Electronic device

• US 20070164923A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Takeshi, Kanai, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,808,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0227 Rotatable in one plane, 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 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that has excellent portability because it can be folded to a compact size at coupling means. In addition, a first display portion of a first display unit and a second display portion of a second display unit can form a single, large-screen display portion when the first display unit is rotated 90° clockwise and the second display unit is rotated 90° counterclockwise.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a display including:

a first display unit having a first display portion;

a second display unit having a second display portion; and

coupling means, provided between the first and second display units, for freely changing the mode of the display among a first mode in which the first and second display portions are folded so as to face each other, a second mode in which the first and second display units are opened such that the first and second display portions are arranged longitudinally, and a third mode in which the first and second display units are opened such that the first and second display portions are adjacent to each other laterally.

2. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes one or two coupling shafts for folding the coupling means in two or three;

and rotating shafts are provided between the coupling means and the first display unit and between the coupling means and the second display unit to support the first and second display units rotatably with respect to the coupling means.

3. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 2, wherein planes containing the axes of either the coupling shafts or the rotating shafts are perpendicular to the axes of the other shafts.

4. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 2, wherein the rotating shafts are provided on either the coupling means or the first and second display units;

and holding holes for holding the rotating shafts are provided on the other.

5. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shafts each have a narrow main portion and a wide portion integrally formed with an end of the narrow portion;

and the holding holes each have a rotation-permitting portion that permits the rotation of the narrow portion and an elongated hole portion integrally formed with the rotation-permitting portion to permit the sliding movement of the narrow portion.

6. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second display portions includes a transparent touch panel.

7. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 1, wherein the first and second display units each include an RF unit for communicating data information therebetween using a radio wave.

8. The electronic device comprising the display according to claim 1, wherein the peripheries of the first and second display portions are protected by frames;

sides of the frames which are adjacent to each other in the third mode are supported rotatably with respect to other portions of the frames; and

the first and second display portions form a single display portion with the sides rotated.

20. The electronic device according to claim 1, being a portable information terminal.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a first rectangular casing including a first display portion;

a second rectangular casing including a second display portion;

first securing means for securing the first and second casings with predetermined short sides thereof being in contact with each other; and

second securing means for securing the first and second casings with predetermined long sides thereof being in contact with each other.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising a first rotating portion for rotatably connecting the first and second casings, wherein

first rotating portion accommodates wiring connecting electrical systems of the first and second casings;

the first display portion of the first casing and the second display portion of the second casing are provided so that the display portions are arrangeable in the same plane; and

the first and second casings are relatively rotatable about the first rotating portion in a predetermined plane.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, having a cellular phone function and a television or Internet receiver function, wherein

a cellular phone is formed when the first securing means secures the predetermined short sides of the first and second casings;

and

a television or Internet receiver is formed when the second securing means secures the predetermined long sides of the first and second casings.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the first and second casings have the same aspect ratio, the aspect ratio being 3:

2 or 9;

8.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the second display portion of the second casing forms an input part when the electronic device is used as a cellular phone.

14. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first protective plate for protecting the first display portion;

a first rotating portion for attaching the first protective plate to the predetermined long side of the first casing rotatably with respect to the first casing;

a second protective plate for protecting the second display portion; and

a second rotating portion for attaching the second protective plate to the predetermined long side of the second casing rotatably with respect to the second casing.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein

the first securing means comprises first locking means for locking the first and second casings with the predetermined short sides thereof being in contact with each other;

and

the second securing means comprises second locking means for locking the first and second casings with the predetermined long sides thereof being in contact with each other.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising:

first locking means for locking the first protective plate such that the first protective plate extends from the first casing laterally; and

second locking means for locking the second protective plate such that the second protective plate extends from the second casing laterally.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, further comprising a capacitive sensor disposed on the back surface of the second casing to output a signal related to the unlocking of the first and second locking means.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising an insulating band disposed on the back surface of the second casing to cover the capacitive sensor and secure a human hand inserted between the band and the second casing.

21. The electronic device according to claim 9, being a portable information terminal.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a first casing including a first display portion and having adjacent short and long sides;

a second casing including a second display portion and having adjacent short and long sides;

first securing means for securing the first and second casings with short sides thereof being in contact with each other; and

second securing means for securing the first and second casings with long sides thereof being in contact with each other.