Hinge assemblies for electronic devices

• US 6,149,442 A
• Filed: 02/16/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Enright, Roger Charles James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/249,799
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 439/10, 439/31, 439/165, 379/447, 361/814
• US Class Current: 439/31
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/581 the swinging axis laying in the sliding direction E05D15/1015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/02 with one pin
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a first housing (2) and a second housing (4) which is mounted on the first housing (2) by way of a hinge assembly (12). The hinge assembly comprises first and second cooperating parts (121, 122) attached to the first and second housings respectively. The second part (122) is rotatably and slidably engaged with the first part (121), such that the second housing (4) is rotatable with respect to the first part (2), about an axis from the closed position to a first open position of the device, and such that the second housing is linearly movable, with respect to the first housing, in a direction parallel to the axis, with respect to the first housing, from a closed position of the device to a second open position of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a first housing and a second housing which is mounted on the first housing by way of a hinge assembly, wherein the hinge assembly comprises:

first and second cooperating parts attached to the first and second housings respectively,

the second part being rotatably and slidably engaged with the first part such that the second housing is rotatable with respect to the first part about an axis from a fully closed position to a first open position of the device without first linearly moving the first and second housings relative to each other from the closed position, and such that the second housing is linearly movable, with respect to the first housing, in a direction parallel to the axis, with respect to the first housing, from the closed position of the device to a second open position of the device.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part of the hinge assembly is provided by a first elongate member which extends along an edge region of the first housing of the device, and which defines a first surface extending along the first part, and wherein the second part of the hinge assembly is provided by a second elongate member which extends along an edge region of the second housing, and which defines a second surface, the second elongate member being engaged with the first elongate member such that at least part of the first surface is in contact with the second surface.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part of the hinge assembly is provided by a first elongate member which extends along an edge region of the first housing of the device, and which defines a first surface extending along the first part, and wherein the second part of the hinge assembly is provided by a second elongate member which extends along an edge region of the second housing, and which defines a second surface, the second elongate member being engaged with the first elongate member such that at least part of the first surface is in contact with the second surface, and wherein the first and second surfaces carry electrical contacts for establishing electrical connections between the first and second housings in dependence upon the relative position of the first housing with respect to the first housing.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part of the hinge assembly is provided by a first elongate member which extends along an edge region of the first housing of the device, and which defines a first surface extending along the first part, and wherein the second part of the hinge assembly is provided by a second elongate member which extends along an edge region of the second housing, and which defines a second surface, the second elongate member being engaged with the first elongate member such that at least part of the first surface is in contact with the second surface, and wherein the first surface is an internal concave curved surface, and the second surface is a corresponding external convex curved surface, the second part of the hinge assembly being at least partially held within the first part.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part of the hinge assembly is provided by a first elongate member which extends along an edge region of the first housing of the device, and which defines a first surface extending along the first part, and wherein the second part of the hinge assembly is provided by a second elongate member which extends along an edge region of the second housing, and which defines a second surface, the second elongate member being engaged with the first elongate member such that at least part of the first surface is in contact with the second surface, and wherein the first and second surfaces carry electrical contacts for establishing electrical connections between the first and second housings in dependence upon the relative position of the first housing with respect to the first housing, and wherein the first surface is an internal concave curved surface, and the second surface is a corresponding external convex curved surface, the second part of the hinge assembly being at least partially held within the first part.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second housings carry respective cooperating parts of a clip mechanism for holding the housings in a desired one of the closed, first and second open positions.