Mobile terminal with a hinge, a method of operating the mobile terminal and a hinge
OwnerMorten Pontoppidan, Giovanni Ferranti +1inventors
InventorsMorten Pontoppidan, Giovanni Ferranti, Ricky Barnett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile terminal, such as a mobile telephone, has a hinge with a helical spring and which provides both snap opening or automatic opening upon activation of a release means as well as a freely selectable angular position between the rotating parts of the terminal. Also a new type of spring hinges or clutches are described for use in e.g. this type of terminal.
Claims18
A mobile terminal having two parts connected to each other by a hinge, the hinge comprising:
- a helical spring having a longitudinal axis, the spring comprising one or more wound strands of material, each strand having two ends,
- a first hinge part extending into the helical spring, contacting an inner part of the helical spring at a first position or area along the longitudinal axis, and being connected to or attached to a first part of the two parts, and
- a second hinge part contacting the one or more strands of the helical spring and being connected to or attached to a second part of the two parts,
- the spring facilitating that:
- rotation of the first hinge part in a first direction around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a first, lower friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring, and
- rotation of the first hinge part in a second direction, being opposite to the first direction, around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring
- the terminal further comprising:
- release means for increasing a diameter of the helical spring at the first position or area in order to reduce the second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring during rotation of the first hinge part in the second direction, the second, higher friction being reduced to a third friction, and
- biasing means for providing a rotation of the first hinge part in the second direction when the release means are operated,
- the biasing means providing a force exceeding a force required to overcome the third friction but being lower than a force required to overcome the second friction.
A hinge for facilitating rotational movement of a first hinge part in relation to a second hinge part and around a rotational axis of the hinge, the hinge comprising:
- a helical spring having a longitudinal axis along the rotational axis, the spring comprising one or more wound strands of material, each strand having two ends and a part extending outside the helical spring,
- the first hinge part extending into the helical spring, contacting an inner part of the helical spring at a first position or area along the longitudinal axis, and
- a second hinge part being attached to the extending parts of each of the one or more strands of the helical spring,
- the spring facilitating that:
- rotation of the first hinge part in a first direction around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a first, lower friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring, and
- rotation of the first hinge part in a second direction, being opposite to the first direction, around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.