JP2007043503A - Folding mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding mobile terminal which has a mounting area of an end on the hinge side of a lower enclosure increased to prevent a finger or the like from being caught and is superior in mounting efficiency and design. <P>SOLUTION: With respect to the folding mobile terminal, an upper casing 1 and a lower casing 2 can be folded by a hinge A, and an axis of a hinge shaft of the hinge A is off upward from the upper face of a front case 2F of the lower casing 2, and a slope 2F1 inclined at an obtuse angle to the front case upper face from an upper end is provided on a case-side wall on the hinge-shaft side of the front case 2F, and at least the end of a side wall 1R1 or a part near the end is brought into contact with the slope 2F1 in an open state. Since a gap in a rear part of the hinge A is covered with the slope, the finger or the like is pushed out due to the slope by the turning of the end of the side wall 1R1 to be prevented from being caught when opening the casings. A mounting space can be secured at the lower side of the slope. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable mobile terminal, and more particularly to a foldable mobile terminal having an improved housing structure in the vicinity of a foldable portion.

  Folding-type mobile terminals such as cellular phones are mainly built-in antenna type for improved design, but the space for mounting such built-in antennas is far from metal objects such as circuit boards. It is also important to dispose at the location where the high frequency characteristics are not deteriorated.

  In this respect, the folding portable terminal having a hinge portion in which the axis of the hinge shaft is eccentric above the upper surface of the front case of the lower housing is formed from a circuit board or the like below the hinge portion of the front case of the lower housing. A remote space can be secured, and there is an advantage that a suitable mounting space such as a built-in antenna is obtained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a case structure of a folding portable terminal having a conventional folding portion structure (see Patent Document 1).
This foldable mobile phone has a casing structure in which an upper casing 101 and a lower casing 102 are rotatably coupled by a hinge portion B having a cylindrical appearance. Each casing 101, 102 has a front case, It consists of a rear case. That is, the upper casing 101 is configured by the front case 101F that is the front face in the open state and the rear case 101R, and the lower casing 102 is the front case 102F that is the front face and the rear case 102R that is the rear face. It consists of and.

Further, the hinge part B has its hinge rotation axis (axial center) eccentric to a position away from the upper surface of the front case 102F of the lower casing 102, and the front case of the lower casing 102 is connected to the hinges of the two casings. Two cylindrical shapes 1011 and 1012 for hinge coupling are formed in the vicinity of the longitudinal end of 102F, and two cylindrical shapes 1021 and 1022 are formed at the longitudinal end of the front case 101F of the upper housing 101, The cylindrical shapes 1011 and 1021, 1012 and 1022 are rotatably coupled.
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  As shown in FIG. 6, the foldable portable terminal having the hinge portion B in which the axis of the hinge shaft is eccentric to the upper side of the upper surface of the front case 102 </ b> F of the lower housing 102 is below the hinge shaft B of the lower housing 102. It can be used as a component storage area from the side to the back of the hinge shaft, and an antenna or the like can be mounted.

  However, by extending the lower housing 102 to the rear from the hinge shaft, a gap B1 is formed between the rear periphery of the cylindrical shape of the hinge shaft B and the extended upper surface of the lower housing 102 (front case 102F). When the body is opened, the finger or the like is easily pulled or pinched by the rotation of the hinge shaft B, and there is a problem that the user feels uncomfortable when the casing is opened or closed and the operation feeling is deteriorated.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable terminal that can secure a storage space and has a good folding operation feeling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable terminal that can prevent a finger or the like from being caught in the rear part of the hinge portion by the upper housing and the lower housing when the housing is opened.
Another object of the present invention is to cover the gap at the rear part of the hinge part, thereby increasing the mounting area of the end part on the hinge part side of the lower housing, preventing pinching of fingers, etc. The object is to provide an excellent folding portable terminal.

  The foldable portable terminal of the present invention relates to a foldable portable terminal having a hinge portion in which the axis of the hinge shaft is eccentric above the upper surface of the front case of the lower housing, and the upper end of the case side wall on the hinge shaft side of the front case An inclined surface inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to the upper surface of the front case, and at least a part of the end of the side wall on the hinge shaft side of the rear case of the upper case or a part near the end with the case open. The inclined surface is in contact with the inclined surface, and the inclined surface is formed to cover (fill) a gap between the front case and the hinge portion of the lower housing, and the case side wall is a lower end of the inclined surface The lower casing extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the front case, and the lower casing is formed with a storage area for mounting components on the lower side of the hinge portion and the lower side of the inclined surface.

  The hinge portion includes a first cylindrical shape formed on the lower casing and a third cylindrical casing formed on the upper casing that is hinged to the first cylindrical shape and the second cylindrical shape. And the fourth cylindrical shape, and the third and fourth cylindrical shapes are formed at positions on both ends of the hinge shaft, respectively, near the hinge shaft side end portion of the front case. 4 is provided with two projecting shapes forming a part of the inclined surface, and the case side wall of the front case sandwiched between the two projecting shapes is configured to be removable. As a feature, an antenna member is mounted in the storage area in a direction parallel to the hinge axis.

  In addition, the angle formed between the longitudinal side wall surface of the rear case of the upper housing and the inclined surface of the front case of the lower housing is designed to be a small predetermined angle θ, and the contact portion between them is a linear shape parallel to the hinge axis In addition, the same angle θ can be set to zero, and the side wall can be received by at least a part of the inclined surface.

  According to the present invention, the case side wall on the hinge shaft side of the front case of the lower housing is provided with an inclined surface that is inclined at an obtuse angle with the upper surface of the front case from the top, and in the opened state on the hinge shaft side of the rear case of the upper housing. When at least a part of the end of the side wall or a part near the end abuts the inclined surface, the side wall on the hinge axis side of the rear case (upper case) rotates around the hinge axis when the case is opened. And the inclined surface on the hinge side of the front case (lower housing) act to push fingers and the like outward, so the end of the rear case (upper housing) and the end of the front case (lower housing) A finger or the like is prevented from being caught at a contact portion between the portions.

  In particular, the inclined surface is formed so as to cover (fill) the gap between the front case and the hinge portion of the lower housing, thereby preventing an object from entering between the front case and the hinge portion. In addition, it is possible to prevent a finger or the like from being caught when opening the casing, and it is possible to form a mounting space behind the hinge portion of the lower casing.

  In addition to securing the mounting area by decentering the axis of the hinge portion toward the upper housing, a space can be formed on the back side of the inclined surface, and the hinge shaft end of the front case (lower housing) The mounting area can be secured in the part, and the mounting efficiency can be improved as a whole.

  Further, the hinge portion of the lower casing is provided with two protrusions that cover a gap with the cylindrical shape near the end on the hinge shaft side of the front case (lower casing) and form a part of the inclined surface. A mounting space can be formed at both ends in the axial direction on the rear side of the device, and further, entry of objects into the gap between the both ends can be prevented and pinching of the fingers can be prevented.

  Further, the case side wall of the front case sandwiched between the two protrusions is configured to be removable so that the upper case and the lower case can be removed from the rear side of the front case with the rear case removed. The circuit boards to be mounted on the casing can be mounted while being connected by the flexi base that is electrically connected, and the assembly is facilitated.

  Further, a mounting area can be secured below and behind the hinge shaft away from the circuit board or the like of the housing, and mounting of an antenna or the like is suitable for mounting of communication parts, such as improvement of antenna performance. In addition, by securing the mounting area, it is possible to narrow down where the curved shape is formed in each part of the lower housing and the upper housing, and it is possible to design a shape with excellent design.

An embodiment of a foldable mobile phone will be described below with respect to the foldable mobile terminal of the present invention.
(Description of configuration)
FIG. 1 is an external view of the upper side of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view of the side surface thereof. The foldable mobile phone according to the present embodiment has a casing structure in which an upper casing 1 and a lower casing 2 are rotatably coupled by a hinge portion A having a cylindrical appearance. Each is composed of a front case and a rear case. That is, the upper casing 1 is configured by engaging the front case 1F, which has the liquid crystal display screen (LCD) 5 and the like, and the rear case 1R on the rear side when the upper casing 1 is opened, and the lower casing 2 is opened. In this state, the front case 2F which is the front surface and includes the key operation unit 4 is engaged with the rear case 2R.

  The hinge part A is eccentric in the position where the hinge rotation axis is separated from the upper surface of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2, and the longitudinal end of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 is connected to the hinges of the two housings. Two cylindrical shapes 21 and 22 for hinge coupling are formed in the vicinity of the portion, and the two cylindrical shapes 21 and 22 are hinge-coupled to the longitudinal end portion of the front case 1F of the upper housing 1. Two cylindrical shapes 11 and 12 are formed. Here, the two cylindrical shapes 11 and 12 are arranged at the positions of both ends of the hinge shaft, the two cylindrical shapes 21 and 22 are located inside thereof, and the cylindrical shapes 11 and 21 and 12 and 22 are rotated, respectively. It is combined as possible.

  Further, the cylindrical shape 23 formed at a position between the two cylindrical shapes 21 and 22 is curved in a semicircular shape from the vicinity of the end portion of the front case 1F of the upper housing 1 and the end portion of the rear case 1R. A part of the hinge part A is formed by engaging the extended curved surface part, and is formed so as to have an appearance as one hinge part. Further, the cylindrical shape 23 forms a substantially cylindrical cavity that communicates with the inside of the upper housing 1, and the cylindrical shape 22 has a cylindrical shape except for a certain axial width that is rotatably coupled to the cylindrical shape 12 side. 23 and a cavity communicating with the inside of the front case 1F are formed, and the circuit board in the upper and lower casings is electrically connected to each other through the cylindrical shape 22 and the internal cavity of the cylindrical shape 23 in a spiral shape. A space through which the rotated flexible substrate passes is formed.

  Furthermore, the radius of the cylindrical shape of the hinge part A can be set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the distance between the hinge shaft (axial core) and the upper surface of the front case. In this case, the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 is The front case 1 </ b> F of the upper housing 1 has a shape having a hollow formed in a curved surface corresponding to the cylindrical shape at a position (lower side) facing the cylindrical shapes 11 and 12.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing the vicinity of the hinge portion of the lower housing. A more detailed configuration of the foldable mobile phone will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a case side wall is formed at the end of the front case 2 </ b> F of the lower housing 2 on the hinge part A side, and this case side wall is the front case of the upper housing 1. Projection shapes 2F1 and 2F2 are formed so as to cover (fill) the gap formed between the cylindrical shapes 11 and 12 of 1F, and an inclined surface which forms an obtuse angle with respect to the upper surface of the front case 2F behind the projection shapes 2F1 and 2F2. 2F1a and 2F2a are formed. Further, an inclined surface 2F3a continuous from the inclined surfaces 2F1a and 2F2a of the protrusion shapes 2F1 and 2F2 is formed on the case side wall between the two protrusion shapes 2F1 and 2F2 of the front case 2F. In the example shown in the figure, a flat shape is formed at the upper ends of the protrusion shapes 2F1 and 2F2.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear case 1R of the upper housing 1 is formed such that the side wall 1R1 at the end on the hinge part A side is perpendicular or obtuse to the upper surface of the rear case 1R or the upper surface of the front case 1F. When the housing is opened, the side wall 1R1 faces the inclined surfaces 2F1a, 2F2a, 2F3a of the front case 1F. Alternatively, it is configured to contact (contact) the inclined surfaces 2F1a, 2F2a, and 2F3a and to perform positioning in a state where the housing is opened.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the folding mobile phone is opened. The side wall 1R1 of the upper housing 1 faces the inclined surfaces 2F1a, 2F2a, 2F3a of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2, and in this example, the vicinity of the end portion (tip portion) of the side wall 1R1 is a protruding inclined surface 2F1a. It contacts the upper end of (2F2a, 2F3a). Here, the angle formed between the surface of the side wall 1R1 and the inclined surface 2F1a (2F2a, 2F3a) is designed to be a small predetermined angle θ. In this case, the contact portion can be formed in a linear shape parallel to the hinge axis direction, and the same angle θ is zero, so that the side wall 1R1 is in planar contact with at least a part of the inclined surface 2F1a (2F2a, 2F3a). It is possible to configure.

(Description of operation)
Next, a case opening / closing operation of the folding cellular phone according to the present embodiment will be described. When the case of the folding cellular phone is folded, the cylindrical shape of the hinge portion A is formed by the inclined surface 2F3a of the case side wall of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 and the inclined surfaces 2F1a and 2F2a of the protruding shapes 2F1 and 2F2. A gap and a groove shape between the front case 2F and the front case 2F are covered and have a gentle shape over the entire region in the hinge axis direction. Further, when opening the case of the folding cellular phone, the gap between the front case 2F and the cylindrical shape of the hinge portion A is covered, thereby preventing the fingers or a part thereof from being caught. Further, when the housing is completely opened, a finger or the like between the side wall 1R1 at the end of the rear case 1R of the upper housing 1 and the end of the front case 2F on the hinge portion A side when the upper housing 1 is rotated. Even if a part or the like is interposed, the finger or a part of the finger is pushed out without any particular discomfort because it is slid and pushed out on the inclined surface by the pressing by the side wall 1R1, and the light finger does not get pinched.

(Other embodiments)
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the side wall portion between the two protruding shapes 2F1 and 2F2 of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 is the case side wall member (cover) 3 which is a part independent of the front case 2F, and the front case 2F And is configured as a case side wall behind the hinge part A. The figure shows a state in which the rear case 1R, 2R of each of the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 2 of the folding cellular phone is removed and the case side wall member 3 is removed.

  In this example, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the front case 1F of the upper housing 1 is formed with a cylindrical shape at both ends of the hinge shaft of the hinge portion A. An inclined surface 31 that is continuous from the inclined surfaces of the protrusion shapes 2F1 and 2F2 below the two cylindrical shapes of the front case 2F is formed. Further, the case side wall member (cover) 3 is provided with claws 32 for fixing at the time of attachment to the front case 2F, and is configured to engage with the receiving portions of the claws 32 on the front case 2F side. ing.

  Also in the present embodiment, a mounting space is secured by the protrusion shape (not shown) of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 and the inclined surface 32 of the case side wall member (cover) 3, and the upper housing 1 is opened when the housing is opened. It is possible to prevent a finger from being caught between the side wall 1R1 of the rear case 1R and the end of the front case 2F of the lower housing 2 on the hinge side, and the like, and the inclined surface 31 and the side wall 1R1 or the end thereof As a result, contact (contact) with the surface can be positively positioned.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the flexi substrate electrically connected to the circuit boards C and D in the substantially cylindrical cavity A1 (inner cavities 22 and 23 shown in FIG. 1) with the case side wall member 3 removed. E can be implemented. In particular, when the two rear cases are removed, the two circuit boards C and D of the upper and lower housings 1 and 2 are connected by the flexible board E through the communicating substantially cylindrical cavity A1 formed by the adjacent cylindrical shape. The circuit boards C and D are rotated once to make the flexible board E spiral, and can be mounted on the front cases 1F and 2F together with the circuit board.

It is a top view which shows the folding type mobile telephone of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the folding type mobile telephone of this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the housing structure of the hinge part vicinity of this Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the state which opened the folding type mobile telephone of this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the conventional folding type mobile telephone.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 Upper housing | casing 2,102 Lower housing | casing 3 Case side wall 4 LCD
5 Key operation unit 1F, 101F Front case 2F, 102F of upper casing Front case 1R, 101R of lower casing Rear case 2R, 102R of upper casing Rear cases 11, 12, 21, 22, 23 of lower casing Shape 2F1, 2F2 Projection shape 2F1a, 2F2a, 2F3a Inclined surface A, B Hinge part C, D Circuit board E Flexi board B1 Gap A1 Almost cylindrical cavity

Claims (8)

A folding type portable terminal having a hinge portion in which a hinge shaft axis is eccentric to the upper side of the upper surface of the front case of the lower housing. Folding type comprising an inclined surface inclined at an obtuse angle, and in an open state, at least a part of an end of the side wall on the hinge shaft side of the rear case of the upper housing or a part near the end contacts the inclined surface Mobile device. The foldable portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface is formed so as to cover a gap between a front case and a hinge portion of the lower housing. The foldable portable terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the case side wall extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front case upper surface from a lower end of the inclined surface. 4. The foldable portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the lower casing is formed with a mounting component storage area below the hinge and below the inclined surface. The hinge portion includes the first and second cylindrical shapes formed in the lower housing and the third and fourth hinges formed on the upper housing and hinged to the first and second cylindrical shapes, respectively. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 5, characterized by comprising: 6. The foldable portable terminal according to claim 5, wherein the third and fourth cylindrical shapes are respectively formed at both ends of the hinge shaft. The front case is provided with two projecting shapes in the vicinity of the hinge shaft side end portion so as to cover a gap with the third and fourth cylindrical shapes and to form part of the inclined surface. Item 7. The folding mobile terminal according to Item 6. The foldable portable terminal according to claim 7, wherein a case side wall of the front case sandwiched between the two protruding shapes is configured to be removable.

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