Flexible conductors connected between two parts of a portable electronic device

• US 7,483,723 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Söderlund, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US10/535,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/90.3, 439/31, 379/433.13, 162/21, 163/54, 162/86, 361/683, 396/157, 348/373, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a portable electronic device that includes a first part and a second part. The first part includes electrical circuits and has an exterior side, an interior side, and a bottom side. The second part includes electrical circuits and has an exterior side, and interior side and a bottom side. At least one hinge connects the bottom sides of the first and second parts to each other and allows rotation of one part in relation to the other. At least one first set of flexible electrical conductors are connected to the first part on the exterior side adjacent the bottom side thereof and connected to the second part on the interior side adjacent the bottom side thereof. The first part may be a camera having a lens on the interior side thereof, and the second part may be a display provided on the interior side thereof.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first part comprising electrical circuits and having an exterior side, an interior side, and top and bottom sides;

a second part comprising electrical circuits and having an exterior side, an interior side and top and bottom sides;

at least one hinge connecting the bottom sides of the first and second parts to each other and allowing rotation of one of the first and second parts approximately 360 degrees relative to the other of the first and second parts;

a first set of flexible electrical conductors connected to the first part at the exterior side adjacent the bottom side thereof and connected to the second part at the interior side adjacent the bottom side thereof while the first and second parts have a defined rotational angle therebetween; and

a second set of flexible electrical conductors connected to the second part at the exterior side adjacent the bottom side thereof and connected to the first part at the interior side adjacent the bottom side thereof while the first and second parts have the defined first rotational angle therebetween wherein the first and second sets of flexible electrical conductors are spaced apart on opposite sides of the hinge.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first set of electrical conductors stretches around the bottom side of the first part when the portable electronic device is folded.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the first set of electrical conductors stretches around the bottom side of the second part when the first and second parts are rotated approximately 360 degrees relative to each other.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the first set of conductors is at right angles to the bottom sides of the first and second parts.

5. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the first set of flexible electrical conductors is separate from the hinge structure of the portable electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second set of flexible electrical conductors stretch around the bottom side of the second part when the portable electronic device is folded.

7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein both the bottom sides of the first and second parts have a rounded shape.

8. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the bottom sides of the first and second parts have at least one groove therein that is configured to receive the first set of flexible electrical conductors.

9. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein one of the parts comprises gears connected to its bottom side and the other of the parts is provided with gaps with which the gears mesh.

10. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hinge comprises a plate having two sections, each of the two sections of the plate having an axis of rotation that is displaced in the plane of the plate from the axis of rotation of the other of the two sections, and each of the two sections of the plate having a protrusion on opposite sides in a middle of an area of the section that corresponds to the axis of rotation.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein each of the parts has a slit configured to receive one of the sections of the plate, and each of the parts further defines cavities on opposite sides of the slit within the interior of the parts configured to receive the protrusions of the sections and to secure the hinge in the parts.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first set of flexible electrical conductors comprises a flex film.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first set of flexible electrical conductors comprises a cable having a plurality of wires.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first part comprises an image captioning unit having a lens on the interior side of the first part, and the second part comprises a display on the interior side-of the second part.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a cellular phone.

16. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first part comprising electrical circuits and having an exterior side, an interior side, and top and bottom sides;

a second part comprising electrical circuits and having an exterior side, an interior side and top and bottom sides;

at least one hinge connecting the bottom sides of the first and second parts to each other and allowing rotation of one of the first and second parts approximately 270 degrees relative to the other of the first and second parts;

a first set of flexible electrical conductors connected to the first part at the exterior side adjacent the bottom side thereof and to the second part at the interior side adjacent the bottom side thereof while the first and second parts have a defined rotational angle therebetween; and

a second set of flexible electrical conductors connected to the second part at the exterior side adjacent the bottom side thereof and to the first part at the interior side adjacent the bottom side thereof while the first and second parts have the defined first rotational angle therebetween,

wherein the first and second sets of flexible electrical conductors are spaced apart on opposite sides of the hinge,

wherein the first part comprises an image captioning unit having a lens on the interior side of the first part, and the second part comprises a display on the interior side of the second part, and

wherein the first and second set of flexible electrical conductors electrically connect the electrical circuits of the first and second parts.

17. The portable communication device according to claim 16, wherein the hinge allows rotation of one of the first and second parts approximately 360 degrees relative to the other of the first and second parts.