Patent ID: 8885331

Claim:
A portable electronic apparatus comprising—a first casing and a second casing which are coupled to each other through a coupling mechanism, both the casings being provided with respective image display surfaces in their surfaces, the portable electronic apparatus configured to be selectively set in three states which are a full-closed state where both the casings are overlaid on each other, a tilt state where the second casing has been moved from the full-closed state so that the image display surfaces in both the casings are exposed and, also, the image display surface in the second casing is inclined with respect to the image display surface in the first casing at an angle of opening which is equal to or more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees, and a full-open state where the image display surfaces in both the casings are flush with each other in the same plane, and wherein the portable electronic apparatus holds the second casing, in attitude, with respect to the first casing, in the full-closed state, in the tilt state, and in the full-open state; and a sliding mechanism configured to, while the first and second casings are in the full-open state, slide the second casing toward the first casing while the image display surfaces of the first and second casings are within the same plane, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a coupling arm which is coupled, at its base end portion, to the first casing through a first pivot shaft, and is coupled, at its tip end portion, to the second casing through a second pivot shaft that is parallel with the first pivot shaft, and wherein the coupling arm rotates between a rotational angle of the full-closed state and a rotational angle of the full-open state, wherein the sliding mechanism includes a sliding member which is slidably provided in the second casing, and wherein the coupling arm is pivotally supported at its tip end portion by the sliding member, and wherein the coupling arm and the second casing are provided with a receiving surface and a sliding surface, respectively, which slidably come into contact with each other in the full-open state, wherein the second casing is rotationally biased in a direction to contact the sliding surface with the receiving surface of the coupling arm, and wherein the sliding surface in the second casing slides on the receiving surface in the coupling arm during processing for sliding the sliding member.