Ericsson Gmbh

Ericsson Ge Mobile Communications Inc.

Mark William Weadon

William H Jennings

Gregory S Patterson

Steven J Harms

Shawn M Stephenson

Stacy Neil Smith

Brad Kreschollek

Samuel Kenneth Turner

The cellular telephone of the present invention includes a generally sealed, moisture resistant electrical external connector that resides in the wall of the phone housing and provides a series of electrically conductive pathways which lead from the external surface of the housing, through the housing wall, to designated areas on an internally located printed circuit board. More particularly, these electrically conductive pathways or contacts, that essentially penetrate the cellular telephone housing, are incorporated within the housing wall via an insert molding, press fitting, or similar process such that a generally sealed, moisture resistant barrier is formed between the individual contacts which comprise the connector and the surrounding housing.

Moisture resistant electrical connector for a cellular telephone

Radiotelephone flip covers hinged to a radiotelephone housing include a secondary keypad configured to overlie a primary keypad of a radiotelephone. A flip cover is movable between a closed position wherein at least a portion of a primary keypad is covered, and an open position wherein a primary keypad is uncovered. When a flip cover is in a closed position and when a secondary keypad key is depressed by a user, the depressed key in-turn depresses a respective primary keypad key to perform a radiotelephone function.

Radiotelephone having a primary keypad and a movable flip cover that contains a secondary keypad

A wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone, is provided with a torsional hinging mechanism for rotatably coupling a flip cover to the device's main body. The torsional hinging mechanism both minimizes lateral loading and causes the flip cover to automatically assume the open position when released. One, and preferably two, torsional axles interconnect the main body to the flip cover. One end of the torsional axle is engaged by the main body so as to prevent relative rotation therebetween, for example by fitting the end through a retaining slit in the main body. The opposite end of the torsional axle is engaged by the flip cover so as to prevent relative rotation therebetween, for example by fitting a keyed end into a keyed hole. When the flip cover is in the closed position, the torsional axle is rotationally loaded so as to urge the flip cover towards the open position. Optionally, the one or more of the torsional axles may include an acoustic passage for acoustically connecting the flip cover to a microphone in the main body when the flip cover is in the open position.

Torsional hinging mechanism

A telecommunication instrument having a microphone mounted in a flip arm is electrically interconnected to the transceiver portion of the instrument by a slip ring connection. The slip ring connection enables the flip arm to be rotated between stored and operating positions during use, and easily removed from the instrument for repair or replacement. The slip ring connection eliminates any need for extending wires or flexible circuits between the flip arm and the main body of the instrument.

Telecommunication instrument having slip ring interconnection for flip

A plurality of arms extend outwardly from an accessory structure and are adapted to engage slots in a base structure to which the accessory structure is to be mounted. The arms are normally biased to a position at which they are freely insertable an removable from the slots in the base structure, and movable to a position at which the arms are locked in the slots in response to forcedly maintaining the arms at a spaced apart distance greater than the distance of which the arms are disposed in the normally biased position. The arms are returned to their normally biased position in response to depressing an actuator mounted in the accessory structure, and moved to the spaced apart locking position in response to releasing the actuator. The problems of fatigue failure, wear, breakage and decrease of positive retention between accessory and base structures using current releasable locking mechanisms is overcome.

Releasable locking mechanism

An electromechanical circuit uses a plunger to open and close a circuit as an indication of the position of a flip portion of a mobile communication device. The plunger includes an electrically conductive portion which slidingly contacts a contact pad. Upon contacting the contact pad, a change in logic states occurs which triggers circuitry to activate or de-activate the internal electronics within the communication device. This allows a user, for example, to activate a phone to receive a call without having to depress a specified switch. A common cam-follower mechanical configuration is used to cause the plunger to translate axially as the flip portion is moved.

Telephone switching mechanism

A cover for a housing is maintained in a fixed position with respect to the housing by a latch arrangement that has at least one edge surface disposed along one edge of a flange which engages a mating surface on the housing when the cover is assembled with the housing. The other side of the flange is integrally formed with an elongated beam that is attached to the cover structure. The elongated beam is torsionally loaded upon assembly of the cover with the housing, and provides a bias force on the edge surface of the flange to maintain the forcible engagement of the edge surface with a mating surface of the housing. The latch arrangement combines the cost effectiveness and space efficiency characteristics of plastic latch designs with the durability, dependability and tactile qualities of mechanical spring arrangements.

Torsionally-biased latch arrangement

A radiotelephone having an asymmetric hinge configuration includes a housing having a door member, a handset member, and an asymmetric hinge connected to the door and handset members for enabling rotation therebetween about an axis of rotation that is substantially perpendicular to a plane bisecting the door member but preventing axial translation therebetween. The radiotelephone further includes a radiotelephone transceiver and a microphone positioned within the housing. The microphone is located on the pivot axis. The asymmetric hinge is configured so that the door and handset members are rotatable between a closed position, in which the door member overlies the handset member, and an operative open position, in which the handset member and the door member define an angle of between about 100 and 160 degrees.

Asymmetric hinged housing configuration

A hinge configuration particularly suitable for use with a radiotelephone includes: an arcuate hinge body having a predetermined body length, a predetermined body thickness and a predetermined radius of curvature; and a pair of arms, a respective one of which is attached to and extends away from a respective end of the arcuate hinge body, the pair of arms each having predetermined arm lengths and predetermined arm thicknesses. The arms are pivotally mounted on a housing such that the arms twist upon pivotal movement of the arcuate hinge body relative to the housing. At least one of the predetermined body length, predetermined body thickness, predetermined radius of curvature, predetermined arm lengths and predetermined arm thicknesses should be selected to induce preferential deflection in the arcuate hinge body relative to the pair of arms upon twisting thereof during pivotal movement of the hinge body so that the arms resist fracture during such repeated pivotal movement.

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Apex, NC, United States of America

Mark William Weadon