Abstract:
A rotating mechanism comprises a retaining plate having a cut-out defined therethrough, the cut-out is curved; a rotating plate being capable of rotating in a plane parallel to the plane of the retaining plate by a shaft extending through the retaining plate and the rotating plate; a pin rotatably affixed to the rotating plate and slidably engaging with the cut-out to guide rotating movement of the rotating plate when the rotating plate rotates around the shaft in a plane parallel to the plane of the retaining plate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/862,859, 12/862,860 and 12/862,861, all entitled “ROTATING MECHANISM AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING SAME”, by Liang Shi-Xu. These applications have the same assignee as the present application and have been concurrently filed herewith. The above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates to rotating mechanisms, particularly to rotating mechanisms used in an electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A typical portable electronic device, such as a mobile phone, generally includes a lower element and an upper element with a display mounted thereon. However, many conventional electronic devices use complicated components and methods to enable relative rotation between the upper and lower elements. 
     Therefore, there is a room for improved in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary rotating mechanism for electronic device. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a rotating mechanism. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an electronic device using the rotating mechanism shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled and partially perspective view of the electronic device in a first position. 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled and partially perspective view of the electronic device in an intermediate position. 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled and partially perspective view of the electronic device in a rotated third position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary rotating mechanism  100 .  FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of an electronic device (not labeled) using the rotating mechanism  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The electronic device includes an upper housing  20  and a lower housing  10 , which are connected by the rotating mechanism  100 . The upper housing  20  defines a receptacle  21  facing the lower housing  10  and the lower housing  10  defines a compartment  11  facing to the receptacle  21 . The receptacle  21  and the compartment  11  cooperatively accommodate the rotating mechanism  100 . 
     The rotating mechanism  100  includes a retaining plate  40  and a rotating plate  30  which are rotatably coupled by a rotation enabling member as described below. The retaining plate  40  is mounted to the lower housing  10  and the rotating plate  30  is mounted to the upper housing  20  so the upper housing  20  can rotate with the rotating plate  30  relative to the lower housing  10  when the rotating plate  30  rotates relative to the retaining plate  40 . The rotation enabling member is coupled between the retaining plate  40  and the rotating plate  30  so the rotating plate  30  rotatably engages with the retaining plate  40 . The rotation enabling member, in this exemplary embodiment, comprises a pin  57 , a cut-out  45  that engages the pin  57 , and a shaft  46 . The pin  57  is retained on or rotatably affixed to the rotating plate  30  and extends into the cut-out  45 ; in this exemplary embodiment, the pin  57  is retained in a retaining hole  33  defined in the rotating plate  30 . A distal end  571  of the pin  57  is wider than the cut-out  45  so the pin  57  always engages the cut-out  45  when the pin  57  passes through the cut-out  45  thereby retaining the rotating plate  30  to the retaining plate  40 . As the rotating plate  30  rotates relative to the retaining plate  40 , the pin  57 /cut-out  45  combination prevents separation of the rotating plate  30  and the retaining plate  40 . In this exemplary embodiment, the cut-out  45  is a curved groove defined in the retaining plate  40 , including a first cut-out end  451  and a second cut-out end  452 . In this exemplary embodiment, the retaining plate  40  may be square. An imaginary line A-A connecting the first cut-out end  451  and the second cut-out end  452  is parallel to one of the pair of parallel sides of the retaining plate  40 . 
     The shaft  46  is rotatably affixed to the rotating plate  30  and rotatably engages with the retaining plate  40  so the rotating plate  30  can rotate about the shaft  46  in a plane parallel to the plane of the retaining plate  40 . In this exemplary embodiment, the shaft  46  is retained in a securing hole  32  defined in the rotating plate  30  and extends into a shaft hole  43  defined in the retaining plate  40 , and the shaft  46  is slightly smaller than the shaft hole  43  so the shaft  46  can rotate in the shaft hole  43 . A distal end  461  of the shaft  46  is wider than the shaft hole  43  preventing the shaft  46  from passing through the shaft hole  43  thereby retaining the rotating plate  30  to the retaining plate  40 . As the rotating plate  30  rotates relative to the retaining plate  40 , the shaft  46 /shaft hole  43  combination prevent separation of the rotating plate  30  and the retaining plate  40 . The pin  57  slides from the first cut-out end  451  to the second cut-out end  452  when the rotating plate  30  rotates about the shaft  46  relative to the retaining plate  40  from a first (e.g. closed) position shown in  FIG. 3  to an intermediate position shown in  FIG. 4  and a rotated third (e.g. open) position shown in  FIG. 5 . In this exemplary embodiment, the shaft hole  43  is located at one side of the cut-out  45 , and the distance D1 between the shaft hole  43  and the first cut-out end  451  is equal to the distance D2 between the shaft hole  43  and the second cut-out end  452 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , a biasing member  50  exerts a force on the pin  57  to cause the pin  57  to automatically slide relative to the cut-out  45 . The biasing member  50  is coupled between the rotating plate  30  and the retaining plate  40 . When the rotating plate  30  rotates from a first (e.g., the closed) position shown in  FIG. 3  to the intermediate position shown in  FIG. 4 , the biasing member  50  compresses to exert a force on the rotating plate  30  and the retaining plate  40 . Once the rotating plate  30  transitions to the intermediate position shown in  FIG. 4 , the rotating plate  30  automatically rotates toward the third (e.g. open) position shown in  FIG. 5  under the decompressing force exerted from the compressed biasing member  50 . The biasing member  50  may be a spring, which has a first biasing member end  51  retained to the retaining plate  40  and a second biasing member end  52  retained to the rotating plate  30 . The first biasing member end  51  defines a first latching hole  512 , the retaining plate  40  defines a retaining bore  44 , and a retaining post  54  is inserted in the first latching hole  512  and the retaining bore  43  so the first biasing member end  51  is retained to the retaining plate  40 . The second biasing member end  52  defines a second latching hole  522 , and the pin  57  inserts through the second latching hole  522  so the second biasing member end  52  retains to the rotating plate  30 . In this exemplary embodiment, the retaining bore  44  is located at another side of the cut-out  45  opposite to the shaft hole  43 , and an imaginary line B-B connecting shaft hole  43  and the retaining bore  44  is perpendicular to imaginary line A-A. The distance D3 between the retaining bore  44  and the first cut-out end  451  is equal to the distance D4 between the retaining bore  44  and the second cut-out end  452 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , in assembly, the first latching hole  512  is aligned with the retaining bore  44 , and then the retaining post  54  is inserted in the first latching hole  512  and the retaining bore  44  to retain the first biasing member end  51  to the retaining bore  44 . The second latching hole  522  is aligned with the first cut-out end  451  and the retaining hole  33 , and then the pin  57  is inserted in the first latching hole  512 , the first cut-out end  451  and the retaining hole  33  so the first biasing member end  51  is retained in the retaining hole  33  and the cut-out  45 . The shaft hole  43  is aligned with the securing hole  32 , and then the shaft  46  is inserted in the shaft hole  43  and the securing hole  32  so the rotating plate  30  is rotatably hinged to the retaining plate  40 . Finally, the rotating plate  30  is retained in the receptacle  21  to mount the rotating plate  30  to the upper housing  20  and the retaining plate  40  is retained in the compartment  11  to mount the retaining plate  40  to the lower housing  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , in use, the upper housing  20  can rotate relative to the lower housing  10  by the rotating plate  30  rotating about the shaft  46  relative to the retaining plate  40 . At this time, the pin  57  slides from the first cut-out end  451  toward the second cut-out end  452  and the biasing member  50  is compressed. When the pin  57  slides to and transitions to the intermediate position of the cut-out  45 , the biasing member  50  expands and the pin  57  automatically slides in the cut-out  45  to the second cut-out end  452  and the rotating plate  30  rotates about the shaft  46  relative to the retaining plate  40 . Thus, the upper housing  20  is automatically rotated relative to the lower housing  10  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the exemplary invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.