KR101545594B1 - Portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a first slide member coupled with a first body, a second slide member coupled with the second body and connected to the first slide member such that the first slide member is slidable relative to the first body, and a sliding limiter Wherein the sliding restriction portion includes a rail portion formed on the first slide member and extending in the sliding direction, the rail portion being configured to generate a step on at least a part thereof, and a sliding portion mounted on the second slide member and sliding along the rail portion, And a latch module which is formed to be movable in a direction intersecting with the sliding direction so as to be caught at one end of a part thereof.

Description

[0001] PORTABLE TERMINAL [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a slide module in which a body is slidably moved with respect to another body.

A portable terminal is a portable electronic apparatus which is portable and has one or more functions of voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storing function.

As the functions of the portable terminal are diversified, the portable terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or video file, reception of a game, and reception of a broadcast.

Various new attempts have been made in terms of hardware or software to implement the complex functions of such multimedia devices. For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

In addition to the above attempts, it may be considered to further improve the functions of the hardware and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a slide module of another type and a portable terminal having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a slim portable terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a portable terminal includes first and second slide members and a sliding restriction unit. The first slide member engages the first body. The second slide member engages with the second body and is slidably connected to the first slide member. The sliding restricting portion is formed to define a range of sliding. The sliding restriction portion includes a rail portion and a locking module. The rail portion is formed in the first slide member, extends in the sliding direction, and is formed such that a step is generated in at least a part thereof. The latch module is mounted to the second slide member and slides along the rail portion, and is formed to be movable in a direction intersecting the sliding direction so that at least a portion thereof is caught by one end of the rail portion.

According to an aspect of the invention, the rail portion includes first and second rails. The first rail is formed on the first slide member and has the same surface with respect to the sliding direction. The second rail is continuous with the first rail with respect to the sliding direction, is formed so as to be opposed to the first rail, and has one end protruded to catch at least a part of the catching module.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the latching module includes a latching bar and a pressing unit. The latching bar is formed as a cantilever. The pressing unit applies a force to the latching bar so that the latching bar moves toward the first slide member. The fixing end of the latching bar may be formed so as to protrude from one side of either side of the second slide member.

The portable terminal according to the present invention configured as described above can limit the sliding range in a more limited space through the movable latching module. In addition, a slim mobile terminal can be realized.

The present invention further widens the range of assembly tolerances through the moveable latching module. In addition, a portable terminal with a lower manufacturing cost can be realized.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The portable terminal of the present invention includes a first body 110 and a second body 120 coupled to each other to realize an open state or a closed state by sliding.

Referring to FIG. 1, the portable terminal includes a first body 110 and a second body 120 that is slidable along at least one direction on the first body 110. However, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and can be applied to various types of portable terminals such as swing type and swivel type.

The first body 110 may be referred to as a closed configuration in which the first body 110 and the second body 120 are overlapped with each other and the first body 110 may be referred to as a second body 120 ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

The portable terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. In addition, the portable terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but may be switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

A casing (a casing, a housing, a cover, etc.) constituting an outer appearance of the first body 110 is formed by a front case 111 and a rear case 112. Various electronic components are installed in the space formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 111 and the rear case 112. The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 113, the sound output unit 114, the first image input unit 115, or the first operation unit 116 may be disposed in the first body 110, specifically, the front case 111. [

The display unit 113 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) module, and a TOLED (Transparent OLED) module for visually expressing information.

The display unit 113 may further include a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch. In addition, the display unit 113 may be configured to generate various tactile effects that a user can feel at the time of touch. This can be realized by a haptic module interlocked with the display unit 113. [ A typical example of a haptic effect generated by a haptic module is vibration. The haptic module may be variously arranged according to the configuration of the portable terminal as well as the display unit 113. [

The sound output unit 114 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker.

The first image input unit 115 may be implemented as a camera module for capturing an image or a moving image of a user.

The first operation unit 116 receives a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The front case 121 and the rear case 122 may form the case of the second body 120, as in the case of the first body 110. [

The second operation unit 123 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 120, specifically, the front case 121.

The third operation unit 124, the first sound input unit 125, and the interface 126 may be disposed in at least one of the front case 121 and the rear case 122. [

The first to third operating portions 116, 123, and 124 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch screen or a touch pad capable of receiving commands or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, Or the like.

In terms of functions, the first operation unit 116 is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scrolling, and the second operation unit 123 is for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, and the like. Also, the third operation unit 124 may operate as a hot-key for performing a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 115 or the like.

The first sound input unit 125 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface 126 allows the portable terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 126 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port a wireless LAN port, etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal.

The interface 126 may be a card socket that accepts an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for information storage, and the like.

A power supply 127 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the rear case 122 side. The power supply 127 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery for charging, for example.

2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second image input unit 128 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 122 of the second body 120. The second image input unit 128 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (see FIG. 1), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit.

For example, the first image input unit 115 has low pixels so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the second image input unit 128 photographs a general object, It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is often not transmitted.

A flash 129 and a mirror 130 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 128. The flash 129 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 128. The mirror unit 130 enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to photograph the user himself / herself using the second image input unit 128 (self-photographing).

And the second sound output unit 131 may be further disposed in the rear case 122. [

The second sound output unit 131 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 114 (see FIG. 1), and may be used for talking in a speakerphone mode.

On one side of the rear case 122, a broadcast signal receiving antenna 132 may be arranged in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 132 may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the second body 120.

A part of the slide module 140 that slidably connects the first body 110 and the second body 120 is disposed on the rear case 112 side of the first body 110. [

The other part of the slide module 140 may be disposed on the front case 121 side of the second body 120 and may not be exposed to the outside as in this figure.

In the above description, the second image input unit 128 and the like are disposed in the second body 120, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the configurations 128 to 132 described as being arranged in the rear case 122, such as the second image input unit 128, is connected to the first body 110, mainly the rear case 112 It is also possible to mount it. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the rear case 112 in the closed state is protected by the second body 120. Further, the first image input unit 115 may be rotatably formed so that the second image input unit 128 can be photographed up to the second image input unit 128, even if the second image input unit 128 is not separately provided.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a part of the portable terminal of FIG. 1; FIG.

A slide module 140 is mounted between the first body 110 and the second body 120. The slide module 140 guides the first body 110 to slide relative to the second body 120.

The slide module 140 includes first and second slide members 141 and 142 mounted on the first and second bodies 110 and 120, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to the above description, and the first and second slide members 141 and 142 may be mounted on the second and first bodies 120 and 110, respectively. The first and second slide members 141 and 142 may be formed to form a part of the first or second body 110 or 120, respectively. The second slide member 142 may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel (STS), for example.

The first and second slide members 141 and 142 are connected to each other so as to be slidable relative to each other. Referring to the drawing, the first slide member 141 is mounted on one surface of the first body 110, and the second slide member 142 is slidably engaged with the first slide member 141. The second slide member 142 is formed so as to surround a region adjacent to both corners of the first slide member 141 at portions adjacent to both edges. So that the second slide member 142 can slide along both corners of the first slide member 141.

The slide module 140 may include an elastic force providing portion 143 formed to apply an elastic force to the first and / or second slide members 141 and 142 by sliding.

The slide module 140 is formed so as to be stopped at a predetermined position when the portable terminal is opened in a closed state while sliding. Referring to this figure, the second slide member 142 is stopped adjacent to one end of the first slide member 141, and this state is opened.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the slide module 140 of FIG.

The slide module 140 includes an elastic force providing portion 143. The elastic force providing portion 143 includes first and second arm members and a spring (not shown).

The first and second arm members are connected to the first and second slide members 141 and 142 at one side, respectively. A spring is disposed between the first and second arm members.

The first and second arm members are relatively rotated by the sliding of the second slide member 142. The spring generates an elastic force to continuously move the second slide member 142 moved by a certain distance.

The second slide member 142 is formed to enclose at least a part of the edge to slide along the edge of the first slide member 141.

A lubricant member 144 may be disposed between the first and second slide members 141 and 142 so as to reduce the frictional force of the first and second slide members 141 and 142. [ The lubrication member 144 may be formed of a synthetic resin, for example, polyoxymethylene (POM).

The lubrication member 144 is mounted on the second slide member 142. Referring to these drawings, the second slide member 142 is bent such that its edge portion has a recessed cross-section to accommodate the lubrication member 144. [ The lubrication member 144 has an outer shape corresponding to the inner surface of the recessed portion so as to be movable within the recessed portion.

The lubrication member 144 has a cross section that is formed so as to surround an area adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member 141. So that the first slide member 141 can be restricted from flowing up and down. The lubrication member 144 causes a lubrication friction with the first slide member 141 at the time of sliding. Here, the lubrication friction means the friction by the lubrication member.

Referring to these drawings, the slide module 140 includes a sliding restriction unit 150. [ The sliding restricting portion 150 is formed to define a range of sliding of the slide module 140. The sliding restriction unit 150 determines the range in which the second slide member 142 slides along the edge of the first slide member 141, for example.

The sliding restriction unit 150 includes a rail portion 151.

The rail portion 151 is formed on the first slide member 141, extends in the sliding direction, and is formed such that a step is formed in at least a part thereof. Referring to this figure, a rail portion 151 is formed along the edge in an area adjacent to the edge of the first slide member 141. [

The rail portion 151 may be formed in plural adjacent to both corners of the first slide member 141. One of the plurality of rail portions 151a and 151b is referred to as a first rail portion and the other is referred to as a second rail portion 151b, ) May be rotated by 180 °. In this way, the rail portions 151 limit sliding in directions opposite to each other. For example, the first rail 151a restricts sliding when the terminal is open, and the second rail 151b limits sliding when the terminal is closed.

The rail portion 151 includes first and second rails 152 and 153.

The first rail 152 is formed on the first slide member 141 and has the same surface with respect to the sliding direction. The second rail 153 is continuous with the first rail 152 with respect to the sliding direction, and is formed just to the first rail 152. The step may protrude in a direction opposite to the direction toward the second slide member 142. As a result, the spacing space between the first and second slide members 141 and 142 can be larger, and the layout design of the elasticity imparting unit 143 and the like becomes easier as the spacing space becomes larger.

The sliding restricting portion 150 includes the latching module 154 and the second rail 153 has one end protruded so as to catch at least a part of the latching module 154.

The latching module 154 is mounted on the second slide member 142 and slides along the rail portion 151 so that at least a portion of the latching module 154 can be moved in a direction intersecting with the sliding direction .

The latching module 154 includes latching bars 155a and 155b and a pressing unit 156. [

The latching bars 155a and 155b form a cantilever, and may be formed in a plate shape. The latching bars 155a and 155b include fixed ends 157a and 157b connected to the second slide member 142. [ A through hole 155 is formed in the second slide member 142 so that the engagement bars 155a and 155b can move.

Referring to these drawings, a hinge portion 158 is formed at one end of the latching bars 155a and 155b. The hinge portion 158 is formed at the fixed ends 157a and 157b of the engagement bars 155a and 155b so that the free ends 159a and 159b of the engagement bars 155a and 155b can rotate.

A hinge shaft 158a is inserted into the hinge portion 158 and a connection portion 158b through which at least a part of the hinge shaft 158a is inserted is formed in the second slide member.

The hinge portion 158 is formed to protrude from either one of both surfaces of the second slide member 142. Referring to this figure, the hinge portion 158 protrudes from the second slide member 142 to the opposite side of the surface facing the first slide member 141. [ The connection portion 158b may be formed to protrude from the opposite surface.

The pressing unit 156 is formed to apply force to the latching bars 155a and 155b so that the latching bars 155a and 155b move toward the first slide member 141. [

The pressing unit 156 can be mounted on the hinge 158. One end of the pressing unit 156 supports one side of the engaging bars 155a and 155b and the other end of the pressing unit 156 is disposed to support the second slide member 142. [ A hinge shaft 158a is inserted into at least a part of the pressing unit 156 and the pressing unit 156 applies an elastic force to the latching bars 155a and 155b in the rotating direction of the hinge shaft 158a. The pressing unit 156 may be, for example, a coil spring.

The pressing unit 156 applies an elastic force to the latching bars 155a and 155b so that the free ends 159a and 159b of the latching bars 155a and 155b are displaced in the direction toward the first slide member 141 .

The protection units 159 can be mounted on the free ends 159a and 159b. The protection unit 159 is formed so as to be at least partially recessed so as to fit into the free ends 159a and 159b. The protection unit 159 may be formed of an elastic material such as rubber, urethane or the like.

The latching bars 155a and 155b are provided so as to correspond to the first and second rail portions 151a and 151b. The fixed end 157a of one of the plurality of hooking bars 155a and 155b is formed adjacent to one end of the through hole 155 and the other end 155b, (Hereinafter referred to as a "second latching bar") is formed adjacent to the other end of the through-hole 155. Through which the free ends 159a and 159b are subjected to forces rotating in opposite directions.

The fixed ends 157a and 157b of the latching bars 155a and 155b are formed to protrude from either one of both surfaces of the second slide member 142. [ The fixed ends 157a and 157b protrude from the second slide member 142 to the opposite surface of the surface facing the first slide member 141. [ In this way, the spacing space between the first and second slide members 141 and 142 can be narrowed, so that a slimmer portable terminal can be realized.

Figs. 5A to 5C are front views showing operations of the sliding restriction unit 150 of Fig. 4, and Figs. 6A to 6C are sectional views taken along lines AA to FF of Figs. 5A to 5C, respectively . Figures 5A, 5B and 5C correspond to the open, sliding and closed states of the terminal, respectively.

When the terminal is in the open state, the second slide member 142 is restricted from sliding in the direction away from the first slide member 141 by the first rail 151a. 5A and 6A, the free end 159a (see FIG. 4) of the first latching bar 155a is hooked on one end of the second rail 153a. The protection unit 159 protects the free end 159a with respect to one end of the second rail 153a. The second latching bar 155b is disposed on the first rail 152b of the second rail part 151b.

Referring to FIGS. 5B and 6B, when the terminal is switched from the open state to the closed state, the free end 159a of the first latching bar 155a slides along the first rail 151a. When the latching bar 155a is moved out of the second rail 153a and placed on the first rail 152a, the free end 159a is moved by the step of the first and second rails 152a and 153a, (Not shown).

The free end 159b of the second latching bar 155b slides along the first rail 152b of the second rail 151b and the first rail 152b of the second rail 151b moves to the first rail 152b at a position corresponding to the second rail 153b, And is rotated in a direction in which it approaches the slide member 141.

When the terminal is in a closed state, the second slide member 142 is restricted from sliding in a direction away from the first slide member 141 by the second rail portion 151b. Referring to FIGS. 5C and 6C, the free end 159b of the latching bar 155b is hooked to one end of the second rail 153b.

The sliding restriction unit 150 operated as described above implements the sliding restriction mechanism formed in the slide module itself. In addition, the slide module to which the sliding restricting part 150 is applied can be made slimmer with high durability.

7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the latching module 254 according to the present invention.

One end of the pressing unit 256 is connected to one surface of the latching bar 255 and the other end of the pressing unit 256 is connected to one surface of the second slide member 252. The connection can be made, for example, by welding. The latching bar 255 may be in the form of a plate without protruding portions, and the pressing unit 256 may be a plate spring, for example.

The slide module can be made slimmer through the pressing unit 256, and the degree of freedom in assembly tolerance can be further increased.

8 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

8, a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 161, operation units 116, 123 and 124, image input units 115 and 128, an acoustic input unit 125, a display unit 113, A sensing unit 166, an interface 126, a broadcast receiving module 165, a memory 164, a power supply unit 127, and a control unit 170. [

The control unit 170 typically controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like.

In addition to the normal function control, the control unit 170 further controls the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 161 transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from a mobile communication base station through an antenna. A transmission unit 162 for transmitting and receiving voice data, character data, video data, and control data under the control of the control unit 170 and for modulating and transmitting a signal to be transmitted for this purpose; 163).

The operation units 116, 123, and 124 are configured as shown in FIG. 1, and provide the control unit 170 with key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 116, 123, and 124 include a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The image input units 115 and 128 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame is converted into image data that can be displayed on the display unit 113 and output to the display unit 113.

The image frames processed by the image input units 115 and 128 are stored in the memory 164 under the control of the control unit 170 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transmission /

The sound input unit 125 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, and the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data is converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 161 in the communication mode, and is output to the wireless communication module. In the record mode, processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 164.

The sound input unit 125 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 113 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, the control unit 170 displays a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the portable terminal is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the control unit 170 displays and displays the photographed image, the UI, and the GUI. When the display unit 113 includes a touch screen, the display unit 113 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 114 and 131 receive sound data received from the wireless communication module 161 under the control of the control unit 170 in the call signal reception mode, the communication mode or the recording mode, the voice recognition mode, Converts the stored sound data and outputs it to the outside.

In addition, the sound output units 114 and 131 output sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output units 114 and 131 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 166 senses the current state of the portable terminal, such as the opening / closing state of the portable terminal, the position of the portable terminal, whether or not the user touches the portable terminal, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal. For example, if the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, it senses whether the slide phone is opened or closed, and outputs the sensing result to the controller 170 to control the operation of the terminal. And a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply 127 is powered on, whether the interface 126 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The interface 126 may be any type of interface card such as a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (e.g. a memory card, a SIM / UIM card) It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 126 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal, or transmits data in the portable terminal to an external device.

The memory 164 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 170 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, .

In the memory 164, a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention is stored

Such memory 164 includes the concept of a generally known hard disk, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 165 receives broadcast signals transmitted through satellite or terrestrial waves and converts the received broadcast signals into broadcast data formats that can be output to the sound output units 114 and 131 and the display unit 113 and outputs them to the controller 170. Further, the broadcast receiving module 165 receives additional data (e.g., EPG (Electric Program Guide), channel list, etc.) related to broadcasting. The broadcast data and the additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 165 may be stored in the memory 164.

The power supply unit 127 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 170 and supplies power required for operation of the respective components.

The above-described portable terminal is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but all or a part of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made to the embodiments.

1 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a part of the portable terminal of FIG. 1; FIG.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the slide module of Figure 3;

5A to 5C are front views showing operations of the sliding restriction unit.

Figures 6A-6C are cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A to F-F, respectively, of Figures 5A-5C.

7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the latching module according to the present invention.

8 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

Claims (4)

A first slide member coupled to the first body; A second slide member coupled to the second body and connected to the first slide member so as to be slidable relative to the first slide member; And And a sliding limiter for limiting the range of the sliding, Wherein the sliding restriction unit includes: A rail portion formed on the first slide member and extending in the sliding direction, the rail portion being configured to generate a step on at least a part thereof; And And a latch module mounted on the second slide member and slidable along the rail portion, Wherein the latching module includes a latching bar formed by a cantilever, Wherein the free end of the latching bar is rotated so that at least a part thereof is caught by one end of the rail portion, thereby limiting the sliding. The method according to claim 1, The rail portion A first rail formed on the first slide member and having the same surface with respect to the sliding direction; And And a second rail which is continuous with the first rail with respect to the sliding direction and which is formed so as to be opposed to the first rail and whose one end protrudes so as to catch at least a part of the catching module. The method according to claim 1, The latch module includes: And a pressing unit that applies a force to the latch bar such that the latch bar moves toward the first slide member. The method of claim 3, Wherein the fixing end of the latching bar is formed to protrude from any one of both surfaces of the second slide member.

Images