JP2002141988A - Communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the design appearance of a communication apparatus by making a housing cylindrical part for housing an antenna smaller in the case of the communication apparatus. SOLUTION: A portable telephone (the communication apparatus) 1 is provided with the antenna 6 housed so as to be freely extended and contracted from the upper end of the case 3 (upper back half 21). The surface of the case 3 is curved so as to raise the center part 21a of a width direction and the housing cylindrical part 23 where an antenna housing port 24 to be the gateway of the antenna is integrally formed at a position shifted to one side edge side of the width direction. The inner end part 6a of the antenna housed in the case body is disposed so as to be led to the center part of the width direction of the case.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device having an expandable / contractible antenna, and more particularly to a communication device having an antenna housing opening which is an entrance and exit from a case body of an antenna. The present invention relates to a technique for improving the appearance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a communication device having an antenna which can be extended and retracted with respect to a case body, for example, a mobile phone,
Because of its portability, it is desired to reduce the size and thickness of the case body, and it is also required to have a slightly rounded design so that the corners of the case body do not become sharp when held in the hand.

On the other hand, in a mobile phone, an antenna is an essential component, and in order to house the antenna so as to be able to expand and contract with respect to the case body, a storage tube portion is formed integrally with a part of the case body. It is common to do.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the whole of a conventional foldable portable telephone. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the state in which the upper case b and the lower case c are folded, viewed from the front end side of the antenna e on the back surface of the upper case b. FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view as viewed from the back side of FIG.

The rear surface of the upper case b has a curved shape, that is, a ship bottom shape, so that the center portion d in the width direction rises so that the user can easily fit the portable telephone a in his / her hand. Is formed.

[0006] The antenna e is generally formed at a position where the antenna accommodating opening f is closer to one side edge in the width direction of the case body (upper case b) in design. A relatively thin portion g in the width direction of the upper case b)
The storage cylinder portion h is formed integrally with the upper case b, and the antenna storage opening f is formed at the upper end thereof.

The antenna e is housed so as to extend substantially straight in the longitudinal direction of the upper case b. Therefore, the housing cylindrical portion h extends long in the longitudinal direction to a position closer to the right side on the back surface of the upper case b. It is formed as follows.

[0008]

Incidentally, in the above-mentioned portable telephone a, the above-mentioned storage tube portion h is provided in the upper case b.
Is formed at a relatively thin portion g of the upper case b, and the antenna e extends substantially straight in the vertical direction. In addition, there is a problem that the length is formed longer in the longitudinal direction and the appearance is poor in design.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a communication system in which a storage cylinder portion for storing an antenna is formed at a position closer to one side edge in the width direction of a case body whose surface is curved so that a central portion rises in the width direction. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the size of the storage tube portion and improve the appearance of the communication device in design.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a communication device according to the present invention is arranged such that a surface of the case body is curved so as to bulge in the width direction to one side edge in the width direction. In a communication device in which a storage cylinder portion for storing an antenna is formed at a different position, the base end of the antenna stored in the case body is disposed so as to be guided to the central portion in the width direction of the case body.

Therefore, in the communication device of the present invention,
The inner end of the antenna is guided to the center of the case body, despite the fact that the storage cylinder part for housing the antenna is formed at a position (thin part) near one side edge in the width direction of the case body. Therefore, the length of the storage tube portion can be made as small as possible, so that there are few portions protruding from the surface of the case body, and the appearance can be improved in design.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the communication device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In each of the embodiments shown in the drawings, the communication device of the present invention is applied to a foldable mobile phone.

First, an outline of a foldable portable telephone as a communication device of the present invention will be described.

The mobile phone 1 has a main body case 2 made of synthetic resin, and various members are housed or attached to the main body case 2.

The main body case 2 has a lower end of the upper case 3 and an upper end of the lower case 4 connected to each other via a hinge 5. The two cases 3 and 4 are in a closed state where their front faces are in contact with each other. It is rotatable between an open state in which the fronts of 3, 4 can be seen. When the two cases 3 and 4 are open, the angle formed by the front surfaces of the two cases 3 and 4 is substantially 160 degrees. In this state, a part of the lower end of the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 The opening angle formed by the two cases 3 and 4 is regulated by contact with a part of the upper end of the case.

An antenna 6 is attached to the upper part of the upper case 3 so as to be able to be pulled out and housed therein, so that radio waves can be transmitted and received to and from a base station via the antenna 6.

A speaker 7 is provided as an electro-acoustic converting means on the upper front part of the upper case 3 so that a voice of a communication partner is output from the speaker 7 during a call.

A microphone 8 is provided at the lower front part of the lower case 4 as acoustic-electrical conversion means.
The voice of the user is collected from the microphone 8.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) 9 is provided as a display means in most of the area in front of the upper case 3, and is registered as a radio wave reception status, a remaining battery level, a telephone number of a communication partner, and a telephone directory. It is possible to display various kinds of information such as contents (other party telephone numbers and names, etc.), outgoing and incoming call histories, and other various registered contents.

In most areas except the upper and lower parts of the front of the lower case 4, various operation keys 10 as input operation means are provided.
.. Are provided. These operation keys 10,
By pressing operations 10,..., Various instructions and characters can be input.

The operation key 1 is provided on the upper part of the front of the lower case 4.
A switch device 11 is provided as input operation means different from 0, 10,.

Further, push button switches 12 and 12 as further input operation means are arranged in the lower case 4 at positions slightly left and right outward from the switch device 11.

A lower opening 4a is formed at the lower end surface of the lower case 4 and at a lower portion of both side surfaces thereof.
A protective member 13 made of an elastomer is attached so as to cover the lower case 4 from below and from both sides and project slightly outward from the lower case 4 when viewed from the front.

In the lower opening 4a of the lower case 4, an interface connector (IF connector) 14 is provided so as to slightly protrude downward from the lower opening 4a of the lower case 4.

An earphone jack 15 is provided on the right side surface of the lower opening 4a and slightly above the lower end thereof.

The protective member 13 attached to the lower end of the lower case 4 covers the lower opening 4a of the lower case 4 and is formed to have a size to cover the IF connector 14. A connector cover 13a for closing the connector 13 and an earphone jack cover 13b for closing the earphone jack are integrally formed.

The upper case 3 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and has a front half (hereinafter referred to as an “upper half”) 20 to which the liquid crystal display 9 is attached and a back half (hereinafter “upper half”) provided with the antenna 6. 21), and the upper half 20 and the upper half 21 are overlapped.

The upper and lower halves 21 of the upper case 3 are formed in a curved shape so that a central portion 21a in the width direction rises, and the inner surface thereof has ribs 22, 22 extending in the width direction.
Are formed to reinforce the upper back half 21.

At the position (thin portion 21b) near the right edge of the back surface (front surface) of the upper back half 21, a storage tube portion 23 for storing the antenna 6 in the upper case 3 so as to be freely expandable and contractable.
Are formed integrally, and the antenna 6 has an antenna storage opening 24 formed at the upper end of the storage tube portion 23.

The storage cylinder 23 is provided with the upper and lower half 2
The upper and lower halves 2 extend in substantially the same direction as the longitudinal direction of 1.
It is formed on the surface of one thin portion 21b.

On the inner surface of the upper back half 21, the ribs 22, 22,.
Are not formed, and portions 22a, 22a,... In which ribs 22, 22,... Are cut out continuously downward and toward the central portion 21a are formed. .

Then, the antenna housing 2 of the housing cylinder 23
The antenna 6 housed in the upper case 3 from the top 4 passes through the housing cylinder 23 and the portions 22a, 22a,... In which the ribs 22, 22,. The inner end 6a is guided to the lower end of the center in the direction.

The upper case 3 has a printed circuit board 2 for supplying signals to the liquid crystal display (LCD) 9.
5 are built in, and the antenna 6 includes an upper back half 21, rib notches 22a, 22a,.
(See FIG. 6).

The storage space in the upper case 3 of the antenna 6 is not limited to the above, and another tube may be provided and inserted into the tube.

As described above, although the storage tube portion 24 in which the antenna storage port 24 is formed in the upper case 3 is formed on the thin portion 21b side of the upper / back half 21, the antenna 6 passed therethrough. The storage space is provided so as to guide the inner end portion 6a to the center portion 21a of the upper back half 21, so that the length of the storage tube portion 24 in the vertical direction can be reduced. The portion protruding on the back side can be reduced, and the appearance can be improved in design.

Further, the antenna 6 housed in the housing tube 23 as described above is located at a position deviated in the width direction between the front end portion 6b and the inner end portion 6a, and the middle portion is bent. Therefore, the length of the antenna 6 can be made longer than the vertical length of the antenna housing space, and a long antenna can be housed while being small.

FIG. 8 shows a modified example 1A of the communication device of the present invention, in which a storage tube 23A for storing the antenna 6 is slightly inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the upper case 3A.

As described above, the storage cylinder 23A is connected to the upper case 3
By inclining the antenna 6 with respect to the longitudinal direction, the inner end 6a of the antenna 6 can be guided toward the center 21a of the upper and lower halves 21.
The length of A in the vertical direction can be reduced, and the protrusion from the surface of the upper and lower halves 21 can be reduced.

FIG. 9 shows another modification 1B of the communication device of the present invention.
And a storage tube portion 23 for storing the antenna 6.
B is formed to extend substantially in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the upper case 3B.
Is bent in an S-shape at a position substantially halfway in the length direction.

As described above, the portion of the antenna 6 near the longitudinal end portion 6b in the longitudinal direction is guided to the central portion 21a of the upper / back half 21 to further reduce the vertical length of the storage tube portion 23B. Therefore, the protrusion from the surface of the upper and lower halves 21 can be reduced, which can further contribute to the improvement in design appearance.

In the above embodiment, the communication device of the present invention is applied to the foldable mobile phone 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the foldable mobile phone, but is limited to the mobile phone. It is not something that can be done. In short, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to any communication device having an antenna.

In addition, the specific shapes and structures of the respective parts shown in the above-described embodiment are merely examples of the embodiment for carrying out the present invention. The scope should not be construed as limiting.

[0044]

As is apparent from the above description, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device having an antenna housed so as to be able to expand and contract from the upper end of the case body.
The case body has a surface curved so that a central portion in the width direction is raised, and a storage cylinder portion in which an antenna storage opening serving as an entrance and exit of the antenna is formed is shifted to one side edge side in the width direction. And the antenna is housed in the case body so that the base end of the antenna is guided to the central portion in the width direction of the case body.

Therefore, in the communication device of the present invention,
The inner end of the antenna is guided to the center of the case body, despite the fact that the storage cylinder part for housing the antenna is formed at a position (thin part) near one side edge in the width direction of the case body. Therefore, the length of the storage tube portion can be made as small as possible, so that there are few portions protruding from the surface of the case body, and the appearance can be improved in design.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the antenna is curved and the inner end is moved to the center in the width direction of the case body, the length of the antenna housing space is compared with the length in the vertical direction. As a result, the length of the antenna can be increased, and a long antenna can be accommodated while being small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the communication device of the present invention is applied to a foldable mobile phone together with FIG. 2 to FIG.
This figure is a perspective view showing a state where the upper case and the lower case are opened.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper case and a lower case are folded.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where an upper case and a lower case are folded, as viewed from a direction different from FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state where an upper case and a lower case are opened.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state where the upper case and the lower case are folded, as viewed from the back side of the upper case;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inner surface of the upper back half.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a modified example as viewed from the back side of an upper case.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing another modification, as viewed from the back side of the upper case.

FIG. 10 shows a conventional communication device together with FIG. 11, and this figure is a perspective view showing a state where an upper case and a lower case are folded.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the folded state as viewed from the back side of the upper case.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mobile telephone (communication device), 3 ... Upper case (case body), 6 ... Antenna, 6a ... Inner end part (antenna), 21
... Upper and lower half (case body), 21a ... Central part, 21b ...
Thin part (position close to one side edge), 23: storage cylinder part, 24: antenna storage

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tomonori Hasegawa 325 Karihara, Naka-Nitta-cho, Kami-gun, Miyagi Prefecture F-term in Sony Naka Nitta Co., Ltd. (reference) 5J047 AA07 AA12 AB06 FA10 5K023 AA07 BB01 DD08 LL05 LL06 MM25 PP15

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A communication device having an antenna housed so as to be able to expand and contract from an upper end portion of a case body, wherein the case body has a surface curved so that a central portion in a width direction rises. A storage cylinder portion having an antenna storage opening serving as an entrance and exit of the antenna is integrally formed at a position close to one side edge in the width direction, and an inner end of the antenna stored in the case body is formed as a case body. A communication device, wherein the communication device is arranged so as to be guided to the central portion in the width direction. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is bent so that an inner end portion is brought closer to the central portion in a width direction of the case body.