KR20070036904A - Portable terminal with foldable key board - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable terminal comprising: a pair of housings; A pair of coupling members rotatably coupled to each of the housings in a foldable or distant direction, and at the same time, a pair of coupling members rotatably coupled to each other in a foldable or distant direction, each of the coupling members having a plurality of coupling members facing each other; Keys are installed, when the coupling member is rotated to a position away from each other when the keys are unfolded on the same plane discloses a portable terminal exposed to the upper side of the terminal. The portable terminal configured as described above has keys arranged on the upper surface of the coupling member when the coupling members are unfolded so that input of character information and the like is easy, and the coupling members are interposed between the folded housings when carrying. As an advantage, it is easy to secure portability.

Terminal, Keyboard, QWERTY, Folding

Description

PORTABLE TERMINAL WITH FOLDABLE KEY BOARD}

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

2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the portable terminal shown in FIG. 1 is unfolded;

3 is a perspective view showing a state of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 2 viewed from another direction;

4 is a side view showing the portable terminal shown in FIG. 2;

5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the portable terminal illustrated in FIG. 1 is unfolded;

6 is a plan view illustrating a keyboard of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 1;

<Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings>

100: portable terminal 101: first housing

102: second housing 103a, 103b: coupling member

139: hinge member 104: keyboard

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a portable terminal having a keyboard having a QWERTY key arrangement and being collapsible.

In general, a portable terminal refers to a device that provides a wireless communication function between a user and a user or a user and a service provider through a mobile communication base station, and the like, including voice call service, short message transmission from mobile banking, Various types of service contents, such as watching TV, playing online games, and video on demand, are provided to a user through a portable terminal.

The portable terminal as described above is opened and closed as a pair of housings, a bar-type terminal provided with an input / output device such as a communication circuit, a transmitter, a receiver, and the like, a flip-type terminal provided with a flip cover on the bar-type terminal, and a pair of housings rotate according to its appearance Input / output devices are classified into a folding terminal or the like distributed in each housing. Recently, sliding type terminals have been introduced to satisfy various tastes of users while increasing portability and convenience of use with folding type terminals.

Mobile communication services using such portable terminals were initially limited to voice calls, short message transmissions, and the like, but have been expanded to transfer games, music, and video files, online games, and multimedia services.

On the other hand, as the functions and performance of the portable terminal are improved, the portable terminal is not only a communication device and a multimedia device, but also a function as an information device capable of storing and processing information in the terminal.

However, the input device that enables input of information to a portable terminal has recently been equipped with a camera lens to allow taking pictures, videos, and the like, but is limited to the conventional 3 × 4 array of numbers and letter input keys. There is a limit to the input of, and the input of some characters is inconvenient to operate the same key more than once. In addition, when the number of keys mounted on the portable terminal is expanded to solve such inconvenience, the size of the terminal is increased, which causes a problem of deterioration of portability.

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal having a collapsible keyboard that is easy to operate and facilitates input of various character information.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal having a collapsible keyboard which can be easily miniaturized while ensuring the portability while expanding the number of keys mounted on the terminal.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a portable terminal,

A pair of housings;

A pair of coupling members which are rotatably coupled to each of the housings in a foldable or distant direction and at the same time rotatably coupled to each other in a foldable or distant direction,

The coupling members are provided with a plurality of keys on the surface facing each other, so that the keys are exposed to the upper side of the terminal when the coupling member is rotated to a position away from each other and spread on the same plane. .

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the portable terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a first housing 101, a second housing 102, and a pair of coupling members coupled to each other. 103a and 103b, and having a keyboard 104 (shown in FIG. 6) of a QWERTY key arrangement installed on the coupling members 103a and 103b.

The first housing 101 accommodates the main circuit devices necessary for the operation of the terminal, such as a communication circuit, and although not shown, a keypad of 3 × 4 array for input of numbers and letters is installed in front of the first housing 101.

The second housing 102 is provided with a display device 121 on its front surface and accommodates circuit devices connected to the first housing 101. Circuit devices accommodated in the second housing 102 are mainly installed for controlling the display device 121.

The coupling members 103a and 103b foldably connect the first and second housings 101 and 102 to provide a space for installing the keyboard 104 of a QWERTY key arrangement.

Each of the coupling members 103a and 103b has a rectangular plate shape, and one end of one coupling member 103a is at the end of the first housing 101 and one end of the other coupling member 103b is at the second housing. Rotatably coupled to the ends of 102, respectively. As the coupling members 103a and 103b are rotatably coupled to the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, respectively, a first hinge axis A1 and a second hinge axis A2 are formed. . The coupling members 103a and 103b are configured to be rotatable in the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 by rotating about the first and second hinge shafts A1 and A2, respectively. Receiving grooves 119 are formed in the rear surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, respectively, to accommodate the coupling members 103a and 103b. That is, when the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are folded, the coupling members 103a and 103b are accommodated in the receiving grooves 119, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded to the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, respectively, the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. ) Are folded with their rear surfaces 132 facing each other, and the coupling members 103a and 103b are interposed between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102.

Although not shown, from the state where the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are folded together, either one of the first or second housings 101 and 102 is connected to the first or second hinge. When rotated about the axes A1 and A2, the front surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 may be located on the same plane. In this case, the user may make a voice call using the terminal 100.

One of the first and second housings 101 and 102 is the first or the first while the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded in the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, respectively. Rotation about the hinge shafts A1 and A2 is similar to the opening and closing operation of a general folding type terminal.

One end of the coupling members 103a and 103b is rotatably coupled to the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, respectively, and the other end is rotatably coupled to each other through the hinge member 139. As the coupling members 103a and 103b are rotatably coupled to each other, a third hinge axis A3 is formed, and the coupling members 103a and 103b rotate about the third hinge axis A3. It is comprised so that each other can be folded.

When the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded together, the first hinge axis A1 and the second hinge axis A2 are adjacent to each other. When the first or second housings 101 and 102 rotate while the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded together and the first hinge axis A1 and the second hinge axis A2 are adjacent to each other, The front surface of the first housing 101 and the front surface of the second housing 102 may be located on the same plane.

When the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded to the first and second housings 101 and 102, respectively, the rear surface 132 of the coupling members 103a and 103b faces the receiving groove 119. When the coupling members 103a and 103b are folded together, their upper surfaces 131 face each other. A plurality of keys are provided on the surfaces of the coupling members 103a and 103b facing each other, that is, the upper surface 131.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the coupling members 103a and 103b rotate to a position away from each other and rotate away from the first and second housings 101 and 102, respectively, the coupling members 103a and 103b. Are positioned between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, and their top surfaces 131 are coplanar with each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the coupling members 103a and 103b are rotated away from each other, the coupling members 103a and 103b are rotated to a position away from the first and second housings 101 and 102. Keys installed on the upper surface 131 of the 103b are exposed to the upper side of the terminal 100. Referring to FIG. 6, the keys provided on the upper surfaces of the coupling members 103a and 103b are combined with the keys installed in the left hand using region 141 and the keys of the right hand using region 143 to form the keyboard 104 of the QWERTY key arrangement. Will be constructed. In the present exemplary embodiment, the keys of the left hand using region 141 are located on the upper surface 131 of the coupling member 103b connected to the second housing 102, and the keys of the right hand using region 143 are arranged in the first housing 101. It is respectively installed on the upper surface of the coupling member 103a connected to. When the coupling members 103a and 103b are unfolded so that their upper surface 131 is located on the same plane, the keys installed in the coupling members 103a and 103b respectively constitute the keyboard 104 of the QWERTY key arrangement. will be.

On the other hand, the hinge member 139 may receive a known hinge module (not shown) therein to provide an elastic force to maintain the coupling member (103a, 103b) fixed to a predetermined position. That is, the general hinge module generates a rotational force for rotating the hinge shaft in the direction in which the peak portion and the bone portion are engaged by providing elastic force to the hinge cam and the hinge shaft on which the peak portion and the valley portion are respectively formed, or the hill portion and the valley portion are engaged. It provides a clamping force that limits the rotation of the hinge shaft. The hinge module is disclosed in various ways through Korean Patent No. 296,038 (2001. 05. 07, US Patent No. 6,292,980; 2001. 09. 25), which is granted to the applicant.

When the coupling members 103a and 103b are fully unfolded, the hinge module accommodated in the hinge member 139 maintains the mount portion and the valley portion engaged with each other, such that the coupling members 103a and 103b rotate relative to each other. It can provide a clamping force that limits what you do. Therefore, the coupling members 103a and 103b are restricted from flowing about the hinge member 139. As a result, the keyboard 104 of the QWERTY key array having the coupling members 103a and 103b unfolded can be stably positioned without flowing on the same plane.

In the foregoing detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the portable terminal according to the present invention has a configuration in which the coupling members are positioned between the housings when the pair of housings are folded, and the coupling members are unfolded while the pair of housings are connected through the collapsible coupling members. At that time, the keys installed on the upper surface constitute the keyboard of the QWERTY key array. Therefore, an extended character input device is configured, and thus there is an advantage in that input of character information and the like is easy. In addition, when carrying, there is an advantage in that the portability is easily secured as the coupling members are interposed between the folded housings.

Claims (8)

In a portable terminal, A pair of housings; A pair of coupling members which are rotatably coupled to each of the housings in a foldable or distant direction and at the same time rotatably coupled to each other in a foldable or distant direction, The coupling members are provided with a plurality of keys on the surface facing each other, the keys are exposed to the upper side of the terminal when the coupling member is rotated to a position away from each other and spread on the same plane. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling members, The upper surface thereof is folded to face each other, the lower surface thereof is folded to face each other to the housing. According to claim 1, As the coupling members are folded and simultaneously folded to the housings, the housings are folded in a state facing each other while the coupling members are interposed therebetween. According to claim 1, And the coupling members are positioned between the housings at the same time as the coupling members are rotated away from each other and simultaneously rotated away from the housings. According to claim 1, Further comprising a receiving groove formed in the rear of the housing, respectively And the coupling members are positioned in the receiving grooves when the coupling members are folded to the housings, respectively. According to claim 1, A first hinge shaft formed by rotatably coupling one end of a first housing of the housings and one end of any one of the coupling members; A second hinge shaft formed by rotatably coupling one end of a second housing of the housings with one end of the other of the coupling members; And a third hinge shaft, wherein the other ends of the coupling members are rotatably coupled to each other. The method of claim 6, And the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis are adjacent to each other when the coupling members are folded together. According to claim 1, And the coupling members are unfolded on the same plane and exposed to the upper side of the terminal to constitute a keyboard of a QWERTY key arrangement.

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