|
Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
A hinge construction for a two part folding mobile phone body has
a spindle provided at one end with a torsion spring for applying
torque in a closing direction to the two parts of the phone body.
A first cam member is mounted on the spindle for movement axially
thereof and has a portion engaged with one part of the phone body
to prevent reciprocal rotation therebetween. A second cam member
is attached to the other part of the phone body. A helical compression
spring surrounding the spindle urges the first cam member into engagement
with the second cam member. Push-button is disposed at the opposite
end of the spindle for applying axial thrust to the first cam member
to release the first cam member from the second cam member and allow
opening movement of the body parts out of the closed position. The
first and second cam members are shaped so as (a) to maintain the
body parts in a closed position when closed and (b) to provide a
torque urging the body parts towards a fully open position when
in a partially open position. The hinge construction described is
compact and provides all the desiderata for a folding body mobile
phone.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hinge construction for a two part folding mobile phone body,
comprising:
a spindle provided at one end with first spring means for applying
torque in a closing direction to the two parts of the phone body;
a first cam member mounted on said spindle for movement axially
thereof and having a portion engaged with one part of the phone
body to prevent reciprocal rotation therebetween;
a second cam member attached to the other part of the phone body;
second spring means for urging said first cam member into engagement
with said second cam member; and
push-button means disposed at the opposite end of said spindle
for applying axial thrust to said first cam member to release said
first cam member from said second cam member and allow opening movement
of the body parts out of the closed position;
said first and second cam members being shaped so as (a) to maintain
the body parts in a closed position when closed and (b) to provide
a torque urging the body parts towards a fully open position when
in a partially open position of the body parts.
2. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said first
spring means is in the form of a torsion spring.
3. A hinge construction according to claim 2, wherein said torsion
spring has tags at opposite ends engaged respectively with a flange
on said spindle and a washer rotatably mounted on said spindle,
said washer being restrained against rotation relative to one part
of the phone body and said spindle being restrained against rotation
relative to the other part of the phone body.
4. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said second
spring means is in the form of a helical compression spring surrounding
said spindle.
5. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said first
and second cam member each includes a part-cylindrical shell portion
which has helical edges which engage one another when the body parts
are in a partially opened position.
6. A hinge construction according to claim 5, wherein said shell
portion of said second cam member is formed with a notch to receive
a tip on said shell portion of said first cam member when the body
parts are in the closed position.
7. A hinge construction according to claim 1, wherein said push-button
means has an axially extending finger projecting towards said first
cam member and said first cam member has a lobe portion projecting
towards said push-button means, said finger and said lobe portion
being aligned when the two parts of the phone body are in a closed
position.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge construction for a folding
mobile phone handset.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has hitherto been proposed to provide a mobile phone handset
with a flip-down portion on which the microphone of the phone is
provided. The flip-down portion is of relatively light construction
as it contains only the microphone and wiring for connecting the
microphone to the remainder of the circuitry in the main body of
the phone and a very simple hinge mechanism is all that is required.
See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,790.
If, however, it is required to divide the phone body into two parts
both of which contain significant parts of the phone, as shown,
for example in EPO713313-A, the provision of a suitable hinge is
more difficult. It is desirable that the hinge should be as small
as possible, whilst providing a snap-open, snap-shut feel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact hinge
construction for a mobile phone, whilst providing a snap-open, snap-shut
feel.
In accordance with the invention, a hinge construction has a spindle
provided at one end with first spring means for applying torque
in a closing direction to the two parts of the phone body. A first
cam member is mounted on the spindle for movement axially thereof
and has a portion engaged with one part of the phone body to prevent
reciprocal rotation therebetween. A second cam member is attached
to the other part of the phone body. Second spring means urges the
first cam member into engagement with the second cam member. Push-button
means is disposed at the opposite end of the spindle for applying
axial thrust to the first cam member to release the first cam member
from the second cam member and allow opening movement of the body
parts out of the closed position. When the body parts are in the
a closed position, the body parts are maintained in such closed
position. In a partially open position of the body parts, the first
cam member engages with the second cam member and a torque urging
the body parts towards a fully open position is applied to the body
parts. At a result, it becomes possible to provide a compact hinge
construction, whilst providing a snap-open, snap-shut feel.
The first spring means is preferably a torsion spring surrounding
the spindle. The second spring means is preferably a helical compression
spring surrounding the spindle.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description with
reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples
of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile phone handset
having a hinge construction according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a section through the hinge construction shown in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first cam member of the hinge
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second cam member of the hinge
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pushbutton of the hinge shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, a folding mobile phone handset provided with
a hinge 16 as a hinge construction according to an embodiment of
the present invention has a body comprising two parts 10 and 11
hingedly connected together. One body part 10 includes an ear speaker
12 and a display 13. The other body part 11 includes a key pad 14
and a microphone 15. Body parts 10 and 11 are of approximately the
same dimensions, so that the length of the phone body is roughly
halved by folding it into a closed position, the overall depth of
the phone body being roughly doubled by this action.
Body parts 10 and 11 of the phone body are connected by hinge 16
which includes portions 17, 18 integrally formed or secured to body
part 11 and portions 19, 20 integrally formed or secured to body
part 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the portions 17, 18, 19 and 20 of hinge
16 are aligned with one another and define a passageway extending
from one axial end of hinge 16 to the other. Mounted in this passageway
is a spindle 21. This spindle 21 has adjacent one end a flange 21a
which has a non-circular periphery which fits inside a correspondingly
shaped internal surface of portion 18. At the extreme end of spindle
21 is a non-circular washer 22, which is retained on spindle 21
by a clip 23 but which is free to rotate relative to spindle 21.
Washer 22 is received by a correspondingly shaped socket in portion
20 to prevent rotation of washer 22 relative to portion 20. A coiled
torsion spring 24, as a first spring means, on spindle 21 has tags
24a and 24b at opposite ends engaged respectively with flange 21a
and washer 22, so that, in use, it provides a torque urging body
parts 10 and 11 towards a closed position. Tag 24a engaged in a
hole 21b in flange 21a, tag 24b engaged in a hole 22b in washer
22.
Slidably mounted inside portion 19 is a first cam member 25, which
has an axial bore through which spindle 21 extends. First cam member
25 is free to move axially and rotationally on spindle 21, but has
a non-circular periphery fitting within a correspondingly shaped
non-circular internal surface of portion 19, so that first cam member
25 cannot turn relative to portion 19. As shown in FIG. 3, first
cam member 25 has a part cylindrical shell portion 25a, projecting
axially from one end, and this shell portion 25a has a helical end
face 25b. First cam member 25 has an axial boss portion 25c which
projects axially as far as shell portion 25a. Boss portion 25c has
a lobe portion 25d extending therefrom in a direction away from
shell portion 25a. First cam member 25 is arranged so that shell
portion 25a and boss portion 25c thereof project axially away from
the end of spindle 21 on which washer 22 is mounted. A helical compression
spring 26 as a second spring means is provided on spindle 21 between
flange 21a and first cam member 25 so that first cam member 25 is
urged axially along spindle 21 away from flange 21a.
First cam member 25 co-acts with a second cam member 27 which has
a non-circular periphery which is received by a corresponding non-circular
internal surface of portion 17, so that second cam member 27 cannot
rotate relative to portion 17. Second cam member 27 is also secured
against axial movement relative to portion 17 by means of grub screws,
not shown, which are fitted in holes 27a in portion 17 and aligned
holes 27a in second cam member 27. Second cam member 27 has a part
cylindrical shell portion 27b, which projects axially towards first
cam member 25 and co-acts with shell portion 25a thereof. Shell
portion 27b has a helical face 27c formed as the edge of a notch
27e in shell portion 27b and a helical face 27d formed as the edge
of a notch 27f in shell portion 27b. These helical faces 27c and
27d have the same inclination as helical end face 25b. Notch 27e
is smaller than notch 27f.
When body parts 10 and 11 of the phone body are in the closed position
previously referred to, the tip of shell portion 25a engages in
the smaller of two notches 27e and 27f in shell portion 27b. In
a fully open position in which the angle included between the adjacent
faces of body parts 10 and 11 is about 160.degree., the tip of shell
portion 25a engages in the larger of two notches 27e and 27f. In
both cases the shell's engagement in the notch holds body parts
10 and 11 of the phone body in the associated relative position
as a result of the force applied by compression spring 26.
When reciprocal closing movement is applied by a user to body parts
10 and 11, face 27c applies a force to face 25b which urges first
cam member 25 against the force of compression spring 26 and first
cam member 25 moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 as body parts
10 and 11 are closed. As body parts 10 and 11 reach the closed position,
there will be a brief interval where the tip of shell portion 25a
is on the top 27g of shell portion 27b between two notches 27e and
27f. During this interval, compression spring 26 does not cause
any opening torque to be applied to two parts 10 and 11 and, instead,
coiled torsion spring 24 prevails in urging the parts towards their
closed position. The tip of shell portion 25a then enters the smaller
of two notches 27e and 27f in shell portion 27b.
For releasing body parts 10 and 11 from the closed position a release
push button 28 is provided. This push button 28 has a non-circular
periphery which fits in a correspondingly non-circular internal
surface of portion 17 so that push button 28 cannot be turned relative
to portion 17. As shown in FIG. 5, push button 28 has an elongated
finger 28a which extends parallel to the axis of hinge 16 and is
aligned with lobe 25d of first cam member 25 when body parts 10
and 11 are in the closed position. Push button 28 is axially slidable
along spindle 21 and is fitted with a button cap 29 which projects
through a retaining bracket 30 fitted on the end of portion 17.
Pressing in push button 28 when body parts 10 and 11 are in the
closed position causes finger 28a to contact lobe 25d so that first
cam member 25 is displaced axially to the right as viewed in FIG.
2, thereby lifting the tip of shell portion 25a from smaller notch
27e in shell portion 27b. The user can then start opening body parts
10 and 11 against the torque applied by torsion spring 24. If the
user releases push button 28 after initial opening movement, the
tip of shell portion 25a of first cam member 25 enters larger notch
27f in shell portion 27b and applies an opening torque to body parts
10 and 11 which exceeds the closing torque applied by coiled torsion
spring 24.
The hinge arrangement described is compact and provides all the
desiderata for a folding body mobile phone.
The hinge construction shown is such that all the parts of the
hinge assembly can be pre-assembled and inserted into the passageway
formed by portions 17, 18, 19 and 20.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative
purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations
may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following
claims.
|