Mobile terminal and a method of operating it

Abstract

A mobile terminal having three parts rotatably interconnected by hinges. The terminal can be a mobile telephone having an operative position where a microphone and a loudspeaker are positioned for conversation. When not in operation, the terminal may be positioned around a user's wrist in a safe manner. Removing the terminal from the wrist requires operation of a release means or the overcoming of a predetermined force, which is a safety measure of the hinges and the terminal. The hinges provide a combination of snap or automatic rotation and freely selective rotational positions of the parts of the terminal.

1 . A mobile terminal comprising a first, a second, and a third part, a first hinge pivotally interconnecting the first and second parts, and a second hinge pivotally interconnecting the second and third parts, each of the first and second hinges comprising: 
 a helical spring having a longitudinal axis, the spring comprising one or more wound strands of material, each strand having two ends,    a first hinge part extending into the helical spring, contacting an inner part of the helical spring at a first position or area along the longitudinal axis, and    a second hinge part contacting the one or more strands of the helical spring at a position or area different from the first position or area,    in each hinge, the spring facilitating, that:    rotation of the first hinge part in a first direction around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a first, lower friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring, and    rotation of the first hinge part in a second direction, being opposite to the first direction, around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part, will provide a second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring,    wherein:    rotation of the first hinge part in a first direction around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a first, lower friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring, and    rotation of the first hinge part in a second direction, being opposite to the first direction, around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part, will provide a second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring,    wherein:    in the first hinge, the first hinge part is connected to or attached to one of the first or the second part of the terminal and the second hinge part is connected to or attached to the other of the first and the second part of the terminal,    in the second hinge, the first hinge part is connected to or attached to one of the second or the third part of the terminal and the second terminal part is connected to or attached to the other of the second and the third part of the terminal, and    the terminal further comprises, for each hinge, release means for increasing a diameter of the helical spring at the first position or area in order to reduce the second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring to a third friction during rotation of the first hinge part in the second direction.    
     
     
         2 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second hinges comprise a biasing means for providing a rotation of the first hinge part in the second direction when the release means are operated, the biasing means being adapted to provide a force exceeding a force required to overcome the third friction but being lower than a force required to overcome the second friction.  
     
     
         3 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 the first hinge part of the first hinge is connected to or attached to the first part of the terminal,    the first hinge part of the second hinge is connected to or attached to the third part of the terminal, and    the release means of the first and second hinges are positioned in the second part of the terminal.    
     
     
         4 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 3 , wherein the release means are adapted to be operated by a single operating means.  
     
     
         5 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 1 , the terminal further comprising locking means for maintaining the parts in a predetermined rotational angle even when the release means are operated.  
     
     
         6 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first, second, and third parts has a sound producer and wherein one of the first, second, and third parts has a microphone.  
     
     
         7 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 6 , wherein both the first and the second hinges comprising biasing means for biasing the first and the third parts of the terminal toward predetermined rotational positions, respectively, in relation to the second part of the terminal, and wherein the sound producer and the microphone are accessible at a predetermined side of the terminal when the first and third parts of the terminal are in the predetermined rotational positions in relation to the second part of the terminal.  
     
     
         8 . A mobile terminal comprising: 
 a first, a second, and a third part,    a first hinge pivotally interconnecting the first and second parts so that the first and second parts are adapted to be rotated between a first, lower angle between the first and second part and a second, higher angle, and    second hinge pivotally interconnecting the second and third parts so that the second and third parts are adapted to be rotated between a third, lower angle between the second and third part and a fourth, higher angle,    wherein:    one of the first, second, or third parts of the terminal has a microphone,    one of the first, second, or third parts of the terminal has a sound emitter, and    the terminal has an operative position wherein: 
 the first part is rotated to the first, lower angle,  
 the third part is rotated to the fourth, higher angle, and  
   the microphone and sound emitter are accessible from a predetermined side of the terminal.    
     
     
         9 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 8 , wherein a largest, combined length of the first, second, at third parts in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes exceeds half the circumference of a wrist of a user of the terminal and wherein the terminal, in the operative position, has a largest linear length being lower than the largest, combined length.  
     
     
         10 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the first, lower angle is lower than 45 degrees,    the second, higher angle exceeds 90 degrees,    the third, lower angle is lower than 110 degress, and    the fourth, higher angle exceeds 110 degrees.    
     
     
         11 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 8 , wherein the microphone is positioned in the third part, and wherein the sound emitter is positioned in the first part.  
     
     
         12 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the first hinge has a biasing means adapted to bias the first part, relative to the second part, in a direction toward the first, lower angle, and    the second hinge has a biasing means adapted to bias the third part, relative to the second part, in a direction toward the fourth, higher angle,    the terminal further comprising releasable means for maintaining the first and third parts, relative to the second part, in at least one position rotated at an angle to the first and fourth angles, respectively.    
     
     
         13 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second hinges comprises: 
 a helical spring having a longitudinal axis, the spring comprising one or more wound strands of material, each strand having two ends,    a first hinge part extending into the helical spring, contacting an inner part of the helical spring at a first position or area along the longitudinal axis, and    a second hinge part contacting the one or more strands of the helical spring at a position or area different from the first area or position,    in each hinge, the spring facilitating, that:    rotation of the first hinge part in a first direction around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a first, lower friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring, and    rotation of the first hinge part in a second direction, being opposite to the first direction, around the longitudinal axis and in relation to the second hinge part will provide a second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring,    wherein:    the releasable maintaining means comprise, for each hinge, release means for increasing a diameter of the helical spring at the first position or area in order to reduce the second, higher friction between the first hinge part and the helical spring to a third friction during rotation of the first hinge part in the second direction,    in the first hinge: 
 the first hinge part being connected to or attached to one of the first or the second part of the terminal and the second hinge part being connected to or attached to the other of the first and the second part of the terminal,  
 the helical spring being adapted to have a rotation in the second direction be a rotation from the first, lower angle to the second, higher angle, and  
 the biasing means being adapted to provide a force exceeding the first, lower friction, and  
   in the second hinge: 
 the first hinge part being connected to or attached to one of the second or the third part of the terminal and the second hinge part being connected to or attached to the other of the second and third part of the terminal,  
 the helical spring being adapted to have a rotation in the second direction be a rotation from the third, lower angle to the fourth, higher angle, and  
 the biasing means being adapted to provide a force exceeding the third friction but being smaller than a force required to overcome the second friction.  
   
     
     
         14 . A method of operating the mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , the method comprising, in sequence: 
 1. activating the maintaining means so as to have the biasing means rotate the first and third parts in relation to the second part for the terminal into the operative position,    2. operating the terminal,    3. while activating the maintaining means, positioning the three parts of the terminal around a wrist of a person.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein step 1. comprises, while activating the maintaining means, removing the terminal from the person's wrist.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14 , the method comprising, subsequent to step 3., releasing the maintaining means and tightening the first and third parts around the wrist.