Portable device

• US 20050215296A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Masao, Fujihara, Shunji, Nishimoto, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A portable device of the present invention includes: a first housing having a base, a protrusion protruded from the base, and a speaker hole provided at the protrusion; a hinge section provided to the protrusion so as to be freely moved about a rotation axis; and a second housing provided to the hinge section so as to be freely rotated about a rotation axis being substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis. The hinge section includes a central part and both-ends, having a U shape. The central part is connected to the second housing. The both-ends are branched from the central part and connected to a pair of side surfaces of the protrusion, respectively. Further, the second housing has a first display section on at least one surface being substantially square to a connecting surface where the hinge section is connected. Thus, the portable device capable of preferably receiving sounds associated with displays on the display section can be provided.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a first housing having a base and a protrusion protruded from one end of the base;

a hinge section provided to the protrusion so as to freely move about a first rotation axis; and

a second housing provided to the hinge section so as to freely rotate about a second rotation axis being substantially orthogonal to the first rotation axis,

the first housing having a speaker hole provided at the protrusion,

the second housing having a display section provided on at least one surface substantially parallel to the second rotation axis of the second housing.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the first housing has a speaker in an inner space that communicates between the base and the protrusion.

3. The portable device according to claim 2, wherein

the first housing has (i) a shooting lens on an opposite surface of the first housing from a surface having the protrusion, and (ii) a camera section, provided between the speaker and the shooting lens, for capturing an image provided from the shooting lens.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the second housing has a key operation section on a same surface as a surface having the display section.

5. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the first housing has a cross-shape key provided at the protrusion.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the second housing has a shock-absorbing member at its corner contacting the first housing when the hinge section is moved toward the first housing with the second housing rotated through 90 degrees with respect to the hinge section.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein

the shock-absorbing member is made of material having lower hardness than material that the first housing is made of.

8. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein

the shock-absorbing member is made of an elastic material.

9. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the display section displays a rotatable direction of the second housing with respect to the hinge section.

10. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein

the base has a microphone hole provided in the vicinity of the protrusion.

11. The portable device according to claim 10, wherein

the second housing has a receiver hole at an end opposed to an end where the hinge section is connected.