Electrical connection for telephone with hinged cover

Details Electrical connection for telephone with hinged cover Electrical connection for telephone with hinged cover

1998-09-28

2001-08-07

Vo, Nguyen T. (Department: 2682)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Having particular housing or support of a transceiver

C455S575100, C455S351000, C379S433130

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272324

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to portable radio communication devices having a hinged cover and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for establishing an electrical connection between transceiver electronics in the main body of the radio communications device and remote electrical components in the hinged cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cellular telephones having a hinged cover, commonly known as a flip, are offered by several manufacturers. The hinged cover is movable between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the hinged cover extends over the keypad of the telephone. In the open position, the hinged cover provides a convenient extension to the phone and, when fitted with a microphone, is well positioned to receive audio input from the user's mouth. One problem with flips or hinged covers containing electrical components is the difficulty of interconnecting the remote electrical components and/or circuits in the flip to the transceiver electronics in the main body of the phone. One approach is to utilize flex circuits extending through the hinge to establish the necessary electrical connections. This approach, however, presents several disadvantages including concern about the durability of the flex circuit during high-cycle flexing, difficulty of assembly, and increased costs. Also, when antennas are integrated into the flip, R/F performance of the antenna can be adversely affected by the flex cable design unless carefully controlled impedance matching is included in designs.
Another method of connecting remote electronics in a hinged cover to the transceiver electronics in the main body of the phone is to use discrete wires routed through the hinge. The main problem with this approach is that the hinge is relatively small and thus only a limited number of cables or wires can be accommodated. Further, routing of RF signals through the hinge is difficult since coaxial cables are needed which require a large volume. A further problem is the difficulty of predicting and testing the life of a highly flexed cable assembly which is repeatedly twisted in this manner. Thus, this approach limits the number and type of electronics that can be placed on the hinged cover.
Another drawback of using flex cables or discrete wires to make electrical connections between the main body and hinged cover is that the hinged cover cannot be removed. This is a major concern since phones are frequently dropped. To prevent or repair damage to the flip, it is desirable to design the flip in such a way that the flip can be practically detached and reattached from the main body when exposed to excessive forces or replacement needs. When this occurs, the cabling or wiring may be pulled loose or otherwise damaged rendering the phone inoperable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new method and apparatus for making an electrical connection between remote electronics contained in a hinged cover and transceiver electronics disposed in the main body of a radiotelephone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a portable radio communication device including a main body section housing the transceiver electronics and a hinged cover. One or more remote electrical components or circuits are disposed on the hinged cover. The remote electrical components/circuits may include, for example, a microphone, antenna, RF amplifier and impedance matching circuits. Fixed contacts on the main body and movable contacts on the hinged cover are used to establish an electrical connection between the remote electronics in the hinged cover and the transceiver electronics in the main body. In a preferred embodiment, the fixed contacts are mounted in a portion of the hinge, and the movable contacts are mounted along a bottom edge of the hinged cover. Using contacts to make the electrical connection between the main body and the hinged cover eliminates the need for flex cables or discrete wires routed through the hinge.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the main body includes first and second sets of fixed contacts. The first set of fixed contacts establishes an electrical connection between the hinged cover and main body when the hinged cover is in the closed position. The second set of contacts maintains the electrical connection when the hinged cover is in an open position. When the hinged cover travels between the closed position and open position, the electrical connection is momentarily broken. However, continuous contact is not necessary since the phone may be programmed to allow for a time delay. If it is desired to maintain a continuous electrical connection between the hinged cover and the main body, commutating contacts can be used to maintain the electrical connections throughout the entire range of movement of the hinged cover.
In another aspect of the invention, detent features can be incorporated into the fixed contacts on the main body and the movable contacts on the hinged cover. Detent features integrally formed in the contacts could be used either in place of or conjunction with mechanical detents on the hinge itself.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3860312 (1975-01-01), Gordon, Jr.
patent: 4850882 (1989-07-01), Yu
patent: 5170173 (1992-12-01), Krenz
patent: 5237488 (1993-08-01), Moser et al.
patent: 5508709 (1996-04-01), Krenz
patent: 5542850 (1996-08-01), Frantz
patent: 5732331 (1998-03-01), Harms

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