INTERNAL OPTICAL FIBER HINGE SYSTEM FOR A CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICE

摘要

A hinge system for a consumer electronic device such as a phone or camcorder comprising a hinge for: flipping portions of the device open or closed, sliding one portion of the device relative to another, and/or twisting one portion of the device relative to the other. The hinge system comprises either a flexible spring-like sheath or a plurality of rigid tubing members for permitting optical fiber to transmit infonnation between corresponding light sources and detectors in the base and lid of the communications device. The hinge system may comprise any of the known types of hinges for use with an electronic communications device including a flip hinge, a flip-and-twist hinge and a sliding hinge.