A mobile electronic device including two planar panels that are typically suspended from one another and can assume a retracted position in which they substantially overlap one another and assume an extended position in which the panels do not completely overlap one another. In the extended position an additional portion of the elements of the user interface is exposed.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing having at least a first substantially planar panel and a second substantially planar panel,
said first panel having an outline with a width and a height,
said second panel having an outline with a width and a height,
said second panel being arranged adjacent and substantially parallel to said first panel, and
said first panel and said second panel are hingeably connected to one another so that the panels can be rotated relative to one another in a plane in which both panels are arranged between a retracted position in which the outline along the width of the first panel substantially coincides with the outline of the width of the second panel, and an extended position that is reached by a substantially 90° rotation of the first panel relative to the second panels, wherein in the extended position, the position of the outline of the first panel along one side of its width substantially coincides with the position of the outline of the second panel along the one side of its height, and wherein a portion of the second panel is a double walled panel with a space there between in which a first portion of the first panel is received and a second portion of the first panel is exposed in the retracted position.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outline along one side of the height of the second panel substantially coincides with the outline along the height of the first panel when said panels are in the retracted position.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein there is a ratio of substantially 1:2 between the width and the height of said first panel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said panels rotate relative to one another about a pivot axis that is disposed on an imaginary straight line that coincides with a first point in a middle on one side of the outline along the height of the first panel and extends to a corner on another side of the first panel.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said pivot axis is placed at a distance in the direction of the width of the first panel corresponding to a quarter of the width of the first panel as measured from a side along the width of the first panel, and at a distance in the direction of the height of the first panel corresponding to a quarter of the width of the first panel as measured from an imaginary line extending through the middle of the height of the first panel.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first panel has a front face provided with elements of a user interface, and said second panel has a front surface that is provided with elements of a user interface.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the elements of the user interface on one of the two panels is obscured in the retracted position and wherein said portion of the elements of the user interface is not obscured in the extended position.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one side of said double walled panel is provided with a flap that opens and closes for allowing the portion of the first panel to be received inside that second panel and for closing of the hollow space inside that second panel when said portion of said first panel is not received inside said second panel.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said flap is urged to its closed position by a spring, preferably a torsion spring.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second panel is provided with a QWERTY type keyboard.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second panel is also suspended so as to be able to swivel relative to the first panel, so that both sides of the second panel can one at a time act as the front surface of the second panel.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said second panel is provided on both of its sides with elements of a user interface.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein one side of said second panel is provided with a first type keypad and the other side of said second panel is provided with another type of keypad.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first panel is suspended from the second panel by a link mechanism.
15. The apparatus claim 1 , wherein said first panel includes a substantially rectangular display screen that makes up the major portion of the front surface of the first panel.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the display screen is obscured by the second panel when the panels are in the retracted position.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the obscured portion of the display screen is deactivated.
18. A method comprising:
providing a pivot axis that connects a first substantially planar panel and a second substantially planar panel of a housing of an apparatus, said first panel having an outline with a width and a height, and said second panel having an outline with a width and a height;
positioning the pivot axis so that the panels can be rotated relative to one another in a plane in which both panels are arranged between a retracted position and an extended position that are separated by a substantially 90° rotation of the first panel relative to the second panel;
further positioning the pivot axis such that the width of the first panel substantially coincides with the width of the second panel in the retracted position, and one side of the first panel is substantially aligned with the top of the second panel in the extended position; and
providing a portion of the second panel with double walls and a space there between for receiving a first portion of the first panel such that a second portion of the first panel is exposed in the retracted position.
19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the outline along the width of the first panel substantially coincides with the outline of the width of the second panel in the retracted position of the panels.
20. A method according to claim 18 , further comprising disposing the pivot axis on an imaginary straight line that coincides with a first point in a middle on one side of the outline along the height of the first panel and extends to a corner on another side of the first panel.
21. A method according to claim 18 , further comprising placing the pivot axis at a distance in a direction of the width of the first panel corresponding to a quarter of the width of the first panel as measured from a side along the width of the first panel, and at a distance in a direction of the height of the first panel corresponding to a quarter of the width of the first panel as measured from an imaginary line extending through a middle of the height of the first panel.