JP7535766B2 - Hinge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to hinge technology.

Various hinges that support a rotating body relative to a main body so that it can be opened and closed are known in the past. The hinge includes a fixed member that is fixed to the main body, a rotating member that is fixed to the rotating body and configured to be rotatable relative to the fixed member, a shaft that rotatably connects the rotating member to the fixed member, and a torsion spring, and rotates the rotating body so that it bounces up in a direction away from the main body due to the reaction force of the torsion spring.

A known hinge that supports the rotating body relative to the main body so that it can be opened and closed includes a cam member, a contact member having a contact that abuts against the cam surface of the cam member, a compression spring that brings the cam member and the contact member into contact, and a friction mechanism that applies friction when the rotating body rotates. The friction mechanism is configured to press against a bracket that is rotatable relative to the rotation of the rotating body and a friction plate that is non-rotatable relative to the rotation of the rotating body, causing the bracket to slide against the friction plate to generate friction (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-183698 A

However, with this hinge, the structure for lifting the rotating body from the main body becomes complicated, and there is a risk of malfunction due to manufacturing errors between parts.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a hinge that can rotate the rotating body so that it bounces up in a direction away from the main body with a simple configuration and can minimize malfunctions caused by product errors between parts.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will be explained next.

That is, in claim 1, a hinge that supports a rotating body relative to a main body so that it can be opened and closed, comprising a fixed member fixed to the main body, a rotating member fixed to the rotating body and configured to be rotatable relative to the fixed member, a shaft that rotatably connects the rotating member to the fixed member, a contact member provided on the rotating member and rotates together with the rotating member, a torsion spring through which the shaft is inserted, one end of which abuts against the fixed member and the other end of which abuts against the abutment member, thereby biasing the rotating member in a direction to open the rotating member relative to the fixed member, and a brake portion that applies a brake to the rotating member when the rotating member rotates in the opening direction, wherein the rotating members are configured as a pair and are arranged to face each other, the shaft is provided to connect the pair of rotating members, the torsion spring is arranged between the pair of rotating members, and the abutment member is configured to connect the pair of rotating members .

In claim 2 , the shaft is provided on the fixed member so as to be rotatable relative to the fixed member around its own axis, and the brake portion has a first cam member provided on the fixed member so as not to be rotatable relative to the fixed member, a second cam member provided on the shaft so as to be rotatable together with the shaft and which contacts the first cam member, and a biasing member which biases the second cam member toward the first cam member, and the first cam member and the second cam member are configured so that the combined axial thickness of the shaft becomes thicker as the rotating member rotates in the opening direction .

In claim 3 , two torsion springs are arranged side by side between the pair of rotating members along the axial direction of the shaft, and each of the two torsion springs is arranged so that the other end is closer to the axial center of the shaft than the one end.

The present invention has the following advantages.
In other words, according to the present invention, a mechanism for rotating a rotating body so as to bounce it up in a direction away from the main body can be realized with a simple configuration, and operational malfunctions caused by production errors in each component can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. The same is a front view of the hinge. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the fixed member, the rotating member, the shaft, the first cam member, the second cam member, and the contact member of the hinge. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a torsion spring of another embodiment of the hinge.

Next, the hinge 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 8 will be described.
The hinge 1 connects the main body and the rotating body so that they can be opened and closed, and rotates the rotating body so that it flips up in a direction away from the main body (opening direction). In the following, the rice cooker 90 will be described as an example in which the hinge 1 connects the main body and the rotating body so that they can be opened and closed, but the present invention is not limited to this and broadly includes, for example, a door part of a printer, an original pressing device of a multifunction machine, etc., in which the main body and the rotating body are connected so that they can be opened and closed.
For convenience, in the following description, the up, down, left, right, front and rear directions of the hinge 1 will be defined as shown in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge 1 supports the lid 92, which is a rotating body, on the main body 91 of the rice cooker 90 so that it can be opened and closed. The hinge 1 is configured to have a fixed part 2 and a rotating part 3, and the left-right direction is the longitudinal direction. In the hinge 1, the fixed part 2 is fixed to one side end (rear end) of the opening surface (top surface) of the main body 91, and the rotating part 3 is fixed to the lid 92 with the rotating part 3 protruding upward. The hinge 1 is configured to be able to rotate from a closed state in which the lid 92 covers the top surface of the main body 91 to a fully open state in which the lid 92 rotates approximately 85° upward around one side end of the main body 91 by the operation of the hinge 1. In the following description, the state in which the lid 4 is closed is referred to as the closed state of the hinge 1, and the state in which the lid 4 is open is referred to as the open state of the hinge 1.

As shown in Figures 2 to 7, the hinge 1 comprises a pair of fixed members 10, a pair of rotating members 20, a shaft 30, a pair of torsion springs 40, a first cam member 50, a second cam member 60, a contact member 70, and a disc spring 80.
The fixed member 10 and the first cam member 50 are members that constitute the fixed portion of the hinge 1 .
The rotating member 20 , the shaft 30 , the torsion spring 40 , the second cam member 60 , and the abutment member 70 are members that constitute the rotating portion 3 of the hinge 1 .

The fixed member 10, the rotating member 20, and the torsion spring 40 are arranged so as to face each other on the left and right (the rotation axis direction of the hinge). The torsion spring 40 is arranged side by side on the left and right between the fixed members 10 and the rotating members 20, which are arranged so as to face each other, and constantly biases the rotating member 20 in a direction to open the rotating member 20 (the direction in which the rotating member 20 moves away from the fixed member 10). A shaft 30 is inserted through the fixed members 10, the rotating members 20, the torsion springs 40, the first cam member 50, and the second cam member 60, and these members are arranged on one axis.
The shaft 30 is a rotation axis that rotatably connects the rotating member 20 to the fixed member 10, and functions as a support member that supports these members so that they do not move or deviate from the axis. Both ends of the shaft 30 are formed into a non-circular oval shape in cross section perpendicular to the axial direction.

The fixed member 10 is a member that is fixed to the main body 91, and is formed by bending a flat plate-shaped member or the like.
One end (lower end) of the fixing member 10 is provided with a plurality of fixing holes such as screw holes and bolt holes, and is configured so as to be able to be fixed using an appropriate fastener. The other end (upper end) of the fixing member 10 is provided with a shaft hole 11 through which the end of the shaft 30 can be inserted. The shaft hole 11 of the fixing member 10 is formed in a circular shape, and when the shaft 30 is inserted into the shaft hole 11, the shaft 30 and the fixing member 10 can rotate relative to each other.

One of the pair of fixing members 10, 10 (the left one) has a fixing groove 12. The fixing groove 12 of the fixing member 10 is formed so as to penetrate in the left-right direction near the shaft hole 11 (below and in front of the shaft hole 11).

The fixing member 10 has an engaging portion 13 .
The locking portion 13 of the fixing member 10 is a portion to which one end 41 of the torsion spring 40 is locked. One end 41 of the torsion spring 40 is hooked and abuts against the locking portion 13 of the fixing member 10 to be locked. The locking portion 13 of the fixing member 10 is configured such that the upper end portion of the front surface of the fixing member 10 at the midpoint is cut out.

The rotating member 20 is a member fixed to the rotating body (lid 92) and configured to be rotatable with respect to the fixed member 10. The rotating member 20 is configured by bending a flat plate-shaped member or the like.
One end (upper end) of the rotating member 20 is provided with a plurality of fixing holes such as screw holes and bolt holes, and is configured to be fixed using an appropriate fastener. The other end (lower end) of the rotating member 20 is provided with a shaft hole 21 through which the end of the shaft 30 can be inserted. The shaft hole 21 of the rotating member 20 is formed in a non-circular oval shape that is approximately the same cross-sectional shape as the end of the shaft 30, and when the shaft 30 is inserted into the shaft hole 21, both the shaft 30 and the rotating member 20 rotate . In addition, when the shaft 30 is inserted into the shaft hole 21 of the rotating member 20, the rotating member 20 (shaft hole 21) is located inside the fixed member 10 (shaft hole 21) in the axial direction of the shaft 30.
A connecting hole 22 is formed in the other end of the rotating member 20 near the shaft hole 21 (above and in front of the shaft hole 21).

The abutment member 70 is a rod-shaped member against which the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 abuts, and is disposed so as to span between the rotating members 20. The abutment member 70 is disposed above and rearward of the shaft 30, and the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 abuts against the abutment member 70 so as to be hooked near the left-right center (near the center in the rotation axis direction of the hinge 1). At this time, the other end 42 of the pair of torsion springs 40 are disposed at the left and right ends of the hinge 1, respectively, and the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 is disposed closer to the center in the rotation axis direction of the hinge 1 than the one end 41 of the torsion spring 40. With the one end 41 of the torsion spring 40 abutting against the fixed member 10, the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 abuts against the abutment member 70 so as to be hooked, whereby the torsion spring 40 generates a biasing force in a direction in which the rotating member 20 opens.
The abutting member 70 has locking grooves 71 at both ends, and an E-ring is attached to the locking grooves 71 of the abutting member 70 with both ends of the abutting member 70 inserted into the connecting holes 22 of the rotating member 20. In this manner, the abutting member 70 is configured to connect the pair of rotating members 20.

A disk-shaped first cam member 50 is disposed to the left of the fixed member 10 at the left end of the shaft 30. A through hole 51 is formed in the center of the first cam member 50, through which the left end of the shaft 30 is inserted. The through hole 51 is formed in a circular shape, and when the shaft 30 is inserted into the through hole 51, the shaft 30 and the first cam member 50 can rotate relative to each other.

A protrusion 52 that protrudes downward and forward is formed on the front end of the first cam member 50. Specifically, the protrusion 52 is formed by bending a portion of the first cam member 50 that extends downward and forward at a substantially right angle. Then, the protrusion 52 is inserted into the fixing groove 12 of the fixed member 10, so that the first cam member 50 cannot rotate with respect to the fixed member 10.
A first cam surface is formed on the left side surface of the first cam member 50 .

A disk-shaped second cam member 60 is disposed to the left of the first cam member 50. A through hole 61 is formed in the center of the second cam member 60, through which the left end of the shaft 30 is inserted. The shape of the through hole 61 is a non-circular oval shape that is approximately the same as the cross-sectional shape of the left end of the shaft 30. Therefore, when the shaft 30 is inserted into the through hole 61, the shaft 30 and the second cam member 60 cannot rotate relative to each other.

A second cam surface is formed on the right side surface of the second cam member 60. The second cam surface is in contact with the first cam surface.
When the rotating member 20 rotates from a closed state relative to the fixed member 10 in the opening direction, the first cam surface and the second cam surface (the portions where the first cam surface and the second cam surface abut) are each configured as inclined surfaces so that the combined thickness of the first cam member 50 and the second cam member 60 becomes thicker.

A plurality of disc springs 80, which serve as urging members, are disposed on the left side of the second cam member 60 (the side of the tip of the shaft 30) and are inserted through the shaft 30. The second cam member 60 is urged toward the first cam member 50 by the right ends of the disc springs 80.
In this embodiment, four disc springs 80 are used, but the number is not limited to four.

Nuts, washers, etc. are attached to both ends of the shaft 30 to prevent the shaft 30 from falling off the shaft hole 11 of the fixed member 10 or the shaft hole 21 of the rotating member 20, and to prevent the first cam member 50, the second cam member 60, the disc spring 80, etc. from falling off the shaft 30.

In this way, as the rotating member 20 rotates in the opening direction relative to the fixed member 10, the combined thickness of the first cam member 50 and the second cam member 60 gradually increases, and the force resisting the biasing force of the disc spring 80 increases. Therefore, as the rotating member 20 rotates in the opening direction relative to the fixed member 10, a brake is applied, and the impact when the rotating body (lid 92) is rotated so as to bounce up in the direction away from the main body 91 (opening direction) can be mitigated.

As described above, the hinge 1 includes the fixed member 10, the rotating member 20, the shaft 30, the torsion spring 40, the first cam member 50, the second cam member 60, the abutment member 70, and the disc spring 80, and thus can realize a simple configuration that can absorb the impact when the rotating body (lid 92) is rotated so as to bounce up in a direction away from the main body 91 (opening direction).

As described above, the torsion spring 40 and the abutment member 70 are provided, and one end 41 of the torsion spring 40 abuts the fixed member 10, and the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 abuts the abutment member 70, so that the torsion spring 40 biases the rotating member 20 in the direction of opening. This makes it possible to realize a simple configuration that rotates the rotating body (lid 92) so that it bounces up in the direction away from the main body 91, and minimizes malfunctions caused by product errors in each part.

As described above, the rotating members 20 are configured as a pair, arranged to face each other on the left and right, the torsion spring 40 is arranged between the opposing rotating members 20, the shaft 30 is inserted through the torsion spring 40, and the abutment member 70 is arranged to span between the rotating members 20, and is configured to connect the pair of rotating members 20, 20. This allows for a simple and compact configuration to be realized that rotates the rotating body (lid 92) so as to bounce up in a direction away from the main body 91.

As described above, the other end 42 of the pair of torsion springs 40 is positioned at the left and right ends of the hinge 1, respectively, and the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 is positioned closer to the center of the hinge 1 in the rotation axis direction than one end 41 of the torsion spring 40, and abuts near the left and right center of the abutment member 70, so that the force exerted by the torsion spring 40 in the direction to open the rotating member 20 can be stabilized, and the operation of rotating the rotating body (lid 92) so as to bounce up in a direction away from the main body 91 can be more stabilized.

The rotating member 20 includes an abutment portion 24 .
When the rotating member 20 rotates in the opening direction, the abutment portion 24 of the rotating member 20 abuts against the fixed member 10, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotating member 20 and setting the rotating member 20 in a fully open state (rotation angle of the rotating member 20 is 85°). The abutment portion 24 of the rotating member 20 is formed by bending a front end of one end of the rotating member 20 outward at a substantially right angle.

The fixing member 10 has a cutout portion 14 .
The notch 14 of the fixed member 10 is configured so that the rear surface of the vertical midpoint of the fixed member 10 is notched in a concave shape. By providing the notch 14 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the rotating member 20 from interfering with the fixed member 10 before the rotating member 20 rotates in the opening direction and reaches the fully open state.

A method for assembling the hinge 1 will now be described.
First, the torsion spring 40 is inserted onto the shaft 30, and both ends of the shaft 30 are inserted into the shaft holes 21 of the rotating member 20, and then both ends of the shaft 30 are inserted into the shaft holes 11 of the fixed member 10. At this time, one end 41 of the torsion spring 40 is disposed in the locking portion 13 of the fixed member 10.
Next, the first cam member 50, the second cam member 60 and a washer are inserted into the left end of the shaft 30, and both ends of the shaft 30 are fixed with nuts or the like.
In this state, the abutting member 70 is inserted into the connecting hole 22 of the rotating member 20 and fixed by an E-ring. Then, the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 is hooked onto the abutting member 70.
In this manner, the hinge 1 is assembled.

As described above, after assembling the fixed member 10, the rotating member 20, the shaft 30, the first cam member 50, and the second cam member 60, the hinge 1 is assembled by attaching the abutment member 70 to the rotating member 20 and hooking the other end 42 of the torsion spring 40 to the abutment member 70. This reduces the complexity of assembling the hinge 1 even when the hinge 1 includes the torsion spring 40.

The torsion spring 40 is not limited to being configured as a pair, but may be configured as a single spring or three or more springs.
When a single torsion spring 40 is used, the pair of torsion springs 40 can be configured so that their adjacent ends (other ends 42) are connected to each other (see FIG. 8), and both ends of the torsion spring 40 are locked to the locking portions 13 of the fixing member 10, and the center of the torsion spring 40 abuts against the abutment member 70. By configuring in this way, the number of parts can be reduced, and the complexity of the assembly work of the hinge 1 can be further reduced.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 hinge 2 fixed portion 3 rotating portion 10 fixed member 20 rotating member 30 shaft 40 torsion spring 41 one end portion 42 other end portion 50 first cam member 60 second cam member 70 abutment member 80 disc spring 90 rice cooker 91 main body 92 lid

Claims (3)

A hinge that supports a rotating body so as to be openable and closable relative to a main body,
A fixing member fixed to the main body;
A rotating member fixed to the rotating body and configured to be rotatable relative to the fixed member;
a shaft that rotatably connects the rotating member to the fixed member;
a contact member provided on the rotating member and rotating together with the rotating member;
a torsion spring through which the shaft is inserted, one end of which abuts against the fixed member and the other end of which abuts against the abutment member, and which biases the rotating member in a direction to open the rotating member relative to the fixed member;
a brake unit that applies a brake to the rotating member when the rotating member rotates in the opening direction;
Equipped with
The rotating members are configured as a pair and are arranged to face each other,
The shaft is provided to connect the pair of rotating members,
the torsion spring is disposed between the pair of rotating members,
The abutment member is configured to connect the pair of rotating members.
Hinge. The shaft is provided on the fixed member so as to be rotatable relative to the fixed member around its own axis,
The brake unit includes:
a first cam member provided on the fixed member so as to be non-rotatable relative to the fixed member;
a second cam member provided on the shaft so as to be rotatable together with the shaft and in contact with the first cam member;
a biasing member that biases the second cam member toward the first cam member;
having
The first cam member and the second cam member are configured such that, when the rotating member rotates in the opening direction, a combined thickness of the first cam member and the second cam member in the axial direction of the shaft increases.
The hinge of claim 1 . Two of the torsion springs are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the shaft between the pair of rotating members,
Each of the two torsion springs is disposed such that the other end is closer to the axial center of the shaft than the one end.
A hinge according to claim 1 or claim 2 .

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