JP2004343265A - Mobile communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile communication terminal wherein a layout space of the antenna is sufficiently ensured and the space can effectively be utilized. <P>SOLUTION: In the mobile communication terminal wherein an upper case 1 and a lower case 2 are coupled via a hinge 8 in a freely foldable manner, a metallic rod element 7 is deposited inside the hinge 8 so that the metallic rod element 7 is in contact with or capacitively coupled to the metal-made upper case 1 when at least the cases are opened, thereby configuring the antenna by both the upper case 1 and the metallic rod element 7 resulting in that the antenna characteristic can sufficiently be ensured. Further, when the cases are folded, the metallic rod element 7 is laid out so that only the metallic rod element 7 acts like the antenna. The antenna characteristic causes no serial problem in the standby state where the cases are folded in comparison with a speech state where the cases are opened and only the metallic rod element 7 is enough for the antenna. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a mobile communication terminal suitable for being applied to a mobile phone in which an upper housing and a lower housing are foldably connected via a hinge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Mobile phones, which are representative examples of recent mobile communication terminals, are becoming smaller and thinner while having high functions, and various components are mounted on a substrate in high-density mounting. Among these components, various antenna mounting systems have been proposed and put to practical use. The conventional example will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a structure of a built-in antenna system (sheet metal type) in a conventional mobile phone as viewed from a side, and FIG. 12 is a partial plan view of the structure shown in FIG.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 11, a power supply pin connector 23 is connected from a lower substrate 22 to a sheet metal 20 adhered to a rear mold (rear cover) 19 of a lower housing of a mobile phone to operate as an antenna. Type antennas and the like are widely used. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a lower housing front mold.
[0004]
Here, with reference to Patent Document 1, an antenna (for example, a planar antenna) is attached not only to the lower housing but also to the upper housing, and when the housing is opened, that is, at the time of a call, the antennas of these two housings are provided. A technique has been disclosed in which the mutual interval is set to be equal to or greater than the interval of the palm of a human hand to improve antenna characteristics.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-171190 (pages 3 and 4, FIGS. 1 and 2)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The characteristics of the L-shaped antenna shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 are better when the height of the metal plate from the substrate is higher, and the characteristics are better when the metal plate is larger. Therefore, as the size and thickness of the mobile phone are reduced, the height of the substrate and the metal plate is reduced, and when the size of the metal plate is reduced, the antenna characteristics are deteriorated. As described above, in the L-type antenna type in which the sheet metal 20 is attached to the rear mold 19, when components are mounted under the sheet metal, the antenna characteristics may be affected and the characteristics may be deteriorated. Therefore, it is avoided to mount components under the sheet metal 20 as much as possible. Therefore, as the size and thickness of the mobile phone are reduced, the space for disposing the antenna (sheet metal) 20 is reduced.
[0007]
As described above, when the size and thickness of the mobile phone are reduced, there is a problem that the space for disposing the antenna is reduced and a problem that the antenna characteristics are deteriorated.
[0008]
Further, in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to dispose an antenna (sheet metal) in both the upper housing and the lower housing, so that it becomes more difficult to reduce the size and thickness of the mobile phone. There is.
[0009]
Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to secure a sufficient space for arranging the antenna and to further increase the space for the conventional arrangement. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication terminal that can be effectively used by mounting components on the mobile communication terminal.
[0010]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable communication terminal capable of sufficiently securing the characteristics as an antenna even when the housing is opened.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, there is provided a portable communication terminal in which an upper housing and a lower housing are foldably connected via a hinge portion, wherein the upper housing is made of a metal material, and a rod-shaped metal element is provided in the hinge portion. Arranged, at least when the housing is in an open state, the bar-shaped metal element and the upper housing operate as an antenna, the arrangement of the bar-shaped metal element with respect to the upper housing is determined. A mobile communication terminal is obtained.
[0012]
The rod-shaped metal element is arranged so that the rod-shaped metal element contacts or is capacitively coupled to the upper housing at least when the housing is opened. Further, the bar-shaped metal element is arranged such that the bar-shaped metal element is in non-contact and non-capacitive coupling with the upper housing when the housing is in a folded state. Furthermore, the rod-shaped metal element is arranged such that the rod-shaped metal element is in contact with or capacitively coupled to the upper housing even when the housing is in a folded state or an opened state. It is characterized by the following.
[0013]
The operation of the present invention will be described. In a portable communication terminal in which an upper housing and a lower housing are foldably connected via a hinge portion, at least in a state where the housing is open, the rod-shaped metal element and the metal upper housing are in contact or capacitive coupling. As described above, the rod-shaped metal element is arranged in the hinge portion, and the antenna is constituted by both the upper housing and the rod-shaped metal element, so that the characteristics as the antenna can be sufficiently secured. When the housing is folded, the bar-shaped metal element is arranged in the hinge so that only the metal bar-shaped element operates as an antenna. In the folded state of the housing, that is, in the standby state, the antenna characteristics do not matter so much as compared with the communication (communication) state in which the housing is opened, so that only the rod-shaped element is sufficient.
[0014]
Needless to say, even when the housing is folded, the antenna may be constituted by both the upper housing and the bar-shaped metal element as in the open state.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a view of a state in which a rear cover of an upper housing and a lower housing is removed, as viewed from the rear side, and includes an upper housing (front die-casting part) 1, a lower housing (front molding part) 2, an upper substrate 3, and a lower part. It comprises a substrate 4, a feeding point 5 of a bar-shaped metal element 7, a flexible printed board 6, and a bar-shaped metal element 7.
[0016]
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the flexible printed board 6, the lower housing (front mold part) 2, and the upper board 3 of FIG. 1 are not provided. FIG. 5 is a perspective view when FIG. 2 is folded.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the present invention is a folding mobile phone, which is divided into two parts, an upper case 1 and a lower case 2, and the upper case 1 and the lower case 2 They are mechanically connected by hinges 8. An upper substrate 3 and a lower substrate 4 are provided inside each of the upper housing (front die casting unit) 1 and the lower housing (front molding unit) 2, and the electrical connection between the two substrates is made by a flexible printed circuit board 6. It is being done.
[0018]
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the mobile phone (upper case and lower case) is open, the rod-shaped metal element 7 is connected to the hinge portion 8 from the power supply point 5 which is the connection point of the lower substrate 4. , And is bent at a right angle on the way, and the tip portion 9 is disposed at a distance enough to contact the die-cast portion at the bottom of the hinge portion 8 and extends below the flexible printed circuit board 6. .
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 5, when the mobile phone (upper housing and lower housing) is folded, the tip portion 9 of the bar-shaped metal element 7 does not contact the upper housing (front die cast) 1. Has become.
[0020]
In such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 above, the rod-shaped metal element 7 is supplied with power from the power supply point 5 of the rod-shaped metal element connection point of the lower substrate 4, and when the housing is open, the rod-shaped metal element 7 Are arranged at such a distance that the front end portion 9 contacts the upper housing (front die cast) 1. By doing so, the rod-shaped metal element 7 and the upper housing (front die-cast) 1 are capacitively coupled even if they do not have a direct contact structure. The casing (front die cast) 1 operates as a transmission line, and the upper casing (front die cast) 1 operates as an antenna.
[0021]
Note that if the inner diameter of the hinge is small, the rod-shaped metal element 7 and the rod-shaped metal element 7 do not need to be arranged at a position where the tip portion 9 of the rod-shaped metal element contacts the upper casing (front die cast) 1 (for example, the center position of the inner diameter). The upper housing (front die cast) 1 is capacitively coupled, and the upper housing (front die cast) 1 operates as an antenna.
[0022]
However, since the coupling amount is weaker than that provided at the contacting distance, it is better to arrange at the contacting distance in terms of antenna characteristics.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 5, when the housing is closed, the bar-shaped metal element 7 is arranged so as to be separated from the upper housing (front die cast) 1, so that only the bar-shaped metal element 7 operates as an antenna. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 11 is connected to the upper housing 1. However, since the material is a molding material and is insulative, no capacitive coupling with the rod-shaped metal element 7 occurs.
[0024]
6 to 10 show the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 6 is a view of the present embodiment with the rear cover of the upper lower housing removed and viewed from the rear side. The upper housing (front die casting unit) 1, the lower housing (front molding unit) 2, the upper substrate 3, It comprises a lower substrate 4, a connection point 5 of a bar-shaped metal element 7, a flexible printed board 6, and a bar-shaped metal element 7.
[0025]
7 is a sectional view taken along the line CD in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of FIG. FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the flexible printed board 6, the lower housing (front mold part) 2, and the upper board 3 of FIG. 6 are not provided. FIG. 10 is a view of FIG. 5 from the hinge side when folded.
[0026]
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, similarly to the previous embodiment, the rod-shaped metal element 7 is disposed inside the hinge, and the tip end 9 ′ of the rod-shaped metal element 7 has the shape of the previous embodiment. And further extends along the cylindrical inner wall side of the hinge. By doing so, when the mobile phone is in the open state, the bar-shaped metal element 7 and the upper housing (front die-cast portion) 1 are capacitively coupled, and the bar-shaped metal element 7 is connected to the upper housing (front die). The upper casing (front die cast) 1 operates as an antenna.
[0027]
Further, even when the mobile phone is in the closed state, the rod-shaped metal element 7 and the upper housing (front die-casting part) 1 are capacitively coupled to each other. (Front die cast unit) 1 operates as an antenna. Of course, the rod-shaped metal element 7 may always be in contact with the upper housing 1.
[0028]
Therefore, since the bar-shaped metal element 7 is arranged by utilizing the space originally provided in the hinge, the portion arranged by the conventional mobile phone can be effectively used by mounting other parts. , And can be miniaturized. Further, since the upper housing (front die-cast portion) 1 is operated as an antenna, a sufficient size for the antenna can be secured, and the antenna characteristics can be improved.
[0029]
In each of the above embodiments, the description has been given of the mobile phone. However, it is apparent that the present invention can be widely applied to a portable wireless communication terminal having a foldable housing.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
A first effect of the present invention is that the portable telephone can be made smaller and thinner. The reason is that, by arranging the antenna in the space originally provided in the hinge portion, the portion arranged in the conventional mobile phone can be effectively used.
[0031]
A second effect of the present invention is that when the housing is opened, the antenna characteristics are improved as compared with the conventional built-in antenna system. The reason is that when the housing is opened, the bar-shaped metal element and the upper housing front die cast are capacitively coupled, and the upper housing front die cast operates as an antenna. It is because it can secure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a view of a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention with a rear cover of an upper housing and a lower housing removed.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, with a rear cover of an upper lower housing removed.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which a flexible printed board 6, a lower housing (a front mold part) 2, and an upper board 3 of FIG. 1 are not provided.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view when FIG. 2 is folded.
FIG. 6 is a view seen from the rear side with the rear cover of the upper lower housing removed in another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6 with the rear cover of the upper lower housing removed.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of FIG. 7;
9 is a diagram showing a state in which the flexible printed board 15, the lower housing front mold section 11, and the upper board 12 of FIG. 6 are not provided.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view when FIG. 7 is folded.
FIG. 11 is a side view of a built-in antenna type (sheet metal type) in a conventional mobile phone.
FIG. 12 is a view of the rear of FIG. 11 as viewed from the back side.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 upper housing (front die cast part)
2 Lower housing (front mold part)
3 upper substrate 4 lower substrate 5 rod-shaped metal element connection point 6 flexible printed circuit board 7 rod-shaped metal element 8 hinge part 9, 9 'tip of rod-shaped metal element

Claims (6)

A portable communication terminal in which an upper housing and a lower housing are foldably connected via a hinge portion,
The upper housing is made of a metal material, and a bar-shaped metal element is arranged in the hinge portion.At least when the housing is in an open state, the bar-shaped metal element and the upper housing operate as an antenna. A portable communication terminal, wherein the rod-shaped metal element is arranged in the upper housing. 2. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped metal element is arranged such that the rod-shaped metal element comes into contact with the upper housing at least when the housing is opened. 2. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bar-shaped metal element is arranged such that the bar-shaped metal element is capacitively coupled to the upper housing at least when the housing is opened. . The rod-shaped metal element is arranged such that the rod-shaped metal element is in non-contact and non-capacitive coupling with the upper housing when the housing is in a folded state. The mobile communication terminal according to any of the above. The rod-shaped metal element is arranged such that the rod-shaped metal element is in contact with or capacitively coupled to the upper housing even when the housing is in the folded state or in the open state. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal is a mobile phone.

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