Movable functional elements for mobile communication device

• US 20050054393A1
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Moilanen, Vesa, Fagerstrom, Kristian, Kemppinen, Pasi, Husgafvel, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0227 Rotatable in one plane, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A moveable functional element such as a keyboard is provided for use with a mobile communication device. The element is constructed in two wing portions. When the cover is swiveled between closed and opened positions, the wing portions move relative to the body of the device and the cover between two positions, a retracted position in which the functional element is hidden and an extended position in which the functional element of the device is exposed for normal use.

Claims

1. :

A mobile communication device comprising;

(a) a base element;

(b) at least one functional element mounted for reciprocal movement on said base element between retracted and extended positions; and

(c) a cover element having upper and lower faces, said cover element mounted to said base element for relative movement thereto between closed and opened positions and adapted to move said at least one functional element between the retracted and extended positions during relative movement of said cover element between the closed and opened positions.

2. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one functional element is exposed for operative use in the opened and extended positions and said cover element and said at least one functional element are in overlapping alignment in the closed and retracted positions.

3. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cover element is a swivelable cover element rotatably mounted on said base element.

4. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said swivelable cover element is rotatably mounted on said base element around an axis extending generally perpendicular to said upper and lower faces thereof.

5. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said swivelable cover element is rotatably mounted on said base element around an axis extending generally perpendicular to the reciprocal movement of said at least one functional element.

6. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said cover element is rotated 90 degrees between the closed and opened positions.

7. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cover element is rotated 90 degrees between the closed and opened positions.

8. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said cover element and said at least one functional element defines at least one eccentric groove and the other of said cover element and said at least one functional element has at least one pin captured in the eccentric groove, whereby mechanical interaction of said at least one pin within said at least one groove during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions moves said at least one functional element between the retracted and extended positions.

9. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one groove is defined in said cover element and said at least one pin is located on said at least one functional element.

10. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one functional element is slidably received in at least one channel in said base element for reciprocal movement, whereby said cover element and said at least one functional element mechanically interact during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions to move said at least one functional element between the retracted and extended positions.

11. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 10, wherein said cover element has at least one roller thereon which engages said at least one functional element during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions to move said at least one functional element between the retracted and extended positions.

12. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said at least one functional element has at least one tension spring element to bias said at least one functional element against said at least one roller as said at least one functional element is moved between the retracted and extended positions during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions.

13. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said at least one functional element has at least one groove into which said at least one roller is captured in the opened and extended positions.

14. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said at least one functional element has at least one groove into which said at least one roller is captured in the opened and extended positions.

15. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one functional element has at least one tension spring element to bias said at least one functional element against said cover element as said at least one functional element is moved between the retracted and extended positions during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions.

16. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one functional element has at least one tension spring element to bias said at least one functional element against said cover element as said at least one functional element is moved between the retracted and extended positions during relative movement of said cover element to said base element between the closed and opened positions.

17. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, further including a screen constructed in the upper face of said cover element to provide a visible display of information to the user.

18. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one functional element is a function keyboard.

19. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said function keyboard is constructed in two portions, each mounted for reciprocal movement on said base element between retracted and extended positions, each of said function keyboard portions having an array of keys consistent with a selected function.

20. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 19, wherein said two portions of said function keyboard move away from each other during movement from the retracted position to the extended position and toward each other during movement from the extended position to the retracted position.

21. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 19, wherein said two portions are on opposite sides of said cover element in the opened and extended positions.

22. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said function keyboard is exposed for operative use in the opened and extended positions and said cover element and said function keyboard are in overlapping alignment in the closed and retracted positions.

23. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said function keyboard comprises a full function QWERTY key array split between the two portions.

24. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said function keyboard has an array of keys consistent with selected functions, said array of keys are offset to prevent interference between said array of keys and said cover element in the closed and retracted positions.

25. :

A mobile communication device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a communication keypad constructed on said upper face of said cover element, said keypad being exposed for operative use in the closed and opened positions.