Self-locking hinge apparatus with a single stable state
AssigneeBenq Corporation
InventorLong-Jyh Pan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-locking hinge apparatus with a single stable state includes a pivotal shaft, a retaining ring, a stator, a compression spring, and a rotor. The retaining ring, the compression spring, the stator and the rotor are arranged in series along the pivotal shaft. The stator is slide-able but not rotatable on the pivotal shaft. The rotor is both slide-able and rotatable on the pivotal shaft. By providing the compression spring to enforce a cam-contact between the stator and the rotor, an auto cam sliding pair is then formed to make the hinge apparatus stabilized automatically at the predetermined stable state.
Claims19
A self-locking hinge apparatus with a single stable state for providing a hinge rotational movement and automatic stabilizing at the single stable state, comprising:
- a pivotal shaft, further having a retaining end and a free end;
- a retaining ring, slidably and pivotally mounted on the pivotal shaft at the retaining end;
- a stator mounted on the pivotal shaft in a slide-able but not rotatable manner;
- a compression spring mounting on the pivotal shaft between the retaining ring and the stator;
- and
- a rotor, slidably and pivotally mounted on the pivotal shaft adjacent to the free end and pressing the stator;
- wherein the rotor has a sliding surface facing the stator that forms a strictly concave surface surrounding the pivotal shaft, the sliding surface having a lowest point, the stator having a bulged point extending to and pressing upon the sliding surface such that when the stator and the rotor are initiated at a position, the compression spring pushes the bulged point of the stator in the axial direction of the pivotal shaft on the sliding surface of the rotor to make the sliding surface automatically sliding on the bulged point and to drive the rotor rotating about the pivotal shaft and to stop the sliding and the rotating until the bulged point reaches the lowest point of the sliding surface.
A self-locking hinge apparatus with a single stable state for providing a hinge rotational movement and automatic stabilizing at the single stable state, comprising:
- a pivotal shaft, having a retaining end and a free end;
- a retaining ring, pivotally and slidably mounted on the pivotal shaft at the retaining end;
- a stator, mounting on the pivotal shaft in a slide-able but not rotatable manner;
- a compression spring, mounting on the pivotal shaft between the retaining ring and the stator;
- and
- a rotor, slidably and pivotally mounted on the pivotal shaft adjacent to the free end and pressing the stator;
- wherein the stator has a stator surface facing the rotor that is formed a strictly concave surface surrounding the pivotal shaft, the stator surface having a lowest point, the rotor having a bulged point extending to and pressing upon the stator surface such that when the stator and the rotor are initiated at a position, the compression spring pushes the bulged point of the rotor in the axial direction of the pivotal shaft to enable the bulged point to automatically slide on the stator surface and to drive the rotor rotating about the pivotal shaft and to stop the sliding and rotating until the bulged point reaches the lowest point of the stator surface.
A folding apparatus, comprising:
- a first member, having a first installation side;
- a second member, having a second installation side corresponding to the first installation side;
- and
- at least one self-locking hinge apparatus with a single stable state, located on the first installation side and the second installation side to allow the first member stacking over the second member, wherein the hinge apparatus provides a single stable state and comprises:
- a pivotal shaft, having a retaining end and a free end;
- a retaining ring, fixedly located on the first installation side of the first member proximate to the retaining end of the pivotal shaft having an inner shaft opening to allow the pivotal shaft to slide therein;
- a stator, mounting on the pivotal shaft in a slide-able but not rotatable manner and having a stator surface facing the free end of the pivotal shaft;
- a compression spring, mounting on the pivotal shaft between the retaining ring and the stator;
- and
- a rotor, fixedly located on the second installation side of the second member proximate to the free end of the pivotal shaft having a shaft opening to allow the pivotal shaft to slide and rotate therein, and having a sliding surface facing the stator and pressing the stator surface to form an auto cam sliding pair;
- wherein the auto cam sliding pair has a sliding stop point;
- when the stator surface of the stator and the sliding surface of the rotor are coupled and contacted the compression spring pushes the stator towards the rotor to make the sliding surface automatically slide on the stator surface until reaching the sliding stop point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.