KR20130119063A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal can have a blind layer not to show a dome switch through a gap between a side key and a case. CONSTITUTION: A side key (132) comprises a button portion receiving predetermined commands by a user. The side key is inserted into an opening part of a case. One side of a supplementary substrate (200) is located in the rear surface of the side key. The other side of the supplementary substrate is electrically connected with a printed circuit board. The supplementary substrate transmits an electrical signal to the printed circuit board when the button portion is pushed.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a blind layer so that the dome switch is not visible between the side key of the side and the case.

The terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

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.

Recently, as the size of the front display unit increases, there is a tendency to minimize a key for inputting a user command on the front side. Therefore, the weight of the side keys is increasing. In addition, as the slimming of the mobile terminal proceeds, the size of the side keys is also becoming thinner.

The present invention has been proposed to meet the above-described needs, and an object thereof is to provide a mobile terminal having a blind layer and a control method thereof so that the dome switch is not visible between the side key of the side and the case.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a case having a printed circuit board mounted with a plurality of chipsets therein and an opening formed on a surface thereof, and including a button unit for inputting a predetermined command by a user by pressing the case. The side key is inserted into the opening of the side, one side is located on the rear of the side key and the other side is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and includes an auxiliary substrate for transmitting an electrical signal to the printed circuit board when the button portion is pressed Provide a mobile terminal.

In this case, the auxiliary substrate is disposed on the rear side of the side key, the rigid substrate having a signal terminal at a position corresponding to the button portion on the rigid substrate, when the button portion is pressed by the user is pressed together to connect the signal terminal A metallic dome switch protruding in a shape, a flexible substrate having a circuit pattern electrically connecting the signal terminal of the rigid board and the printed circuit board, and a blind layer formed in a dark color on an upper surface of the dome switch. do.

The effect of the mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described below.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, even if the length of the short side of the side key is smaller than the diameter of the dome switch, the metallic silver color of the dome switch is not visible through the gap between the side key and the case of the side surface of the mobile terminal. There is an advantage that the thickness of the mobile terminal can be made thin without inhibiting it.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a rear cover removed from the rear of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a circuit board, a side key, and an auxiliary board of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a side key portion of a mobile terminal in which a blind layer is omitted for comparison with the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an auxiliary substrate of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an auxiliary substrate of a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an auxiliary substrate of a mobile terminal according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

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

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

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

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

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

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

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. Two or more broadcast receiving modules may be provided to the mobile terminal 100 for simultaneous broadcast reception or broadcast channel switching for at least two broadcast channels.

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

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

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (Mobile Broadcasting Business Management System), ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T)), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (MBMS) Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial) or the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

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

The mobile communication module 112 may be coupled to a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network, such as, but not limited to, Gobal System for Mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA Transmits and receives wireless signals with one. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies include WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE Evolution (but not limited to) may be used.

The wireless Internet module 113, which performs wireless Internet access through the mobile communication network, is connected to the mobile communication module 110 through the mobile communication network, for example, from the viewpoint that the wireless Internet access by Wibro, HSDPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, (112). ≪ / RTI >

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

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates distance information and accurate time information from three or more satellites, and then applies trigonometry to the calculated information to obtain a three-dimensional string of latitude, longitude, The location information can be accurately calculated. At present, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting an error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is widely used. In addition, the GPS module 115 can calculate speed information by continuously calculating the current position in real time.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

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

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

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a button 136 located on the front, rear, or side of the mobile terminal 100, and a touch sensor (static / static) 137. Although not shown, ), A dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141. (The proximity sensor will be described later).

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

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

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

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

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

In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch sensor 137 have a mutual layer structure or are integrally formed (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen'), the display unit 151 may be used as an input device . The touch sensor may be stacked on the display unit 151 to form a layer structure when the touch sensor has a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. ≪ / RTI >

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

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

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

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

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch" The act of actually contacting the pointer on the touch screen may be referred to as "contact touch. &Quot; The location where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen may refer to a position where the pointer corresponds vertically to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

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

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

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. In this case, the display unit 151 and the sound / voice output module 152 may be a kind of the alarm unit 153. The display unit 151 and the sound / . ≪ / RTI >

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

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

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

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store the input / output data (e.g., telephone directory, message, audio, For example. The memory unit 160 may store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia).

In addition, the memory unit 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when the touch is input on the touch screen.

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

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

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

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

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

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

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component. The power supply unit 190 may include, for example, a battery, a connection port, a power supply control unit, and a charge monitoring unit.

The battery may be an internal battery configured to be chargeable, and may be detachably coupled to the terminal body for charging or the like. The connection port may be configured as an example of an interface 170 through which an external charger for supplying power for charging the battery is electrically connected.

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

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. The described embodiments may be implemented by the controller 180 itself.

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

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

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

The body of the mobile terminal 100 includes a casing 101, 102, In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

 In some cases, electronic components may be mounted on the surface of the rear case 102 as well. Electronic components mounted on the surface of the rear case 102 include a battery, a USIM card, a memory card, and the like which are detachable by the user. In this case, the rear case 102 may further include a rear cover 103 for covering the surface thereof. When the rear cover 103 is removed, the surface of the rear case 102 is exposed.

When the rear cover 103 is coupled as shown in FIG. 2, only a part of the side surface of the rear case 102 may be exposed, and when the size of the rear cover 103 is reduced, the rear surface of the rear case 102 may be exposed. Some may be exposed. And an opening 103 'for exposing the camera 121' or the sound output unit 152 'to the outside when the rear cover 103 covers the entire rear surface of the rear case 102.

The cases 101, 102, and 103 may be formed by injection molding synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

In the terminal cases 101 and 102, a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, a camera 121, a user input unit 130/131, 132, 133, a microphone 122, an interface 170, and the like are disposed. Can be.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 152 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131, 132, and 133. The operation units 131, 132, and 133 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion.

The contents input by the manipulation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 located on the front side receives a command such as start, end, scroll, etc., and the second operation unit 132 located on the side receives the sound output from the sound output unit 152. Receiving a command such as adjusting the size of the, and the third operation unit 133 located on the top may receive a command such as activation / deactivation of the touch recognition mode of the display unit 151.

The operation units 131, 132, and 133 may have a button method for recognizing when a user applies pressure. In addition to the display unit 151, the operation units 131, 132, and 133 may include a touch sensor. The user's command may be input only by touching.

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

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

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or pop-up.

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

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

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view showing the surface of the rear case by removing the rear cover of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the front case 101, the rear case 102, the rear cover (or the battery cover) 103, the camera 121 ′, the interface 170, the microphone 122, the sound output unit 152. '), Battery 191, battery mount 104, USIM card mount 105, memory card mount 106 are shown.

The rear case 102 may have a space on which external components such as the battery loading unit 104, the USIM card loading unit 105, and the memory card loading unit 106 may be mounted. In general, an external component mounted on the surface of the rear case 102 is used to extend the functions of the mobile terminal 100 in order to satisfy diversified functions of the mobile terminal 100 to be.

As the performance of the mobile terminal 100 is diversified, the battery 191 may be configured as a replaceable type as illustrated in FIG. 4 to compensate for the large power consumption. In the case of the interchangeable type, a battery mounting portion 104 is formed on the surface of the rear case 102 so that a user can attach and detach the battery. The battery mounting portion 104 is provided with a connection terminal to be electrically connected to a component mounted inside the case.

As shown in FIG. 4, the USIM card mounting unit 105 or the memory card mounting unit 106 may be formed next to the battery mounting unit 104, or formed on the bottom surface of the battery mounting unit 104. When it is separated from the battery mounting portion 104 may be formed to be exposed to the outside. In this case, the size of the battery mounting portion 104 can be larger, and the size of the battery 191 can be increased.

4 illustrates a configuration in which the USIM card mounting unit 104 or the memory card mounting unit 106 is mounted on the rear of the rear case 102, but can be inserted into and detached from the mobile terminal 100 by inserting from the side. Do.

The battery cover 103 covers the surface of the rear case and fixes the battery 191, the USIM card, the memory card, etc. mounted on the surface of the rear case 102 so as not to be detached, and from external impact or foreign matter. Protect the exterior parts. A waterproof structure (not shown) for sealing the rear case 102 and the battery cover 103 when the rear case 102 and the battery cover 103 are coupled to each other so as to prevent water from being injected into the external components is added.

Hereinafter, the side key 132 of the mobile terminal configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

The mobile terminal of the present invention outputs signals of the case (101, 102) having the printed circuit board 300, the side key 132 and the side key 132 is inserted into the opening of the case (101, 102) the printed circuit It is composed of an auxiliary substrate 200 for transferring to the substrate 300.

As described above, the cases 101 and 102 are mounted inside the electronic component and the printed circuit board 300, and include an opening for disposing a display unit for input / output and a user input unit. Side keys 132 are coupled to the openings located at the side of the openings. Detailed descriptions of the cases 101 and 102 will be replaced with the description of FIGS. 1 to 4.

5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a circuit board, a side key 132 and an auxiliary board 200 of a mobile terminal according to an aspect of the present invention.

The side key 132 includes a button portion 132a through which a user presses to input a predetermined command and is inserted into side openings of the cases 101 and 102. Side key 132, as well as the volume control, the power of the on-off, the on-off of the touch sensor can be variously functions.

As shown in the drawing, the button portion 132a may be provided at each end one by one, and the entire side key 132 may be one button portion 132a or three button portions including both ends and the center portion ( 132a).

Recently, as the size of the front display unit 151 increases, there is a tendency to minimize the user input unit 130 for inputting a command of the front user. Therefore, the specific gravity of the user input unit located at the side, that is, the side key 132 is increasing. In addition, as the slimming of the mobile terminal proceeds, the size of the side key 132 also becomes thin.

The printed circuit board 300 has a plurality of chipsets 310 mounted therein to control the components of the mobile terminal such as processing signals input to the mobile terminal and outputting images and sounds to the user. Commands input by the user through various user input units 130 are transmitted to the printed circuit board 300 and processed. When a user presses the side key 132, the signal is also transmitted to the printed circuit board 300. do.

Since the printed circuit board 300 has a plate shape, one side and the other side thereof face the front and rear sides of the mobile terminal, in order to input a signal of the side key 132 located on the side of the mobile terminal, the auxiliary substrate 200 facing the side thereof. ) Is required.

The auxiliary substrate 200 is located at one side of the rear side of the side key 132 and the other side is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board 300 when the button unit 132a is pressed. Pass electrical signals to

More specifically, the auxiliary substrate 200 is formed of a rigid substrate 210 protruding from a position corresponding to the button portion 132a on the hard substrate 210 and the hard substrate 210 positioned on the rear side of the side key 132. The flexible board 260 includes a dome switch 220 made of a material and a circuit pattern 265 for electrically connecting the dome switch 220 and the printed circuit board 300.

That is, one side of the flexible substrate 210 and the dome switch 220 is located extending from the rigid substrate 210, the end of the flexible substrate 260 connected to the printed circuit board 300 of the auxiliary substrate 200 Configure the other side.

The hard substrate 210 is a portion that generates a signal when the button portion 132a of the side key 132 is pressed to face the rear surface of the button portion 132a so as to be connected to the circuit pattern 265 of the flexible substrate 260. Form dome switch 220 in position.

That is, when the user presses the button portion 132a of the side key 132, the dome switch 220 is pressed to generate an electrical signal, which is printed circuit board 300 through the circuit pattern 265 of the flexible board 260. Is passed on. The dome switch repeatedly transmits a signal while being pressed, and the shape is changed when the button unit 132a is pressed, and when the force is removed, it returns to its original form. The dome switch 220 is made of a metallic material having a predetermined restoring force, such as SUS, and has a dome shape forming a part of a sphere.

The dome switch 220 is required to be a certain size or more in size in order to be changed in shape and restored again when pressed. In addition, since the surface color of the dome switch 200 uses a metallic material such as SUS, it is silver and reflects light due to the metallic property.

Conventionally, since the size of the side key 132 is larger than the size of the dome switch 220, it is not a problem. However, as the size of the side key 132 is recently reduced, the length of the short side of the side key 132 is larger than the diameter of the dome switch 220. Can be made smaller.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, when the side key 132 is coupled to the openings of the cases 101 and 102, the dome switch 220 may be seen through the gap between the side key 132 and the opening. Since the surface of the dome switch 220 is bright and reflects light, the dome switch 220 is visible between the side keys 132 and the gaps of the cases 101 and 102.

As such, when the dome switch 220 is visible between the side keys 132 and the gaps of the cases 101 and 102, internal parts are recognized by the user, and thus, the appearance of the mobile terminal 100 is hindered.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention includes a blind layer 230 formed in a dark color on the upper surface of the dome switch 220. When the upper surface of the dome switch 220 is covered in a dark color by using the blind layer 230, the silver dome switch 220 is clearly distinguished between the side key 132 and the cases 101 and 102 and is not recognized by the user. It does not impair the appearance.

Referring to Figures 7 to 9 to look at the structure of the auxiliary substrate 200 of the present invention according to each embodiment in more detail.

In the auxiliary substrate 200 of the mobile terminal illustrated in FIG. 7, the dome switch 220 is positioned on the rigid substrate 210. When the dome switch 220 is pressed, a signal terminal 215 connected to the dome switch 220 is formed on the hard substrate 210. When the dome switch 220 contacts the signal terminal 215, a signal is transmitted to the printed circuit board 300 through the circuit pattern 265 of the flexible board 260 connected to the rigid circuit board.

The signal terminal 215 may be formed at a position corresponding to the center of the dome switch 220, but when the dome switch 220 is pressed, the signal terminal 215 may be placed at a position where the signal terminal 215 may be contacted. It can also be located.

The blind layer 230 shown in FIG. 7 is a silicon rubber 230 formed on the dome switch 220. The blind layer 230 is formed of silicon of dark color, such as black, in advance to the shape of the top surface of the dome switch 220. Thereafter, the dome switch 220 is attached to the upper surface. Thereafter, the dome switch 220 on which the silicon rubber 230 is mounted is coupled to the rigid substrate 210.

Applying a predetermined pressure and heat to the dome switch 220 may be coupled to the hard substrate 210, the upper surface of the dome switch 220 and the hard substrate 210 to be more stably coupled to the tape 250 You can also cover with.

Since the upper surface of the hard substrate 210 other than the portion of the dome switch 220 is not a metallic material, light is not reflected like the dome switch 220, so it is not easily seen between the cases 101 and 102 and the side keys 132. However, when the film 240 of dark color is attached to portions other than the dome switch 220, the shape is more apparent.

Looking at the manufacturing sequence of the auxiliary substrate 200 simply, the signal terminal 215 is formed on the rigid substrate 210. Next, when the dome switch 220 having the dark silicon rubber 230 attached to the upper surface is pressed after connecting the circuit pattern 265 of the flexible board 260 and the signal terminal 215, the signal terminal 215. It is coupled to the rigid substrate 210 to be connected with.

The upper surface of the hard substrate 210 other than the dome switch 220 is coupled to the upper surface of the hard substrate 210 with a dark color film 240, and the hard substrate 210 and the dome switch 220 are covered with a transparent tape 250. It is possible to further solidify the coupling structure of.

Next, FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the mobile terminal of the present invention, wherein the silicon rubber 235 is not only on the top surface of the dome switch 220 but also on the top surface of the hard substrate 210 other than the portion where the dome switch 220 is formed. It is characterized by an extension.

In this case, first the dome switch 220 is coupled to the upper surface of the hard substrate 210, and then the silicon rubber 235 is attached to the upper surface of the rigid substrate 210. Thereafter, the tape 250 may be covered to secure the coupling structure.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the mobile terminal of the present invention, wherein the tape 255 covering the top surface of the dome switch 220 and the hard substrate 210 uses a dark color instead of a transparent material. . In this case, since the silicon rubber 230, the dark color film 240, and the like need not be laminated on the hard substrate 210, the layer structure of the auxiliary substrate 200 may be simplified.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, even if the length of the short side of the side key 132 is smaller than the diameter of the dome switch 220, the gap between the side key 132 and the case (101, 102) of the side Since the metallic silver of the dome switch 220 is not seen through, there is an advantage that the thickness of the mobile terminal can be reduced without inhibiting the appearance of the mobile terminal.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all aspects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the invention are included in the scope of the invention.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit
120: A / V input / output unit 130: user input unit
140: sensing unit 150: output unit
160: memory 170: interface section
180: control unit 190: power supply unit
132: side key 200: sub-board
210: rigid substrate 215: signal terminal
220: dome switch 230, 235: silicon rubber
240: dark colored film 250, 255: tape
260: flexible substrate 265: circuit pattern
300: printed circuit board 310: chipset

Claims (7)

A case having a printed circuit board having a plurality of chipsets mounted therein and having an opening formed on a surface thereof;
A side key inserted into an opening of the case, the button unit including a button portion which a user presses to input a preset command;
One side is located at the rear of the side key and the other side is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and includes an auxiliary substrate for transmitting an electrical signal to the printed circuit board when the button portion is pressed,
The auxiliary substrate,
A rigid substrate disposed on a rear surface of the side key and having a signal terminal at a position corresponding to the button portion on the rigid substrate;
A metallic dome switch which is pressed together when the button unit is pressed by a user and protrudes in a dome shape to be connected to the signal terminal;
A flexible board having a circuit pattern electrically connecting the signal terminal of the hard board and the printed circuit board; And
And a blind layer formed in a dark color on an upper surface of the dome switch. The method of claim 1,
The dome switch, the blind layer and the surface of the hard substrate further comprises a transparent tape layer. The method of claim 1,
The blind layer,
The mobile terminal, characterized in that the dark silicon rubber attached to the upper surface of the dome switch. 3. The method of claim 2,
The rubber is,
A mobile terminal, characterized in that extending from the upper surface of the dome switch to cover the upper surface of the hard substrate together. The method of claim 1,
The blind layer,
And a dark colored film formed on an upper surface of the hard board on which the dome switch is not formed. The method of claim 1,
The blind layer,
And a dark colored tape covering a surface of the dome switch and the hard substrate. The method of claim 1,
And a short side of the side key is smaller than a diameter of the dome switch.

Images