Patent ID: 6917824

Claim:
A folding portable telephone comprising: a first housing; a second housing; and a hinge portion which is fixed on said first housing and which is for rotatably coupling said second housing to said first housing; said hinge portion having an operating portion; said second housing being opened from a first angle position for indicating a closed condition to a second angle position for indicating a predetermined angle position, responsive to an operation of said operating portion; and said second housing being kept at one of said first angle position, said second angle position, and a third angle position between said first and said second angle positions, when an operation of said operating portion is not made, wherein said hinge portion comprises: a first hinge portion which is located on an end of said hinge portion and has said operating portion and by which said second housing rotates from said first angle position to said second angle position, responsive to an operation of said operating portion; and a second hinge portion which is located on the other end of said hinge portion and is capable of rotating said second housing from said first angle position to said second angle position and by which said second housing is kept at one of said first angle position, said second angle position, and said third angle position, when said operation of said operating portion is not made, wherein, when said first housing is separated from said second housing by an amount less than a fourth angle position, said second housing is pushed against said first housing by said first hinge portion, to cause said folding portable telephone apparatus to be in a fully closed state, and wherein, when said first housing is separated from said second housing by an amount greater than a fifth angle position, said second housing is pulled away from said first housing by said first hinge portion to a maximum rotational amount corresponding to said second angle position, to cause said folding portable telephone apparatus to be in a fully open state, wherein said first angle position<said fourth angle position<said third angle position<said fifth angle position<said second angle position.