KR20060028166A - External input key structure of mobile communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an external input key structure that allows a user to operate without opening the terminal outside of a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and more particularly, a buffer between a push button and a contact switch. The present invention relates to an external input key structure of a mobile communication terminal provided with a function to prevent the reciprocating terminal of the contact switch from being pressed by an excessive force or an excessive impact force, thereby preventing breakage and malfunction of the contact switch.

According to the present invention, there is provided a structure of an external input key provided to be operated outside of the mobile communication terminal, the push button being installed to be exposed to the outside of the case of the mobile communication terminal so that the user can operate; An actuator coupled to the push button to move integrally with the push button, the actuator having an elastic protrusion protruding toward an inside of the terminal case at an end thereof; And a contact switch fixed to a printed circuit board provided in a case of the mobile communication terminal, and having a reciprocating terminal which is pressed by the pusher to switch and faces the pusher of the actuator on one side thereof. It is achieved by providing an external input key structure of a mobile communication terminal having a cushioning elastic groove inside the actuator adjacent to the actuator so that the actuator itself is distorted by its force or impact when excessive force or impact is applied to the pusher. .

External, input key, contact switch, terminal, mobile phone, PDA

Description

External input key structure of mobile communication terminal             

1 is a perspective view showing a typical mobile phone and its external input key as a mobile communication terminal.

2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional external input key structure.

3 is a main sectional plan view showing a conventional external input key structure.

4 is a plan view illustrating main parts of an external input key structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shock absorbing function when the external input key according to the present invention is pressed.

6a to 6c are views showing various shapes of the cushioning elastic groove of the actuator of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: case 101: guide groove

400: push button 401: flange

500: actuator 501: pusher                 

502,502a, 502b, 502c: cushioning elastic groove

600: contact switch 601: fixed part

602: reciprocating terminal D: width of guide groove

PC: PCB: T thickness of flange

The present invention relates to a structure of an external input key of a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly, to provide a buffer function between a push button and a contact switch, so that the reciprocating terminal of the contact switch is pressed by an excessive force or an excessive impact force is applied. The present invention relates to a structure of an external input key of a mobile communication terminal that prevents damage and malfunction of a contact switch.

Mobile communication terminals, such as mobile phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), are portable digital composite devices that include a variety of functions and content, including voice calling, digital camera, multimedia playback / recording, games, Internet, payment, and text message transmission. It is developing.

Along with the addition of such a function, a function for enabling a user to operate more conveniently, among other things, is directed to a form in which the main body of the mobile communication terminal is provided with various function keys that can be operated externally.

As such external input keys operable outside of the terminal, for example, so-called 'side key', 'shooting key', 'camera power key', 'zoom control key', 'recording / playback key', 'call key' ', Etc., various keys are prepared in various ways according to the characteristics of the terminal.

Figure 1 shows a typical mobile phone among the various mobile communication terminals described above.

The mobile phone (hereinafter, referred to as 'terminal') generally includes a main body 10 and a cover 20, and mainly opens the cover 20 with respect to the main body 10, and then opens the main body 10 side. At the same time, the input keys 11 of the cover 20 can be used, and the LCD screen 21 on the cover 20 side can be checked.

As the external input key in the terminal shown in FIG. 1, the above-described side key 30 provided on the side of the terminal main body 10 can be seen. The side key 30 is typically capable of performing functions such as adjusting call volume, recording / saving during a call, back light operation of an external LCD, call switch, and the like. Hereinafter, all of the input keys, operation keys, and function keys provided on the outside of the terminal, including the side key 30, are collectively referred to as 'external input keys'.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the external input key 30 includes a push button 40 and an actuator 50 on one side of the case body 12 of the terminal body 10 or the cover 20. In the form of

The external input key 30 further includes a contact switch 60 mounted on a printed circuit board PC inside the terminal, as shown in FIG. 3. The contact switch 60 further includes: It is mounted on the printed circuit board 50 through the fixing parts 61 by soldering or soldering, etc., and on one side thereof, the reciprocating terminal 62 is installed to enable a linear reciprocating motion.

In addition, the actuator 50 (usually made of rubber, urethane, silicone rubber, etc.) is installed inside the push button 40 (usually made of plastic) of the external input key 30. In addition, the actuator 50 has a pressing protrusion 51 for pressing the reciprocating terminal 62 of the contact switch 60. In addition, the push button 40 has a flange 41 formed around the flange 41 is inserted into the guide groove 13 of the terminal case 12, the thickness (T) and the guide The working distance (moving distance) is limited by the clearance gap formed by the width D of the groove 13.

In such an external input key structure of the conventional mobile communication terminal, when the user presses the push button 40, the push projection 51 of the actuator 50 installed in the push button 40 is lowered, the contact switch 60 The reciprocating terminal 62 of the contact switch 60 is pressed, and the reciprocating terminal 62 of the contact switch 60 is electrically / signally connected to the circuit of the printed circuit board PC inside the contact switch 60 to generate a switching signal. do.

However, in the external input key structure of the conventional mobile communication terminal as described above, the push button 40 has the thickness T of the flange 41 and the width of the guide groove 13 of the case 12. Even if the travel distance is limited by the clearance gap formed by D), in the process of manufacturing the terminal product, the fixed position of the contact switch 60, the thickness T of the flange 41 of the push button 40, the guide groove ( The assembly and processing tolerances (errors) of the width of 13), the protrusion amount of the protrusion 51 of the actuator 50, and the like necessarily follow.

Therefore, if the distance between the pusher 51 of the actuator 50 and the reciprocating terminal 62 of the contact switch 60 becomes too far, or the travel distance of the pushbutton 40 is shorter than the design value, the switch may operate. Outside the design section, which may cause a problem that the contact switch 60 does not work well.

On the other hand, if the distance between the push protrusion 51 of the actuator 50 and the reciprocating terminal 62 of the contact switch 60 is too close by the above-described tolerances, the movement distance of the push button 40 becomes longer than the design value. Of course, even if the push button 40 is not pressed, the reciprocating terminal 60 is pressed to cause a malfunction. In particular, when the push button 40 and its push protrusion 51 are pressed beyond the allowable working distance of the reciprocating terminal 62 by a user's manipulation or an external impact, the reciprocating terminal 62 is excessive. It is pressed by the force, excessive force applied to the reciprocating terminal 62 is transmitted to the contact switch 60 as it is, the contact switch 60 is broken or its fixing portion 61 is separated from the printed circuit board (PC) Serious problems will arise.

The present invention was developed in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention, even if the push switch of the external input key is excessively pressed or the impact from the outside the internal structure of the external input key has it? Absorption of the external input key structure prevents damage or malfunction of the contact switch even if a tolerance occurs in processing and assembly of the external input key structure.

An object of the present invention as described above, the structure of the external input key provided to be operated from the outside of the mobile communication terminal, the push button is installed to be exposed to the outside of the case of the mobile communication terminal for the user to operate; An actuator coupled to the push button to move integrally with the push button, the actuator having an elastic protrusion protruding toward an inside of the terminal case at an end thereof; And a contact switch fixed to a printed circuit board provided in a case of the mobile communication terminal, and having a reciprocating terminal which is pressed by the pusher and switched to face the pusher of the actuator on one side thereof. It is achieved by providing an external input key structure of a mobile communication terminal having a cushioning elastic groove inside the actuator adjacent to the actuator so that the actuator itself is distorted by its force or impact when excessive force or impact is applied to the pusher. .

In the above-described external input key structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the buffer elastic groove has a shape that is opened from an opposite surface of the pusher.

Here, the cushioning elastic groove may be made of any one of a hemispherical shape, an ellipse of the opening while the inside is made of a spherical oval, a rectangular shape of the opening having a rectangle.

In addition, in the external input key structure of the present invention, a flange having a predetermined thickness (t) is provided around the push button, and the case is provided with a guide groove into which the flange is reciprocally inserted. In addition, it is preferable that the operation distance of the push button is limited by the clearance gap formed by the thickness t of the flange and the width d of the guide groove.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention in more detail.

4 is a plan view showing main parts of an external input key structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the input key structure of the mobile communication terminal according to the present invention includes a case 100 forming a shape of the mobile communication terminal, and the case 100 includes a push button 400. 100 is installed to be exposed to the outside so that the user can operate.

In addition, an actuator 500 having elasticity is coupled to the inside of the push button 400 so as to be integrally moved with the push button 400, and an end of the actuator 500 is inside of the terminal case 100. The push protrusion 501 facing the protrusion is formed.

In addition, a printed circuit board PC is provided inside the case 100 of the mobile communication terminal, and the contact switch 600 is soldered or soldered by the fixing part 601 to the printed circuit board PC. It is fixed in a way. One side of the contact switch 600 is provided with a reciprocating terminal 602 to perform a switching operation by the reciprocating movement thereof.

The reciprocating terminal 602 is installed to face the push protrusion 501 of the actuator 500. Accordingly, when the push button 400 is pressed, the push protrusion 501 of the actuator 500 coupled thereto is moved downward by pressing the reciprocating terminal 602 of the contact switch 600.

In particular, in the present invention, the shock absorbing elastic groove 502 is formed in a predetermined space inside the actuator 500 having the elasticity. The cushioning elastic groove 502 is installed at a position corresponding to the pressing protrusion 501 and the actuator 500 itself may be deformed (deformed or distorted) when the pressing protrusion 501 is pressed with excessive force. To provide free space.

On the other hand, the circumference of the push button 400 is provided with a flange 401 having a predetermined thickness (t), the guide groove 101 is inserted into the case 100 so that the flange 401 can be reciprocated By this, the operating distance of the push button 400 is limited by the clearance gap formed by the thickness (t) of the flange 401 and the width (d) of the guide groove.

The present invention made as described above, as shown in Figure 5, the excessive force is applied to the push button 400 by the user's operation or external impact, according to the push projection (actuator 500) When 501 presses the reciprocating terminal 602 of the contact switch 600 with an excessive force, that is, when the reciprocating terminal 62 is pressed beyond the permitted operating distance, the force remains as it is the contact switch 600 It will act as a force to push the contact switch 600 will be broken or its fixing portion 601 will be separated from the printed circuit board (PC).

However, in the present invention, since the actuator 600 is provided with a cushioning elastic groove 502, when the reciprocating terminal 602 is pressed by an excessive force, the repulsive force corresponding thereto is pressed by the actuator 500 It acts on the projection 501. In this case, since the shock absorbing elastic groove 502 is formed in the actuator 500 according to the present invention, the shock absorbing elastic groove 502 is caused by a force or an impact acting against the push protrusion 501. As shown in FIG. 5, the deformation and distortion are caused. Therefore, excessive force or impact applied to the reciprocating terminal 602 is absorbed or attenuated by the deformation of the actuator 500 by the cushioning elastic groove 502, so that the excessive force applied to the reciprocating terminal 602 is By being extinguished before being delivered to the fixed part 601 of the contact switch 600, the damage of the contact switch 600 or the damage of the fixed part 601 is prevented.

On the other hand, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer elastic groove 502, as shown in Figure 4, at the same time having a form that is opened from the surface of the actuator 500 opposite the pressing projection 501 Hemispherical form.

However, the buffer elastic groove 502 is not limited to the shape shown in the drawings, it may have a variety of forms.

That is, unlike shown in FIG. 4, it is not necessary to have an open shape from the surface of the actuator 500 opposite to the push protrusion 501, but is not shown, but closed inside the actuator 501. It may be made in the form of a space portion, the shape of the closed space portion also need to provide a space in which the actuator 500 is elastically crushed, such as circular, oval, square. In addition, although the cushioning elastic groove 502 has a shape opened from the surface of the actuator 500, as shown in Figure 4, its shape is not limited to the hemispherical shape shown in Figure 4 and other various forms Of course it can be configured as.

For example, as shown in Figs. 6A to 6C, an elliptical elastic groove 502a (Fig. 6A) of which an opening is elliptical and spherical inside is formed, and the opening has a quadrangular shape, while the inside thereof is rectangular. The shape of the elastic groove 502b (FIG. 6B), the opening may have a rectangular shape, the inner side thereof may have a variety of forms, such as the narrow elastic groove (50c, 6C).

In the foregoing description, specific embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings have been described in detail, but this is only one preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention as described above can be variously modified and equivalent other embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art within the technical spirit of the present invention, such modifications and equivalent other embodiments are It goes without saying that it belongs to the appended claims of the invention.

 As described above, the present invention provides an external input key structure capable of absorbing excessive force or impact therein, such that a push switch of the external input key is excessively pressed or an excessive shock is applied from the outside to reciprocate the contact switch. Even if more than the allowable force is applied to the terminal, the excessive force or impact force is absorbed / dissipated by the internal buffer space, thereby preventing the conventional problem of breakage of the contact switch or detachment of the contact switch from the printed circuit board.

Claims (4)

As a structure of an external input key provided to be operated from the outside of the mobile communication terminal, A push button installed to be exposed to the outside of the case of the mobile communication terminal so as to be operated by a user; An actuator coupled to the push button to move integrally with the push button, the actuator having an elastic protrusion protruding toward an inside of the terminal case at an end thereof; A contact switch fixed to a printed circuit board provided in a case of the mobile communication terminal, the contact switch having a reciprocating terminal which is pressed by the pusher and is switched to face the pusher of the actuator on one side thereof; The external input of the mobile communication terminal is provided in the actuator near the pressing projection is provided with a cushioning elastic groove to distort the actuator itself by the force or impact when excessive force or impact is applied to the pressing projection. Key structure. The method of claim 1, The buffer elastic groove has an input key structure of a mobile communication terminal, characterized in that it has an open shape from the surface opposite the pressing projection. The method of claim 2, The buffer elastic groove is an input key structure of a mobile communication terminal, characterized in that it is made of any one of a hemispherical shape, an ellipse of the opening while forming an ellipse, a rectangular shape of the opening having a rectangle. The method of claim 1, A circumference of the push button is provided with a flange having a constant thickness t, and the case is provided with a guide groove into which the flange is reciprocally inserted, so that the operation distance of the push button is the thickness of the flange (t). ) And a width (d) of the guide groove, the input key structure of the mobile communication terminal.

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