Sliding portable telephone

• US 8,423,097 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takagi, Hisamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNON, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/878,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.4, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/00 Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A sliding portable telephone in which a second display section is provided on a surface exposed when an upper housing is slid, enabling self-shooting by a built-in camera. Further, in the telephone, a mechanism for stopping the upper housing before a fully opened position is provided so that, when a fingerprint sensor is built-in in an end section of a lower housing, fingerprint authentication is enabled without fully opening the telephone. Also, a recess is formed between sliding surfaces of the upper and lower housings, a flexible circuit board is received in the recess, the flexible circuit board is inserted and led through a slit that is provided only in one end surface of the recess, the insertion section is sealed, and as a result, there is no problem even if water droplets are splashed on the sliding portable telephone in an extended state.

Claims

1. A sliding portable apparatus in which an upper housing and a lower housing overlap each other when in an overlapped state, and overlapping faces of the upper housing and the lower housing, respectively, are gradually exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other from the overlapped state in a sliding direction using sliding rails arranged in parallel, the sliding portable apparatus comprising:

an operating portion having keys provided on the overlapping face of the lower housing and which is exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other;

a first display portion provided on a face of the upper housing which is exposed at all times;

a second display portion provided on the overlapping face of the upper housing and which is exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other;

side walls and groove portions corresponding to the side walls extended in the sliding direction, arranged at positions on both sides of the overlapping faces; and

a sliding assisting member made of a low friction material for receiving a thrust force given in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction and for reducing abrasion caused by friction generated in the sliding direction, the sliding assisting member being arranged in a primary portion of one of the side walls and the groove portions.

2. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

recess portions, for accommodating a flexible cable to connect the upper housing with the lower housing, provided on the overlapping faces, wherein the recess portions include a recess portion on the overlapping face of the upper housing being formed from a central portion onto a side opposite to the sliding direction by a predetermined length, and a recess portion on the overlapping face of the lower housing being formed from a central portion in a sliding direction of the upper housing by a predetermined length; and

a through-hole into which the flexible cable is inserted, formed at a front end portion in the sliding direction in the recess portion on the overlapping face of the upper housing,

wherein the through-hole is water-tightly sealed by a sealing member under the condition that the flexible cable is inserted into the through-hole inside the upper housing and the lower housing.

3. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lock mechanism arranged at both end portions in a longitudinal direction of a respective sliding rail of said sliding rails and an intermediate portion of said respective sliding rail; and

a fingerprint sensor arranged in a portion of the lower housing exposed when the upper housing is slid and locked in the intermediate portion.

4. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a sliding member moving along said respective sliding rail and a sliding spring for pushing the sliding member to said respective sliding rail to cause the upper housing and lower housing to slide with respect to each other,

the lock mechanism includes an intermediate locking protrusion provided in an area of a central portion of said respective sliding rail and also includes an engaging portion for engaging with the intermediate locking protrusion, provided in a portion of the sliding spring, and

the intermediate locking protrusion is engaged with a portion of the sliding spring only once while the upper housing is fully slid with respect to the lower housing.

5. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 4, wherein

said respective sliding rail includes an open locking protrusion for holding an open state in which the upper housing and the lower housing are fully slid and also includes a closed locking protrusion for holding a state in which the upper housing and the lower housing are closed,

two intermediate locking protrusions are arranged in both side portions in the width direction of said respective sliding rail so that a locking groove can be formed between the two intermediate locking protrusions,

a first engaging portion having a width of engaging with the locking groove and the open locking protrusion is provided at a front end portion in the sliding direction of the sliding spring, and

a second engaging portion having a width of engaging only with the closed locking protrusion, provided at a rear end portion in the sliding direction of the sliding spring.

6. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a recess portion, on which a finger is put so as to push the upper housing in the sliding direction, provided in a lower end portion in the sliding direction of the upper housing; and

a fingerprint sensor provided on a bottom face of the recess portion.

7. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fingerprint sensor arranged on a bottom face of a finger recess portion provided on a side of the upper housing.

8. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a telephone.

16. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein

fingerprint authentication is made with the fingerprint sensor before the upper housing is fully slid with respect to the lower housing.

9. A sliding portable apparatus in which an upper housing and a lower housing overlap each other when in an overlapped state, and overlapping faces of the upper housing and the lower housing, respectively, are gradually exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other from the overlapped state in a sliding direction using sliding rails arranged in parallel, the sliding portable apparatus comprising:

recess portions provided on the overlapping faces, the recess portions including a recess portion provided in the upper housing and formed by a predetermined length from a central portion of the upper housing, and a recess portion provided in the lower housing and formed by a predetermined length from a central portion of the lower housing; and

a through-hole, into which a flexible cable is inserted, provided at a front end portion of the recess portion in the sliding direction in the upper housing,

wherein the through-hole is water-tightly sealed by a sealing member inside the upper housing and the lower housing is in a state in which the flexible cable is inserted.

10. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a telephone.

11. A sliding portable apparatus in which an upper housing and a lower housing overlap each other when in an overlapped state, and overlapping faces of the upper housing and the lower housing, respectively, are gradually exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other from the overlapped state in a sliding direction using sliding rails arranged in parallel, the sliding portable apparatus comprising:

an operating portion having keys provided on the overlapping face of the lower housing and which is exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other;

a first display portion provided on a face of the upper housing which is exposed at all times;

a lock mechanism arranged at both end portions and an intermediate portion of a respective sliding rail of said sliding rails; and

a fingerprint sensor arranged in a portion of the lower housing exposed when the upper housing is slid and locked in the intermediate portion, the portion being touched by a finger in fingerprint recognition.

12. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a sliding member moving along said respective sliding rail and a sliding spring for pushing the sliding member to said respective sliding rail,

the lock mechanism includes an intermediate lock protrusion provided in an area of a central portion of said respective sliding rail and also includes an engaging portion engaged with the intermediate lock protrusion, arranged in a portion of the sliding spring, and

while the upper housing is being fully slid with respect to the lower housing, the intermediate lock protrusion is engaged with the portion of the sliding spring only once.

13. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a telephone.

14. A sliding portable apparatus in which an upper housing and a lower housing overlap each other when in an overlapped state, and overlapping faces of the upper housing and the lower housing, respectively, are gradually exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other from the overlapped state using sliding rails arranged in parallel, comprising:

a lock mechanism arranged at both end portions and an intermediate portion of a respective sliding rail of said sliding rails;

a fingerprint sensor arranged in a portion of the lower housing exposed when the upper housing is slid and locked in the intermediate portion; and

a sliding member moving along said respective sliding rail and a sliding spring for pushing the sliding member to said respective sliding rail, wherein

the lock mechanism includes an intermediate lock protrusion provided in an area of a central portion of said respective sliding rail and also includes an engaging portion engaged with the intermediate lock protrusion, arranged in a portion of the sliding spring,

while the upper housing is being fully slid with respect to the lower housing, the intermediate lock protrusion is engaged with the portion of the sliding spring only once,

said respective sliding rail further includes an open lock protrusion for holding an open state in which the upper housing and the lower housing are fully slid on each other and also includes a closed lock protrusion for holding a closed state in which the upper housing and the lower housing are closed to each other,

two intermediate lock protrusions are respectively arranged on both side portions in the width direction of said respective sliding rail so that a lock groove can be formed between them,

a first engaging portion for engaging with the lock groove and the open lock protrusion is provided in a front end portion in the sliding direction of the sliding spring, and

a second engaging portion, the width of which is engaged only with the closed lock protrusion, is provided in a rear end portion in the sliding direction of the sliding spring.

15. A sliding portable apparatus in which an upper housing and a lower housing overlap each other when in an overlapped state, and overlapping faces of the upper housing and the lower housing, respectively, are gradually exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other from the overlapped state in a sliding direction using sliding rails arranged in parallel, the sliding portable apparatus further comprising:

an operating portion having keys provided on the overlapping face of the lower housing and which is exposed when the upper housing and the lower housing are slid from each other;

a first display portion provided on a face of the upper housing which is exposed at all times;

a recess portion forming a concave side capable of pushing the upper housing in the sliding direction with a finger, provided in a portion of the upper housing; and

a fingerprint sensor provided on the recess portion and which is touched by a finger in fingerprint recognition.

17. The sliding portable apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is a telephone.