Patent ID: 7154744

Claim:
A folding type portable information appliance comprising: a first case having a display unit; a second case; and a hinge portion for coupling the first case to the second case in such a manner that both the first case and the second case are foldable with respect to each other, and such that the second case covers the display unit of the first case when the first and second cases are folded together; wherein the hinge portion comprises a pivotally-rotating unit which contains at least one electronic component; wherein when the first case and the second case are in an opened position with respect to each other, the pivotally-rotating unit is pivotally rotatable between: (i) an initial position in which the electronic component faces along a direction that is one of the same as and opposite to a direction along which the display unit faces, and (ii) a pivotally-rotated position at which the electronic component faces along an opposite direction than when the pivotally-rotating unit is in the initial position; and wherein movement of the pivotally-rotating unit is coupled to folding of the first case and second case such that the pivotally-rotating unit is returned to the initial position from the pivotally-rotated position when the first case and the second case are folded, and movement of the pivotally-rotating unit is not coupled to opening of the first case and the second case such that opening of the first case and the second case does not move the pivotally-rotating unit from the initial position.