JP2004064101A - Portable telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin foldable type portable telephone to prevent the problem that, when the telephone is put into a pocket, the pocket bulges to be so large that it is very unsightly. <P>SOLUTION: A first case 1 having a display unit 5 and a second case 2 having a key operation unit 2 are rotatably pivotted centered at a hinge portion 4, and a third case 3 thicker than the first and second cases 1, 2 is rotatably pivotted on the first and second cases 1, 2 centered at the hinge portion 4. Since the third case 3 is formed to be larger in thickness than the first and second cases 1, 2, electric components which are so thick that they cannot be housed in the first and second cases 1, 2 can be housed in the third case 3, thereby providing a portable telephone being reduced in thickness as a whole. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a foldable mobile phone in which a first housing having a display and a second housing having a key operation portion are configured to be foldable around a hinge portion.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, as shown in FIG. 5, a foldable portable terminal has a receiver in a first housing 21 having a display 25 and a transmitter in a second housing 22 having a key operation unit 26, respectively. The housings 21 and 22 are attached to each other so as to be rotatable about a hinge 24. Therefore, in this type of mobile phone, the first and second housings 21 and 22 can be used by opening the receiver and the transmitter close to the ear and the mouth, respectively, by opening each other around the hinge portion 24. There is an advantage that when not in use, the first and second housings 21 and 22 can be folded over each other around the hinge portion 24 to be in a portable state.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in this type of mobile phone, it is desirable that the display 25 be as large as possible with the progress of multi-functionality, and the key operation unit 26 cannot be made too small from the viewpoint of operability. There is a restriction that the first and second housings 21 and 22 cannot be made too small. Further, in this type of mobile phone, when the first and second housings 21 and 22 are closed around the hinge 24, the first and second housings 21 and 22 overlap with each other. There is a problem that the thickness of the pocket becomes large and the pocket or the like swells greatly when placed in a pocket or the like, and becomes very unsightly.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and has as its object to provide a mobile phone that can be made thinner.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the mobile phone of the present invention, the first housing having the display portion and the second housing having the key operation portion are pivotally connected to each other so as to be foldable about a hinge portion, and the first housing having the display portion and the second housing having the key operation portion are folded. A third housing shorter in length than the first and second housings is rotatably pivoted substantially coaxially with the hinge portion, and the third housing accommodates electrical components. With this configuration, a large electric component that prevents the first and second housings from being thinned can be housed in the third housing and can be housed therein, and the first and second housings can be thinned. Thus, it is possible to reduce the overall thickness.
[0006]
Further, in the mobile phone of the present invention, the third housing is configured to be thicker than the first and second housings and to be not more than the total thickness of the first and second housings. With this configuration, even when the first and second housings are folded around the hinge portion, the overall thickness does not exceed the total thickness of the first and second housings. The first and second housings have an effect that they are very convenient to carry in conjunction with the reduction in thickness.
[0007]
Further, in the mobile phone of the present invention, when the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the third housing protrudes to the back side of the second housing, and the second housing Is configured to act as a leg when placed on a desk. With this configuration, when the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, and the second housing is placed on a desk in that state, the third housing acts as a leg, When the second housing is placed on the desk in a state of being inclined obliquely forward, it goes without saying that each speaker for ringing tone or hands-free is stored in the third housing. That is, even when stored on the back side of the second housing, the sound from these speakers is not blocked or blocked by the desk at all, and reaches the user effectively, Also, the key operation has an effect that the second housing is placed obliquely forward and inclined, so that the operation becomes very easy.
[0008]
Further, in the mobile phone of the present invention, when the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the contact portions contact the third housing, respectively. When the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the contact portions formed on the first and second housings come into contact with the third housing, and the third The housing is configured to protrude from the back side of the first and second housings. With this configuration, when the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the third housing automatically projects from the back side of the first and second housings. Therefore, the third housing can be easily protruded from the rear sides of the first and second housings without manually operating the third housing.
[0009]
In addition, the mobile phone of the present invention is configured to include at least one of a sub-display for displaying time, caller, etc., a speaker for ringing tone, and a built-in antenna as electric components. With this configuration, when the electric component is the sub-display, the sub-display interferes with the first and second housings in a state where the first and second housings are folded around the hinge portion. The sub-display can be used to easily check the time, caller, etc., and when the electrical component is a speaker, the first and second housings can be opened from each other. Even when the electronic component is placed on a desk, the sound from the speaker is accurately transmitted to the user without being interrupted by the desk. First, as compared with the case where it is housed in the second housing, it is located at a position a little away from the human body, and the antenna gain of the built-in antenna is improved accordingly.
[0010]
Further, the mobile phone of the present invention is configured to include, as electrical components, electrical components having a thickness larger than the first and second housings. According to this configuration, the first and second housings can accommodate thin electric components, and the thick electric components can be accommodated in the third housing. As a result, the first and second housings can be accommodated. 2 has the effect that the thickness of the housing can be further reduced, and the device as a whole can be reduced in thickness.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the mobile phone, and FIG. 3 shows first and second housings of the mobile phone. FIG. 4 is a side view of a state where the first and second housings constituting the mobile phone are opened centering on the hinge part. FIG.
[0012]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first housing 1 having a display 5 such as a liquid crystal display on the front, a numeric keypad on the front, and various function keys. The second housing 2 having the key operation unit 6 of the first embodiment, the third housing 3 having a shorter length than the first and second housings 1 and 2, and the first, second, and third And a hinge portion 4 for pivotally connecting the housings 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
[0013]
The first and second housings 1 and 2 are rotatable with each other by connecting bearings 1a and 2a integrally formed on the first and second housings 1 and 2 with a shaft 4a. The third housing 3 is pivotally mounted, and the third housing 3 is rotated by connecting bearings 1b, 3a formed integrally with the first and third housings 1, 3 by a shaft 4b. It is pivotally connected. Then, the third housing 3 holds the first and second housings 1 and 2 in the state shown in FIG. It is pivotally mounted so as to be located on the back side (the side opposite to the exposed surface of the display 5 and the key operation unit 6).
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 2, a receiver 7 and a transmitter 8 are built in the first and second housings 1 and 2 on the side farther from the hinge portion 4, respectively. On the front surfaces of the first and second housings 1 and 2 facing the receiver 7 and the transmitter 8 (exposed surfaces of the display 5 and the key operation unit 6), a sound hole 9 for the receiver is provided. A sound hole 10 for a transmitter is formed. The first and second housings 1 and 2 have built-in printed wiring boards 11 and 12 for mounting various electric components including the display 5 and the key operation unit 6, respectively. Although not shown, the wiring boards 11 and 12 are electrically connected to each other via a flexible board built in the bearing unit 4.
[0015]
A thin battery 13 is detachably mounted on the back side of the second housing 2, and the time and the caller's telephone number are provided on the third housing 3 on the first housing side. A speaker 15 used for generating a ring tone or making a hands-free call is built in the sub-display 14 for displaying a message or the like and the second housing. A sound hole 16 for sound emission for emitting sound from the speaker 15 to the outside is formed on a side surface of the third housing 3 facing the speaker 15.
[0016]
As described above, the third housing 3 is formed to be extremely shorter than the first and second housings 1 and 2, and as shown in FIG. In the state where the thickness of the body is a, the thickness of the second housing 2 is b, and the first and second housings 1 and 2 are folded around the hinge portion 4, the first and second housings are folded. When the gap formed between the housings 1 and 2 is c, the total d of a, b, and c is greater than or equal to e, and e is greater than the thickness of each of a and b. I have.
[0017]
Further, as described above, the third housing 3 is pivotally attached to the first housing 1 around the shaft 4b, and the first housing 1 is It is pivotally attached to the housing 2 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 4a. Then, the first housing 1 rotates with a click (click) at a predetermined opening angle (for example, an arbitrary opening angle such as 90 degrees, 100 degrees, or 110 degrees) with respect to the second housing 2. The third casing 3 is pivotally attached to the first casing 1 so as to rotate with a predetermined constant frictional force.
[0018]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the second housing 2 has a certain rotation angle (for example, the angle formed by the second and third housings 2 and 3 is 90 degrees). A stopper 17 is formed to prevent the rotation of the shaft 17 by more than an arbitrary angle (e.g., an arbitrary angle of 100 degrees, 120 degrees, etc.).
[0019]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
First, in a state where the first and second housings 1 and 2 are closed around the hinge part 4, the state is as shown in FIG. In this case, of course, the third housing 3 can be rotated with a predetermined constant frictional force with respect to the first housing 1, and if the third housing 3 is manually turned, the turning power is applied. The third housing 3 rotates arbitrarily about the hinge 4 and stops at that position. Therefore, in a state where the first and second housings 1 and 2 are closed around the hinge portion 4, the third housing 3 is not necessarily at the position shown in FIG. In the following, the description will be made assuming that it is at the position shown in FIG.
[0020]
Now, as shown in FIG. 3, the first housing 1 and the second housing 1 are moved from the folded state to the second housing 2 with the hinge 4 at the center. Suppose that it turned in the opening direction. When the first housing 1 is rotated with respect to the second housing 2 in a direction in which the hinges 4 are opened, the third housing 3 is similar to the first housing 1 with this rotation. And pivots in a direction to open around the hinge portion 4. When the first housing 1 is opened to a predetermined angle, the third housing 3 comes into contact with the stopper 17, and the third housing 3 no longer rotates. That is, in this state, even if the first housing 1 is further rotated in the opening direction with respect to the second housing 2, the third housing 3 does not further rotate, and the first housing 1 does not rotate. Only the body 1 rotates in a direction to open with respect to the second housing 2.
[0021]
When the first housing 1 is opened to the second housing 2 to a predetermined fixed opening angle, the rotation of the first housing 1 is moderated at this stage. As a result, the first housing 1 is temporarily prevented from rotating, and as shown in FIG. 2, the second housing 2 is placed in an optimal state for use on a desk. That is, in this state, the third housing 3 acts as a leg when the second housing 2 is placed on a desk and used, and the first housing 1 is connected to the second housing 2. On the other hand, a stable state of opening is maintained up to a predetermined opening angle.
[0022]
Then, in this state, if the first housing 1 is further rotated in the opening direction with respect to the second housing 2, as shown in FIG. The second case 2 is fully opened in the opening direction with respect to the second case 2, and the second case 2 is held in a hand, and each of the first and second cases 1 and 2 for the handset and the transmitter is formed. The sound holes 9 and 10 can be brought close to the ears and the mouth, and can be in an optimal state for talking.
[0023]
When the first housing 1 is turned in the closing direction from the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the third housing 3 is turned in the closing direction similarly to the first housing 1. Therefore, when the first housing 1 is completely closed with respect to the second housing 2, the third housing 3 does not come in a straight line with respect to the second housing 2. However, in this case, if a stopper is provided to prevent the third housing 3 from turning further in the closing direction when the third housing 3 becomes substantially straight with respect to the second housing 2, FIG. As shown, the third housing 3 is aligned with the first and second housings 1 and 2 in a state where the first housing 1 is completely closed with respect to the second housing 2. Can be
[0024]
Further, a built-in antenna may be provided in the third housing 3. In this configuration, the built-in antenna is located at a position slightly away from the human body as compared with the case where the built-in antenna is housed in the first and second housings, and the antenna gain of the built-in antenna is improved accordingly.
[0025]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first housing 1 is pivotally attached to the second housing 2 so as to be rotatable, and the third housing 3 is attached to the first housing. The leg portion is used when the third housing 3 is placed on a desk in a state where the first and second housings 1 and 2 are opened from each other so as to be rotatable. The first and second housings 1 and 2 can be appropriately used in an optimum state by being appropriately inclined. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the third housing 3 is configured to form an obtuse angle with the second housing 2 so as to act as a leg. Even if the case 2 is considerably reduced in weight, it has an effect that a stable state can be maintained without falling down or wobbling due to the weight of the first case 1. .
[0026]
Then, the third housing can be brought substantially linearly with respect to the first and second housings 1 and 2 with the first and second housings 1 and 2 closed. Therefore, even when the first and second housings 1 and 2 are closed with each other and stored in a pocket or the like and carried, the third housing 3 does not become an obstacle, and it is very convenient to carry. Has an action.
[0027]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the third housing 3 is formed to be thicker than the first and second housings 1 and 2, and accordingly, the third housing 3 has the first and second housings. It is possible to store electric parts having a large thickness that cannot be stored in the second housings 1 and 2, and the entire mobile phone can be made thinner without making the first and second housings 1 and 2 thicker. It has the action of:
[0028]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the third casing 3 is provided with the sub-display 14 for displaying the time and the caller telephone number, and the sub-display 14 is provided with the first and second sub-displays. The first and second housings 1 and 2 can be viewed from the front in a state where the housings 1 and 2 are closed to each other, and the time, the caller telephone number transmitted when an incoming call is received, and the like can be viewed. It can be easily confirmed.
[0029]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the third housing 3 is provided with the speaker 15 that generates a ring tone or is used for a hands-free call. This has the effect that the back space is relatively large and the acoustic characteristics of the speaker 15 can be sufficiently ensured. Generally, in order to ensure sufficient acoustic characteristics of the speaker 15, it is required that the back space provided on the back of the speaker 15 is sufficiently large. However, in recent years, there has been a situation in which a sufficient back space cannot be obtained due to the progress of thinning of the housing. However, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the thickness of the third housing 3 to the total thickness of the first and second housings 1 and 2, and to secure a sufficient space behind the speaker 15. Sound characteristics can be sufficiently ensured.
[0030]
Then, according to the present embodiment, when placed on a desk for use, the third housing 3 can be used as a leg, and in this state, the front of the speaker 15 is closed by a desk or the like. Therefore, the sound from the speaker 15 can be efficiently emitted forward.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the first and second housings, the third housing that is thicker than the first and second housings is provided with a hinge portion together with the first and second housings. It is pivotally attached to the center so that even if the first and second housings are formed as thin as possible, electric components that are difficult to store in the first and second housings are stored in the third housing. This has the advantage that the entire mobile phone can be made as thin as possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the mobile phone. FIG. 3 is a state in which first and second housings of the mobile phone are closed. FIG. 4 is a side view of the mobile phone with first and second housings opened to each other. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional mobile phone.
1a, 2a, 3a, 1b, 2b Bearings 4a, 4b Shaft 1 First housing 2 Second housing 3 Third housing 4, 24 Hinge 5, 25 Display 6, 26 Key operation unit 7 Receiver 8 Transmitter 9, 10, 16 Sound hole 11, 12 Printed wiring board 13 Battery 14 Secondary display 15 Speaker 17 Stopper 21, 22 Housing

Claims (6)

A first housing having a display portion and a second housing having a key operation portion are pivotally connected to each other so as to be foldable about a hinge portion, and the first and second housings are folded. A mobile phone in which a third housing shorter in length than the body is rotatably pivoted substantially coaxially with the hinge portion, and electrical components are stored in the third housing. The said 3rd housing | casing is thicker than the said 1st, 2nd housing | casing, and is less than the total thickness of the said 1st, 2nd housing | casing, The thickness of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Mobile phone. When the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the third housing protrudes to the back of the second housing, and the second housing is placed on a desk. 2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is configured to function as a leg when placed. When the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion in the first and second housings, contact portions are formed to abut on the third housings, respectively. When the first and second housings are opened around the hinge portion, the abutting portions abut on the third housing, respectively, and the third housing is connected to the first and second housings. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is configured to protrude from a rear side of the housing. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric component includes at least one of a sub-display for displaying a time, a caller, a ring tone sounding speaker, and a built-in antenna. The described mobile phone. The mobile phone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrical component includes an electrical component having a thickness larger than the first and second housings.

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