Multifunction modular electronic apparatus

• US 7,242,588 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sotirios Constantine Kitsopoulos
• Original Assignee: Sotirios Constantine Kitsopoulos
• Inventors: Kitsopoulos, Sotirios Constantine
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, XiaoLiang
• Application Number:
  US11/225,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 361679-683, 361728-733, 361/686, 439/19, 439/55, 455/349, 455/572
• US Class Current: 361/729
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules

Abstract

A multifunction modular electronic apparatus for performing information technology and telecommunications functions comprises a first module (101) for performing a plurality of first functions; a second module (102) having substantially the same physical dimensions as the first module for performing second functions; and a hinging mechanism (103, 104, 105) for enabling the two modules to be mechanically coupled, to rotate relative to each other over a full range of 360 degrees while remaining stably mechanically coupled in any intermediate position over the range, and to be fully separated from each other.

Claims

1. A multifunction modular electronic apparatus for performing information technology and telecommunications functions comprising:

a first module containing electronic means for performing a plurality of first information technology and telecommunications functions, including wireless communication, said first module having two parallel opposing main faces and two pairs of opposing end surfaces, whereby at least one of said end surfaces is a half-cylindrical surface;

at least one other module containing second electronic means and having identical shape and physical dimensions as the first module for performing second functions identical, complementary, or supplementary to, or independent of, the functions performed by the first module including wireless communication; and

hinging means for holding one half-cylindrical end surface of the first module into tight contact with a corresponding half-cylindrical end surface of the other module, with the respective cylindrical axes of said half-cylindrical surfaces parallel to each other for enabling the two modules to be mechanically coupled, to rotate without sliding relative to each other over a full range of 360 degrees around said axes while remaining stably mechanically coupled in any intermediate position over said range, and to be fully separated from each other.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each module is in the form of a flat rectangular case with its two opposing flat main faces having a length l and a width w, two opposing parallel narrow sides of length w and width d, and two opposing half-cylindrical end surfaces having an axial length l and identical half-circular cross sections of diameter d.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hinging means for mechanically coupling the two modules comprise an essentially rectangular parallelepipedic hinging piece having two opposing parallel faces each of a length l1 smaller than the length l of the case and a width equal to twice the depth d of the case;

two opposing parallel flat sides of a length equal to twice said depth d and a width equal to said depth d; and

two opposing half-cylindrical end surfaces of axial length equal to the length of the parallel faces and having identical half-circular cross sections of diameter d;

whereby said hinging piece has in each of its flat sides two cylindrical cavities of a diameter smaller than the depth d, said cavities being coaxially coincident with the axes of the two opposing half-cylindrical end surfaces of the hinging piece; and

wherein each module comprises one rectangular notch of length l1 cut into each module'"'"'s two opposing half-cylindrical end surfaces, said notch having a planar innermost internal surface and two opposing flat sides ending at the module half-cylindrical end surfaces; and

wherein said two opposing flat sides include first cylindrical receptacles positioned coaxially with the axis of the corresponding half-cylindrical side of the module, said first receptacles being located so as to become coaxially coincident with corresponding cavities of the hinging piece when said hinging piece is fitted into the notch.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a prong retractably affixed inside each of the first cylindrical receptacles in each notch of the two modules and adapted for insertion into the corresponding cavities of the hinging piece when said hinging piece is fitted into the notch of each module, thereby mechanically coupling the two modules while allowing rotation of the modules relative to each other over a range of 360 degrees.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a latching mechanism with a hinging piece, identical to said essentially rectangular parallelepipedic hinging piece, located and fitted in the respective notches of the opposite half-cylindrical end surface of each module for enabling the two modules to be latched closed.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a latching mechanism including a pair of prongs, identical to the prongs of the first cylindrical receptacles and located inside a pair of second cylindrical receptacles of the notch, for stowing the hinging piece inside the notch when said piece is not used either for mechanically coupling the two modules or for latching closed two coupled modules.

7. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hinging piece further completes an electrical power-source connection between the mechanically coupled modules;

and wherein means are provided for preventing said power-source connection from being inadvertently effected in the wrong polarity.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the power source for one or more modules includes conventional or rechargeable batteries, or an electrical converter for charging rechargeable batteries, said power source being contained either inside the hinging piece, or within one module, or within each one of the modules, or within the hinging piece and one or more modules.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the electronic means of said first module and of said other module comprise wireless radio-frequency communications means located in each module for enabling wireless communication between the modules in their fully separated and in their mechanically coupled positions.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for providing sufficient friction between the two apposed half-cylindrical end surfaces of modules that are mechanically coupled together, thereby allowing the modules to remain firmly in place at any angle relative to each other within a 360-degree range.

11. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hinging means for mechanically coupling the two modules comprise:

a pair of receptacles formed in each of the opposing parallel narrow flat sides of the modules, one of said receptacles being coaxially positioned with the axis of the half-cylindrical end surfaces of each module and the other of said receptacles being positioned at a distance d from said one receptacle; and

a pair of elongated plates removably insertable into the modules by means of two parallel cylindrical pins perpendicularly affixed to each of said plates at a distance d from each other, whereby said pins are respectively adapted for insertion and latching into the corresponding receptacles in the modules thereby mechanically coupling the two modules while allowing rotation of the modules relative to each other over a range of 360 degrees.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the hinging means further complete an electrical power-source connection between the mechanically coupled modules;

and wherein means are provided for preventing said power-source connection from being inadvertently effected in the wrong polarity.