Patent Publication Number: US-2011072620-A1

Title: Hinge

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a hinge, and more particularly to a hinge adapted for a foldable electronic appliance such as a notebook computer, a flip phone, and the like. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Conventionally, a foldable electronic appliance, such as a notebook computer, a flip phone and so on, has a host body and a display apparatus pivoted to the host body by means of a hinge. The display apparatus can be unfolded when in use, and be folded to couple on the host body when not in use so as to reduce the size to facilitate storing and carrying. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a traditional hinge includes a second connector  20 ′ having a pintle  21 ′, a first connector  10 ′ pivoted to the pintle  21 ′ by means of a pivotal flange  11 ′ thereof, a plurality of positioning detents  30 ′ and a plurality of resilient spacers  40 ′ alternately wore to the pintle  21 ′. Finally a free end of the pintle  21 ′ is engaged with a nut  50 ′ to preclude disengagement of the pivotal flange  11 ′, the positioning detents  30 ′ and the resilient spacers  40 ′ from the pintle  21 ′. The first connector  10 ′ further has a latch finger  12 ′ near to the pintle  21 ′. One of the positioning detents  30 ′ is acted as a braking element  31 ′ buckled with the latch finger  12 ′. The second connector  20 ′ is secured to the host body and the first connector  10 ′ is secured to the display apparatus so that the display apparatus may be swiveled about the pintle  21 ′ for folding and unfolding relative to the host body. In the process of opening the display apparatus relative to the host body, the first connector  10 ′ is driven to swivel about the pintle  21 ′ that further drives the pivotal flange  11 ′ and the braking element  31 ′ to swivel relative to other positioning detents  30 ′ and the resilient spacers  40 ′ for generating friction resistance force thereamong. So the display apparatus is positioned relative to the host body by means of the friction resistance force. 
     However, the traditional hinge has too many components and a complicated assembly, and takes a high cost. So it would be desirable to provide an improved hinge capable of overcoming the foregoing problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge adapted to be connected between a display apparatus and a host body of a foldable electronic appliance for permitting the display apparatus to be swiveled relative to the host body. The hinge includes a first connector, a second connector and a fastening element. The second connector has a pivotal device and a fastening member adapted to be fastened to the host body of the electronic appliance. The pivotal device has a columned pintle of which a peripheral outside protrudes outward to form a locating rib. The first connector has a hollow pivotal sleeve with a slot penetrating therethrough to break off the pivotal sleeve, a coupling flap and a locating strip which are spaced from each other in a parallel relation and connected with two opposite edges of the slot respectively. The coupling flap is fastened to the display apparatus of the electronic appliance. The pivotal sleeve is pivotally sleeved to the pintle to make the first connector rotatable relative to the second connector and further make the display apparatus swivelable relative to the host body. The locating rib is able to slide along and abut against a peripheral inside of the pivotal sleeve to produce a friction resistance force therebetween for positioning the display apparatus at any inclined angle relative to the host body. The locating rib is able to be further buckled in the slot of the pivotal sleeve. The fastening element is adapted to hold the locating strip and the coupling flap closely together and adjust a space between the locating strip and the coupling flap to further regulate the friction resistance force between the locating rib and the peripheral inside of the pivotal sleeve. 
     As described above, the hinge of the present invention mainly includes the first connector, the second connector and the fastening element, and utilizes the friction resistance force between the locating rib and the peripheral inside of the pivotal sleeve to make the display apparatus positioned at any inclined angle relative to the host body. So the hinge of the present invention has simple structure and assembly, and further reduces the manufacture cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hinge in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the hinge of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a lateral view of a first connector of the hinge of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral view of a second connector of the hinge of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the hinge of  FIG. 1 , wherein the hinge is in a folded state; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing that the hinge of  FIG. 1  is in an unfolded state; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing that the hinge of  FIG. 1  is used in a notebook computer, wherein a display apparatus of the notebook computer is partially cut away to expose the hinge; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a hinge according to the prior art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a hinge in accordance with the present invention includes a first connector  10 , a second connector  20 , a locating clamp  30  and a plurality of fastening elements  40 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the first connector  10  has a hollow cylindrical pivotal sleeve  11  with a slot  12  opened along a generatrix thereof and penetrating therethrough to break off the pivotal sleeve  11 . The first connector  10  further includes a substantially flat coupling flap  14  and a flat locating strip  13  which are parallel to and spaced from each other to be connected with two opposite edges of the slot  12  respectively and define a space  18  therebetween communicating with the slot  12 . The locating strip  13  defines a plurality of first locking holes  16  and the coupling flap  14  defines a plurality of second locking holes  17  one-to-one corresponding to the first locking holes  16 . The coupling flap  14  further defines a plurality of fastening holes  15  each penetrating therethrough. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the second connector  20  includes a pivotal device  21  and a fastening member  28  connected with the pivotal device  21 . The fastening member  28  includes a substantially L-shaped fastening dock  23  and a connection board  22  connecting one end of the pivotal device  21  and a side edge of the fastening dock  23 . The plane of the connection board  22  is perpendicular to that of the fastening dock  23  and the axis of the pivotal device  21 . One side edge of the connection board  22  is longer than the other side edge thereof so that an oblique angle is formed between the extension direction of the connection board  22  and the planes of the fastening dock  23 . The fastening dock  23  defines a plurality of fastening apertures  24  each penetrating therethrough. The pivotal device  21  is connected at the same side of the connection board  22  as the fastening dock  23 , and includes a prop pillar  211  connected with the connection board  22  and a columned pintle  212  extending from a middle of an end surface of the prop pillar  211 . A peripheral outside of a free end of the pintle  212  defines a ring-shaped locking groove  213  coaxial with the pintle  212 . A locating rib  214  is protruded at a peripheral outside of the pintle  212  along a generatrix of the pintle  212  and between the prop pillar  211  and the locking groove  213 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  again, in assembly, the pivotal sleeve  11  of the first connector  10  is pivotally sleeved to the pintle  212  of the second connector  20 , and the fastening elements  40  are fastened into the first locking holes  16  and the corresponding second locking holes  17  to secure the locating strip  13  and the coupling flap  14  together. Then the locating clamp  30  is mounted in the locking groove  213  to restrain the pivotal sleeve  11  between the prop pillar  211  and the locating clamp  30 . In this embodiment, the fastening elements  40  are screws. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , it shows that the hinge of the present invention is used in a notebook computer  50  as an example. The notebook computer  50  includes a host body  52  and a display apparatus  51  pivoted to the host body  52  by means of the hinge, wherein the coupling flap  14  of the first connector  10  is secured to the display apparatus  51  by means of the fastening holes  15 , and the fastening dock  23  of the second connector  20  is secured to the host body  52  by means of the fastening apertures  24 . The display apparatus  51  may be swiveled about the pintle  212  of the hinge for folding and unfolding relative to the host body  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , when the display apparatus  51  is folded and closed onto the host body  52 , the locating rib  214  of the second connector  20  is just buckled into the slot  12  of the first connector  10 . In the process of opening the display apparatus  51  relative to the host body  52 , the pivotal sleeve  11  is driven by the coupling flap  14  to rotate about the pintle  212  that makes the locating rib  214  slide out of the slot  12  to abut against the inside of the pivotal sleeve  11  so as to produce a friction resistance force therebetween. Moreover, the pivotal sleeve  11  is propped outward by the locating rib  214  that makes the pivotal sleeve  11  further produces an inward elasticity to make the locating rib  214  tightly against the inside of the pivotal sleeve  11  for strengthening the friction resistance force between the locating rib  214  and the inside of the pivotal sleeve  11 . So the display apparatus  51  may be positioned at any inclined angle relative to the host body  52  by means of the friction resistance force. Furthermore, the friction resistance force between the locating rib  214  and the inside of the pivotal sleeve  11  can be further strengthened by means of further screwing the fastening elements  40  to narrow the space  18  between the locating strip  13  and the coupling flap  14 , namely shorten the diameter of the pivotal sleeve  11 . 
     As described above, the hinge of the present invention mainly includes the first connector  10 , the second connector  20  and the fastening elements  40 , and utilizes the friction resistance force between the locating rib  214  of the second connector  20  and the inside of the pivotal sleeve  11  of the first connector  10  to make the display apparatus  51  positioned at any inclined angle relative to the host body  52 . So the hinge of the present invention has simple structure and assembly, and further reduces the manufacture cost.