Hinge apparatus and methods therefor
First Claim
1. A collapsible housing comprising:
- a first housing; and
a second housing moveably coupled to the first housing such that the first housing rotates relative to the second housing about a rotation axis and such that the first housing moves radially relative to the rotation axis.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collapsible device having first housing (110) rotateably coupled to a second housing (120) so as to rotate from a closed position (103) to an open position (200), wherein the first housing is angularly displaced from the second housing, for example in a wireless communications device. The first housing also moves relative to the second housing from a first closed position (101) to a second closed position (103). From the second closed position the first housing may rotate relative to the second housing about a rotation axis 106. In one embodiment the collapsible housing includes a slide enabling member that is rotatably coupled to the hinge and enables the first housing to move from the first closed position to the second closed position.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A collapsible housing comprising:
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a first housing; and
a second housing moveably coupled to the first housing such that the first housing rotates relative to the second housing about a rotation axis and such that the first housing moves radially relative to the rotation axis.
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2. The collapsible housing of claim A1, further comprising an engaging member engaging the first housing to the second housing in a first closed position and disengaging the first housing from the second housing when the first housing is moved radially relative to the second housing to a second closed position.
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3. The collapsible housing of claim A2, wherein the engaging member includes a magnet having a magnetic field carried on the first housing.
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4. The collapsible housing of claim A2, further comprising a biasing member to exert a constant biasing force on the first housing to angularly displace the first housing form the second housing.
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5. The collapsible housing of claim A3, wherein a magnetic attractive force resulting from the magnetic field is greater than the constant biasing force
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6. A collapsible housing comprising:
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a first housing;
a second housing;
a hinge coupled to one of the first housing or the second housing such that the first housing rotates relative to the second housing about a rotation axis of the hinge; and
a slide enabling member rotatably coupled to the hinge and slideably coupled to one of the first housing or the second housing which ever is not coupled to the hinge wherein the first housing or the second housing slides radially relative to the rotation axis. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electronic device comprising:
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a first housing;
a second housing;
a hinge coupled to one of the first housing or the second housing wherein the first housing rotates relative to the second housing about a rotation axis;
a rail rotatably coupled to the hinge and slideably coupled to one of the first housing or the second housing which ever is not coupled to the hinge wherein the first housing or the second housing slides radially relative to the rotation axis; and
a magnet carried on one of the first housing or the second housing; and
a ferrous material aligned with said magnet when the first housing is adjacent to the second housing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of opening a collapsible housing comprising:
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sliding a first housing relative to a second housing form a first closed position to a second closed position; and
displacing a first magnet from a second magnet from a cooperatively aligned position when the first housing and the second housing are configured in the first closed position to a uncooperatively aligned position in response to sliding the first housing relative to the second housing wherein the attractive force of the first magnet to the second magnet are overcome by the rotational force of the spring biasing member coupling the first housing and the second housing together.
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Specification