snap hinge device H” is representative of a hinge device which can aurally inform a user of its acting condition at the time of a folding action. In particular, the inventive snap hinge device H produces an aural snap in a free stop type hinge device. 
         [0024]    The folding-type portable terminal includes a body  200 , a folder  300 , and the snap hinge device H for rotatably connecting the folder  300  to the body  200 . The snap hinge device H interconnects a side hinge arm of the body  200  and a center hinge arm of the folder  300 , thereby providing a hinge axis A during the folding action of the folder  300 . 
         [0025]    The construction of the inventive snap hinge device H will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 2 to 4 . As shown therein, snap hinge device H includes a hinge housing  10 , a hinge shaft  12 , an elastic member  14 , a cam unit comprising a first cam  15  and a second cam  16 , a cam cover  17  and an anchoring member  18 . Hinge device H provides a gap g 2  between the hinge shaft  12  and the second cam  16  in order to generate an aural snap perceptible to a user due to the cam movement. In addition, the snap hinge device H provides a part of the folder opening/closing force at the time of the folding action of the portable terminal with the help of the cam movement of the cam unit (cams  15  and  16 ). 
         [0026]    The hinge housing  10  is an elongated case in which the hinge shaft  12 , the elastic member  14  and the cam unit  15  and  16  are received and arranged along the hinge axis A. One end of the hinge housing  10  is opened, and the other end is completely opened. Cam cover  17  is coupled to and closes the other end of the hinge housing. 
         [0027]    The hinge shaft  12  is inserted into the center of the hinge housing  10  and extends in the longitudinal direction of hinge axis A. The hinge shaft  12  has a catch ridge  124   b  at one end and a catch groove  120  at the other end. The catch ridge  124  has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the hinge shaft  12  and is fastened to the outer surface of an end of the hinge housing  10 . A hinge or catch groove  120  is formed with a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the hinge shaft  10 . The hinge groove acts as a recess. An E-ring  18  is anchored to the hinge or catch groove  120 . The hinge shaft  12  is installed through the elastic member  14  to guide the compression or tension movement of the elastic member  14 . The hinge shaft  12  serves as an axis of the entire hinge device H. In addition, the hinge shaft  12  is D-cut on the face of the other end to provide top and bottom flat faces  121  and  123 . The second cam  16  is arranged on the top and bottom flat faces  121  and  123 , which will be described later. 
         [0028]    The elastic member  14  is preferably a compression coil spring arranged along the hinge axis A within the hinge housing  10 . When compressed or tensioned along the hinge shaft  12 , the elastic member  14  urges the cam unit (first cam  15  and second cam  16 ) to come into close contact with each other. One end of the elastic member  14  is supported by an inner surface of one end of the hinge housing  10 . The other end of the elastic member is retained in a close contact state with the cam unit (first cam  15  and second cam  16 ). In addition, the elastic force of the elastic member  14  is converted in terms of power transmission by the cam action of the cam unit (first cam  15  and second cam  16 ) as folder opening/closing force. 
         [0029]    The first cam  15  of the cam unit is slid along the hinge shaft  12  within the hinge housing  10  and the second cam  16  is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the folder. One side of the first cam  15  is in close contact with the other end of the elastic member  14 . The other side of the first cam is formed with a recess, thereby providing a recess-shaped cam face  150 . One side of the second cam  16  is formed with a ridge thereby providing another cam face  160  (ridge-shaped cam face  160 ) to conduct cam action while being always retained in a close contact state with the recess shaped cam face  150 . The other side of the second cam  16  is tightly coupled to the cam cover  17 . At the time of the folding action of the folder, the first cam  15  is rectilinearly slid along the hinge axis and the second cam  16  is rotated about the hinge axis. Concurrently, the cam faces of the first and second cams  15  and  16  are slid against one another. Cam action is therefore conducted between the recess-shaped cam face  150  and the ridge-shaped cam face  160 . If the ridge-shaped cam face  160  is received in the recess-shaped cam face  150 , folder movement is stopped. If the ridge-shaped cam face  160  is in the process of either engaging or disengaging from the recess-shaped cam face  150 , force is being supplied while the folder is being opened or closed. 
         [0030]    The cam cover  17  is engaged with the second cam  16  to close the other side of the hinge housing  10 . Finally, the cam cover  17  is coupled to the hinge housing  10  by the E-ring  18  to close the hinge housing  10 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , two gaps are included to provide an aural snap at the time of opening/closing the folder. A first gap g 1  is formed between the cam cover  17  and the second cam  16 , and a second gap g 2  is formed between the hinge shaft  12  and the second cam  16 . Specifically, an inner face of the cam cover  17  and an outer face of the second cam  16  are faced to and spaced from each other and an outer face of the hinge shaft  12  and an inner face of the second cam  16  are faced to and spaced from each other. 
         [0032]    As described above, the other end portion of the hinge shaft  12  is D-cut with a predetermined length to form top and bottom flat faces  121  and  123 , wherein the second cam  16  is fitted on the top and bottom flat faces  121  and  123  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). In this context, the inner face of the second cam  16  also is provided with top and bottom flat faces. Consequently, a predetermined gap is maintained between the top and bottom flat faces  121  and  123  of the hinge shaft and the top and bottom flat faces formed on the inner face of the second cam  16 . 
         [0033]    Preferably, by forming the second gap g 2  to be smaller than the first gap g 2 , an audible sound is generated by the second gap g 2  at the time of opening/closing the folder. 
         [0034]    That is, at the time of opening/closing the folder, if the hinge shaft  12  is rotated counterclockwise, the outer face of the one side of the hinge shaft  12  (a corner part) first comes into contact with the inner face (a corner part) of the second cam  16 . This counterclockwise rotational force thereby rotates the second cam  16  since the first gap g 1  is smaller than the second gap g 2 . Concurrently, the recess-shaped cam face  150  on the first cam  15  is slid along the ridge-shaped cam face  160  on the second cam  16  and escapes (i.e., disengages) from the ridge-shaped cam face  160 . 
         [0035]    If the hinge shaft  12  is continuously rotated, the first cam  15  is retracted and the ridge-shaped cam face  160  on the second cam  16  comes into close contact with a protrusion formed in the recess-shaped cam face  150 . Then, if the hinge shaft  12  is continuously rotated in the same direction, the ridge-shaped cam face  160  is rapidly lowered along the recess-shaped cam face  150 , thereby producing a sound. That is, the sound is generated as the outer face of the hinge shaft  12  and the inner face of the second cam  16  strike into each other while the ridge-shaped cam face  160  is being rapidly lowered to the recess-shaped cam face  150 , i.e., an aural snap is generated. 
         [0036]    The fact that the second gap g 2  is smaller than the first gap g 1  is the feature enabling sound to be produced at the time of opening/closing the folder. That is, since the second gap g 2  between the outer face of the hinge shaft  12  and the inner face of the second cam  16  is relatively smaller than the first gap g 1 , the sound produced at the time of cam action by the second gap g 2  provides an aural snap. 
         [0037]    While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.