CN221903738U - Portable Ultrasound Devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable ultrasound device includes a support arm, a first rotating assembly, and a second rotating assembly. The first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly are/is of a non-single-shaft structure, the non-single-shaft structure comprises a base, a first shaft and a second shaft, the first shaft and the second shaft are rotatably arranged on the base, and the axes of the first shaft and the second shaft are parallel to each other. The first shaft and the second shaft of the first rotating assembly are respectively connected with the supporting arm and the host machine, and/or the first shaft and the second shaft of the second rotating assembly are respectively connected with the supporting arm and the display device. Through this floating device, display device can float between a plurality of positions relative host computer, improves medical personnel's control convenience. In addition, the first rotating component and/or the second rotating component are/is of a non-single-shaft structure, at least two shafts are adopted as rotating shafts in the non-single-shaft structure, and each shaft can adaptively share torque according to specific rotating operation, so that the display device rotates smoothly and saves labor relative to a host.

Description

Portable Ultrasound Devices

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a portable ultrasound device.

Background Art

Ultrasound equipment is a very important device in the medical field. It can use ultrasonic signals to map the physiological state of the tissues in the body of the subject in real time. Generally, ultrasound equipment is divided into large-volume desktop ultrasound equipment and portable ultrasound equipment that is easy to carry, such as a portable ultrasound equipment with a shape similar to that of a laptop computer.

The portable ultrasound device includes a host and a display device, wherein the host is the control part of the portable ultrasound device, and the display device can display various ultrasound imaging related information. In order to improve the control convenience of medical staff, the display device of some portable ultrasound devices adopts a touch screen design, and medical staff can directly perform relevant operations on the touch screen to reduce the lag and complexity of the operation.

However, the touch form has very high requirements on the posture of the touch screen in space. Medical staff often encounter the following situations during use: when sitting for diagnosis, the touch screen is too far away from the hand and difficult to touch; when standing for diagnosis, the flip angle of the touch screen is not suitable and the height of the touch screen is not enough.

Utility Model Content

The present application provides a portable ultrasound device to demonstrate a structure that enables a display device to have more position changes relative to a host.

In one embodiment, a portable ultrasound device is provided, characterized in that it includes:

A host, the host comprising a control unit for signal processing and an input unit for inputting a control instruction to the control unit;

A display device, the display device is used to display ultrasound information;

and a floating device, wherein the floating device is connected between the host and the display device, and the display device can float between a plurality of positions relative to the host by means of the floating device;

The floating device comprises a supporting arm, a first rotating assembly and a second rotating assembly, wherein the supporting arm is connected to the host through the first rotating assembly so that the supporting arm can rotate relative to the host, and the display device is connected to the supporting arm through the second rotating assembly so that the display device can rotate relative to the supporting arm;

The first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly is a non-single-axis structure, and the non-single-axis structure includes a base, a first axis and a second axis, the first axis and the second axis are both rotatably arranged on the base, and the axes of the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other;

Wherein, the first axis and the second axis of the first rotating assembly are respectively connected to the supporting arm and the host, and/or the first axis and the second axis of the second rotating assembly are respectively connected to the supporting arm and the display device.

In one embodiment, the connection structure between the first rotating assembly and the host, the connection structure between the first rotating assembly and the support arm, and/or the first rotating assembly is a quick-release structure;

And/or, the connection structure between the second rotating assembly and the display device, the connection structure between the second rotating assembly and the support arm, and/or the second rotating assembly is a quick-release structure.

In one embodiment, the second rotating assembly includes a first connecting seat, the first shaft is connected to the first connecting seat; the first connecting seat is a first quick-release connecting piece, the display device has a second quick-release connecting piece, and the first quick-release connecting piece and the second quick-release connecting piece form the quick-release structure.

In one embodiment, the quick-release structure includes at least one of a magnetic quick-release structure, a snap-on quick-release structure, a screw-on quick-release structure, and a tight-fit quick-release structure.

In one embodiment, in the non-single-axis structure, the first axis and the second axis respectively form a damping axis structure with the base.

In one embodiment, in the non-single-axis structure, the first axis and the second axis are respectively inserted into corresponding friction sleeves to form the damping axis structure, and the friction sleeves are arranged on the base.

In one embodiment, the host has a positioning structure, and the positioning structure can position the display device in the front-rear direction of the host, so as to position the display device at different positions in the front-rear direction.

In one embodiment, the positioning structure has one of a damping positioning structure, a magnetic positioning structure and a limiting structure.

In one embodiment, the positioning structure has at least two positioning positions arranged along the front-to-back direction of the host, and the display device can be positioned at any one of the positioning positions.

In one embodiment, the non-single-axis structure includes a first connecting seat and a second connecting seat, the first connecting seat is connected to the first axis, and the second connecting seat is connected to the second axis;

Wherein, the first connecting seat and the second connecting seat of the first rotating component are respectively connected to the host and the supporting arm, and/or the first connecting seat and the second connecting seat of the second rotating component are respectively connected to the display device and the supporting arm.

In one embodiment, the support arm is a retractable structure to extend and shorten the distance from the display device to the first rotating assembly.

In one embodiment, the first rotating assembly is installed on the rear side wall of the host; and the second rotating assembly is installed on the back side of the display device.

In one embodiment, the display device is a touch display screen;

The back side of the display device has a recessed portion, and the recessed portion is used to accommodate the support arm when the display device is buckled on the host.

In one embodiment, the first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly is a hinged structure.

According to the portable ultrasound device of the above embodiment, it includes a host, a display device and a floating device. The floating device is connected between the host and the display device. The floating device includes a support arm, a first rotating assembly and a second rotating assembly. The first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly is a non-single-axis structure, which includes a base, a first axis and a second axis, and the first axis and the second axis can be rotatably arranged on the base, and the axes of the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other. Among them, the first axis and the second axis of the first rotating assembly are respectively connected to the support arm and the host, and/or the first axis and the second axis of the second rotating assembly are respectively connected to the support arm and the display device. Through the floating device, the display device can float between multiple positions relative to the host, improving the convenience of operation for medical staff. Moreover, the first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly is a non-single-axis structure, which uses at least two axes as rotating axes, and each axis can adaptively share torque according to the specific rotation operation, so that the rotation of the display device relative to the host is smoother and more labor-saving.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a portable ultrasound device in an embodiment of the present application when the display device is in a flipped state, wherein the circle A is a floating device;

FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a floating device in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG3 is an exploded view of a non-uniaxial structure in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the rotation of a non-single-axis structure in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a display device being completely buckled onto a host in one embodiment of the present application;

6-10 are schematic diagrams showing the display device flipped relative to the host to different postures in some embodiments of the present application;

11 and 12 are schematic diagrams showing that the support arm is a retractable structure and can be retracted in length at different positions in some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a display device being detached from a floating device via a quick-detach structure in an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is further described in detail below by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein similar elements in different embodiments adopt associated similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are intended to enable the present application to be better understood. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, and methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, in order to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by too much description, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

In addition, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be interchanged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a required sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

The serial numbers of the components in this document, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings).

The present application provides a portable ultrasound device. In order to meet the user's requirements for more postures of a display device in the portable ultrasound device, the portable ultrasound device provides a floating support structure for the display device.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the portable ultrasound device includes a host 100 , a display device 200 , and a floating device 300 .

The host 100 includes a control unit for signal processing and an input unit for inputting control instructions to the control unit. The control unit is the main control system of the portable ultrasound device, for example, it controls the ultrasound probe to emit ultrasonic signals and processes the ultrasonic echoes received by the ultrasound probe to form an image. The input unit can be a series of physical buttons or touch buttons, etc., so that the user can input control instructions to the control unit through the input unit. The display device 200 is used to display ultrasound information, which can be a pure display screen or a touch display screen, but is not limited to it. When it is a touch display screen, the touch display screen itself can also be used as a component for inputting control instructions to facilitate the user to input control instructions to the control unit.

The floating device 300 is connected between the host 100 and the display device 200. The display device 200 can float between multiple positions relative to the host 100 with the help of the floating device 300. The display device 200 relative to the floating device 300 and the floating device 300 relative to the host 100 can achieve a rotation angle equal to or greater than 180°, so as to achieve multi-angle flipping of the multi-angle display device 200, for example, to achieve flipping of various postures as shown in Figures 5-10, so as to meet the user's use requirements for the display device 200 in different use situations, and facilitate the user to view the information displayed in the display device 200. When the display device 200 is a touch screen, it can also change to a posture that is more convenient for the user to perform touch operations according to the needs of the user.

Please refer to FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, the floating device 300 includes a support arm 310, a first rotating assembly 320, and a second rotating assembly 320. The support arm 310 is connected to the host 100 through the first rotating assembly 320 so that the support arm 310 can rotate relative to the host 100. The display device 200 is connected to the support arm 310 through the second rotating assembly 320 so that the display device 200 can rotate relative to the support arm 310. Through the floating device 300, the display device 200 can float between multiple positions relative to the host 100, thereby improving the convenience of operation for medical staff. In some embodiments, the first rotating assembly 320 and/or the second rotating assembly 320 are hinged structures so as to realize rotation connection through a hinge.

The first rotating assembly 320 and/or the second rotating assembly 320 can both realize the requirement of the two connected objects rotating with each other, for example, a rotating connection structure is formed by using a rotating shaft. Among them, the first rotating assembly 320 and/or the second rotating assembly 320 is a non-single-axis structure. Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the non-single-axis structure 301 includes a base 304, a first axis 302 and a second axis 303. The first axis 302 and the second axis 303 can be rotatably arranged on the base 304, and the axes of the first axis 302 and the second axis 303 are parallel to each other. Since the non-single-axis structure 301 uses two axes, the two axes can be combined between the torque size or whether there is torque, which is more convenient for users to use than a single-axis structure, and the rotation is more varied, smoother and more stable.

In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 3 , the non-single-axis structure 301 includes a first connection seat 304 and a second connection seat 305, wherein the first connection seat 304 is connected to the first axis 302, and the second connection seat 305 is connected to the second axis 303, such as the first axis 302 is fixed on the first connection seat 304, and the second axis 303 is fixed on the second connection seat 305. The first connection seat 304 and the second connection seat 305 of the first rotating assembly 320 are respectively connected to the host 100 and the support arm 310, and/or the first connection seat 304 and the second connection seat 305 of the second rotating assembly 320 are respectively connected to the display device 200 and the support arm 310. The connection method generally adopts a fixed connection, such as but not limited to screw connection, magnetic fixation, adhesive fixation, welding fixation, riveting fixation or snap fixation.

When the first rotating assembly 320 adopts a non-single-axis structure 301, the first axis 302 and the second axis 303 of the first rotating assembly 320 are respectively connected to the support arm 310 and the host 100. And/or, when the second rotating assembly 320 adopts a non-single-axis structure 301, the first axis 302 and the second axis 303 of the second rotating assembly 320 are respectively connected to the support arm 310 and the display device 200. The non-single-axis structure 301 adopts at least two axes as rotating axes, and each axis can adaptively share torque according to a specific rotating operation, so that the rotation of the display device 200 relative to the host 100 is smoother and more labor-saving.

The following description will be made by taking the first rotating assembly 320 and the second rotating assembly 320 both adopting the non-single-axis structure 301 as an example.

When the user uses the device in a sitting position, as shown in FIG6 , the display device 200 is normally turned on for use. At this time, the display device 200 is too far from the human eyes and hands, and the operation is inconvenient. After adopting the floating device 300, the entire display device 200 can be moved forward, so that the display device 200 is placed on the body of the host 100, so that the display device 200 is closer to the user. At this time, in the non-single-axis structure 301 of the first rotating component 320 and the second rotating component 320, both axes can adaptively rotate to corresponding angles, and the support arm 310 is supported forward. In this operation mode, the user can adjust the angle and posture of the entire touch screen forward according to different usage habits to meet personal usage habits.

When the user uses the display device in a standing position, only the second rotating assembly 320 is used to meet the requirements of the standing position. In this state, the display device 200 is slightly far from the user, which may not be suitable for some users. However, because the first rotating assembly 320 and the second rotating assembly 320 can both rotate 180°, the posture shown in FIG. 8 can be displayed. At this time, the display device 200 is closer to the user, which is more convenient for some users to operate. Furthermore, due to the dual 180° rotation characteristics of the first rotating assembly 320 and the second rotating assembly 320, the two postures shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 10 can be realized, which are more convenient for users to use in a standing position, and are suitable for people of different heights and different operating habits.

When the user is in a standing position, the screen needs to be adjusted forward, and the display device 200 is adjusted from the posture shown in FIG. 7 to the posture shown in FIG. 8. Within this adjustment angle, the advantage of the non-single-axis structure 301 over the single-axis structure is that when the user adjusts the display device 200, in the non-single-axis structure 301 of the second rotating component 320, the second axis 303 can be set to be torque-free, so that the display device 200 and the support arm 310 only need to rotate within the angle range from the initial separation to the posture shown in FIG. 7, thereby making the user's adjustment easier and faster. Continue to rotate to increase the separation angle. At this time, the display device 200 cannot be overlapped on the host 100 and needs to be suspended, that is, from FIG. 7 to FIG. 8, the second axis 303 is rotated to the extreme position and cannot be rotated. At this time, the first axis 302 of the non-single-axis structure 301 of the second rotating component 320 can be rotated. The dual-axis solution can make the first axis 302 have a larger torque to meet the requirements of suspended operation. At the same time, the jitter of the display device 200 during use by the user can also be smaller.

In order to enable the display device 200 to hover at any angle within the rotation range, in some embodiments, the first rotating assembly 320 and the second rotating assembly 320 may adopt a damping shaft structure. Of course, other suspension structures may also be used to achieve hovering at a set angle. For example, a torsion spring suspension structure, a gas spring suspension structure, etc. may be used but are not limited to. To this end, in the non-single-axis structure 301, the first axis 302 and the second axis 303 respectively form a damping shaft structure with the base 304.

Specifically, please refer to FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, in the non-single-axis structure 301, the first axis 302 and the second axis 303 are respectively inserted into the corresponding friction sleeve 306 to form a damping axis structure, and the friction sleeve 306 is disposed on the base 304. The first axis 302 and the second axis 303 can respectively form a damping suspension structure with the corresponding friction sleeve 306, so that the display device 200 can be suspended at any angle.

Of course, in some embodiments, if it is not considered to make the display device 200 suspended relative to the host 100, the suspension structure may not be used, and the display device 200 is kept at different flip angles when passing through the host 100. For example, in some embodiments, the host 100 has a positioning structure, and the positioning structure can position the display device 200 in the front and back direction of the host 100, so as to position the display device 200 at different positions in the front and back direction. The front and back direction means that when the display device 200 is unfolded to 90°, the user faces the display in normal use, and the end of the host 100 close to the user is the front side, and the end away from the user is the back side. That is, under the perspective shown in Figure 7, the left side of the figure is the front, and the right side is the back.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the positioning structure only needs to be able to prevent the display device 200 from continuing to move along the front-to-back direction on the host 100 and exert a certain force on it to position it in a set position. The positioning structure may have but is not limited to one of a damping positioning structure, a magnetic positioning structure and a limiting structure.

The damping positioning mechanism refers to contacting the display device 200 and providing a certain friction force, so that the display device 200 can be positioned at different positions in the front-back direction, for example, by providing a silicone pad or other structure that can increase the friction force.

The magnetic positioning structure positions the display device 200 at different positions in the front-to-back direction by means of magnetic adsorption. For example, a plurality of magnets or magnetically attracted parts that can be attracted by magnets can be arranged on the host 100 along the front-to-back direction, and the display device 200 is provided with corresponding magnets or magnetically attracted parts. The magnetically attracted parts at different positions are attracted by magnets, thereby realizing the positioning of the display device 200 in the front-to-back direction.

The limiting structure refers to a structure that prevents the display device 200 from moving in the front-to-back direction, such as a limiting groove or a limiting block, etc. The limiting structure is arranged on the track of the display device 200 moving in the front-to-back direction to prevent the display device 200 from continuing to move in the front-to-back direction. When the position needs to be adjusted, the display device 200 can be lifted to avoid the corresponding limiting structure, so as to continue to move the display device 200.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the positioning structure has at least two positioning positions arranged along the front-to-back direction of the host 100 , and the display device 200 can be positioned at any of the positioning positions.

Of course, when the positioning structure is used to position the display device 200, the first rotating component 320 and the second rotating component 320 can still adopt other suspension structures, such as a damping suspension structure or other suspension structures, to ensure that the display device 200 can have the function of hovering in the air.

Furthermore, if the user needs to move the display device 200, it will be troublesome to pick up the entire device to move and hold it. Therefore, in some embodiments, the connection structure between the first rotating component 320 and the host 100, the connection structure between the first rotating component 320 and the support arm 310, and/or the first rotating component 320 is a quick-release structure; and/or, the connection structure between the second rotating component 320 and the display device 200, the connection structure between the second rotating component 320 and the support arm 310, and/or the second rotating component 320 is a quick-release structure.

3 and 13, in a more specific embodiment, the second rotating assembly 320 includes a first connection seat 304, and the first shaft 302 is connected to the first connection seat 304. The first connection seat 304 is a first quick-release connection member, the display device 200 has a second quick-release connection member, and the first quick-release connection member and the second quick-release connection member form a quick-release structure.

The quick-release structure includes at least one of a magnetic quick-release structure, a snap-on quick-release structure, a screw-on quick-release structure, and a tight-fit quick-release structure. For example, in some embodiments of the magnetic quick-release structure, when hovering is required, the first quick-release connector and the second quick-release connector can be fixed together by a magnet to facilitate quick release. In some embodiments of the snap-on quick-release structure, the first quick-release connector and the second quick-release connector can be snap-on and fixed to each other in the direction of gravity. When removal is required, the display device 200 can be removed from the second rotating assembly 320 against the direction of gravity.

Further, please refer to Figures 11 and 12. In some embodiments, the support arm 310 is a retractable structure to extend and shorten the distance from the display device 200 to the first rotating component 320. As shown by the arrows in Figures 11 and 12, the display device 200 can be extended to the position indicated by the arrow through the retractable support arm 310. Generally, in the case of sitting and standing diagnostic operations, the support arm 310 can move the display device 200 further forward to meet the user's higher and more convenient use needs. In some embodiments, the retractable structure can be adopted but not limited to drawer slides, gear racks, conveyor belts, electric push rods, slide rails, etc.

5 and 6 , in some embodiments, the first rotating assembly 320 is mounted on the rear side wall of the host 100, and the second rotating assembly 320 is mounted on the back side 201 of the display device 200. This structure allows the display device 200 to completely cover the upper surface of the host 100.

Further, please refer to Figure 5. In some embodiments, the back side 201 of the display device 200 has a recessed portion 202, and the recessed portion 202 is used to accommodate the support arm 310 when the display device 200 is buckled on the host 100. At the same time, combined with the non-single-axis structure 301, the support arm 310 can be completely attached to the back side 201 of the display device 200, and the entire back side 201 has no protrusions or depressions, thereby making the appearance more neat.

The above specific examples are used to illustrate the present invention, which are only used to help understand the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art of the present invention, some simple deductions, deformations or substitutions can be made based on the idea of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. A portable ultrasound device, comprising:

The host comprises a control unit for signal processing and an input unit for inputting a control instruction to the control unit;

a display device for displaying ultrasonic information;

And a floating device connected between the host and the display device, the display device being capable of floating between a plurality of positions relative to the host by means of the floating device;

The floating device comprises a supporting arm, a first rotating assembly and a second rotating assembly, wherein the supporting arm is connected with the host through the first rotating assembly so that the supporting arm can rotate relative to the host, and the display device is connected with the supporting arm through the second rotating assembly so that the display device can rotate relative to the supporting arm;

The first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly are/is of a non-single-shaft structure, the non-single-shaft structure comprises a base, a first shaft and a second shaft, the first shaft and the second shaft are rotatably arranged on the base, and the axes of the first shaft and the second shaft are parallel to each other;

the first shaft and the second shaft of the first rotating assembly are respectively connected with the supporting arm and the host machine, and/or the first shaft and the second shaft of the second rotating assembly are respectively connected with the supporting arm and the display device.

2. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the connection structure between the first rotating assembly and the host, the connection structure between the first rotating assembly and the support arm, and/or the first rotating assembly is a quick release structure;

And/or the connecting structure between the second rotating assembly and the display device, the connecting structure between the second rotating assembly and the supporting arm and/or the second rotating assembly is of a quick-dismantling structure.

3. The portable ultrasound device of claim 2, wherein the second rotational assembly comprises a first connection mount, the first shaft being connected to the first connection mount; the first connecting seat is a first quick-dismantling connecting piece, the display device is provided with a second quick-dismantling connecting piece, and the first quick-dismantling connecting piece and the second quick-dismantling connecting piece form the quick-dismantling structure.

4. The portable ultrasound device of claim 2, wherein the quick release structure comprises at least one of a magnetic attraction quick release structure, a snap-fit quick release structure, a screw-fit quick release structure, and a tight-fit quick release structure.

5. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein in the non-uniaxial configuration, the first and second axes form a damped axis configuration with the base, respectively.

6. The portable ultrasound device of claim 5, wherein in the non-uniaxial configuration, the first shaft and the second shaft are each threaded into a corresponding friction sleeve to form the damped shaft configuration, the friction sleeves being disposed on the base.

7. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the host computer has a positioning structure capable of positioning the display device in a front-to-back direction of the host computer to position the display device in different positions in the front-to-back direction.

8. The portable ultrasound device of claim 7, wherein the positioning structure has one of a damped positioning structure, a magnetically attracted positioning structure, and a spacing structure.

9. The portable ultrasound device of claim 7, wherein the positioning structure has at least two positioning positions aligned in a front-to-rear direction of the host computer, the display device being positionable in either of the positioning positions.

10. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the non-uniaxial structure comprises a first connection mount and a second connection mount, the first connection mount being connected to the first shaft, the second connection mount being connected to the second shaft;

The first connecting seat and the second connecting seat of the first rotating assembly are respectively connected with the host machine and the supporting arm, and/or the first connecting seat and the second connecting seat of the second rotating assembly are respectively connected with the display device and the supporting arm.

11. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the support arm is a telescoping structure to extend and shorten the distance of the display device to the first rotating assembly.

12. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the first rotating assembly is mounted to a rear sidewall of the host; the second rotating assembly is mounted on the back of the display device.

13. The portable ultrasound device of claim 1, wherein the display device is a touch display screen;

The back of the display device is provided with a concave part which is used for accommodating the supporting arm when the display device is covered on the host.

14. The portable ultrasound device of any of claims 1-13, wherein the first rotating assembly and/or the second rotating assembly are hinged structures.