Patent ID: 7526082

Claim:
An opening or closing method for use in a portable communications terminal having a mechanism for coupling ends of a first casing and a second casing superposed on each other, and for opening or closing the portable terminal by rotating the first casing relative to the second casing with surfaces of the same side in the first casing and the second casing directed substantially in the same direction, wherein the first casing is relatively spaced away from the second casing at least in an initial stage of the rotation of the first casing and the two casings rotate around a first reference axis extending in the direction of thickness and one of said first and second casings is coupled to the other of said first and second casings so as to be pivotable around a second reference axis perpendicular to the first reference axis, and said casings are spaced apart by inclining one of said first and second casings relative to the other of said first and second casings around the second reference axis at least in an initial stage of the rotation of one of said first and second casings and the other of said first and second casings.