WO2006018906A1 - Portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable terminal enabling the closed state of two casings to be securely maintained, enabling the easy releasing of the locking thereof, and capable of preventing two casings from being unintentionally unfolded (opened) when the terminal is stored into/retrieved from a pocket or a bag. The portable terminal comprises a connection device (3) foldably connecting one ends (1a) and (2a) of the two casings (1) and (2) to each other at a specified distance and having a restoring force to return the two casings (1) and (2) from a folded state to an unfolded state. Locking means (41) holding the two casings (1) and (2) in the folded state against the restoring force of the connection device (3) are installed at the other ends (1b) and (2b) on the opposite sides of the one ends (1a) and (2a) of the two casings (1) and (2). The locking means (41) are formed of a first locking part (43) extended from one casing (1) and a second locking part (45) extended from the other casing (2) and partly overlapped with the first locking part (43).

Description

 Specification

 Mobile device

 Technical field

 TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a portable terminal in which two casings are foldably connected by a flexible connecting device, and the connecting device is folded and held in a closed state when not in use.

 In recent years, a large number of mobile phones have been developed and used. In addition to a straight type having a simple bar shape, various types of folding types that can be opened and closed via a hinge portion have been developed. ing.

 The foldable mobile phone includes an upper case having a display unit, a lower case having an operation unit, and a hinge unit that connects the upper and lower cases so that the display unit and the operation unit face each other. It has a structure in which the upper and lower cases are relatively rotated and folded around the axis of the hinge.

 [0003] On the other hand, a mobile phone in which a connecting portion that connects an upper housing having a display unit and a lower housing having an operation unit is formed in a foldable belt shape thinner than the thickness of the upper and lower housings ( Hereinafter, this is also referred to as a “folded mobile phone”) (for example, see Patent Document 1). This foldable mobile phone is a foldable mobile phone in that the foldable mobile phone can be opened and closed via a hinge portion, whereas the foldable mobile phone can be folded using the flexibility of the belt-like connecting portion. Different from the phone.

 Patent Document 1: Design Registration No. 1161572

 Disclosure of the invention

 Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] By the way, when the above-described conventional folding-type mobile phone is closed by folding the upper housing and the lower housing at the belt-like connecting portion, the connecting portion generates a restoring force to return to the open state. Jiru. For this reason, the folding type mobile phone requires a locking means for holding the two casings in a bent state when not in use. On the other hand, for example, the locking means is If the outer surface of the housing (the upper and lower surfaces of the two housings in the closed state) is sandwiched between them, the distance from the connecting portion will be reduced. For this reason, as the force required for locking increases, it becomes difficult to maintain the closed state, and a large force is also required for releasing the locking. In addition, if a holding means that can be locked to the outer surface of the housing is provided, the locking device will be pulled by the hooking force when it is inserted or removed from the pocket or back, and the housing will be opened unexpectedly. Everything is dangerous.

 The present invention has been made in view of the above situation. The closed state can be reliably maintained, the locking can be easily released, and the force of the case can be reduced when it is taken in and out of the pocket or back. The object is to obtain a portable terminal that does not open unexpectedly.

 Means for solving the problem

 [0005] In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal according to the present invention connects one end of two casings so that they can be bent with a predetermined spacing therebetween, and opens the two casings from a folded state. A connecting device having a restoring force for returning the state to the state, and holding the two cases in a bent state against the restoring force of the connecting device between the opposite ends of the two housings on the opposite sides. Providing locking means;

 The locking means includes a first locking portion that extends in one housing force and a second locking portion that is provided in the other housing and to which the first locking portion is fastened. And As the locking means, a hook or a magnet suction tool can be used.

 [0006] In this portable terminal, since the locking means is provided at the other ends of the two casings, the distance of the connecting device force (that is, compared with the case where the locking means is provided on the outer surface of the casing) In addition, the fulcrum force also increases the distance to the action point. Therefore, the force at the point of action, that is, the locking force required for holding is minimized. In addition, the locking means does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing, and the locking means also has no hooking force when a pocket or back force is taken in and out.

 [0007] Further, the mobile terminal of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion has a magnet that attracts and holds each other by a magnetic attractive force. .

In this portable terminal, when a magnet is provided on one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion, an adsorption member (metal such as iron) is provided on the other side, and the first locking portion and The second locking portion is locked to each other by the magnetic attractive force, and the two housings can be held in a bent state. Also keep When releasing the holding, if the first locking portion and the second locking portion are separated from each other with a force larger than the magnetic attractive force, the holding can be easily released. In addition, if a magnet is provided in both the first locking part and the second locking part, the first locking part will be outside the second locking part, or the second locking part will be attracted. The stacking direction (covering direction) of both of the suctions with the first locking portion being the inside becomes possible.

[0009] Further, in the mobile terminal of the present invention, one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion has a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the housing opening direction of the other ends. The other of the first locking portion or the second locking portion has a recess into which the protrusion is fitted.

[0010] In this portable terminal, since the protrusion and the recess fit in the direction intersecting the opening direction of the other ends of the housing, compared to the case where the protrusion and the recess fit in the same direction as the opening direction, Great power

(Shearing force) can resist the restoring force (opening force) of the coupling device, and the two casings can be securely held.

 [0011] Further, in the mobile terminal of the present invention, the first locking portion extended from the upper casing force of the two casings in the bent state is the second locking portion extended from the lower casing force. It is characterized by overlapping on the outside.

 In this portable terminal, when the lower casing is gripped by one palm, the upper casing is disposed on the lower casing, and the other end force of the lower casing is raised. On the outside of the two locking parts, the first locking part hanging down from the other end of the upper casing is overlapped, and the lower first force jumps up the outer first locking part with the other hand, allowing easy holding release Operation becomes possible.

 [0013] In addition, the mobile terminal of the present invention connects the ends of the two casings so that they can be bent with a predetermined distance therebetween, and restores the two casings from the folded state to the open state. A locking device for holding the two housings in a bent state against the restoring force of the connecting device at the other ends opposite to the ends of the two housings. The locking means includes a first locking portion extending from one housing force and a second locking portion provided on the other end side surface of the other housing and fastened to the first locking portion. It is characterized by this.

As the locking means, a hook or a magnet suction tool can be used. [0014] In this portable terminal, since the locking means is provided at the other ends of the two casings, the distance of the connecting device force (that is, compared with the case where the locking means is provided on the outer surface of the casing) In addition, the fulcrum force also increases the distance to the action point. Therefore, the force at the point of action, that is, the locking force required for holding is minimized. In addition, the locking means does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing, and the locking means also has no hooking force when a pocket or back force is taken in and out.

 [0015] Further, in the portable terminal of the present invention, the first locking portion has a protrusion formed in a magnetic body and protruding in a direction intersecting a housing opening direction between the other ends. The stopper has a recess provided on the surface of the housing and a magnet provided on the bottom of the recess, and the protrusion of the first locking portion is attracted to the magnet when inserted into the recess. Features.

 [0016] In this mobile terminal, since the protrusion and the recess fit in the direction intersecting the opening direction of the other ends of the casing, compared to the case where the protrusion and the recess fit in the same direction as the opening direction, A large force (shearing force) can resist the restoring force (opening force) of the coupling device, ensuring that the two housings are bent and held. Further, the projection of the first locking portion and the magnet of the second locking portion are locked to each other by the magnetic attractive force, and the two housings can be held in a bent state. Further, when releasing the holding, the holding can be easily released by separating the first locking portion and the second locking portion with a force larger than the magnetic attractive force.

 [0017] In addition, in the mobile terminal of the present invention, the magnet is a single-sided and double-pole magnetized having N and S poles on the front and back sides, and the protrusions are attracted across both the N and S poles on one side. It is characterized by that. The magnet is a magnet that is magnetized on one side and two poles each having N and S poles on the front and back sides, and the protrusions are attracted across both the N and S poles on one side of the magnet. Characterized by

 [0018] In this portable terminal, the protrusion is adsorbed across two poles, and the magnetic flux density in this part is large, so that the adsorption force of the protrusion to the magnet can be increased.

 [0019] Further, in the mobile terminal of the present invention, the first locking portion is provided in a first casing having a receiving portion, and the second locking portion is provided in a second casing having a transmitting portion. It is provided.

[0020] In this portable terminal, the first casing having the transmitter is held by the palm and the second casing having the receiver is placed on the head. At this time, the first locking portion is prevented from being gripped. Also, since the second locking portion does not protrude from the second housing, the second locking portion is the head Does not interfere with the call.

 The invention's effect

 [0021] According to the mobile terminal of the present invention, since the other ends of the two casings are provided with the locking means for holding the two casings in a bent state against the restoring force of the coupling device, Compared with the case where the locking means is provided on the outer surface of the housing, the separation distance of the coupling device force can be maximized, and as a result, the force required for locking is minimized and the closed state is reliably ensured. It can be maintained and can be easily released. In addition, since the locking means does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing, the locking means will be pulled when being inserted or removed from the pocket or back, and the locking will be released and the housing will be opened unexpectedly. This prevents the display unit from illuminating and illuminating when it is not in use (when it is closed), avoiding the display unit from illuminating or illuminating. I won't let you.

 Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

 [FIG. 2] (a) shows an opened main body portion of the portable terminal according to the present invention and a connecting device provided thereto, and (b) is an explanatory view showing a closed state of the main body portion.

 FIG. 3 is a central sectional view of the portable terminal according to the present invention when opened.

 FIG. 4 is a central cross-sectional view when the portable terminal according to the present invention is closed.

 FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4 showing the locking means.

 FIG. 6 is a main part enlarged view showing a second embodiment provided with a locking means having a protrusion and a concave force.

 FIG. 7 is a main part enlarged view showing a third embodiment provided with a lid-like locking means.

 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a mobile terminal according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

 [FIG. 9] (a) shows an opened main body portion of the portable terminal according to the present invention and a connecting device provided thereto, and (b) is an explanatory view showing a closed main body portion.

 FIG. 10 is a central cross-sectional view of the portable terminal according to the present invention when opened.

 FIG. 11 is a central sectional view when the portable terminal according to the present invention is closed.

 FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 11 showing the locking means.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the main part showing a fifth embodiment provided with a locking means comprising a protrusion and a recess. It is.

 FIG. 14 is a main part enlarged view showing a sixth embodiment provided with a lid-like locking means.

 FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a seventh embodiment provided with a locking means including a protrusion (pin) and a recess.

 BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.

) Shows the opened and closed main body of the portable terminal according to the present invention and the connecting device provided on the portable terminal, and (b) is an explanatory view showing the closed main body, and FIG. 3 shows the present invention. FIG. 6 is a central cross-sectional view when the portable terminal is opened.

 A mobile terminal (bending type mobile phone) 100 according to the present embodiment is roughly configured so that a casing including an upper casing 1 and a lower casing 2 and upper and lower casings 1 and 2 are fixedly installed. Upper and lower housing

It is composed of a connecting device 3 that can be bent between 1 and 2.

[0024] Among these, the upper casing 1 includes a receiver (receiver) 11 shown in Fig. 3 as a first audio output unit, a speaker 12 as a second audio output unit, a display unit 13, and a permanent component. The magnet 14 and the first printed board 15 are accommodated. The first printed circuit board 15 has an LC that constitutes the display unit 13.

D etc. are provided.

 [0025] On the other hand, the lower housing 2 includes a transmitter unit (microphone) 21, an operation unit 22, a vibrator unit 23, a camera unit 24, a hall element 25, a detachable battery 26, and a first battery. 2 Houses printed circuit boards 27 and the like. The second printed circuit board 27 is mounted with a transmission / reception unit, a data conversion unit, an audio processing unit, an image processing unit, an information recording unit, a control unit, and the like.

 [0026] The connecting device 3 is configured to fix the upper and lower housings 1 and 2 sandwiching a bendable connecting portion, and is mainly composed of a sheet-like member and a spring member. (See FIG. 2) and a flexible wiring member (for example, a flexible substrate) 35 are accommodated.

[0027] The connecting device 3 connects the lower end surface side of the upper housing 1 and the upper end surface side of the lower housing 2. The connecting device 3 is bent at the connecting portion 3A by the bending operation of FIG. It can be bent in the direction of arrow P and in the opposite direction. That is, when not in use, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the housing 2 is folded into a closed state, that is, the upper housing 1 faces (opposes) the lower housing 2. . On the other hand, during use, the casings 1 and 2 are opened so that the user's face faces the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 2 as shown in FIG.

 [0028] The receiver 11 serving as a receiver is provided on the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 that faces the lower housing 2 when the housings 1 and 2 are closed, so that sound is output from the main surface 1A. It is arranged. When the folded cellular phone 100 according to the present embodiment is normally used, the voice of the communication partner is output. On the other hand, the speaker 12 shown in FIG. 3 is provided on the back surface 1B opposite to the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1, and a ring tone is output from the back surface 1B when waiting for mail or telephone. It is arranged to do.

 [0029] The microphone 21 and the operation unit 22 of the transmitter are provided on the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2 that faces the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 when the housings 1 and 2 are closed. ! / The vibrator unit 23 notifies the incoming call by vibration by vibrating the incoming call.

 [0030] The camera unit 24 is provided on the back surface 2B opposite to the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2 along with a battery 26 that can be attached to and detached from the lower housing 2. The back subject can be imaged. Incident light captured by the camera unit 24 with a subject force passes through a lens group and is converted into an optical signal force electric signal by a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD (charge coupled device), and image information is generated. After this image information is processed by the image processing unit, an image is generated on the display unit 13.

 [0031] The Hall element 25 is used as a means for detecting the magnetic field of the casing permanent magnet 14, and is arranged on the second printed circuit board 27 so as to face the casing permanent magnet 14 when the main body A is closed. Is provided. In the closed state in which the housings 1 and 2 are closed, the Hall element 25 detects the magnetic field of the housing permanent magnet 14 and outputs a detection signal to the control unit. Output. In addition, since the case permanent magnet 14 is separated when the case 2 is in an open state, the hall element 25 cannot detect the magnetic field of the case permanent magnet 14, and therefore the hall element 25 outputs a detection signal. Do not generate.

That is, the casings 1 and 2 are in a closed state when the Hall element 25 detects the casing permanent magnet 14, and are in an open state if they are not detected. In the folded type portable telephone 100 according to the present embodiment, when the casing is closed, nothing is displayed on the display unit 13 in the reception standby state, and power is not consumed. Also, illumination means for illuminating the display unit 13 (illustrated ) Does not emit light. In the open state, a mark indicating the received electric field strength, battery remaining capacity information, time information, incoming call information, and the like are displayed, and illumination by the illumination means is performed.

 [0033] The coupling device 3 is bent when the casings 1 and 2 are closed, and is released from the bent state when the casings 1 and 2 are opened. The upper and lower two casings 1 and 2 have a sheet-like member that secures the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 across the part 3A, and a restoring force and rigidity that return to a flat state (the state before folding) when folded. And 2 spring members. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting device 3 includes a first connecting member 31, a second connecting member 32, and a third connecting member 33. Among these, the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 constitute a sheet-like member, and the second connecting member 32 constitutes a spring member.

 [0034] The first connecting member 31 forms a surface in the same direction as the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 and the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2, and at the same time, the outer surface of the upper housing 1 and the lower housing The outer surface of 2 is formed integrally (the outer surfaces of the upper and lower housings 1 and 2 are also used). The second connecting member 32 is provided across the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 and is formed of a thin plate-like steel material (carbon tool steel, stainless steel, etc.) having flexibility and rigidity. The third connecting member 33 is attached to the first connecting member 31 so as to integrally connect the back surface 2B of the lower housing 2 and to cover and hide the second connecting member 32 and the flexible wiring member 35.

 Note that the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 are made of a flexible material such as thermoplastic polyester “ether” elastomer or polyurethane resin. Further, the material for forming the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 is not limited to the above-described material, but may be formed into a sheet shape with a material having flexibility and elasticity.

[0036] The main surfaces 1A and 2A of the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 formed of the first connecting member 31 are made of different materials such as ABS resin different from the material forming the main surfaces 1A and 2A. The inner surface 1C and 2C are formed. That is, the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 are integrally formed by a different material molding method (for example, insert molding or the like) integrally formed of different materials. In the present embodiment, the outer surfaces of the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 2 (actually configured by the first connecting member 31) 1A, 2A formed of thermoplastic polyester 'ether' elastomer The window frame portion 13A formed of ABS resin is integrally formed. [0037] The second connecting member 32 is linearly extended from the upper casing 1 to the lower casing 2, and the cross-sectional shape thereof is such that the thin plate has a width Wl shown in FIG. It is formed in an arc shape with curvature R2. The center of the curvature R2 is on the main surface 1A side of the upper housing 1 (or the main surface 2A side of the lower housing 2), and this center is indicated by a point O.

 [0038] As shown in FIG. 2 (a), in the state in which the connecting device 3 of the main body A is opened, the second connecting member 32 has the upper casing while maintaining the circular arc shape with the curvature R2 up to the other end. It extends in a straight line from 1 to the lower housing 2 and maintains a stable state. Here, when the connecting device 3 of the main body A is opened (the state shown in FIG. 1), even if an attempt is made to bend in the direction opposite to the arrow P in order to further open (expand), a curved state is formed. The rigidity in the direction to release this curved state (to open the casings 1 and 2 further in the flat open state force) is enhanced, and the force to keep the open state (hereinafter, This is called “curvature holding force”). Therefore, the force required to open the casing 2 in the direction that further opens the open state force, that is, the convex back curved surface (positive curved surface) direction opposite to the concave curved surface (negative curved surface) direction (reverse bending force) Is much larger than the force required to close the body in the P direction (bending force), making it difficult to bend. This difficulty in bending is determined by the fixing method of the second connecting member 32, the second moment of section, the Young's modulus, and the like.

 [0039] On the other hand, when bent in the direction of arrow P with a force greater than or equal to a predetermined force, the central portion of the second connecting member 32 bends in the direction in which the connecting device 3 of the main body portion A is closed due to the jumping phenomenon. If the applied force is removed, the restoring force restores the original flat open state, and the connecting device 3 returns to the open state. That is, the second connecting member 32 also functions as a means for preventing an easy bending operation in the state force arrow P direction when the casings 1 and 2 are opened.

 [0040] Therefore, when the casings 1 and 2 are opened, the first, second, and third connecting members 31-33 are straight open, and this state is determined by the rigidity of the second connecting member 32. Is maintained. When the lower housing 2 is held in the hand, the upper housing 1 remains stationary and does not bend in the direction of the arrow P and does not hang down in the opposite direction. The closing force can be easily closed when the casings 1 and 2 are closed.

[0041] Next, the locking means for holding the two casings in a bent state will be described. FIG. 4 is a central sectional view when the portable terminal according to the present invention is closed, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4 showing the locking means.

 The folding mobile phone 100 includes a locking means 41 that holds the two casings 1 and 2 in a folded state after the casing 2 is closed. The two casings 1 and 2 are connected at one ends la and 2a by the connecting device 3 described above. The locking means 41 is provided at the other ends lb, 2b opposite to the ends la, 2a.

 The locking means 41 acts to hold the two casings 1 and 2 in a bent state against the restoring force of the coupling device 3. The locking means 41 includes a first locking portion 43 extending from one housing 1 and a second locking portion 45 extending from the other housing 2 and partially overlapping the first locking portion 43. Consists of. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be formed by extending the third connecting member 33 that integrally forms the outer surface of the housing 2. That is, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are made of a flexible material force such as thermoplastic polyester / ether / elastomer or polyurethane resin. In addition, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 may be provided with separate extending members on the housing 2.

 [0043] The locking means 41 includes a hook, a magnet suction tool, and the like for holding the casings 1 and 2 in a bent state. In the present embodiment, the locking means 41 is provided with a magnet 47. The magnet 47 attracts and holds the overlapping first locking portion 43 and second locking portion 45 by a magnetic attractive force. The magnet 47 may be provided on at least one of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. When the magnet 47 is provided on one of the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45, the other is provided with an attracting member 49 formed of a magnetic metal.

 [0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the magnet 47 and the attracting member 49 are formed in small pieces and overlap each other so that they face each other in parallel. It is installed in the part. In the present embodiment, the second locking portion 45 is provided with a magnet 47 and the first locking portion 43 is provided with an attracting member 49. Thus, in the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 provided with the magnet 47 on one side and the attracting member 49 on the other side, the overlapping portions are attracted to each other by magnetic attraction force, and as a result, The two casings 1 and 2 can be held in a bent state via the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45.

[0045] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are configured so that the first locking portion 43 extending from the upper housing 1 is connected to the lower housing. It is preferable that the second engaging portion 45 extending from the body 2 overlaps (covers) outside. With this overlapping direction, when the lower casing 2 is gripped by one palm, the upper casing 1 is placed on the lower casing 2 and stands from the other end 2b of the lower casing 2. The first locking part 43 hanging from the other end lb of the upper housing 1 overlaps the outside of the second locking part 45, and the outer first locking part 43 is flipped up from the lower side with the other hand. Thus, an easy holding release operation is possible.

Note that the locking means 41 may be provided with magnets 47 on both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. In this case, the magnets may be arranged so that the different poles face each other when the first and second locking portions 43 and 45 overlap. According to such a configuration, the first locking portion 43 is located outside the second locking portion 45, or the first locking portion 43 is positioned inside the second locking portion 45. Both overlapping directions (covering directions) are possible, and the user can select any covering direction. In particular, according to the configuration in which the second locking portion 45 is arranged on the outside, the release operation of the second locking portion 45 can be performed simultaneously with the gripping of the lower housing 2, so that the upper housing 1 on the open side can be It is not necessary to touch, and it is possible to release the lock with only one hand on the side where the lower housing 2 is gripped.

 [0047] When the casings 1 and 2 are closed in this way, the force that the casings 1 and 2 try to open by the return force F2 of the second connecting member 32. The magnet 47 of the second locking portion 45 is By adsorbing to the adsorbing member 49 of the first locking portion 43, it is possible to prevent the casings 1 and 2 from being opened even when the return force F2 is applied to the casing 2.

 [0048] Next, the operation of the folded mobile phone 100 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

 In the folded type mobile phone 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the upper case 1 and the lower case 2 are closed by closing with the locking means 41 when not in use. Although the bent state is maintained at the connecting portion 3A, when the suction of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 is released for use, the housing 1, 2 is opened to return to a substantially flat state and is stationary, and this open state is stably held by the curved holding force (action) of the second connecting member 32.

[0049] On the other hand, when not in use (in a reception standby state), the main surface 1A of the upper case 1 and the main surface 2A of the lower case 2 are made to face each other by applying a closing force F1 or higher to the case 2. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be adsorbed so that the housing 2 can be closed. Cases 1 and 2 are closed In the twisted state, the connecting device 3 is bent small, which is suitable for portability.

[0050] Since the locking means 41 is provided on the other ends lb, 2b of the two casings 1, 2, compared to the case where the locking means 41 is provided on the outer surface of the casings 1, 2, The distance from the coupling device 3 (that is, the fulcrum force is also the distance to the point of action) increases. Therefore, the force at the point of action, that is, the locking force required for holding is minimized. Further, the locking means 41 does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing 2, and the locking means 41 does not have a hooking force when a pocket or back force is taken in and out.

 [0051] Therefore, according to the folded-type mobile phone 100 according to the present embodiment, the two casings 1 and 2 have two other ends lb and 2b against the restoring force of the coupling device 3. Since the locking means 41 for holding 1 and 2 in the bent state is provided, the distance from the coupling device 3 can be maximized compared to the case where the locking means 41 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 2. As a result, the force required for locking is minimized, the closed state can be reliably maintained, and the locking can be easily released. In addition, since the locking means 41 does not protrude from the outer surfaces of the casings 1 and 2, the locking means 41 is caught by the catching force when the back force is put in and out, and the locking is released. 2 can be prevented from opening unexpectedly.

Next, a second embodiment of the mobile terminal (folded type mobile phone) according to the present invention will be described.

 FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a second embodiment provided with a locking means comprising a protrusion and a recess.

 In the folded type mobile phone according to this embodiment, a magnet 51 and an attracting member 53 are attached to opposing surfaces of the overlapping first locking portion 43 and second locking portion 45. That is, a magnet 51 is attached to the outer surface of the second locking portion 45, and the magnet 51 has a protrusion 51a protruding in a direction intersecting the housing opening direction between the other ends lb and 2b. On the other hand, an adsorbing member 53 is affixed to the inner surface of the first locking portion 43, and the adsorbing member 53 has a recess 53a into which the protrusion 51a is fitted.

The magnet 51 and the attracting member 53 are locked so that the projection 5 la is inserted into the recess 53a.

On the other hand, when releasing the locking of the magnet 51 and the attracting member 53, it is preferable to pull up the tip of the first locking portion 43. That is, if the force to pull out the protrusion 51a fitted in the recess 53a is applied, The engagement is easily released. When the return force F2 is applied to the casings 1 and 2 in the locked state, the protrusion 51a is only moved in the radial direction of the recess 53a, and therefore cannot be easily removed.

 [0054] Therefore, according to this folding-type mobile phone, the projection 51a and the recess 53a are fitted in the direction intersecting the opening direction of the other ends lb and 2b of the other ends, so that the same direction as the opening direction Compared to the case where the protrusion 51a and the recess 53a fit together, the restoring force of the coupling device 3 can be resisted with a large force (shearing force), and the folded holding state of the two housings 1 and 2 is reliably maintained. can do.

 Next, a third embodiment of the mobile terminal (folded mobile phone) according to the present invention will be described.

 FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of an essential part showing a third embodiment provided with a lid-like locking means. In the folded type mobile phone according to this embodiment, a bent portion 61 is provided at the base ends of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. That is, the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45 are in the form of lid pieces that can be opened and closed by the bent part 61. The bent portion 61 can be a grease hinge in which the third connecting member 33 extended from the housing 2 is locally thin. In addition, the bent portion 61 may be a bellows portion obtained by bending the base portion a plurality of times. By providing such a bent portion 61, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be easily folded back to the opposite side (the folding direction opposite to the overlapping direction).

 [0056] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45, which are freely foldable by the bending portion 61, are provided with the magnet 47 and the attracting member 49, or the magnet 51 and the attracting member 53. . In addition, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are locked without using the magnet 47, the magnet 51, etc., and the tip ends of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are mutually connected. The two casings 1 and 2 may be maintained in the bent holding state by forming a hook shape and locking the hooks of the hooks.

[0057] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 formed with such a bent portion 61 may be formed so as to be in an open state in an unlocked state, for example. preferable. Since the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are formed by extending the third connecting member 33 as described above, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 have flexibility and a predetermined elastic force. Therefore, when locking, both the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45 are bent and locked, and when releasing the lock, for example, the first If only the locking portion 43 is flipped up, the locking is released. Then, both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45, which are released from the locking, are opened to the state shown in FIG. 7 by their own elastic restoring force.

 [0058] Therefore, according to this bent type mobile phone, the bent portion 61 is provided at the base of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 to form a lid piece, so that the locking is released. As a result, both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are opened by their own elastic restoring force, and a satisfactory unlocking operability is obtained.

 Next, another preferred embodiment of the mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mobile terminal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows (a) the opening of the portable terminal according to the present invention, the main body part in the opened state and the connecting device provided thereon, and (b) is an explanatory view showing the closed state of the main body part. FIG. 10 is a central cross-sectional view when the portable terminal according to the present invention is opened.

 A mobile terminal (bending type mobile phone) 100 according to the present embodiment is roughly configured by fixing a housing composed of an upper housing 1 and a lower housing 2, and upper and lower housings 1 and 2, It is composed of a connecting device 3 that can be bent between the upper and lower cases 1 and 2.

[0060] Among these, the upper casing 1 includes a receiver (receiver) 11 shown in FIG. 10 as a first audio output unit, a speaker 12 as a second audio output unit, a display unit 13, and a permanent component. The magnet 14 and the first printed board 15 are accommodated. Note that the first printed circuit board 15 is provided with an LCD or the like constituting the display unit 13.

 [0061] On the other hand, the lower housing 2 includes a transmitter unit (microphone) 21, an operation unit 22, a vibrator unit 23, a camera unit 24, a hall element 25, a detachable battery 26, and a first battery. 2 Houses printed circuit boards 27 and the like. The second printed circuit board 27 is mounted with a transmission / reception unit, a data conversion unit, an audio processing unit, an image processing unit, an information recording unit, a control unit, and the like.

 [0062] The connecting device 3 is configured to fix the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 with a bendable connecting portion interposed therebetween, and is mainly composed of a sheet-like member and a spring member, and includes an antenna 34. (See FIG. 9) and a flexible wiring member (for example, a flexible substrate) 35 are accommodated.

[0063] The connecting device 3 connects the lower end face side of the upper casing 1 and the upper end face side of the lower casing 2. In addition, the bending operation of the connecting device 3 allows the connecting portion 3A to bend in the direction indicated by the arrow P in FIG. 8 and the opposite direction. That is, when not in use, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the casing 2 is folded into a closed state, that is, the upper casing 1 faces the lower casing 2 (facing). On the other hand, at the time of use, the casings 1 and 2 are opened so that the user's face faces the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 2 as shown in FIG.

 [0064] The receiver 11 serving as a receiver is provided on the main surface 1A of the upper case 1 that faces the lower case 2 when the cases 1 and 2 are closed, so that sound is output from the main surface 1A. It is arranged. When the folded cellular phone 100 according to the present embodiment is normally used, the voice of the communication partner is output. On the other hand, the speaker 12 shown in FIG. 10 is provided on the back surface 1B opposite to the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1, and when it is in a waiting state for mail or a phone call, the back surface 1B receives a ringtone. It is arranged to output.

 [0065] The microphone 21 and the operation unit 22 of the transmitter are provided on the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2 that faces the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 when the housings 1 and 2 are closed. ! / The vibrator unit 23 notifies the incoming call by vibration by vibrating the incoming call.

 [0066] The camera unit 24 is provided on the back surface 2B opposite to the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2 along with a battery 26 that can be attached to and detached from the lower housing 2. The back subject can be imaged. Incident light captured by the camera unit 24 with a subject force passes through a lens group and is converted into an optical signal force electric signal by a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD (charge coupled device), and image information is generated. After this image information is processed by the image processing unit, an image is generated on the display unit 13.

 The Hall element 25 is a means for detecting the magnetic field of the casing permanent magnet 14, and is arranged on the second printed circuit board 27 so as to face the casing permanent magnet 14 when the main body A is closed. Is provided. In the closed state in which the housings 1 and 2 are closed, the Hall element 25 detects the magnetic field of the housing permanent magnet 14 and outputs a detection signal to the control unit. Output. In addition, since the case permanent magnet 14 is separated when the case 2 is in an open state, the hall element 25 cannot detect the magnetic field of the case permanent magnet 14, and therefore the hall element 25 outputs a detection signal. Do not generate.

That is, when the hall element 25 detects the permanent magnet 14 for the casing, the casings 1 and 2 are closed. If it cannot be detected, it is open. In the folded type portable telephone 100 according to the present embodiment, when the casing is closed, nothing is displayed on the display unit 13 in the reception standby state, and power is not consumed. In addition, illumination means (not shown) for illuminating the display unit 13 does not emit light. In the open state, a mark indicating the received electric field strength, battery remaining capacity information, time information, incoming call information, and the like are displayed, and illumination by the illumination means is performed.

 [0069] The coupling device 3 is bent when the casings 1 and 2 are closed, and is released from the bent state when the casings 1 and 2 are opened. The upper and lower two casings 1 and 2 have a sheet-like member that secures the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 across the part 3A, and a restoring force and rigidity that return to a flat state (the state before folding) when folded. And 2 spring members. As shown in FIG. 10, the connecting device 3 includes a first connecting member 31, a second connecting member 32, and a third connecting member 33. Among these, the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 constitute a sheet-like member, and the second connecting member 32 constitutes a spring member.

 [0070] The first connecting member 31 forms a surface in the same direction as the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 and the main surface 2A of the lower housing 2, and at the same time, the outer surface of the upper housing 1 and the lower housing The outer surface of 2 is formed integrally (the outer surfaces of the upper and lower housings 1 and 2 are also used). The second connecting member 32 is provided across the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 and is formed of a thin plate-like steel material (carbon tool steel, stainless steel, etc.) having flexibility and rigidity. The third connecting member 33 is attached to the first connecting member 31 so as to integrally connect the back surface 2B of the lower housing 2 and to cover and hide the second connecting member 32 and the flexible wiring member 35.

 Note that the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 are formed of an appropriate material having flexibility such as thermoplastic polyester “ether” elastomer or polyurethane resin. Further, the material for forming the first connecting member 31 and the third connecting member 33 is not limited to the above-described material, but may be formed into a sheet shape with a material having flexibility and elasticity.

[0072] The inner surfaces of the main surfaces 1A and 2A of the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 formed of the first connecting member 31 are made of another material such as ABS resin different from the material for forming the main surfaces 1A and 2A. The inner surface 1C and 2C are formed. That is, the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 are integrally formed by a different material molding method (for example, insert molding or the like) integrally formed of different materials. Form of this implementation In the state, the outer surface of the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 2 formed of thermoplastic polyester “ether” elastomer (actually composed of the first connecting member 31) 1A, 2A, and ABS grease The window frame portion 13A that is molded in the above is integrally formed.

 [0073] The second connecting member 32 is linearly extended from the upper housing 1 to the lower housing 2, and the cross-sectional shape of the second connecting member 32 is a width Wl shown in FIG. 9 (a). It is formed in an arc shape with curvature R2. The center of the curvature R2 is on the main surface 1A side of the upper housing 1 (or the main surface 2A side of the lower housing 2), and this center is indicated by a point O.

 [0074] As shown in Fig. 9 (a), in a state where the connecting device 3 of the main body A is opened, the second connecting member 32 has the upper casing while maintaining the arc shape of the cross section of the curvature R2 up to the other end force. It extends in a straight line from 1 to the lower housing 2 and maintains a stable state. Here, even if the connecting device 3 of the main body part A is opened and opened (the state shown in FIG. 8) and then bent in the direction opposite to the arrow P to further open (expand), a curved state is formed. When this is done, the rigidity in the direction to release the curved state (opening the casings 1 and 2 with the flat open state force further) has been increased, and the force to keep the open state (hereinafter referred to as the open state) This is called “curvature holding force”). Therefore, the force required to open the casing 2 in the direction that further opens the open state force, that is, the convex back curved surface (positive curved surface) direction opposite to the concave curved surface (negative curved surface) direction (reverse bending force) Is much larger than the force required to close the body in the P direction (bending force), making it difficult to bend. This difficulty in bending is determined by the fixing method of the second connecting member 32, the second moment of section, the Young's modulus, and the like.

 [0075] On the other hand, when bent in the direction of arrow P with a force greater than or equal to a predetermined force, the central portion of the second connecting member 32 bends in the direction in which the connecting device 3 of the main body portion A is closed due to the jumping phenomenon. If the applied force is removed, the restoring force restores the original flat open state, and the connecting device 3 returns to the open state. That is, the second connecting member 32 also functions as a means for preventing an easy bending operation in the state force arrow P direction when the casings 1 and 2 are opened.

[0076] Therefore, when the casings 1 and 2 are opened, the first, second, and third connecting members 31-33 are straight open, and this state is determined by the rigidity of the second connecting member 32. Is maintained. When the lower housing 2 is held in the hand, the upper housing 1 is kept open and stationary, It does not bend in the direction of arrow P and does not sag in the opposite direction. The closing force can be easily closed when the casings 1 and 2 are closed.

 [0077] Next, the locking means for holding the two casings in the bent state will be described.

 FIG. 11 is a central sectional view of the portable terminal according to the present invention when it is closed, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 11 showing the locking means.

 The folding mobile phone 100 includes a locking means 41 that holds the two casings 1 and 2 in a folded state after the casing 2 is closed. The two casings 1 and 2 are connected at one ends la and 2a by the connecting device 3 described above. The locking means 41 is provided at the other ends lb, 2b opposite to the ends la, 2a.

 The locking means 41 acts to hold the two casings 1 and 2 in a bent state against the restoring force of the coupling device 3. The locking means 41 includes a first locking portion 43 extending from one housing 1 and a second locking portion 45 extending from the other housing 2 and partially overlapping the first locking portion 43. Consists of. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be formed by extending the third connecting member 33 that integrally forms the outer surface of the housing 2. That is, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are made of a flexible material force such as thermoplastic polyester / ether / elastomer or polyurethane resin. In addition, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 may be provided with separate extending members on the housing 2.

 [0079] The locking means 41 includes a hook, a magnet suction tool, and the like for holding the casings 1 and 2 in a bent state. In the present embodiment, the locking means 41 is provided with a magnet 47. The magnet 47 attracts and holds the overlapping first locking portion 43 and second locking portion 45 by a magnetic attractive force. The magnet 47 may be provided on at least one of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. When the magnet 47 is provided on one of the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45, the other is provided with an attracting member 49 formed of a magnetic metal.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 12, the magnet 47 and the attracting member 49 are formed in small pieces and overlap each other so that they face each other in parallel. It is installed in the part. In the present embodiment, the second locking portion 45 is provided with a magnet 47 and the first locking portion 43 is provided with an attracting member 49. Thus, in the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45 provided with the magnet 47 on one side and the attracting member 49 on the other side, the overlapping parts are attracted to each other by magnetic attraction force, As a result, the two casings 1 and 2 can be held in a bent state via the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45.

 [0081] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are arranged so that the first locking portion 43 extending from the upper housing 1 is outside the second locking portion 45 extending from the lower housing 2. It is preferable to overlap (cover). With this overlapping direction, when the lower casing 2 is gripped by one palm, the upper casing 1 is placed on the lower casing 2 and stands from the other end 2b of the lower casing 2. The first locking part 43 hanging from the other end lb of the upper housing 1 overlaps the outside of the second locking part 45, and the outer first locking part 43 is flipped up from the lower side with the other hand. Thus, an easy holding release operation is possible.

 It should be noted that the locking means 41 may be provided with magnets 47 on both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. In this case, the magnets may be arranged so that the different poles face each other when the first and second locking portions 43 and 45 overlap. According to such a configuration, the first locking portion 43 is located outside the second locking portion 45, or the first locking portion 43 is positioned inside the second locking portion 45. Both overlapping directions (covering directions) are possible, and the user can select any covering direction. In particular, according to the configuration in which the second locking portion 45 is arranged on the outside, the release operation of the second locking portion 45 can be performed simultaneously with the gripping of the lower housing 2, so that the upper housing 1 on the open side can be It is not necessary to touch, and it is possible to release the lock with only one hand on the side where the lower housing 2 is gripped.

 [0083] Thus, when the casings 1 and 2 are closed, the force that the casings 1 and 2 try to open by the return force F2 of the second connecting member 32. The magnet 47 of the second locking portion 45 By adsorbing to the adsorbing member 49 of the first locking portion 43, it is possible to prevent the casings 1 and 2 from being opened even when the return force F2 is applied to the casing 2.

 Next, the operation of the folded mobile phone 100 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

In the folded type mobile phone 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the upper case 1 and the lower case 2 are closed by closing with the locking means 41 when not in use. Although the bent state is maintained at the connecting portion 3A, when the suction of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 is released for use, the housing 1, 2 is opened to return to a substantially flat state and is stationary, and this open state is stably held by the curved holding force (action) of the second connecting member 32. [0085] On the other hand, when not in use (in the reception standby state), the main surface 1A of the upper case 1 and the main surface 2A of the lower case 2 are made to face each other by applying a closing force F1 or more to the case 2. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be adsorbed so that the housing 2 can be closed. In a state where the casings 1 and 2 are closed, the connecting device 3 is bent small, which is suitable for portability.

 [0086] Since the locking means 41 is provided on the other ends lb, 2b of the two casings 1, 2, compared to the case where the locking means 41 is provided on the outer surface of the casings 1, 2, The distance from the coupling device 3 (that is, the fulcrum force is also the distance to the point of action) increases. Therefore, the force at the point of action, that is, the locking force required for holding is minimized. Further, the locking means 41 does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing 2, and the locking means 41 does not have a hooking force when a pocket or back force is taken in and out.

 Therefore, according to the folded-type mobile phone 100 according to the present embodiment, two casings 1 and 2 are connected to the other ends lb and 2b against the restoring force of the coupling device 3 with two casings. Since the locking means 41 for holding 1 and 2 in the bent state is provided, the distance from the coupling device 3 can be maximized compared to the case where the locking means 41 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 2. As a result, the force required for locking is minimized, the closed state can be reliably maintained, and the locking can be easily released. In addition, since the locking means 41 does not protrude from the outer surfaces of the casings 1 and 2, the locking means 41 is caught by the catching force when the back force is put in and out, and the locking is released. 2 can be prevented from opening unexpectedly.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the mobile terminal (folded mobile phone) according to the present invention will be described.

 FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the main part showing a fifth embodiment provided with a locking means comprising a projection and a recess.

In the folded type mobile phone according to this embodiment, a magnet 51 and an attracting member 53 are attached to opposing surfaces of the overlapping first locking portion 43 and second locking portion 45. That is, a magnet 51 is attached to the outer surface of the second locking portion 45, and the magnet 51 has a protrusion 51a protruding in a direction intersecting the housing opening direction between the other ends lb and 2b. On the other hand, an adsorbing member 53 is affixed to the inner surface of the first locking portion 43, and the adsorbing member 53 has a recess 53a into which the protrusion 51a is fitted. [0089] The magnet 51 and the attracting member 53 are locked so that the protrusion 5la is inserted into the recess 53a. On the other hand, when releasing the locking of the magnet 51 and the attracting member 53, it is preferable to pull up the tip of the first locking portion 43. That is, when a force that pulls out the protrusion 51a fitted in the recess 53a is applied, the engagement is easily released. When the return force F2 is applied to the casings 1 and 2 in the locked state, the protrusion 51a is only moved in the radial direction of the recess 53a, and therefore cannot be easily removed.

 [0090] Therefore, according to this folding-type mobile phone, the projection 51a and the recess 53a are fitted in the direction intersecting the opening direction of the other ends lb and 2b of the other ends, so that the same direction as the opening direction Compared to the case where the protrusion 51a and the recess 53a fit together, the restoring force of the coupling device 3 can be resisted with a large force (shearing force), and the folded holding state of the two housings 1 and 2 is reliably maintained. can do.

 Next, a sixth embodiment of the mobile terminal (folded mobile phone) according to the present invention will be described.

 FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a sixth embodiment provided with a lid-like locking means. In the folded type mobile phone according to this embodiment, a bent portion 61 is provided at the base ends of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45. That is, the first locking part 43 and the second locking part 45 are in the form of lid pieces that can be opened and closed by the bent part 61. The bent portion 61 can be a grease hinge in which the third connecting member 33 extended from the housing 2 is locally thin. In addition, the bent portion 61 may be a bellows portion obtained by bending the base portion a plurality of times. By providing such a bent portion 61, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 can be easily folded back to the opposite side (the folding direction opposite to the overlapping direction).

 The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 that can be bent by the bending portion 61 are provided with the magnet 47 and the attracting member 49 or the magnet 51 and the attracting member 53 described above. . In addition, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are locked without using the magnet 47, the magnet 51, etc., and the tip ends of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are mutually connected. The two casings 1 and 2 may be maintained in the bent holding state by forming a hook shape and locking the hooks of the hooks.

[0093] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 formed with such a bent portion 61 may be formed so as to be in an open state in an unlocked state, for example. preferable. First locking part 43 As described above, since the second locking portion 45 is formed by extending the third connecting member 33, it has flexibility and a predetermined elastic force. Therefore, when locking, both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are bent and locked, and when releasing the locking, for example, the first locking portion 43 which is on the outer side. If only the top is flipped up, the lock is released. Then, both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45, which have been unlocked, are opened to the state shown in FIG. 14 by their own elastic restoring force.

Therefore, according to this bent type mobile phone, since the bent portion 61 is provided at the base of the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 to form a lid piece, the locking is released. As a result, both the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 45 are opened by their own elastic restoring force, and a satisfactory unlocking operability is obtained.

 Next, a seventh embodiment of the mobile terminal (folded mobile phone) according to the present invention will be described.

 FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of an essential part showing a seventh embodiment provided with a protrusion (pin) and a locking means having a concave force.

 In the mobile phone of this embodiment, the third locking portion 70 is attached to the distal end side (the far side from the coupling device) of the lower housing 2 having the microphone 21, and the upper housing having the receiver 11. A fourth locking portion 71 is provided on the top surface 1D of the top of the body 1 (on the far side from the coupling device) and adjacent to the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1.

 [0096] The third locking portion 70 includes a belt portion 72 formed of a sheet member and an adsorption member 73 provided at the tip of the belt portion 72. Further, the adsorption member 73 has a magnetic protrusion. (Pin) with 7 4 When the upper and lower housings 1 and 2 are closed, if the belt part 72 is bent toward the upper housing 1 side, the pin 74 will be directed toward the coupling device 3 (see Fig. 8). Yes. In other words, the pins 74 protrude in the direction intersecting the casing opening directions of the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 between the other ends lb and 2b. The fourth locking portion 71 includes a recess 75 formed in the upper surface 1D and a magnet 76 disposed on the bottom of the recess 75.

[0097] When the third locking portion 70 and the fourth locking portion 71 are locked, the housing 2 is closed, the pin 74 is inserted into the recess 75, and the pin 74 is attracted to the magnet 76. The third locking part 70 and the fourth locking part 71 are locked. On the other hand, when the locking between the third locking portion 70 and the fourth locking portion 71 is released, the tip of the third locking portion 70 may be pulled up. That is, when a force is applied to remove the pin 74 fitted in the recess 75, the engagement is easily released. When the return force F2 is applied to the casings 1 and 2 in the locked state, the pin 74 is only moved in the radial direction of the recess 75, and thus cannot be easily removed.

 Here, the magnet 76 will be described. The magnet 76 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and FIG. 15 shows a cross section in the thickness direction of the casing when the casing is folded and overlapped. The magnet 76 has two poles on the side (front surface) to which the pin 74 is fixed and the opposite side (back side surface), and is a so-called double-sided two-pole magnetized magnet.

 [0099] The magnetic field lines generated by the magnet 76 at this time are directed from the north pole of the surface to the south pole of the back surface through the magnet, and pass through the air outside the magnet 76 (in the air) to the north pole of the surface. The first magnetic field line that is directed to the magnetic field, and the magnetic force from the north pole of the front surface to the south pole of the back surface through the magnet, and the second magnetic field line from the south pole to the adjacent north pole is there. In particular, the distribution of the first magnetic field lines, that is, the magnetic flux density, is particularly strong in the area outside the magnet in the thickness direction of the magnet, compared to a magnet with two poles on one side.

 [0100] Therefore, since the second magnetic field lines are present at approximately the center of the front surface and the back surface of the magnet 76, the magnetic flux density is increased approximately at the center of the front surface and the back surface. In the present embodiment, since the pin 74 is attracted to the magnet 76 across the N pole and S pole on one side, the attracting force for fixing the pin 74 to the magnet 76 can be increased.

 [0101] Further, a magnet 76 having a desired residual magnetic flux density is embedded in the inside of the casing 1 for a predetermined distance from the casing 1 surface force. Mobile terminals are sometimes stored in pockets and may be placed adjacent to bank magnetic cards. If the leakage flux from the magnet 76 on the surface of the housing 1 is large, the magnetic card may be affected.

 [0102] Therefore, in order to increase the attracting force while reducing the magnetic flux density on the surface of the casing 1, in order to attract the pin 74 to the magnet 76 in which the casing 1 surface force is embedded, By forming the recess 75 that guides the pin 74 to the magnet 76, it is possible to achieve the application of a predetermined attracting force and the reduction of the leakage magnetic flux on the surface of the housing 1 at the same time.

[0103] Therefore, according to the mobile terminal of the seventh embodiment, the other ends of the casing lb, 2b are opened. Since the pin 74 and the recess 75 are fitted to each other in the direction intersecting the release direction, the coupling device 3 is operated with a larger force (shearing force) than when the pin 74 and the recess 75 are fitted in the same direction as the opening direction. It is possible to resist the restoring force of the two and to maintain the bent holding state of the two casings 1 and 2 with certainty. Since there is no locking means protruding from the upper casing 1, there is no sense of incongruity even if the upper casing 1 is pressed against the head, and even if the lower casing 2 is gripped by the palm, Since it is not necessary to hold the locking portion 70, the holding is not impaired.

 Furthermore, if a magnetic metal is interposed between the magnet 76 and the receiver 11, the leakage magnetic flux of the magnet 76 does not affect the receiver 11. That is, when a magnetic metal is disposed on the back surface in the thickness direction of the magnet 76, that is, between the magnet 76 and the receiver 11, when the pin 76 is fixed to the magnet 76, a desired value is applied to the magnet 76. While applying an attractive force, the influence on other components can be reduced (leakage of leakage magnetic flux), so that restrictions on the arrangement of components in the mobile terminal can be reduced.

 [0105] As a modification of the seventh embodiment, a pin 74 is provided on one of the main surface 1A of the upper housing 1 and the main surface 2A of the lower housing, and a recess 75 is formed on the other. A magnet 76 may be arranged at the bottom of the plate.

 If the pin 74 is inserted into the recess 75 when the upper and lower casings 1 and 2 are closed, the pin 74 is attracted to and locked by the magnet 76. At this time, the pin 74 and the recess 75 are fitted in the same direction as the opening direction of the other ends lb and 2b of the other ends of the casing. For example, if the magnetic flux density of the magnet 76 is increased, the casings 1 and 2 are closed. The state can be easily maintained.

 [0107] In this case, if provided on the other end side lb, 2b far from the coupling device 3, as described above, the distance from the coupling device 3 (that is, the fulcrum force is also the distance to the point of action) increases. Therefore, the force at the working point, that is, the locking force necessary for holding is minimized, and the increase in the residual magnetic flux density can be minimized.

[0108] In the closed state, even if a force is applied in a direction in which the housings rub against each other, the pins 74 are fitted in the recesses 75, so that the facing housings that do not rub against each other are scratched. On the other hand, since the pin 74 protruding in the vicinity of the operation surface is arranged, the operability may be lowered depending on the arrangement location. In the seventh embodiment, the selection may be made in consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the former and the latter. [0109] Although the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. is there.

 This application is based on a Japanese patent application filed on August 17, 2004 (Japanese Patent Application 2004-237104) and a Japanese patent application filed on August 16, 2004 (Japanese Patent Application 2004-236669). Is incorporated herein by reference.

 Industrial applicability

[0110] According to the mobile terminal of the present invention, since the other ends of the two casings are provided with locking means for holding the two casings in a bent state against the restoring force of the coupling device, Compared with the case where the locking means is provided on the outer surface of the housing, the separation distance of the coupling device force can be maximized, and as a result, the force required for locking is minimized and the closed state is reliably ensured. It can be maintained and can be easily released. In addition, since the locking means does not protrude from the outer surface of the housing, the locking means will be pulled when being inserted or removed from the pocket or back, and the locking will be released and the housing will be opened unexpectedly. Can be prevented. This prevents the display unit from being mistakenly recognized as being open when not in use (when it is closed), and prevents the display unit from illuminating or illuminating. This is useful for a portable terminal or the like in which the two casings are foldably connected by a flexible connecting device, and the connecting device is folded and held closed when not in use.

 Explanation of symbols

[0111] 1, 2 Two enclosures

 la, 2a

 lb, 2b

 3 Connecting device

 41 Locking means

 43 First locking part

 45 Second locking part

 47, 51 magnet

51a Protrusion a recess

0 Folding type mobile phone (mobile terminal)

Claims

The scope of the claims  [1] A connecting device having a restoring force to return the two casings from the folded state to the open state, while connecting the ends of the two casings so as to be bendable with a predetermined distance therebetween,  The other end on the opposite side to the one end of the two casings is provided with a locking means for holding the two casings in a folded state by staking the restoring force of the coupling device,  The locking means includes a first locking portion that extends in one housing force and a second locking portion that is provided in the other housing and to which the first locking portion is fastened. Mobile terminal. 2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion has a magnet that attracts and holds each other by a magnetic attractive force. [3] One of the first locking portion or the second locking portion has a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the housing opening direction of the other ends,  The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein the other of the first locking portion or the second locking portion has a recess into which the protrusion is fitted. [4] The upper locking force of the two casings in the bent state is extended on the outer side of the extended locking force of the lower locking force. [Claim 1] The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a shift. [5] A coupling device having a restoring force to return the two casings from the folded state to the opened state, while connecting the two casings so that the one ends of the two casings can be bent with a predetermined distance therebetween.  The other end on the opposite side to the one end of the two casings is provided with a locking means for holding the two casings in a folded state by staking the restoring force of the coupling device,  The locking means includes a first locking portion extending from one housing and a second locking portion provided on the other side surface of the other housing and to which the first locking portion is fastened. A portable terminal characterized by this.  [6] The first locking portion has a protrusion that is formed of a magnetic material and protrudes in a direction intersecting a housing opening direction between the other ends. The second locking portion has a recess provided on the housing surface and a magnet provided on the bottom of the recess, 2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the first locking portion is attracted to the magnet when inserted into the recess. [7] The magnet is a single-sided two-pole magnet having both N and S poles on the front and back sides, and the protrusion is attracted across both the N and S poles on one side of the magnet. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein: 8. The first locking portion is provided in a first casing having a transmitter, and the second locking portion is provided in a second casing having a receiver. The mobile terminal according to any one of 1 and 2, wherein 1.