Hinge mechanism for a portable electronic device

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first housing;

a speaker coupled to the first housing;

a first shaft coupled to the first housing, the first shaft capable of rotating about a first axis;

a second housing;

a microphone coupled to the second housing;

a second shaft coupled to the second housing, the second shaft capable of rotating about a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis;

a link connecting the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the link enables the first shaft and the second shaft to rotate in opposite directions; and

a cam having a first slot and a second slot, wherein the first shaft is inserted through the first slot along the first axis, and the second shaft is inserted through the second slot along the second axis, the cam includes a first profile around a periphery of the first slot, the first profile including a peak and a valley and a second profile around a periphery of the second slot, the second profile including a peak and a valley, the first shaft includes a first tab offset from the first axis, the first tab movably coupled to the first profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the first profile and the second shaft includes a second tab offset from the first axis, the second tab movably coupled to the second profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the second profile, wherein the cam slides along the first shaft and the second shaft in response to rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the first tab rests on the first peak, and a limit to which the first shaft can rotate is provided by the link, providing a stable angle when in a flip-open position.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the link is connected to the first shaft at a position offset to the first axis.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the link is connected to the second shaft at a position offset to the second axis.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a shaft head of the first shaft and a shaft head of the second shaft are sliced at an angle with respect to the first and the second axis, the angle enables the hinge mechanism to be held at a first position and at a second position.

5. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a base along a plane that is substantially 90 degrees to the first axis and the second axis.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5 , further comprising one or more springs positioned between the cam and the base.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hinge mechanism is enclosed in a hinge housing.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the link is made of at least one of a metal, a plastic, and a cable.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the link can be one or more cables, the one or more cables enable the first shaft and the second shaft to rotate in opposite directions.

10. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more cables connected to the first shaft and the second shaft are positioned on planes at opposite offset positions.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first housing suitable for rotating about a first axis;

a first shaft coupled to the first housing, wherein the first shaft rotates about the first axis;

a second housing rotating about a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis;

a second shaft coupled to the second housing, wherein the second shaft rotates about the second axis;

a link connecting the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the link enables the movement of the first shaft and the second shaft in opposite directions, and wherein the link synchronizes the movement of the first housing and the second housing; and

a cam having a first slot and a second slot, wherein the first shaft is inserted through the first slot along the first axis, and the second shaft is inserted through the second slot along the second axis, the cam includes a first profile around a periphery of the first slot, the first profile including a peak and a valley and a second profile around a periphery of the second slot, the second profile including a peak and a valley, the first shaft includes a first tab offset from the first axis, the first tab movably coupled to the first profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the first profile and the second shaft includes a second tab offset from the first axis, the second tab movably coupled to the second profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the second profile, wherein the cam slides along the first shaft and the second shaft in response to rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the first tab rests on the first peak, to provide a stable angle when in a flip-open position.

12. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein a shaft head of the first shaft and a shaft head of the second shaft are sliced at an angle with respect to the first and the second axis, the angle enabling the first and the second housing to be held at a first position and at a second position.

13. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a locking mechanism that enables locking the first housing and the second housing at an angle to each other.

14. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the angle varies from zero to 180 degrees.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a base, wherein the base is located in a plane that is substantially 90 degrees to the first axis and the second axis.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 15 , further comprising one or more springs positioned between the cam and the base.

17. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the link can be one or more cables, the one or more cables enable the first shaft and the second shaft to rotate in opposite directions.

18. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17 , wherein each of the one or more cables connected to the first shaft and the second shaft are positioned on planes at opposite offset positions.

19. A method in a portable electronic device comprising:

providing a hinge mechanism coupled to a first housing and a second housing of the portable electronic device, the first housing including a microphone and the second housing including a speaker, the hinge mechanism including a first axis of rotation and a second axis of rotation, the second axis being parallel to the first axis;

providing a cam having a first slot and a second slot, wherein the first shaft is inserted through the first slot along the first axis, and the second shaft is inserted through the second slot along the second axis, the cam includes a first profile around a periphery of the first slot, the first profile including a peak and a valley and a second profile around a periphery of the second slot, the second profile including a peak and a valley, the first shaft includes a first tab offset from the first axis, the first tab movably coupled to the first profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the first profile and the second shaft includes a second tab offset from the first axis, the second tab movably coupled to the second profile so as to move the cam with respect to the peak and the valley of the second profile, wherein the cam slides along the first shaft and the second shaft in response to rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft, wherein the first tab rests on the first peak, to provide a stable angle when in a flip-open position; and

synchronizing the rotation of the first housing and the second housing a link rotatably attached to a first shaft at a position offset to the first axis and rotatably attached to a second shaft at a position offset to the second axis.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first housing includes a keypad and the second housing includes a screen.