Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Katsuichi Minami

Koji Sakai

Yasuchika Kudo

Takehiko Konja

Masaki Nakase

Yusho Nakase

Katsumasa Yamaguchi

Toshio Ohie

Tamotsu Yamamoto

Masaki Sawada

Takayuki Ishikawa

Tatsuya Tsuda

Naomasa Suzuki

Masayuki Miki

A folding mechanism is provided in which a rotor substantially tubelike is arranged between the stationary body and movable body; cams with given gaps are arranged at both ends of the rotor and on the facing surfaces of the stationary body and movable body; and a lubricating layer is formed between the outer circumference of the stationary shaft and the inner circumference of the rotor. The simple makeup implements a folding mechanism with a low impact when opening and reliable opening/closing operation.

Folding mechanism

Inclined plane is provided at the tip of rotor cam. On the other hand, inclined planes are also provided in specific positions of stator cam. Because of this structure, in the specific positions, the inclined planes are in resilient contact with each other. Thus, the load is increased only in the specific positions without an increase in the load of spring. This structure can provide an opening and closing device capable of securely holding only desired positions without affecting the feel of opening and closing operation of the entire device, and electronic equipment using the device.

Opening and closing device and electronic equipment using the same

A folding device can be used for various kinds of electronic apparatuses and is capable of easy processing of parts and lowering of cost. Inner casesandare mounted in outer case, which houses fixed memberand movable member. Groove portionsA andA for holding movable memberfor movement in the axial direction are provided in inner casesandto construct the folding device.

Folding device

An opening and closing device includes a fixed member, a movable member, a spring and a case. The fixed member is provided at a side with a fixed cam. The movable member is disposed so that it can rotate with respect to the fixed member, and provided at the side opposing to the fixed cam with a movable cam. The spring is for keeping the movable cam and the fixed cam in a state of elastic contact. The case has a substantially round cylindrical shape, and houses these items. There is a guiding mechanism formed between the case and the movable member for supporting the movable member so that it can move in the axis direction, which guiding mechanism is provided with a section of broader width at the end part facing to the fixed member.

Opening and closing device

An opening and closing device and an electronic apparatus using this device. In an urging section, a movable member including a movable cam on its side is urged by a spring. A slide member includes, at one end, a stationary cam, opposed to the movable cam, for resiliently contacting the movable cam. The movable member is urged in opening and closing directions in open and closed states, respectively, according to which portion of the stationary cam resiliently contacts the movable cam. A reversing section includes a release member and a reversing member. The release member includes a release cam resiliently contacting a support cam at the other end of the slide member, and the reversing member is inserted into the slide member and includes a reversing cam. When the release cam is disconnected from the support cam, the slide member slides axially, whereby the movable cam is disconnected from the stationary cam and resiliently contacts the reversing cam. The direction that urges the movable member is thus reversed, changing from the closing to opening direction.

Opening and closing device and electronic apparatus using the same

A folding device contains a stationary part, a movable part disposed to be rotatable in flip-up (unfolding) and flip-down (folding) directions, a force-applying section disposed between the two parts, which urges the movable part in either direction according to a state of the movable part, a reversing section for allowing the force-applying section to change a direction of urging of the movable part into the flip-up (unfolding) direction when the movable part is in a folded state, and an actuator for operating the reversing section. Pressing the actuator being in the folded state allows the reversing section to switch the direction of urging of the movable part into flip-up (unfolding) direction. In the electronic equipment of the present invention, the stationary and the movable housings are connected to the stationary and the movable parts of the folding device, respectively. The structures can provide a folding device equipped with a simple one-hand flipping-up (unfolding), and electronic equipment using the device.

Folding device and electronic equipment using the same

A hinge mechanism includes flangesA,B, and a swivel mechanism includes swiveling shaft. Springenergizes the swiveling mechanism. Resilient repulsion of springenergizes the swiveling mechanism to swivel toward either end of a swivelable range from a neutral position.

Coupling device and folding electronic apparatus using the same

A lever switch assures stable contact just after having its contact points contacted with each other when a lever is rotated. The lever switch includes a case, a common contact and a fixed contact both provided to case's side walls adjacent to each other, a lever rotatably held by at an opening provided in a side wall facing the common contact, a movable contact which electrically contacts and removes between the common contact and the fixed contact through being bent with the lever being rotated. A fixed section disposed at a tip of a first arm of the fixed contact is press-fitted between the common contact and a supporting protrusion. A contact section disposed at a tip of a second arm of the fixed contact elastically contacts with the left-side wall of the case. A driving section of the lever comes into contact with a bent section of the first arm of the movable contact.

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Fukui, Japan

Katsuichi Minami