Patent Publication Number: US-2013250493-A1

Title: Hinge assembly and electronic device employing same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to hinge assemblies employed in folding electronic devices. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, generally employ hinges in order to rotate or swivel parts of the electronic devices. However, because these hinges are typically bought from a third-party company, the electronic devices must be matched with the hinges, which leads to a high cost and a complex structure. 
     Therefore, a need exists in the industry to overcome the described problem. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present 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 present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an electronic device with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a disassembled schematic view of the electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a spring member of a hinge assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the electronic device, showing the hinge assembly being connected between a first body and a second body of the electronic device. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the electronic device in a closed state with the spring member configured at an original unstretched state. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the electronic device, showing the second body rotated an angle relative to the first body with the spring member configured at a maximum stretched state. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the electronic device in an open state with the spring member configured at the original unstretched state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a hinge assembly  10  is employed in an electronic device  100  comprising a first body  20 , and a second body  40  capable of rotating relative to the first body  20 . A pivoting member  50  is connected between the first body  20  and the second body  40  to form a shaft  52 . The second body  40  rotates about the shaft  52  when the electronic device  100  is opened or closed. That is, the first body  20  and the second body  40  are rotatably connected with each other at ends of the first body  20  and the second body  40  and can be opened at the other ends of the first body  20  and the second body  40 . The first body  20  defines a first receiving groove  21  close to the second body  40 . The second body  40  defines a second receiving groove  41  close to the first body  20  and opposite to the first receiving groove  21 . 
     In this embodiment, the first receiving groove  21  and the second receiving groove  41  are positioned close to edges of the first body  20  and the second body  40 , respectively. The first body  20  comprises a first main part  22  in which the first receiving groove  21  is defined, and a first cover  24  assembled together. The second body  40  comprises a second main part  42  in which the second receiving groove  41  is defined, and a second cover  44  assembled together. The first main part  22  faces the second main part  42 , and the first receiving groove  21  and the second receiving groove  41  are located at one corner of the electronic device  100 , when the second body  40  is folded on the first body  20 . 
     The hinge assembly  10  comprises a spring member  12 , a first pin  14  and a second pin  16 . The first pin  14  is used to secure one end of the spring member  12  to the first body  20 . The second pin  16  is used to secure the other end of the spring member  12  to the second body  40 . Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the spring member  12  comprises a main body  122  and two securing portions  124  respectively defining a securing hole  121  and located at two opposite ends of the main body  122 . The two securing holes  121  of the spring member  12  are used to match with the first pin  14  and the second pin  16 . The first pin  14  passes through one of the securing holes  121  to fix the corresponding securing portion  124  of the spring member  12  to the first body  20 , similarly, the second pin  16  passes through the other securing hole  121  to fix the corresponding securing portion  124  of the spring member  12  to the second body  40 . 
     In assembly, the two securing portions  124  are respectively received in the first receiving groove  21  and the second receiving groove  41 . One of the two securing portions  124 , which is fixed to the second body  40 , is not collinear with the shaft  52  of the pivoting member  50 . In detail, a first axis A 1  of the shaft  52  pivoting between the first body  20  and the second body  40  and a second axis A 2  of the second pin  16  are not collinear with each other. That is, the first axis A 1  and the second axis A 2  are non-collinear and parallel with each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the electronic device  100  is configured at a closed state with the spring member  12  at an original unstretched state. When the second body  40  is rotated relative to the first boy  20  around the shaft  52 , the second pin  16  is rotated around the shaft  52  together with the second body  40  to make the spring member  12  stretch. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the second body  40  is rotated an angle B relative to the first body  20  with the spring member  12  configured at a maximum stretched state. When an angle between the second body  40  and the first body  20  is greater than the angle B, the spring member  12  enables to drive the second body  40  to rotate relative to the first body  20 , until the spring member  12  returns to the original unstretched state, shown in  FIG. 7 , simultaneously, the electronic device  100  is opened. In this embodiment, the angle B is substantially equal to thirty degrees, that is, during rotating the second body  40  relative to the first body  20 , the spring member  12  is configured at the maximum stretched state when the angle B is substantially equal to thirty degrees. 
     In use, the electronic device  100  is swiveled to form the angle B between the first body  20  and the second body  40  by a user&#39;s operation, and then the electronic device  100  can be opened just by the elasticity of the spring member  12  without any user&#39;s operation. That is, the hinge assembly  10  of the disclosure is capable of driving the second body  40  of the electronic device  100  to rotate relative to the first body  20  just by the elasticity of the spring member  12 , which leads to simplification of design of the electronic device  100 . Furthermore, the electronic device  100  employing the hinge assembly  10  can rotate or swivel the second body  40  without using standard hinges from a third-party company, which leads to low cost. 
     Although the features and elements of the present disclosure are described as embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in other various combinations within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.