Patent Publication Number: US-2011047755-A1

Title: Hinge

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The relevant subject matter is disclosed in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. US27860) filed on the same date and entitled “HINGE,” which is assigned to the same assignee as this patent application. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to hinges, and particularly to a bidirectional hinge. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A collapsible device, such as a notebook computer, or a clamshell mobile phone, generally including a main body and a cover, often uses a hinge to interconnect the main body and the cover. The hinge allows the cover to be rotatable with respect to the main body, and to be folded with the main body for saving space. 
     A bidirectional hinge normally includes a horizontal pivot structure and an upright pivot structure. The horizontal pivot structure allows the cover to be rotatable with respect to the main body along a horizontal axis. The upright pivot structure allows the cover to be rotatable with respect to the main body along an upright axis. However, the traditional upright pivot structure does not allow the cover to be rotatable with respect to the main body along an upright axis in a 360 degree range. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a hinge. 
         FIG. 2  is an inverted view of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of the hinge of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, isometric view of the hinge of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are plan views of partial elements of the hinge of  FIG. 1 , but showing different using states. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment of a hinge is adapted to be mounted to a collapsible device (not shown), such as a notebook computer or a clamshell mobile phone, which includes two parts rotatably connected to each other via the hinge. The hinge includes a bracket  10 , a rack  20 , a mounting member  30 , a stopping member  40 , a limiting member  50 , and two fasteners  60 . In this embodiment, the fasteners  60  are bolts. 
     The bracket  10  is a plate, and includes a first side  12  and a second side  14  opposite to the first side  12 . The bracket  10  defines four mounting holes (not labeled) in four corners of the bracket  10 , for mounting the bracket  10  to one part of the collapsible device. The bracket  10  further defines a pivot hole  13  in a center of the bracket  10 . An arc-shaped slot  16  is defined in the bracket  10  in the vicinity of the pivot hole  13 . Two engaging walls  162 ,  164  are formed at opposite ends of the slot  16 . The second side  14  defines two opposite depressed portions  142  in communication with the pivot hole  13 . Each depressed portion  142  forms two inclined surfaces  144  connected to opposite ends of a bottom of the depressed portion  142  and the second side  14 , respectively. 
     The rack  20  is generally T-shaped, and includes a main body  22 , and two opposite shafts  23  extending from a first side  221  of the main body  22 . A protrusion is formed on a second side  222  opposite to the first side  221  of the main body  22 . A mounting piece  24  is mounted to each shaft  23 . Each of the mounting pieces  24  is able to be fixed to the other part of the collapsible device. The protrusion of the second side  222  includes a ring portion  26  and a pivoting portion  25  protruding from a center of the ring portion  26 . A cable hole  27  is defined in a center of an end surface of the pivoting portion  25 . The ring portion  26  forms two tabs  251  jointing with a circumference of the pivoting portion  25 . A plurality of posts  252  extend from the circumference of the pivoting portion  25  beside the cable hole. Two mounting holes  254  are defined in the end surface of the pivoting portion  25  beside the cable hole. 
     The mounting member  30  is generally coin-shaped. The mounting member  30  defines a through hole  311  having a double-D shape in a center of the mounting member  30 , and two arc-shaped through slots  33  around the through hole. A resilient portion  34  is formed on the mounting member  30 , opposite to the through hole  311  relative to each through slot  33 . A locating block  32  protrudes from on each resilient portion  34  at a side  31  of the locating block  32 . Two slanting surfaces  322  are formed at opposite ends of each locating block  32 , smoothly transition to the side  31 . Two holes  35  and a plurality of limiting holes  36  are defined in the mounting member  30  around the through hole  311 . 
     The stopping member  40  is generally ring-shaped. The stopping member  40  defines a round through hole  41  in a center of the stopping member  40 . Two opposite cutouts  42  are defined in the stopping member  40  and communicating with the through hole  41 . A stopping portion  44  extends outward from an edge of the stopping member  40 . 
     The limiting member  50  is generally ring-shaped. The limiting member  50  defines a round through hole  51  in a center of the limiting member  50 . A limiting portion  52  extends from an edge of the limiting member  50 , extending along an axis of the round through hole  51 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in assembly, the limiting member  50  is set around the ring portion  26  of the rack  20 . The stopping member  40  is set around the pivoting portion  25  of the rack  20 . The tabs  251  of the pivoting portion  25  engage in the cutouts  42  of the stopping member  40 , respectively. The bracket  10  is set around the pivoting portion  25  of the rack  20  via the pivoting hole  13 , with the first side  12  facing the rack  20 . The mounting member  30  is in tight contact with the second side  14  of the bracket  10 . The plurality of posts  252  of the pivoting portion  25  engage in the limiting holes  36  of the mounting member  30 , respectively. The limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  movably engages in the slot  16  of the bracket  10 . The fasteners  60  extend through the holes  35  of the mounting member  30  to screw into the mounting holes  254  of the rack  20  respectively. The resilient portions  34  of the mounting member  30  are deformed by the bracket  10  to supply force to press the mounting member  30  to the bracket  10 . 
     In use, when one part of the collapsible device rotates with respect to the other part of the collapsible device along an upright axis, the rack  20  rotates with respect to the bracket  10 . The pivoting portion  25  of the rack  20  rotates in the pivot hole  13  of the bracket  10  to drive the mounting member  30  and the stopping member  40  to rotate with respect to the bracket  10 . The locating blocks  32  of the mounting member  30  are capable of engaging in the depressed portions  142  of the bracket  10 , respectively, for locating the mounting member  30  relative to the bracket  10 . The locating blocks  32  of the mounting member  30  can be releasable from the depressed portions  142  of the bracket  10 , respectively, via the inclined surfaces  144  pressing against the slanting surfaces  322  for releasing the locating blocks  32  from the depressed portions  142  of the bracket  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the rack  20  rotates with respect to the bracket  10  clockwise at an angle, the stopping portion  44  of the stopping member  40  engages with the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50 , to slide the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  in the slot  16  of the bracket  10 , until the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  engages with the engaging wall  162  of the slot  16  to limit the rack  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , when the rack  20  rotates with respect to the bracket  10  counterclockwise at an angle, the stopping portion  44  of the stopping member  40  engages with the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  to slide the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  in the slot  16  of the bracket  10 , until the limiting portion  52  of the limiting member  50  engages with the engaging wall  164  of the slot  16  to limit the rack  20 . 
     In this embodiment, a length of the slot  16  is adjustable to control a rotating angle of the rack  20  to be 360 or more degrees. 
     While several embodiments have been disclosed, it is understood that any element disclosed in any one embodiment is easily adapted to other embodiments. It is also to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.