Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2002-05-07
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
C016S342000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06381808
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hinge used in a note-type computer, and more particularly to a hinge used for rotatably connecting a keyboard to a display screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view of a conventional hinge used in a note-type computer.
The illustrated hinge is used for rotatably connecting a display screen
10
to a keyboard
11
. The hinge is comprised of a L-type support
12
, a rotation shaft
13
, and a nut
14
.
The L-type support
12
is fixed onto the keyboard
11
by means of a bolt
15
. The L-type support
12
is formed with a through-hole (not illustrated) at a standing portion
12
a.
The rotation shaft
13
is fixed at one end to the display screen
10
, and extends at the other end through the through-hole of the standing portion
12
a
of the L-type support. The rotation shaft
13
is formed at the other end with a threaded portion
13
a
. The rotation shaft
13
is rotatably fixed to the standing portion
12
a
of the L-type support
12
by threading the nut
14
into the threaded portion
13
a
of the rotation shaft
13
with a first washer
16
, a wave spring
17
and a second washer
18
all being sandwiched between the standing portion
12
a
and the nut
14
.
A third washer
19
is inserted around the rotation shaft
13
between the standing portion
12
a
of the L-type support
12
and the display screen
10
.
In operation, the rotation shaft
13
is rotated relative to the keyboard
11
. For instance, the rotation shaft
13
may be rotated such that the display screen
10
overlaps the keyboard
11
, or the rotation shaft
13
may be rotated such that the display screen
10
perpendicularly stands relative to the keyboard
11
.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of another conventional hinge used in a note-type computer. The illustrated hinge is suggested in Japanese Utility Model No. 3040939 published on Sep. 5, 1997 in Japan.
The illustrated hinge is used for rotatably connecting a display screen
20
to a keyboard
21
. The hinge is comprised of a support
22
having a cylindrical portion
22
a
, a rotation shaft
23
, a nut
24
, and a spring
25
.
The support
22
is fixed onto the keyboard
21
by means of a bolt
29
. The support
22
is formed with a through-hole
26
throughout the cylindrical portion
22
a
in a length-wise direction thereof The through-hole
26
is comprised of a tapered hole
26
a
and a straight hole
26
b.
The rotation shaft
23
is fixed at one end to the display screen
20
, and extends through the through-hole
26
of the support
22
. The rotation shaft
23
is designed to have a tapered portion
23
a
and a straight portion
23
b
in conformity with the tapered hole
26
a
and the straight hole
26
b
. The rotation shat
23
is formed at the other end with a threaded portion
23
c
. The rotation shaft
23
is rotatably fixed to the support
22
by threading the nut
24
into the threaded portion
23
c
of the rotation shaft
23
with the spring
25
and a washer
27
both being sandwiched between the support
22
and the nut
24
.
A frictional sheet
28
is adhered to an inner surface of the tapered hole
26
a
such that the frictional sheet
28
provides frictional force to the tapered portion
23
a
of the rotation shaft
23
.
A hinge used in a note-type computer has been required to be smaller and smaller in size and lighter and lighter in weight in order to ensure a user to readily carry a note-type computer.
On the other hand, a display screen has been designed to be wider and wider to ensure a user to readily observe what is displayed. Accordingly, a display screen increases its weight.
Thus, a hinge used in a note-type computer is now required to be small in size, light in weight, and have a strength sufficient to support a display screen which gradually increases its weight.
However, in the conventional hinges illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, since the L-type support
12
and the support
22
are formed by zinc die-casting. Accordingly, they are heavy, and cannot be formed thin because of its low strength.
Hence, the conventional hinges cannot meet with the above-mentioned requirement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of such a problem in the conventional hinges, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge used in a note-type computer which hinge is smaller and lighter than the conventional one, and has a greater strength than that of the conventional one to thereby ensure a greater upper limit in the rotation number than that of the conventional one.
There is provided a hinge rotatably connecting a first body to a second body, including (a) a main body to be fixed onto the first body, the main body including a hollow cylindrical portion horizontally extending, (b) a rotation shaft fixed at one end to the second body and rotatably connected at the other end to the main body, and (c) a frictional collar filling space therewith between the rotation shaft and the hollow cylindrical portion of the main body.
There is further provided a hinge rotatably connecting a first body to a second body, including (a) a main body to be fixed onto the first body, the main body including a hollow cylindrical portion horizontally extending, (b) a rotation shaft fixed at one end to the second body and rotatably connected at the other end to the main body, (c) an outer collar connected to the hollow cylindrical portion of the main body in a direction in which the hollow cylindrical portion extends, and (d) a frictional collar filling space therewith between the rotation shaft and both the outer collar and the hollow cylindrical portion.
It is preferable that the hinge further includes a nut, and wherein the main body further includes a wall portion covering one of sides of the hollow cylindrical portion therewith and being formed with a through-hole, in which case, the rotation shaft passes through the through-hole of the wall portion at the other end, and rotatably fixed to the wall portion by means of the nut.
It is preferable that the cylindrical hollow portion has a reduced diameter portion at a distal end thereof and the outer collar is a cylindrical collar having an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of the reduced diameter portion of the cylindrical hollow portion.
It is preferable that the cylindrical hollow portion has at least one stepped portion on the reduced diameter portion, the stepped portion having a greater outer diameter than an outer diameter of the reduced diameter portion, in which case, the outer collar is formed at one end thereof with a cut-out into which the stepped portion is to be fit.
For instance, the stepped portion may be rectangular in shape.
It is preferable that the cylindrical hollow portion has two stepped portions, and the outer collar is formed at one end thereof with two cut-outs into which the stepped portions are to be fit, in which case, the two stepped portions are spaced away from each other preferably by 180 degrees.
It is preferable that the rotation shaft has a tapered portion surrounded by the outer collar and the cylindrical hollow portion.
For instance, the outer collar is made of stainless steel, the frictional collar is made of plastic, and the rotation shaft is made of stainless steel.
It is preferable that the frictional collar is made of material having spring characteristic.
It is preferable that the nut provides a resistance of about 7 kg/cm to said rotation shaft, when the rotation shaft is rotated.
It is preferable that the rotation shaft is formed at outer surface of the tapered portion with at least one recess in which lubricant is pooled, in which case, the recess extends preferably in a length-wise direction of the rotation shaft.
As an alternative, the frictional collar may be formed at inner surface at which the frictional collar makes contact with the tapered portion of the rotation shaft, with at least one recess in which lubricant is pooled, in which case, the recess extends preferably in a length-wise direction of the rotation shaft.
For instan
Kida Minoru
Mah Chuck Y.
Young & Thompson
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