Portable radio telephone set

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a portable radio terminal and, more particularly, to a portable radio telephone set having a folding and housing control mechanism and a rotary selector for selecting various functions provided in a hinge section for folding and housing purpose.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a portable radio telephone set in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the portable radio telephone set shown in FIG. 1 is used while it is held with one hand;

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the portable radio telephone set is used during a radio conversation state as it is seen from the outer side (the rear side) thereof;

#Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIG. 1 through FIG. 9.

#The appearance of a telephone set in accordance with the present invention will be explained first. FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective the overall appearance of the main body of the telephone set when the folded state thereof is released and it is placed in a use state. In this case, a receiver section 1 and a display section 2 are freely flexed and engaged with each other via a hinge 5. These sections are engaged with an operation section 4 via a joint portion 3 by which the telephone set is folded and rotated so as to be housed. A receiver (speaker for outputting received voice sound) 6 is provided in the central portion of the receiver section 1. When this receiver is brought into contact with the ear of a party (user) during a radio telephone conversation, a voice sound from the other party is heard. Since, as shown in the figure, the hinge 5 is flexed to form a V shape, it is easy to operate the telephone set during the radio telephone conversation state. The joint portion 3 maintains the state in which the telephone set is rotated after the main body of the telephone set is folded and housed, that is, from the use state, and is provided with a selector 8 for selecting functions, a rotation operation mechanism, and a push-button 9. A set button 11 for storing/retrieving and inputting/outputting information, a call origination (re-origination) button 12 for starting a conversation, a ten-key portion 13, and a termination button 14 for terminating a conversation are provided in the operation section 4, a microphone 10 being contained in the front end portion of the main body. With this construction, when a radio telephone conversation function is selected by the selector 8, a telephone set user brings the receiver 6 into contact with the ear, and the user's mouth is brought close to the microphone 10 as in a handset of a conventional telephone set, a radio telephone conversation with the other party then being conducted. Keyed-in information and necessary information from among stored information are called and displayed on a liquid-crystal display screen 7 disposed in the central portion of the display section 2.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the telephone set is being used while it is held by one hand (the left hand in this embodiment). The telephone set user grasps both end portions of the joint portion 3 between the thumb “a” and the forefinger “b”. The push-button 9 is depressed by the thumb “a” in order to rotate the display section 2 and the receiver section 1 via the joint portion 3, thereby shifting the state of the telephone set from the state in which it is folded and housed to a stable use state. Since the main body of the telephone set is basically held by the thenar “c” and the remaining three fingers “d”, an accident, such as the main body of the telephone set falling from the hand, does not occur even if the the “a” and the forefinger “b” are separated from the main body of the telephone set. Therefore, if the main body of the telephone set is held as shown in FIG. 2, the telephone set user can operate the selector 8 and various operation buttons on the operation section 4 with the thumb “a” while simultaneously confirming a display on the liquid-crystal screen 7.