KR101977077B1 - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including a terminal body having a window mounting portion, a window coupled to the window mounting portion, the window having a touch sensing pattern formed thereon, A connection line connecting the sensing pattern and the flexible circuit board, and a coupling portion formed along an edge of at least one side of the window so that the window is coupled to the window mounting portion, Respectively.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a window of a mobile terminal configured to detect a touch input of a user.

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

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

In recent years, a touch-based input method has been applied to provide a more convenient user interface while having a simpler appearance. In the case of a mobile terminal having a touch window, a bezel of the window must have some margin due to the wires connecting the touch sensing pattern and the microprocessor processing the sensed signal.

Therefore, a new type of touch window structure that can reduce the width of a bezel in a window having the same size can be considered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a window of a mobile terminal in which the width of the bezel can be further reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal which is more compact by forming a window having a more improved structure.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including a terminal body having a window mounting portion, a window coupled to the window mounting portion, A connection line connecting the touch sensing pattern and the flexible circuit board to transmit a signal received from the touch sensing pattern, and a coupling portion formed along an edge of at least one side of the window so that the window is coupled to the window mounting portion, Some of the connecting lines are arranged to be covered by the engaging portion.

According to an example of the present invention, the window may include a first area where the touch sensing pattern is formed and a second area corresponding to an outer edge of the touch sensing pattern.

According to an example of the present invention, a coupling portion may be formed in the second region.

According to an example of the present invention, the window mount may extend from the side of the window to the second area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a display module configured to output image information under the first area may be disposed.

According to an example of the present invention, the touch detection pattern formed in the first area may constitute a part of the operation unit.

According to an example of the present invention, the touch sensing pattern formed in the first area may constitute a part of the touch sensing sensor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection line may be formed of a conductive metal pattern integrally formed with the window.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a coating layer may be laminated on the connection line covered by the connection portion so as to reduce a coupling force between the connection portion and the connection line.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the coating layer and the coupling portion have a first coupling force, and the coupling portion and the window are formed to have a second coupling force larger than the first coupling force.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection lines include first connection lines covered by the connection portion and second connection lines not covered by the connection portion, The distance between the first connection lines may be larger than the distance between the second connection lines.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch sensing device including: a window including a first area where a touch detection pattern is formed and a second area other than the first area; And a coupling part formed in the second area so that the window is coupled to the window mounting part, wherein the connection part is formed to connect the touch sensing pattern and the flexible circuit board, And the coupling portion may be formed by covering a part of the connection lines so as to reduce a bezel of the second region corresponding to a space from a side of the touch detection pattern to a side of the window.

The mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above is capable of reducing the window bezel area by stacking the connection lines and the coupling parts of the window together. As a result, the bezel area of the window can be reduced by 30% to 50% as compared with the comparative example. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a terminal having a narrow bezel by miniaturizing the terminal by the size of the reduced bezel area.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a conceptual diagram showing a front side of a window according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a conceptual view showing the rear surface of the window of Fig. 5;
7 is a cross-sectional view of part F of Fig. 2;
Fig. 8 is a view showing an example in comparison with the embodiment shown in Fig. 7. Fig.
Figs. 9A and 9B show examples for explaining the contact angle. Fig.
Fig. 10A is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig. 6, Fig. 10B is an enlarged view of a portion B in Fig. 6, and Fig. 10C is an enlarged view of a portion C in Fig.
11 is a view showing an example of a manufacturing process of a window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix " module " and " part " for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

Broadcast-related information can exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 may be a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB-T), a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB-S), a media forward link only (DVF-H) (ISDB-T), and digital broadcasting systems such as ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes 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 can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

(Hereinafter, referred to as a 'touch screen') in which a display unit 151 and a sensor for sensing a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure, It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensing unit may take the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensing unit may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensing unit can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensing part, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as " proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called " contact touch. &Quot; The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch, a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152 so that they may be classified as a part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

The interface unit 170 may be a path through which the power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle or various command signals input from the cradle by the user, As shown in FIG. The various command signals input from the cradle or the power source may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The control unit 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal according to the present invention, as viewed from the front.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The terminal body 104 includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone 122, the interface 170, and the like may be disposed in the front body 101 have.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 151 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The operation units 131 and 132 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.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel 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 camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body so as to be rotatable or pop-upable.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

An acoustic output 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 'may implement the stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2) and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode in a call.

In addition to the antenna for talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1), can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

4 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a window mounting portion 103 is formed in the front gate 101. A window 210 of a translucent material may be mounted on the window mounting portion 103 and a window 210 may be formed in a plate shape corresponding to the window mounting portion 103.

The window mounting portion 103 may protrude from the inner wall of the case toward the inside of the terminal body.

A printed circuit board (PCB) 240 is mounted inside the terminal body, and a plurality of electronic components for operating the functions of the mobile terminal are mounted on the PCB 240.

The printed circuit board may be equipped with a display module 151, an acoustic output module 152, a camera 151, and a connector 232 for electrical connection with the window 210, and the like. An internal antenna 241 may be mounted on one side of the printed circuit board 240.

The window 210 may be formed in a region where the time information of the display module 151 is output in a transparent state. The remaining area defining the light transmitting area may be formed to be opaque so as to cover the mounting parts inside.

In the opaque area, an acoustic output hole 152a through which the sound output from the sound output module 152 passes, a camera hole 121a through which the photographing information is passed by the camera 121, and a first operation unit 131 and the like.

When the first operation unit 131 receives a signal through a push input, the window may include a through hole so that the buttons of the first operation unit 131 pass through. Alternatively, the first operation unit 131 may receive a signal through a touch. In this case, no through hole is formed in the window. Here, the first operation unit 131 according to the present embodiment has a form of a touch key for inputting information by a touch operation.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual view showing a front surface of a window according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a conceptual view showing a rear surface of the window of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the window 210 is formed to cover most of the front surface of the terminal body 104.

The window 210 may be divided into a first area R1 where the touch sensing pattern 220 is formed and a second area R2 where the touch sensing pattern 220 is not formed. The second region R2 may be formed so as to surround the first region R1. 5 shows only one example of the first region R1 and the second region R2. Hereinafter, the first region R1 and the second region R2 are referred to as the presence or absence of the touch detection pattern 220 It will be classified according to.

The first region R1 may be formed to be translucent, and the second region R2 may be formed to be opaque. Or a portion of the first region R1 may be formed to be opaque, and a portion of the second region R2 may be made to be transmissive.

The window 210 may be made of a material that can transmit light, for example, a light transmitting synthetic resin, a tempered glass, or the like.

On the rear surface of the window 210, a touch sensing pattern 220 is formed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the window 210 and the touch sensing pattern 220 are formed integrally. Alternatively, however, the touch-sensing pattern 220 may be formed in a film-type fashion attached to the window 210.

The touch sensing pattern 220 may include a first transparent electrode 222 and a second transparent electrode 221 arranged to form layers. The first transparent electrode 222 may be formed to extend in the first direction. The second transparent electrode 221 covers the first transparent electrode 222 and may extend in a second direction orthogonal to or intersecting with the first direction.

For example, the first transparent electrode 222 may extend in the width direction (X axis direction) of the mobile terminal and the second transparent electrode 221 may extend in the longitudinal direction (Y axis direction) of the mobile terminal. In this case, the first transparent electrode 222 and the second transparent electrode 221 may be formed of a light transmissive conductive film such as an indium tin oxide (ITO) film, a carbon nanotube (CNT) film, or the like. The first transparent electrode 222 and the second transparent electrode 221 may have various shapes such as a line shape, a curved shape, and a graphic shape.

The touch input pattern 220 may be used to sense a touch input to the window 210.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the touch sensing pattern 220 is connected to the control unit of the circuit board 240 by the flexible printed circuit board 230. The touch sensing pattern 220 and the flexible printed circuit board 230 are connected to each other by connection lines 250. The connection lines 250 are made of a conductive material and may be deposited or printed on the window 210. The conductive material may be, for example, silver, aluminum, copper, or the like.

The flexible printed circuit board 230 may include a detection unit (not shown). The detection unit is connected to the first transparent electrode 222 and the second transparent electrode 221, and detects a touch input to the input area by using a change in the amount of the sensed electric charge.

For example, when a conductor such as a finger or a touch pen touches the window 210, the electrons in the window 210 move to the conductor, and the detection unit or the control unit detects the change in the amount of charge to measure the coordinates . That is, when a point on the window 210 is pressed through the user's hand or the touch pen, the corresponding window 210 is pressed. As a result, the first transparent electrode 222 and the second transparent electrode 221 are in contact with each other at the pressing point, and the detecting unit or the control unit senses the pressing point and can generate a signal corresponding to the touch of the pressing point .

A plurality of flexible printed circuit boards 230 may be formed. For example, the flexible printed circuit board 230 may be disposed at both ends in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) or both ends in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the window 210, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the front case 101 is formed with a mounting portion 103 which is recessed from one surface. At least a part of the mounting portion 103 covers the printed circuit board 240 and may have an area of a certain area or more. That is, the mounting portion 103 may have an area corresponding to an area in contact with the window 210. At this time, holes corresponding to the sound output module 152b and the camera module 121b may be formed in the mounting portion 103, respectively.

The mounting portion 103 may have a through hole 105 through which the flexible printed circuit board 230 can pass. The through hole 105 may be formed at one end of the mounting portion 103, for example, at the bottom or side end of the mounting portion 103. The flexible printed circuit board 230 passes through the through hole 105 to electrically connect the window 210 and the circuit board 240.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of part F of FIG. 2, and FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of comparison with the embodiment shown in FIG.

5 and 8, the second region R2 in which the touch sensing pattern 220 is not formed is a window bezel region BEZEL. That is, in the window bezel area BEZEL, connection lines 250 connecting the touch detection pattern 220 and the flexible printed circuit board 230 are disposed, and the window 210 is formed to be coupled to the window mounting part 103 The engaging portion 260 is formed.

In FIG. 8, the window bezel region (BEZEL) is a portion extending from the side in the width direction (Y axis direction) of the window 210 to the portion where the touch detection pattern 220 is formed. The window bezel area BEZEL typically has a length corresponding to 1 to 2 mm which is the required clearance between the connecting lines 250 and the required clearance between the coupling part 250 and the mounting part 103, And the area of the substrate 260 and the like.

That is, if the connection lines 250 are close to each other, the signal transmission by the touch may not be performed well, so that the connection lines 250 are required to be separated from each other by a predetermined amount or more. If the coupling portion 260 does not have a sufficient area, the coupling force between the window 210 and the coupling portion 260 or the coupling force between the coupling portion 260 and the coupling portion 260 may be weakened. It is required that the portion of the engaging portion 260 which is in contact with the mounting portion 103 is formed to have a certain area or more.

Thus, since the window bezel area (BEZEL) is required to have a sufficient size, it has become a hindrance to miniaturization of the terminal and increase in display size. However, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to downsize the window bezel area (BEZEL) to miniaturize the terminal and enlarge the display. Hereinafter, a description will be given.

Referring to FIG. 7, some of the connecting lines 250 are disposed to be covered by the engaging portions 260. The connection lines covered by the coupling portion 260 of the connection lines 250 are referred to as first connection lines 251 and the connection lines not covered by the coupling portion 260 are referred to as a second connection line 252).

7 is compared with FIG. 8, it can be seen that the window bezel area BEZEL is reduced by the area of the second connection lines 252, which are the connection lines covering the coupling part 260. FIG.

In the comparative example of FIG. 8, the coupling part 260 and the connection line 25 are arranged on the same plane. In FIG. 7, the connection lines 25 and the coupling part 260 are laminated to each other, Is reduced. As a result, the bezel area of the window can be reduced by 30% to 50% as compared with the comparative example. The narrow bezel can be realized by miniaturizing the terminal by the size of the reduced bezel area.

However, the gap G1 between the first connection lines 251 may be wider than the gap G2 of the comparative example shown in Fig. This is because the engaging portion 260 has a space for allowing the engaging portion 260 to have a sufficient contact area between the connecting lines so as to maintain a sufficient engaging force between the engaging portion 260 and the window 210. [ Meanwhile, the interval between the second connection lines 252 may be formed to have the interval G1 as shown in the comparative example shown in FIG.

Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is required to weaken the coupling force between the connecting lines 250 and the engaging portion 260. This is because if the coupling force between the connection lines 250 and the coupling portion 260 is greater than the coupling force between the connection lines 250 and the window 210, It can be separated. That is, bending may occur in a certain region of the window 210 due to a frequent touch input by the user, so that the first contact lines 251 among the connection lines 250 may be separated from the window 210 . In this case, the connection between the connection lines 250 and the touch sensing pattern 220 may be interrupted and the touch sensing may not be properly performed.

Therefore, it is possible to consider a method in which the coupling force between the coupling lines 250 and the coupling portion 260 can be weakened. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the contact angle of the connection lines 250 is increased to weaken the coupling force between the connection lines 250 and the coupling portion 260, Thereby lowering the surface energy of the surface. Therefore, the coupling force between the first connection line 241 and the coupling portion 260 can be weakened.

9A and 9B are views showing examples for explaining the contact angle. FIG. 9A is a view showing an example having a smaller contact angle?, And FIG. 9B is a view showing an example having a larger contact angle?. The higher the contact angle, the lower the surface energy and the lower the wettability, thereby lowering the adhesion or adhesion. On the contrary, when the contact angle is small, the surface energy is high and the wettability is high, so that the adhesive force or the adhesive strength is increased.

Examples of the method for increasing the contact angle of the connection lines 250 include a fluorine-based coating and a hydrophobic coating. The fluorine-based coating means that a coating layer 253 is formed on one side of the connection lines 250 by forming a fluorine resin coating, spraying an appropriate amount onto the surface like a paint, and then heating and calcining the coating at a predetermined temperature.

That is, according to the embodiments of the present invention, a hydrophobic coating layer 253 is formed on one side of the connection lines 250 contacting the coupling portion 260. The hydrophobic coating layer 253 is formed by coating carbon fluoride or hydrocarbon on one side of the connection lines 250 as described above.

The coating layer 253 and the coupling portion 260 have a first coupling force and the coupling portion 260 and the window 210 are coupled with a second coupling force larger than the first coupling force.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are diagrams showing first regions R1 on the window 210, FIG. 10A is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 6, FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. And Fig. 10C is an enlarged view of a portion C in Fig.

As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, on the window 210, areas where the touch-sensing patterns 220 are formed exist. 10A, the touch sensing pattern 220 is stacked on the display module so that the touch sensing pattern 220 can be touched with information displayed on the display, And connection lines 250, which are formed to be covered by the coupling portions 260, are disposed.

10B is a view showing a state in which the first operation unit 131 includes the touch detection pattern 220 so that the first operation unit 131 can be detected when the user touches the first operation unit 131, And the connection lines 250 formed to be covered by the coupling portion 260 and the coupling portion 260 are disposed.

In this manner, the first region R1 in which the touch sensing pattern 220 is formed and the second region R2 formed in proximity to at least one side of at least one side of the first region R1 are provided with the engaging portion 260 and the connecting line 260. [ Since the area occupied by the engaging portion 260 around the first operation unit 131 can be further reduced, the terminal can be further downsized.

10C shows a proximity sensor including a touch sensing pattern 220 so that the proximity sensing can be performed by a touch and a coupling portion 260 and a coupling portion 260 on at least one side of the touch sensing pattern 220. [ The connection lines 250 are formed so as to be covered by the connection lines 250. As shown in FIG.

In this manner, the first region R1 in which the touch sensing pattern 220 is formed and the second region R2 formed in proximity to at least one side of at least one side of the first region R1 are provided with the engaging portion 260 and the connecting line 260. [ The area occupied by the engaging portion 260 around the proximity sensor can be further reduced, so that the size of the terminal can be further reduced.

11 is a view showing an example of a manufacturing process of the window 210 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the process of forming the coating layer 253 on the connection lines 250 during the manufacturing process of the window 210 is shown in order.

The window 210 and the connection line 250 are formed by spraying the coating liquid in the state where the connection lines 250 are formed in the window 210 or by immersing the window 210 in the water tank containing the coating liquid, Lt; / RTI > That is, a hydrophobic coating layer 253 is formed on one side of the window 210 and the connection line 250.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, the mask 291 is used to expose portions other than the top surface of the connection lines 250. The reason for this exposure is to remove the formation of the coating layer 253 on portions of the window 210 where the connection lines 250 are not formed.

As shown in FIG. 11C, the exposed window 210 is etched to remove the coating layer 253 formed on portions of the window 210 where the connecting lines 250 are not formed.

11D shows the window 210 after the coating layer 253 has been removed so that the connection lines 250 are formed on one side of the window 210 and the coating layer 253 Is formed.

As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the connection lines 250 of the window 210 and the coupling portion 260 are laminated to each other, thereby reducing the window bezel area BEZEL. As a result, the bezel area of the window can be reduced by 30% to 50% as compared with the comparative example. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a terminal having a narrow bezel by miniaturizing the terminal by the size of the reduced bezel area.

The mobile terminal described above can be applied to not only the configuration and method of the embodiments described above but also all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made to the embodiments It is possible.

Claims (16)

A terminal body having a window mounting portion;
A window coupled to the window mount and having a touch sensitive pattern formed therein;
Connection lines connecting the touch sensing pattern and the FPC to transmit a signal received from the touch sensing pattern; And
And a coupling portion formed along an edge of at least one side of the window so that the window is coupled to the window mounting portion,
Wherein some of the connection lines are arranged to be covered by the engagement portion,
The connection lines are made of a conductive metal pattern integrally formed in the window,
And a coating layer is laminated on the connection lines covered by the connection portion to reduce a coupling force between the connection portion and the connection lines. The method according to claim 1,
In the above window,
Wherein the first area includes a first area where the touch detection pattern is formed and a second area corresponding to an outer area of the touch detection pattern. 3. The method of claim 2,
And the coupling portion is formed in the second region. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the window mounting part extends from a side of the window to the second area. 3. The method of claim 2,
And a display module formed to output image information below the first area. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the touch detection pattern formed in the first area constitutes a part of the operation unit. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the touch sensing pattern formed in the first area constitutes a part of the touch sensing sensor. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the coating layer and the coupling portion have a first coupling force, and the coupling portion and the window have a second coupling force larger than the first coupling force. The method according to claim 1,
The connection lines,
The first connection lines covered by the coupling portion and the second connection lines not covered by the coupling portion,
Wherein a distance between the first connection lines extending parallel to each other is wider than an interval between the second connection lines. A window including a first area where a touch-sensitive pattern is formed and a second area other than the first area;
A terminal body having a window mounting portion for allowing the window to be seated;
Connection lines formed to connect the touch sensing pattern and the flexible circuit board, which is connected to the terminal body at one end, with each other; And
And a coupling portion formed in the second region so that the window is coupled to the window mounting portion,
The coupling portion
A plurality of connection lines are stacked so as to reduce a bezel of the second area corresponding to a space from a side of the touch detection pattern to a side of the window,
The connection lines,
The first connection lines covered by the coupling portion and the second connection lines not covered by the coupling portion,
Wherein a distance between the first connection lines extending parallel to each other is wider than an interval between the second connection lines. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the connection lines are formed of a conductive metal pattern integrally formed in the window. 14. The method of claim 13,
And a coating layer is laminated on the connection lines covered by the connection portion to reduce a coupling force between the connection portion and the connection lines. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the coating layer and the coupling portion have a first coupling force, and the coupling portion and the window have a second coupling force larger than the first coupling force. delete

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