Hinge assembly having cam follower

A hinge assembly for hingedly connecting a cover and a housing theretogether, thereby to permit positioning of the cover in a closed position whereat a face surface of the cover and a face surface of the housing abut against one another and in at least one open position whereat the cover extends beyond the housing at an angled orientation relative thereto, said hinge assembly comprising:

• a hinge arm coupled to at least the cover, the hinge arm having inner sidewalls defining a transversely-extending, hinge receiving chamber;
• at least one axially-extending hinge pin having a cylindrical body with an open cavity therein, a cam surface formed on an edge surface of the cylindrical body near the open cavity, the cam surface defining a continuous profile comprising first and second valley portions separated by a peak portion, wherein a first slope of the profile between the first valley portion and the peak portion is steeper than a second slope of the profile between the peak portion and the second valley portion, wherein the at least one axially-extending hinge pin has dimensions permitting insertion thereof through the hinge receiving chamber such that, when inserted therein, rotational moments exerted upon the cover to cause rotational movement thereof, cause corresponding rotational movement of the hinge pin;
• at least one circularly-shaped bushing formed in the second substrate;
• at least one axle concentrically disposed within the circularly-shaped bushing for placement inside of the open cavity in the cylindrical body of the hinge pin;
• and
• at least one cam follower disposed between a portion of the circularly-shaped bushing and the axle for engaging with the profile of the cam surface formed upon the edge surface of the at least one axially-extending hinge pin such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover to cause rotation thereof in a first direction to position the cover in the closed position causes positioning, of the first valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the first slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower, and such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover in an opposing direction to position the cover in the open position causes positioning, of the second valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the second slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower to urge the cover into the open position with a different force characteristic than the cover is urged into the closed position.

A telephone device having a hinge assembly for hingedly connecting a keypad cover to a radiotelephone housing having a radiotelephone keypad disposed upon a face surface of the radiotelephone housing, thereby to permit positioning of the cover in a closed position whereat the keypad cover covers the radiotelephone keypad and in an open position whereat the keypad cover extends beyond the radiotelephone housing at an angled orientation relative thereto, said hinge assembly comprising:

• a hinge arm coupled to at least the cover, the hinge arm having inner sidewalls defining a transversely-extending, hinge receiving chamber,
• at least one axially-extending hinge pin having a cylindrical body with an open cavity therein, a cam surface formed on an edge surface of the cylindrical body near the open cavity, the cam surface defining a continuous profile comprising first and second valley portions separated by a peak portion, wherein a first slope of the profile between the first valley portion and the peak portion is steeper than a second slope of the profile between the peak portion and the second valley portion, wherein the at least one axially-extending hinge pin has dimensions permitting insertion thereof through the hinge receiving chamber such that, when inserted therein, rotational moments exerted upon the cover to cause rotational movement thereof, cause corresponding rotational movement of the hinge pin;
• at least one circularly-shaped bushing formed in the second substrate;
• at least one axle concentrically disposed within the circularly-shaped bushing for placement inside of the open cavity in the cylindrical body of the hinge pin;
• and
• at least one cam follower disposed between a portion of the circularly-shaped bushing and the axle for engaging with the profile of the cam surface formed upon the edge surface of the at least one axially-extending hinge pin such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover to cause rotation thereof in a first direction to position the cover in the closed position causes positioning, of the first valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the first slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower, and such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover in an opposing direction to position the cover in the open position causes positioning, of the second valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the second slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower to urge the cover into the open position with a different force characteristic than the cover is urged into the closed position.

In a radio transceiver having transceiver circuitry housed within a transceiver housing, a keypad disposed upon a face surface of the transceiver housing, and a keypad cover for covering the keypad, the combination with the transceiver housing and the keypad cover of a hinge assembly for hingedly connecting the keypad cover and the housing together, thereby to permit positioning of the keypad cover in a closed position whereat the keypad cover extends beyond the radiotelephone housing at an angled orientation relative thereto, said housing assembly comprising:

• a hinge arm coupled to at least the cover, the hinge arm having inner sidewalls defining a transversely-extending, hinge receiving chamber;
• at least one axially-extending hinge pin having a cylindrical body with an open cavity therein, a cam surface formed on an edge surface of the cylindrical body near the open cavity, the cam surface defining a continuous profile comprising first and second valley portions separated by a peak portion, wherein a first slope of the profile between the first valley portion and the peak portion is steeper than a second slope of the profile between the peak portion and the second valley portion, wherein the at least one axially-extending hinge pin has dimensions permitting insertion thereof through the hinge receiving chamber such that, when inserted therein, rotational moments exerted upon the cover to cause rotational movement thereof, cause corresponding rotational movement of the hinge pin;
• at least one circularly-shaped bushing formed in the second substrate;
• at least one axle concentrically disposed within the circularly-shaped bushing for placement inside of the open cavity in the cylindrical body of the hinge pin;
• and
• at least one cam follower disposed between a portion of the circularly-shaped bushing and the axle for engaging with the profile of the cam surface formed upon the edge surface of the at least one axially-extending hinge pin such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover to cause rotation thereof in a first direction to position the cover in the closed position causes positioning, of the first valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the first slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower, and such that exertion of rotational moments upon the cover in an opposing direction to position the cover in the open position causes positioning, of the second valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the second slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower to urge the cover into the open position with a different force characteristic than the cover is urged into the closed position.

A portable electronic device having a hinge assembly for hingedly connecting a first substrate and a second substrate theretogether, thereby to permit positioning of the first and second substrates in a closed position whereat a face surface of the first substrate and a face surface of the second substrate abut against one another and in at least one open position whereat the first and second substrates extend beyond one another at an angled orientation relative thereto, said hinge assembly comprising:

• a hinge arm coupled to at least the first substrate, the hinge arm forming an axially-extending, hinge receiving chamber defined by inner sidewalls of the hinge arm;
• at least one axially-extending hinge pin having a cylindrical body with an open cavity therein, a cam surface formed on an edge surface of the cylindrical body near the open cavity, the cam surface defining a continuous profile comprising first and second valley portions and at least one peak portion, wherein a first slope of the profile between the first valley portion and the peak portion is steeper than a second slope of the profile between the peak portion and the second valley portion, wherein the at least one axially-extending hinge pin has dimensions permitting insertion thereof through the hinge receiving chamber such that, when inserted therein, rotational moments exerted upon the substrates to cause rotational movement thereof, cause corresponding rotational movement of the hinge pin;
• at least one circularly-shaped bushing formed in the second substrate;
• at least one axle concentrically disposed within the circularly-shaped bushing for placement inside of the open cavity in the cylindrical body of the hinge pin;
• and
• at least one cam follower disposed between a portion of the circularly-shaped bushing and the axle for engaging with the profile of the cam surface formed upon the edge surface of the at least one axially-extending hinge pin such that exertion of rotational moments upon the substrates to cause rotation in a first direction to position the first and second substrates in the closed position causes positioning, of the first valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the first slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower, and such that exertion of rotational moments upon the substrates in an opposing direction to position the substrates in the open position causes positioning, of the second valley portion of the cam surface of the hinge pin by operation of the second slope, in abutting engagement with the cam follower to urge the first and second substrates in the open position with a different force characteristic than in the closed position.