The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2000
Filed:
May. 12, 1998
Oriya Fujita, Kanagawa, JP;
Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
A hinge apparatus for portable electronic devices such as portable telephones and handheld personal computers can be manufactured with a small and simple structure at a low cost. The hinge apparatus has a shaft with a flange, a cam engaged with an end of the shaft and; a slide cam engaged with the shaft between the cam and the flange. The slide cam is rotatably with the shaft and slidably in an axial direction. A compression spring is rolled around the shaft, and elastically provided between the slide cam and the flange. The cam has a pair of projections on one side surface at opposite positions, and the slide cam has cam members press-contacted with the projections. Otherwise, provided is a hinge apparatus which connects a microphone and a earphone of a portable telephone. The hinge apparatus comprises: a shaft having a flange with a rotation stopper, fixed in a hole provided at an attachment member in an axial direction provided at an end of the microphone or earphone, at one end; a cam having a rotation stopper, holding the shaft rotatably inserted through an insertion hole provided in a central axis direction of the shaft, engaged with the other end of the shaft, and fixed in a hole provided at an attachment member in the axial direction at an end opposite to the end where the flange is fixed; a slide cam, provided between the cam and the flange, engaged with the shaft inserted through a central portion, rotatably with the shaft and slidably in the axial direction; and a compression spring rolled around the shaft, and elastically provided between the slide cam and the flange. The cam has a pair of projections on one side surface at opposite positions, and the slide cam has cam members press-contacted with the projections.