Portable terminal with dual hinge axes

• US 8,588,858 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shim, Seon-Hee, Park, Sang-Joon, Kim, Jong-Woo, Lee, Seok-Gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/862,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 4555751-5754, 455/566, 361/679.23, 361/683, 348/372, 348/267, 396/29, 396/267, 396/536, 439/595
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0222 Foldable in two directions, i.e. using a two degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A portable terminal with a pair of housings is provided, in which a guide rib is formed in a first housing for providing a reception groove, a first hinge member is engaged with the first housing for rotating upon a first hinge axis extended along a length direction of the first housing, a second hinge member is formed in a second housing and includes a hinge housing extended along a width direction of the second housing, and an additional device is accommodated in the hinge housing.

Claims

1. A portable terminal having a pair of housings, comprising:

a guide rib formed at an upper end of a first housing in which the guide rib is thinner than a thickness of the first housing to provide a reception groove;

a first hinge member engaged with the first housing for rotating about a first hinge axis extended along a length direction of the first housing;

a second hinge member having a hinge housing formed in a second housing, the hinge housing extending along a width direction of the second housing; and

an additional device accommodated in the hinge housing,

wherein the hinge housing is positioned in the reception groove, covered by the guide rib as the second housing covers the first housing, and the hinge housing rotates about a second hinge axis extended along the width direction of the second housing with one end of the hinge housing engaged with the first hinge member, and

wherein the second housing is opened to a side of the first housing via a rotation of the first hinge member about the first hinge axis, and the second housing is opened upward from the first housing via a rotation of the second hinge member about the second hinge axis;

wherein the hinge housing is cylindrically-shaped and the additional device accommodated in the hinge housing comprises at least one of a speaker phone or a camera module.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein when the second housing is opened upward from the first housing, the guide rib serves as a stop for the second housing as an outer surface of the second housing interferes with the guide rib, thus limiting an opening angle of the second housing in a range of 155 to 165 degrees.

3. The portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising a keypad provided at the first housing and a display provided at the second housing, wherein when the first and second housings are folded to each other, the display faces the keypad.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the hinge housing is formed at one end of the second housing and another speaker phone provided inside the other end of the second housing.

5. The portable terminal of claim 4, further comprising another camera module provided near the another speaker phone inside the other end of the second housing.

6. The portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising a fixing shaft extended along a direction of the first hinge axis, fixed in the first housing, and protruding at a side of the guide rib, wherein the first hinge member is engaged with the fixing shaft and rotates about the first hinge axis.

7. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein the first hinge member includes a first rotation member engaged with the fixed shaft for rotating about the first hinge axis, and a cover member for covering the rotation member.

8. The portable terminal of claim 7, wherein the second hinge member includes a rotation shaft extended along the direction of the second hinge axis and engaged with the first rotation member for rotating about the second hinge axis, and a second rotation member fixed in the hinge housing, and

wherein the second rotation member is extended along the direction of the second hinge axis and fixed to the rotation shaft for rotating along with the rotation shaft about the second hinge axis.

9. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the second hinge member is provided with an elastic member and a cam member therein.

10. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the first hinge member is provided with a fixing shaft being inserted therein and rotatably engaged with the first rotation member.

11. A portable terminal with a pair of housings, comprising:

a guide rib formed at an upper end of a first housing in which the guide rib is thinner than a thickness of the first housing to provide a reception groove;

a first hinge member engaged having the first housing for rotating upon a first hinge axis extended along a length direction of the first housing; and

a second hinge member having a hinge housing formed in a second housing, the hinge housing is extended along a width direction of the second housing,

wherein the hinge housing is positioned in the reception groove, covered by the guide rib as the second housing covers the first housing, and the hinge housing rotates about a second hinge axis extended along the width direction of the second housing, with one end of the hinge housing engaged with the first hinge member, and

wherein the second housing is opened to a side of the first housing from a position in which the second housing is folded on the first housing via a rotation of the first hinge member about the first hinge axis, and the second housing is opened upward from the first housing from the position in which the second housing is folded on the first housing via a rotation of the second hinge member about the second hinge axis;

wherein the hinge housing is cylindrically-shaped and at least one of a speaker phone or a camera module is accommodated in the hinge housing.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein when the second housing is opened upward from the first housing, the guide rib serves as a stop for the second housing as an outer surface of the second housing interferes with the guide rib, thus limiting an opening angle of the second housing.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11, further comprising a keypad provided at the first housing for being opened and closed by the second housing, and a display provided at the second housing,

wherein when the first and second housings are folded to each other, the display faces the keypad.

14. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the hinge housing is formed at an end of the second housing and a speaker phone is installed within the hinge housing, further comprising another speaker phone provided inside the other end of the second housing.

15. The portable terminal of claim 14, further comprising a camera module provided near the other speaker phone inside the other end of the second housing.

16. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the second hinge member is provided with an elastic member and a cam member therein.

17. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the first hinge member is provided with a fixing shaft being inserted therein and rotatably engaged with the first rotation member.