التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
| العنوان: |
ROTATABLE COUPLING MECHANISM |
| Document Number: |
20120224300 |
| تاريخ النشر: |
September 6, 2012 |
| Appl. No: |
13/040384 |
| Application Filed: |
March 04, 2011 |
| مستخلص: |
A rotatable coupling mechanism includes an annular base member and a first annular member. A second annular member is mechanically coupled to the annular base member. A resilient member is disposed between the first annular member and the second annular member. |
| Inventors: |
HOLMAN, IV, Martin Earl (West Palm Beach, FL, US); IVANIK, Bruce Alan (Boca Raton, FL, US); MOSKOWITZ, Douglas Wayne (Weston, FL, US) |
| Assignees: |
RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION (Wilmington, DE, US) |
| Claim: |
1. A rotatable coupling mechanism comprising: an annular base member; a first annular member that is movable in an axial direction with respect to the annular base member; a second annular member that is mechanically coupled to the annular base member; and a resilient member disposed between the first annular member and the second annular member. |
| Claim: |
2. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 1, the first annular member comprising an inner beveled edge formed along an inner wall of the first annular member, the inner beveled edge coupling a first portion of the inner wall to a second portion of the inner wall, the first portion comprising a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second portion. |
| Claim: |
3. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 1, the annular base member comprising an annular inner portion and an annular outer portion circumscribing the annular inner portion, the annular outer portion comprising a first undulating surface that comprises a set of alternating peak regions and valley regions. |
| Claim: |
4. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 1, the annular base portion comprising an annular outer portion having a first undulating surface, the first annular member comprising a set of rollers disposed thereon and movable along the first undulating surface. |
| Claim: |
5. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 4, where each roller in the set of rollers is axially positioned perpendicular to an outer wall of the first annular member and rotatably retained by a set of retaining members. |
| Claim: |
6. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 5, where the set of retaining members are disposed on a bottom surface of a flanged region of the first annular member, the bottom surface facing the annular base member, where each retaining member in the set of retaining members defines a cavity for receiving a roller in the set of rollers, and where each retaining member defines a set of slots for receiving a set of extending members that extend in an outward direction from a center region of the roller. |
| Claim: |
7. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 3, where the first annular member transitions from a first position where a bottom surface of the first annular member substantially contacts the annular inner portion of the annular base member to a second position where the bottom surface of the first annular member is elevated from the annular inner portion of the annular base member as a set of rollers disposed on the first annular member moves from a valley region to a peak region in the set of alternating peak regions and valley regions of the first undulating surface. |
| Claim: |
8. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 3, where each peak region in the set of alternating peak regions and valley regions of the first undulating surface is disposed substantially 45 degrees from each other, and where each valley region in the set of alternating peak regions and valley regions of the first undulating surface is disposed substantially 45 degrees from each other. |
| Claim: |
9. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 3, where the first annular member transitions from a first position where a bottom surface of the first annular member is elevated from the annular inner portion of the annular base member to a second position where the bottom surface of the first annular member substantially contacts the annular inner portion of the annular base member as a set of rollers disposed on the first annular member moves from a peak region to a valley region in the set of alternating peak regions and valley regions of the first undulating surface. |
| Claim: |
10. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 9, where an axial force exerted by the resilient member transitions the first annular member from the first position to the second position without user intervention. |
| Claim: |
11. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 3, the first annular member being disposed between the annular inner portion of the annular base member and a flanged region of the second annular member, the first annular member being rotatable around the annular base member and the second annular member, the resilient member being disposed between an inner wall of the first annular member and an outer wall of the second annular member. |
| Claim: |
12. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 11, where the second annular member comprises a first portion that extends from the flanged region towards the annular base member that is coupled to a second portion by a beveled edge, the first portion comprising a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second portion. |
| Claim: |
13. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 11, the resilient member comprising a second undulating surface comprising a set of peak regions and a set of valley regions. |
| Claim: |
14. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 13, where the set of peak regions of the second undulating surface comprises a first peak region and a second peak region that are disposed substantially 180 degrees from each other, where the set of valley regions of the second undulating surface comprises a first valley region and a second valley region that are disposed substantially 180 degrees from each other and substantially 90 degrees from the first peak region and the second peak region, respectively. |
| Claim: |
15. A portable electronic device comprising: a first portion; a second portion; and a rotatable coupling mechanism coupled to the first portion and the second portion, the rotatable coupling mechanism comprising: an annular base member; a first annular member that is movable in an axial direction with respect to the annular base member; a second annular member that is mechanically coupled to the annular base member; and a resilient member disposed between the first annular member and the second annular member. |
| Claim: |
16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, the annular base member comprising an annular inner portion and an annular outer portion circumscribing the annular inner portion, the annular outer portion comprising a first undulating surface that comprises a set of alternating peak regions and valley regions. |
| Claim: |
17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, the first annular member comprising a set of rollers disposed thereon and movable along the first undulating surface. |
| Claim: |
18. The portable electronic device of claim 16, the first annular member being disposed between the annular inner portion of the annular base member and a flanged region of the second annular member, the first annular member being rotatable around the annular base member and the second annular member, the resilient member being disposed between an inner wall of the first annular member and an outer wall of the second annular member, the second annular member comprises a first portion that extends from the flanged region towards the annular base member that is coupled to a second portion by a beveled edged, the first portion comprising a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second portion. |
| Claim: |
19. A rotatable coupling mechanism comprising: an annular base member comprising an undulating outer portion circumscribing an annular inner portion; a first annular member that is movable in an axial direction with respect to the annular base member, the first annular member comprising a flanged region; and a set of rollers disposed between a bottom surface of the flanged region of the first annular member and a top surface of the undulating outer portion of the annular base member. |
| Claim: |
20. The rotatable coupling mechanism of claim 19, further comprising: a second annular member that is mechanically coupled to the annular inner portion of the annular base member, where at least a portion of the second annular member is disposed within a cavity of the first annular member; and a resilient member disposed between a bottom surface of a flanged region of the second annular member and a top surface of an inner beveled edge of the first annular member, the inner beveled edge extending from an inner wall of the cavity of the first annular member. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
36167/901 |
| Current International Class: |
05 |
| رقم الانضمام: |
edspap.20120224300 |
| قاعدة البيانات: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
