Sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus

• US 20060105824A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Joon-Suh, Lee, Chang-Son
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.800
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus that provides advantages of both sliding type and folding type portable communication apparatuses. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus has a soft cover having a folding section, a hinge unit provided in the folding section, and a body coupled to the soft cover while facing one surface of the soft cover, the body sliding lengthwise along the soft cover and being opened/closed when the soft cover is extended/folded.

Claims

1. A sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus comprising:

a soft cover having a folding section;

a hinge unit provided in the folding section; and

a body coupled to and slideable lengthwise along one surface of the soft cover, wherein the body opens/closes when the soft cover is extended/folded.

2. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soft cover includes a first section and a second section opposite each other about the folding section such, and the first section faces the second section when the soft cover is completely folded, a first key section is provided on a surface of the first section, a second key section is provided on a surface of the second section, and the first and second key sections are opposite each other about the hinge unit.

3. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second key sections are opposite each other about the body when the body has been slid along the soft cover.

4. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folding section has a corrugated shape.

5. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge unit is corrugated in a form of a watch chain and includes a plurality of hinge links connected to each other.

6. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is moveable along the soft cover when the soft cover is extended.

7. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the body includes a display unit.

8. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the body includes first and second speakers, which are aligned at upper and lower portions of the display unit to generate stereo sound.

9. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soft cover has formed at a rear surface thereof with at least one camera lens opening for exposing a camera lens to an exterior.

10. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the camera lens opening includes a first opening formed at a first position of the body and a second opening formed at a second position of the body.

11. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the camera lens is selectively positioned at the first opening or the second opening.

12. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the camera lens is slidably moved together with the body.

13. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein both sides of the soft cover are symmetrically aligned about the body when the body has been slid along the soft cover when the soft cover is extended.

14. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soft cover includes elastomer.

15. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of the body is surrounded by the hinge unit when the soft cover is completely folded.

16. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sub-display unit is provided at a rear surface of the soft cover.

17. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, when the body has been slid along the soft cover when the soft cover is completely extended, the first key section is adjacent to the first speaker, the first and second speakers are adjacent to the display unit, and the second speaker is adjacent to the second key section.

18. The sliding-folding type portable communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soft cover has an elongated plate shape, which is folded in half or fully extended by means of the hinge unit.

19. A folding type portable communication apparatus comprising:

a folding section having a hinge unit;

a body coupled between the folding section, when folded, wherein the body is slideably attached and moveable in a lengthwise direction when the folding section is extended.

20. A method of sliding a body along an inner surface of a folding type portable communication apparatus, comprising:

unfolding, via a hinge unit of a folding section, the portable communication apparatus;

sliding, in a lengthwise direction, the body along the inner surface; and

exposing first and second key sections of the inner surface by sliding the body to a center position of the unfolded portable communication apparatus.