Electronic equipment comprising a retractable screen

• US 6,963,756 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Warner, Gavin, Lubowicki, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/891,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 379/428.01, 379/433.01, 379/433.04, 379/447, 455/128, 455/301, 455/347, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.4, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

An electronic equipment includes a housing which is formed by two housing parts of which one is integral with a retractable screen which may take up a first/closed position and a second/open position. The open position permits to see the whole screen. In the closed position, one part of the screen remains visible and the other part of the screen is hidden in a second part of the housing. This second housing part supports other elements of the equipment, such as a microphone and keyboard.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a housing formed by at least a screen part and a fixed part, said screen part being integral with a retractable screen which may occupy a closed position and an open position relative to the fixed part, wherein in the closed position, the fixed part partly masks the screen, said screen part being separable from said fixed part.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said screen part is mounted on projections so as to permit it being displaced.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that “

hard points”

are provided when said screen part is displaced, so that it can occupy stable positions.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising guiding parts including a first guiding part and a second guiding part, said first guiding part having recesses in which can be accommodated during the displacement a spring system which is integral with said second guiding part so as to provide stable positions for said screen part.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the positions of the screen between two positions are ensured by latches that can be unlocked by a button.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the latches permit to separate the two parts of the housing.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said closed position corresponds to a first operating mode of said electronic device and said open position corresponds to a second operating mode of said electronic device.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first operating mode includes telephone functions and said second operating mode includes receiving information from a WAP system.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed part includes a switch that protrudes from a groove in said screen part in said closed position, said switch being depressed by said screen part in said open position, wherein said electronic device is configured to switch between two screen formats in response to a position of said switch.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising position detection means, wherein said electronic device is configured to switch between two screen formats in response to signals from said position detection means.