US 5,485,517 A · Portable wireless telephone having swivel chassis

Abstract

The invention is the construction of a portable telephone made short enough and flat enough to be conveniently carried upon the person, yet allowing it to be quickly reconfigured into a form that is long enough and contoured enough to be effective and natural to use. The telephone chassis includes a pair of chassis sections which are interconnected by a pivot connection about which the chassis sections are rotated between open or closed positions. The pivot connection defines a pivot axis and a plane of rotation which are oriented in angulated relation with both chassis sections so that the chassis sections define a compact configuration when closed and an ergonomic configuration when rotated to the open position. A manually releasable spring urged locking mechanism is provided to lock the chassis sections against relative rotation at both the open and closed positions. A torsion spring is provided to partially open or partially close the chassis sections upon manual unlocking thereof and to permit free rotation during predetermined relative pivotal movement of the chassis sections. A mechanism may also be provided for automatic extension and retraction of an antenna which is actuated by opening and closing movement of the telephone chassis sections.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A portable telephone having a chassis comprising:

(a) a first chassis section defining a rear closure surface;
(b) a second chassis section defining a mating face surface having face-to-face movable relation with said rear closure surface;
(c) said first chassis section having a circular pivot flange projecting axially beyond said rear closure surface and defining an axis for relative pivotal rotation of said first and second chassis sections between a closed position where said rear closure surface and said mating face surface are disposed in intimate juxtaposition defining a compact substantially pocket-sized chassis configuration and being rotatably movable to an open position where said first and second chassis sections are oriented to positions defining an ergonomic telephone configuration for telephone communication, said circular pivot defining a tapered internal pivot flange;
(d) a generally cylindrical connection hub being defined by said second chassis section and having a circular pivot connection groove located externally thereof, said circular tapered internal pivot flange being engaged within said circular pivot connection groove and defining a rotatable connection between said circular pivot flange and said generally cylindrical connection hub;
(e) said circular pivot flange being flexible to permit movement of said circular pivot flange over said generally cylindrical connection hub during assembly of said first and second chassis sections and after assembly retaining said circular pivot flange and said generally cylindrical connection hub in rotational assembly and against relative axial movement.

2 more elements

A portable telephone of being closed to define a small compact configuration for storage and transportation and being opened to define an elongate telephone of ergonomic configuration substantially corresponding to the facial anatomy of a user, said portable telephone comprising:

(a) a first chassis section having a rear closure surface and defining a substantially planar rotatable surface at one end thereof and defining a pivot connection receptacle therein;
(b) a second chassis section having a panel defining a face surface of corresponding configuration with said rear closure surface;
both said first and second chassis sections further defining an angulated pivot surface establishing a plane of rotation between said first and second chassis sections and said pivot surface is oriented in oblique angular relation with said chassis sections
(c) an annular flexible pivot connecting flange being defined by said first chassis section and being located about and concentrically with said pivot connection receptacle;
and
(d) a generally cylindrical connection hub being defined by said second chassis section and being rotatably received within said connection receptacle and within said annular connecting flange, said connection hub defining an external pivot connection groove receiving said flexible pivot connecting flange in rotatable relation therein, said flexible pivot connecting flange being received over said generally cylindrical connection hub during assembly of said chassis sections and entering said external pivot connection groove upon registry therewith to establish relatively rotatable relation between said flexible pivot connecting flange and said generally cylindrical connection hub and to restrain relative axial movement of said annular flexible pivot connection flange and said generally cylindrical connection hub, said annular flexible pivot connecting flange, connection receptacle and connection hub defining a rotatable connection rotatably interconnecting respective end portions of said first and second chassis sections and defining a pivot axis about which said first and second chassis sections rotate, said respective end portions of said first and second chassis sections cooperatively defining a plane of rotation about said pivot axis to provide the opened chassis sections with the ergonomic configuration generally corresponding to the facial anatomy of the user.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable wireless telephone having swivel chassis

Life of this patent

Portable wireless telephone having swivel chassis

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21