MXPA01006788A - Hinge structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A simple and compact hinge structure pivotally and detachably fixes a lid to a housing. The hinge structure has a shaft provided for the housing and a bearing unit provided for the lid. The bearing unit has a shaft-attaching/detaching opening for attaching or detaching the shaft in the axial direction. The bearing unit further includes a first bearing for receiving one portion of the peripheral surface of the shaft and a second bearing for receiving another portion of the peripheral surface of the shaft. The first bearing and the second bearing face each other. The space between the first bearing and the second bearing becomes narrower as it is closer to the shaft-attaching/detaching opening. The second bearing is formed of a leaf spring. With this arrangement, even if an excessive force is applied to the lid or the housing, it is possible to prevent both the elements from being destroyed.

Description

GOZNE STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to hinge structures and, more particularly, to a hinge structure for use in an operation panel, for example, which is rotatably fixed to a portable electronic device, such as a control device. memory card or the like, which serves as an auxiliary storage device, for an information device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNIQUE A conventional portable electronic device, such as for example a memory card device, or a sub-unit is used when inserted into a main unit of an information device, such as an entertainment system, of which a typical example is a video game machine. Said portable electronic device or a subunit of the information device has an interface for connecting the device or the subunit to the main unit of the information apparatus and a non-volatile storage device for storing data.

Figure 1A illustrates the configuration of the main portion of a memory card device, which serves as an example of conventional portable electronic devices. In general, a memory card indicated with the number 10 includes a control unit 11 for controlling the operation of the memory card 10, a connector 12 used to connect the memory card 10 to a terminal provided for a slot in the unit principal, such as an information device, and a non-volatile memory 16 for storing data.

Conventional video game machines, such as television gaming machines used in the home, have a function for storing game data in auxiliary storage devices. The memory card device described above is also used as an auxiliary storage device of the video game machine. Regarding the schematic diagram illustrating an example of conventional video game machines using a memory card as an auxiliary storage device illustrated in Figure 2, a main unit 2 of a conventional video game machine generally represented with the number 1 is adjusted inside the accommodation, usually in a quadrilateral. A disk loading portion 3 is placed in the center of the main unit 2 for charging an optical disk, which is a recording medium for recording an application program, such as a video game. The main unit 2 also includes a reset switch 4 for restarting the game at any time, a power supply switch 5, a disk operation switch 6 for operating the optical disk load, and two slots 7A and 7B. The memory card 10, which serves as an auxiliary storage device, is inserted into one of the slots 7A and 7B and, for example, a game result obtained with the execution of the game in the video game machine 1 is sent from a control unit (central processing unit (CPU)) 19 and is written into the non-volatile memory 16. A plurality of operation units (controllers) (not polished) is connected to the slots 7A and 7B, so that a plurality of users can play at the same time an opposition game. Thus far, in the conventional portable electronic devices mentioned above, as illustrated in Figure 3, an operation panel 203 can be rotatably fixed to maintain the unit 201 of the device through a hinge unit 202. The hinge 202 is configured, as illustrated in figure 4, so that an arrow 205 projects from the lid 204, the arrow 205 has a shape that is not circular, as shown in figure 5. The hinge unit 202 is rotating by means of a support component (not shown) integrated in the cover 204 and stopped rotating every 180 degrees by a spring thrust force (not illustrated) which is also integrated in the housing 204. The hinge unit 202 configured according to the above it is fixed in a predetermined position of the main unit 201 of the portable electronic device, as shown in Figure 6 and the operation panel 203 is set to the arrow 205. However, a large space is required for the previous type of the hinge unit 202, since the support component and the spring are integrated on deck 204, thereby obstructing miniaturization of hinge unit 202 and space saving. It is also difficult to detach from the operation panel 203 of the main unit 201 of the electronic device. In addition, if excessive force is applied to the operation panel 203, not only the operation panel 203, but also the main unit 201 of the electronic device can be destroyed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in order to solve the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and compact hinge structure that allows a mobile portion of a main portion of a device to be easily joined and disengaged and which prevents the portion The mobile device and the main unit of the device are destroyed, even if excessive force is applied to said mobile unit. To achieve the above object, in accordance with the present invention, a hinge structure is provided for releasably and removably securing a mobile unit to a main unit. The hinge structure of the invention preferably includes an arrow provided for one of the mobile unit and the main unit, and a support unit provided for the mobile unit and the main unit that does not have the arrow. The support unit includes an opening for attaching and detaching the arrow in an axial direction. The support unit includes a first support for receiving a portion of one surface of the arrow and a second support for receiving another portion of the peripheral surface of the arrow, the first support and the second support facing towards or being placed adjacent to each other. yes. A space formed between the first support and the second support is formed of an elastic element. The surface of the first support for receiving the arrow preferably can be formed in the form of an arc, and the first support can preferably be formed of a non-elastic element provided or formed of the main unit. The surface of the second support for receiving the arrow preferably can be flat, and the second support preferably can be formed of an elastic element, such as a leaf spring, for the main unit. The arrow of preference may include a surface and a cam-like projection on part of the surface. The projection preferably can be located on the surface of the arrow in a position in which the support unit slides elastically on the cam-shaped projection, while the mobile unit is rotating, in particular, while the mobile unit it is rotating between a state of elevation (open) and a horizontal state (closed). The mobile unit preferably includes a portion that will engage with part of the main unit when the mobile unit is in a horizontal state. The coupling portion can preferably be configured to move the mobile unit in a direction in which a space between the first support and the second support widens against an elastic force, while the coupling portion engages or engages. The coupling portion may preferably include a coupling projection that slides over part of the main unit. Preferably, the opening can be widened due to an elastic deformation of the elastic element when joining or detaching the arrow. With the above positioning, when excessive force is applied to the mobile unit or the main unit, the space between the first support and the second support is widened by the arrow against an elastic force of the elastic element, whereby the arrow is released of the support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures 1A and 1B illustrate the configuration of the main portion of a conventional memory card device; Figure 2 illustrates an example of a conventional video game machine using a memory card as an auxiliary storage device; Figure 3 illustrates schematically a portable electronic device incorporating a conventional hinge structure; Figure 4 is a side view illustrating a conventional hinge unit; Figure 5 is a front view illustrating a conventional hinge unit; Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional hinge unit attached to a portable electronic device; Figure 7 is an outside plan view illustrating a video game machine serving as a main unit, and using a portable electronic device as a subunit; Figure 8 is a rear view showing slots of the video game machine shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 is an external perspective view illustrating the video game machine shown in Figure 7; Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the specific configuration of the main portion of the video game machine illustrated in Figure 7; Figure 11 is an outer plane view illustrating a portable electronic device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 is an external perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11 in a state in which the lid is closed; Fig. 14 is an outer bottom view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figures 15A and 15B are block diagrams illustrating the configuration of the main portion of the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 16 illustrates a wireless communication function possessed by the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 17 illustrates a cooperative operation performed between the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 and the video game machine shown in Figure 7; Figure 18 illustrates a flow of program data that will be transferred from the video game machine shown in Figure 7 to the memory card; Figure 19 illustrates the procedure of the transfer operation shown in Figure 18; Figure 20 illustrates another flow of program data that will be transferred from the videogame machine shown in Figure 7 to a memory card; Figure 21 illustrates the procedure of the transfer operation shown in Figure 20; Figure 22A is a front view of the portable electronic device illustrated in Figure 11; Figure 22B is a top view of the device; Figure 22C is a bottom view of the device; Figure 23 is an outer side view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 on the right side; Figure 24 is an outer side view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 on the left side; Figure 25 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 with the lid removed; Figure 26 is a perspective view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 with the lid removed from the device; Fig. 27 is a sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of pressure portions for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figure 28 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of operators formed in a lid for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Fig. 29 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the operators formed in the lid for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figure 30 is a plan view illustrating another example of the configuration of the pressure portions for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 31 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of an infrared transmitter / receiver for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Fig. 32 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of an infrared transmitter / receiver for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figure 33 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of a portion that emits visible light for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Fig. 34 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of an infrared receiver for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figure 35 is an exterior rear view illustrating the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 36 is a back view illustrating the placement of a plate and a battery for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Fig. 37 is a back view illustrating the positioning of a plate and a battery for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Fig. 38 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of an example of a battery holder for use in the portable electronic device shown in Fig. 11; Figure 39 is an external perspective view illustrating another example of the battery holder for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 40 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the battery holder shown in Figure 39 for use in the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 41 is a front view of a rear view illustrating the configuration of a protective cover for storing the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11; Figure 42 is a side view illustrating the protective cover shown in Figure 41; Figure 43 is a side view illustrating the protective cover in which the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 is stored; Figure 44 is a front view and a rear view that Lustrates the configuration of the protective cover in which the portable electronic device shown in Figure 11 is stored; Figure 45 is a side view illustrating the placement of a hinge structure in accordance with the present invention; Figure 46 is a side view illustrating the hinge structure shown in Figure 45; Figure 46A is a side view of the hinge structure illustrating the arrow in the main unit of the support unit in the mobile unit; Figures 47A, 47B, and 47C illustrate a cam provided for the hinge structure shown in Figure 45; Figure 48 illustrates a lid incorporating the hinge structure that is attached to the video game machine; Figure 49 illustrates the lid that incorporates the hinge structure that is closed; and Figure 50 illustrates the lid incorporating the hinge structure that is open and closed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. A portable electronic device, which is placed inside a protective housing of the electronic device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is used as a memory card device in a main unit of an entertainment system, such as a computer. videogame. The portable electronic device can also be used as a stand-alone unit, such as a compact and portable gaming machine. The main unit is not restricted to a video game machine. When using the portable electronic device as a subunit, it does not necessarily have a memory card function. First, a description of a video game machine, which serves as a main unit, is provided below, using the portable electronic device as a subunit. Figure 7 is an exterior view illustrating a video game machine to which the portable electronic device is attached. A video game machine represented in general with the number 1 reads a game program recorded therein, for example, an optical disc, and executes it in accordance with the instructions of a user (player). In the present invention, the execution of the game is mainly controlling the progress of the game, the screen and the sound. A main unit 2 of the video game machine is stored inside a generally quadrilateral-shaped housing. A disk loading portion 3 is placed in the center of the main unit 2 for charging an optical disk, such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), which is a recording medium for supplying an application program. , like a video game. The main unit 2 also includes a reset switch 4 for restarting the game at any time, a power supply switch 5, a disk operation switch 6 for operating the optical disk load, and two slots 7A and 7B.

The recording medium for supplying an application program is not limited to an optical disc. As an alternative, an application program can be provided through a communication network. Two operating units (controllers) 20 can be connected to the corresponding slots 7A and 7B, so that two users can play a game of opponents. The memory card device or the portable electronic device mentioned above can be connected to slot 7A or 7B. In Figure 7, the two slots 7A and 7B are provided for the videogame machine 1 only by way of example, and the number of slots is not restricted to two. The operation unit 20 has first and second operation portions 21 and 22, a button L 23L, a button R 23R, a start button 24, and a selection button 25. The operation unit 20 also has portions Analog operation 31 and 32 that can be operated manually, a mode selection switch 33 for selecting the operation mode of the analog operation portions 31 and 32, and an indicator 34 for signaling the selected mode of operation. A vibration mechanism (not shown) is also inside the operation unit 20. Figure 8 illustrates the slots 7A and 7B provided on the front side of the main unit 2 of the video game machine 1. In this embodiment, each of slots 7A and 7B is formed in two rows. The memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B for receiving the memory card 10 described above or a portable electronic device 100, which will be explained later, are provided in the upper rows of the slots 7A and 7B, respectively. The connection portions of controllers (connections) 9A and 9B for receiving a connection terminal (connector) 26 of the controller 20 are provided in the lower rows of the slots 7A and 7B, respectively. The slots of the memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B are elongated in a horizontal direction in a rectangular shape, and the two corners at the lower edge of the elongated slot are formed more rounded than the two corners at the upper edge thereof. , so that it prevents the memory card 10 from being inserted in the wrong direction. The memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B have a shutter to protect a connection terminal which is inside each of the insertion portions 8A and 8B and which is used to establish an electrical connection. The slots of the controller connection portions 9A and 9B are elongated backwards (in the plane of Figure 8) in a rectangular figure, and the two corners at the lower edge of the elongated slot is more rounded than the two corners in the upper edge thereof, by which they prevent the connection terminal 26 of the controller 20 from being connected in an erroneous direction. To prevent the memory card 10 from being inserted erroneously in the slot of the controller connection portion 9A or 9B, the slots of the connection portions of the controller 9A and 9B are configured in a different figure of the insertion portions. of memory card 8A and 8B. Figure 9 illustrates the video game machine 1 in a state in which the portable electronic device 100 is inserted into the memory card insertion portion 8A of the slot 7A. Figure 10 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the circuit configuration of the main portion of the video game machine 1. The video game machine 1 consists of a control system 50 which includes a CPU 51 and peripheral devices, a graphics system 60 that includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) 62 for drawing images in a frame buffer 63, a sound system 70 that includes a sound processing unit (SPU) 71 for outputting music and effects surround sound, an optical disk control unit 80 for controlling an optical disk in which an application program is recorded, a communication control unit 90 for controlling the input and output of data in and from the memory card 10 described above or the portable electronic device 100, and a busbar (BUS) to which the components described above are connected. The individual systems of the video game machine 1 are described in more detail below. The control system 50 has the CPU 51, a peripheral device driver 52 for controlling the interruption operations and direct direct memory access transfer (DMA) operations, a main memory (main storage device) 53, such as a random access memory (RAM), and a ROM 54 for storing programs, such as an operating system (OS) for controlling the main memory 53, the graphics system 60, the sound system 70, and so on. The term "main memory" used in this specification means a memory from which programs can be executed. The CPU 51 described above controls the entire video game machine 1 by executing the OS stored in the ROM 54. The CPU 51 consists of, for example, a 32-bit reduced instruction set (RISC) computer -CPU. In the video game machine 1, on turning it on, the CPU 51 of the control system 50 executes the OS stored in the ROM 54, thereby controlling the graphics system 60 and the sound system 70. After executing the OS, the CPU 51 initializes the entire video game machine 1, such as reviewing the operation, and then controls optical disk control unit 80, whereby it executes an application program, such as a game, recorded on the optical disc. With the execution of the application program, such as a game, the CPU 51 controls the graphics system 60 and the sound system 70 in accordance with the instruction input of the user, thereby controlling the images to be displayed and the effects of surrounding music and sound that will be broadcast.

The graphics system 60 consists of a geometric transfer machine (GTE) 61 to execute the processing, such as coordinate transformations, the GPU 62 to draw graphics in accordance with an instruction of the CPU 51, the frame buffer 63 for storing images drawn by the GPU 62, and an image decoder 64 for decoding image data that is compressed or encoded with the use of orthogonal transformations, such as the discrete cosine transformation. The GTE 61 has a parallel computing function to perform a plurality of calculations at the same time, so it performs concurrently rapid calculations, such as coordinate transformations, light source calculations, and calculations of matrices or vectors. More specifically, when performing calculations for flat shading in which a single polygon with a triangular shape is drawn in the same color, GTE 61 adequately performs coordinate calculations in a maximum of approximately 1.5 million polygons per second. Consequently, in this videogame machine 1, the load of the CPU 51 can be reduced and fast coordinate calculations can be achieved. The GPU 62 draws polygons in the frame buffer 63 in accordance with a drawing instruction of the CPU 51. Suitably, the GPU 62 draws a maximum of approximately 360,000 polygons per second.

The frame buffer 63 consists of what is referred to as a dual-port RAM, so that it can simultaneously store images written by the GPU 62 or data transferred from the main memory by using a port, and output the the images from the buffer 63 to deploy them by using another port. The frame buffer 63, for example, has a capacity of one megabyte, and is divided into 512 x 1024 16-bit arrays. The frame buffer 63 counts not only with a screen area on which a video output is displayed, but also with a color look up table (CLUT) to store a CLUT to which the GPU 62 refers when drawing polygons, and a texture area to store inserted textures (on map) in polygons transformed into coordinates and drawn by the GPU 62. The CLUT area and the texture area are dynamically modified when the display area changes. In addition to the flat shading described above, the GPU 62 can perform the shading of Gouraud to determine a color within a polygon by driving interpolations of the colors of the vertices of the polygon, and the texture mapping to paste a texture stored in the texture area in a polygon. When performing Gourad shading or texture mapping, GTE 61 has the ability to perform coordinate calculations at a maximum of approximately 500,000 polygons per second.

The image decoder 64 decodes static image data or moving graphic representations stored in the main memory 53 and stores the decoded data in the main memory 53 under the control of the CPU 51. The reproduced image data is also stored in the memory intermediate of frames 63 by the GPU 62, and consequently, can be used as a background of an image to be drawn by the GPU 62. The sound system 70 consists of the SPU 71 to emit music, surround sound effects, etc. ., in accordance with an instruction of the CPU 51, a sound buffer 72 for recording waveform data using SPU 71, and a speaker 73 for outputting music, surrounding sound effects, etc., generated by SPU 71. SPU 71 also includes a differential and adapted pulse code modulation (ADPCM) decoding function to reproduce, for example, 16-bit ADPCM sound data represented by 4-bit difference signals, a reproduction function for generating surrounding sound effects by reproducing the waveform data stored in the sound buffer 72, and a modulation function for reproducing waveform data stored in the sound buffer 72 by modulating the data. In accordance with the functions mentioned above, the sound system 70 can be used as what is called a sample sound source for generating music, surrounding sound effects, etc., in accordance with an instruction of the CPU 51, with based on the waveform data stored in the sound buffer 72. The optical disk control unit 80 includes an optical disk device 81 for reproducing a program or data recorded on an optical disk, a decoder 82 for decoding a program or data added with, for example, an error correction code (ECC), and a buffer 83 to accelerate the operation of reading data from the optical disk by temporarily storing the data in the buffer 83. A sub -CPU 84 is connected to the decoder 82. The sound data recorded on the optical disc and which the optical disc device 81 reads is not restricted to the AD data. PCMs described above, and may be PCM data obtained by converting an analog sound signal into a digital sound signal. The ADPCM sound data, for example, digital data from 16 bits represented by 4-bit difference signals, decoded by the decoder 82 and then supplied to the SPU 71. In the SPU 71, the sound data is converted into analog sound data, which is then used to control the sound. horn 73. PCM sound data, e.g., 16-bit digital data, is decoded by the decoder 82, and then used to control the horn 73.

The communication control unit 90 has a communication controller 91 for controlling communication with the CPU 51 through the busbar. The communication controller 91 further has the controller connection portions 9A and 9B for connecting the controller 20 through which user instructions are input, and the memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B for receiving the electronic device portable 100 or memory card 10, which serves as an auxiliary storage device for storing data indicating, for example, the current setting of a game. The controller 20 connected to the controller connection portion 9A or 9B, for example, has 16 instruction keys for inputting instructions from a user, and transmits the status of the keys to the communication controller 91 via synchronous communication, in accordance with an instruction of the communication controller 91, approximately 60 times per second. The communication controller 91 then transmits the state of the keys of the controller 20 of the CPU 51. Upon receipt of a user instruction, the CPU 51 executes processing corresponding to the instruction based on the game program that is currently executing. . In reading programs, and displaying or drawing images, it is necessary to transfer a large amount of high-speed image data between the main memory 53, the GPU 62, the image decoder 64 and the decoder 82. Consequently, in This video game machine 1, the data can be transferred directly between the aforementioned components in charge of the peripheral unit controller 52 without the interference of the CPU 51, that is, the DMA transfer can be performed. By virtue of this DMA transfer, the load of the CPU 51 can be reduced, and fast data transfer can be achieved. As a need arises to store data indicating the current setting of the game, the CPU 51 transmits the data to the communication controller 91. The communication controller 91 then writes the data to the memory card 10 or the portable electronic device 100 inserted in it. the slot of the insertion portion of memory card 8A or 8B. The communication controller 91 has an integrated protective circuit to protect against electrical failure. The aforementioned memory card 10 and the electronic device 100 are separated from the busbar, so that they can be attached or disengaged from the machine 1 while the main unit 2 of the machine 1 is turned on. Therefore, when it has been exhausted The storage capacity of the memory card 10 or the electronic device 100 can be replaced by a new memory card or a new electronic device without the need to turn off the main unit. This protects the game data that will be backed up against the loss and makes it possible to write data to a new memory card.

A parallel interface (PIÓ) 96 is used to connect the video game machine 1 to a peripheral device, while a serial interface (SIO) 97 is used to connect the video game machine 1 to another video game machine. The portable electronic device 100 is explained in detail below, assuming that the electronic device 100 is used as a sub-unit to be inserted in the videogame machine 1 described above, which serves as the main unit. That is to say, the portable electronic device 100, which serves as a sub-unit, is fixed to the memory card insertion portion 8A or 8B provided for the slot 7A or 7B of the video game machine 1, and is used as a memory card. memory corresponding to the connected operating unit 20. For example, if two users (players) are playing, the results of that game of each user are recorded in the two portable electronic devices 100. The conductors of a supply connection terminal of energy and a grounding terminal of the memory card 10 or the electronic device 100 are formed larger than the other terminals, so that the power supply terminal and the ground terminal can be electrically connected before the other terminals when inserting the memory card 10 or the portable electronic device 100 into the insertion portion of the memory card 8A or 8B. The reason for this is to guarantee the safety and stability of the electrical operation. As an alternative, the connection conductors of the memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B may be larger, or the conductors of the memory card insertion portions 8A and 8B and those of the memory card 10 and the device may be larger. 100 electronic can be larger. To prevent the memory card 10 or the electronic device 100 from being inserted in the wrong way, the configurations of the left portion and the right portion of the connector are formed asymmetrically. Figures 11 to 13 are exterior views of the portable electronic device 100. Figure 11 is a plan view illustrating the portable electronic device 100. Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the electronic device 100 in a state in which a cover 110 for covering the connector is closed, and figure 13 is a perspective view illustrating electronic device 100 in a state in which cover 110 is open. The portable electronic device 100 comprises, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13, a housing 101, which serves as an outer cover, an operating unit 120 having one or a plurality of operators 122 and 121, respectively, for entering events and making various selections, a screen unit 130 consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and a window portion 140 for performing wireless communication through infrared rays by the use of a wireless communication unit , which will be explained later.

The housing 101, as illustrated in Figure 14, consists of an upper shell 101 a and a lower shell 101 b, and encapsulates a plate 151 on which the memory devices are mounted. The housing 101 will be inserted into the slot 7A or 7B of the main unit of the video game machine 1, and a connector 150 having a rectangular window is provided on a side surface on a side of the housing 101. The window portion 140, in general with semicircular figure, it is located on the other side of the housing 101. The screen unit 130 is located near the window portion 140 and occupies substantially half of the upper portion of the housing 101. The operation unit 120 is located near the connector 150 on the side opposite the window portion 140, and substantially occupies the other half of the upper portion of the housing 101. The operation unit 120 is generally quadrilateral in shape and is rotatably supported in the housing 101 The operating unit 120 includes the lid 101 having one or more of the operators 122 and 121, and the pressure portions of the switches 102 and 103 provided in The housing 101 under the lid 110. The operators 121 and 122 are positioned so that they pass through the lid 110 from the upper surface to the lower surface of the lid 110. The operators 121 and 122 have a movable support with the lid. 110, while bouncing or pushing with respect to the level of the upper surface of the lid 110.

The switch pressure portions 102 and 103 have pressure elements that have a movable support with the housing 101, while bouncing or pushing with respect to the level of the top surface of the cover 101. When pressing the pressure elements from above , pressure switches, such as diaphragm switches, disposed on plate 151 within housing 101, are further depressed. The switch pressure portions 102 and 103 are located in the positions corresponding to the positions of the operators 121 and 122, respectively, in the state in which the lid 110 is closed. That is, if the operators 121 and 122 are pressed from above to the upper surface of the lid 110 in a state in which the lid 110 is closed, the corresponding pressure switches placed inside the housing 101 are further pressed by the corresponding operators of the switch pressure portions 102 and 103. A flexible protective sheet can be attached to the pressure portions of switches 102 and 103. This makes it possible to operate directly the pressure elements of the switch pressure portions 102 and 103 with a finger without the interference of the operators 121 and 122, and also to prevent dust from entering the housing 101 from the pressure elements. The power supply terminals and the signal terminals 152 are placed on the board 151, as illustrated in Figure 14, within the window of the connector 150. The configuration and dimensions of the connector 150 are formed to be the same as those of the ordinary memory card 10. Figure 15A is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the main portion of the portable electronic device described above 100. As in the case of the memory card 10 mentioned above, the device portable electronic 100 includes a control unit 41 for controlling the operation of the electronic device 100, a connector 42 for connecting the electronic device 100 to a slot of a main unit, such as an information apparatus, and a non-volatile memory 46 for storing data. The control unit 41 is formed, for example, from a microcomputer and includes a program memory 41a, which serves as a program storage device. As the non-volatile memory 46, a semiconductor memory device is used, such as an instant memory that allows data to be preserved even if the power is turned off. As will be explained below, since the portable electronic device 100 has a battery 49, a static random access memory (SRAM) for entering and outputting the data at a high speed can be used as the non-volatile memory 46. The portable electronic device 100 differs from memory card 10 in that it includes an operation input unit (event) 43, operation buttons, to operate a stored program, a display unit 44, such as a liquid crystal display device (LCD), to display various information in accordance with the stored program, a wireless communication unit 48 for transmitting and receiving data to and from other memory cards via infrared rays, and the battery 49 for supplying power to the individual elements . As already indicated, since the electronic device 100 has the small integrated battery 49, which serves as a power supply unit, it can be operated as a separate device, even if it is removed from the slot 7A or 7B of the video game machine 1 Like the battery 49, a rechargeable secondary cell can be used. When the portable electronic device 100, which serves as a sub-unit, is set in slot 7A or 7B of the video game machine 1, which serves as the main unit, the power is supplied to the electronic device 100 from the video game machine 1. More specifically, a power supply terminal 50 is connected to the connection terminal of the battery 49 via a reverse flow prevention diode 51. Accordingly, when the electronic device 100 is inserted into the slot 7A or 7B of the main unit, such as the videogame machine 1, the power is supplied from the main unit to the subunit, and if used, a secondary cell is recharged. The portable electronic device 100 further includes a clock 45 and a horn 47 that serves as a sound generator, to generate sound in accordance with the program. All the elements described above are connected to the control unit 41 and are operated by the control unit 41. Figure 15B illustrates elements that will be controlled by the control unit 41. As already explained, the control unit 11 of the conventional memory card 10 includes only one connection interface to the main unit for connecting the memory card 10 to the main unit, such as the information device and a memory interface for entering and outputting data. . In contrast, the portable electronic device 100 of this mode has not only interfaces previously described, but also a screen interface, an operation input interface, a sound interface, a wireless communication interface, an administrator of time, and a program transfer interface. Thus, in accordance with the portable electronic device 100, the control unit (microcomputer) 41 has interfaces (controllers) to manage the functions performed by this mode, in addition to the conventional functions, that is, the interface that connects to the main unit and the memory interface. In this way, the electronic device 100 of this embodiment is compatible with conventional functions. In addition, since the portable electronic device 100 includes the input unit 43, such as button switches, for operating a program to be executed and the screen unit 44 formed of the LCD device, it can be found to be used extensively as a computer. portable game if a game application is executed in the electronic device 100. The portable electronic device 100 also has a storage function, in the program memory 41a of the control unit 41, a program for transferring an application program of the main unit of the video game machine 1. In this way, it is easy to update the application programs that are executed in the electronic device 100 and various program application programs and programming systems . As described above, the operation of the portable electronic device 100 can be controlled separately from the video game machine 1. Accordingly, the data can be created in the electronic device 100 can be transmitted to the video game machine 1, thereby establishing a cooperative operation (link) between the electronic device 100 and the video game machine 1. Since the clock 45 is provided for the electronic device 100, the time data can be shared with the video game machine 1; that is, it is possible to match the time data of the electronic device 100 and the video game machine 1, and it is also possible to share data to control, on a real time basis, the progress of games that are executed independently by both units.

Specific examples of the cooperative operation between the video game machine 1 and the portable electronic device 100 will be discussed below. Fig. 16 schematically illustrates wireless communication between portable electronic devices 100. An electronic device 100 transmits and receives data to and from the other electronic device 100 by using a wireless communication unit 48 through infrared beams by means of window portions. 140, which function as wireless communication windows, thereby exchanging internal data among a plurality of memory cards. The aforementioned internal data includes data transferred from an information device, such as a video game machine, and stored in a storage device inside the memory card 10. In the above embodiment, the portable electronic device 100 is used as a device for auxiliary storage of the video game machine 1. However, the electronic device 100 is not limited to the video game machine 1 and can find extensive use in the search for various types of information. An example of the cooperative operation mentioned between the portable electronic device 100 and the video game machine 1 is as indicated below. As mentioned in previous paragraphs, the electronic device 100 can share the following data with the video game machine 1: the game data created by the control unit (microcomputer) 41, the time data obtained by the clock 45 within the memory card 10, and data created by another memory card and obtained through the wireless communication unit 48. Figure 17 illustrates schematically the cooperative operation performed between the video game machine 1, which functions as a main unit, and the portable electronic device 100, which functions as a subunit. The following cooperative operation is described by way of example. An optical disk (CD-ROM), which is a recording medium for recording an application program of programs and programming systems, is loaded into the video game machine 1, the program that the video game machine 1 reads from the disk is download to the portable electronic device 100 set in slot 7A or 4B in the video game machine 1. Before making a specific explanation of the cooperative operation, the download of the program, which is performed for the cooperative operation, is discussed below. Figure 18 illustrates the flow of data generated when a video game application program is provided from the optical disk (CD-ROM) loaded in the disk loading portion 3 of the video game machine 1 is directly transferred (downloaded) to the program memory 41a within the control unit 41 of the electronic device 100 via the CPU 51 of the gaming machine 1.

Figure 19 illustrates the download operation shown in Figure 18. In step ST1, the video game application program, which is executed in the microcomputer 41 of the portable electronic device 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as as the "subunit"), it is read as data from the CD-ROM loaded in the disk loading portion 3 of the video game machine 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as "main unit"). As indicated above, in general, the application program mentioned in the preceding paragraphs is different from that operated in the video game machine 1. Then, in step ST2, the CPU 51 of the main unit issues a "download request command". of the program "to the microcomputer 41 of the portable electronic device 100. The CPU 51 then performs a poll so as to receive a" program download enabling status "from the microcomputer 41. The poll is for a query as to whether there is a request from the subunit and, if so, execute the corresponding processing. In step ST3 the microcomputer 41 of the sub-unit receives the "program download request command" from the CPU 51 of the main unit. Subsequently, in step ST4, when the microcomputer 41 of the subunit completes the current processing routine and is ready to download the program, it returns the "program download enabling status" to the CPU 51 of the main unit.

In step ST5, upon receiving the "program download enabling status" from the microcomputer 41 of the subunit, the CPU 51 of the main unit transfers (download) and writes the read program from CD-ROM in step ST1 to the memory of the 41a program of the subunit. The CPU 51 then polls so as to receive a "program start enabling status" from the microcomputer 41. The address of the program memory 41a in which the downloaded data will be written is managed by the microcomputer 41. Although the description the program downloaded from the main unit is stored in the memory of the program 41a of the microcomputer 41, it can be stored in a storage device, for example an SRAM, to enter and output data at high speed. In step ST6, the microcomputer 41 receives the program transferred from the main unit as data and writes it to the program memory 41a. Apparently, for the CPU 51 of the main unit the program data is written directly into the program memory 41 a of the sub unit from the main unit. As stated in previous paragraphs, the address of the program memory 41a is administered by the microcomputer 41. Then, in step ST7, when the microcomputer 41 of the subunit receives the final program data and is ready to execute them, it returns the "program start enable status" to CPU 51 of the main unit.

In step ST8, upon receipt of the "start-up enable status" from the microcomputer 41 of the sub-unit, it issues a "program start command". In step ST9, when the microcomputer 41 receives the "program start command" from the CPU 51 of the main unit, it starts the program from the predetermined address. In accordance with the above procedure, the application program is transferred (downloaded) directly from the video game machine to the program memory 41a within the microcomputer 41 of the electronic device 100 set on the main unit. As discussed above, a means for providing the application program is not restricted to a recording medium, such as an optical disc. The application program can be provided through a communications network. In this case, only step ST1 of the previous procedure differs from that described in previous paragraphs. In accordance with the described downloading procedure, the application program is downloaded directly from the video game machine 1 to the program memory 41a inside the microcomputer of the electronic device 100 set in the video game machine 1. In contrast, the CPU 51 from the main unit can download the application-program data to the non-volatile memory 46 of the sub-unit, and then, the sub-unit can copy the data from the non-volatile memory 46 into the program memory 41a of the microcomputer 41 and execute them. Figure 20 illusts the data flow created in accordance with the above procedure. Specifically, the video game application program read from an optical disc loaded in the disk loading portion 3 of the video game machine 1 is transferred (downloaded) to the non-volatile memory 46 of the portable electronic device 100 by the CPU 51 of the gaming machine 1. Then, the downloaded data is copied from the non-volatile memory 46 to the program memory 41a of the microcomputer 41 and executed. Figure 21 illusts the discharge procedure described above. In step ST11, the video game application program, which is to run it on the microcomputer 41 of the subunit, is read as data from the CD-ROM loaded in the disk load portion 3 of the main unit. Then, in step ST12, the CPU 51 of the main unit transfers (downloads) the program data into the non-volatile memory 46 of the subunit. This procedure is similar to that of the backup data of a conventional video game machine. In step ST13, the microcomputer 41 of the sub-unit receives as data the application program transferred from the CPU 51 of the main unit in a manner similar to the conventional data backup procedure, and writes it to the non-volatile memory 46.

Subsequently, in step ST14, the CPU 51 issues a "program start request command" together with the program start address information to the microcomputer 41 of the subunit. In step ST15, upon receiving the "program start request command" from the CPU 51, the microcomputer 41 copies the designated data size from the address of the non-volatile memory 46 specified by the above command in the program memory 41a of the microcomputer 41. In step ST16, the microcomputer 41 then executes the program from the start address of the program memory 41a. In accordance with the above procedure, the application program is transferred (downloaded) as data from the video game machine to the program memory 41 into the microcomputer 41 of the subunit set on the main subunit by the non-volatile memory 46. Generally, the application program downloaded from the video game machine 1 to the portable electronic device 100 is different from that which is executed in the video game machine 1. An application program that is executed both in the video game machine 1 and in the device electronic 100 can be downloaded to the electronic device 100. However, this is subject to the restriction that the CPU 51 of the video game machine and the microcomputer 41 of the electronic device 100 must be the same processor.

Next, a description is given of an example of the cooperative operation in which the programs and application programming systems downloaded from the videogame machine 1 by the aforementioned method are executed in the portable electronic device 100 and the result executed is again sent towards the video game machine 1. In this example, the data of the attributes of the human characters and the elements of the images that appear in a turn-based game running on the video game machine 1 are downloaded to the portable electronic device 100 The data of the mentioned attributes are data that represent the degree of growth, personality, etc. The human characters and the elements of the images can grow in the program that is executed in the subunit's microcomputer 41, changing in this way the attributes of the characters and the elements of the images, independently of a program that is executed in the video game machine 1. In this way, the described electronic device 100 can operate alone, in addition, it is compact and portable. This allows a user (player) to transport the electronic device 100 and grow the human characters and elements of the images at any time using the program executed in the subunit. The user can also transfer (send) the attributes of the human characters and the elements of the images grown in the electronic device 100 to the video game machine 1. In this case, the human characters and the elements of the images that have the attributes Up to date, they can be incorporated into the program that runs on video game machine 1, and then run them. As discussed above, the attribute data of the human characters and the elements of the images can be shared and exchanged between the video game machine 1 and the portable electronic device 100. In this way it is possible to form a video game that allows both the machine of video game 1 as the electronic device performs a cooperative operation. The electronic portable device 100 is accommodated within the housing 101 and has terminals 152 for connecting the device 100 to external devices. Although the terminals 152 face outwardly through the connector 150, which is formed as an opening, for the housing 101, it is covered and protected by the cover 110 as shown in FIGS. 22A through 24. The figures of FIG. 22A to FIG. 24 illustrate the electronic portable device 100: Figure 22A is a top view, Figure 22B is a front view, Figure 22C is a bottom view, Figure 23 is a side view from the right side, and Figure 24 is a side view from the left side. The lid 110 can be attached and detached from the housing 101, as shown in Figures 25 and 26. The details will be described later. As indicated in previous paragraphs and as shown in Figure 27, the housing 101 has pressure elements that form the pressure portions 102 and 103. When depressed, the pressure portions 102 and 103 press a pressure switch 157. mounted on plate 151 and connected to an electronic circuit. As shown in Fig. 28, the operators 121 and 122 are provided for the lid 110, so that they pass through the lid 110. The operators 121 and 122 are supported by the lid 110 in a movable manner and are located in the positions corresponding to the positions of the pressure portions 102 and 103, respectively, when the lid 110 is closed. The operators 121 and 122 are formed of a flexible material, for example a synthetic resin and are provided integrally, as shown in Figure 29, by an executer 123. The operators 121 and 122 are supported by the lid 110 in a manner that can move. That is, when the operators 121 and 122 are pressed when the lid 110 is closed, they further press the pressure switch 157 by the pressure elements of the pressure portions 102 and 103, respectively. The pressure elements of the pressure portions 102 and 103 may be formed of a material different from the material forming the housing 101, or they may be formed from a portion of the outer plate of the housing 10, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 30. In this case, the portions surrounded by angular U-shaped notches 102a and 103a formed in the outer plate of the housing 101 function as pressure elements. Slots 102b and 103b are provided at the ends of the <;4 pressure elements, so that the pressure elements move elastically with respect to the housing 101. A flexible protective sheet 103c is attached to the upper surface of the pressure elements. In this way it is possible to directly press the pressure elements of the pressure portions of the switch 102 and 103 with a finger through the protective sheet without the interference of the operators 121 and 122. The powder entering the housing 101 from Pressure elements can also be avoided. When the lid 110 is opened, part of the housing 101, including the connector 50 is inserted into the groove 72A or 72B, as shown in Figure 9, which is a retention portion with depression of an external apparatus, such as a machine video game 1, in this way connecting the end! 152 to the video game machine 1. The portable electronic device 100 has an optical system, as shown in figure 31, for dividing light from a deployment light source (light emitting diode (LED)) 145, which emits light visible, in two directions and to allow a light receiving device 144 to receive infrared rays from two directions. The light receiving device 144 receives infrared rays for infrared communication between the electronic device 100 and the video game machine 1. The two directions in which the deployment light source 145 directs the light and from which the light receiving device 144 receives the infrared rays are a portion of window 140 and the display unit 130.

The window portion 140 is provided at the upper edge of the housing 101, and is used to emit infrared rays outwardly from an infrared light source (LED) 146 to perform infrared communication with an external apparatus, such as a video game machine 1 The optical system is formed of a transparent protective sheet 131 for protecting the display unit 130, and a prism 141, having an optical device, provided for the window portion 140. As indicated above, the display unit 130, that is, the LCD is disposed within the housing 101, and faces outwardly from the housing 101 through the opening provided in the front side of the housing 101. The transparent protective sheet 131 is formed of a transparent material, for example a acrylic material, and is arranged to cover the opening. The prism 141 is also formed of a transparent material, for example an acrylic material, and is arranged to cover the window portion 140. The screen unit 130 is provided on the front side of the housing 101, and sees in a different direction from the window portion 141 provided at the upper edge of the housing 101. The infrared light source 146, the deployment light source (LED) 145, and the light receiving device 144 are positioned higher than the display unit 130 and are disposed on the plate 151 within the housing 101, the aforementioned elements being substantially aligned.

The prism 141 directs, as shown in FIG. 32, the infrared rays emitted from the infrared light source 146 towards the window portion 140 and additionally towards the external part of the housing 101. As shown in FIG. 33, the prism 141 also has a projection 142. The projection 142 reflects on the interface the visible light emitted from the deployment light source 145 and directs the light towards the window portion 140 and issues it outwardly through the window portion 140. After from passing through the shield 142, the visible light is incident on the transparent protective sheet 131 by a projection 132 provided for a protective sheet 131 and is emitted towards the external part of the screen unit 130 by means of the protective sheet 131. In this way, the window portion 140 not only directs the infrared rays emitted from the infrared light source 146, also visible light emitted from the deployment light source 145, towards the outside of the housing 100. The prism 141 has a projection 143, as shown in Figure 34, to reflect the infrared rays from the portion of window 140 in the interface and directing it towards the light receiving device 144. The light is then received by the light receiving device 144. Incidental infrared rays in the transparent protective sheet 131 from the display unit 130 interfere with the projection 143 of the prism 141 by a projection 133 provided for the transparent protective sheet 131, and the light receiving device 144 receives them by the projection 143. In this way, the light receiving device 144 receives the infrared rays coming from two directions, that is, from the screen unit 130 and from the window portion 140. A battery holder 104 is attached to the rear portion of the housing. 101, as illustrated in FIG. 35. The battery holder 104 is used to fix a battery, which provides the drive power to the individual elements of the electronic device 100, to the housing 101. The battery holder 104 is attached so that it can be detached from the housing 101 so as to cover an opening formed in the rear portion of the housing 101. As illustrated in FIG. 36, the battery holder 104 has a battery 155 to provide power to the electrical circuit within the housing 101 The battery 155 has a shape similar to a disk, and is referred to as a "button battery". When the battery holder 104 having the battery 155 is attached to the housing 101, the peripheral surface of the battery, which functions as a positive electrode, comes into contact with a terminal providing positive energy 154 that is provided in the plate 151, and the main surface of the battery 151, which functions as a negative electrode, comes into contact with a negative terminal 153 of power supply. In this way, the battery 155 is connected to the electronic circuit in the plate 151, thereby providing power to the electronic circuit. A reset button (not shown) is provided on the rear portion of the housing 101 to resume programming of the electronic device 100 to the original programming when the electronic device 100 was shipped, on the back of a hole formed in the housing 101. The reset button can be pressed, for example, with a pin. The battery holder 104 is formed, as shown in Figure 37, generally similar to a disc and is slightly longer than the battery 155. The battery holder 104 has battery supporting portions similar to a loop 104a and 104b for contain the peripheral portion of the battery 155. By retaining the peripheral portion of the battery 155, as illustrated in figure 38, the front ends of the battery retaining portions 104a and 104b are brought together with the peripheral portion of a projection 156 of the negative electrode. The battery 155 can not travel in a space between the battery supporting portions 104a and 104b due to the projection 156 while the negative electrode of the battery 155 is facing downward in the battery holder 104. Only when the positive electrode of the battery 155 down into the battery holder 104, the battery 155 can travel in the space between the battery holders 104a and 104b, since the projection 156 projects from the space between the battery holder portions 104a and 104b. That is, the battery holder portions 104a and 104b serve to prevent the battery 155 from being retained by the battery holder 104 in a wrong polarity. The battery holder 104 may be formed, as shown in Figure 39, in a four-sided manner. In this case, the battery holder 104 may have a threaded hole 104d and paddles of 46 coupling that will engage with the edge portion of an opening provided for the housing 101. A screw 104c fits into the threaded hole 104d and further fits into the threaded hole provided for the housing 101. The battery holder 104 has in the anterior surface, as illustrated in FIG. 40, battery support portions 104a and 104b between which the battery 155 is retained in a predetermined polarity. As shown in Figure 41, a protective cover of the electronic device generally represented by 160 for storing the configured electronic device 100 is formed of an upper cover 161 and a lower cover 162. When it is spliced against the upper cover 161, the lower cover 162 forms a hermetically sealed space for storing the electronic device 100 between the upper cover 161 and the lower cover 162. The upper cover 161 and the lower cover 162 are formed of a transparent synthetic resin material, such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate. Each of the upper covers 161 and lower 162 has a coupling portion at one end. The coupling portions include a coupling paddle similar to a loop 163 provided for the upper cover 161, and a coupling ring 164 provided for the lower cover 162. The coupling paddle 163 is fitted in the coupling ring 164 so that the upper cover 161 and the lower cover 162 can be maintained while they are spliced together. A fastening portion is provided at the other ends of the upper cover 161 and lower cover 162. The fastening portions include a screw insertion strip 170 provided for the upper cover 161 and a screwing strip 171 provided for the lower cover 162. The screw insertion strip 170 and the screwing strip 171 are superposed with respect to each other while the upper cover 161 and the lower cover 162 are interconnected. A clamping screw 172 is then fitted into a threaded hole formed in the screw insertion strip 170 and is further fitted into a threaded hole provided for the screwing strip 171, thereby securing the screw insertion strip 170 to the screwing strip 171. In this manner, the top cover 161 and the bottom cover 162 are held in such a manner that they interconnect with each other. A linear slot for receiving the peripheral portion of a coin, for example, is formed in the head of the clamping screw 172. That is, the clamping screw 172 can be easily rotated, as shown in Figure 42, by adjusting the peripheral portion. of a coin in the slot mentioned. At least one of the upper covers 161 and lower 162, for example, the upper cover 161, has a plurality of transparent holes 169 corresponding to the operators 121 and 122 provided for the electronic device 100 to be stored in the space formed by the top cover 161 and the bottom cover 162. The transparent holes 169 are closed, as shown in Figure 41, by an airtight seal element 167, which functions as buttons 165. The sealing element 167 is formed of a material elastic (elastomer) and is attached to the reverse surface of the top cover 161. The buttons 165 are movable by pulling or pushing down with respect to the level of the bottom surface of the top cover 161 due to an elastic deformation of the sealing element 167 positioned near the inner peripheral portion of the transparent holes 169. The seal element 167 is formed integrally formed with a seal element 168 for sealing between the splicing portions of the upper 161 and lower 162 covers. The seal element 168 is positioned along the entire circumference of the edge portion., in which the upper 161 and lower 162 covers are spliced together. The seal member 168 seals the portion between the upper cover 161 and the lower cover 162 when the upper 161 and lower 162 covers are spliced together. Additionally, the seal element 168 prevents water from entering the protective cover 160. This is due to the seal element 168, the protective cover 160 is used not only to protect the electronic device 100 from vibrations and impacts, but also as a waterproof cover. The portable electronic device 100 is stored, as shown in Fig. 43, in the above-described protective cover 160 with the display unit 130 facing the upper cover 161. Then, the buttons 165 come into contact with the pressure surfaces. of the operators 121 and 122, as shown in Figure 44. In this way, although the electronic device 100 is stored in the protective cover 160, by pressing the buttons 165, the pressure switch 157 can be operated by the corresponding operators 121 and 122 and the pressure portions of! switch 102 and 103. The protection cover 160 may have an amplifier in the position corresponding to the display unit 130 of the electronic device 100 which will be stored in the protective cover 160. That is, an outer wall of the portion of the The protective cover 160 corresponding to the display unit 130 is designed to have a concave shape, which then functions as a concave shape, thus making it possible to expand the display unit 130. A hinge structure constructed in accordance with this invention is described below with reference to figures 25, 26, 45 to 49. The lid 110 is supported by the housing 101 so that it can rotate in degrees ranging from when the lid 110 is closed, or in a lying state, to cover the terminals 152 (see Figure 4) and when the lid is open, or a raised state, to allow the terminals 152 to look outward. Specifically, the lid (movable portion) 110 counts on one side, as shown in Figures 25 and 26 with a pair of arms 113, 113. The arms 113 additionally have a pair of arrows 111, 111, respectively, that project from the arms 113 and that they see inwards. The arrows 111, 111 are adjusted in a pair of bearings 107, 107 respectively, provided on both sides of the central portion of the surface of the housing 101 (main unit). With this arrangement, the lid 110 is supported by the housing 101 so that it can rotate. As illustrated in Figures 45 and 46, the bearings 107 are provided in grooves 108 formed along the sides of! housing 101, and each has a first bearing 171 for receiving part of the peripheral surface of the arrow 111. The first bearing 171 is formed by the housing 101 or as part of it, for example, which is a non-elastic element. Specifically, an inclined surface 172 is provided on the inner surface of the housing 101, and is inclined downwardly beyond the terminals 152. The first bearing 171 is provided on the lower side of the inclined surface 172, and the surface for receiving the arrow 111 preferably has a shape similar to a bow. The housing 101 also has a second bearing 173 for receiving part of the peripheral surface of the arrow 111. The first bearing 171 and the second bearing 173 receive different parts of the arrow 1 11. The second bearing 173 preferably is formed of a elastic material 174, like a leaf spring. The leaf spring 174 includes as shown in FIG. 46, a stationary portion 174a fixed or secured to the housing 101, a pendant portion 164b that hangs from the stationary portion 174a, an inclined portion 174c that slopes upwardly from the portion slope 174b towards the inclined surface described above 172, and a free end 174d inclined downwardly from the upper end of the inclined portion 174c. The inclined portion 174c has a flat shape and receives the arrow 111 in cooperation with the first arc-like bearing 171. An arrow junction / gap 175 is formed between the inclined surface 172 of the housing 101 and the upper end of the housing. inclined portion 174c of the leaf spring 174 through which the arrow 111 can be joined or separated from the housing 101 in the axial direction. The relative spacing of the inclined surface 172 and the first bearing 171 towards the inclined portion 174c becomes shorter towards the arrow junction / junction opening 175, ie towards the terminals 152. The arrow 111 has a cam (projection 176. That is, the arrow 111 has a surface 111a and the cam 176 is provided in a portion of the surface 111a. The cam 176 is located on the surface 111a of the arrow 111 in the position in which the leaf spring 104 slides elastically on the cam 176 while the step 110 rotates from the open (raised) side to the closed (lying) state. That is, when the lid 110 is opened, the cam 76 is positioned as shown in Figure 47b.

When the lid 110 is closed, the cam 176 is positioned as shown in Figure 47a. While the lid 110 rotates, the leaf spring 174 is elastically displaced as illustrated in Figure 47c to slide on the cam 176. As illustrated in Figure 46A, the arrow 111x having a cam element 176x may be provided in the main unit 101x, although the bearing unit 107x may be provided in a slot 108x on the mobile unit 110x. The bearing unit 107x, which has a first bearing unit 171x and a second bearing unit 173x, works similarly to the first 171 and second bearings 173 of FIGS. 45 and 46, while the 111x shaft also performs an analogous function as the arrow 111 of Figures 45 and 46. Although Figure 46a shows an alternative placement of the arrow 111x and the bearing unit 107x with respect to the mobile unit 110x and the main unit 101x, it is preferable to have the arrow on the mobile unit as shown in FIG. described below, and the bearing unit on the main unit as will also be described below, particularly since it is easier to make the arrow on the mobile unit. The cover or mobile unit 110 can be attached or detached from the housing or main unit 101 by inserting the arrow 111 into the bearing 107 or releasing the arrow 111 from the bearing 107 due to an elastic deformation of the leaf spring 174, as shown in FIGS. 47A at 47C. The lid 110 can be attached or detached from the housing 101 without taking into account the position of the cam 176. However, it is relatively simple to attach or separate the lid 110 when the lid 110 is open in a state in which the cam 176 is facing the sides, as shown in Figure 47B. A cover portion 167 for covering the terminals 152 is provided, as shown in Figures 48 and 49, on the side opposite the arrow 111 of the lid 110. A coupling guard 179 is formed at the front end of the portion. of cover 177. Coupling projection 179 is coupled with a coupling portion 178 placed in the lower front portion of housing 101 when cover 110 is closed. That is, the cover portion 177 has a depressed shape 180 on the inner side facing the housing 101. Meanwhile, the anterior portion of the housing 101 forms a projection shape 181. When the cover 110 is to be opened or has just been closed, as shown in Fig. 49, the coupling projection 179 is engaged with the coupling portion 178 on the front side of the housing 101. When the coupling projection 179 is engaging or engaging with the portion of coupling 178, the cap 110 is forced to advance toward the front side of the housing 101, and simultaneously, the cap 110 is displaced such that the arrow 111 is pressed into the space between the first bearing 171 and the second bearing 73 against an elastic force of the leaf spring 174. With this configuration, because the arrow 111 is fixed by pressure against the first bearing 171 with the leaf spring 174 (the second bearing 1 73), the connecting / separating opening of the arrow 175 expands due to an elastic deformation of the leaf spring 174 when it joins or separates from the arrow 111. That is, while the arrow 111 is attached or separated, the spring blades 174 is momentarily stretched, thereby fixed or releasing arrow 111. Consequently, when excessive force is applied to cover 110 or housing 101, opening 175 between first bearing 171 and second bearing 173 is enlarged by A arrow 111 against an elastic force of the leaf spring 174, so that the arrow 111 of the bearing 107 is released, thereby facilitating the separation of the cover 110 from the housing 101. Even when the cover 110 is opened with excessive force or it is tilted in the direction in which the lid 110 opens, the lid 110 is released from the housing 101, thereby preventing the lid 110 and the housing 101 from being destroyed. The cam 176 is formed on the peripheral surface of the arrow 111. In this way, when the lid or the mobile unit 110 is open, an upward pressing force is exerted, causing the elastic movement of the leaf spring 174 downwards. Conversely, when the lid 110 is closed, a downward force is exerted. This is, a clicking sensation can be provided. The depressed shape 180 of the cover portion 177 of the lid 110 slides on the projection shape 181 of the housing 101, i.e. the engagement projection 179 slides over the engagement portion 178 while the leaf spring 174 is stretches momentarily That is, when the lid 110 is completely closed, a sense of adjustment is provided, and a pressing force is exerted on the lid 110 against the housing 101. The bearing surface 176 may be formed on the side opposite the spring blades 174, namely, since the leaf spring 174 functions as a bearing, the arrow 111 is not required to be completely contained. In this way, the bearing structure can be simplified, and space savings achieved. The structure of a mold for processing the bearing can also be simplified. The present invention is not restricted to the described embodiment, and can be used for an operator cover, which is normally used to cover the operators of an apparatus. Alternatively, the pressure can be used for a protective cover that protects a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display or a display window. Similarly, the hinge structure of the present invention can be used in other electronic or non-electronic devices, while the hinge structure is located between a mobile unit and a main unit. As can be seen from the description, in accordance with the present invention, a simple and compact hinge structure is provided, thus saving space. Additionally, a movable portion can be easily joined and separated from the main unit of a device. In this way, even if excessive force is applied to the movable portion of the main unit, it can be prevented from being destroyed.

Claims (20)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A hinge structure for fixing so that it can rotate and a mobile unit can be separated to a main unit, said hinge structure comprises: an arrow having a peripheral surface and provided in one of said mobile unit or said main unit; and a bearing unit provided in one of said movable unit and said main unit not having said arrow, said bearing unit includes an opening for elastically joining or detaching said arrow in an axial direction.

2.- The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 1, further characterized in that said bearing unit comprises a first bearing for receiving a first portion of said peripheral surface of said arrow, and a second bearing for receiving a second portion of said peripheral surface of said arrow.

3.- A hinge structure in accordance with the claim 2, further characterized in that a space between said first bearing and said second bearing becomes narrower, since it is closer to said opening, and at least one of said first bearing and said second bearing is elastic.

4. - The hinge structure according to claim 2, further characterized in that said first bearing is formed as part of said main unit.

5. The hinge structure according to claim 2, further characterized in that said first bearing slidably receives said arrow.

6. The hinge structure according to claim 5, further characterized in that said first bearing is formed in a shape similar to an arc.

7.- The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 2, further characterized in that said second bearing is formed of an elastic element.

8. The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 7, further characterized in that said second bearing is provided in said main unit.

9.- The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 8, further characterized in that said second bearing comprises a stationary portion secured to said main unit and a receiving portion connected to said stationary portion, said receiving portion can move in response to the attachment or separation of the mobile unit with the main unit.

10. - The hinge structure according to claim 9, further characterized in that said second bearing is a leaf spring.

11. The hinge structure according to claim 2, further characterized in that said arrow comprises a cam provided on said peripheral surface.

12. The hinge structure according to claim 11, further characterized in that said cam is located in said second portion of said peripheral surface of said arrow.

13.- The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 11, further characterized in that said cam is located on said peripheral surface of said arrow in a position in which said cam slides on said second bearing while said mobile unit rotates between a lying state and a raised state.

14. The hinge structure in accordance with the claim 3, further characterized in that said mobile unit comprises a coupling portion that will be coupled with said main unit when said mobile unit is in a lying state, said coupling portion being configured to move said mobile unit in a direction in which said space between said first bearing and said second bearing is enlarged while said coupling portion is engaged or engaging with the main unit.

15. - The hinge structure according to claim 7, further characterized in that said opening is enlarged due to an elastic deformation of said elastic element when it joins or separates from said arrow.

16. A portable electronic device having a main unit and a mobile unit in a hinge structure for fixing so that it can rotate and separate said mobile unit to said main unitsaid hinge structure comprises: an arrow having a peripheral surface and a cam therein, and provided on one of said mobile unit or said main unit, and said bearing unit is provided in one of said mobile unit and said unit Main that is not provided with said arrow, said bearing unit includes an opening for elastically joining or detaching said arrow in an axial direction.

17. A portable electronic device according to claim 16, further characterized in that said bearing unit comprises a first bearing for receiving a first portion of said peripheral surface of said arrow and a second bearing for receiving a second portion of said peripheral surface of said arrow.

18. An electronic device according to claim 17, further characterized in that said first bearing is formed as part of said main unit and slidably receives said arrow, and said second bearing is formed of an elastic element.

19. - A portable electronic device according to claim 18, further characterized in that said first bearing slidably receives said arrow, and said second bearing comprises a stationary portion secured to said main unit and a receiving portion connected to said stationary portion, said receiving portion being mobile in response to the joining or separation of the mobile unit with respect to the main unit.

20. A portable electronic device according to claim 19, further characterized in that said cam is located on said peripheral surface of said arrow in a position in which said cam slides on said second bearing while said mobile unit rotates between a state lifted and a state of closure.