JP2007113686A - Mobile terminal and hinge mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile terminal allowing viewing and listening without a sense of incongruity while being stably arranged for a user even when displaying laterally long image information or the like on the mobile terminal having a longitudinally long display part. <P>SOLUTION: An upper unit having the longitudinally long display part, and a lower unit are arranged in series when the upper unit is rotated around a first rotating shaft part and arranged in parallel when the upper unit is rotated around a second rotating shaft part by constituting a rotating shaft so that the first rotating shaft part and the second rotating shaft part are orthogonal to each other. Consequently, even when a laterally long display is displayed on the display part, viewing and listening can be stably performed without a sense of incongruity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal in which a display window and an operation unit are arranged in each unit, and both units can be folded, and the units are arranged in series and in parallel by a plurality of rotating shafts that couple the units. The present invention relates to a portable terminal and a hinge mechanism used to open and close both units.

  With the improvement of the processing speed of the microprocessor, the reduction in power consumption and the progress of wireless communication technology, the mobile terminal device is becoming smaller and lighter, and moving image information can be transmitted and received via a line. In order to make it easy to carry, a portable terminal has a unit with an operation surface on which numeric keys and function keys are arranged and a unit with a display surface connected in a hinge structure. In use, both units can be opened so that the operation surface and display surface can be viewed.

  Among various types of mobile terminals, mobile phones have become capable of sending and receiving moving images with the development of wireless networks. This mobile phone has the above-mentioned folding structure as the mainstream, and the unit on the operation surface side is designed in a vertically long shape so that it can be operated with one hand, and it is connected to the unit on the operation surface side with a hinge structure. The display surface side unit is also vertically long, and has a vertically long display screen in order to maximize the display area of a display unit composed of an LCD or the like mounted on the display surface side unit.

  Regarding an upper unit and a lower unit of a mobile phone, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-239943 discloses a mobile phone having a hinge structure in which a lid portion is opened in addition to opening and closing of a main body portion and a lid portion and is rotatable. The same structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2004-270807 and 2002-118633.

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-180022, a sub-display unit that can display the same display as the main display unit can be rotated via a hinge portion on the upper casing provided with the main display unit of a foldable mobile phone. There is disclosed a portable terminal device that can be provided in such a manner that a main display unit and a sub display unit can be displayed in parallel.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-239943, FIG. 5, FIG. JP-A-2004-270807, FIG. 7, FIG. JP 2002-118633 A, FIG. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-180022, FIG.

  As described above, even in a mobile phone using a wireless network, various types of data including image information distributed to a conventional computer terminal can be received. Therefore, it can be predicted that the viewing time of a user who watches a movie or the like on a mobile phone will become longer. However, most of the conventional image information is premised on a horizontally long display such as a personal computer monitor or a television. When the image is scanned and converted to the vertically long display surface of the above-mentioned mobile phone, the mobile phone itself is displayed. Must be rotated 90 degrees and held to view the screen, which is inconvenient for long-time viewing. For long-time viewing, it is preferable to place a mobile phone on a desk or knee, etc. for viewing, but in a conventional foldable mobile phone, the opening and closing angles of the display unit and the operation unit are different. The mobile phone cannot be made into a stable shape unless it has a “<” shape that is smaller than 180 degrees, so when viewing the display image, the operation surface adjacent to the screen enters the field of view and looks at the image. There were problems such as difficulty.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal that can be placed in a stable posture even in a horizontally long display and can view a displayed image or the like without inconvenience to a user.

  In order to solve the above problems, the portable terminal of the present invention is characterized in that an upper unit provided with a display unit and a lower unit provided with a key operation unit can be arranged in parallel. In the first invention, an upper unit provided with a display unit, a lower unit provided with a key operation unit, and a first rotating shaft unit that enables opening and closing of the upper unit and the lower unit; A rotation center axis orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the first rotation shaft section, and a second rotation shaft section that allows the upper unit and the lower unit to be opened and closed. The gist of the portable terminal is that the side unit can be opened and closed in two directions.

  In addition to the configuration of the first invention, the portable terminal may be characterized in that the first and second rotating shaft portions are connected. In the second invention, the first rotation is added to the configuration of the first invention. The gist of the portable terminal is characterized by having a configuration having a third rotation shaft portion having a rotation axis in a direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the shaft portion.

  Further, in the third invention, in addition to the configuration of any of the first to second inventions, an end holding portion of the first rotating shaft is provided in the lower unit, and the upper unit and the lower unit are connected to each other. When overlapped, the first rotating shaft portion, the end portion, and the end portion holding portion are fitted, and the upper unit and the lower unit are opened with the end portion and the end portion holding portion fitted. A gist of a portable terminal characterized by

  Furthermore, in the fourth invention, in addition to the configurations of the first to third inventions, each rotary shaft portion has a holding mechanism that holds the rotation angle of the rotary shaft. .

Moreover, in 5th invention, a pair of fitting unit which mutually fits in a predetermined rotation position,
One of the pair of fitting units so as to be fitted at the predetermined rotational position when at least one of the connecting shaft for connecting the fitting unit and the pair of fitting units rotates around the connecting shaft. The hinge mechanism is characterized in that the connecting shaft is a hollow shaft. If this hinge mechanism is used for this portable terminal, wiring becomes possible through the hollow shaft which connects the fitting unit.

  In the configuration according to the present invention, the display unit and the operation unit can be arranged in parallel, the display unit provided in the upper unit is set at an angle that allows easy viewing, and the lower unit provided with the operation unit is provided. Since the mobile terminal can be placed on a desk or the like as a pedestal, the user can view the display screen without burden even on a landscape screen.

  In the following, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described by taking a mobile phone as an example, but the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone and can be applied to a mobile terminal.

  [First Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 14 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic external view of a mobile phone 10 according to the present invention and a diagram showing operations such as opening and closing of each unit constituting the mobile phone 10, and an operation unit in which a plurality of numeric keys, function keys, a microphone, and the like are arranged. A lower unit 20 having a display unit 32, a speaker 34, and the like are arranged on the inner side, and an upper unit 30 having a sub-display unit 38 on the surface side includes a first rotating shaft unit 40 and a second rotating shaft unit. 50 and the third rotating shaft 60 are connected. The upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 can be opened and closed in the direction indicated by arrow A by the first rotating shaft portion 40, and can be opened and closed in the direction indicated by arrow B by the second rotating shaft portion 50. And can be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow C by the third rotating shaft portion 60.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the second rotary shaft portion 50 having the rotation axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the first rotation shaft portion 40 is provided so that the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 can be arranged in parallel. Since it is provided, the display unit 32 and the lower unit 20 can be arranged in parallel, the mobile phone 10 can be arranged in a stable posture, and it is possible to view a long-long horizontally displayed image without bothering it.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mobile phone 10 as viewed from the upper unit 30 side. The first rotation shaft 41 corresponding to the first rotation shaft portion 40, the second rotation shaft 51 corresponding to the second rotation shaft portion 50, It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of each rotating shaft, such as the 3rd rotating shaft 61 corresponding to the 3rd rotating shaft part. The second rotating shaft 51 is provided in the vicinity of the end of the first rotating shaft 41, intersects the rotating shaft of the first rotating shaft 41 so as to be substantially orthogonal, and the third rotating shaft 61 is the first rotating shaft. In the vicinity of the center portion of the portion 40, the first rotation shaft 41 is substantially orthogonal.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an external view of the vicinity of the intersection of the first rotation shaft portion 40 and the second rotation shaft portion 50. In this embodiment, the first rotation shaft portion 40 is located at the upper end portion of the upper unit 30. The second rotation shaft portion 50 is provided at an intermediate portion between the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20. The outside of each of these rotating shaft portions is covered with a resin casing, and the connecting portion between the first rotating shaft portion 40 and the second rotating shaft portion 50 is also covered with the casing.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4 showing a schematic configuration of each shaft portion, details will be described in the order of the second rotating shaft portion 50, the first rotating shaft portion 40, and the third rotating shaft portion 60. FIG. 4 shows an operation surface in which the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second hinge module constituting the second rotation shaft 51 and the key group 22 including the numeric keys and function keys of the lower unit 20 and the microphone 24 are arranged. The display unit 32 of the upper unit 30 and the display surface on which the speaker 34, the cushion 37, and the like are arranged in parallel are illustrated.

  [Second Rotating Shaft Portion] The main components constituting the second rotating shaft portion 50 are the second hinge module 52 fixed to the casing of the lower unit 20 or a substrate (not shown) in the lower unit 20. And the first shaft portion 44. Although the detailed structure of the second hinge module 52 will be described later, the second hinge module is composed of a pair of rotation units that can rotate with each other, and has a function of maintaining a predetermined rotation angle. One of these is fixed to the housing of the lower unit 20 or a substrate (not shown) in the lower unit 20 as described above, and the other is fixed to the first shaft portion 44.

  A hollow portion is provided at the other end portion (left end portion in the drawing) of the first shaft portion 44 in the X direction, and a guide 58 having a hollow portion having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the hollow portion is in contact therewith. The guide 58 is fixed to the housing or the substrate of the lower unit 20, and the ring-shaped protrusion provided at the end of the guide 58 and the recess provided in the first shaft portion 44 are fitted with each other. The guide 58 is rotatably connected.

  [First Rotating Shaft] The main components of the first rotating shaft 40 constitute a part of the first shaft 44, and are fitted into a connecting cylindrical portion extending in the Y direction and a hollow portion of the connecting cylindrical portion. The first hinge module 42 is joined. Similar to the second hinge module 52, the first hinge module 42 has a function of maintaining a predetermined rotation angle (details will be described later). In the vicinity of the upper end portion of the first rotation shaft portion 40, a third hinge module 62 that is rotatably fitted to the upper unit 30 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the first rotation shaft portion 40.

  Further, resin housings 48 and 49 are provided on the outer peripheral portions of the first shaft portion 44 and the first hinge module 42 and the like for adjusting the appearance. The housing 48 includes the second hinge module 52 and the guide 58. It covers part of it.

  Further, a stopper 480 (described later) is provided at the front end of the housing 49 so as to be fitted to the lock portion 26 provided in the lower unit 20 when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are folded. The upper unit 30 is supported by the third hinge module 62, and a boss portion that fits the third hinge module 62 is provided in the casing of the upper unit 30 in order to ensure this support. It is also preferable to increase the holding area and stably support the upper unit 30. Further, in the case where the boss portion is provided in the casing of the upper unit 30, the bracket 64 is not always necessary.

  [Third Rotating Shaft] The main component of the third rotating shaft 60 is the third hinge module 62 described above. The third hinge module 62 is also composed of a pair of rotatable units and has a function of maintaining a predetermined rotation angle. One unit is fixed to the upper unit 30 and the other unit is fixed to the housing 49. The first rotation shaft portion 40 is configured to be rotatable around an axis orthogonal to the first rotation shaft portion 40.

  The guide 58, the first hinge module 42, the third hinge module 62, and the first shaft portion 44 described above have a hollow portion, and a cable that connects the lower unit 20 and the upper unit 30 to the hollow portion. 28 is arranged.

  Next, the structure of the first to third hinge modules 42, 52, 62 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a central sectional view of the hinge module 100, and a spring 104 is arranged around the module shaft 114 in the case 102. One end of the spring 104 presses the ball holding portion 106, and the ball 108 presses the ball sliding portion 110 strongly by the spring 104. The ball sliding portion 110 is housed in a case 112, and the case 112 is restricted from moving in the axial direction by a flange portion 118 at one end of the module shaft via a spacer 116. The flange portion 118 can be easily formed into a flange-like shape by crimping a tip portion corresponding to the flange portion 118 of the module shaft 114 at the end of assembly of the hinge module 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 5D, which is a plan view of FIG. 5A viewed from above, a part of the nail shape of the ball holding portion 106 is configured to be fitted to the case 102. The case 102 and the ball holder 106 are positioned and their rotation is restricted.

  5B and 5C are a left side view and a right side view of the hinge module 100. A plurality of key grooves 120 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the hinge module 100. It can be easily fixed to a member having a protrusion to be fitted.

  When the ball holding portion 106 side and the ball sliding portion 110 side are rotated relatively, the ball 108 moves following the ball holding portion 106 side, and the ball 108 is provided in the ball sliding portion 110. When the position matches, the ball 108 enters the recess, and the rotational positions of the ball holding unit 106 side and the ball sliding unit 110 side are held.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing a hinge module 150 using a disc spring 130 instead of the spring 104 of the hinge module 100. By using this disc spring, the overall length of the hinge module can be shortened. In the embodiment, it is used for the third rotating shaft portion 60.

  FIG. 7 shows another hinge module 170, which is mainly different from the hinge modules 100 and 150 in that instead of the ball 108, a convex cam portion 140 and a concave cam portion 142 disposed at an opposing position are used. It is. The convex shape of the convex cam portion 140 is, for example, a linear shape and a projection passing through the center of the convex cam portion 140, and the concave shape of the concave cam portion 142 is a groove shape passing through the center of the concave cam portion 142. Can be held, the relative angle between the convex cam portion 140 side and the concave cam portion 142 side can be maintained.

  Among the hinge modules 100, 150, and 170 described above, in this embodiment, the first hinge module 42 is equivalent to the hinge module 100. In this case, the upper unit and the lower side around the first rotation shaft 41 are used. A situation in which the rotation angle with the unit is maintained will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the position of the ball 108 (see FIG. 5) of the first hinge module 42 is set so that both units 20 and 30 maintain an opening angle of 160 degrees. In the illustrated range of about 120 degrees, the ball 108 is still out of the recessed position of the ball sliding portion 110, and in this angular range, the upper unit 30 is in a free stop state and is outside this 120 degree free stop range. Within 20 degrees each, the ball 108 begins to fit into the recessed position and is thus fitted, so that both units 20 and 30 are held in a closed state (overlapping state) or an open angle state of 160 degrees.

  Note that the module shaft (see FIG. 5A) of the second hinge module 52 shown in FIG. 4 need not be a hollow shaft.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the stopper 480 provided in the front-end | tip part of the 1st rotating shaft 41 is demonstrated.

  The stopper 480 is fixed to the housing 49, and an edge-shaped stopper rib 481 protrudes inward from the outer peripheral portion of the stopper 480. Next, the operations of the stopper 480 and the lock portion 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (A), (B), and (C). FIG. 10A shows a case where the upper unit 30 is rotating in the direction toward the lower unit 20. A spring 242 and a stopper shaft 244 that slidably moves on the inner wall of the stopper storage portion are stored in the stopper storage portion 240 fixed to the housing portion of the lower unit 20. A stopper claw 246 provided at the tip of the stopper shaft 244 is held so as to protrude to the outside of the stopper storage portion 240. The stopper shaft 244 is connected by a pin 254 by pressing a release button 248 provided on the side wall of the lower unit 20 inward of the housing, and is fixed to the housing of the lower unit 20 by a pin 256. The arm 250 and the arm 252 move so that the stopper claw 246 is accommodated in the stopper accommodating portion 240.

  Next, as the upper unit 30 moves to a position where it overlaps the lower unit 20, the end of the housing 49 and the tapered stopper claw 246 come into contact with each other, and as the angle between the units 20 and 30 decreases, When the tapered tip of the stopper claw 246 is pushed by the housing 49, the stopper shaft 244 moves into the stopper housing 240 and the units 20 and 30 overlap, as shown in FIG. The stopper rib 481 of the stopper 480 is fitted into the groove portion of the claw 246. When the stopper claw 246 and the stopper rib 481 are engaged with each other, the spring 242 presses the stopper shaft 244. Therefore, even if the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are opened and closed as shown in FIG. Since the fitting between the stopper claw 246 and the stopper rib 481 is maintained, the upper unit 30 can be opened and closed smoothly.

  Next, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show other examples of the first rotation shaft portion 40 and the third rotation shaft portion 60. The difference between the first rotating shaft shown in FIG. 11 and the first rotating shaft portion 40 of FIG. 4 is the shape of the module shaft 114 of the first hinge module 42. In the example shown in FIG. The first hinge module 42 is accommodated, and the module shaft 114 of the first hinge module 42 is not fitted to the first shaft portion 44.

  FIG. 12 is an example in which a hinge module is not used for the third rotating shaft portion 60, and a cylindrical shaft 66 is used instead of the third hinge module 62 used in FIG. 4.

  In addition, the 1st rotating shaft part 40 and the 2nd rotating shaft part 50 should just be arrange | positioned so that each rotating shaft may orthogonally cross, and each rotating shaft does not necessarily need to cross | intersect. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the positions of the first rotating shaft portion 40 and the second rotating shaft portion 50 are changed as a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13A shows a case where the first rotary shaft portion 40 is disposed within the thickness of the upper unit 30, which corresponds to the first embodiment, and FIG. 13B shows that the first rotary shaft portion 40 is placed on the upper unit 30. And FIG. 13C shows an example in which the first rotating shaft portion 40 and the second rotating shaft portion 50 are arranged within the thickness of the lower unit.

  A possible relative positional relationship between the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 of the mobile phone 10 of the first embodiment is shown in FIG. In the following description, the respective axes of the first rotation shaft portion 40, the second rotation shaft portion 50, and the third rotation shaft portion 60 are referred to as a first rotation shaft, a second rotation shaft, and a third rotation shaft. FIG. 14 (1) shows a state in which the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are folded and stacked, and FIG. 14 (2) shows that the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second rotation axis from the state of (1). The unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in parallel. FIG. 14 (3) shows a state in which the upper unit is rotated around the first rotation axis, and the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in series. In this state, the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second rotation axis. FIG. 14 (4) shows a case where the is rotated. FIG. 14 (5) shows a state in which the upper unit 30 is rotated around the third rotation axis in this state. FIG. 14 (6) shows a case where the upper unit 30 is rotated around the third rotation axis from the state in which the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 in FIG. 14 (3) are arranged in series. FIG. 14 (7) shows a state in which the upper unit 30 is rotated around the first rotation axis and the both units are overlapped. From this state, the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second rotation axis and both units are moved. FIG. 14 (8) shows the state of being arranged in parallel.

  In the first embodiment, three of the first rotating shaft portion 40, the second rotating shaft portion 50, and the third rotating shaft portion 60 are provided, but the first rotating shaft portion 40 and the second rotating shaft portion 50 are provided. The upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 can be arranged in parallel with only two, and the mobile phone 10 may be configured with only these two rotating shaft portions.

  [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 15, components having the same functions as those shown in FIG. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is the difference in the first rotating shaft portion. In the second embodiment, no hinge module is provided on the first rotating shaft portion. For this reason, when opening and closing the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 in the direction shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1, they cannot be held at a predetermined angle. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are overlapped, the stopper 480 and the lock portion 26 are fitted, and a hinge module is provided in the lock portion to open and close in the direction of the arrow A. In this case, the opening angle can be maintained. Furthermore, as a modification of the second embodiment, an example in which a configuration in which the rotation of the upper unit 30 is restricted when the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second rotation shaft portion 50 will be described.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the configuration of the lock portion 26 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 10, but instead of the stopper shaft 244 of FIG. 10, a hinge module 245 is installed as shown in FIG. 16. I am using it. The hinge module 245 is the same as that shown in FIG. 5, but the module shaft 114 (see FIG. 5) does not have to be a hollow shaft, and the hinge module 245 is not fixed to the stopper housing portion 240. With the key groove 120 (see FIG. 5) as a guide, the spring 242 in FIG. 16 can move in the pressing direction, and the rotation is restricted by the key groove 120. Thus, since the hinge module 245 is provided in the lock portion 26, the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 can be held at a predetermined angle even when opening and closing in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG.

  In the second embodiment, when the upper unit 30 is rotated around the second rotation shaft portion 50, the upper unit 30 may rotate in the arrow A direction. A structure in which the rotation in the A direction is restricted is shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the main part as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 1 when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are closed. It is omitted.

  In FIG. 17, the first shaft portion 441 is a shaft corresponding to the first shaft portion 44 of FIG. A cam 442 to be described later is fixed to the end of the first shaft portion 441. The cam 442 rotates along the cam 541 in the second rotation shaft portion 50 when the upper unit 30 is opened around the rotation shaft of the second rotation shaft portion 50 indicated by the arrow E. FIG. 18 shows the main parts of the cam 442 and the cam 541. The cam 442 is provided with a protrusion 444, and the protrusion 444 is located near the escape portion 543 of the cam 541 when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are closed. The unit 30 can be rotated in the opening direction in which the normal upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in series. When the upper unit 30 is opened sideways, the upper unit is rotated in the direction of the arrow E shown in the figure. During this rotation, the protrusion 444 of the cam 442 moves along the outer periphery of the cam 541 and is shown in FIG. Similarly, the rotation of the first shaft portion 441 in the E direction is restricted at the position where the protrusion portion 545 of the cam 541 and the protrusion portion 444 of the cam 442 are in contact, and the rotation of the first shaft portion 441 is also restricted around the axis. The

  The cam 442 and the cam 541 described above have shapes having protrusions, and FIG. 19 shows a modification. In FIG. 19, the upper and lower units are not shown. A cam 450 corresponding to the cam 442 shown in FIG. 18 has a disc shape and is provided with a chamfered portion 452 at a part of the circumference. Similarly, a cam 550 corresponding to the cam 541 in FIG. When the upper unit is opened and closed, the first shaft portion 441 moves in the direction of arrow E in this modification as well, but at this time, the flattening portion 452 moves so as to be in contact with the disc portion of the cam 550. Therefore, in this modification, when the upper unit is rotated in the E direction, the rotation of the first shaft portion 441 in the illustrated arrow F direction can also be restricted.

  [Third Embodiment] In the first and second embodiments, the lock unit 26 is provided in the lower unit 20, but in the third embodiment, the lock unit 26 is disposed in the lower unit 20. Is different. In the third embodiment, members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  20A is a schematic diagram when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 of the mobile phone 600 of the third embodiment are overlapped, and FIG. 20B is an upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20. It is the schematic when these are arrange | positioned in series. As shown in the figure, since the lock portion is not disposed on the operation surface of the lower unit 20, the first rotating shaft portion 40 can be configured to be long. FIG. 21 is a schematic view when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in parallel. In FIG. 21, a lock claw portion 610 is provided at the upper end portion of the first rotating shaft portion 40. When the upper unit 30 is overlapped with the lower unit 20, the lock claw 610 is attached to the housing of the lower unit 20. It is inserted into a lock portion 612 provided in the body. Details of the lock unit 612 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 22A shows a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lock portion 612 when the lock claw 610 is inserted into the lower unit 20, and FIG. 22B shows the cross-sectional view. The tip of the slide claw 664 pressed by the spring 666 is inserted into the groove provided in the lock claw 610 in FIG. 22A, and the lock claw 610 is fixed. The slide claw 664 has an inclined portion, and a release button 668 having a protruding portion on the outside of the lower unit 20 is in contact with the inclined portion. When the release button 668 is pressed, the distal end portion of the release button 668 pushes the inclined portion of the slide claw 664, the slide claw 664 moves in the right direction in the figure, and the distal end portion of the slide claw 664 is the lock claw. The lock is released by moving away from the groove 610.

The operation of the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 of the mobile phone 600 according to the third embodiment such as the opening / closing direction and movement is shown in FIG. This figure corresponds to FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 24 is a diagram in the case where the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in parallel. However, when the hinge module is used for the second rotating shaft portion as described in the first embodiment, the upper unit 30 is used. Can be set at a predetermined angle. For example, α is set to 180 degrees, beta is set to 160 degrees, and the like. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing that the upper unit 30 can be set at a predetermined angle when a hinge module is used for the third rotating shaft in this embodiment, and α is set to 45 degrees, 60 degrees, for example. It can be set.
[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 26 shows a fourth embodiment. Also in the present embodiment, members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that a lock function is provided for fixing the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in parallel. Is a point. The lock portion will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 26A is a plan view in which the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 of the mobile phone 700 are arranged in parallel. FIG. 26B is a view when FIG. 26A is viewed from the right side. It is a side view. In the present embodiment, a lock claw 610 is provided at the upper end of the first rotary shaft portion 40 in the figure, and a lock portion 662 is provided at the lower unit 20. As shown in FIG. 26 (A), when the upper unit 30 and the lower unit 20 are arranged in parallel, the lock lever 710 can rotate to the lower unit 20 via the shaft 714 in the casing of the lower unit. The tip of the lock lever 710 is inserted into a groove 716 provided in the upper unit 30 by a spring 712 that is fixed at one end and presses the lock lever 710 at the other end, thereby positioning the two units. . Since the upper unit 30 is supported at both ends by the lock lever 710 and the first rotating shaft portion 40 and reliable positioning is possible, there is a concern that the upper unit 30 may be displaced due to the influence of camera shake or vibration. There is no.

In addition to the above disclosure, the following supplementary notes are disclosed.
(Supplementary Note 1) An upper unit provided with a display unit, a lower unit provided with a key operation unit,
The upper unit and the lower unit have a first rotation shaft portion that allows opening and closing of the upper unit and the lower unit, and a rotation center shaft that is orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the first rotation shaft portion. And a second rotating shaft that enables opening and closing of the mobile phone, and the upper unit and the lower unit can be opened and closed in two directions.
(Additional remark 2) The said 1st rotating shaft part and the said 2nd rotating shaft part are connected, The portable terminal of Additional remark 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.
(Supplementary note 3) The mobile phone according to Supplementary note 1 or Supplementary note 2, including a third rotary shaft portion that is provided on the first rotary shaft portion and has a rotary shaft in a direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the first rotary shaft portion. Terminal.
(Additional remark 4) When the edge part holding | maintenance part of the said 1st rotating shaft part is provided in the said lower unit, and the said upper unit and the said lower unit are piled up, the said 1st rotating shaft part and an end part Supplementary notes 1 to 3, wherein the end holding part is fitted, and the upper unit and the lower unit are in an open state in a state where the end part and the end holding part are fitted. The portable terminal in any one of.
(Additional remark 5) Each of the said 1st rotating shaft part, the said 2nd rotating shaft part, and the said 3rd rotating shaft part has a holding mechanism which hold | maintains the rotation angle of a rotating shaft, The additional notes 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The portable terminal in any one of.
(Appendix 6) When at least one of the pair of fitting units that fit together at a predetermined rotational position, the connecting shaft that connects the fitting units, and the pair of fitting units rotate around the connecting shaft A hinge mechanism comprising: pressing means for pressing one of the pair of fitting units so as to be fitted at the predetermined rotational position, and the connecting shaft is a hollow shaft.
(Additional remark 7) The said 2nd rotating shaft part is a both-ends support structure, The portable terminal in any one of Additional remark 1 thru | or Remark 5 characterized by the above-mentioned.
(Supplementary note 8) The mobile terminal according to supplementary note 1, wherein the end holding portion is provided below a key operation portion surface of the lower unit.
(Supplementary note 9) The first rotary shaft end and the second rotary shaft end are separated, each end has a cam, and the upper unit and the lower unit are The mobile phone according to appendix 1, wherein the mobile phone is rotatable about one rotation shaft portion, and rotation about the first rotation shaft portion is restricted when rotating about the second rotation shaft portion. Terminal.
(Supplementary note 10) In the mobile terminal according to any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 9, the first and second rotating shaft portions are configured using a hollow shaft, and the lower unit is connected to the upper unit in the hollow shaft. A portable terminal characterized in that a cable for connecting between them is wired via the hollow shaft.

  According to the present invention, an upper unit having a vertically long display portion and a lower unit are configured such that the first rotation shaft portion and the second rotation shaft portion are orthogonal to each other, and the first rotation When the upper unit is rotated around the shaft, the two units are arranged in series, and when the upper unit is rotated around the rotary shaft, the two units are arranged in parallel. Even if the display is displayed on the display unit, it can be viewed stably and without a sense of incongruity.

The figure which shows schematic external shape of the mobile telephone of 1st Example. The figure which shows arrangement | positioning of a rotating shaft. The figure which shows the vicinity of a 1st rotating shaft part and a 2nd rotating shaft part. The figure which shows the detail of 1st Example. The figure which shows the structure of a hinge module. The figure which shows the other structure of a hinge module. The figure which shows the other structure of a hinge module. The figure which shows an example of the angle maintenance function by a hinge module. The figure which shows the edge part of a 1st rotating shaft part. The figure explaining the function of a lock part. The figure which shows the other example of a 1st rotating shaft part. The figure which shows the other example of a 1st rotating shaft part. The figure which shows the example which changed the position of the 1st rotating shaft part and the 2nd rotating shaft part. The figure which shows an upper unit and a lower unit position. The figure which shows 2nd Example. The figure explaining a locking part. The figure which shows the 1st rotating shaft part vicinity. The figure which shows the other example of the 1st rotating shaft vicinity. The figure which shows the other example of the 1st rotating shaft part vicinity. The figure which shows 3rd Example. Schematic outline drawing when both units are arranged in parallel. The figure explaining a lock function. The figure which shows operation | movement of the upper unit and lower unit of 3rd Example. The figure which shows the outline when an upper unit and a lower unit are arrange | positioned in parallel in 3rd Example. The figure which shows when an upper unit is made to incline. The figure which shows the outline of 4th Example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cellular phone 20 Lower unit 22 Key group 26 Lock part 30 Upper unit 32 Display part 40 1st rotating shaft part 42 1st hinge module 44 1st shaft part 50 2nd rotating shaft part 52 2nd hinge module 60 3rd rotation Shaft 62 Third hinge module 100 Hinge module 244 Stopper shaft 245 Hinge module 442 Cam 450 Cam 480 Stopper 481 Stopper rib 541 Cam 550 Cam 600 Mobile phone 610 Lock claw 664 Slide claw 710 Lock lever 716 Groove

Claims (5)

An upper unit provided with a display, and
A lower unit provided with a key operation unit;
A first rotating shaft that enables opening and closing of the upper unit and the lower unit;
Having a rotation center axis orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the first rotation shaft section, and having a second rotation shaft section that enables opening and closing of the upper unit and the lower unit,
A portable terminal capable of opening and closing the upper unit and the lower unit in two directions.   The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a third rotation shaft portion that is provided on the first rotation shaft portion and has a rotation shaft in a direction orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the first rotation shaft portion.   An end holding portion of the first rotating shaft is provided in the lower unit, and the first rotating shaft, the end, and the end holding when the upper unit and the lower unit are overlapped with each other. The upper unit and the lower unit are in an open state in a state where the portion is fitted and the end and the end holding portion are fitted. The mobile terminal according to Crab.   The holding mechanism for holding the rotation angle of the rotation shaft is provided in each of the first rotation shaft portion, the second rotation shaft portion, and the third rotation shaft portion. The mobile terminal according to Crab. A pair of mating units mating with each other at a predetermined rotational position;
A connecting shaft for connecting the fitting unit;
Pressing means for pressing one of the pair of fitting units so that the fitting unit fits at the predetermined rotational position when at least one of the pair of fitting units rotates around the connecting shaft;
The hinge mechanism is characterized in that the connecting shaft is a hollow shaft.

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