JP3119614B2 - Foldable portable communication device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge,
The two housings are pivotally supported, and the circuit boards provided in each housing are electrically connected by a flexible printed circuit body.
The present invention relates to a foldable portable communication device in which an antenna, a display unit, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a keyboard, and the like are distributed and mounted on these housings.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in this type of foldable portable communication device, two housings are folded down via a hinge to reduce the size and make the portable device convenient, and when used, it is opened via the hinge. The distance between the receiver provided on one housing and the transmitter provided on the other housing is increased to bring the user's ear and mouth closer to the receiver and the transmitter, respectively. It is designed to make it suitable for use.

For this purpose, it is necessary to connect circuit boards provided in each case with a flexible printed circuit in order to achieve electrical connection from one case to the other case. In order not to be affected by hinge operation,
It is necessary to detour around the axis of the hinge.

In addition, since the hinge shaft is provided with a click locking means for stably maintaining the folded state and the open state, for example, a folding type portable telephone disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-298538. As in the above, the hinge shaft support portions provided on the left and right of one housing are separately equipped with hinge shaft units, and between both hinge shaft support portions, from one housing to the other housing, A configuration in which a flexible printed circuit is installed is employed.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a simplified structure of the hinge portion. Here, hinge shaft units 23 are mounted on hinge shaft support portions 22 formed on both sides of one housing 21, respectively. Each hinge shaft unit 23 includes a guide member 23B with respect to the hinge shaft 23A, a cam member 23C rotatable therewith and click-locked in the axial direction of the hinge shaft 23A, and a guide member And a spring (not shown) that presses toward the 23B side.

[0006] In each hinge shaft unit, a cam member 23C is locked to the hinge shaft support portion 22 in the rotation direction of the hinge shaft 23A. Also, the other housing 2
4 is provided with guide member support portions 25, 25 at positions adjacent to the above-described hinge shaft support portions 22, 22, respectively. Guide member 23B is locked in the rotation direction of 23A.

A flexible printed circuit body 28 for electrically connecting circuit boards 26 and 27 provided in the insides 21 and 24 of the housings is formed in a loop around the hinge axis. Arc-shaped cover portions 21B, 24B that follow the shape of the hinge shaft support portions 22, 22 are provided on each of the housings 21, 24 and their rear covers 21A, 24A so as to be located between and cover the housings 21, 24. Is formed.

[0008]

However, in such a configuration, it is necessary to provide a hinge shaft unit corresponding to each of the hinge shaft support portions 22, 22, which increases the number of parts and increases cost. However, in any of the housings 21 and 24 in the hinge axis direction, the support portions (the hinge shaft support portions 22 and 22 and the guide member support portions 25 and 25) divided into a pair of right and left are further provided. 21B,
Since 24B must be divided and configured, there are restrictions on the molding and design of the housing.

The present invention has been made on the basis of the above circumstances, and focuses on the fact that the flexible printed circuit forms a loop near the hinge axis, and uses only one hinge axis unit. A foldable portable communication device with a structure that achieves hinge connection of the housing, reduces the number of parts in the hinge axis direction, reduces the number of parts, and reduces restrictions on molding and design of the housing. It is something to offer.

[0010]

Therefore, in the present invention,
Two housings are pivotally supported via hinges, and a circuit board provided in each housing is electrically connected by a flexible printed circuit body. In addition, an antenna, a display unit, and a transmission unit are connected to these housings. In a foldable portable communication device in which a receiving unit, a keyboard, and the like are distributed and mounted, a hinge shaft supporting portion for supporting a hinge shaft is provided on one side of one housing, and the hinge shaft has a click lock. A guide member, a cam member that is rotatable on the guide member and click-locks in the axial direction of the hinge shaft, and a spring that presses the cam member toward the guide member. Adjacent to one of the hinge shaft support portions, the flexible printed circuit body is arranged so as to bypass the periphery of the hinge shaft, and this is covered with the hinge cover portions of both housings.
Inside the hinge cover portion, the cam member is locked in a rotation direction of the hinge shaft with respect to a cam member support portion provided on the other of the hinge shaft support portion, and is adjacent to the cam member support portion. Then, the guide member is locked in a rotation direction of the hinge shaft with respect to a guide member support portion provided on the other housing.

In this case, the hinge shaft is provided with a locking member for regulating the axial position of the guide member, or one of the housings provided with the hinge shaft support is provided with a cover on the side surface thereof. It is preferable that a restraining member for preventing the hinge shaft from moving in the axial direction in the hinge shaft support portion is provided.

According to the structure of the present invention, the number of parts of the hinge shaft unit is reduced by half and the cost is reduced as compared with the above-described conventional structure. Above and design constraints are reduced.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. That is,
A portable communication device according to the present invention pivotally supports two housings 1 and 2 via hinges, and a flexible printed circuit 5 connects between circuit boards 3 and 4 provided in the housings 1 and 2. The antenna 1, the liquid crystal display unit 7, and the receiving unit 8 are provided in one housing 1, and the transmitting unit 9 and the keyboard 10 are provided in the other housing 2. Have been.

The housing 2 has hinge shaft support portions 12, 12 located on both sides thereof for supporting the hinge shaft 11.
Is provided. The hinge shaft 11 has a cylindrical guide member 13 for click locking, and a guide member 13.
Member 14 which is rotatable in the right direction and is click-locked in the axial direction of the hinge shaft 11;
A spring 15 is provided to push the hinge shaft unit A to the side. Note that, in this embodiment, in the axial direction of the hinge shaft 11, projections and depressions 13A and 14A for click locking are formed on the opposing surfaces of the guide member 13 and the cam member 14. The hinge shaft 11 has a spring seat 11A at one end for supporting one end of the spring 15, and a tap at the other end to provide a support for the hinge shaft in the axial direction. Screw 16 is screwed.

A flexible printed circuit 5 is arranged adjacent to one of the hinge shaft support portions 12 and 12 so as to bypass the hinge shaft 11. , 2 and their rear cover 1
A, 2A, are covered by hinge covers 1B, 2B.

Further, inside the hinge covers 1B, 2B, a cylindrical cam member support 12A is formed on the other of the hinge shaft supports 12, 12 in the direction of insertion of the hinge shaft. For example, a key groove-shaped engaging portion 14B is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the gum member 14 so as to lock the cam member 14 in the rotation direction of the hinge shaft and slide in the axial direction of the hinge shaft. And the cam member supporting portion 12A
An engaging piece 17 such as a sliding key is slidably engaged with the engaging portion 14B in the axial direction of the hinge shaft.

Inside the hinge covers 1B and 2B, a guide member supporting portion 1C is formed on the housing 1 side, and the guide member 13 is arranged in the hinge axis rotating direction with respect to the guide member supporting portion 1C. To fix, for example,
The guide member supporting portion 1C and the guide member 13 are provided with concave and convex engaging portions 1D and 13B which engage at least in the rotation direction of the hinge shaft.

In this embodiment, the hinge shaft 11
An E-clip 18 is provided at an intermediate portion thereof as a locking member for regulating the axial position of the guide member 13. In addition, the housing 2 is provided on the covers 2C, 2C mounted on the side surfaces thereof as restraining members for preventing the hinge shaft support portions 12, 12 from moving in the axial direction of the hinge shaft.
Equipped with push pins 2D and 2D.

In such a configuration, the loop portion 5A of the flexible printed circuit 5 is located at a position where the hinge shaft 11 passes, and the two housings 1 and 2 are held. , 12 from one end, the hinge shaft 11 is passed through the loop portion 5A of the flexible printed circuit 5, and then inserted into the opposite hinge shaft support portion 12, from the outside. The screw 16 is screwed together to connect the hinge shaft unit A to both hinge shaft support portions 12, 12.
, Thereby pivotally supporting the two housings 1 and 2.

When the hinge shaft unit A is inserted,
The guide member 13 is engaged with the engagement portion 13B of the guide member support portion 1C by the engagement portion 13B and is fixed to the housing 1 side, and the engagement piece 17 is inserted into the engagement portion 14B of the cam member 14. I do. After such assembling, the cover 2C is attached to the side of the housing 2.
Attach 2C.

When using the folding portable communication device, the housing 2 is rotated relative to the housing 1 by a specified angle, for example, about 60 degrees about the hinge shaft 11. The engagement of the cam member 14 with the guide member 13 engaged at the click position (not shown) in the folded state is released against the elastic force of the spring 5, and is engaged again at the click position in the open state. Thus, the state of use as the portable communication device can be stably maintained.

Therefore, in the present invention, the two housings 1 and 2 can be pivotally supported only by using one hinge shaft unit A, so that the number of parts can be reduced by half as compared with the conventional structure. The overall cost can be greatly reduced and the assembly is simplified. Further, the number of divisions of the hinge portion in the axial direction is reduced, and the constraints on the molding and design of the housing can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, after the hinge shaft 11 is fitted to one hinge shaft support portion 12, the screw 16
Is used to stably hold the hinge shaft 11, but since the guide member 13 and the cam member 14 are rotatably supported with respect to the hinge shaft 11, the hinge shaft 11 is Needless to say, a configuration may be adopted in which 11 is press-fitted and fixedly held. Alternatively, the tip of the hinge shaft 11 may be snap-fitted and hooked on the hinge shaft support 12 for fixing.

[0024]

As described in detail above, the present invention pivotally supports two housings via a hinge, and electrically connects a circuit board provided in each housing with a flexible printed circuit. In addition, in a foldable portable communication device in which an antenna, a display unit, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a keyboard, and the like are connected and mounted on these housings, one of the housings has a hinge that supports a hinge shaft on both sides. A shaft support portion is provided, and the hinge shaft is provided with a guide member for click locking, a cam member rotatable on the guide member and click-locked in the axial direction of the hinge shaft, and the cam member. A spring is provided on the guide member side to form a unit, and the flexible printed circuit is disposed adjacent to one of the hinge shaft support portions so as to bypass around the hinge shaft. The two cases Along with the cover in the hinge cover portion,
Inside the hinge cover portion, the cam member is locked in a rotation direction of the hinge shaft with respect to a cam member support portion provided on the other of the hinge shaft support portion, and is adjacent to the cam member support portion. Then, the guide member is locked in a rotation direction of the hinge shaft with respect to a guide member support portion provided on the other housing.

Therefore, the number of parts of the hinge shaft unit is halved compared to the above-described conventional configuration, and the cost can be reduced.
In addition, the number of divisions in the hinge axis direction is small, and restrictions on the molding of the housing and the design are reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is also an exploded perspective view.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of a main part, similarly.

4 is an end sectional view of a main part (along line AA in FIG. 1).

5 is an end sectional view of a main part (along line BB in FIG. 1).

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is also an exploded perspective view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 Housing 1A, 2A Rear cover 1B, 2B Hinge cover 1C Guide member support 1D Engagement 2C Cover 2D Push pin 3, 4 Circuit board 5 Flexible printed circuit 5A Loop 6 Antenna 7 Liquid crystal display 8 Receiver 9 Transmitter 10 Keyboard 11 Hinge shaft 11A Spring seat 12 Hinge shaft support 12A Cam member support 13 Guide member 14 Cam member 13A, 14A Unevenness 13B Engagement part 14B Engagement part 15 Spring 16 Screw 17 Engagement piece 18 E clip

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. The two housings are pivotally supported via a hinge,
The circuit boards provided in each housing are electrically connected by a flexible printed circuit body, and an antenna, a display unit, a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a keyboard, etc. are allocated to these housings,
In the mounted foldable portable communication device, one of the housings is provided with a hinge shaft support portion that supports a hinge shaft on both sides, and the hinge shaft has a guide member for click locking, and a guide member; A cam member that is rotatable and is click-locked in the axial direction of the hinge shaft, and a spring that presses the cam member toward the guide member is unitized, and is adjacent to one of the hinge shaft support portions. do it,
The above-mentioned flexible so as to bypass around the hinge axis.
A printed circuit body is arranged, and the printed circuit body is covered with the hinge cover portions of both housings. Inside the hinge cover portion, the camshaft supporting portion provided on the other of the hinge shaft supporting portions is provided with the hinge shaft. Lock the cam member in the rotation direction,
A foldable type wherein the guide member is locked in a rotation direction of the hinge shaft with respect to a guide member support portion provided on the other housing adjacent to the cam member support portion. Portable communication device. 2. The foldable portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge shaft is provided with a locking member for regulating an axial position of the guide member. 3. One of the housings provided with the hinge shaft support portion has a cover on a side surface thereof provided with a restraining member for preventing the hinge shaft support portion from moving in the axial direction of the hinge shaft. The foldable portable communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: