Slider mechanisms for opening and closing portable terminals

A slider mechanism comprising:

• a first slider member having a first pair of rotational supports;
• a second slider member slidably engaged with the first slider member and having a second pair of corresponding rotational supports;
• a pair of springs, each spring having a zigzag configuration, each spring including:
• a first curved end portion defining an opening configured to receive one of the rotational supports for rotatably coupling the first curved end portion to of one of the slider members;
• a second curved end portion defining an opening configured to receive the other one of the corresponding rotational supports for rotatably coupling the second curved end portion to the other of the slider members;
• each spring further comprising:
• a first zigzag portion;
• at least two second zigzag portions each of which extends from a corresponding one of the first and second curved end portions to the first zigzag portion, such that the first zigzag portion is disposed generally between the second zigzag portions, each said second zigzag portion having at least one spring characteristic different from the first zigzag portion;
• and
• the at least one zigzag spring including a plurality of curved portions alternating in curvature along the at least one zigzag spring from the first curved end portion towards the second curved end portion;
• each of the first pair of rotational supports being a first rivet having a groove, and rotatably coupling the first curved end portion to the first slider member, the first curved end portion being rotatably disposed about the first rivet and supported within the groove of the first rivet;
• and
• each of the second corresponding pair of rotational supports being a second rivet having a groove, and rotatably coupling the second curved end portion to the second slider member, the second curved end portion being rotatably disposed generally about the second rivet and supported within the groove of the second rivet;
• whereby each of the springs is compressed and restored while the first and second members slide relative to each other.