Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable... – Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-19
2003-09-09
Gushi, Ross (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Relatively movable about axis
C379S433130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616467
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electronic apparatus, such as a mobile telephone apparatus, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and a notebook-type personal computer, having a folding function, and to a hinge portion or mechanism for providing the folding function to the electronic apparatus.
As an electronic apparatus of the type, a folding-type mobile telephone apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 1
comprises a keyboard-side casing
101
with a keyboard mounted thereon, a board
103
mounted to the keyboard-side casing
101
, an LCD-side casing
105
provided with an LCD mounted thereon and hinge-connected to the keyboard-side casing
101
, a board
107
mounted to the LCD-side casing
105
, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC)
109
as a flexible conductor element electrically connecting the boards
103
and
107
to each other. The FPC
109
has a first and a second end and an intermediate portion therebetween. The first end of the FPC
109
is connected to a connector
110
mounted on the board
103
. The second end of the FPC
109
is connected to a connector (not shown) mounted on the board
107
. The intermediate portion of the FPC
109
is unneatly arranged without any special care in the vicinity of a hinge portion
111
between the keyboard-side casing
101
and the LCD-side casing
105
.
The mobile telephone apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 1
is disadvantageous in the following respect. Every time when a folding operation is repeated, the FPC
109
is subjected to a stress. Such stress may result in disconnection of the FPC
109
from the connector
110
or interruption of a conductor in the FPC
109
.
In addition, there is a problem in appearance that the FPC
109
unneatly arranged around the hinge portion
111
can be seen through a gap between the casings
101
and
105
. Since the FPC
109
must be arranged in the vicinity of the hinge portion
111
, assembling of the apparatus is difficult.
Japanese Patent Publication (B) No. 2729581 or 2926212 discloses an electronic apparatus comprising two casings hinge-connected by a hinge portion and a cylindrical element called a hinge connector arranged adjacent to the hinge portion. The FPC is incorporated into the cylindrical element. However, due to mounting error and dimensional tolerance of various elements, the cylindrical element may not be incorporated to the electronic apparatus or the hinge portion may be subjected to a stress after incorporating the cylindrical element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a folding-type electronic apparatus which is resistant against repetition of a folding operation, excellent in appearance, easy in assembling, and suppressed in possibility of occurrence of a stress in a hinge portion after assembling.
It is another object of this invention to provide a hinge connector which is usable in the electronic apparatus.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hinge connector for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises first and second base members for mounting first and second electric elements, respectively. The hinge connector comprises a hinge element having a receptacle portion and connecting the first and the second base members so that the first and the second base members are rotatable around a predetermined axis with respect to each other. The hinge connector further comprises a flexible conductor element for electrically connecting the first and the second electric elements to each other. The flexible conductor element has both end portions adapted to be connected to the first and the second electric elements, respectively, and an intermediate portion located between the both end portions and received in the receptacle portion of the hinge element.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus which comprises a first base member for mounting a first electric element, a second base member for mounting a second electric element, a hinge element having a receptacle portion and for connecting the first and the second base members so that the first and the second base members are rotatable around a predetermined axis with respect to each other, and a flexible conductor element electrically connecting the first and the second electric elements to each other. The flexible conductor element has both end portions connected to the first and the second electric elements, respectively, and an intermediate portion located between the both end portions and received in the receptacle portion of the hinge element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4825395 (1989-04-01), Kinser, Jr. et al.
patent: 5106316 (1992-04-01), Bannai et al.
patent: 5681176 (1997-10-01), Ibaraki et al.
patent: 5995373 (1999-11-01), Nagai
patent: 0 671 788 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 1 009 073 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 2 300 670 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 2729581 (1997-12-01), None
patent: 2926212 (1999-05-01), None
Higuchi Masao
Ibaraki Kazuaki
Konishi Noriyuki
Suzuki Mamoru
Gushi Ross
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
Michael Best & Friedrich LLC
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