U.S. patent number 7,231,188 [Application Number 10/619,808] was granted by the patent office on 2007-06-12 for self operating opening mechanism for use in a hand-held electronic device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Motorola, Inc.. Invention is credited to Karstem Aagaard, Jon Godston, Brian Hassemer, Fabio Moneta.
United States Patent |
7,231,188 |
Godston , et al. |
June 12, 2007 |
Self operating opening mechanism for use in a hand-held electronic
device
Abstract
The present invention provides a mechanism (300, 400) and method
(500) for rotating at least a first and second housing elements
(120, 220) of a device (100) with respect to one another. The first
and second housing elements (120, 240) have a common axis of
rotation (190), which is substantially perpendicular to a front
surface of the device (100). The mechanism (300, 400) includes a
wheel (310, 410) having a rounded outer edge (312, 412), which
engages a rounded surface (144) of a first housing element (220),
which extends at least partly around the axis of rotation (190).
The wheel (310, 410) is coupled to the second housing element (120)
at a center point (316, 416) about which the wheel (310, 410) is
adapted to rotate. The wheel (310, 410) further includes a contact
point (318, 418) offset from a center point (316, 416). The
mechanism (300, 400) further includes a tension device (320, 420)
having a relatively fixed end (324, 424) and a relatively free end
(322, 422), which when preloaded, is adapted for supplying a force.
The mechanism (300, 400) still further includes a linkage (330,
430) coupled between the free end (322, 422) of the tension device
(320, 420) and the offset contact point (318, 418) of the wheel
(310, 410) for biasing the wheel (310, 410) toward rotation, and
the rotation of the first and second housing elements (120, 220)
relative to one another.
Inventors: |
Godston; Jon (Cusago,
IT), Aagaard; Karstem (St. Charles, IL), Hassemer;
Brian (Gumee, IL), Moneta; Fabio (Oderzo,
IT) |
Assignee: |
Motorola, Inc. (Schaumburg,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
29797363 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/619,808 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20040018862 A1 |
Jan 29, 2004 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 22, 2002 [EP] |
|
|
02425474 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/73;
455/575.1; 455/90.3; 379/433.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/0245 (20130101); H04M 1/0243 (20130101); H04M
1/0227 (20130101); E05F 1/1215 (20130101); E05Y
2900/606 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/00 (20060101); H04B 1/38 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/575.1,575.3,90.3,347-349 ;379/433.13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3323858 |
|
Jul 1983 |
|
DE |
|
2 351 201 |
|
Dec 2000 |
|
GB |
|
60-21636 |
|
Feb 1985 |
|
JP |
|
05-211547 |
|
Aug 1993 |
|
JP |
|
WO 01/15331 |
|
Mar 2001 |
|
WO |
|
WO 02/33205 |
|
Apr 2002 |
|
WO |
|
WO 02/082783 |
|
Oct 2002 |
|
WO |
|
Primary Examiner: Nguyen; Simon
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Chapa; Lawrence J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mechanism for rotating at least a first and a second housing
element of a device with respect to one another, where the first
and second housing elements have a common axis of rotation, which
is substantially perpendicular to a front surface of the device,
the first housing element having a rounded surface which extends at
least partly around said axis of rotation, said mechanism
comprising: a wheel having a rounded outer edge for engaging the
rounded surface of said first housing element, said wheel being
coupled to said second housing element at a center point about
which the wheel is adapted to rotate, and for traveling around the
rounded surface of the first housing element along with the
corresponding center point as the wheel rotates, said wheel
additionally having a contact point offset from said center point;
a tension device having a relatively fixed end and a relatively
free end with respect to said second housing element, said tension
device being adapted for supplying a force when said tension device
is preloaded; and a linkage coupled between the free end of the
tension device and the offset contact point of the wheel for
biasing the wheel toward rotation.
2. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tension
device includes a spring.
3. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein said spring is a
torsion spring.
4. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said linkage is a
slider plate having a contact edge surface for engaging the contact
point of said wheel, and an opposite edge surface for engaging the
free end of said tension device.
5. A mechanism in accordance with claim 4 wherein said contact edge
surface has a "V"-shaped profile including a point at the base of
the "V"-shape and a pair of upraised arms angled at a slope.
6. A mechanism in accordance with claim 5 wherein the contact point
of said wheel is biased toward a rotationally stopped position at
the point at the base of the "V"-shaped profile.
7. A mechanism in accordance with claim 6 wherein the angled slope
of at least one of the pair of upraised arms of the "V"-shaped
profile increases near the point at the base of the "V"-shape.
8. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said linkage is a
crankshaft having a first end coupled to the contact point of said
wheel, and a second end coupled to the free end of said tension
device.
9. A mechanism in accordance with claim 8 wherein said second end
of said crankshaft includes a pin which is adapted to engage and
run along a channel located in said second housing.
10. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wheel is a
flat gear.
11. A mechanism in accordance with claim 10 wherein said rounded
outer edge of said flat gear includes teeth, which are adapted to
engage corresponding teeth located along the rounded surface of
said first housing element.
12. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said device is a
hand-held device.
13. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said device is
an electronic device.
14. A mechanism in accordance with claim 13 wherein said electronic
device is a wireless communication device.
15. A method of opening a first and a second housing element of a
hand-held device using a self-opening mechanism comprising:
manually initiating rotation of one of the first and second housing
elements with respect to the other one of the first and second
housing elements along a common axis of rotation, which is
substantially perpendicular to a front surface of the device, in at
least one of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction;
completing the rotation of the first and second housing elements,
automatically, between a substantially closed position and a
substantially opened position, by a rotation mechanism incorporated
as part of the hand-held device.
16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein completing the
rotation of the first and second housing elements includes rotating
the first and second housing elements substantially one hundred and
eighty degrees with respect to one another from the position of the
two housing elements prior to manually initiating rotation.
17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein completing the
rotation of the first and second housing elements includes:
applying a force to a linkage by a preloaded tension device;
transferring the force along the linkage to an off-center contact
point of a wheel, which is coupled to the second housing element,
thereby inducing a rotation in the wheel; rotating the wheel, along
a curved surface of the first housing element.
18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein completing the
rotation of the first and second housing elements further includes
applying an additional force supplied by a leftover preload of the
tension device for maintaining the first and second housing
elements in a rotatably opened position.
19. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the device is
capable of opening in both a clockwise and a counter-clockwise
direction, and when the rotation is manually initiated in either a
clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction, the rotation is
completed in the same direction that the rotation was manually
initiated.
20. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising
returning the first and second housing elements to a non-rotated
position, wherein returning to a non-rotated position results in
the preloading of a tension device.
21. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the first and
second housing elements are manually returned to a non-rotated
position in a direction counter to the direction of rotation during
the opening of the first and second housing elements.
22. A device comprising: a first housing element; a second housing
element; and a self-opening mechanism coupled to said first housing
element and said second housing element for rotating the first and
second housing elements with respect to one another along a common
axis of rotation, which is substantially perpendicular to a front
surface of the device, between a substantially closed position and
a substantially opened position.
23. A device in accordance with claim 22, wherein said device is a
wireless communication device.
24. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein said first
housing element is a body including electronic components and said
second housing element is a cover.
25. A device in accordance with claim 24, wherein said body
includes a keypad.
26. A device in accordance with claim 24, wherein said body
includes a microphone and said cover includes a speaker.
27. A device in accordance with claim 22, wherein said first
housing element has a rounded surface, which extends at least
partly around said common axis of rotation, and wherein said
self-operating mechanism for rotating the first and second housing
elements includes; a wheel having a rounded outer edge for engaging
the rounded surface of said first housing element, said wheel being
coupled to said second housing element at a center point about
which the wheel is adapted to rotate, and for traveling around the
rounded surface of the first housing element along with the
corresponding center point as the wheel rotates, said wheel
additionally having a contact point offset from said center point,
a tension device having a relatively fixed end and a relatively
free end with respect to said second housing element, said tension
device being adapted for supplying a force when said tension device
is preloaded, and a linkage coupled between the free end of the
tension device and the offset contact point of the wheel for
biasing the wheel toward rotation.
28. A device in accordance with claim 27, wherein said device
further includes a retainer plate coupled to said second housing
element for forming a space therebetween within which the wheel,
the tension device and the linkage is located.
29. A device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said tension
device includes a spring.
30. A device in accordance with claim 29 wherein said spring is a
torsion spring.
31. A device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said linkage is a
slider plate having a contact edge surface for engaging the contact
point of said wheel, and an opposite edge surface for engaging the
free end of said tension device.
32. A device in accordance with claim 31 wherein said contact edge
surface has a "V"-shaped profile including a point at the base of
the "V"-shape and a pair of upraised arms angled at a slope.
33. A device in accordance with claim 32 wherein the contact point
of said wheel is biased toward a rotationally stopped position at
the point at the base of the "V"-shaped profile.
34. A device in accordance with claim 33 wherein the angled slope
of at least one of the pair of upraised arms of the "V"-shaped
profile increases near the point at the base of the "V"-shape.
35. A device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said linkage is a
crankshaft having a first end coupled to the contact point of said
wheel, and a second end coupled to the free end of said tension
device.
36. A device in accordance with claim 35 wherein said second end of
said crankshaft includes a pin which is adapted to engage and run
along a channel located in said second housing.
37. A device in accordance with claim 35 wherein said device
further includes a retainer plate coupled to said second housing
element for forming a space therebetween within which the wheel,
the tension device and the crank shaft is located, and wherein said
second end of said crank shaft includes a pin which is adapted to
engage and run along a channel formed as part of said retainer
plate.
38. A device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said wheel is a
flat gear.
39. A device in accordance with claim 38 wherein said rounded outer
edge of said flat gear includes teeth, which are adapted to engage
corresponding teeth located along the rounded surface of said first
housing element.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of portable
electronic devices and, more particularly, to a hand-held
electronic device having at least a two-part housing which rotates
between an opened and a closed position to facilitate usage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Portable electronic devices have many functions and come in a
variety of different form factors. For purposes of convenience
there is a general trend toward miniaturization of many types of
portable electronic devices. Miniaturization generally makes it
easier to carry the electronic device on one's self, including
fitting the device into one's pocket/purse or attaching the device
to one's belt.
While generally there is a motivation to shrink a device's form
factor as much as possible, in several specific instances the
extent to which the size of a device can be reduced is limited by
other countervailing motivations. In some instances, the extent to
which the size of a device can be reduced is limited by minimum
size requirements that may be necessary for a person to
conveniently use and/or interact with the device. For example, a
keypad can only shrink so far before it becomes difficult to
operate. A keypad generally needs to accommodate the size of the
user's hands and/or fingers. Similarly, telephone handsets, which
accommodate two-way communication, generally need to accommodate a
microphone proximate a user's mouth and a speaker proximate a
user's ear.
In order to meet these types of requirements, while otherwise
attempting to minimize the devices overall size, many manufacturers
have introduced devices having two part housings, which fold with
respect to one another, thereby allowing the device to fold open
when being used and to fold close when not being used. This allows
a device, like a phone, to be more conveniently stored when not
being used, and allows the device to expand to a convenient size
commensurate with the usage needs.
Previous wireless communication devices have incorporated two part
housings, which fold open when being used and fold closed when not
being used. One such design includes a flip-type or clam shell
design, which generally includes two housing portions coupled
together by a hinge at one end of the device. The two parts of the
housing rotate with respect to one another along an axis of
rotation, which is parallel to the front surface of the device or
front facing.
Further, previous wireless communication devices have incorporated
a two part housing, which includes two housing portions that rotate
with respect to one another around an axis of rotation, which is
perpendicular to the front surface of the device. In at least one
design, the housing portions can rotate to an open position in
either a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction. One
such device is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/826,180,
entitled "Rotational Mechanism for a Wireless Communication
Device", filed Apr. 4, 2001, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
A large number of these devices being portable in nature are of the
type to be used by people away from home or work. In many
instances, these individuals will attempt to use the device while
performing other activities, where one or both of their hands are
generally full or are otherwise engaged. In absence of a
self-operating mechanism which accommodates the opening of the two
part housing, or in other words, the rotation of the two housing
portions with respect to one another, the device generally needs to
be opened by separately gripping each housing portion and
repositioning/rotating the housing portions, relative to one
another. This generally requires that the user free up both hands
for opening the device.
For at least flip-type device designs, previous automated opening
mechanisms have been developed, which reduce the effort required
for opening the device. In some instances the automated opening
mechanism enables the device to be opened using a single hand.
However, many of these devices incorporate a spring loaded
mechanism held closed by a latch. By releasing the latch, the
spring action causes the two portions of the housing to rotate with
respect to one another into an opened position. Generally one or
more physical stops are additionally incorporated to limit the
rotational movement of the two parts relative to one another at one
or both of the opened and closed positions.
One of the problems associated with using a latch is that latches
can wear out or break. Furthermore, the direction of rotation for a
mechanism incorporating a latch is often limited to a single
direction. Still further, the non-symmetrical shape of the user's
hand makes convenient placement of a latch more difficult, if one
wants to accommodate both left and right-handed operation.
Consequently, there is a need for a self operating opening
mechanism for use in a hand-held portable electronic device,
including devices incorporating a two-part housing, where the two
parts rotate with respect to one another along an axis of rotation
that is substantially perpendicular to the front facing of the
device. In addition, the desired mechanism should not compromise
the stability and rigidity of the device in the opened and closed
positions. It would be further beneficial if the mechanism could be
conveniently operated with a single hand using either the right or
the left hand, and still further beneficial if the mechanism could
facilitate rotation of the two parts relative to one another in
each of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a mechanism for rotating at least a
first and a second housing element of a device with respect to one
another, where the first and second housing elements have a common
axis of rotation, which is substantially perpendicular to a front
surface of the device. The first housing element has a rounded
surface, which extends at least partly around the axis of rotation.
The mechanism includes a wheel, a tension device and a linkage.
The wheel has a rounded outer edge for engaging the rounded surface
of the first housing element extending at least partly around the
axis of rotation. The wheel is coupled to the second housing
element at a center point about which the wheel is adapted to
rotate. The wheel additionally has a contact point offset from the
center point, which as the wheel rotates, rotates about the center
point.
The tension device has a relatively fixed end and a relatively free
end. When preloaded, the tension device is adapted for supplying a
force, through the pressure exerted by the free end relative to the
fixed end.
The linkage is coupled between the free end of the tension device
and the offset contact point of the wheel. As the force supplied by
the tension device is applied to the contact point of the wheel via
the linkage, the wheel is biased toward rotation.
In at least one embodiment, the tension device is a torsion spring,
the wheel is a toothed gear and the linkage is a slider plate. The
slider plate has a contact edge surface for engaging the contact
point of the gear, and an opposite edge surface for engaging the
free end of the torsion spring. The contact edge surface has a
"V"-shaped profile including a point at the base of the "V"-shape
and a pair of upraised arms angled at a slope.
In at least a further embodiment, the tension device is a torsion
spring, the wheel is a toothed gear and the linkage is a
crankshaft. The crankshaft has a first end coupled to the contact
point of the gear, and a second end coupled to the free end of the
torsion spring. The second end of the crankshaft includes a pin,
which is adapted to engage and run along a channel located in the
second housing element.
In at least a still further embodiment, the rotation mechanism is
incorporated as part of a wireless communication device.
The present invention further provides a method for opening a first
and a second housing element of a hand-held device using a
self-opening mechanism. More specifically, the method includes
manually initiating the rotation of one of the first and second
housing elements with respect to the other one of the first and
second housing elements along a common axis of rotation, where the
axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to a front surface
of the device. The rotation is manually initiated in at least one
of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction. The rotation of
the first and second housing elements is then completed,
automatically, between a substantially closed position and a
substantially opened position, by a rotation mechanism incorporated
as part of the hand-held device.
In at least one of the embodiments, the step of completing the
rotation of the first and second housing elements includes a force
being applied to a linkage by a preloaded tension device. The force
is then transferred along the linkage to an off-center contact
point of a wheel, thereby inducing a rotation in the wheel, which
is coupled at the center of the wheel to the second housing
element. The wheel is then rotated causing the wheel to travel
along a curved surface of the first housing element.
In at least a further embodiment, an additional force supplied by a
leftover preload of the tension device is applied to the wheel via
the linkage after the first and second housing elements have
substantially completed their rotation to an open position, for
maintaining the first and second housing elements in the predefined
rotatably opened position.
These and other object, features, and advantages of this invention
are evident from the following description of one or more preferred
embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a radiotelephone in a closed
position;
FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1 in an
opened position as well, as two alternative intermediate
positions;
FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of a rotation mechanism in
accordance with at least one embodiment of the radiotelephone of
FIG. 1 viewed from the back facing;
FIG. 4 is a see through front plan view of the radiotelephone of
FIG. 3 in a closed position;
FIG. 5 is a see through front plan view of the radiotelephone of
FIG. 3 in an opened position;
FIG. 6 is an exploded, perspective view of a radiotelephone
including a rotation mechanism in accordance with at least one of a
further embodiment of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1 viewed from the
back facing;
FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of a radiotelephone
including a rotation mechanism in accordance with at least one of a
further embodiment of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1 viewed from the
front facing;
FIG. 8 is a see through front plan view of the radiotelephone of
FIGS. 6 and 7 in a closed position;
FIG. 9 is a see through front plan view of the radiotelephone of
FIGS. 6 and 7 in an opened position;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial see through plan view illustrating
the rotation mechanism of FIGS. 6 and 7, in a closed position;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial see through plan view illustrating
the rotation mechanism of FIGS. 6 and 7, in an opened position;
and
FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a method for opening a first and a
second housing element of a hand-held device using a self-opening
mechanism, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the
present invention; and
FIG. 13 is a more detailed flow diagram for completing the rotation
of the first and second housing elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various
forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be
described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding
that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification
of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific embodiments illustrated.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a collapsible radiotelephone
100 in a closed position 110. The radiotelephone 100 has wireless
communication capabilities and, thus, may be used to communicate
with wireless infrastructure, such as cellular base stations,
regional and local wireless transponders, and wireless local area
networks. The radiotelephone 100 described herein is a
representation of the type of wireless communication device that
may benefit from the present invention. However, it is to be
understood that the present invention may be applied to any type of
hand-held or portable electronic device including, but not limited
to, the following devices: radiotelephones, cordless phones, paging
devices, personal digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based
or keyboard-based handheld devices, remote control units, an audio
player (such as an MP3 player) and the like. Accordingly, any
reference herein to the radiotelephone 100 should also be
considered to apply equally to other hand-held or portable
electronic devices.
For the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the radiotelephone
100 has at least two housing elements including an upper housing
120 having a generally elongated and planar shape. The upper
housing 120 has an upper circular portion 122 at one end and an
upper extending portion 124 extending away from the upper circular
portion. In the closed position 110, as illustrated, the upper
circular portion 122 and the upper extending portion 124 are
rotated so as to be adjacent to similar matching elements
corresponding to a lower housing, which are more clearly
illustrated in FIG. 2. The radiotelephone 100 further includes an
external antenna 180, which may be provided to enhance the wireless
communication capabilities of the radiotelephone 100.
Components of the radiotelephone 100 are positioned near the upper
circular portion 122 including an interchangeable cover 130, a
locking piece 140, and a display 150. The interchangeable cover 130
has a ring-like shape that may be attached to, and detached from,
the radiotelephone 100. The interchangeable cover 130 may include
cover selection buttons 132 and/or indicator lights (not shown) to
provide additional functionality to the radiotelephone 100. For
example, the preferred embodiment provides three cover selection
keys 132: a left selection key, and right selection key and a menu
key therebetween. The display 150 may be any type of output device
that provides a convenient display of text and/or graphics to the
user. Preferably, the display 150 is a liquid crystal display
having a backlighting system to illuminate the display when
lighting conditions are insufficient for proper viewing by the
user. The locking piece 140 locks certain components of the
radiotelephone 100 together, while simultaneously allowing relative
rotational movement of the upper housing with respect to the lower
housing. The locking piece 140 also functions as a display lens to
protect the display 150 from undesirable, foreign matter.
The extended portion 124 of the upper housing 120 may include upper
housing selection buttons 160 and speaker apertures 170. Although
many different selection buttons may be provided on the upper
housing 120, only one upper housing selection button 160 is shown
in FIG. 1 by way of example. In this particular embodiment the
selection button is similar to a rocker button having a
two-direction "scrolling" function. The upper housing 120 of the
present invention may include one or more selection buttons (such
as selection buttons 132 and 160) for various types of features
including, but not limited to, volume control, menu control, call
answering, call termination, caller identification, phone book
control, voicemail control, e-mail/messaging control, network
browsing, power on/off, and the like. The speaker apertures 170
direct sounds generated by a speaker or other type of audio output
device to the user.
In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing 120 principally
functions as a cover, which as noted above can also include some
functional electronic components, such as selection buttons 132 and
160, a speaker, or indicator lights. However, in the illustrated
embodiment, a majority of the functional electronic components are
included as part of the lower housing, which is also referred to as
the body.
Referring to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of the radiotelephone
100 is shown in an opened position 210. The portions of the
radiotelephone 100 that become visible in the opened position 210
include a lower housing 220, a keypad 230 and a microphone aperture
240. When viewed from the front, the lower housing of the preferred
embodiment has a substantially similar profile to the upper housing
120. Correspondingly, the lower housing includes a lower circular
portion 222 and a lower extending portion 224. In the opened
position 210, the upper circular portion 122 of the upper housing
120 is adjacent to, and positioned above, the lower circular
portion of the lower housing 220. On the other hand, the upper
extending portion 124 is positioned away from the lower housing.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper extending portion 124 is
oriented in an opposite direction to the lower extending portion
124 on opposite sides of the upper and lower circular portions 122
and 222. The keypad 230 may include any layout of keys that provide
convenient operation of the radiotelephone 100 by the user. The
microphone aperture 240 directs sounds received from the user or
other local sounds to a microphone or other type of audio input
device.
The preferred embodiment includes a standard layout of alphanumeric
and menu control for operation of the radiotelephone 100. As shown
in FIG. 2, the keypad 230 includes twelve standard keys 232
(namely, 0 through 9, # and *) as well as three lower housing
selection buttons 234. However, the radiotelephone 100 may include
a larger grouping of keys, such as a QWERTY keyboard, if a device
having a larger form factor or smaller individual keys is desired.
Although not shown in FIG. 2, the keypad 230 may also include a
cursor or graphical pointing device such as a joystick, touch pad
or track ball. Also, similar to selection buttons 132 and 160
described, above, the lower housing selection buttons 234 may be
used for various features including, but not limited to, volume
control, menu control, call answering, call termination, caller
identification, phone book control, voicemail control,
e-mail/messaging control, network browsing, power on/off, and the
like.
The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes at least two
functional positions, namely an opened position 210, and a closed
position 110. Generally, the opened position 210 and the closed
position 110 activate functions of the radiotelephone 100 such as
answering an incoming call and/or initiating a new call, or
terminating an existing call. Other relative rotational positions
may define alternative functions, and in some cases may select or
define functions not specific to radiotelephones. The relative
rotational position of the housing may also affect the
functionality of, the cover selection buttons 132, upper housing
selection button 160, and lower housing selection buttons 234. For
example, the selection buttons 132, 160, 234 and 236 may each
activate a different function dependent upon the position of the
upper housing 120 relative to the lower housing 220.
In order to facilitate movement between an opened position 210 and
a closed position 110, the radiotelephone 100 includes a self
operating opening mechanism for rotating the upper housing 120
relative to the lower housing 220. FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded,
perspective view of at least a portion of an opening mechanism 300
in accordance with at least one embodiment of the radiotelephone
100 of FIG. 1, viewed from a direction consistent with the back
side facing of the radiotelephone 100. The opening mechanism 300
includes a wheel 310, a tension device 320, and a linkage 330. In
the illustrated embodiment, the opening mechanism 300 additionally
includes a retainer plate 340.
The retainer plate 340 couples to the upper housing 120 via four
posts 126 extending from the interior surface of the upper housing
120. The four posts 126 are each received in a corresponding one of
four holes 342 located in the retainer plate 340. When coupled
together, the retainer plate 340 and the upper housing 120 form a
space therebetween within which the wheel 310, the tension device
320, and the linkage 330 are received.
In the illustrated embodiment, the wheel 310 is a gear having a
rounded outer edge 312 including gear teeth 314. The gear teeth are
adapted to engage corresponding gear teeth located along a curved
surface of the lower housing 220, which extends at least partly
around the axis of rotation. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
6, the corresponding gear teeth 142 on the lower housing 220 are
formed as part of the locking piece 140.
The wheel 310 is rotatably coupled to the upper housing 120, via a
protrusion (not shown), which extends downward from the retainer
plate 340. The protrusion engages a hole 316 located at the center
point of the wheel 310, about which the wheel 310 is adapted to
rotate. The wheel 310 further includes a contact point 318, which
is offset from the center point.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the tension device 320 is
a torsion spring. The torsion spring has a relatively free end 322
and a relatively fixed end 324 coupled together via a spring coil
326. The spring coil 326 comprises one or more coiled loops, which
rest upon a post 127 extending from the upper housing 120. When the
spring coil 326 is coupled to the post 127, the relatively fixed
end 324 is oriented so as to rest against a wall 128, which extends
from the outer edge of the upper housing 120.
The relatively free end 322 of the tension device 320 engages a
first end 332 of a linkage 330, which has a protrusion 334 that
rests within a slot 129 formed along the internal surface of the
upper housing 120. The linkage 330 has a second protrusion 336
located at a second end 338 of the linkage 330, that engages the
contact point 318 of the wheel 310. In the embodiment illustrated
in FIG. 3, the linkage 330 is a crankshaft.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a see through front plan view of the
radiotelephone 100 of FIG. 3 in both a closed position 110 (FIG. 4)
and an opened position 210 (FIG. 5). In the closed position 110,
the preceding compression or preloading of the tension device 320
results in a force being applied to the first end 332 of the
linkage 330, which is located at a first end of the slot 129. In
the closed position 110, both the first end 332 and the second end
338 of the linkage 330 are in line 350 with the center point 316 of
the wheel 310, which results in the force exerted on the wheel 310
by the tension device 320, via the linkage 330, being similarly
directed toward the center point 316 of the wheel 310. In effect,
the force being applied is directly perpendicular to the
permissible direction of movement of the contact point 318 relative
to the rotation of the wheel 310, and therefore does not serve to
generate any rotational movement of the wheel 310.
It is only after the upper housing 120 or cover of the
radiotelephone 100 is initially manually rotated in either a
clockwise 250 or a counter-clockwise 260 direction, and the contact
point 318 of the wheel 310 is no longer in line with the end points
332 and 338 of the linkage 330 and the center 316 of the wheel 310
and/or the further rotational movement of the wheel 310 does not
require further compression of the tension device 320, that the
force applied to the wheel 310 at the contact point 318 by the
tension device 320 includes a vector component in a permissible
direction of travel of the contact point 318, which serves to
generate rotational movement of the wheel 310 and consequently the
upper housing 120.
After the upper housing 120 is rotated an amount such that further
rotation of the upper housing does not require further compression
of the tension device 320, the force applied by the tension device
320 serves to complete the rotation of the upper housing 120 to an
opened position 210. As the rotation of the upper housing 120
approaches an opened position 210, the contact point 318 of the
wheel 310 in contact with the second end 338 of the linkage 330 is
once again in line 360 with the center 316 of the wheel 310 and the
first end 332 of the linkage 330. The protrusion 334 at the first
end 332 of the linkage 330 additionally reaches the end of the slot
129 in the inside surface of the upper housing 120. Any further
rotation of the wheel 310 would require that the tension device 320
begin to compress against a preloaded force, which continues to
exert a force toward the further expansion of the tension device
320.
The continued force applied by the tension device 320 maintains the
housing in the opened position 210, if or until a larger external
countervailing closing force is applied. In order to close the
device, typically, a user will physically rotate the two housing
portions 120 and 220 relative to one another against the exerted
force of the tension device 320. During the closing of the device
100, the compression of the tension device 320 serves to further
preload the tension device 320, which in turn provides the
necessary opening force during the subsequent opening of the device
100.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an exploded, perspective view of at least
a portion of an opening mechanism 400 in accordance with at least a
further embodiment of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1. FIG. 6
illustrates an exploded, perspective view viewed from a direction
consistent with the back side facing of the radiotelephone 100.
FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded, perspective view viewed from a
direction consistent with the front side facing of the
radiotelephone 100.
Similar to the embodiment of the opening mechanism 300 illustrated
in FIGS. 3 5, the opening mechanism 400, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and
7, includes a wheel 410, a tension device 420, and a linkage 430.
The opening mechanism 400 additionally includes a retainer plate
440.
The retainer plate 440 is coupled to the upper housing 120 via a
pair of posts 126 extending from the interior surface of the upper
housing 120. The posts 126 are each aligned with a corresponding
one of two holes 442 located in the retainer plate 440. A fastener
450, like a screw, is received through each of the holes 442, and
into a corresponding aligned hole in one of the posts 126. When
coupled together, the retainer plate 440 and the upper housing 120
form a space therebetween within which the wheel 410, the tension
device 420, and the linkage 430 are received. The retainer plate
440 additionally includes a pair of rails 444 (FIG. 7) along which
the linkage 430 travels.
In the further illustrated embodiment 400, the wheel 410 is a gear
having a rounded outer edge 412 including gear teeth 414. The gear
teeth 414 are adapted to engage corresponding gear teeth 142
located along a curved surface 144 of the lower housing 220, which
extends at least partly around the axis of rotation 190. The
corresponding gear teeth 142 on the lower housing 220 are formed as
part of the locking piece 140. The locking piece 140 is attached to
the lower housing 220 via a pair of fasteners 452.
The wheel 410 is rotatably coupled to the upper housing 220, via a
protrusion 125, which extends from the interior surface of the
upper housing 220. The protrusion engages a hole 416 located at the
center point of the wheel 410, about which the wheel 410 is adapted
to rotate. The wheel 410 further includes a contact point 418,
which, in the present embodiment, corresponds to a protrusion that
is offset from the center point.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, similar to the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the tension device 420 is a
torsion spring. The torsion spring has a relatively free end 422
and a relatively fixed end 424 coupled together via a spring coil
426. The spring coil 426 comprises one or more coiled loops, which
rest upon one of the posts 126 used in connection with coupling the
retainer plate 440 to the upper housing 120. When the spring coil
426 is coupled to the post 126, the relatively fixed end 424 is
captivated within a depression 123 formed in the inner surface of
the upper housing, instead of resting against a wall 128, which
extends from the outer edge of the upper housing 120. The
depression is contoured to correspond to the bottom surface of the
torsion spring.
The relatively free end 422 of the tension device 420 engages a
first end of the linkage 430, corresponding to a back edge surface
432 of a slider plate. The linkage 430 has a contact edge surface
436 located at a second end of the slider plate, that engages the
contact point 418 of the wheel 410. In the illustrated embodiment,
the back edge surface 432 is opposite to the contact edge surface
436.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a see through front plan view of the
radiotelephone 100 of FIGS. 6 and 7 in each of a closed position
110 (FIG. 8) and an opened position 210 (FIG. 9). FIGS. 10 and 11
illustrate enlarged see through front plan views of the upper
housing portion of the radiotelephone 100, as shown in FIGS. 8 and
9, corresponding to each of the opened and closed positions.
Similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 5, the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 6 11 will complete the opening (i.e. rotation)
of the two housing portions of the radiotelephone 100, relative to
one another, after the rotation of the two housing portions has
been manually initiated. Additionally, both embodiments similarly
will maintain a fully opened and a fully closed position, with the
tension device continuing to exert a force upon the linkage.
Maintenance of a fully opened 210 and a fully closed 110 position
results from the geometries of the interacting elements of the
opening mechanism 400 being selected so as to require the further
compression, at least momentarily, of the already partially
preloaded or compressed tension device 420 in order to facilitate
initial rotation of the wheel 410 and consequently rotation of the
upper housing 120. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 11,
this is largely accomplished by using a linkage 430 or slider plate
having a "V"-shaped contact edge surface, where the upwardly
extending arms of the "V"-shaped contact edge surface are angled at
a slope, which is greater proximate the base 438 of the "V"-shaped
profile. The slope of the upwardly extending arms can also be used
to adjust the rate of rotation of the two parts, while the housing
portions of the radiotelephone 100 move between a closed and an
opened position.
Similar to the combination of the tension device 320 and the
crankshaft 330 of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 5, the
combination of the tension device 420 and the slider plate 430,
illustrated in FIGS. 6 11, provides a force to the off center
contact point 418 of the wheel 410, which generally biases the
housing portions 120 and 220 toward an opened position. However the
greater slope of the upwardly extending arms or dip at the base 438
of the "V"-shaped profile of the contact edge surface 436 of the
slider plate 430 causes the combination of the tension device 420
and the slider plate 430 to be initially biased toward the fully
closed position. This is because in order for the contact point 418
of the wheel 410 to rotate away from the fully closed position, the
tension device 420 is required to initially further compress.
In FIGS. 8 11, a path 419 of the off center contact point 418 of
the wheel 410 is illustrated. In the closed position 110, the
portion of the contact edge surface 436 immediately adjacent the
base of the "V"-shaped profile extends inside of the circular path
419 of the contact point 418. The contact edge surface 436 extends
inside the circular path 419 until the wheel 410 rotates an amount
proximate to an angle .alpha., illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 10. In
FIG. 10, it can be seen that the angle .alpha. corresponds to the
point where the path of the contact point of the wheel coincides
with the contact edge surface, and the degree of compression of the
tension device 420 coincides with the compression of the tension
device when the radiotelephone 100 is in a closed position 110.
In reality, however, the rotation mechanism 400 will automatically
complete the rotation of the housing portions 120 and 220 of the
radiotelephone 100 to an open position 210 after the slope of the
path 419 of the contact point 418 exceeds the slope of the of the
contact edge surface 436 of the slider plate 430. In the
illustrated embodiment, the slope of the path 419 of the contact
point 418 will exceed the slope of the contact edge surface 436 at
an angle less than .alpha.. In the illustrated embodiment .alpha.
is approximately 35.degree., and more precisely 34.2.degree.. At
this point, the force being exerted upon the contact point 418 by
the tension device 420, via the linkage 430 will cause a relative
movement of the contact point 418 in a direction consistent with
the exerted force and the further rotation of the wheel 410.
In addition to requiring a further compression of the tension
device 420 to initially rotate the upper and lower housing 120 and
220 away from the fully closed and opened positions 110 and 210, in
the fully closed and opened position the contact point 418 of the
wheel 410 is in line 460 with the center 416 of the wheel 410, as
well as the point of contact of the linkage 430 at the base 438 of
the "V"-shaped profile, such that the force applied by the tension
device 420 via the linkage 430 is perpendicular to the permissible
direction of movement of the contact point 418 relative to the
rotation of the wheel 410. Consequently, the force applied to the
contact point 418 by the tension device 420 does not serve to
generate any rotational movement of the wheel 410.
The rotation can be initiated in either a clockwise or a
counter-clockwise direction. Furthermore the rotation can,
generally, be initiated using a single hand, where one example
includes holding the radiotelephone 100 from the back side in the
palm of a user's hand and rotating the cover with the user's thumb,
which extends around the side and toward the front side of the
radiotelephone 100.
Furthermore, because the degree of compression of the spring is
dependent upon the absolute position of the housing portions
relative to one another, and is not dependent upon the overall
amount or the direction of the motion, there is no restriction on
the number of times the upper housing 120 or cover can be rotated
in the same direction (the closing operation, regardless of
direction, always reloads the spring).
While both of the illustrated embodiments have used a torsion
spring 320, 420 coupled to a contact point 318, 418, via a linkage
330, 430, it will be readily clear to one skilled in the art that
other types of tension devices could be used. Furthermore the
manner in which the tension device applies a force to the wheel
could similarly involve alternative approaches. For example, a
spring loaded pulley might be used to supply the necessary force,
which might allow for greater flexibility in the placement of the
tension device. However, some of the alternative approaches might
not be as flexible in terms of the direction of rotation, or the
number of times the upper housing 120 or cover can be rotated in
the same direction.
Still further, while the self operating opening mechanisms, in the
preferred embodiments, described herein, have been described as
being largely contained within the upper housing 120 or the cover
of the radiotelephone 100, portions of the opening mechanism 300,
400 could alternatively be located in the lower housing 220, or
body of the radiotelephone 100, without departing from the scope of
the present invention.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a method 500 of opening a first and a
second housing element of a hand-held device using a self operating
opening mechanism, consistent with at least the preferred
embodiments of the present invention. Generally, as illustrated in
FIG. 12, the method 500 includes manually initiating the rotation
of one of the first and second housing elements with respect to the
other one of the first and second housing elements (i.e. upper and
lower) in at least one of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise
direction 510. The method further includes completing the rotation
520 of the first and second housing elements, automatically,
between a substantially closed position and a substantially opened
position, by a rotation mechanism incorporated as part of the
hand-held device. In at least the preferred embodiments, the
opening of the phone can be completed in either a clockwise or a
counter-clockwise direction. Typically, the rotation of the first
and second housing elements is completed in the same direction that
the rotation is manually initiated.
FIG. 13 illustrates a more detailed flow diagram for completing the
rotation of the first and second housing elements. The more
detailed description of completing the rotation of the first and
second housing elements 520 includes applying a force 522 to a
linkage by a preloaded tension device. The force is then
transferred 524 along the linkage to an off center contact point of
a wheel, which is coupled to the second housing element 524. The
force, which is applied to the off center contact point, induces a
rotation of the wheel. The wheel is then rotated 526 along a curved
surface of the first housing element, which generally extends at
least partially around the common access of rotation. After the
first and second housing elements are in a rotatably opened
position, an additional force is applied to the contact point by a
leftover preload stored in the tension device 528 to maintain the
rotatably opened position.
Generally, in the preferred embodiment, the opened and closed
position differ from one another by approximately 180.degree..
However in some instances, the difference can be more or less. For
example, in some instances a difference less than 180.degree. might
allow the radiotelephone to follow more closely the contour of a
user's face, where one end of the opened phone, which produces an
audio output, is proximate to the user's ear, and where the other
end of the opened phone, which receives an audio input, is
proximate the user's mouth.
The method additionally provides for the first and second housing
elements to be returned to a non-rotated position. In at least some
instances, this requires the manual application of a force by the
user, which counteracts the force produced by the tension device.
In at least one embodiment, returning the first and second housing
element to a non-rotated position serves to preload the tension
device.
While the above described self operating opening mechanism for use
in a hand-held electronic device is completely mechanical,
alternative approaches could introduce electromechanical elements
such as motors or linear actuators without departing from the scope
of the present invention. However, one of the advantages to an all
mechanical approach is that the all mechanical opening mechanism
will not need to draw energy from a self contained power source,
like a battery, when the mechanism is being used to open or close
the device. This allows more of the energy stored in the power
source to be used for the other operations of the device, such as
the transmission and reception of a wireless signal.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the
invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes,
variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *