Hinge device of portable terminal with foldable structure

1 . A hinge device, comprising:

a housing positioned between one end of a first body and one end of a second body;

a first hinge blade and a second hinge blade fixed to the first body and the second body, respectively, and supported by the housing to rotate at a predetermined angle between an unfolded position in which the first body and the second body are placed on the same horizontal line and a folded position in which the first body and the second body face each other and come into contact with each other;

a link lever for interlocking the first hinge blade and the second hinge blade with each other so that the first hinge blade and the second hinge blade move relative to each other; and

a tension mechanism comprising a tension fixing member having a first guide shaft and a second guide shaft disposed thereon in the direction of the hinge axial line, a first tension blade and a second tension blade fitted to the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft, rotating supportedly thereagainst, and movable to axial directions, tension operating members movably fitted to the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft in the axial directions, and elastic members for applying elastic forces to the tension operating members,

wherein the first hinge blade and the second hinge blade have a first inclined link groove and a second inclined link groove formed on undersides thereof, and correspondingly thereto, the link lever has a first link protrusion and a second link protrusion formed on tops thereof, the link lever being disposed rotatably to a predetermined angle in the housing, and

wherein a plurality of inclined protrusions are formed on the tension operating members in a circumferential direction around the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft, and another plurality of inclined protrusions that can be fitted corresponding to the inclined protrusions are formed on the first tension blade and the second tension blade.

2 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein the first inclined link groove and second inclined link groove are rectangular inclinedly in the same directions as each other with respect to the rotation center of the corresponding link lever.

3 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein the first inclined link groove and the second inclined link groove and portions on which the first inclined link groove and second inclined link groove are formed are curvedly formed toward the rotating directions of the first hinge blade and the second hinge blade.

4 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein link lever has a shaft hole formed at the center thereof and thus fitted to a lever shaft formed on the housing so that the link lever is rotatable by the predetermined angle around the lever shaft.

5 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein the first link protrusion and the second link protrusion become reduced in width toward tops thereof.

6 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein a first pair of semi-circular protrusions and a second pair of semi-circular protrusions are formed on inner wall surfaces of both sides of the housing, and semi-circular grooves are formed on the first hinge blade and second hinge blade, respectively, to be rotated by fitting the semicircular protrusions thereto.

7 . The hinge device according to claim 6 , wherein the first pair of semi-circular protrusions and the second pair of semi-circular protrusions are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to allow a predetermined curvature radius formed on a folding portion of a flexible display panel to be accommodated in the predetermined distance at the folding position.

8 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein the tension mechanism has tension guide protrusions protruding from the first tension blade and the second tension blade, respectively, and the tension guide protrusions are inserted into and guided in rectangular tension guide holes formed on one side of the first hinge blade and second hinge blade.

9 . The hinge device according to claim 1 , further comprising elastic members elastically installed at interlocking portions between the first and the second hinge blade and the first and the second tension blade, and located furthest from the rotation axis of the first tension blade and the second tension blade.