Patent ID: 6292980
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: E05D,E05F,E05Y,H04M,Y10T

Abstract:
In a portable phone including a phone body, a cover, and a hinge mechanism adapted to mechanically couple the cover to the phone body, the hinge mechanism comprising:at least one hinge module mounted to said phone body and adapted to hinge said cover with respect to said phone body for opening and closing said cover, said hinge module comprising:a hinge housing having a bottom wall, and a pair of opposite lateral end walls spaced from each other in a rotating axis direction, one of said lateral walls having a hole, said hinge housing being completely opened at an upper end thereof to facilitate assembly of said at least one hinge module, and also having a pair of opposite longitudinal end walls spaced from each other in a direction normal to said rotating axis direction;a hinge shaft having a mountain-shaped portion with a pair of opposite circumferential flat surfaces and a pair of opposite circumferential curved surfaces, said hinge shaft being assembled in said hinge module through said opened upper end of said hinge housing and being arranged in said hinge housing in such a fashion that said shaft portion extends through said hole of said hinge housing outwardly from said hinge housing and is coupled to said cover, so that it rotates together with said cover;a hinge cam being assembled in said hinge module through said opened upper end of said hinge housing and arranged in said hinge housing in such a fashion that it faces said hinge shaft in said rotating axis direction, said hinge cam having, at one longitudinal portion thereof, a pair of mountain-shaped protrusions respectively provided with facing cam surfaces defining a valley-shaped portion therebetween, and, at the other longitudinal portion thereof, a mounting structure, said hinge cam engaging at said valley-shaped portion with said mountain-shaped portion of said hinge shaft in such a fashion that it slides straight in said rotating axis direction in accordance with said rotation of said hinge shaft; anda hinge spring being assembled in said hinge module through said opened upper end of said hinge housing and arranged in said hinge housing in said rotating axis direction in such a fashion that it is mounted to said mounting structure of said hinge cam at one end thereof and is in contact with the other lateral end wall of said hinge housing at the other end thereof, said hinge spring serving to urge said hinge cam toward said hinge shaft in said rotating axis direction.