KR20140036699A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a front case which includes a recessed groove on the upper side of a sidewall, a side deco which includes a hook which protrudes from the inner side and is combined with the front case by the combination of the hook and the groove, and an elastic body which is formed on the side of the groove or the inner side of the sidewall around the groove. Provided is the mobile terminal with a slim shape and improved torsional rigidity.

Description

[0001] MOBILE TERMINAL [0002]

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a case in which durability against torsion is improved and robustness during assembly can be improved.

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.

On the other hand, such a mobile terminal has been slimmer by the demand of the consumer. As the thickness of the mobile terminal is reduced for the slim design, the torsional rigidity of the mobile terminal is reduced. As a result, the mobile terminal of the slim design is vulnerable to torsion, so that the torsional deformation may be greater when a torsional force is applied.

When the torsional deformation occurs in the mobile terminal, play is generated in the coupling portion of the case forming the exterior of the mobile terminal or noise due to torsion occurs. In particular, when the body of the mobile terminal is composed of a front case, a side decor and a rear case, the above play and noise may occur more. When the side deco is combined with the front case or the rear case, the gap generated between the front case or the rear case and the side deco causes torsional play, and the front case or the rear case and the side deco all made of plastic Because they bump into each other and produce noise.

As a result, when the mobile terminal of the slim design includes the side decor as a member forming the appearance, the robustness of the appearance of the mobile terminal is lowered and the luxury of the mobile terminal finish is impaired. Accordingly, there is a problem that the quality perceived by the consumer for the mobile terminal is lowered.

The present invention is proposed to meet the above-mentioned needs, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having improved torsional rigidity in a mobile terminal having an appearance formed by a case including a side decor for improving aesthetics.

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.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a front case including a recess recessed in an upper surface of a side wall, a hook protruding from an inner side, and a side coupled to the front case by a combination of the hook and the groove. It provides a mobile terminal including a deco and an elastic body provided on at least one of the side of the groove, and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a rear case including a recess recessed in the upper surface of the side wall, a hook protruding from the inner side, is coupled to the rear case by the coupling of the hook and the groove It provides a mobile terminal comprising an elastic body provided on at least one of the side deco and the side of the groove, and the inner surface of the side wall.

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, when the side deco and the front case is assembled by coupling the hook of the front case and the hook formed in the side deco, the elastic body provided around the groove of the front case is the side deco and the front The gap can be prevented from being formed between the cases. As a result, the position and shape of the side decor or the front case are relatively changed when a torsional force is applied to the mobile terminal. Therefore, even if a torsional force is applied to the mobile terminal, there is no play between the side decor and the front case, thereby improving quality and durability of the mobile terminal.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, when the torsional deformation occurs, the hook of the side deco is supported by the elastic body rather than in contact with the front case formed of plastic. As a result, the shape of the hook is deformed, so that durability of the mobile terminal can be prevented from being reduced, and noise generated by friction between plastics can be prevented from being generated.

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 front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of the rear cover of the rear of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a front case and a side decor of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing an embodiment of the elastic body formed around the groove of the front case included in the mobile terminal of the present invention.
6 is an enlarged perspective view showing an embodiment in which the elastic body included in the mobile terminal of the present invention has a N-shaped cross section.
7A and 7B are enlarged perspective views illustrating an embodiment in which an elastic body included in the mobile terminal of the present invention has a N-shaped cross section and one end thereof is in contact with the side decor.
8A and 8B are enlarged perspective views illustrating an example in which an elastic body included in the mobile terminal of the present invention has a N-shaped cross section and an end size thereof is changed.
Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing another embodiment of the elastic body formed around the groove of the front case included in the mobile terminal 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 perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal has 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 case 101, 102, 200 forming the appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101, a side decor 200, and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102, and a side deco 200 surrounding the periphery may be provided between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. have.

Parts that need to be detached, such as an auxiliary storage medium such as a USIM card and a memory card, may include an opening in the case so as to be inserted into the case from the outside. A slot may be formed at the side of the case so that the auxiliary storage medium is inserted and mounted at the side of the mobile terminal, or a card slot may be formed to be mounted at the surface of the rear case 102.

The cases 101, 102, and 200 may be formed by injecting synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 151, the audio output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 131 and 132, the microphone 122, the interface 170, and the like may be disposed in the terminal cases 101, 102 and 200.

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, 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 inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 inputs a command such as adjusting the volume of the sound output from the sound output unit 152. The third manipulation unit 133 may receive a command such as activating / deactivating the touch recognition mode of the display unit 151.

The operation units 131, 132 and 133 may have a button system recognized when a user applies pressure and a touch sensor 137 may be provided to the operation units 131, 132 and 133 in addition to the display unit 151 So that the user's command can be received only by the user's touch.

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

Referring to FIG. 2, 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 that of the camera 121 (see FIG. 1), 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 unit 152 ′ at the rear of the body may implement a stereo function together with the sound output unit at the front of the body, and may be used to implement a speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module, may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view illustrating a surface of a rear case of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Referring to FIG. 3, the front case 101, the side decor 200, the rear case 102, the rear cover (or the battery cover) 103, the camera 121 ′, the interface 170, the microphone 122 are provided. A sound output unit 152 ′, a battery 191, a battery mounting unit 104, a USIM card mounting unit 166, and a memory card mounting unit 167 are illustrated.

The rear case 102 may have a space on which external components such as the battery loading unit 104, the USIM card loading unit 166, and the memory card loading unit 167 can be mounted. In general, the external component mounted on the surface of the rear case 102 is designed to expand the functions of the mobile terminal in order to satisfy diversified consumer demands.

As the performance of the mobile terminal is diversified, the battery 191 may be replaced with a battery 191 as shown in FIG. 3 in order to compensate for a 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.

3, the USIM card mounting portion 166 and the memory card mounting portion 167 may be formed on the side of the battery mounting portion 104 or on the bottom surface of 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.

3 illustrates a configuration in which the USIM card mounting portion 166 and the memory card mounting portion 167 are mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 102. In addition, the USIM card mounting portion 166 and the memory card mounting portion 167 can be inserted into and detached from the mobile terminal.

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

Hereinafter, a side decoupling structure of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

4 is a perspective view illustrating the front case 101 and the side deco 200 of the mobile terminal separately according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is the front case 101 and the side deco 200 coupled thereto. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part A in FIG. 4, which is a coupling portion of the front case 101 and the side decor 200 in a state. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment includes a front case 101, a side decor 200, and an elastic body 300.

As shown in FIG. 4, one or more grooves 1015 are formed in the front case 101. The groove 1015 is recessed in the upper surface of the side wall of the front case 101 as shown in FIG. When the plurality of grooves 1015 are formed in the front case 101 as shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of grooves 1015 may be formed along the circumference of the front case 101, and preferably at regular intervals. Can be formed.

One or more hooks 210 are formed in the side decor 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the side deco 200 may be combined with the rear surface of the front case 101 to form a side appearance of the mobile terminal. The hook 210 protrudes from the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200, and the hook 210 of the side deco 200 is coupled to the groove 1015 of the front case 101 so that the side deco 200 ) May be coupled to the front case 101. When the plurality of grooves 1015 are formed in the front case 101, the plurality of hooks 210 may be formed in the side deco 200, and each of the hooks 210 may include the front case 101 and the side deco ( 200 may be formed at a position corresponding to each groove 1015 at the time of coupling.

According to one embodiment, the hook 210 may include a support portion 211 protruding from the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200, and a catching portion 212 protruding sideways from an end of the support portion 211. Can be. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the hook 210 forms a T shape. In this case, the hook 210 and the groove 1015 may be coupled to each other by inserting the support 211 of the T-shaped hook 210 into the recess 1015 recessed in the upper surface of the sidewall of the front case 101. After the support portion 211 of the hook 210 is inserted into the groove 1015, and the printed circuit board, the support frame and the rear case are coupled to the rear surface of the side deco 200, the hook portion 212 of the hook 210 is connected. The side decor 200 may be fixed by the rear case 102.

As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic body 300 is provided around the groove 1015 formed in the front case 101. The elastic body 300 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicon. Specifically, the elastic body 300 may be formed around the groove 1015 of the side surface of the groove 1015 or the inner side of the side wall of the front case 101, or may be formed around the side of the groove 1015 and the groove 1015. It may be formed on both inner surfaces of the side wall of the front case 101. In the accompanying drawings, the elastic body 300 is formed to be inserted into the side wall of the front case 101, but according to another embodiment, the elastic body 300 is more convex than the front case 101 on the surface of the front case 101. It may be formed.

When the hook 210 of the side deco 200 has a T-shape including the support part 211 and the locking part 212, the elastic body 300 provided on the side of the groove 1015 may be formed of the hook 210. The elastic body 300 supporting the support part 211 and provided around the groove 1015 on the inner side of the sidewall of the front case 101 may support the locking part 212 of the hook 210. Preferably, the elastic body 300 provided on the side of the groove 1015 is compressed by the support 211 of the hook 210, and is provided around the groove 1015 on the inner side of the side wall of the front case 101. The elastic body 300 may be compressed by the locking part 212 of the hook 210.

According to this embodiment, even when the position of the hook 210 of the side deco 200 inserted into the groove 1015 of the front case 101 is moved or the angle is shifted by the torsional force applied to the mobile terminal, the hook 210 The support portion 211 and the locking portion 212 of the) may be supported by the elastic body 300, not the side wall of the front case 101. The elastic body 300 may prevent the hook 210 made of plastic from directly rubbing against the groove 1015 made of plastic during torsional deformation, and as a result, may prevent noise from being generated by friction between the plastics.

In addition, when the elastic body 300 provided on the side wall of the front case 101 is compressed by the support part 211 and the locking part 212 of the hook 210, the elastic body 300 is the support part 211 of the hook 210. ) And the hooking portion 212 do not form a gap between the hook 210 and the groove 1015. Accordingly, the position of the hook 210 is fixed by the elastic body 300, thereby improving torsional rigidity and robustness of the mobile terminal.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the groove to which the side deco hooks are coupled may be formed in the rear case instead of the front case. In this case, the side deco is coupled to the rear case by the engagement of the hook and the groove. As in FIG. 4, the groove of the rear case may also be recessed in the upper surface of the side wall formed in the rear case, and the elastic body may be provided around the groove formed in the rear case. In addition, when a plurality of grooves are formed, they may be formed along the circumference of the rear case at regular intervals. Detailed structure of the present embodiment is the same as the case where the groove 1015 is formed in the front case 101 to be omitted.

Hereinafter, the side deco 200 coupling structure of the mobile terminal according to various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. 6 to 9 are partial enlarged views of a mobile terminal provided with an elastic body 300 having different shapes and arrangements, and these also show a front in a state where the front case 101 and the side deco 200 are coupled to each other. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a portion A of FIG. 4, which is a coupling portion between the case 101 and the side decor 200.

According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the elastic body 300 has a first elastic portion 310 and a sidewall of the front case 101 at one end of the first elastic portion 310 formed on the inner side surface of the side wall. It may include a second elastic portion 320 protrudes vertically toward the outer surface of the. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the cross section of the elastic member 300 may have a C shape. Preferably, the second elastic part 320 may be formed along the side surface of the groove 1015 formed in the side wall of the front case 101. According to the present exemplary embodiment, when the cross section of the elastic body 300 has a C shape, the integrally formed elastic body 300 may support the support part 211 and the locking part 212 of the hook 210 at the same time more effectively.

According to one embodiment, when the elastic body 300 includes the first elastic portion 310 and the second elastic portion 320 as described above, the end portion of the second elastic portion 320 and the groove 1015 and The hook 210 may contact the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200 when coupled. That is, when the groove 1015 of the sidewall of the front case 101 and the hook 210 of the side deco 200 are coupled to the second elastic part 320 protruding from one end of the first elastic part 310, the side deco It may extend to a length that can contact the inner surface 2010 of the (200). 7A and 7B illustrate an example in which an end portion of the second elastic portion 320 protruding from both ends of the first elastic portion 310 is in contact with the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the second elastic part 320 may be formed along the side surface of the groove 1015 formed in the sidewall of the front case 101, and may contact the inner surface 2010 of the side deco 200. . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7B, the second elastic portion 320 may protrude from one end of the opposite side of the first elastic portion 310 to contact the inner surface 2010 of the side deco 200. In both cases, a gap is formed between the outer surface of the side wall of the front case 101 and the inner surface 2010 of the side deco 200 when the elastic body 300 is coupled to the front case 101 and the side deco 200. Fills. As a result, a zero gap is formed between the front case 101 and the side decor 200 at least in a portion where the elastic body 300 is provided, and the elastic body 300 is formed on the inner side surface of the side decor 200 ( 2010).

The elastic body 300 supports the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200, so that the side deco 200 may not be deformed when a force is applied from the outside of the side deco 200 toward the inside of the mobile terminal. have. As a result, deformation of the side decor 200 can be prevented even when a torsional force is applied to the mobile terminal, and as a result, the torsional rigidity of the mobile terminal can be increased.

According to one embodiment, as described above, the elastic body 300 includes a first elastic portion 310 and a second elastic portion 320, and an end of the second elastic portion 320 is formed in the side deco 200. In contact with the side surface 2010, a width of an end portion of the second elastic portion 320 may be larger than a width of a connection surface to which the second elastic portion 320 and the first elastic portion 310 are connected. When the end width of the second elastic portion 320 protruding from both ends of the first elastic portion 310 is larger than the width of the connecting surface between the second elastic portion 320 and the first elastic portion 310. 8a and 8b, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the second elastic portion 320 is formed along the side surface of the groove 1015 formed in the sidewall of the case and contacts the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200, the second elastic portion 320 may be formed. The end width W1 of 320 may be greater than the end width W2 of the connection surface. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the second elastic portion 320 protrudes from one end of the opposite side of the first elastic portion 310 to contact the inner side surface 2010 of the side deco 200, the second elastic portion 320 may be formed. The end width W1 of 320 may be greater than the end width W2 of the connection surface. In both cases, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, one surface connecting the end surface of the second elastic portion 320 and the connection surface in the second elastic portion 320 is disposed on the side surface of the sidewall of the front case 101. It may be formed diagonally with respect to. As a result, the elastic body 300 can be supported not only in the longitudinal direction (y-axis) of the sidewall of the front case 101 by the sidewall of the front case 101, but also in the thickness direction (x-axis).

In particular, as the width is gradually reduced from the end of the second elastic portion 320 to the connecting surface, the side wall of the front case 101 is elastic when a force is applied from the outside of the side decor 200 toward the inside of the mobile terminal. The 300 can be supported in the thickness direction (x-axis). Accordingly, the elastic body 300 can be prevented from being separated from the sidewall of the front case 101 when a force is applied from the outside of the side decor 200, and the robustness and durability of the mobile terminal can be improved.

According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the elastic body 300 may be further provided on the bottom surface of the groove 1015 formed in the side wall of the front case 101. In this case, the elastic member 300 may support the locking portion 212 of the hook 210 even from the front surface of the side deco 200. As a result, the hook 210 can be supported in various directions when a torsional force is applied to the mobile terminal, so that the torsional rigidity of the mobile terminal can be further improved.

According to another embodiment, the elastic body 300 may be double injection molded together with the front case 101. In this case, the elastic body 300 may be integrally formed with the front case 101 and firmly fixed to the front case 101.

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.

101: front case 102: rear case
1015: Home 200: Side Deco
210: hook 300: elastomer

Claims (9)

A front case including a recess recessed in an upper surface of the side wall;
A side deco including a hook protruding from an inner side and coupled to the front case by a combination of the hook and the groove; And
And an elastic body provided on at least one of a side of the groove and a periphery of the groove on the inner side of the side wall. The method of claim 1,
The groove and the hook are each plural,
The plurality of grooves are formed along the circumference of the front case,
Each of the plurality of hooks is formed at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of grooves when the front case and the side decor are combined. The method of claim 1,
The hook is
And a support portion protruding from an inner side surface of the side deco, and a locking portion protruding from both ends of the support portion. The method of claim 1,
The elastic body is
A mobile terminal comprising a first elastic portion formed on the inner surface of the side wall and a second elastic portion protruding vertically toward the outer surface of the side wall from one end of the first elastic portion. 5. The method of claim 4,
An end portion of the second elastic portion is in contact with the inner surface of the side deco when the groove and the hook is coupled. The method of claim 5, wherein
The width of the end portion of the second elastic portion is greater than the width of the connecting surface between the second elastic portion and the first elastic portion. The method of claim 1,
The elastic body is further provided on the bottom surface of the groove. The method of claim 1,
The elastic body is double injection molded together with the front case is a mobile terminal formed integrally with the front case. A rear case including a recess recessed in an upper surface of the side wall;
A side deco including a hook protruding from an inner side and coupled to the rear case by coupling the hook and the groove; And
And an elastic body provided on at least one of the side surfaces of the groove and the inner side surface of the side wall.

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