Patent Abstract:
An electronic device includes a main body, a hinge assembly, and a flip cover. The hinge assembly includes a sliding rail mounted to the main body, a sliding base slidably assembled with the sliding rail, and a pivotal shaft. The pivotal shaft is rotatably and adjustably hinged to the sliding base. The flip cover is fixed to the pivotal shaft. The flip cover is capable of being rotated and slid relative to the main body via the hinge assembly, thereby enabling a plurality of configurations for the flip cover under a plurality of usage or turn-on states.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to hinges and, in particular, a hinge assembly applied to the electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Touch panel computers are widely used. However, the commonly-used touch panel computer always have poor typing performance. Thus, there always requires to use an external keyboard for facilitating the user to type in letters and specifically control the touch panel computer. In addition, in order to obtain a proper viewing angle of the touch panel computer, there needs an external support mechanism for supporting the touch panel computer and adjusting the view angle of the touch panel computer. However, the existing external keyboard and the external support mechanism both occupy a large volume with complicated structures, and are hard to assemble and inconvenient to carry. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of an embodiment of an electronic device, in an unused (turn-off) state. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in a first turn-on state. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded, isometric view of the electronic device of  FIG. 2 , in which the electronic device includes a main body, a flip cover, and a hinge assembly adjustably connecting the flip cover to the main body. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded, isometric view of a first embodiment of the hinge assembly of the electronic device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a second turn-on state of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a third turn-on state of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  shows an exploded, isometric view of a second embodiment of the hinge assembly of the electronic device of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIGS. 1 through 3 , show an embodiment of an electronic device  100  including a main body  10 , a flip cover  20 , and two hinge assemblies  30 . The main body  10  defines a keyboard area  104 . The flip cover  20  has a display screen  21 . The flip cover  20  is rotatably and slidably mounted to the main body  10  via the two hinge assemblies  30 . The flip cover  20  may be rotated relative to the main body  10  for adjusting a proper viewing angle of the display screen  21  of the flip cover  20 , and is also capable of sliding relative to the main body  10  for exposing the keyboard area  104  of the main body  10 . In the illustrated embedment, the display screen  21  is a touch screen. The flip cover  20  is a touch panel computer. The number of the hinge assemblies  30  is not limited to two, and it may also be one or more than two, according to the actual needs. 
         [0015]    The main body  10  is substantially rectangular, and includes a top operating surface  101 , a front edge surface  102 , and a rear edge surface  103  opposite to the front edge surface  102 . The keyboard area  104  is formed on the top operating surface  101 , and positioned adjacent to the front edge surface  102 . Two receiving slots  105  are parallely defined in the top operating surface  101  of the main body  10 , along a direction substantially perpendicular to the front and rear edge surfaces  102 ,  103 , and are positioned opposite and adjacent to two ends of the keyboard area  104 . In the illustrated embodiment, a cross-section of each receiving slot  105  is substantially an inverted T-shape. One end of each receiving slot  105  communicates with the rear edge surface  103 . The number of the receiving slots  105  is equal to the number of hinge assemblies  30 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows that the two hinge assemblies  30  are assembled parallel into the two receiving slots  105  of the main body  10 , and are further rotatably assembled with the flip cover  20 . Each hinge assembly  30  includes a sliding rail  31 , a sliding base  32 , a pivotal shaft  33 , a connecting member  34 , and a shaft sleeve  35 . The sliding rail  31  is substantially rectangular and is assembled within the receiving slot  105  of the main body  10 . A stop block  315  is formed on a top surface of a first end of the sliding rail  31 . A guiding slot  311  is defined in the sliding rail  31  longitudinally, to be extending from a cross-section of a second end of the sliding rail  31  toward the opposite first end of the sliding rail  31 . A sliding slot  313  is defined through the top surface of the sliding rail  31  longitudinally, to be communicating with the corresponding guiding slot  311 . In the illustrated embodiment, the sliding rail  31  is made by insert molding technology. In other embodiments, the sliding rail  31  can also be integrally-formed with the main body  10 . 
         [0017]    The sliding base  32  is a substantially T-shaped body, and includes a guiding portion  321  and a support portion  323  perpendicularly formed on a substantially middle portion of the guiding portion  321 . The sliding base  32  is slidably assembled with the sliding rail  31 , along with the guiding portion  321  of the sliding base  32  slidably engaging into the guiding slot  311  of the sliding rail  31 , and the support portion  323  passes through and partially exposes from the corresponding sliding slot  313  of the sliding rail  31 . The support portion  323  defines a pivotal hole  3231  and two limiting slots  3233  positioned at two sides of the pivotal hole  3231 . 
         [0018]    The pivotal shaft  33  rotatably passes through the sliding base  32 , and further fixes with the flip cover  20 , thereby rotatably assembling the flip cover  20  to the sliding base  32 . The pivotal shaft  33  includes a first shaft portion  331 , a flange  333 , and a second shaft portion  335  coaxially connecting together in that order. The flange  333  is substantially disk shaped, and is coaxially positioned between the first shaft portion  331  and the second shaft portion  335 . The second shaft portion  335  has a diameter substantially the same as that of the pivotal hole  3231  of the sliding base  32 , and is capable of rotatably passing through the pivotal hole  3231  of the sliding base  32 . The flange  333  resists against the support portion  323  for connecting the pivotal shaft  33  with the mounted flip cover  20  to be configured at a preset angle, as in use. An end surface of the flange  333  facing toward the corresponding support portion  323  forms an elastic protrusion (not shown) for latching with the corresponding limiting slots  3233  of the support portion  323 . 
         [0019]    The connecting member  34  and the shaft sleeve  35  are fixedly mounted to two ends of the pivotal shaft  33 , respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting member  34  is a substantially L-shaped plate, and includes a first connecting portion  341  and a second connecting portion  343  bending from one side of the first connecting portion  341 . The second connecting portion  343  defines a second shaft hole  3431  corresponding to the first shaft portion  331 . The shaft sleeve  35  defines a third shaft hole  351  having a shape corresponding to that of the second shaft portion  335  such that the shaft sleeve  35  is securely sleeved on the second shaft portion  335 . 
         [0020]    When assembling the hinge assembly  30 , the guiding portion  321  of the sliding base  32  aligns with and slidably engages into the guiding slot  311  of the sliding rail  31 , the support portion  323  passes through the corresponding sliding slot  313  and is partially exposed from the top surface of the sliding rail  31 . The second shaft portion  335  of the pivotal shaft  33  rotatably passes through the pivotal hole  3231  of the sliding base  32  and is fixed into the third shaft hole  351  of the shaft sleeve  35 , such that, the pivotal shaft  33  is rotatably assembled to the sliding base  32 . The flange  333  resists against the support portion  323 . The second connecting portion  343  of the connecting member  34  is fixed to the first shaft portion  331  of the pivotal shaft  33 , together with the first shaft portion  331  securely engaged into the second shaft hole  3431 , to finish the assembly of the hinge assembly  30 . As in use, the sliding base  32  together with the pivotal shaft  33 , the connecting member  34  and the shaft sleeve  35 , is capable of sliding relative to the sliding rail  31 , the pivot shaft  33  together with the connecting member  34  and the shaft sleeve  35 , is rotated relative to the sliding base  32   
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows again, when assembling the electronic device  100 , the two sliding rails  31  of the two assembled hinge assemblies  30  are engaged into and received within the two receiving slots  105  of the main body  10 . The support portion  323  of each hinge assembly  30  is partially exposed from the corresponding receiving slot  105 , together with the connecting member  34  and the shaft sleeve  35 . The flip cover  20  is finally fixed to the two connecting members  34  to finish the assembly of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows the electronic device  100  in an un-used/turn-off state, the flip cover  20  is folded and covered over the main body  10 , with the display screen  21  facing against the corresponding top operating surface  101  of the main body  10 . Also  FIG. 2 , shows when using the electronic device  100 , the flip cover  20  is capable of being rotated away from the front edge surface  102  of the main body  10  to expose the keyboard area  104 . In addition, the display screen  21  of the flip cover  20  remains at a proper viewing angle relative to the main body  10 , such that, a user can control the electronic device  100  by operating the keyboard area  104  or directly touching the display screen  21 . Also FIG.  5  shows a second usage or turn-on state of the electronic device  100 , in which the flip cover  20  is capable of being further rotated to form a substantially 180 degrees with the main body  10 ; namely, the flip cover  20  is configured substantially parallel to the main body  10 . Also  FIG. 6 , shows a third usage or turn-on state of the electronic device  100 , in which the flip cover  20  is pushed to slide toward the front edge surface  102  side of the main body  10 , and finally overlaps on the main body  10 , to form a configuration with the display screen  21  facing away from the main body  10 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 7  shows an exploded isometric view of a second embodiment of the hinge assembly  50 . The hinge assembly  50  includes a sliding base  52 , a pivotal shaft  53 , a connecting member  54 , a friction washer  55 , a limiting washer  56 , a retaining washer  57 , a sleeving washer  58 , and a fastener  59 . The sliding base  52  has substantially the same shape as that of the sliding base  32  of the first embodiment. The sliding base  52  defines a pivotal hole  5231  and two limiting holes  5233  positioned at two sides of the pivotal hole  5231 . The friction washer  55 , the limiting washer  56 , the retaining washer  57 , and the sleeving washer  58  are all disk-shaped and sleeved on the pivotal shaft  53  in that order. The limiting washer  56  forms two positioning posts  563  on a first end surface of the limiting washer  56 , corresponding to the two limiting holes  5233  of the sliding base  52 . Two engaging slots (not shown) are defined in a second end surface of the limiting washer  56 . The retaining washer  57  forms two retaining blocks  573  on one end surface of the retaining washer  57  corresponding to the two engaging slots of the limiting washer  56 . 
         [0024]    When assembling the hinge assembly  50 , a first end of the pivotal shaft  53  passes through the friction washer  55 , the pivotal hole  5231  of the sliding base  52 , the limiting washer  56 , the retaining washer  57 , and the sleeving washer  58  in that order, and is finally fixed by the fastener  59 . The two positioning posts  563  of the limiting washer  56  are engaged into the two limiting holes  5233  of the sliding base  52 , such that, the limiting washer  56  is non-rotatable relative to the sliding base  52 . The retaining washer  57  together with the sleeving washer  58  is non-rotatably sleeved on the pivotal shaft  53 , with the two retaining blocks  573  latched into the corresponding two engaging slots of the limiting washer  56 . The connecting member  54  is finally fixed to a second end of the pivotal shaft  53 . 
         [0025]    In use, when the connecting member  54  is rotated relative to the sliding base  52 , the pivotal shaft  53  is driven to rotate simultaneously, and thus, the retaining washer  57 , the sleeving washer  58  and the fastener  59 , together with the pivotal shaft  53 , are also driven to rotate. However, the limiting washer  56  together with the sliding base  52  is non-rotatable, and thus, the two retaining blocks  573  of the retaining washer  57  are forced to disengage away from the corresponding two engaging slots of the limiting washer  56 . In addition, the retaining blocks  573  elastically resist against the second end surface of the limiting washer  56 , thereby retaining the connecting member  54  to stop at a proper position. 
         [0026]    Finally, while various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8