WO2003075400A1

WO2003075400A1 - Driving apparatus for an antenna

Info

Publication number: WO2003075400A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/000386
Authority: WO
Inventors: Han-Sang Lee
Original assignee: Shubur Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-03-06
Filing date: 2002-03-06
Publication date: 2003-09-12
Also published as: AU2002239094A1

Abstract

Disclosed is an antenna driving apparatus suitable for extracting/retracting a rod antenna of communication terminals such as mobile phones and the like. The antenna driving apparatus has a rotary driving means, a rotary contact means and an elastic coupling means. The rotary driving means has a rotary shaft. The rotary contact means capable of being disposed inclinedly to the rotary shaft crosses the antenna and is in contact with the exterior surface of the antenna. The rotary contact means transports the antenna in the length direction when it is rotated by a rotational force of the rotary driving means. The elastic coupling means is disposed between the rotary driving means and the rotary contact means to transfer the rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means and provides an elastic force to the rotary contact means while allowing the rotary contact means to be rotationally driven with being inclined to the rotary shaft. Since the antenna driving apparatus is widely applicable to various communication terminals in design, it is not necessary to develop a new antenna driving apparatus whenever the designs of the communication terminals are changed and it is therefore possible to reduce costs incurred by developing a new model of the terminals. Further, even though the diameter of the antenna, the diameter of a roller, roundness, the disposition of the antenna driving apparatus and the like have offsets, it is less liable to products with defects according to the driving of the antenna because a contact pressure between the rotary contact means and the antenna does not become excessively large or small. Also, it is possible to make a communication terminal of good quality because the driving of the antenna is smoothly performed.

Description

DRIVING APPARATUS FOR AN ANTENNA

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an antenna driving apparatus, and more particularly to an antenna driving apparatus suitable for retracting/extracting an antenna provided for a small appliance such as a mobile communication terminal.

Background Art

As generally known in the art, a rod antenna (hereinafter, referred to as "antenna") is provided for a mobile communication terminal such as a cellular phone, a personal communication system (PCS), a personal digital assistant (PDA), and an international mobile telecommunication-2000 (IMT-2000). In consideration of communication quality and effective use of battery, it is preferable that the antenna is extracted from the housing of the mobile communication terminal in operation for making a call and is retracted into the housing after completing such operation. In order to facilitate the extraction/retraction of the antenna, the inventor of the present invention has proposed a driving apparatus which enables an antenna to be automatically extracted/retracted (see U.S. Patent No. 6,163,682).

According to the recent tendency, the mobile communication terminal becomes not only smaller in size but also more diversified in design to satisfy various kinds of consumer tastes. Due to the facts that the small mobile communication terminal has resulted in reducing an installation space for the antenna driving apparatus and that the diversified mobile communication terminal has resulted in diversifying the kinds of antennas, the installation of the antenna and the antenna driving apparatus has become difficult. In conventional antenna driving apparatuses, frictional force between a rotating roller and an antenna, which are disposed perpendicularly to each other while being in surface contact with each other, is utilized in extracting/retracting the antenna. In order to enable this mode of operation, the conventional antenna driving apparatuses employ various constructions in which an antenna is perpendicularly disposed between two rollers arranged in parallel (the above U. S. patent employs this construction) or an antenna is disposed between a roller and a guide member while being perpendicular to the roller. Moreover, the rollers are connected to a motor and a reduction gear assembly connected with the motor or a driving shaft of a geared motor which is an integration of these two elements, so that the rollers can rotate in normal and reverse directions.

According to these constructions, the antenna in direct contact with the roller is forced to perform linear movement by the frictional force between the roller and the antenna, so that the antenna is extracted/retracted, that is, operated. In this case, in order to guarantee a smooth operation of the antenna, a proper contact force between the antenna and the roller must be secured. However, in the conventional antenna driving apparatuses, each roller is fixed to the driving shaft of the gear assembly or the geared motor, so that the axis of a rotation shaft of the roller is prevented from moving. Further, when the design of a mobile communication terminal changes, a location at which the antenna driving apparatus is installed or a diameter of the antenna changes. Due to such circumstances, in order to obtain a proper contact pressure between the antenna and the roller of the antenna driving apparatus, different antenna driving apparatuses, which are suitably designed according to diameters of the antenna or designs of the mobile communication terminals, are necessary. As a result, such a limitation set to a range within which one model type of the mobile communication terminal can be applied requires development of new models, shortens cycle of replacement, and increases manufacturing cost of the antenna driving apparatus. Moreover, even in mobile communication terminals with the same design, when the diameter of the antenna, the diameter of a roller, roundness, the disposition of the antenna driving apparatus and the like have offsets, a contact pressure between the rotary contact means and the antenna are liable to be excessively large or small, so as to disturb a smooth operation of the antenna and increase a possibility of producing defective products.

Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna driving apparatus, which is widely applicable to various communication terminals in design, especially to those having antennas of various diameters, while proving a proper contact pressure between the antenna and a roller, thereby reducing defects of products in relation to the operation of the antenna.

In order to accomplish this object, there is provided an apparatus for driving an antenna, comprising: a rotary driving means having a rotary shaft; a rotary contact means disposed in a manner that the rotary contact means can be inclined with respect to the rotary shaft while crossing the antenna and being in contact with an outer surface of the antenna, so that the rotary contact means transfers the antenna in a longitudinal direction of the antenna when the rotary contact means is rotated by the rotary driving means; and an elastic coupling means disposed between the rotary driving means and the rotary contact means, so as to transmit a rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means, allow the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and apply an elastic force to the rotary contact means. It is preferable that the elastic coupling means comprises an inclination-allowable coupling means and an elastic force providing means, the inclination-allowable coupling means delivering the rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means and allowing the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and the elastic force providing means applying the elastic force to the rotary contact means.

Preferably, the apparatus may further comprise an antenna supporting means for supporting the antenna disposed between the rotary contact means and the antenna supporting means. More particularly, it is preferable that the rotary driving means may be a geared motor.

In the apparatus, the rotary shaft may have an angled shaft groove formed circumferentially on an outer surface of the rotary shaft, the elastic force providing means may be a coil spring disposed between the inclination-allowable coupling means and the rotary contact means, the inclination-allowable coupling means may have a shape of a receptacle having a bottom and a side wall, the inclination-allowable coupling means having a clearance and at least two inclination-allowable openings, the clearance being formed through a portion of the side wall and the bottom and extending to a center of the bottom, so that the inclination-allowable coupling means can be fitted around the shaft groove, the inclination-allowable openings being formed through the side wall so as to enable the rotary contact means to be assembled with the inclination- allowable coupling means and allow the rotary contact means to be inclined in any directions with respect to the rotary shaft, and the rotary contact means may comprise a coil spring receiving member, at least two protuberances, a roller shaft, and an elastic roller, the coil spring receiving member receiving one end of the coil spring, the protuberances protruding outward from an outer surface of the coil spring receiving member and being engaged with the inclination-allowable openings, the roller shaft extending toward the antenna, and the elastic roller being fitted on an outer surface of the roller shaft and in contact with the antenna. It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a washer disposed between a motor and the inclination-allowable coupling means so as to reduce a frictional force applied to the inclination-allowable coupling means.

The rotary driving means may be a geared motor, and the antenna supporting means may be a housing which encases and protects the inclination-allowable coupling means, the rotary contact means and the elastic force providing means, the antenna supporting means having an antenna hole through which the antenna passes and supporting the antenna against the rotary contact means.

Preferably, the antenna supporting means supports the antenna while being in surface contact or point contact with two portions of the antenna. Also, the antenna supporting means may have an elongated hole in which an end of the rotary contact means is inserted.

More particularly, it is preferable that the rotary driving means may be a geared motor having a protuberance or a groove formed on an outer surface of the geared motor, and the antenna supporting means is a housing which encases and protects the inclination-allowable coupling means, the rotary contact means and the elastic force providing means, the antenna supporting means having a groove or a protuberance engaged with the protuberance or the groove of the geared motor in such a manner as enables the antenna supporting means to be assembled with the geared motor while being pivoted at a predetermined angle with respect to the geared motor, the antenna supporting means having an antenna hole through which the antenna passes and supporting the antenna against the rotary contact means.

According to another embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus

for driving a linear member similar to an antenna.

In this case, the apparatus may also comprise a supporting means for supporting

the linear member disposed between a rotary contact means and a supporting means.

According to another embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus

for driving an antenna, comprising: a rotary driving means having a rotary shaft; and a

rotary contact means made from elastic material and disposed at the rotary shaft in a manner that the rotary contact means can be elastically deformed to be inclined with

respect to the rotary shaft while crossing the antenna and being in contact with an outer

surface of the antenna, so that the rotary contact means moves the antenna while

rotating.

It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises an antenna supporting means for supporting the antenna disposed between the rotary contact means and the antenna

supporting means.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the

accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna driving apparatus shown in

FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the antenna, taken along line l-l in FIG. 1 , in which an antenna is assembled with the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-out perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus, which shows an assembled state of important components thereof;

FIG. 5 is a partially cut-out perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus, with which an antenna is assembled;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG.7 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna driving apparatus shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an antenna driving apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an antenna driving apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna driving apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the antenna, taken along line l-l in FIG. 1 , in which an antenna is assembled with the apparatus.

Referring to FIGs. 1 to 3, an antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention, which is provided at a mobile communication terminal and enables an antenna to be conveniently extracted and retracted, includes a rotary driving means 110 having a rotary shaft 112. It is preferred that a geared motor 110a is employed as the rotary driving means 110. the geared motor 110a includes a motor section 111 and a gear assembly 116 for reducing a driving speed of the motor 110a. The gear assembly 116 includes a ring gear 116a fixedly assembled with the motor section 111 , an epicyclic gear 116b inscribing in the ring gear 116a and revolving along the ring gear 116a while rotating on its own axis, a carrier 116c rotated by the revolution of the epicyclic gear 116b, and a sun gear 116d rotating the epicyclic gear 116b. Since it is an existing technology to reduce a driving speed of a motor by means of the ring gear 116a, the epicyclic gear 116b, the carrier 116c, and the sun gear 116d, a detailed description about the gear assembly 116 will be omitted here. Further, the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 expresses a connector for supplying electric power, which is assembled with the rotary driving means 110.

Further, although it is preferred that the geared motor 110a as shown in FIGs. 1 to 3 is directly utilized as the rotary driving means 110 in the antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention, any other rotary driving means capable of rotating the rotary shaft may be employed. For example, driving means of driving a cover of the mobile communication terminal may also be utilized as the rotary driving means 110.

As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, a shaft groove 113 is formed circumferentially on a lower portion of the rotary shaft 112 by circumferentially cutting out the lower portion, so that the lower portion of the rotary shaft 112 is angled. An inclination-allowable coupling means 120 which will be described later is fitted in the shaft groove 113, that is, in the angled lower cut-out portion of the rotary shaft 112.

The antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a rotary contact means 130. The rotary contact means 130 is rotated by the rotary driving means 110 while a side portion of the rotary contact means 130 is in contact with an antenna 10, so that the antenna 10 is extracted and retracted. It is preferred that the rotary contact means 130 is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the antenna 10 and has an outer surface in contact with an outer surface of the antenna 10. Of course, it is not inevitable that the rotary contact means 130 should be disposed perpendicularly to the antenna 10. The rotary contact means 130 is disposed in such a manner that the rotary contact means 130 may be slanted with a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary shaft 112. When the rotary contact means 130 is in a slanted state, an elastic force providing means 140 such as a coil spring applies force of restoring the elastic force providing means 140 to its original position.

The rotary contact means 130 includes a coil spring receiving member 132 in which an end of a coil spring 140a is received. The coil spring receiving member 132 has a receptacle having a bottom and a side wall integrated with each other, so as to prevent an upper end of the coil spring 140a from being separated.

Protuberances 133 protrude outward from an outer cylindrical surface of the coil spring receiving member 132. Although it is preferred that three protuberances 133 are

arranged at an angular interval of 120°, two protuberances 133 may be arranged at an angular interval of 180°. Of course, the number of the protuberances 133 may exceed three at other angular intervals. The protuberances 133 are engaged at inclination- allowable openings 122 of the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 which will be described later. The rotary contact means 130 includes a roller shaft 134 integrated with and extending from a central portion of the coil spring receiving member 132. The roller shaft 134 is longer than a diameter of the antenna 10. A longitudinal direction of the roller shaft 134 intersects a longitudinal direction of the antenna 10 substantially at a right angle. A catching annulus 135 is formed on a portion of a cylindrical surface of the roller shaft 134 near a distal end of the roller shaft 134, and an elastic roller 136 in contact with the antenna 10 is assembled inside of the catching annulus 135 of the roller shaft 134. In this case, the roller shaft 134 may have a form of a drum called chang-gu (a double-headed drum pinched in the middle). The elastic roller 136 is a medium for providing sufficient contact pressure between the rotary contact means 130 and the antenna 10 and can be omitted when the roller shaft 134 is made from material having a large frictional force with respect to the antenna 10.

The inclination-allowable coupling means 120 is disposed between the rotary driving means 110 and the rotary contact means 130. The inclination-allowable coupling means 120 transmits rotation power of the rotary driving means 110 to the rotary contact means 130, so as to enable the rotary contact means 130 to rotate, while allowing the rotary contact means 130 to be slanted with respect to the rotary shaft 112. The inclination-allowable coupling means 120 has a shape of a receptacle having a bottom 121 and a side wall 126. In order to enable the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 to be engaged with the shaft groove 113 of the rotary shaft 112, a portion of the side wall 126 and the bottom 121 of the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 is cut out to form a clearance 124. The clearance 124 extends up to a center of the bottom 121, and an end of the clearance 124 at the center of the bottom 121 has a shape which enables the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 to be firmly assembled with the shaft groove 113, so that the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 is prevented from being separated from the rotary shaft 112 and the rotational force of the rotary shaft 112 can be transmitted to the inclination-allowable coupling means 120. Further, three inclination- allowable openings 122, which enable the rotary contact means 130 to be assembled with the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and allow the rotary contact means 130 to be inclined in any directions with respect to the rotary shaft 112 after the rotary contact means 130 is assembled, are formed through the side wall 126 at an angular interval of 120°. Of course, two inclination-allowable openings 122 may be formed at an angular interval of 180° or at least four inclination-allowable openings 122 may be formed at other angular intervals. The inclination-allowable openings 122 are portions with which the protuberances 133 of the rotary contact means 130 are engaged. Therefore, the inclination-allowable openings 122 must be formed to be larger than the protuberances 133 so that the protuberances 133 can move in the inclination-allowable openings 122 after being assembled, and an entrance 122a at an upper end of each inclination- allowable opening 122 must be formed to be narrower than each protuberance 133 so as to prevent the protuberance 133 from being separated. Of course, the entrance 122a is unnecessary in the case where the protuberances 133 can be forcedly fitted in the inclination-allowable openings 122.

A washer 150 is fitted between the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary driving means 110, that is, the geared motor 110a. The washer 150 is arranged for reducing the frictional force applied to the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and an upper end of the geared motor 110a, and is not an indispensable element. Of course, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 may be formed integrally with the rotary shaft 112.

The method of assembling the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130 with each other as described above may be modified in various ways. For example, protuberances can be formed on the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 while openings like the inclination-allowable openings 122 are formed at the rotary contact means 130, so that the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130 can be assembled together by fitting the protuberances in the openings. Otherwise, the coil spring receiving member 132 can be enlarged while the dimension of the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 is reduced, so that the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 can be received in the coil spring receiving member 132 of the rotary contact means 130, and the protuberances 133 can be formed inside of the coil spring receiving member 132 so that the protuberances 133 protrude inward and are assembled with the inclination-allowable coupling means 120. On condition that the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130 are interlocked by means of male and female members in such a manner that rotational force can be transmitted between them and the rotary contact means 130 can be elastically moved to be inclined with respect to the rotary shaft 112 as described above, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130 may have various modified constructions and ways of being assembled with each other.

The antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes the elastic force providing means 140. In the present embodiment, the coil spring 140a disposed between the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130 is employed as the elastic force providing means 140. When the rotary contact means 130 in contact with the antenna 10 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary shaft 112 because the antenna 10 has a diameter larger than a standard size, the elastic force providing means 140 pushes the rotary contact means 130 toward the antenna 10, thereby ensuring a sufficient frictional force between the rotary contact means 130 and the antenna 10. Further, not only the coil spring 140a but also anything capable of applying elastic force to the rotary contact means 130 can be employed as the elastic force providing means 140. For example, the elastic force providing means 140 may include two magnets disposed between the rotary contact means 130 and the inclination-allowable coupling means 120, in such a manner that the same magnetic poles of the two magnets are opposed to each other. In the present embodiment, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the elastic force providing means 140 together enable the rotary contact means 130 to rotate in an inclined posture and apply elastic force to the rotary contact means 130 so that the rotary contact means 130 can press the antenna 10. The inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the elastic force providing means 140 constitute an elastic coupling means 170.

The antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes an antenna supporting means 160. The antenna supporting means 160 supports the antenna 10 and enable frictional force which is required for driving the antenna 10 to be generated between the antenna 10 and the rotary contact means 130. The antenna supporting means 160 is not always necessary. A separate antenna supporting means is not necessary in some cases, for example, when the antenna 10 is made from material having a very large stiffness so that the antenna 10 is not deflected by but can resist to the pressing force of the rotary contact means 130, or when the antenna 10 is installed in a casing of a mobile communication terminal and has a limited moving path.

In the present embodiment, a housing 160a is employed as the antenna supporting means 160. The housing 160a is assembled with the geared motor 110a and protects the rotary contact means 130, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120, and the elastic force providing means 140 by encasing them. An antenna hole 162 through which the antenna 10 can pass and an elongated hole 164 in which the end of the roller shaft 134 of the rotary contact means 130 is inserted and guided are formed at the housing 160a. A housing bracket 166 is assembled on an opening formed at a bottom of the housing 160a, which is connected under the elongated hole 164.

As shown in FIG. 3, in an assembled state of an antenna driving apparatus according to the present invention, the rotary contact means 130 is disposed inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 by an external force applied by the antenna 10, and is supported by the elastic force providing means 140, so as to apply force to one side of the antenna 10. The antenna 10 is supported by the antenna supporting means 160 while being in surface contact or point contact with two portions of the antenna supporting means 160 adjacent to an inner comer of the antenna supporting means 160.

In the state shown in FIG. 3, when electric power is applied to the rotary driving means 110 and the rotary shaft 112 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 assembled with the rotary shaft 112 rotates, and the rotary contact means 130, which has been interiocked in the inclination-allowable openings 122 in the rotating direction by means of the protuberances 133, also rotates in a state of being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary shaft 112. According to the rotation of the rotary contact means 130, the antenna 10 performs linear movement in directions corresponding to the directions of the rotation of the rotary contact means 130, so that extraction or retraction of the antenna 10 is carried out. In this case, the contact force between the rotary contact means 130 and the antenna 10 depends on a spring constant, a degree of compression, and a radius of the used coil spring.

In the construction shown in FIG. 3, when the diameter of the assembled antenna 10 slightly increases, the inclination of the rotary contact means 130 with respect to the rotary shaft 112 slightly increases, and the pressing force which the rotary contact means 130 applies to the antenna 10 slightly increases. In contrast, when the diameter of the assembled antenna 10 slightly decreases, the inclination of the rotary contact means 130 with respect to the rotary shaft 112 slightly decreases, and the pressing force which the rotary contact means 130 applies to the antenna 10 slightly decreases. In other words, in the antenna driving apparatus according to the present invention, even when the diameter or location of the antenna slightly changes or there exists a slight manufacturing error of the antenna, etc., due to such reasons as changes in the design of the mobile communication terminal, the force applied between the rotary contact means 130 and the antenna 10 does not abruptly change. Therefore, the antenna driving apparatus according to the present invention not only may be utilized regardless of changes in the dimension of the antenna, kinds of designs of mobile communication terminals, etc., but also can provide a suitable driving condition under any circumstances, thereby remarkably reducing the defective proportion of goods in relation to the driving of the antenna. FIG. 4 is a partially cut-out perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus, which shows an assembled state of important components thereof, and FIG. 5 is a partially cut-out perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus, with which an antenna is assembled.

As apparent from FIGs. 4 and 5, the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 is assembled with the rotary shaft 112 of the rotary driving means 110, the protuberances 133 of the rotary contact means 130 are assembled in the inclination-allowable openings 122 of the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 in such a manner that the rotary contact means 130 can be inclined, and the elastic force providing means 140 is assembled between the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the rotary contact means 130. The housing 160a, which functions as the antenna supporting means 160 and has the antenna hole 162, is assembled with the rotary driving means 110. The housing 160a surrounds and protects the inclination-allowable coupling means 120, the rotary contact means 130, and the elastic force providing means 140, supports the antenna 10, and guides the end of the rotary contact means 130 through the elongated hole 164. As seen from FIG. 4, in the antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention in which the antenna 10 is not assembled, the rotary contact means 130 is disposed in line with the rotary shaft 112, but is not inclined with respect to the rotary shaft 112. However, when the antenna 10 is inserted through the antenna hole 162 and assembled as shown in FIG. 5, the rotary contact means 130 is pushed by the antenna 10 to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary shaft 112. In the state shown in FIG. 5, the elastic force providing means 140 applies a force for restoring the rotary contact means 130 into the state shown in FIG.4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an antenna driving apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna driving apparatus shown in FIG.6.

The present embodiment shows a difference in a mode in which a housing 160b is assembled with the geared motor 110a, in comparison with the previous embodiment. That is, the housing 160a is fixedly assembled with the geared motor 110a, so that bending is not allowed, in the previous embodiment. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the housing 160b and the geared motor 110a are assembled together in such a manner that they are allowed to be bent with respect to each other. In detailed description, as shown in FIGs. 6 and 7, pivot pins 116 are formed on a cylindrical outer surface of the geared motor 110a constituting the rotary driving means 110, and pivot pinholes 168 are formed through portions of the housing 160b constituting the antenna supporting means 160, so that the pivot pins 116 can be fitted in the pivot pinholes 168 so as to allow the housing 160b to be bent to the geared motor 110a. Each of the pivot pinholes 168 is formed through a portion shaped like pliers and protruding from an edge of the housing 160b, so that the antenna supporting means 160 can be bent in the vertical direction (z direction) with respect to the geared motor 110a placed in the horizontal direction (y direction). In this case, it is preferred that two pivot pins 116 and

two pivot pinholes 168 are respectively arranged at an angular interval of 180°. Further, it is preferred that a finger 169 is formed between the two pliers-shaped portions forming

the pivot pinholes 168, so that the finger 169 can limit an angle within which the housing 160b can be bent or prevent the housing 160b from being separated from the geared

motor 110a. In this construction, the antenna supporting means 160 can be pivoted within a predetermined angle with respect to the geared motor 110a. Of course, the pivot pins 116 and the pivot pinholes 168 can exchange their locations.

The antenna driving apparatus shown in FIGs. 6 and 7 is useful when it is difficult

to locate the housing 160b in line with the geared motor 110a due to some spatial

restrictions, for example, a case where there is a hindrance at a location at which the

housing 160b is to be located. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 shows a pivoted state of the housing 160b.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an antenna driving apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes the rotary driving means 110 having the rotary shaft 112. The rotary driving means 110 is the geared motor 110a, as in the previous embodiment.

The antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a rotary contact means 130a which is inclined with respect to the rotary shaft

112, is in contact with one side of the antenna 10, and is rotated by the rotary driving

means 110 while moving the antenna 10. The rotary contact means 130a is assembled

with an elastic member 170a by a screw-joint, and an elastic roller is on a cylindrical outer surface of the rotary contact means 130a as in the previous embodiment.

The elastic member 170a is disposed between the rotary driving means 110 and the rotary contact means 130a. The elastic member 170a transmits the rotational power of the rotary driving means 110 to the rotary contact means 130a and applies an elastic force to the rotary contact means 130a while allowing the rotary contact means 130a to rotate in a state of being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary shaft 112. It is preferred that the elastic member 170a is made from rubber having an excellent elasticity.

The elastic member 170a in the present embodiment is an elastic coupling means which performs functions of both the inclination-allowable coupling means 120 and the elastic force providing means 140. The other elements are the same as those in the preceding description.

As shown in FIG. 9, the antenna driving apparatus 100 according to the present invention may include a rotary driving means 110 having a rotary shaft 112 and a rotary contact means 130b made from elastic material.

In the present embodiment, the rotary driving means 110 is the geared motor 110a, as in the preceding description.

The entire rotary contact means 130b except for the elastic roller on its outer surface is made from elastic material such as rubber so that the rotary contact means 130b can be elastically deformed, and is directly assembled and inclined with respect to the rotary shaft 112. Of course, the rotary contact means 130b can be formed by itself without the elastic roller on its outer surface. That is to say, in the rotary contact means 130b made from elastic material, a portion of the rotary contact means 130b, which is connected to the rotary shaft 112, can function as an elastic coupling means 170b, so as to enable the rotary contact means 130b to rotate while being in contact with the antenna 10 and inclined with respect to the rotary shaft 112, thereby moving the antenna 10.

In the present embodiment, the rotary contact means 130b carries out all the functions of the inclination-allowable coupling means 120, the elastic force providing means 140, and the rotary contact means 130 in the previous embodiments shown in FIGs. 1 to 7.

The other elements are the same as those in the preceding description.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above description, since the antenna driving apparatus is widely applicable to various communication terminals in design, it is not necessary to develop a new antenna driving apparatus whenever the designs of the communication terminals are changed and it is therefore possible to reduce costs incurred by developing a new model of the terminals.

Further, even though the diameter of the antenna, the diameter of a roller, roundness, the disposition of the antenna driving apparatus and the like have offsets, it is less liable to products with defects according to the driving of the antenna because a contact pressure between the rotary contact means and the antenna does not become excessively large or small. Also, it is possible to make a communication terminal of good quality because the driving of the antenna is smoothly performed. Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for driving an antenna, comprising: a rotary driving means having a rotary shaft; a rotary contact means disposed in a manner that the rotary contact means can be inclined with respect to the rotary shaft while crossing the antenna and being in contact with an outer surface of the antenna, so that the rotary contact means transfers the antenna in a longitudinal direction of the antenna when the rotary contact means is rotated by the rotary driving means; and an elastic coupling means disposed between the rotary driving means and the rotary contact means, so as to transmit a rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means, allow the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and apply an elastic force to the rotary contact means.

2. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic coupling means comprises an inclination-allowable coupling means and an elastic force providing means, the inclination-allowable coupling means delivering the rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means and allowing the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and the elastic force providing means applying the elastic force to the rotary contact means.

3. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising an antenna supporting means for supporting the antenna disposed between the rotary contact means and the antenna supporting means.

4. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary driving means is a geared motor.

5. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotary shaft has an angled shaft groove formed circumferentially on an outer surface of the rotary shaft, the elastic force providing means is a coil spring disposed between the inclination-allowable coupling means and the rotary contact means, the inclination-allowable coupling means has a shape of a receptacle having a bottom and a side wall, the inclination-allowable coupling means having a clearance and at least two inclination-allowable openings, the clearance being formed through a portion of the side wall and the bottom and extending to a center of the bottom, so that the inclination-allowable coupling means can be fitted around the shaft groove, the inclination-allowable openings being formed through the side wall so as to enable the rotary contact means to be assembled with the inclination-allowable coupling means and allow the rotary contact means to be inclined in any directions with respect to the rotary shaft, and the rotary contact means comprises a coil spring receiving member, at least two protuberances, a roller shaft, and an elastic roller, the coil spring receiving member receiving one end of the coil spring, the protuberances protruding outward from an outer surface of the coil spring receiving member and being engaged with the inclination- allowable openings, the roller shaft extending toward the antenna, and the elastic roller being fitted on an outer surface of the roller shaft and in contact with the antenna.

6. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a washer disposed between a motor and the inclination-allowable coupling means so as to reduce a frictional force applied to the inclination-allowable coupling means.

7. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotary driving means is a geared motor, and the antenna supporting means is a housing which encases and protects the inclination-allowable coupling means, the rotary contact means and the elastic force providing means, the antenna supporting means having an antenna hole through which the antenna passes and supporting the antenna against the rotary contact means.

8. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 7, wherein the antenna supporting means supports the antenna while being in surface contact or point contact with two portions of the antenna.

9. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the antenna supporting means has an elongated hole in which an end of the rotary contact means is inserted.

10. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotary driving means is a geared motor having a protuberance or a groove formed on an outer surface of the geared motor, and the antenna supporting means is a housing which encases and protects the inclination-allowable coupling means, the rotary contact means and the elastic force providing means, the antenna supporting means having a groove or a protuberance engaged with the protuberance or the groove of the geared motor in such a manner as enables the antenna supporting means to be assembled with the geared motor while being pivoted at a predetermined angle with respect to the geared motor, the antenna supporting means having an antenna hole through which the antenna passes and supporting the antenna against the rotary contact means.

11. An apparatus for driving a linear member, comprising: a rotary driving means having a rotary shaft; a rotary contact means disposed in a manner that the rotary contact means can

I be inclined with respect to the rotary shaft while crossing the antenna and being' in contact with an outer surface of the linear member, so that the rotary contact means transfers the linear member in a longitudinal direction of the linear member when the rotary contact means is rotated by the rotary driving means; and an elastic coupling means disposed between the rotary driving means and the rotary contact means, so as to transmit a rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means, allow the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and apply an elastic force to the rotary contact means.

12. An apparatus for driving a linear member as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the elastic coupling means comprises an inclination-allowable coupling means and an elastic force providing means, the inclination-allowable coupling means delivering the rotational force of the rotary driving means to the rotary contact means and allowing the rotary contact means to rotate in a state of being inclined with respect to the rotary shaft, and the elastic force providing means applying the elastic force to the rotary contact means.

13. An apparatus for driving a linear member as claimed in claim 11 or 12, further comprising a supporting means for supporting the linear member disposed between the rotary contact means and the supporting means.

14. An apparatus for driving an antenna, comprising: a rotary driving means having a rotary shaft; and a rotary contact means made from elastic material and disposed at the rotary shaft in a manner that the rotary contact means can be elastically deformed to be inclined with respect to the rotary shaft while crossing the antenna and being in contact with an outer surface of the antenna, so that the rotary contact means moves the antenna while rotating.

15. An apparatus for driving an antenna as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an antenna supporting means for supporting the antenna disposed between the rotary contact means and the antenna supporting means.