Portable electronic device

• US 20060293094A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ivaskevicius, Tomas, Kilpi, Pekka, Hakunti, Jussi, Myyrylainen, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts

Abstract

A portable electronic device comprising a first panel supporting a user-operable input device on a first face and a second panel mounted for slidable movement over the first face of the first panel between a first position in which the user-operable input device is concealed and a second position in which the user-operable input device is exposed and, when the second panel is in the second position, for pivotal movement towards the face of the first panel.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising a first housing portion supporting a user-operable input device on a first face, a second housing portion and a third housing portion, the third housing portion being hingedly coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion being slidably coupled to the third housing portion, the second housing portion configured for slidable movement over the first face of the first housing portion between a first position in which the user-operable input device is concealed and a second position in which the user-operable input device is exposed and, when the second housing portion is in the second position, for pivotal movement towards the first face of the first housing portion to a third position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second housing portion substantially covers the first face of the first housing portion when in the first position.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the user-operable input device substantially covers the first face of the first housing portion.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the user-operable input device comprises a keypad.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second housing portion supports a display device on a face relatively far from the first housing portion when the second housing portion is in the first position.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the display device substantially covers the far face of the second housing portion.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein the display device is a touch screen.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second housing portions are elongate and the second housing portion is configured for longitudinal linear movement over the first housing portion such that a first end of the second housing portion is slidable from a first end of the first housing portion towards a second end of the first housing portion.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the third housing portion is disposed outside the first housing portion.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the third housing portion has a body portion having a face.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the face of the body portion supports an image capture device.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein the third housing portion comprises a pair of arm members disposed either side of the body portion, the arm members extending towards and either side of the first housing portion, each arm member at their distal ends on inwardly facing sides being pivotally attached to respective outwardly facing sides of the first housing portion proximately to one end of the first housing portion for tilting the third housing portion towards the first face of the first housing portion.

13. A device according to claim 12, further comprising a pair of linear bearings for guiding slidable movement of the second housing portion between the arm members, each linear bearing comprising first and second bearing portions, wherein inwardly facing sides of the arm members support the first linear bearing portions and outwardly facing sides of the second housing portion support the second linear bearing portions.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first housing portion has first and second ends and the second housing portion has first and second ends such that a first end of the second housing portion is slidable from the first end of the first housing portion towards the second end of the first housing portion, wherein an axis about which the second housing portion pivots is proximate to the second end of the first housing portion, and wherein, when the second housing portion is in the first position, the first end of the second housing portion is located proximate to the first end of the first housing portion and, when the second housing portion is in the second position, the first end of the second housing portion is located such that, when the second housing portion is tilted, the first end of the second housing portion clears the second end of the first housing portion.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second housing portion are panels.

16. A device according to claim 1, comprising a first biasing mechanism for biasing the second housing portion from the first position to the second position.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the first biasing mechanism includes a buckling spring.

18. A device according to claim 1, comprising a second biasing mechanism for biasing the second housing portion to the third position.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the second biasing mechanism includes a torsional spring.

20. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a processor responsive, when the second housing portion is in the first position, to operate in a first mode and, when the second housing portion is in the second position, to operate in a second, different mode.

21. A device according to claim 1, operable as a mobile communications device.

22. A device according to claim 1, operable as a handheld computing device.

23. A housing for a portable electronic device comprising a first housing portion having a region for receiving a user-operable input device on a first face, a second housing portion and a third housing portion, the third housing portion being hingedly coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion being slidably coupled to the third housing portion, the second housing portion configured for slidable movement over the first face of the first housing portion between a first position in which the region for receiving the user-operable input device is concealed and a second position in which the region is exposed and, when the second housing portion is in the second position, for pivotal movement towards the first face of the first housing portion.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein the third housing portion is disposed outside the first housing portion.

25. A housing portion for a portable electronic device comprising hinge coupling means for co-operating with complementary hinge coupling means on a first housing portion for permitting the housing portion and the first housing portion to be hidgedly coupled and slide coupling means for co-operating with complementary slide coupling means on a second housing portion for permitting the housing portion and the second housing portion to be slidably coupled.

26. A housing portion according to claim 25 comprising a body portion and a pair of arm members depending from sides of the body portion, the arm members having the hinge coupling means disposed on inwardly facing sides of the arm members close to their distal ends and the slide coupling means disposed on the inwardly facing sides.

27. A housing portion according to claim 25, wherein the hinge coupling means comprises at least one pin.

28. A housing portion according to claim 25, wherein the slide coupling means comprises at least one projecting ridge.