A sliding hinged apparatus

SLIDING FRAME WITH HINGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to sliding devices and, more particularly, to sliding devices that have a rotating hinge portion.

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION

Handheld devices are continually being reduced in size and improved to meet consumer requirements for size, aesthetics, and performance requirements. Sliding solution mechanisms allow parts of these devices, such as screens or keyboards, to be retracted and hidden when not in use. Sliding mechanisms can facilitate miniaturization and offer additional freedom for device designers. However, today's sliding mechanisms are complex, bulky, heavy, and expensive. The current sliding mechanisms add significantly to the weight of the devices in which they are incorporated. Furthermore, the current sliding mechanisms are relatively thick, making it difficult to incorporate them into aesthetically pleasing designs.

The known sliding solutions have the main screen on the outside of the product. However, the ergonomics of the open position are not as good as the shell style (ie, type of form factor folding). The known sliding solutions have the main disadvantages: there is an unavoidable step, resulting in a difference in heights between the upper and lower frame parts.

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Therefore, the user interface and the navigation part of the keyboard is located above the numerical element making the overall ergonomics of the keyboard poor. The difference in height also makes integrating the style between the lower and upper modules difficult. The product tends to look uneven. Most sliding movements are flat so that when placed on a table they are flat as a bar. This does not support the video and multimedia user cases needed for the trend towards higher-level 3G and beyond, for communication devices.

The various aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent to those endowed with ordinary skill in technology upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention with the accompanying drawings described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying Figures, in which the same reference numbers refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated and form part of the specification, serve to better illustrate several versions and explain several principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the hinge sliding and tilting mechanism in a closed configuration.

Figure 2 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the hinge sliding and tilting mechanism in one

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3/17 open configuration.

Figure 3 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the sliding capability mechanism.

Figure 4 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the

<td>sliding mechanism and</td><td>in</td><td>inclination</td><td>in</td><td>hinge</td><td>in</td>

<td>an open configuration.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td>Figure 5 is a view</td><td>in</td><td>perspective</td><td colspan="2">copy of</td><td>one</td>

<td>sliding mechanism and</td><td>in</td><td>inclination</td><td>in</td><td>hinge</td><td>in</td>

<td>an open configuration.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

Skilled technicians will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and were not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated in relation to other elements to help improve the understanding of versions of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the present invention is achieved by various forms of the version, several examples of versions are shown in the drawings and hereinafter described with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered an example of the invention and that it is not intended to limit the invention to the specific versions contained herein. as will be more fully apparent from the discussion below. It is further understood that the apparatus and method for a sliding and tilting hinge of the present invention can be used more generally in any application where it is desirable to provide frames with sliding hinges.

In an overview, the present disclosure covers sliding mechanisms for components such as those in

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4/17 portable electronic devices, including, for example, laptop computers, portable video players, handheld computers, wireless messaging devices, portable game devices, GPS mapping devices, radio communications, portable dictionaries, personal digital assistants, telephones and equivalents and combinations thereof.

As discussed further below, several inventive principles and combinations of these are advantageously employed to provide a sliding mechanism to allow a component to be displaced relative to another component in an electronic device while substantially hiding the apparatus that allows such movement, thus alleviating several problems associated with known sliding mechanisms, provided these principles or their equivalents are employed.

Screen development is provided to further explain in a permissive manner the best ways to make and use various versions according to the present invention. Disclosure is also offered to improve understanding and appreciation for the inventive principles and their advantages, rather than limiting the invention in any way. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made pending this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Before describing in detail exemplary versions that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be noted that the versions reside essentially in combinations of combinations of device components and steps of

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5/17 method related to the sliding hinge of an electronic device. Thus, the components of the apparatus and the steps of the method were represented when appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are relevant to the understanding of the versions of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent. for those of ordinary skill in technology having the benefit of the description presented here.

It is further understood that the use of relational terms, if any, such as first and second, top and bottom, top and bottom, and the like are used only to distinguish one from another, an entity or action, without necessarily requiring or supposing any such relationship or order between those entities or actions.

The terms o or a as used herein are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term other as used herein is defined as at least one second or more. The terms include, have and having as used herein are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term coupled as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly.

In this exemplary version, the device is an electronic device like a radiotelephone. The radiotelephone described here is a representation of the type of wireless communication device that could benefit from the present invention. However, it must be understood that this

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6/17 invention may be applied to any type of handheld or portable device including, without limitation, the following devices: radio telephones, cordless phones, radio call devices, personal digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based handheld devices or keyboard-based handheld devices, remote control units, portable media players (such as the MP3 or DVD player) that have wireless communication capabilities, and the like. Thus, any reference here to the radiotelephone 100 should also be considered as applicable to other portable wireless electronic devices.

The electronic device has a first frame part and a second frame part that slide and tilt in relation to each other to result in compact and extended positions, as well as intermediate positions. The sliding and tilting mechanism includes an upper element with a top and a bottom and an angled part located at one end of the upper element, the angled part angled relative to the bottom of the upper element. A lower element having a first lower element part and a second lower element part coupled by a joint, the joint allowing the first lower element part to bend in relation to the second lower element part and in relation to the upper element. A sliding member, which couples the upper element to the lower element such that when the upper element and the lower element are in the closed configuration, the upper element prevents the lower element from bending. A member of

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7/17 tilt tilting the lower element to bend, that is, rotate around the joint when the upper element is slid into an extended position. The mechanism for sliding and rotating is described in detail below.

A version of an electronic device 101 that incorporates a sliding and tilting mechanism is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 1 illustrates a cross section of device 101 in a compact, closed or retracted configuration 100. Figure 2 illustrates the cross section of the device 101 in the extended and inclined configuration 200.

The exemplary device 101, which may be a radiotelephone in this case, includes an upper element 102 and a lower element 104. In the closed configuration 100, both the upper element and the lower element are planarly adjacent. In the open configuration 200, the lower element is recessed laterally from the upper element and a part of the lower element is folded towards the upper element exposing a top surface of the lower element 104.

The upper element 102 includes a screen 106 and several buttons 120, navigation buttons in this version. The upper element 102 also includes a tapered portion 130. The tapered portion is angled with respect to a first side 132 of the upper element 102. A keyboard 202 is carried on the upper surface 134 of the lower element 104.

The upper element 102 slides, as indicated by the arrow 108 with respect to the lower element 104 to expose the top surface 134 and, in this exemplary version, the keyboard

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202. The user can apply manual force in the longitudinal direction of the device 101 to cause the upper element 102 to slide with respect to the lower element 104, thus causing the keyboard 202 to extend and tilt with respect to the upper element 102 of the configuration shown in Figure 1, or retracts from the configuration shown in Figure 2.

The lower element 104 is composed of two parts, a first part of the lower element 122 and a second part of the lower element 124 which are longitudinally adjacent (that is, end to end) and coupled by a joint 125. In this version, the upper element 102 is shorter than the lower element 104, where the lower element extends beyond the first part of the lower element 122. The lower element in this version has a terminal part that is complementary in shape to the tapered part 130 of the upper element 102. In another version, the upper element 102 and the lower element are substantially the same size and have an elongated shape. The first part of the lower element 122 bends or rotates with respect to the second part of the lower element 124 around the joint 126 to make an upward angle towards the upper element 102 when the upper element 102 is slid to the extended configuration 200.

Gasket 126 is positioned on or near top surface 134 of lower element 104. The gasket may be a hinge, such as a barrel and pin hinge, a malleable member such as rubber or plastic, or the like. Gasket 126 is positioned so that the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part

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9/17 of the lower element 124 fold in one direction towards the upper element 102.

When sliding from the closed configuration 100 to the open configuration 200, a lower surface of the first part of the lower element 132 slides in contact with the upper part of the first part of the lower element 134. The tapered part 130 comes into contact with the upper surface of the first part of the lower element 134 when the tapered part 130 approaches the joint 126. The tapered part 130 is a follower that interacts with the upper surface of the part of the lower element 134 whose part of it is a cam. The tapered part 130 allows the first part of the lower element 122 to rotate around the joint 126 in a cam / follower motion. Until the tapered part 130 substantially reaches the joint 126, the upper element 102 prevents the first part of the lower element 122 from rotating, thus keeping the first and second parts of the lower element in the same plane as shown by the configuration of Figure 1. From the fully closed configuration 100 to a point before the open configuration 200, the distance between the cam surface of the tapered part 130 and the top surface 134 of the first part of the lower element 122 is between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. In a version the distance is 0.3 mm. The taper angle, which dictates that the angle of the first part of the lower element 122 may be between zero and ninety degrees with respect to the bottom surface 132. In this exemplary version, the angle of the tapered part is 10 degrees in relation to the bottom surface 132 in this exemplary version.

In addition to providing a follower, the tapered part 130

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10/17 can provide a mechanical stop, stopping the first part of the lower element 122 during rotation at the desired angle for the open configuration 200 of the device 101. In this version, the angle of the tapered part 130 dictates the angle of the first part of the lower element 122 and the keyboard inserted therein 202. The tapered part 130 allows the top surface 140 of the upper element 102, and with it the buttons 120 disposed there to be in close proximity to the top surface 142 of the first part of the lower element 122. The plane of the top surface 140 of the element upper 102 intersects the top surface 142 of the first part of the lower element 122. This provides a substantially continuous surface from the top surface 140 of the upper element 102 to the top surface 142 of the first part of the lower element 122. This allows for a more suitable user interface since the keyboard 202 is adjacent to the buttons 120 when the device 101 is in the open configuration. For example, the user can slide a finger from the keyboard 202 onto the buttons without having to substantially lift the die to the top surface of the top element 102, which would be the distance equal to the thickness of the top element 102 at the thickest point. This is a function of the thickness of the tapered part at the bottom end 144 of the top element 102. The bottom end 144 of the top element 102 in Figure 1 is not to scale and is exaggerated for the sake of clarity.

A first tilt member 128 is coupled between the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part of the lower element 124. The tilt member 128 exerts a force on the first part of the lower element 122 and

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11/17 the second part of the lower element 124, causing the first part of the lower element 122 to rotate around the joint 126 in relation to the second part of the lower element 124. The first sloping member 128 may be an elastic sloping member (such as an expansion spring, a compression spring, or an elastic), a cam follower mechanism, or the like. The tilt member applies a constant hidden force to urge the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part of the lower element 124 to bend together.

A second tilt member can be used to assist the upper frame when sliding into the open and closed position creating a bistable effect. The second slope member may be an elastic slope member (such as an expansion spring, a compression spring, or an elastic) and a cam (such as a groove or track) having a geometry in order to create the bi-effect stable to urge the first part of the frame and the second part of the frame out of any intermediate position and in the direction of either the compact position or the extended position.

In an exemplary version, shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the upper frame carries a bearing like a wheel 150. The wheel is located on the tapered part 130 of the upper frame 102. Instead of the tapered part 130 engaging the top surface of the first part of the lower element 122, the wheel 150 engages the first part of the lower element 122 when the frame is close to the open configuration 200. A wheel 150 is shown; however, it is understood that a plurality of wheels may

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12/17 be used.

The wheel contacts the first part of the lower element 122 when the device is substantially in the open / extended configuration. During the closing of the device 101, the wheel starts in contact with the first part of the lower element 122. When the upper element is slid towards closed configuration 100, the wheel rolls along the first part of the lower element 122 and reduces the friction between the upper element and the first part of the lower element 122 when the two elements slide relative to one to the other (ie, closing the device). When the upper element 102 is slid towards the closed configuration 100, the wheel rolls along the first part of the lower element 122 and reduces the friction between the upper element and the first part of the lower element 122 when the two relative elements slide one to the other (ie, closing the device). When the upper element 102 is slid towards the closed position, the first lower element comes into contact with the first surface of the upper element and the wheel and the tapered part 130 separate from the first part of the lower element 122. During this movement, the first lower element 122 and the second lower element rotate or unfold to a substantially flat configuration in which the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part of the lower element 124 are longitudinally aligned in substantially the same plane as shown in closed position 100.

It is understood that a bearing surface may take the place of wheel 150. The bearing surface may

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13/17 be a component or coating made of Delrin®, another friction reducing or similar surface. In one version, a wheel 150 and a bearing surface are used in combination with each other. In this exemplary version, the bearing surface of the upper frame 132 (i.e., the bearing surface is the bottom surface) and a bearing surface 134 of the first lower element 122 (the top surface of the first part of the lower element 134 is the bearing surface) come into contact during sliding. When the upper element 102 approaches the closed configuration 100, the point of contact between the upper element 102 and the first part of the lower element 122 transitions from the wheel to the

<td colspan="2">surfaces for example</td><td>at</td><td>surfaces of</td><td>bearing,</td><td>of</td>

<td>element</td><td>higher 102 and</td><td>gives</td><td>first part</td><td colspan="2">of the element</td>

<td>bottom</td><td> 122.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td>a</td><td>retaining member</td><td>or</td><td colspan="2">exemplary fastener 152</td><td>is</td>

<td>illustrated</td><td>in Figure 1. The</td><td colspan="2">retaining member is</td><td>ported</td><td>at</td>

first part of the lower element 122 adjacent to the joint 126. The retaining member engages a retaining receptacle for the upper element (not shown). When the upper member 102 is slid into the open configuration 200, the retaining member engages the upper element retaining receptacle. Although the first inclination member 128 urges the first part of the lower element 122 to be in contact with the upper element 102, the hidden force of the first inclination member 128 can be overcome by manual force, for example, and therefore, it can cause the two elements to separate. Retaining member 152 engages upper member 102 to hold upper member 102 in the

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14/17 first part of the lower element 122 when the device 101 is in the open configuration 200. When the upper element slides, the retaining member 152 slides with a vacuum (not shown) of the upper element.

A cross section of the device showing an exemplary slip activating member of device 101 is illustrated in Figure 3. The exemplary slip activating member provides a mechanism for the upper element 102 to slide the lower element 104. In this version, the upper element 102 is engaged by sliding to the second part of the lower element 124. The slide activating member, in this version, comprises a set of tracks 302 and a set of tracks 304 that engage the tracks. The rails 302 are carried on the second part of the lower element 124 and the tracks are carried on the upper element 102. The part of the upper element 102 slides along the rails 302 between the closed configuration 100 and the open configuration 200. It is understood that someone of ordinary skill in technology will appreciate the plurality of slip-activating members that can be incorporated and that the trail and track are an example. Mechanical stops in combination with the second tilt member, define the points at which the upper frame stops in the open and closed configuration. It is also understood that the tracks 302 can be carried either in the upper part 102 or in the second part of the lower element 124 and the engaging members of the track (for example, the tracks) can be carried in the element in which the tracks are not carried .

In a version shown in Figure 4, the element

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Bottom 15/17 104 includes overlapping portions at adjacent ends of the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part of the lower element 124. The first part of the lower element 122 includes a first overlapping part of the lower element 402 and the second part of the element The bottom 124 includes a second overlapping portion of the bottom element 404 that overlaps both in the closed and the open position. When the device is configured from closed configuration 100 to open configuration 200, the first overlapping part of the lower element 402 and the second overlapping part of the lower element 404 surround the gap that is created when the first part of the lower element 122 rotates to away from the second part of the lower element 124.

A flexible boot can also be coupled between the first part of the lower element 122 and the second part of the lower element 124. The flexible boot can be rubber or similar or have an accordion-shaped form factor that folds in and out and the two elements rotate in relation to each other.

An alternative version of the sliding and tilting mechanism is illustrated in Figure 5 with the upper element 502 slidably coupled to a first lower element 504 which hinges to a second lower element 506. The upper element 502 is slidably coupled to the first lower element 504 by a rail 505 carried on the upper element 502. The upper element includes a groove 508 which is a void that runs longitudinally along the upper element 502. A retaining member 510 is carried on the first element

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Lower 16/17 504 extending into groove 508. The top of the retaining member is wider than the groove 508 such that the retaining member 510 will not pass through the groove 508, thus retaining the upper element 502 in the first lower element 504. When the upper element slides relative to the first lower element 504, the combined retaining member 510 / groove 508 prevents the upper element 502 and the first lower element from separating. In this version, the device comprises a retaining member that extends from the first lower element within the groove of the upper element, the retaining member slides along the groove retaining the upper member adjacent to the first part of the lower element when the upper element is slid from the configuration closed to the open configuration. The bistable tilt member 512 is shown coupled to the upper element 502 and the second lower element 506. The bistable tilt member 512 is coupled to the upper element 502 by the fastener 514 and to the second lower element 506 by the fastener 516.

One method of opening the sliding and tilting frame comprises providing a sliding mechanism to allow an upper frame to slide relative to a lower frame, wherein the upper frame is stacked on the lower frame. The lower frame has a first lower frame part and a second lower frame part, and the first lower frame part and the second lower frame part are coupled by a hinge. The upper frame prevents the first lower frame and the second lower frame from rotating around the

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17/17 hinge when the upper frame is in the closed configuration in relation to the lower frame. The method further includes providing a rotating mechanism to allow the first part of the lower frame to rotate around the hinge to an angular position that is relative to the second part of the lower frame and the upper frame when the upper frame is slid to an extended position exposing the bottom frame keyboard.

The method may also include forming a substantially continuous surface across the upper surface of the lower frame and the upper surface of the upper frame by tilting the lower surface at an angle relative to the upper surface.

Furthermore, the method may include providing an angled opening portion similar to the shell with the angled configuration of the first lower frame part when the device is in the extended configuration. The first part of the lower element clicks into place, angled towards the upper element.

Although the present invention and what are currently considered to be the best modes of it have been described in a way that establishes possession by the inventors and allows those of ordinary skill in technology to make and use the invention, it will be understood and appreciated that there are many equivalents to the exemplary versions disclosed here and that numerous modifications and variations can be made to them without deviating from the scope and spirit of the invention, which should be limited not by the exemplary versions but by the attached claims.