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:
May. 03, 2005
Filed:
Feb. 12, 2003
Katsuichi Minami, Fukui, JP;
Masaki Nakase, Fukui, JP;
Koji Sakai, Fukui, JP;
Takehiko Konja, Fukui, JP;
Yasuchika Kudo, Fukui, JP;
Yusho Nakase, Fukui, JP;
Katsumasa Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsuichi Minami, Fukui, JP;
Masaki Nakase, Fukui, JP;
Koji Sakai, Fukui, JP;
Takehiko Konja, Fukui, JP;
Yasuchika Kudo, Fukui, JP;
Yusho Nakase, Fukui, JP;
Katsumasa Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A folding device contains a stationary part, a movable part disposed to be rotatable in flip-up (unfolding) and flip-down (folding) directions, a force-applying section disposed between the two parts, which urges the movable part in either direction according to a state of the movable part, a reversing section for allowing the force-applying section to change a direction of urging of the movable part into the flip-up (unfolding) direction when the movable part is in a folded state, and an actuator for operating the reversing section. Pressing the actuator being in the folded state allows the reversing section to switch the direction of urging of the movable part into flip-up (unfolding) direction. In the electronic equipment of the present invention, the stationary and the movable housings are connected to the stationary and the movable parts of the folding device, respectively. The structures can provide a folding device equipped with a simple one-hand flipping-up (unfolding), and electronic equipment using the device.