Portable terminal with hinge apparatus

Abstract

A portable terminal includes a first housing, a second housing adapted to be rotated about a first hinge axis to be folded or unfolded in a direction approaching or moving away from the first housing while facing the first housing, and a hinge apparatus for rotatably coupling the second housing with the first housing. The second housing receives a driving force from the hinge apparatus in a first interval that rotates the second housing in a direction approaching the first housing. The second housing receives a driving force from the hinge apparatus in a second interval that rotates the second housing in a direction moving away from the first housing to a fully opened position without stopping such that the second housing is unfolded from the first housing. The second housing is stopped at least one time within the second interval while being rotated toward the first housing from an open position of the second housing with respect to the first housing. The portable terminal as described above is opened by the same opening operation as that of the general portable terminal, and is opened at an angle between approximately 90 and 120 degrees according to a user's necessity, thereby enabling the user to easily receive a multimedia service, such as a moving picture.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal having a hinge apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 in which the housings are folded;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 in which the housings are folded;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge apparatus of the portable terminal of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of the hinge apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 are cam graphs of a hinge cam of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 in which the housings are folded;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 in which a second housing is fully opened; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 in which a second housing is opened at an angle of 120 degrees.

Claims

1. A portable terminal, comprising a first housing;a second housing adapted to be rotated about a first hinge axis to be folded or unfolded in a direction approaching or moving away from the first housing while facing the first housing; anda hinge apparatus for rotatably coupling the second housing with the first housing,wherein the second housing receives a driving force from the hinge apparatus in a first interval that rotates the second housing in a direction approaching the first housing;the second housing receives a driving force from the hinge apparatus in a second interval that rotates the second; housing in a direction moving away from the first housing to a fully opened position without stopping such that the second housing is unfolded from the first housing; andthe second housing is stopped at least one time within the second interval while being rotated toward the first housing from an opened position of the second housing with respect to the first housing.

2. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge apparatus includes a hinge cam installed adjacent to the second housing such that the hinge cam moves linearly;a hinge shaft fixed to the first housing and adapted to be rotated relative to the hinge cam while facing the hinge cam;a first mountain-shaped portion and a first valley-shaped portion that are formed at one end of the hinge shaft such that the first mountain-shaped portion and the first valley-shaped portion are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the hinge shaft; anda second mountain-shaped portion and a second valley-shaped portion that are formed at one end of the hinge cam such that the second mountain-shaped portion and the second valley-shaped portion are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the hinge cam;wherein the first mountain-shaped portion and the first valley-shaped portion are in sliding contact with the second mountain-shaped portion and the second valley-shaped portion as the hinge shaft is rotated.

3. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hinge apparatus includes at least one latching groove formed on an inclined surface between the second mountain-shaped portion and the second valley-shaped portion, when the second housing is rotated in the direction approaching the first housing from a fully opened position the first mountain-shaped portion is latched into the latching groove, thereby stopping the rotation of the second housing.

4. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the second housing is rotated in the direction moving away from the first housing, the first mountain-shaped portion rotates, while passing the latching groove until the second housing reaches the fully opened position.

5. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the first mountain-shaped portion is latched into the latching groove, the rotation of the second housing is stopped at a position where the second housing is opened at an angle of approximately 120 degrees from the first housing.

6. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hinge apparatus includes a hinge housing; andan elastic member supported by an inner wall of the hinge housing at one end of the hinge housing, the hinge shaft and the hinge cam being accommodated in the hinge housing and the elastic member applying an elastic force to the hinge cam to bias the hinge cam toward the hinge shaft.

7. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first interval has a range between a first position where the second housing is folded on the first housing and a second position where the second housing is opened at an angle of approximately 60 degrees from the first housing.

8. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second interval has a range between the second position where the second housing is opened at an angle of approximately 60 degrees from the first housing and a third position where the second housing is opened at an angle of approximately 153 degrees from the first housing.

9. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second housing includes a third housing adapted to be rotated about a second hinge axis extending substantially perpendicularly to the first hinge axis, the third housing being disposed between the first housing and the second housing when the second housing is folded on the first housing.

10. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the third housing includes a display device that faces the first housing when the second housing is folded on the first housing.

11. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the third housing includes a display device and one or more speaker devices installed on at least one side portion of the display device.

12. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein the speaker devices are installed at both side portions of the display device, respectively, and one of the speaker devices functions as a speaker device for a receiver unit during communication.

13. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein side hinge arms are disposed at both sides of one end of the first housing while facing each other; anda center hinge arm is disposed at one end portion of the second housing to be rotatably coupled between the side hinge arms;wherein the hinge apparatus is accommodated in the center hinge arm.

14. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein speaker devices are disposed at both lateral surfaces of the first housing and located adjacent to the side hinge arms.

15. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the elastic member is a spring.

16. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hinge cam has a guide protrusion received by a guide hole in the hinge housing.

17. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide hole is substantially parallel to an axis of rotations between the first and second housings.