JP2005038217A - Folding portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding portable device in which the visual confirmability of a display part and the operability of an operation part can be improved. <P>SOLUTION: An operation part casing 1 having the operation part 11 is connected to a display part casing 2 having the display part 23 through a biaxial shaft 3 provided at the corner of a device body. Since the casings are mutually connected at the corner, the display part casing can be opened relative to the operation part casing, not only in the longitudinal direction like a general folding cellular phone but also in the lateral direction as a book is opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable device typified by a mobile phone or a portable information terminal, and more particularly to a foldable portable device.

  Many mobile phones in recent years have not only a call function but also various functions such as an Internet browser, e-mail, schedule management, and so on, so to speak, they continue to evolve as portable information terminals. As a result, not only characters and numbers are displayed on the display, but an increase in the size of the display is an inevitable problem.

  A folding structure in which two housings are foldably coupled is one solution to the trade-off between a reduction in size and weight required for a portable device and an increase in the size of a display. Many foldable mobile phones have a structure in which two cases are opened to expose the display and keys during a call, but recently, a biaxial hinge that can rotate only the display unit has been used. A folding structure has been proposed. For example, refer to JP 2000-196720 A, JP 2001-169166 A, and JP 2002-118633 A. In such a biaxial hinge structure, since only the display unit can be horizontally oriented, the visibility of horizontally displayed information such as images can be improved.

JP 2000-196720 A (FIG. 2) JP 2001-169166 A (FIG. 1) JP 2002-118633 A (FIG. 2).

  However, even when the display unit is in the landscape orientation, the operation unit remains in the portrait orientation, which may make it difficult to perform the operation.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a new foldable portable device capable of improving both the visibility of a display unit and the operability of an operation unit.

  The foldable portable device according to the present invention is characterized in that at least a first housing having an operation portion and at least a second housing having a display portion are coupled by at least two axes at a corner portion of the device body. . Since it is connected at the corner, the second housing having the display portion can be opened with respect to the first housing in the longitudinal direction like a normal foldable mobile phone, and the book can be opened. It is also possible to open in the short direction.

  Since the two housings can be opened in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, both the operation unit and the display unit can be arranged in the portrait or landscape direction, and the visibility of the display unit and the operability of the operation unit are possible. Both can be improved.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable portable device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the foldable portable device according to the present embodiment, the operation unit casing 1 and the display unit casing 2 are coupled to each other at a corner portion by a shaft portion 3 having a two-axis configuration.

  The operation unit housing 1 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided with an operation unit 11 on which a numeric keypad and other keys are arranged on the main surface, and a transmitter and a transmitter at one end of the main surface. A microphone 12 is provided. Furthermore, the other end of the main surface of the operation unit housing 1 is provided with a coupling portion 13 extending in the short direction, and the upper surface thereof is formed in a rounded cylindrical shape. A bearing portion 14 extending in the short direction is provided in the coupling portion 13, and the display portion housing 2 can be rotated in the longitudinal direction by coupling with the shaft portion 3.

  The display unit housing 2 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape like the operation unit housing 1, and a display unit 23 such as a liquid crystal display is provided on the main surface (hidden downward in FIG. 1). A speaker 24 serving as a receiver is provided at one end of the main surface. Since the operation unit is provided in the operation unit housing 1, the display unit 2 can be provided on almost the entire main surface of the display unit housing 2. A bearing portion 21 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on one side of the other end surface of the display unit housing 2, and the display unit housing 2 can be rotated in the short direction by being coupled to the shaft unit 3. In addition, the side surface 22 provided with the bearing portion 21 of the display unit housing 2 is formed in a cylindrical side surface shape so as to be able to rotate in the short direction.

  The shaft portion 3 is a block having a semi-cylindrical shape, and is disposed at a corner portion (here, the upper right corner portion) between the operation unit housing 1 and the display unit housing 2 and couples both housings. The axial part 3 has the flat front surface 31, the back surface 32 formed in the cylindrical side surface shape, the upper surface, the lower surface, and the left and right side surfaces. The flat front surface 31 is provided with a short-direction rotating shaft portion 33 that is coupled to the bearing portion 21 of the display unit housing 2, and the longitudinal rotation shaft portion 34 that is coupled to the bearing portion 14 of the coupling portion 13 on one side surface. Is provided.

  In other words, the shaft portion 3 has an orthogonal biaxial configuration having a shaft for rotating in the short direction (shaft portion 33) and a shaft for rotating in the longitudinal direction (shaft portion 34). The operation unit housing 1 and the display unit housing 2 are coupled at the corners so as to be rotatable in the short side direction and the long side direction, respectively.

  2 is a schematic plan view of the vicinity of the shaft portion of the folding portable device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line II, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a shaft 33 for rotation in the short direction of the shaft portion 3 is provided with a rotation shaft 33 a extending in the longitudinal direction, and is rotatably inserted into the bearing portion 21 of the display unit housing 2. Are combined. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the longitudinal rotation shaft portion 34 of the shaft portion 3 is provided with a rotation shaft 34 a extending in the short direction, and the bearing portion 14 of the coupling portion 13 of the operation unit housing 1. Is rotatably inserted and coupled. In order to avoid complicating the drawing, the illustration of the retaining mechanism and the like is omitted, but it goes without saying that various methods can be adopted.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the folding portable device according to the present embodiment is closed, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the folding portable device according to the present embodiment is opened in the longitudinal direction, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the folding type portable apparatus by the form opened in the transversal direction.

  In the closed state shown in FIG. 5, the main surface of the operation unit casing 1 and the main surface of the display unit casing 2 are closed inward, which is suitable for carrying without using.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the display unit housing 2 can be opened in the direction of the arrow 101 (longitudinal direction) around the longitudinal rotation shaft 34 of the shaft 3. Accordingly, since the microphone 12 and the speaker 24 are opened at a distance suitable for a call, the user can hold the apparatus with his palm and can make a call like a normal mobile phone. That is, the state opened in the longitudinal direction shown in FIG. 6 is a form suitable for a normal radio call.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the display unit housing 2 can be opened in the direction of the arrow 102 (short direction) around the short direction rotation shaft portion 33 of the shaft portion 3. Accordingly, the display unit 23 can be used in the landscape orientation, which is suitable for reading long text information. At this time, since the operation unit 11 is also in the same horizontal direction as the display unit 23, the operation unit 11 is used like a notebook computer, and the operation unit 11 can be operated with both hands, so that the operability is greatly improved.

  Whether the display unit housing 2 is opened in the direction of the arrow 101 (longitudinal direction) around the longitudinal rotation shaft 34 or whether it is opened in the direction of the arrow 102 (short direction) around the short rotation shaft 33. By providing the opening direction detecting means for detecting, the image display direction of the display unit can be controlled.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a folding portable device according to another embodiment of the present invention opened in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, a digital camera 15 is mounted on a part of the operation unit 11 on the main surface of the operation unit housing 1. Therefore, even if it opens in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 8 or in the short direction as shown in FIG. 7, the user's face can be imaged by the camera 15, and it can be used as a video phone for horizontal or vertical display. can do.

  In addition, in the said embodiment, although the axial part 3 is provided in the right side corner of a foldable portable apparatus, in this invention, the axial part should just be provided in the corner, and is the left side corner on the opposite side. Needless to say, the same effect can be obtained.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a folding portable device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic plan view of the axial part vicinity of the foldable portable apparatus by this embodiment. It is the II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the foldable portable apparatus by this embodiment closed. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the foldable portable apparatus by this embodiment opened in the longitudinal direction. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the foldable portable apparatus by this embodiment opened in the transversal direction. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the foldable portable apparatus by other embodiment of this invention opened in the longitudinal direction.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part housing | casing 2 Display part housing | casing 3 Shaft part 11 Operation part 12 Transmitter (macrophone)
13 Coupling unit 14 Bearing unit 15 Digital camera 21 Bearing unit 22 Side surface 23 Display unit 24 Handset (speaker)
31 Flat Front 32 Back 33 Short Rotation Shaft 34 Long Rotation Shaft

Claims (3)

In a foldable portable device in which a first casing having at least an operation unit and a second casing having at least a display unit are foldably coupled,
A foldable mobile phone characterized in that a shaft portion that rotatably connects the first housing and the second housing in at least two directions is provided at corners of the first housing and the second housing. apparatus. The shaft portion is
A longitudinal axis of rotation for connecting the second housing to the first housing so as to be openable and closable in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus body;
A short direction rotation shaft that connects the second housing to the first housing so as to be openable and closable in a short direction of the apparatus main body;
The foldable portable device according to claim 1, further comprising: The shaft portion rotates in the longitudinal direction together with the second casing with respect to the first casing, and rotates the second casing in the short direction with respect to the first casing. The foldable portable device according to claim 1 or 2.

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