Nec Corporation

Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Mitsuru Sendouda

Masatomo Mizuta

Michio Nagai

Mika Fujii

Masaki Shimamura

Kiyoshi Kohayakawa

Kazuo Ohtsuta

Yosuke Watanabe

Hitoshi Sato

Sakae Higano

Minoru Ohiraki

Shinji Ikeuchi

A foldable portable information terminal includes an upper unit having a display unit on its one side, a lower unit having operation keys on its one side, and a movable connecting mechanism connecting the upper unit and the lower unit allowing the upper unit to be opened, closed, and freely rotated with respect to a longitudinal direction of the lower unit. The displaying mode of the display unit whose direction varies depending on a position of the upper unit is changed depending on a positional relationship of the upper unit and the lower unit.

Foldable portable information terminal

A portable device includes an upper unit, a lower unit having an operation section on an operation surface, and a movable connecting mechanism which connects the upper unit and the lower unit. The movable connecting mechanism includes a rotating hinge including a rotation axis which is securely and rotatably provided to the lower unit and which protrudes from the operation surface in a direction substantially normal to the operation surface, a projection protruding outward from the rotation axis, and a stopping member provided at a location where the projection comes in contact with the stopping member due to rotation of the rotation axis. The stopping member is movable within a predetermined range of movement due to the projection coming in contact with the stopping member.

A fold-type cellular phone has a top unit, a bottom unit and a hinge coupling together the top unit and the bottom unit while allowing the top unit to turn and swivel with respect to the bottom unit. The top unit is first unfolded from a first folded position to an attitude angle of 160 to 170 degrees, and swiveled by 180 degrees to be folded onto the bottom unit in a second folded position at an attitude angle of 180 degrees. The swivel movement of the top unit causes a cam assembly to turn the top unit from the attitude angle of 160-170 degrees to an attitude angle of 180 degrees in the second folded position, thereby allowing the top unit to assume a suitable attitude with respect to the bottom unit.

Fold-type data processing apparatus having a hinge

A foldable and portable mobile communication terminal is formed as a two-folded type in which a lower-side body unit and upper-side unit are coupled openably and closably by a two-shaft hinge mechanism. The two-shaft hinge mechanism includes a first hinge unit that allows the upper-side body unit to rotate with respect to the lower-side body unit up to the open state defining a predetermined talking position, and a second hinge unit that allows the first hinge unit to rotate in a direction different from the aforementioned rotational direction of the first hinge unit. The first and second hinge units are coupled so that the rotational center axes thereof orthogonally intersect each other.

Foldable and portable mobile communication terminal

A fold-type cellular phone has a top unit, a bottom unit and a hinge coupling together the top unit and the bottom unit while allowing the top unit to turn and swivel with respect to the bottom unit. The top unit is first unfolded from a first folded position to an attitude angle of 160 to 170 degrees, and swiveled by 180 degrees to be folded onto the bottom unit in a second folded position at an attitude angle of 180 degrees. The swivel movement of the top unit causes a cam assembly to turn the top unit from the attitude angle of 160&#x2013;170 degrees to an attitude angle of 180 degrees in the second folded position, thereby allowing the top unit to assume a suitable attitude with respect to the bottom unit.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mitsuru Sendouda