KR20130053618A

KR20130053618A - Mobile terminal

Info

Publication number: KR20130053618A
Application number: KR1020110119087A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김영중
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2011-11-15
Filing date: 2011-11-15
Publication date: 2013-05-24

Abstract

PURPOSE: A portable terminal is provided to extend a function by including a battery and a control unit in an exchangeable case. CONSTITUTION: A terminal body(110) includes a display unit formed on one surface. A cover(180) covers one or more parts of the terminal body. The cover is detachably combined with the terminal body. The cover is one of the covers which form different exteriors of the terminal. The cover includes a base unit and an extension unit. The extension unit covers one or more side surfaces of the terminal body from the base unit.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a case forming an appearance of a terminal.

As the functions are diversified, the terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having a complex function of, for example, taking pictures or moving pictures, playing music or moving picture files, receiving games and receiving broadcasts have.

The terminal can move And may be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. A portable terminal is a portable device having one or more functions capable of performing voice and video communication, capable of inputting / outputting information, and storing data, which can be carried while being portable.

In order to support and enhance the functionality of such terminals, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software parts of the terminal.

In particular, the case of the mobile terminal is combined with the front case and the rear case to form the appearance of the terminal.

Using such a case, a method of extending the function of the terminal or increasing the rigidity of the terminal body may be considered.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having a different appearance from the conventional.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a case of a terminal having a more improved structure and having a complex function.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal body having a display formed on one surface and a cover coupled to cover at least a portion of the other surface of the terminal body; The cover may be detachably coupled to the main body, and may include any one of a plurality of covers configured to form a different appearance of the terminal.

According to an example related to the present invention, the cover may include a base part covering the rear surface of the main body and an extension part formed to cover at least one side of the main body from the base part.

According to an example related to the present invention, the base part may include a through hole, and the main body may include an image input part arranged to be photographed through the through hole.

According to an example related to the present invention, the base unit further includes at least one antenna embedded in the main body to transmit and receive a wireless signal toward the rear surface of the main body, and the base portion facing the portion in which the antenna is embedded is part of the peripheral portion. Compared to other materials can be formed.

According to an example related to the present disclosure, any one of the covers may include an auxiliary battery configured to supply power to the main body.

According to an example related to the present disclosure, any one of the covers may include a cover formed to support the main body so that the display is tilted at an angle with respect to the ground when the display is placed in the horizontal direction.

According to an example related to the present invention, the main body is formed to have a first stiffness and the cover is formed to have a second rigidity greater than the first stiffness, so that the terminal is coupled to the main body. It can be made to increase the overall stiffness of.

According to an example related to the present invention, the thickness of the main body may be formed to less than 5 mm in any one portion.

According to an example related to the present invention, the terminal main body has a first end and a second end, and is formed such that the thickness of the main body gradually changes from an area proximate to the first end to an area proximate to the second end. Can be.

According to an example related to the present disclosure, the main body may include a main battery disposed proximate to the first end to bring the center of gravity of the main body to the first end.

According to an example related to the present invention, a cross section of the main battery may have a circular or elliptical shape.

According to an example related to the present disclosure, the main body may further include a hinge shaft formed near the first end and a pivot cover formed around the hinge shaft to cover the seated main battery. It can be done by.

According to an example related to the present invention, the main body is formed such that the terminal is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the ground in a first state, and is returned to the first state in a second state that is larger or smaller than the predetermined angle. According to the center of gravity, the first end and the region proximate to the first end may be formed to have a constant curvature.

The mobile terminal according to the at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above may provide a terminal that implements a unique appearance, induces a unique aesthetic, and enhances the appearance.

In addition, since the replaceable case includes a battery or an operation unit, the function of the terminal can be expanded.

In addition, since the cover enhances the rigidity of the terminal, it is possible to provide a slimmer mobile terminal.

1 is a front perspective view showing a front view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1; FIG.
4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating an operation of combining a terminal body and a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram of a cover according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a conceptual view illustrating a cover according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the terminal body is coupled to the cover and tilted.
Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of the terminal body according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7b is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the battery cover of the terminal body.
8 is a conceptual diagram of a terminal body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

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), and navigation. However, the technical idea described herein may be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers.

1 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) constituting the external appearance of the main body of the terminal is formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 121. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 111 and the rear case 121. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 111 and the rear case 121. [ 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 front case 111 may include a display unit 113, a first sound output unit 114, a first image input unit 115, a first manipulation unit 116, a sound input unit 117, and the like.

The display unit 113 includes a display module 141 (see FIG. 3) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an organic light emitting diodes (OLED) module, and the like, which visually express information. The display unit 113 may be formed as a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

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 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first manipulation unit 116 may be a key area formed to receive a user's touch input on the window unit.

The sound input unit 117 may be implemented in the form of, for example, a microphone to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The second operation unit 123, the interface 124, the power supply unit 125, and the like may be disposed on the rear case 121 mounted on the rear side of the mobile terminal 100.

The second manipulation unit 123 may be installed on the side of the rear case 121. In addition to the first manipulation unit 116, the second manipulation unit 123 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion, and may be adopted 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 or a touch pad capable of receiving commands or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, Or the like.

In terms of functionality, the first operation unit 116 may be used to input a menu such as start, end, etc., and the second operation unit 123 may have a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 115 in addition to the scroll function. It can act as a hot-key that performs. If the first and second manipulation units 116 and 123 are minimized as illustrated, a telephone number or a text may be input by a touch screen provided in the display unit 113.

The interface 124 is a path for allowing the mobile terminal 100 to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 124 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port a wireless LAN port, etc.), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The interface 124 may be a card socket for receiving an external card, such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for storing information.

The power supply unit 125 is installed in a rear case 121 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 125 may be detachably coupled for charging, for example, as a rechargeable battery.

2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal 100 of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the rear case 121 may further include a second image input unit 127, a second sound output unit 130, and a broadcast signal receiving antenna 131.

The second image input unit 127 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 127 immediately photographs a general subject. It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is not transmitted in many cases.

The flash 128 and the mirror unit 129 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 127. The flash 128 emits light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 127. The mirror unit 129 allows the user to see his / her face or the like when the user wants to photograph (self-photograph) the user by using the second image input unit 127.

The second sound output unit 130 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.

The broadcast signal receiving antenna 131 may be disposed at one side of the rear case 121 separately from the antenna for a call or the like. The antenna 131 may be installed in the rear case 121 to be pulled out.

In the above description, the first operation unit 116 and the like have been described as being mounted to the front case 111, and the second operation unit 123 and the like are mounted to the rear case 121, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the second operation unit 123 may be disposed in the front case 111 adjacent to the first operation unit 116. In addition, even if the second image input unit 127 is not provided separately, the first image input unit 115 may be rotatably formed so that the image capturing direction of the second image input unit 127 may be taken.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the mobile terminal 100 of FIG.

Referring to this drawing, the window 140 is coupled to cover one surface of the front case 111. The window unit 140 covers one surface of the display module 141 so that visual information output from the display module 141 is recognized from the outside. The display module 141 and the window unit 140 form the display unit 113 (see FIG. 1).

The window unit 140 is formed to recognize a user's touch and enables input of information (command, signal, etc.).

The window unit 140 may have an area corresponding to the display module 141 and may be formed of a material through which light can pass. The window unit 140 may be formed with an opaque region in which light is not transmitted or the light transmittance is very low. For example, the surface may be treated to prevent light from passing along the edge of the window 140.

An operation pad may be formed on the front case 111 in correspondence with the first operation unit 116. The operation pad is a target to be touched or pressed by the user. It may be formed as a manipulation area on a portion of the manipulation pad window 140.

In the front case 111, an acoustic hole 114b, a window hole 112b, and an image window may be formed.

The sound hole 114b is formed to correspond to the sound output unit 114 so that the sound of the mobile terminal, for example, a ring tone, music, etc., is emitted to the outside. The window hole 112b is formed to correspond to the display unit 113. A light transmissive image window may be formed corresponding to the first image input unit 115 (see FIG. 1).

The rear case 21 may include a circuit board 170, a display module 141, a speaker module 114a, a camera module 115a, and a switch.

The circuit board 170 may be configured as an example of a controller for operating various functions of the mobile terminal 100. The circuit board 170 may detect an electrical change, for example, a change in capacitance or a charge amount, generated inside the window 140 generated when the user touches the window 140.

Inside the window 140 is formed so that the electrode is embedded. The electrode may be formed in a conductive pattern. The electrode may be charged with charge, and if the conductor moves at a close distance, the amount of charged charge may change accordingly. When a conductor, for example a user's finger, touches a window, the amount of charge charged in the electrode changes, which is like changing the capacitance between the finger and the electrode.

The electrode of the window unit 140 is electrically connected to a control unit for detecting a change in the charge amount, for example, the circuit board 170. For this electrical connection, the flexible circuit board 150 may be connected to the circuit board 170 (see FIG. 3 above) through the hole 152. According to the detection of the change in the amount of charge, the circuit board 170 may change the state of at least one of the functions related to the mobile terminal 100.

The flexible circuit board 150 extends from one end of the window unit 140. One end of the flexible circuit board 150 may be connected to the electrode by forming a connection portion 151 and the other end may be connected to the circuit board 170 by the connector 185. The connection part 151 may be formed of a metal material to maintain a certain stiffness and elasticity.

4A to 4C are operation diagrams illustrating a process of coupling the terminal body 110 and the cover 180 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed to have a different appearance as a whole according to the cover 180 is coupled to a plurality of different covers 180 to the main body 110 is coupled. That is, the terminal 100 may have a different appearance according to the shape or color of the cover 180.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4A, the terminal body 110 may include a first end 191 and a second end 192 in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction. The terminal body 110 is formed to gradually vary in thickness at least at a portion extending from the first end 191 to the second end 192. For example, the thickness may be gradually increased from the first end 191 to a specific portion, and the thickness may gradually decrease from the specific portion to the second end 192.

The terminal body 110 and the cover 180 may include a rail and a groove corresponding to the rail to be detachably coupled by a sliding method. 4A to 4C illustrate a cover 180 that slides along a rail formed in the terminal. As shown in FIG. 4C, the position of the cover 180 may be fixed. The fixing means may be fixed by a screw or by forming a groove and a hook corresponding to the terminal body 110 or a portion of the cover 180.

The cover 180 includes a base portion 181 and an extension portion 182. The base unit 181 is formed to cover the rear surface of the terminal main body 110, the display is formed on the front. In addition, the extension part 182 may be formed to cover at least one side of the terminal body 110.

The base portion 181 may include at least one through hole 283 (see FIG. 5). An image input unit 127a (see FIG. 7A) may be embedded in the rear surface of the main body 110 corresponding to the through hole 283 so as to be able to photograph through the through hole 283. In contrast, a portion of the base 181 may be transparently formed, and the image input unit 127a may be disposed on the main body 110 so that the image can be photographed through the transparent portion. The image input unit 127a may receive an image through the transparent portion.

In addition, another through hole 284 may be formed in the cover 180, and an interface may be disposed in the terminal body 110 corresponding to the through hole 284.

The antenna 160 may be formed to face the rear surface of the main body 110. When the metal cover 180 covers the rear surface where the antenna is formed, the efficiency of the antenna may decrease. Therefore, the cover 180 may be formed to open the rear surface of the main body 110 in which the antenna is formed (hereinafter, referred to as an antenna arrangement region).

That is, the cover 180 is not formed in the antenna arrangement area, for this purpose, the cover 180 may be formed so as not to cover the antenna arrangement area. For example, the cover 180 may form an opening surface or an opening hole corresponding to the antenna arrangement area.

In addition, the cover 180 may be formed of a material different from that of the peripheral part corresponding to the antenna arrangement area. That is, when the peripheral portion is made of a metal material, the material of the antenna arrangement region may be made of a nonmetal material.

If the terminal body 110 has a first stiffness, the cover 180 may have a second rigidity greater than the first stiffness. That is, if the rigidity of the terminal body 110 is increased due to the cover 180, the body 110 may be formed more slim.

For example, if a battery or a display is to be concentrated in the main body 110 proximate to the first end 191, the portion must have a predetermined thickness and rigidity. In contrast, the main body 110 close to the second end 192 where the battery or the display is not disposed may be relatively slim. As a result, the terminal body 110 having a more unique design can be formed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery and the display may be disposed in close proximity to the first end 191 of the terminal main body 110, and the display or the operation unit may be disposed in proximity to the second end 192. For this reason, the thickness of the main body 110 close to the second end 192 may be formed to be 5 mm or less.

5 is a conceptual diagram of a cover 280 according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of a cover 380 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the terminal body 110 is coupled to the cover 180 It is a conceptual diagram showing the tilted state.

5 and 6 are one of the plurality of covers 180, 280, 380 according to one embodiment of the invention.

5 illustrates that an auxiliary battery is formed in the cover 280. In this case, the cover 280 includes at least one first connecting terminal, and the main body 110 includes a second connecting terminal corresponding thereto. When the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are electrically connected to each other, it is possible to supply power to the terminal body 110. The user can continuously supply power to the terminal body 110 by replacing the cover 180.

6 illustrates a case capable of fixing the tilted position of the terminal when the terminal body 110 is tilted in the horizontal direction. The cover 380 has a groove 388 corresponding to the side shape of the terminal body. The groove is formed to be inclined at an angle corresponding to the tilting. When the terminal body 110 is inserted into the groove of the case, the terminal body 110 is fixed to the case. As a result, the user can watch the image displayed on the display by fixing the terminal in a convenient state for viewing. Here, as an example, although the tilted state in the horizontal direction is shown, the case may be formed so as to be fixed in the vertical direction or not tilted state.

Although not shown, the covers 180, 280, and 380 may include an operation unit. The operation unit can expand the operability of the terminal to enhance the user's convenience. In this case, the covers 180, 280, and 380 have at least one first connection terminal, and the main body 110 has a second connection terminal corresponding thereto to be electrically connected to each other.

In this way, the user can not only change the appearance of the terminal by replacing the cover (180, 280, 380), it can also increase the convenience of using the terminal.

7A is a cross-sectional view of the terminal body 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is a conceptual diagram illustrating an operation of the battery cover 125b of the terminal body 110, and FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram of a terminal body 110 according to an example.

The main battery 125c mounted on the terminal body 110 may have a polygonal pillar or a circular pillar shape. At this time, the cross section of the main battery 125c may be formed in a circular, elliptical, or polygonal shape.

The terminal body 110 includes a battery cover 125b formed to cover the main battery 125c. The battery cover 125b may be formed to be opened and closed by a hinge shaft 125a formed at an end of the terminal body 110. That is, the battery cover 125b is pivotally formed around the hinge shaft 125a.

The main battery 125c may be disposed at the first end 191 to move the center of gravity of the terminal body 110 toward the first end 191. That is, the center of gravity of the terminal body 110 is close to the first end 191.

In addition, the case of the main body 110 adjacent to the first end 191 may be formed to have a predetermined curvature. In this way, the center of gravity is close to the first end 191, the case has a curvature, the terminal can operate as a step.

That is, the terminal may be formed to be tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the ground, and by the case having the center of gravity and curvature biased at the bottom, the terminal may be returned to the original preset angle when tilted out of the predetermined angle. . The curvature of the cover to enable this can be formed differently depending on the center of gravity.

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

A terminal body having a display formed on one surface thereof; And
A cover coupled to cover at least a part of the other surface of the terminal body,
The cover
Mobile terminal, characterized in that any one of a plurality of covers detachably coupled to the main body, the terminal to form a different appearance.

The method of claim 1,
The cover
A base part covering a rear surface of the main body; And
And an extension part formed to cover at least one side of the main body from the base part.

The method of claim 2,
The base portion includes a through hole,
The main body is a mobile terminal, characterized in that the built-in image input unit arranged to be photographed through the through hole.

The method of claim 2,
At least one antenna embedded in the main body to transmit and receive a wireless signal toward a rear surface of the main body,
The base portion facing the portion in which the antenna is embedded is a portion of which is formed of a different material than the peripheral portion.

The method of claim 1,
One of the covers,
And a secondary battery configured to supply power to the main body.

The method of claim 1,
One of the covers,
And a cover formed to support the main body so that the display is tilted at an angle with respect to the ground when the display is placed in the horizontal direction.

The method of claim 1,
The body is formed to have a first stiffness,
The cover is formed to have a second rigidity greater than the first rigidity, the mobile terminal, characterized in that to increase the overall rigidity of the terminal in the state that the cover is coupled to the main body.

9. The method of claim 8,
The thickness of the main body is a mobile terminal, characterized in that formed in any portion less than 5 mm.

The method of claim 1,
The terminal body has a first end and a second end,
And the thickness of the main body gradually changes from at least an area proximate to the first end to an area proximate to the second end.

The method of claim 10,
The main body includes:
And a main battery disposed close to the first end to bring the center of gravity of the main body to the first end.

The method of claim 10,
The cross section of the main battery is a mobile terminal, characterized in that the round or oval.

The method of claim 10,
The main body includes:
A hinge shaft formed in proximity to the first end; And
And a battery cover rotatably formed around the hinge axis to cover the seated main battery.

The method of claim 10,
The main body includes:
In the first state the terminal is formed to be tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the ground,
And the first end portion and the region proximate to the first end portion have a predetermined curvature in accordance with the center of gravity so as to return to the first state from a second state larger or smaller than the predetermined angle.