Connecting device, and small electronic apparatus and folding portable terminal apparatus having the same

• US 20090104949A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arisa Akashi, Keiji Okamoto, Mao Nonomura, Noriyoshi Sato
• Original Assignee: Arisa Akashi, Keiji Okamoto, Mao Nonomura, Noriyoshi Sato
• Inventors: Akashi, Arisa, Nonomura, Mao, Okamoto, Keiji, Sato, Noriyoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/576,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104949A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.300
• 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 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

The present invention provides a connecting device which has a connecting portion capable of rotatably connecting two housing portions without protruding from the two housing portions and can stably keep the housing portions arranged so as to face each other.

The connecting device includes; first and third connecting members 31 and 33 which have flexibility and foldably connects an upper housing portion 1 and a lower housing portion 2 with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween; and a second connecting member 32 which has enough restoring force and rigidity to restore a bent state to an unbent state and is curved in an arc shape in sectional view such that a concave portion of the arc is oriented in a direction where the upper and lower housing portions are folded.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a connecting member that has flexibility and connects two housing portions with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween;

a bendable member which has enough restoring force and rigidity to restore a bent state to an unbent state and is attached so as to be laid across the two housing portions; and

a flexible connect member which electrically connects the two housing portions,

wherein the bendable member and the flexible connect member overlap each other at the position of the connecting member.

9. The folding portable terminal apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the bendable member has a curved portion having a concave shape in sectional view.

10. The folding portable terminal apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the flexible connect member is arranged on the concave side of the curved portion.

11. The folding portable terminal apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the flexible connect member is arranged on the convex side of the curved portion.

12. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a connecting member that has flexibility and connects two housing portions with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween;

a permanent magnet which is provided at one end of one of the two housing portions facing the other housing portion; and

a Hall element which detects the magnetic field of the permanent magnet and is provided at one end of the other housing portion facing the one housing portion so as to opposite to the permanent magnet when the two housing portions are positioned to face each other.

13. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a fashion cover that covers outer surfaces of two housing portions and a connecting portion for foldably connecting two housing portions and is freely replaceable,

wherein screw receiving portions are provided so as to protrude from the inner surface of a portion of the fashion cover covering one of the two housing portions,

a plurality of engaging claws are arranged on the inner surface of the other portion of the fashion cover covering the other housing portion of the two housing portions such that leading ends thereof face in the opposite direction of the one housing portion,

grappling claws engaged with the engaging claws are provided on the other housing portion so as to correspond to the engaging claws, and

after the screw receiving portions are screwed to the one housing portion, the fashion cover is relatively extended to the other housing portion to engage the engaging claws with the grappling claws, thereby mounting the fashion cover.

14. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a fashion cover that covers outer surfaces of two housing portions and a connecting portion for foldably connecting two housing portions and is freely replaceable,

wherein the fashion cover includes;

a base member which has a size larger than the two housing portions connected to each other by the connecting portion; and

an integument which covers at least an outer surface of the base member,

the base member has an edge winding portion that protrudes from the edge of the two housing portions to the outside, and

the edge winding portion is deformable so as to be inclined toward the two housing portions.

15. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a fashion cover that covers outer surfaces of two housing portions and a connecting portion for foldably connecting two housing portions and is freely replaceable,

wherein the fashion cover includes;

a belt member which is provided at one end of an outer surface of the fashion cover;

a first metal member which is provided at a leading end of the belt member;

a second metal member which is provided at the other end of the outer surface of the fashion cover and engages with the first metal member; and

a permanent magnet which is provided on at least one of the first and second metal members to magnetically couple the first and second metal members, and

the first metal member and the second metal member respectively have concave and convex portions engaged with each other.

16. A folding portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a connecting member which has flexibility and connects two housing portions with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween;

a bendable member which has enough restoring force and rigidity to restore a bent state to an unbent state and is attached so as to be laid across the two housing portions; and

a base member which has an integument on a surface thereof,

wherein the base member is mounted to the two housing portions, with a rear surface thereof separated from the connecting member.