Torque hinge with clutch mechanism
A torque hinge is such that a driven-side member can be rotated with respect to a driving-side member with a sufficiently small force even if inner and outer rings are connected by a frictional force applied by a connection member. Coil springs each having a pair of hook portions are mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring, which is supported by a cylindrical support member. Further, a control member for controlling the coil springs is in series in the axial direction on the support member, and the control member allows rotation about a common rotation axis of the inner and outer rings with respect to the support member. The support member and the control member are provided with hook grooves into which the hook portions of the coil springs are respectively fitted. The coil springs retain or liberate the outer ring by a required operation.
1 . A torque hinge comprising an inner ring and an outer ring that have a common rotation axis, and a connection member disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring so as to selectively connect/disconnect the inner ring and the outer ring by a required frictional force, the inner ring and the outer ring being rotatable integrally or relatively against the required frictional force, wherein
the outer ring is inserted into a cylindrical support member so as to be supported by the cylindrical support member, and coil springs each having a pair of hook portions are mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring,
a plurality of control members for controlling the coil springs are assembled in series in an axial direction with the cylindrical support member, the control members being rotatable about the common rotation axis with respect to the cylindrical support member, and the cylindrical support member having hook grooves into which one of the pair of hook portions of each of the coil springs is to be fitted and the control members each having a hook groove into which another one the pair of hook portions of a respective one the coil springs is to be fitted, and
the coil springs retain or liberate the outer ring by a required operation.
2 . The torque hinge according to claim 1 , wherein the coil springs and the control members are arranged one on each of axial sides of the cylindrical support member, the cylindrical support member is assembled with a bevel gear that is rotatable about a support shaft perpendicular to the common rotation axis, and the control members are equipped with arcuate racks extending in a circumferential direction to mesh with the bevel gear.
3 . The torque hinge according to claim 2 , wherein the coil springs arranged on the axial both sides of the cylindrical support member are composed of wires that are wound in directions opposite to each other when viewed from one axial end.
4 . The torque hinge according to claim 2 , wherein each of the control members has a cylindrical support protrusion to enter between an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring and an outer peripheral surface of the inner ring, and the connection member is supported from axial sides by the cylindrical support protrusions of the control members arranged on the axial sides of the cylindrical support member.
5 . The torque hinge according to claim 1 , wherein the coil springs tighten and retain the outer ring in a state in which the coil springs are mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring and no force is applied to each of the pairs of hook portions, and the control members rotate with respect to the cylindrical support member so that the coil springs liberate the outer ring.
6 . The torque hinge according to claim 1 , wherein the connection member is non-rotatable with respect to the outer ring.
7 . The torque hinge according to claim 6 , wherein the connection member is retained from axial sides by a pair of retainers, and each of the pair of retainers is locked with the outer ring in a circumferential direction by a circumferential locking means.
8 . The torque hinge according to claim 6 , wherein the connection member is a spring member including a metal thin plate having spring portions to be in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the inner ring.