Arrangement at a mobile telephone

Details Arrangement at a mobile telephone Arrangement at a mobile telephone

1999-03-11

2001-11-27

Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)

Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,

Hinge

Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...

C016S303000, C016S285000, C379S433020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06321415

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to an arrangement in connection with a cellular mobile telephone apparatus, comprising a protective hatch or flip pivotably arranged on a housing of said apparatus, said flip being pivotable around an axle and arranged to physically cover at least parts of a keypad on said apparatus, whereby said axle comprises passive hinge means at one end for establishing a physical pivotable connection along an axis of pivot for the flip, and active hinge means at its other end for positively affecting said flip to occupy at least one certain predetermined position.
Mobile telephones provided with such a flip or a hatch, for covering a key pad thereon, have been used by certain manufacturers for some years. The main purpose with such a flip—being to protect said keypad from inadvertent manipulation—has been tackled electronically by other manufacturers through the use of key pad locks, being initiated by inserting a certain code for using the keypad.
Mobile telephones have now become so small that such a flip must be used for establishing the right distance between the earpiece and a sound receiving means, namely a sound channel leading to a microphone or the microphone itself. For obtaining the best possible fidelity of the sound registered by said microphone, it should preferably be placed in said flip.
It is for practical reasons desired that the flip on such a small mobile telephone should be made positively openable by for instance pressing a button on the side of the mobile telephone and thereafter be kept in a certain angular use-position. For geometrical reasons this can not be achieved by a conventional cam follower mechanism in the hinge means, frequently used until now.
Such cam followers, like for instance according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,089, comprise a compression spring, which biasses the cam follower mechanism to keep the flip in either a closed position, covering the keypad, or an open position revealing the same, while at the same time establishing a suitable speaking position (use-position). With such a cam follower it is not possible to both establish the positions of the flip mentioned above and achieve an override function. An override function is a function enabling the flip in its open position to be turned beyond this use-position, being about 160° separated from the closed position, up to maybe 180°, when e.g. laid upside down on a table and pushed down unintentionally.
SUMMARY
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mobile telephone apparatus with improved means for positively opening such a flip, and at the same time achieving an override function as described above.
To meet this object said active hinge means in said arrangement is arranged in a substantially closed compartment at one end of said housing and is constituted from a shaft and a combined torsion/pressure spring arranged thereon, having at its respective ends, fingers acting as counteracting parts of a torsion spring for positively urging the flip from a closed position covering the keypad to an open use position at 120°-170° from said closed position, and also constituted from press surfaces affected by a cam curve or follower arrangement to obtain a non-destructive override function for the flip.
By this arrangement the axial force of said spring is enclosed in the arrangement and will therefore not affect the flip in any other way than giving it a positive urge towards a use position. This gives the advantage that it eliminates the risk for fatigue cracking of the outer parts of the flip due to a constant tension from said spring.


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