Nokia patents Folding Mechanism For Compact Device

Abstract
A device is provided which includes at least four device parts, a first hinge element foldably connecting a first device part and a second device part along one edge of said first and second device parts; a second hinge element foldably connecting a third device part and a fourth device part, a third hinge element foldably connecting said first device part and said third device part, and a fourth hinge element foldably connecting said second device part and said fourth device part.

Description
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The present invention is related to foldable devices, and in particular to a folding mechanism for obtaining a very compact, palm-sized device.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002]Many mobile devices, in particular electronic communication devices and media devices, are designed as foldable or slidable devices in order to provide small-size mobile devices which still have extensive functionality when opened. In some cases, the folding allows to protect some of the functional elements from damage by folding them into a rigid shell. In others, the functionality of a device may differ in closed and opened position. For example, a keyboard will always require a certain amount of space due to the large number of keys and the size of a human finger. Laptops and other mobile computing devices which include keyboards are generally folded in half, with the keyboard on one device half and the display on another. Also, large display screens are desirable on many electronic devices, e.g. for ease of handling and reading characters on a screen, or for viewing multimedia content on a mobile device.

SUMMARY

[0003]In accordance with the present invention, a device is provided comprising at least four device parts, a first hinge element foldably connecting a first device part and a second device part along one edge of said first and second device parts; a second hinge element foldably connecting a third device part and a fourth device part, a third hinge element foldably connecting said first device part and said third device part, and a fourth hinge element foldably connecting said second device part and said fourth device part.

[0004]In some embodiments, the device part edges connected to said first and second hinges are essentially orthogonal to said device part edges connected to said third and fourth hinges.

[0005]According to exemplary embodiments of the invention said device parts are essentially tabular in shape.

[0006]Said first and second hinge elements may in some embodiments both have a first hinging direction. Also, said third and fourth hinge elements may in exemplary embodiments both have a hinging direction opposite to said first hinging direction.

[0007]The device may in some embodiments comprise said third and fourth device parts including a display screen. Said display screen may for example include a flexible display screen laminated onto a front side of said device parts. In some embodiments, said display screen may extend across a contact edge of said third and fourth device parts.

[0008]According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, said first and second device parts include user input means. Such user input means may for example comprise a keyboard. In some embodiments, the keyboard may be divided onto said first and second device parts.

[0009]In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, said hinge elements may allow said device to assume at least a closed position and an opened position.

[0010]Furthermore, in said opened position a solid angle between said first device part and said third device part, or between said second device part and said fourth device part, may in some embodiments be between 90 and 180 degrees.

[0011]According to some embodiments, said first and second device parts are arranged in one common plane in said opened position.

[0012]In exemplary embodiments, said first and second device parts are located on top of each other in said closed position.

[0013]Also, the surface area of said device in said closed position may approximately be one fourth of the surface area of said device in said opened position, according to exemplary embodiments.

[0014]According to some embodiments of the invention, said device parts have essentially similar surface areas.

[0015]Furthermore, the outer edges of said device parts may be essentially flush in said closed position in some embodiments.

[0016]In some examples, the sum of included angles between the respective hinge elements may be less than 360 degrees.

[0017]According to further embodiments of the invention, said included angles between said first and third hinge element and/or said first and fourth hinge element are less than said included angles in between said second and third hinge element and/or said second and fourth hinge element. In exemplary embodiments of an inventive device, said included angles between said second and third hinge element and/or said second and fourth hinge element are greater than 90 degrees.

[0018]In further exemplary embodiments, at least one of said hinge elements is provided with flexible printed circuits for electrical connection between said device parts.