Telephone set comprising a rotating cover

• US 5,764,760 A
• Filed: 11/21/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Grandbert, Anthony, Alix, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US08/754,659
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/428, 379/434, 455/90, 455/575, 16/261, 16/262, 16/263, 16/254-256, 16/277, 16/278, 16/303
• US Class Current: 379/433.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

This telephone set comprises:

a main body (10) on which a keypad (4) is provided,

a rotating cover (12) intended to conceal the keypad (4),

a hinge assembly (20) for permitting the rotation of the cover, comprising:

a tubular part (26) formed around a fulcrum pin, integral with the cover,

a locking spring (45) inserted into the tubular part,

two inner pins (50 and 51) inserted into said tubular part (26),

two fixed elements (22 and 24) integral with said main body for determining the fulcrum axis,

two additional pins (63 and 65) received by the fixed elements.

Claims

1. A telephone set comprising:

a main body having a part that can be covered,

a rotating cover which is capable of adopting various positions in one of which the part that can be covered is concealed,

a hinge assembly for permitting rotation of said cover around a fulcrum axis, this hinge assembly comprising;

a tubular part formed around said fulcrum axis, integral with said cover,

a spring element in the tubular part and having two bearing faces,

two inner pins within said tubular part, each of said inner pins having a blocking element for preventing rotation movements of said inner pins with respect to said cover, a supporting face for contact with one of the bearing faces of said spring element, and a cam face, and

two fixed elements integral with said main body for determining said fulcrum axis, characterized in that the hinge assembly further comprises;

two additional pins within said tubular part, said additional pins each having a cam face at one end thereof for forming a cam movement in cooperation with a respective one of said cam faces of said inner pins, and a supporting face at an opposite end thereof, and

an opening in each of said fixed elements for receiving a respective one of said supporting faces and preventing rotation movements of said additional pins with respect to said main body.

2. A rotating cover assembly suitable for telephone sets, characterized in that the assembly comprises:

a housing,

a rotating cover which is capable of adopting various positions,

a hinge assembly for permitting rotation of said cover around a fulcrum axis, this hinge assembly comprising;

a tubular part formed around said fulcrum axis,

a spring element in the tubular part and having two bearing faces,

two inner pins within said tubular part, each of said inner pins having a blocking element for preventing rotation movements of said inner pins with respect to said cover, a supporting face for contact with one of the bearing faces of said spring element, and a cam face,

two fixed elements integral with said housing for determining said fulcrum axis, and

two additional pins within said tubular part, said additional pins each having a cam face at one end thereof for forming a cam movement in cooperation with a respective one of said cam faces of said inner pins, and a supporting face at an opposite end thereof, and

an opening in each of said fixed elements for receiving a respective one of said supporting faces and preventing rotation movements of said additional pins with respect to said housing.

3. A rotating cover assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the supporting faces of the additional pins have a rounded surface for facilitating their insertion into a groove recessed in the fixed elements.

4. A rotating cover assembly as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the cam faces are provided for obtaining various degrees of opening of the cover:

a folded position,

a limited position for spontaneous opening up to the desired position,

a normal position,

a 180°

position.

5. A rotating cover assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said additional pins have a cross sectional shape at said opposite end thereof which matches the cross sectional shape of the openings of said fixed elements and said openings of said fixed elements receive said opposite ends of said additional pins to prevent rotation movements of said additional pins with respect to said fixed elements.

6. A rotating cover assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said additional pins have a square cross sectional shape at said opposite end thereof which matches a square cross sectional shape of the openings of said fixed elements so that said openings of said fixed elements receive said opposite ends of said additional pins and thereby prevent rotation movements of said additional pins with respect to said fixed elements.