Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Cheon-Gyun Oh

Young-Bae Ji

Young-Jin Yi

There is disclosed a hinge mechanism for use in a portable phone having a phone body and a cover, the hinge mechanism configured to mechanically couple the cover to the phone body. The hinge mechanism includes at least one hinge module mounted to the phone body and configured to hinge the cover with respect to the phone body for opening and closing the cover. The hinge module includes a hinge housing having a bottom wall and a pair of opposite lateral end walls spaced from each other, one of the lateral walls having a hole. The hinge housing also has a pair of opposite longitudinal end walls spaced from each other. A hinge shaft is mounted in the housing and has a mountain-shaped portion provided with a pair of opposite cam surfaces at one longitudinal portion thereof and a shaft portion at the other longitudinal portion thereof. The hinge shaft is arranged in the hinge housing such that the shaft portion extends through the hole of the hinge housing outwardly from the hinge housing and is coupled to the cover. A hinge cam is provided in the hinge housing and has at one longitudinal portion thereof, a pair of mountain-shaped protrusions respectively provided with facing cam surfaces defining a valley-shaped portion therebetween, and, at the other longitudinal portion thereof, a mounting protrusion. The hinge cam valley-shaped portion is engaged with the mountain-shaped portion of the hinge shaft in such a fashion that it slides straight in a rotating axis direction in response to the rotation of the hinge shaft. A hinge spring is provided in the hinge housing to urge the hinge cam toward the hinge shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Kyonggi-do, South Korea

Cheon-Gyun Oh