Self operating opening mechanism for use in hand-held electronic device

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 including a ring path, which extends at least partly around said axis of rotation at a distance away from the axis of rotation, said mechanism comprising:

• a first transport and a second transport, which are each located on and separately travel about the ring path, each transport having a corresponding contact point and connection point;
• a tension device having a first end coupled to the connection point of the first transport, and a second end coupled to the connection point of the second transport;
• a first contact element fixed relative to the first housing element;
• a second contact element fixed relative to the second housing element;
• and
• an engagement member, engaged to one of the first and second housing elements and releasably engaged with the other one of the first and second housing elements, which limits rotational movement, when the first and second housing elements are at or near a rotatably closed position;
• and
• wherein the contact points of the first and second transports are located on opposite sides of first and second contact elements of the first and second housing elements along the ring path, which selectively engage alternative ones of the contact points of the first and second transports and thereby limit the rotation of the transports relative to the first and second housing elements in the direction that the contact elements of the first and second housing elements engage the contact points.