Patent ID: 8161604

Claim:
A 360° bi-directional rotary hinge used in a folding electronic device and connected between a base member and a cover member of said folding electronic device, the 360° bi-directional rotary hinge comprising: a fixed bracket fixedly mounted in said base member of said folding electronic device, said fixed bracket comprising an axle hole cut through top and bottom walls thereof, two stop blocks raised from the top wall thereof and disposed at two opposite sides adjacent to said axle hole and two opposing positioning notches radially extended from said axle hole in reversed directions; a rotary bracket, said rotary bracket comprising two pivot arms horizontally aligned in a line at a top side thereof, two mounting plates respectively and rotatably coupled to said pivot arms and affixed to said cover member of said folding electronic device for enabling said cover member to be opened from and closed on said base member, a stop flange located on a middle part thereof, and a vertical stub shaft downwardly extended from said stop flange and rotatably inserted through said axle hole of said fixed bracket; a limiter plate, said limiter plate comprising an annular base adapted for synchronous rotation with said vertical stub shaft of said rotary bracket, and two bottom blocks downwardly protruded from a bottom wall of the annular base thereof at two opposite sides; a stop plate, said stop plate comprising an annular base sleeved onto said vertical stub shaft of said rotary bracket for allowing rotation of said rotary bracket relative to said stop plate, a locating block radially extended from the periphery of the annular base thereof and supported on the top wall of said fixed bracket between said two stop blocks, and two arched sliding grooves bilaterally located on the top wall of the annular base thereof for receiving the two bottom blocks of said limiter plate respectively; a positioning plate provided beneath said axle hole of said fixed bracket, said positioning plate comprising an annular base adapted for rotation with said vertical stub shaft of said rotary bracket and two opposing locating blocks protruded from a top wall of the annular base thereof for engaging into the positioning notches of said fixed bracket to lock said rotary bracket in position when said vertical stub shaft is rotated to one of the positions of 0°, +180° and −180° angle; a spring ring sleeved onto said vertical stub shaft beneath the axle hole of said fixed bracket; and a fastening member fastened to a bottom side of said vertical stub shaft to secure said spring ring in place and to force said spring ring against said positioning plate, said stop plate, said limiter plate and said rotary bracket.