Housing, and a mobile device incorporating same

• US 8,983,558 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Honma, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US14/064,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• 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 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

In the present invention, a rear cover 1 of a display part is made of at least a resin material, and a rear cover 4 of an operation part is made of a metal material. Respective plane portions of a front case 2 of the display part and a front case 3 of the operation part are made mainly of a metal material, and at least hinge parts 2c and 3c, which are formed on the front case 2 of the display part and the front case 3 of the operation part, are made of a resin material.

Claims

1. A housing, comprising:

a metal structure comprising a first plate, a second plate, and a first side plate, the first plate and the second plate being connected to the first side plate, and

a resin structure in contact with the first plate,

wherein pairs of the first plate and the first side plate are respectively provided on both ends of the second plate so that the pairs are mutually opposite, wherein the metal structure is a metal sheet plate comprised of the pair of first plates, the pair of first side plates, and the second plate.

2. A housing, comprising:

a metal structure comprising a metal sheet plate with i) a pair of first plates at a first level, each first plate having an inside edge, ii) a second plate at a second level elevated relative to the first level, the second plate having a pair of opposite, outside edges, and iii) a pair of first side plates, each first side plate having a first edge connected to a respective one of the inside edges of the first plates and to a respective one of the outside edges of the second plate such that each of the first plates is connected to the second plate by one of the first side plates; and

a resin structure in contact with the each of the first plates and each of the first side plates and located at the pair of opposite, outside edges of the second plate,

wherein the pair of the first plates and the pair of first side plates are respectively provided on both ends of the second plate so that the pairs are mutually opposite.

3. The housing according to claim 2, wherein,

said metal sheet plate further comprises

i) a pair of second side plates connected to the second plate at further opposite, outside edges of the second plate, and ends of each of the second side plates are connected to ends of the first side plates, and

ii) a pair of third plates at the first level and having longitudinal edges attached to longitudinal edges of the second side plates,

wherein the resin structure is in contact with each of the second side plates.

4. The housing according to claim 3, wherein the resin structure comprises an aperture that exposes an opposite surface which is opposite to the side of the second plate at which the first side plates and the second side plates are arranged.

5. The housing according to claim 3, wherein,

said metal sheet plate further comprises a pair of third side plates having longitudinal edges attached to outside longitudinal edges of the first plates, the third side plates extending upward from the first level toward the second level, and

the resin structure contacts the third side plates.