Patent Publication Number: US-2007115255-A1

Title: Mobile device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a mobile device, and in particular to a mobile device with a lifting and sliding cover for optimizing the structure and space thereof.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      With the rapid progress in mobile devices, cell phones, calculators, personal digital assistants (PDA) and notebooks, technology has led to the development of various types of various phones, such as bar, lifting-cover and sliding-cover types have been introduced to and have multiple functions such as picture-taking, good communication quality, simple control interfaces, power saving, large-size screen and modern appearance.  
      A sliding-cover mobile phone with a fixed display panel or screen, however, causes limitations on the development of a housing or case thereof, in particular thin and light mobile phones.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
      The invention provides a mobile device with a lifting and sliding cover for optimizing the structure and space thereof. The mobile device comprises a first module and a second module connected to the first module. The second module slides along an X-axis with respect to the first module and comprises a display module rotatable around a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis.  
      The first module comprises a first housing and a first keyboard disposed on the first housing, the second module comprises a second housing slidably connected to the first housing and a second keyboard. The display module is pivoted to the second housing.  
      The mobile device further comprises a hinge pivoted to the second housing and the display module. The hinge is perpendicular to the second housing.  
      The first housing comprises a first slot and the second housing comprises an opening. The hinge passing through the first slot and the opening slides along the first slot together with the second module, and the hinge is disposed between the first and second modules.  
      The mobile device further comprises an electrical connecting element disposed between the first and second modules.  
      The hinge comprises a first cam fixed to the display module and a second cam fixed to the second housing, wherein the first cam and the second cam contact each other.  
      The hinge further comprises an elastic element exerting an elastic force on the second cam.  
      The first housing comprises a second slot and the second housing comprises a rail slidably connected to the second slot.  
      The first housing further comprises an elastic arm disposed on a first end of the second slot, and the elastic arm is for stopping the rail from sliding as the rail slides to the first end of the second slot.  
      The first keyboard comprises a primary keyboard region having a plurality of alphabetic keys and numeric keys and a secondary keyboard region having a plurality of alphabetic keys and numeric keys. The second keyboard comprises a plurality of function keys.  
      The first module further comprises a third housing and a circuit board disposed between the first housing and the third housing. The first housing and the third housing are integrally formed.  
      The second module further comprises a receiver disposed in the second housing. The second module is slidable between a first position and a second position and the first keyboard of the first module further comprises a primary keyboard region and a secondary keyboard region, and the secondary keyboard region of the first keyboard is exposed to the second module when the second module is located at the second position.  
      The display module of the second module is rotatable between a third position and a fourth position. The primary keyboard region of the first keyboard is exposed to the second module when the display module is located at the fourth position.  
      The mobile device comprises an electrical connecting element electrically connected to the first and second modules to transmit signals. The electrical connecting element comprises a flexible printed circuit board or a cable.  
      The mobile device can be a cell phone, a calculator, a personal digital assistant or a notebook computer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic view of a mobile device ( 100 ), wherein the mobile device ( 100 ) is in a closed mode;  
       FIG. 1B  is a schematic view of the mobile device ( 100 ) deployed in a sliding situation;  
       FIG. 1C  is a schematic view of the mobile device ( 100 ) deployed in a rotating situation;  
       FIG. 1D  is a schematic view of the mobile device ( 100 ) deployed in a rotating situation;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a first module ( 10 ) of the mobile device ( 100 );  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a second module ( 20 ) of the mobile device ( 100 )  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a first module ( 10 ) of the mobile device ( 100 );  
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an assembly of a second module ( 20 ), a hinge ( 30 ) and an electrical connecting element ( 50 ); and  
       FIG. 6  is a rear view of a first module ( 10 ) and a second module ( 20 ) of the mobile device ( 100 ). 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.  
      In  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a mobile device  100  of the invention, such as a cell phone, comprises a first module  10 , a second module  20  connected to the first module  10  and having a panel  221 , a hollow hinge  30  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) disposed on the second module  20  and an electrical connecting element  50  (shown in  FIG. 4 ). The second module  20  is slidable along an X-axis with respect to the first module  10  between a first position ( FIG. 1A , a closed mode) and a second position ( FIG. 1B , a sliding mode). The second module  20  comprises a display module  22  rotatable around a Y-axis between a third position ( FIG. 1A ) and a fourth position ( FIG. 1C ). The X-axis is perpendicular to the Y-axis, and the hinge  30  is substantially perpendicular to the second housing  3 . In this embodiment, the mobile device  100  can be a calculator, a personal digital assistant or a notebook computer.  
      The first module  10  comprises a first housing  1  and a first keyboard  14 , disposed on the first housing  1 . The first keyboard  14  has a primary keyboard region  141  and a secondary keyboard region  142  having a plurality of alphabetic keys and numeric keys, respectively. The number of keys in the primary keyboard region  141  is larger than that in the secondary keyboard region  142 .  
      The second module  20  comprises the display module  22 , a second keyboard  24  and a second housing  3  slidably connected to the first housing  1 . The second keyboard  24  and the display module  22  are pivoted to the second housing  3 . In  FIG. 1A  or the closed mode (first position), only the second keyboard  24  can be operated. In  FIG. 1B  or the sliding mode (second position), the secondary keyboard region  142  of the first keyboard  14  is exposed to the second module  20  when the second module  20  is located at the second position.  
      In  FIG. 1C  (fourth position), the display module  22  rotatable around the Y-axis is opened along the direction of an arrow w. The primary keyboard region  141  of the first keyboard  14  is exposed to the second module  20  when the display module  22  is located at the fourth position. In  FIG. 1D , the display module  22  is substantially deployed at the middle of the third position ( FIG. 1A ) and a fourth position ( FIG. 1C ).  
      In  FIG. 2 , except for the first housing  1  and the first keyboard  14 , the first module  10  further comprises a third housing  2  and a circuit board  16 . The first and third housings  1  and  2  are respectively the upper and lower parts of the first module  10 . The first keyboard  14  and the circuit board  16  electronically connected to the first keyboard  14  are disposed between the first housing  1  and the third housing  2 . The first housing  1  comprises a first slot  101 , a second slot  102 , an elastic arm  103  and a plurality of through holes  104 . The elastic aim  103  is disposed on a first end of the second slot  102 . The through holes  104  are formed with respect to the keys of the first keyboard  14 . In other embodiments, the first housing  1  and the third housing  2  can be integrally formed.  
      In  FIG. 3 , except for the display module  22 , the second keyboard  24  and the second housing  3 , the second module  20  further comprises a receiver  25  disposed in the second housing  3  and a fourth housing  4  assembled to the second housing  3 . The second and fourth housings  3  and  4  are two individual elements, and the assembly of the second and fourth housings  3  and  4  are slidably connected to the first housing  1  of the first module  10 . In FIGS.  4  to  6 , the display module  22  is rotatably connected to the second housing  3  by the hinge  30 . The second keyboard  24  disposed on the second housing  3  comprises a plurality of function keys  242 . The second housing  3  comprises a rail  301  corresponding to the second slot  102  and an opening  302  designed according to the size of the hinge  30 .  
      The hinge  30  disposed between the first and second modules  10  and  20  passes through the first slot  101 . The opening  302  slides along the first slot  101  together with the second module  20 . The elastic arm  103  prevents the rail  301  from sliding as the rail  301  slides to the first end of the second slot  102 .  
      The hinge  30  comprises a first cam  31  fixed to the display module  22 , a second cam  32  contacting the first cam  31  and fixed to the second housing  3  and an elastic element  33 . In this embodiment, the first and second cams  31  and  32  can be fixed by screws, hooks or other connecting parts. The first and second cams  31  and  32  are two conventional cams having two different curved surfaces. The first and second cams  31  and  32  can be snugly fitted to each other or can be relatively rotated. When the first and second cams  31  and  32  are relatively rotated, the elastic element  33  begins to exert an elastic force on the second cam  32 , causing the first and second cams  31  and  32  being snugly fitted.  
      Due to the rail  301  of the second housing  3  slidably connected to the second slot  102 , the second module  20  and the first module  10  can be relatively moved. The fourth housing  4  comprises a through hole  402  for receiving the hinge  30 . In  FIGS. 1A and 2 , the elastic arm  103  prevents the second module  20  from sliding out of the first module  10  when the second module  20  slides into the first module  10 . In other embodiments, the second and fourth housings  3  and  4  can be integrally formed, or the fourth housing  4  can be eliminated.  
      In  FIG. 4 , the electrical connecting element  50  comprises three spaced cantilevered portions  51 ,  52  and  53 , to respectively connect to the display module  22 , the first module  10  and the second module  20  and to transmit signals therebetween. In this embodiment, the electrical connecting element  50  can be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or cable connector.  
      In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the hinge  30  and the electrical connecting element  50  passing through the hinge  30  passes through the opening  302 , the through hole  402  of the fourth housing  4  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) and the first slot  101  of the first module  10 , to connect the first and second modules  10  and  20 . In  FIG. 5 , the outer case of the display module  22  and the first module  10  are omitted, to clearly show the connection of the second module  20 , the panel  221  of the display module  22  and the hinge  30 . Note that a board to board (B/B) connector or a FPCB  60  can be further provided to electrically connect to the panel  221  of the display module  22  and the cantilevered portion  51  of the electrical connecting element  50 .  
      In  FIG. 6 , after connecting the second housing  3  to the fourth housing  4 , hinge  30 , passing through the opening  302 , the through hole  402  of the fourth housing  4  and the first slot  101  of the first module  10 , is connected to the first and second modules  10  and  20 . Note that the keyboard of the first housing  1  is omitted and the opening  302  and the through hole  402  of the fourth housing  4  cannot be seen, to clearly show the rail  301  of the second module  20  in  FIG. 6 . The elastic arm  103  prevents the second module  20  from sliding as the rail  301  of the second module  20  slides to the first end of the second slot  102 .  
      In  FIG. 1A , the second keyboard  24  of the mobile device  100  situated in closed mode is used to answer the call, without having to slide or open the second module  20 . In  FIG. 1B , the secondary keyboard region  142  exposed by sliding the second module  20  along the X-axis can be used to dial. In  FIG. 1D , by rotating the primary keyboard region  141  of the first keyboard  14  on the Y-axis and passing through the space onto the secondary keyboard region  142 , the primary keyboard region  141  can be used for data input.  
      Thus, the invention is a remarkable and effective design that decreases the actual volume and cost of the mobile device  100 , facilitates the assembly process and simplifies operation.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.