Patent ID: 6745436
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: H04M,Y10T

Abstract:
A hinge apparatus for a portable communications terminal, comprising:a main body having on one end a pair of hinge arms positioned apart from each other along an axis; a folder having at one end a center hinge arm disposed between the pair of hinge arms along the same axis, one end of the center hinge arm being provided with a cavity; a hinge housing fixed to the cavity of the center hinge arm along the same axis, a first end of the hinge housing being provided with a through hole; a hinge shaft having an extension part extending in the axial direction through the through hole, and a sliding peak disposed within the hinge housing in opposed relation to the extension part, the extension part being fixedly inserted in a hole on one of the pair of hinge arms; a hinge cam movably disposed within the hinge housing along the axis and configured to engage the sliding peak of the hinge shaft, the hinge cam being rotatable with the hinge housing; and a hinge spring disposed between a second end of the hinge housing and the hinge cam, having spring tension in the axial direction; wherein the hinge cam has a frustoconical cross-section and a pair of axially extending projections disposed opposed to each other, and a recessed slot formed in between the pair of projections, the pair of projections each having side sliding surfaces, which converge towards one another at a first predetermined slanting angle and an upper sloped surface topping the side sliding surfaces and having a second predetermined slanting angle, such that one of the pair of projections has a guide protrusion, so that upon rotation of the folder with respect to the main body, the sliding peak of the hinge shaft comes into surface contact with the upper sloped surfaces of the hinge cam, causing the folder to selectively stop at a plurality of angular positions located along an angular path of the folder, which ranges between 50Â° and 150Â°.