KR20100116026A - Slide module and portable terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A slide module and a mobile terminal with the same are provided to form a central area and an edge area by different materials, thereby enabling the slide module to process a surface while keeping an operation feeling for sliding. CONSTITUTION: The second slide member(142) is relatively slid about the first slide member(141). The first slide member comprises a central area(141a) and an edge area(141b). The edge area is adjacent to at least one edge of the first slide member. The edge area is made of a material different from the central area. The second slide member is slid along with the edge area.

Description

SLIDE MODULE AND PORTABLE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a slide module which allows a body to slide and move with respect to another body.

A portable terminal is a portable electronic device that is portable and has one or more functions such as voice and video call, information input and output, and data storage.

As the functions are diversified, for example, the portable terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia player having complex functions such as taking a picture or a video, playing a music or a video file, playing a game, or receiving a broadcast.

Various new attempts have been applied 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 search for or select a function easily and conveniently.

In addition to the above attempts, a method of further improving the function of the hardware or the like may be considered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a slide module and a portable terminal having the same type of slide module.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a slide module and a portable terminal having the same, which further improves antenna performance.

A slide module according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object includes a first slide member and a second slide member connected to the first slide member so as to be relatively slidable. The first slide member includes a central region and an edge region. The edge region is formed adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member and is formed of a central region and a different material. The second slide member is formed to surround at least a portion of the edge region so as to slide along the edge region.

A portable terminal related to another embodiment of the present invention includes the first and second slide members. The first slide member engages with the first body. The second slide member engages with the second body and is connected to the first slide member so as to be relatively slidable.

According to one aspect of the invention, the boundary between the central region and the edge region is formed of a fusion surface. The portable terminal may further include a lubrication member. The lubrication member is disposed between the first and second slide members to reduce the frictional force of the first and second slide members and is formed to surround the edge region.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the portable terminal includes an antenna module embedded adjacent to one end of the first body or the second body to transmit and receive wireless electromagnetic waves. The first slide member is mounted on one surface of the first body, and the second slide member is formed such that the area of the portion facing the first slide member is smaller than the first slide member.

The slide module and the portable terminal having the same according to the present invention configured as described above improve the performance of the antenna through the center region.

In addition, since the center region and the edge region are formed of different materials, a slide module capable of surface treatment is implemented while maintaining a feeling of sliding. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the slide module is reduced through this.

In addition, as the boundary between the center region and the edge region is formed as a fusion surface, a slimmer and improved strength slide module is realized.

Hereinafter, a slide module and a portable terminal having the same 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 assigned to the same or similar configurations in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced with the first description. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates 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 first and second bodies 110 and 120 coupled to implement an open state or a closed state by sliding.

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

A state in which the first body 110 is disposed to overlap the second body 120 may be referred to as a closed configuration, and as shown in the drawing, the first body 110 may be referred to as the second body 120. The exposed state of at least a portion of the N may be referred to as an open configuration.

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

The case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the first body 110 is formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 112. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 111 and the rear case 112. The cases may be formed by injecting a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

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

The display unit 113 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) module, a transparent OLED (TOLED) module, and the like, which visually express information.

In addition, the display unit 113 may further include a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch. In addition, the display 113 may be formed to generate various tactile effects that a user can feel when touched. This may be implemented by a haptic module linked to the display 113. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module. The haptic module may be disposed in various ways according to the configuration of the portable terminal as well as the display 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 in the form of a camera module for capturing an image or a video of a user.

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

Like the first body 110, the front case 121 and the rear case 122 may form a case of the second body 120.

The second manipulation 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 on at least one of the front case 121 and the rear case 122.

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

For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch screen that can receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, a touch pad, or a wheel or jog method that rotates a key, or a manipulation method such as a joystick. Or the like.

In functional terms, the first operation unit 116 is for inputting commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 123 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. In addition, the third manipulation unit 124 may operate as a hot-key that performs a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 115.

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 serves as a passage for allowing a portable terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 126 may be wired or wirelessly, and a connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an infrared port (IrDA port), a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port ( wireless LAN port), or at least one of power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal.

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

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

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

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 be a camera having a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 115 (see FIG. 1) and having different pixels from the first image input unit.

For example, the first image input unit 115 has a low pixel so that the user's face is photographed and transmitted to the counterpart in case of a video call, and the second image input unit 128 immediately photographs a general subject. It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is not transmitted in many cases.

The flash 129 and the mirror unit 130 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 128. The flash 129 emits light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 128. The mirror unit 130 allows the user to see his / her own face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user by using the second image input unit 128.

The second sound output unit 131 may be further disposed on the rear case 122.

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

An antenna 132 for receiving a broadcast signal may be disposed on one side of the rear case 122 in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. The antenna 132 may be installed to be pulled out of the second body 120.

A portion of the slide module 140 that slidably couples the first body 110 and the second body 120 to the rear case 112 side of the first body 110 is disposed.

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 shown in the drawing.

In the above description, the second image input unit 128 is disposed on the second body 120, but is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, at least one or more of the components 128 to 132 described as disposed on the rear case 122, such as the second image input unit 128, may be disposed on the first body 110, mainly the rear case 112. It is also possible to be mounted. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the rear case 112 in the closed state are protected by the second body 120. In addition, even if the second image input unit 128 is not separately provided, the first image input unit 115 may be rotatably configured to allow shooting up to the shooting direction of the second image input unit 128.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the portable terminal of FIG. 1.

The 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 in relation to the second body 120.

The slide module 140 includes first and second slide members 141 and 142 mounted to the first and second bodies 110 and 120, respectively. However, the present disclosure 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. In addition, the first and second slide members 141 and 142 may be formed to form part of the first or second bodies 110 and 120, respectively. The second slide member 142 may be formed of a metal such as, for example, stainless steel (STS).

The first and second slide members 141 and 142 are connected to each other to allow relative sliding. Referring to this drawing, the first slide member 141 is mounted on one surface of the first body 110, and the second slide member 142 is coupled to the first slide member 141 so as to be slidable. The second slide member 142 is formed such that portions adjacent to both corners surround regions adjacent to both corners of the first slide member 141. As a result, the second slide member 142 may slide along both edges of the first slide member 141.

The slide module 140 may include an elastic module 151 formed to apply elastic force to the first and / or second slide members 141 and 142 by sliding.

The slide module 140 is formed to be stopped at a predetermined position when the portable terminal slides from the closed state to the open state. Referring to this figure, the second slide member 142 is stopped adjacent to one end of the first slide member 141, and this time is in an open state.

The first body or the second body (110, 120) has a built-in antenna module 152 formed to transmit and receive wireless electromagnetic waves. The antenna module 152 may be mounted in an area adjacent to one end of the portable terminal body. Referring to this figure, the antenna module 152 is mounted to the rear case 122 to be adjacent to one end of the second body 120.

The antenna module 152 may include a conductive radiator 152a and a carrier 152b.

The conductive radiator 152a may be formed of a conductive material, for example, a metal thin plate such as gold or copper. The conductive radiator 152a is formed in a pattern capable of transmitting and receiving wireless electromagnetic waves. The carrier 152b is formed so that the conductive radiator 152a is seated on one surface.

The antenna module 150 is electrically connected to a circuit board that processes a signal corresponding to wireless electromagnetic waves. The circuit board may be configured as an example of the controller 170 (see FIG. 7) for operating various functions of the portable terminal.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the slide module 140 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the slide module 140 of FIG. 3.

The elastic module 151 includes first and second arm members and springs (not shown). The first and second arm members are formed in a plate form. The first and second arm members are connected to the first and second slide members 141 and 142 on one side, respectively, and are coupled to each other such that at least a portion of the first and second arm members overlap each other. Springs are disposed at the overlapping portions. The spring has a spiral shape and is formed to exert an elastic force by winding like a spring.

The first and second arm members are relatively rotated by sliding the second slide member 142. The spring wound by the relative rotation generates an elastic force that continues to move the second slide member 142 by moving a predetermined distance.

The first slide member 141 includes a central region 141a and an edge region 141b. The edge area 141b is formed adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member 141. Referring to the drawings, the edge region 141b includes both corners of the first slide member to guide the sliding of the second slide member.

The edge region 141b is made of a central region 141a and different materials. The central area 141a may be formed of a material having a greater strength than the edge area 141b. For example, the central region 141a may be made of synthetic resin, and the edge region 141b may be formed of a metallic material. The center region 141a may be formed by injection molding, and the edge region 141b may be formed by sheet metal molding of stainless steel (STS).

As the center region 141a is formed of a material having a weak strength, the center region 141a may be surface treated. Referring to FIG. 2, at least a portion of the slide module 140 is exposed to the outside while the portable terminal is open. Referring to FIG. 4, the central region 141a occupies most of the portion exposed to the outside. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing and designing the portable terminal is increased through the central region 141a which can be surface treated.

Referring to FIG. 5, the boundary between the central region 141a and the edge region 141b is formed as a fusion surface 141c. The fusion surface 141c means a bonding surface formed by melting. In order to form the fusion surface 141c, the first slide member 141 may be formed by insert injection. For example, the center region 141a may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin after inserting the edge region 141b formed of stainless steel (STS) into a mold. As the center region 141a and the edge region 141b are formed as the fusion surface 141c, a slide module 140 having a slimmer and improved strength is realized. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the center region 141a and the edge region 141b may be combined in other ways.

The second slide member 142 is formed to surround at least a portion of the edge region 141b so as to slide along the edge region 141b. As the edge region 141b is formed of a material having strong strength, the guide of the sliding of the second slide member 142 may be made of a more rigid structure, thereby improving the feeling of sliding.

A lubrication member 143 may be disposed between the first and second slide members 141 and 142 to reduce the frictional force of the first and second slide members 141 and 142. The lubrication member 143 may be formed of a synthetic resin, for example, polyoxymethylene (POM). The lubrication member 143 is formed to surround the edge region 141b.

The lubrication member 143 is mounted to the second slide member 142. Referring to the drawings, the second slide member 142 is bent such that the edge portion has a recessed cross section to accommodate the lubrication member 143. The lubrication member 143 has an appearance corresponding to the inner surface of the recessed portion so as to be movable within the recessed portion.

The lubrication member 143 has a cross section formed to surround an area adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member 141. Through this, the first slide member 141 may be restricted from flowing up and down. When sliding, the lubrication member 143 causes lubrication friction with the first slide member 141. Lubrication friction means here the friction by a lubrication member.

Referring to the drawings, the second slide member 142 is formed such that the area of the portion facing the first slide member 141 is smaller than the first slide member 141. The performance of the antenna can be improved through the area relationship and the central region 141a. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, an improvement in antenna performance will be described.

6A and 6B are plan views of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 corresponding to an open state and a closed state, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 6A, both the first and second slide members 141 and 142 are disposed to be far from the antenna module 152 in the open state. As a result, the first and second slide members 141 and 142 have less adverse effects on the performance of the antenna module 152 regardless of the material.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the antenna module 152 is disposed adjacent to one end of the second body 120 in the closed state. The second slide member 142 is disposed adjacent to the other end of the second body 120. The distance between the second slide member 142 and the antenna module 152 is greater.

Referring to this figure, the edge area 141b is formed to have a small area, and the central area 141a is formed to be larger than the edge area 141b. Even if the second slide member 142 and the edge region 141b are formed of a material having a high strength, for example, a metal material, adverse effects on the antenna module 152 are reduced. Through this, the performance of the antenna module 152 of the portable terminal is improved.

7 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 161, an operation unit 116, 123, 124, an image input unit 115, 128, an audio input unit 125, a display unit 113, and an audio output unit. It includes the 114 and 131, the sensing unit 166, the interface 126, the broadcast receiving module 165, the memory 164, the power supply unit 127, and the controller 170.

The controller 170 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like.

In addition to the normal function control, the controller 170 additionally controls the operation of the mobile terminal related to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 161 transmits / receives a radio signal with a mobile communication base station through an antenna. For example, under the control of the controller 170, the transmitter 162 is responsible for transmitting and receiving voice data, text data, video data, and control data, and modulates and transmits a signal to be transmitted, and a receiver for demodulating the received signal. 163).

The operation units 116, 123, and 124 are configured as shown in FIG. 1 to provide the control unit 170 with key input data input by the user for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 116, 123, and 124 are composed of a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), 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 a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame is converted into image data displayable 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 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transceiver 161 under the control of the controller 170.

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

The sound input unit 125 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display 113 displays and outputs information processed by the portable terminal. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the control unit 170 displays and outputs a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal is in the video call mode or the photographing mode, the mobile terminal displays and outputs the captured image, UI, or GUI under the control of the controller 170. 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 may receive sound data or memory 164 received from the wireless communication module 161 under the control of the control unit 170 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, and a broadcast reception mode. The stored sound data is converted and output to the outside.

In addition, the sound output units 114 and 131 output sound signals related to a function (for example, a call signal reception sound and a message reception sound) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output units 114 and 131 may include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 166 detects a current state of the portable terminal such as an open / closed state of the portable terminal, a position of the portable terminal, presence or absence of a user contact, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, whether the slide phone is opened or closed is sensed so as to output a sensing result to the controller 170 to control the operation of the terminal. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 127 is supplied with power, whether the interface 126 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The interface 126 may be connected to a mobile terminal using a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (eg, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), or the like. It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 126 receives data from an external device or receives power and transfers the data to each component inside the mobile terminal or transmits data within the mobile terminal to the external device.

The memory 164 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 170, and provides a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also be done.

In addition, the memory 164 stores a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to the present invention.

This memory 164 includes concepts such as hard disks, card type memory (e.g. SD or XD memory, etc.), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like, which are generally known.

The broadcast receiving module 165 receives a broadcast signal transmitted through a satellite or terrestrial wave, converts the broadcast signal into a broadcast data format that can be output to the sound output units 114 and 131 and the display unit 113, and outputs the broadcast signal to the controller 170. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 165 receives additional data related to the broadcast (for example, an EPG (electric program guide), a channel list, etc.). The broadcast data and additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 165 may be stored in the memory 164.

The power supply unit 127 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 170 to supply power for operation of each component.

The portable terminal is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made.

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 mobile terminal of FIG.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1;

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

5 is a front view of the slide module of FIG.

6A and 6B are plan views of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 corresponding to an open state and a closed state, respectively.

7 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention;

Claims (5)

A first slide member engaging with the first body; A second slide member engaged with the second body and connected to the first slide member so as to be relatively slidable; The first slide member, Central area; And It is formed adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member, and comprises an edge region made of the central region and a different material, The second slide member, And at least a portion of the edge area to slide along the edge area. The method of claim 1, The boundary between the center region and the edge region is formed of a fusion surface. The method of claim 1, And a lubrication member disposed between the first and second slide members to reduce the frictional force of the first and second slide members, the lubricating member being formed to surround the edge area. The method of claim 1, An antenna module embedded adjacent to one end of the first body or the second body to transmit and receive wireless electromagnetic waves, The first slide member is mounted on one surface of the first body, And the second slide member is formed such that an area of a portion facing the first slide member is smaller than that of the first slide member. A second slide member connected to the first slide member and the first slide member so as to be relatively slidable; The first slide member, Central area; And It is formed adjacent to at least one corner of the first slide member, and comprises an edge region made of the central region and a different material, The second slide member, The slide module, characterized in that formed to surround at least a portion of the edge area to slide along the edge area.

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