JP2001326711A - Gripping and holding mechanism of portable telephone set also operating as self-stand - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the reliable gripping and holding of a portable telephone set, the improvement in the flexibility of a thumb in an input operation and also a self-stand function of the portable telephone set in the portable telephone set having a flip mechanism. SOLUTION: A flip 2 can be turned up to an angle surpassing 270 deg. from its closed state and is locked at the rear face of a main body at the turning angle up to 300 deg. at most and an almost L shape is formed with the main body and the flip. In the cross section of the flip in the direction of a turning axis, roundness or chamfering is performed on both sides of an end part facing the outside when the flip is closed, and the flip is generally outwardly convex and can be gripped between the middle finger and the ring finger or between the ring finger and the little finger so that the portable telephone set 1 can reliably be gripped without having the sense of incongruity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gripping mechanism having a self-standing function in a portable telephone.
The mobile phone mentioned here includes a PHS.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the prior art, a flip is opened and held at a rotation angle of about 150 ° from a closed state, and rotation is restricted to a position not exceeding about 200 °. It is. For this reason, when operating a mobile phone, it is common to grasp as shown in FIG. In a conventional mobile phone, what is called a conversation is mainly performed, so that the operation of the operation buttons is performed only by inputting a telephone number. However, at present and in the future, portable telephones have been transformed into information communication terminal devices far beyond the range of conventional telephones. For example, in the case of use as an e-mail terminal, in order to compose an e-mail sentence, the operation buttons such as a numeric keypad, a conversion key, etc. are usually operated with one thumb in FIG. . For this reason, it is desirable that the thumb can be moved as freely as possible. Even in this state, the mobile phone body must be securely held in the hand. In FIG. 2, since the main body including the flip is gripped with approximately half of the palm and four fingers except the thumb, the degree of freedom of the thumb for performing the input operation is approximately half that of the palm. You lose the degree of freedom you spend on In addition, in a long-time input operation, the tip of the flip is strongly pressed against the palm, so that the user feels pain. Although flip seems convenient for holding the mobile phone body in the palm, it can be said that flip also has the above disadvantages. Further, in the prior art, in order to make the mobile phone main body independent, it was necessary to use a desktop holder having a stand function.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to ensure that a portable telephone can be gripped and to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages. In addition, when used as a speakerphone that allows hands-free conversation, and even in the near future, in mobile phones equipped with ultra-compact cameras such as CCD and CMOS, a function that allows the mobile phone to stand alone Is also to be obtained.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a portable telephone having a flip mechanism rotatably hinged to a lower end of a main body and covering an operation button portion of the portable telephone, wherein the flip is closed. To a rotation angle of more than 270 °, and is locked at a back position of the body at a rotation angle of at most 300 °, so that the body and the flip form a substantially L-shape, and the rotation of the flip The cross section in the axial direction is rounded or chamfered on both sides facing outward in the closed state, is generally outwardly convex, and the flip is between the middle finger and the third finger or the third finger and the little finger. The mobile phone is characterized in that it can be pinched and the mobile phone can be securely gripped without feeling uncomfortable.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the two rotating shafts of the flip mechanism are provided with a pair of cams for generating rotation power for opening and closing the flip on the rotating shaft and for maintaining the opening angle with respect to the main body. It is characterized in that a hinge unit is provided, which comprises a coil spring for pressing the coil spring and a housing for accommodating the coil spring, and a rotating shaft portion being held every time the rotary shaft rotates by 180 °.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the transmitting section is provided between the rotating shaft sections on both sides of the flip mechanism, and an opening for exposing a part of the transmitting section even when the flip is closed. It is characterized by being provided on a flip.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the portable telephone is a speakerphone capable of hands-free conversation.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the portable telephone is provided with a camera function.

[0009]

According to the present invention constructed as described above, the rotation is restricted by rotating the flip 2A to the position 2 and then further rotating to the position 2B in FIG. Has a substantially L-shape. In FIG. 1, the mobile phone 1 is securely gripped by holding the flip 2 between the middle finger and the ring finger and the index finger applied to the back of the main body.

In FIG. 4, the cross section of the flip in the direction of the rotation axis AA is chamfered to the outwardly facing end in the closed state of the flip as shown in FIGS. Or it is rounded and has a shape that is generally convex outward, it is familiar with the bending of the fingers when gripping, and it does not feel uncomfortable when sandwiched between the fingers and used for a long time No pain in the fingers. The cross section shown in FIG. 8 has an acute angle at the outwardly facing end, and shows a shape that is not preferable for sandwiching between fingers.

The two rotating shaft portions 4, 14, 2 of the flip mechanism portion
4 includes a set of cams, a coil spring for pressing the cams, and a housing for accommodating them, for generating rotation power for opening and closing the flip on the rotation shaft portion and for maintaining the opening angle with respect to the main body. There is a hinge unit inside which the part is held every time it rotates by 180 °. The shape of the pair of cams is provided with peaks at 180 ° intervals and valleys at 180 ° intervals, and the peaks and valleys are bordered on the tops of the peaks where the mutual peaks are in contact. Has the effect of generating a 90 ° turning force in the rotation direction before and after the contact. Since the basic structure of the hinge unit described here is widely used in a mobile phone having a flip mechanism, illustration of the hinge unit itself is omitted.

In FIG. 3, the hinge unit is provided at the lower end of the main body such that the rotation shaft is held at positions Ya and Yb for each rotation of 180 °. The crest positions of the crests where the crests contact each other are substantially Xa,
And Xb.

In FIG. 3, when the flip is opened from the position 2A to the position 2 it is rotated by hand to the position of approximately Xa, and when the flip exceeds Xa, the rotational force generated by the hinge unit moves to the position of Ya. It is rotated and held. This state is the same as in the prior art, and is suitable for conversation while holding the mobile phone by hand.

Referring to FIG. 3, the present invention is further rotated from the position Ya to the position 2B.
When it exceeds Xb, it rotates to the position 2B by the rotating power generated by the hinge unit, and abuts and locks on the lower end of the main body.

In FIG. 3, in the flip region, a turning force to turn to the position of Yb acts on the flip in the + region from Xa and Xb, 2A is on the operation surface side, and 2B is on the rear surface side of the main body. Are locked in a state where the urging force is applied to each of them. That is, in the case of 2B, a substantially L-shape is formed in a state where the urging force acts on the rear surface side of the main body.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, flips 2 are rotatably mounted on both ends of a transmitting section 5 provided at the lower end of a main body 1. FIG. The rotating shaft unit 4 is configured by housing a hinge unit to be hinged. As the hinge unit, the one described in the section of the operation is used. In the embodiment, the rotation angle of the flip 2 is set to 275 ° from the closed state.
Up to ° is practical. The locking means at the rear surface position of the main body is a connection surface 9 of the data communication connector provided at the lower end of the main body 1.
The contact portion 30 is provided with a step.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA of the flip 2 shown in FIG. 4. In the state where the flip is closed, both ends facing outward are chamfered. It is rounded so that it does not give a feeling of discomfort or cause pain when the fingers are squeezed between the fingers.

In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, a transmitting section 5 is provided between the rotary shaft sections 4 and, even when the flip 2 is closed, a transmitting section is provided so as to be able to transmit. An opening 10 is provided in the flip to expose a part of the flip. In the embodiment, when the flip 2 is locked at the rear surface position of the main body, the opening is formed such that the joint surface 9 of the data communication connector is also exposed.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which a speakerphone capable of hands-free conversation and a camera 20 are provided, and the gripping mechanism of the present invention functions as a self-standing stand of the portable telephone. This is an example.

[0020]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

Since the flip is not limited to the inside of the palm but is rotatable to the rear position of the main body, the degree of freedom of the thumb during the input operation is significantly improved.

Even when the portable telephone is gripped for a long time, the inconvenience that the tip of the flip bites into the palm and causes pain is eliminated.

The portable telephone generally has a rounded shape including a flip portion and is generally convex outward. By allowing the flip to rotate to the back of the main unit, the rounded shape that is generally outwardly convex matches the bending direction of the human finger, so there is no discomfort when pinched between the fingers .

The mechanism capable of holding the flip between fingers can prevent the inconvenience of erroneously slipping and dropping from the palm during the input operation.

In a situation where the area of the liquid crystal display section needs to be increased, the operation button section is necessarily pushed downward.
As can be said for all portable telephones, it is becoming difficult to achieve both secure grip of the main body and operability while maintaining a small size. In the present invention, the above-mentioned inconvenience can be solved because the flip-flop is formed at the lower end of the main body and has a substantially L-shape between fingers.

The fact that the flip having a rounded shape, which is generally outwardly convex, rotates to the rear surface position of the main body and forms a substantially L-shape means that it comes into contact with the installation surface as a concave shape. A stable stand action can be obtained.

In the case where the portable telephone is a speakerphone having a hands-free function, it is convenient if the portable telephone can stand alone.

Radio waves used for mobile phone communication are vertically polarized waves, and the main transmitting / receiving antenna on the mobile phone side is a linear monopole antenna. Since the antenna has an omnidirectional radiation pattern characteristic, the antenna gain is preferably improved.
The present invention having an independent stand function is also advantageous in this respect.

If the mobile phone is equipped with a camera function, it is not preferable if the mobile phone is not self-supporting, because the moving image becomes difficult to see due to camera shake.
In addition, the function cannot be sufficiently exhibited even in use in a so-called video conference or the like. The present invention can be realized without adding new parts by changing a part of the structure of a conventional mobile phone having a flip mechanism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a state in which a mobile phone of the present invention is used with a left hand.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a conventional mobile phone having a flip mechanism is used with a left hand.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the operation of the embodiment of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the mobile phone of the present invention when viewed from below.

FIG. 5 is an example cross-sectional view showing only a cross section between AA in FIG. 4 of the flip of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an example sectional view showing only a section taken along a line AA in FIG. 4 of the flip of the present invention.

7 is an example cross-sectional view of the flip of the present invention, showing only a cross section between AA in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape that is not suitable for the flip of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a use state of the embodiment of the present invention applied to a mobile phone equipped with the speakerphone and camera of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 11, 21 Mobile phone main body 2, 12, 22, 2A, 2B Flip 3, 13, 23 Operation buttons 4, 14, 24 Rotary axis 5, 15, 25 Speaking 6, 6, 26 Liquid crystal display 7 , 17, 27 Receiving part 8, 18, 28 Linear antenna 9 Joint surface of data communication connector 10 Opening provided in flip 33 Hand Xa Flip opening / closing branch position Xb Xa extension line position Ya Flip open Holding position Yb Ya extension line position

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 29, 2000 (2005.2
9)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0009

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

In the present invention constructed as described above, after the flip 2A is rotated to the position 2 in FIG.
By rotating to the position B, the rotation is regulated, and the main body and the flip form a substantially L-shape. In FIG. 1, the mobile phone 1 is securely gripped by holding the flip 2 between the middle finger and the ring finger and the index finger applied to the back of the main body. The above-mentioned pinching between fingers means that bills are counted
Between the middle finger and the ring finger.
It is incompatible with the method of holding, ensuring that important things are retained
It can be said that this is one of the holding means to perform.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0029

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

When the mobile phone has a camera function, if the mobile phone can not stand alone,
This is not preferable because the moving image becomes difficult to see due to camera shake. In addition, the function cannot be sufficiently exhibited even in use in a so-called video conference or the like. The present invention can be realized without adding new parts by changing a part of the structure of a conventional mobile phone having a flip mechanism.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A mobile phone having a flip mechanism rotatably hinged to a lower end of a main body and covering an operation button section of the mobile phone.
Can be rotated to an angle exceeding 70 °, at most 300 °
The main body and the flip are formed in a substantially L-shape, and the cross section of the flip in the direction of the rotation axis is outwardly facing in the closed state. The edges are rounded or chamfered, are generally outwardly convex, and the flip can be clamped between the middle finger and the ring finger or between the ring finger and the little finger, making it possible to securely grip the mobile phone without feeling uncomfortable A gripping mechanism for a mobile phone that also serves as a self-standing stand, characterized in that: 2. A pair of cams and a pair of cams are pressed against the two rotating shaft portions of the flip mechanism portion to generate rotation power for opening and closing the flip on the rotating shaft portions and to maintain an opening angle with respect to the main body. 2. The gripping mechanism for a mobile phone according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge unit comprising a coil spring and a housing for accommodating the coil spring, and a hinge unit in which a rotation shaft portion is held at every rotation of 180 °. . 3. A transmitting section is provided between the rotating shaft sections on both sides of the flip mechanism, and an opening is provided in the flip to expose a part of the transmitting section even when the flip is closed. 3. The gripping mechanism for a mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein said mobile phone doubles as a self-standing stand. 4. A gripping mechanism for a mobile phone serving as an independent stand according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is a speakerphone capable of hands-free conversation. 5. A gripping mechanism for a mobile phone serving also as an independent stand according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone has a camera function.