Fully flat slider

1. A device comprising:

a lower panel having a track;

an upper panel that overlays a face of the lower panel when the device is in a first position;

a guide link including a head, an interface portion, and a body connecting the head to the interface portion, the head rotatably affixed to the upper panel and the interface portion being slidably retained in the track on the lower panel and at least a part of the interface portion being slidable in parallel to the face of the lower panel; and

a cam shaft including a cam and a shaft rigidly connected to the cam, the cam rotatably affixed to the lower panel and an end of the shaft rotatably affixed to the upper panel,

wherein

when the lower panel and the upper panel are in a second position between the first position and a bi-stable position, the cam shaft moves the upper panel toward the first position,

when the lower panel and the upper panel are in a third position between the bi-stable position and a fully flat position, the cam shaft moves the upper panel toward the fully flat position, and

when the lower panel and the upper panel are in the fully flat position, the face of the lower panel and a face of the upper panel are in a substantially same plane, and wherein the lower panel and the upper panel are in the fully flat position when the body of the guide link is positioned parallel to the lower panel.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the upper panel includes a display and a lower panel includes one of a keypad or a display.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device includes a cellular phone.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the device includes another panel.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a component inserted about the head of the guide link, the component applying a torque to turn the guide link toward a surface of the upper panel when a force is applied to the upper panel.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the component includes one of: a rubber band, pin, spring, or coil spring.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cam or the end of the shaft includes one or more springs to cause the cam shaft to:

move the upper panel toward the first position when in the second position; or

move the upper panel toward the fully flat position when in the third position.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a first pin that rotatably affixes the guide link to the upper panel, a second pin that rotatably affixes the end of cam shaft to the upper panel, and a third pin that rotatably affixes the cam to the lower panel.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the interface portion includes a t-shaped portion that prevents the interface portion from moving out of the track.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising another guide link and another cam shaft located on an opposite side of the lower and upper panels.

11. A device comprising:

a lower panel with four sides, a first surface, and a second surface;

an upper panel with four sides, a third surface, and a fourth surface, the fourth surface overlaying the first surface of the lower panel when the device is in a first configuration;

a bi-stable shaft, a first end of the bi-stable shaft rotatably attached proximate to a first of the sides of the lower panel and a second end of the bi-stable shaft rotatably attached proximate to a first of the sides of the upper panel;

a guide link having a first end, a second end, and a body connecting the first end to the second end, the first end rotatably attached proximate to the first side of the upper panel, the second end slidably inserted in a track located on the first side of the lower panel, and at least a part of the second end being slidable in parallel to the first face; and

a spring positioned about the first end of the guide link, the spring applying torque to the guide link toward the fourth surface of the upper panel when a force is applied to a second of the sides of the upper panel to place the upper and lower panels in a flat configuration,

wherein the first surface of the lower panel and the fourth surface of the upper panel are in a substantially same plane in the flat configuration, and

wherein the device is in the flat configuration when the body is positioned parallel to the lower panel.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the upper panel includes a keyboard or a display screen on the third surface.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the bi-stable shaft includes a cam about the first end of the bi-stable shaft, the cam applying torque to the bi-stable shaft in one direction when the cam is in one rotational position and applying torque to the bi-stable shaft in another direction when the cam is in a different rotational position.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device includes one of:

a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a laptop, a notepad, an electronic tablet, a digital camera, a music playing device, an electronic book (e-book), or a netbook.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the guide link includes a t-shaped portion that slides in the track when the upper panel moves from the first configuration to the flat configuration.

16. The device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a second bi-stable shaft, a first end of the second bi-stable shaft rotatably attached to a third of the sides of the lower panel and a second end of the second bi-stable shaft rotatably attached to a third of the sides of the upper panel;

a second guide link having two ends, a first end of the second guide link rotatably attached to the third side of the upper panel and a second end slidably inserted in a track parallel to the third side of the lower panel,

wherein the third side of the lower panel and the third side of the upper panel are parallel to the first side of the upper panel and the first side of the lower panel.

17. The device of claim 11 , further comprising:

another panel with four sides, a fifth and sixth surfaces, the fifth surface overlaying the third surface of the upper panel when the device is in the folded configuration.

18. A device comprising:

a first portion having a first surface and a track;

a second portion having a second surface, the second portion overlaying the first portion when the device is in a first position;

means for guiding the first surface, including a head, an interface portion, and a body connecting the head to the interface portion, the head rotatably affixed to the second portion and the interface portion being slidably retained in the track and at least a part of the interface portion being slidable in parallel to the first face; and

means for moving the first portion relative to the second portion when force is applied to the second portion, the means for moving including a cam and a shaft rigidly connected to the cam, the cam rotatably affixed to the first portion and an end of the shaft rotatably affixed to the second portion,

wherein

when the device is in a second position between the first position and a bi-stable position, the shaft moves the second portion toward the first position,

when the device is in a third position between the bi-stable position and a fully flat position, the shaft moves the second portion toward the fully flat position, and

when the device is in the fully flat position, the first surface and the second surface are in a substantially same plane, and

wherein the device is in the fully flat position when the body is positioned parallel to the first portion.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the second portion includes a display.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the device includes a cellular phone.