Folding communication device

Details Folding communication device Folding communication device

2000-09-19

2001-11-27

Trost, William (Department: 2683)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Having particular housing or support of a transceiver

C455S575100, C455S550100, CD14S137000, CD14S13800C

Reexamination Certificate

active

06324386

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to folding communication devices and in particular folding mobile telephones.
In recent years the demand for compact, lightweight mobile telephones has given rise to a variety of such telephones which have two housings which are joined by a hinge. This allows the two housings of the telephone to be folded together to conserve space when the telephone is not being used. Prior to use however, the telephone may be unfolded so that the two housing portions are at an obtuse angle to each other, one housing portion carrying a microphone and the other a loudspeaker.
Various mechanisms have been devised in order to hinge the two housing portions and to allow the user to open and close the hinge. One such device is disclosed in UK patent application GB 2300880 A, having a hinge which joins two housing portions of a mobile phone. In the hinge mechanism there is a torsional spring for providing the force for moving one of the housing bodies with respect to the other into the open position. There is also a latch mechanism in the hinge to resist the force of this spring, in order that when the phone is in the closed state it should normally remain closed.
The latch mechanism consists of a cam situated in the axis of the hinge which is stopped from rotating by a leaf spring mounted adjacent to it, and in turn stops the hinge from rotating. In order to open the phone, the user may depress a button situated at one end of the hinge, which has the effect of moving the cam out of engagement with the leaf spring, thus allowing the torsional spring to open the phone. Alternatively, the user may simply force the two housings of the phone apart. This has the effect of forcing the lobe of the cam past the leaf spring and again allowing the torsional spring to open the phone.
Whilst providing a mechanism allowing a folding phone to both be secured in the closed position and be openable by the user, this design requires a complex hinge and latching mechanism. Furthermore, as the torque of the torsional spring is resisted by the latch mechanism at the rotational axis of the hinge, the loads involved are relatively high. This requires the hinge to be relatively substantial and consequently relatively expensive to manufacture.
A further such telephone is disclosed in European patent application No. EP 0692899 A2. This device also has two housing portions hinged about a common axis. Again, the rotational force required to open the phone is supplied by torsional springs situated at the hinge axis. However, in this instance, the latching mechanism is provided by a catch situated on either side of one of the housing portions. Each of these catches is arranged to engage with corresponding locking grooves situated on the sides of the other housing portion in order to keep the phone in the closed position. In order to open the phone, the user must depress each of the catches simultaneously to release the locking grooves and allow, the phone to open.
Because of the requirement to depress both of the catches simultaneously, users may find such a latch mechanism difficult to use.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a mobile phone having a pop-up button cover which carries a loud speaker, the button cover being hinged to the body of the phone and being movable between a closed position wherein a surface of the button cover overlies a surface of the phone body and an open position wherein the surface of the button cover does not overlies the surface of the phone body, the phone further comprising a first engagement means adjacent the surface of the phone body which is arranged to engage a second engagement means adjacent the surface of the button cover to secure the phone in the closed state, the phone body further carrying means to disengage the engagement means to allow the phone to move to the open position.
By employing a latch mechanism which engages the front surface of one housing portion, and at a position which is distal to the rotational axis of the hinge, a less substantial hinge mechanism is required than that disclosed in GB 2300880 A, for example. This has the added benefit of providing a latch mechanism which is simple and cost efficient to manufacture and assemble. Additionally, by locating the latch mechanism on the upper surface of the cover, the latching force is more evenly distributed across the housing members. Thus the problem of an unequal torsional force which may result if a single latch is employed on one side of the mobile phone body is reduced.
The invention will now be illustrated, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1
a-c
respectively show a rear elevation, a side elevation and a front elevation of a mobile phone according to the present invention, with the cover in the closed state.
FIGS. 2
a-c
respectively show a rear elevation, a side elevation and a front elevation of a mobile phone according to the present invention, with the cover in the open state.
FIGS. 3
a-c
show a series of partial perspective views of the latching mechanism of a mobile phone according to the present invention together with part of the casing of the phone; where
FIG. 3
a
is a view from above with the cover in an open position;
FIG. 3
b
is an internal view from below of the casing and latching mechanism shown in
FIG. 3
a
; and,
FIG. 3
c
is also a internal view from below of the casing and latching mechanism shown in
FIG. 3
a
, but from a different orientation.
FIG. 4
a
shows a perspective view of the cover attachment arms.
FIG. 4
b
shows a perspective view of a boss mounted in one cover attachment arm aperture in the mobile phone body.
FIG. 4
c
shows an enlarged perspective view of the end of one cover attachment arm.
FIG. 5
a
shows a perspective view of the components in the attachment assembly of the first cover attachment arm in a disassembled state.
FIG. 5
b
shows a perspective view of the components in the attachment assembly of the second cover attachment arm in an assembled state.


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patent: 5706332 (1998-01-01), Nagai
patent: 5987122 (1999-11-01), Daffara et al.
patent: 6046730 (2000-04-01), Bowen et al.
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patent: 6141540 (2000-10-01), Richards et al.
patent: 6151486 (2000-11-01), Holshouser et al.
patent: 3346543A (1995-07-01), None
patent: 0692899A (1996-01-01), None
patent: 2254519A (1992-10-01), None
patent: 04273639A (1992-09-01), None
patent: 08316869 (1995-05-01), None

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