Background of the invention Many users carry their electronic devices, especially mobile terminals, in a bag or in a pocket. Since some users find this inconvenient, some other ways for carrying an electronic device also apart from belt bags, or straps have been proposed.

Figure 1A illustrates a Xelibri 7 mobile terminal 20. As seen in Figure 1B, the housing of the mobile terminal 20 forms a clip 25 so that the mobile terminal 20 can be attached for carrying e. g. to clothes 26 in the manner illustrated by Figure 1C.

Figure 2 illustrates a clam-shell mobile terminal 10. The mobile terminal 10 has two parts 11,12 that are folded on each other to fold the mobile terminal 10 to a closed position, and that are folded from each other to fold the mobile terminal 10 to an open position. A display 13 is usually located inside, in the first part 11 or in the second part 12.

Especially for such electronic devices that have a shape close to to that shown in Figure 2 none of the prior carrying solutions can well enough fulfil the users'need with regard to comfort of use and easiness to get the electronic device removed from the carrying means.

Summary of the invention An objective of the invention is to improve the portability of a portable electronic device. This objective can be achieved as set out in claim 1.

Dependent claims describe various advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Advantages of the invention If a portable electronic device comprises i) a foldable clam- shell like housing further comprising a first part and a second part, and ii) means between the first part and the second part, adapted to enable folding of the clam-shell like housing to an open position or to a closed position, and iii) if the first part exhibits a recess on an inner side of the first part, the recess extending from a first edge to a second edge of the first part, or iv) if the second part exhibits a recess on an inner side of the second part, the recess extending from a first edge to a second edge of the second part, the portable electronic device can be carried by inserting a suitable object into the recess.

If said recess has a width suitable for enabling a carrying belt to fit into the recess, and if the recess in the first part or in the second part has a total height suitable for enabling a carrying belt to fit into the recess, the portable electronic device can be carried with a belt.

If a display or keypad is placed on the inner side in the first part or the second part below the recess, this may improve the grip with which the first or second part helds the object inserted into the recess. Especially this is the case if the keys in the keypad comprise a suitable material, especially rubber, or if the uppermost layer on the display has a relatively large coefficient of friction.

If a display or keypad is placed on the inner side in the first part or the second part not overlapping the recess, it can be ensured that the object inserted into the recess will not damage the display or keypad. Especially advantageous this is if the display or keypad is fragile.

If the portable electronic device further comprises means in the first part or in the second part for preventing the folding of the clam-shell like housing to an open position, the portable electronic device can be secured so that it will not fall unintentionally, i. e. drop down from the object inserted into the recess. These means for preventing the folding of the clam-shell like housing can be adapted to prevent the folding by mechanical means or magnetic means.

If the portable electronic device further comprises a display on an outer side of the first or the second part at least partly overlapping with the recess on the inner side of the first part or the second part, it helps the user to correctly adjust the position of the portable electronic device in relation to a belt or other carrying means, since he or she can now visually compare the level of the carrying means with the level of an edge of the display or a text line in the display.

Short description of the drawings In the following, the invention is described in more details with reference to the examples in Figures 3 to 7 in the accompanying drawings, of which: Figures 1A-lC illustrate a Xelibri 7 mobile terminal Figure 2 illustrates a clam-shell mobile terminal Figure 3 illustrates a section of a portable electronic device; Figure 4 illustrates a top view of the portable electronic device of Figure 3; Figure 5 a section of the portable electronic device of Figure 3 splitted to the first part and to the second part;

Figure 6 illustrates a top view of a first part or of a second part ; and Figure 7 illustrates a side view of a first part and of a second part.

Same reference numerals refer to similar structural elements throughout the Figures.

Detailed description of the invention Figure 3 shows a section of a portable electronic device 30.

The portable electronic device 30 comprises a foldable clam- shell like housing comprising a first part 31 and a second part 32. The portable electronic device 30 further comprises means 37 between the first part 31 and the second part 32 for enabling folding of the clam-shell like housing to an open position or to a closed position. A non-limiting example of the means 37 for enabling folding of the clam-shell like housing is a hinge. The means 37 can be integrated either alone to the first part 31 or to the second part 32, or in combination to both first and second part.

The height h of the recess 35 is preferably sufficient for enabling a carrying belt 40 to fit into the recess 35 in the manner shown in Figure 4 which illustrates a top view of the portable electronic device 30 of Figure 3. Furthermore, the recess 35 has preferably a width d suitable for enabling a carrying belt 40 to fit into the recess 35.

The portable electronic device 30 may further comprise a display 41 on an outer side OS of the first part 31 or the second part 32 at least partly overlapping with the recess 35 on the inner side IS of the first part 31 or the second part 32. The display 41 is preferably adapted to have an upper edge, a lower edge, or a symbol 43 showing an edge line 44, especially an upper edge or lower edge, of the object that is

to be inserted into the recess 35, such as the carrying belt 40. Furthermore, the symbol 43 may be adapted to show time or date, or the symbol 43 may comprise a presentation of time or date.

The portable electronic device 30 may further comprise means 38 and 38'preventing the folding of the clam-shell like housing to an open position, preferably adapted to mechanically or magnetically hold the first part 31 with the second part 32. The latter can be carried out by accommodating a permanent magnet 38 to the first part 31, and a piece 38'such as sheet or strip of suitable metal, e. g. iron or steel, to the second part 32, or vice versa.

Figure 5 illustrates a section of the portable electronic device 30 of Figure 3 splitted to the first part 31 and to the second part 32. The ares where the profile is changing, i. e. the surface is tilted, are marked with reference number 59.

A display 51 and a keypad 57 are placed on the inner side IS in the first part 31 or the second part 32 below the recess 35. Instead of having both display 51 and keypad 57 below the recess 35, only one of them may be below the recess 35, or both can be in another position.

In addition or instead of the display 51 and keypad 57, a display 56 and a keypad 58 are placed on the inner side IS in the first part 31 or the second part 32 not overlapping the recess 35. Instead of having both display 56 and keypad 58 below the recess 35, only one of them may be below the recess 35, or both can be in another position.

Figure 6 illustrates a top view of the first part 31 or of the second part 32. The different hatchings in Figure 6 illustrate the different areas of the first part 31 or the second part 32. The cross-hatching is the area that overlaps

with the recess 35, in other words, is below the recess 35.

The rising-to-the-right hatching describes a relatively flat area comprising the display 56 or keyboard 58. This area can be omitted. The lowering-to-the-right hatching descibes the areas 59 where the surface is tilted.

According to one aspect of the invention, as seen in Figure 6, the first part 31 or the second part 32 exhibit a recess 35 on an inner side IS of the first or second part 31,32, respectively. The recess 35 extends from a first edge E1 to a second edge E2 of the first part 31 or from a first edge E1 to a second edge E2 of the second part 32.

The sides of the recess 35 may comprise a sealing 610 of an elastic material, especially of a flexible silicon. The sealing compresses when an object 40 is inserted into the recess 35 and the electronic device 30 is closed. This improves the grip between the object 40 and the electronic device 30. The sealing 60 can further form a glowing lightguide for connecting dynamic light from keypad or display light sources. A further advantage is that if the electronic device 30 is a mobile terminal, the antenna of which is directed downwards, the antenna would point outwards from the body of the user thus reducing the absorption of radiation in the body of the user.

Figure 7 illustrates a side view of a first part 31 and of a second part 32. Now the first part 31 exhibits a recess 35 in its inner surface IS whereas the inner surface IS of the second part 32 is substantially flat. The display 56 is at the same height as the recess 35 or it may alternatively partially overlap with the recess 35 or be displaced not to overlap with the recess 35. The keypad 57 is on a deeper level forming at least a part of the surface of the recess 35.

The skilled person understands that the invention is not limited to the examples discussed above but the scope of the invention comprises also the scope and spirit of the annexed patent claims.