KR101437976B1 - Slide module and portable terminal having same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a slide module including first and second slide members which are slidably engaged with each other and a magnetic force unit and an elastic force unit which generate a magnetic force or an elastic force for deflecting the slide in one direction, And a portable terminal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a slide module and a portable terminal having the slide module.

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a slide module for connecting two bodies relatively slidably.

A portable terminal is a portable electronic apparatus which is portable and has one or more functions of voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storing function.

As the functions of the portable terminal are diversified, the portable terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or video file, reception of a game, and reception of a broadcast.

In order to implement complex functions in multimedia devices, various new attempts have been made in terms of hardware or software. In an embodiment, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

Furthermore, efforts are being made to provide a new form of exercise in the relative movement between the bodies of the terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a slide module of another type and a portable terminal having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to make its movement step by step when operating the slide module.

A slide module according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-mentioned problems includes first and second slide members, a magnetic force unit and an elastic force unit.

The first and second slide members are relatively slidably engaged with each other. The magnetic force unit is configured to generate a magnetic force such that the second slide member is deflected to one of the positive and negative end points of the sliding section. The elastic force unit is configured to generate an elastic force such that the second slide member is biased toward the one point while being elastically deformed when the second slide member is released from the one point.

According to an aspect of the invention, the magnetic force unit comprises first and second elements respectively located adjacent to the positive end points, and second and third elements located respectively at opposite ends of the second slide member, And third and fourth elements facing each other. One of the first and third elements and the second and fourth elements, respectively, may be a magnet, and the other may include a magnet or other magnet arranged to generate attractive force with the magnet.

According to another aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the third and fourth elements are located in a plane substantially coincident with the plane formed by the second slide member from the viewpoint of slimming down the slide module.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the elastic force unit may include a pair of springs connecting the third and fourth elements to both ends of the second slide member, respectively. Any one of the pair of springs may be tensioned within a certain range until the first and third elements or the second and fourth elements are separated from each other while the second slide member is disengaged from the one point have.

 A portable terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first body and a second body, and a slide module as described above that connects the first and second bodies in a slidable manner. The first slide member is coupled to the first body and the second slide member is coupled to the second body.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the first and second elements may be respectively located at both ends of the first slide member, or may be located at portions adjacent to both ends of the first body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a removed portion is formed on a main surface of the first slide member, and at least a portion of an element mounted on the first body can be protruded through the removed portion .

The slide module according to the present invention configured as described above includes the magnetic force unit and the elastic force unit together with the first and second slide members so that not only the magnetic force but also the elastic force is exerted at the time of sliding, It can be influenced by the kind of force.

As the two types of forces complement each other, the sections of the sliding operation can be smoothly connected during operation of the slide module.

The portable terminal according to the present invention is provided with the slide module as described above, so that the user can feel a smoother motion than when sliding the user.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations.

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

The portable terminal of the present invention includes a first body 10 and a second body 20 that is slidable along at least one direction on the first body 10. The first and second bodies 10 and 20 may collectively be referred to as bodies.

The state in which the first body 10 is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 20 may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 10 may be referred to as a second body 20 ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

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

A casing (a casing, a housing, a cover, etc.) constituting an outer appearance of the first body 10 is formed by a front case 11 and a rear case 12. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 12. [ At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 11 and the rear case 12. [ The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 13, the sound output unit 14, the first image input unit 15, or the first operation unit 16 may be disposed in the first body 10, specifically, the front case 11.

The display unit 13 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) module, and the like that visually express information. The display unit 13 may further include a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The sound output unit 14 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker. The first image input unit 15 may be implemented as a camera module for capturing an image or a moving image of a user.

The first operation unit 16 receives a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The front case 21 and the rear case 22 can form the case of the second body 20 as in the case of the first body 10.

The second operation unit 23 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 20, specifically, the front case 21. [

The third operating unit 24, the first sound input unit 25, and the interface 26 may be disposed in at least one of the front case 21 and the rear case 22. [

The first to third operating portions 16, 23, 24 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch screen or a touch pad capable of receiving commands or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, Or the like.

In terms of functions, the first operation unit 16 is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the second operation unit 23 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. In addition, the third operation unit 24 may operate as a hot-key for performing a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 15 or the like.

The first sound input unit 25 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface 26 is a path through which the portable terminal related to the present invention can exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 26 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port a wireless Lan port), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal. The interface 26 may be a card socket that accepts an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for information storage, and the like.

A power supply unit 27 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the rear case 22 side. The power supply unit 27 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery for charging or the like.

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

Referring to FIG. 2, a second image input unit 28 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 22 of the second body 20. The second image input unit 28 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 15 (see FIG. 1), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit.

For example, the first image input unit 15 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and send it to the other party. The second image input unit 28 photographs a general object It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is often not transmitted.

A flash 29 and a mirror 30 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 28. The flash 29 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 28. The mirror unit 30 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to take a picture of himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 28.

The lower cover 22 may further be provided with a second sound output section 31. [ The second sound output unit 31 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 14 (see FIG. 1), and may be used for talking in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 32 for receiving broadcasting signals may be disposed on one side of the lower cover 22, in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 32 may be installed to be detachable from the second body 20.

A portion of the slide module 33 that slidably couples the first body 10 and the second body 20 is disposed on the rear case 12 side of the first body 10. [ The other part of the slide module 33 is disposed on the side of the front case 21 of the second body 20 and may be in a form that is not exposed to the outside as in this figure.

In the above description, the second image input unit 28 and the like are disposed in the second body 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. At least one of the configurations 28 to 32 described as being arranged in the lower cover 22, such as the second image input unit 28, may be mounted on the first body 10, mainly the lower cover 12, It is also possible to mount it. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the lower cover 12 in the closed state is protected by the second body 20. Further, the first image input unit 15 may be rotatably formed so that the second image input unit 28 can be photographed up to the second image input unit 28 even if the second image input unit 28 is not separately provided.

3 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide module 33 of FIG. For convenience of description, the slide module will be referred to as reference numeral 100.

Referring to the drawings, the slide module 100 includes first and second slide members 110 and 120 that are relatively slidably engaged. The first slide member 110 has a longer length than the second slide member 120. If the slide members 110 and 120 have a substantially plate shape, a rail portion 111 or 121 is formed at both ends of the slide members 110 and 120 so as to slidably receive the other one. The first slide member 110 may be further provided with a removal part 115 in which a predetermined portion is removed.

The second slide member 120 is slid within the sliding section with respect to the points (end points) adjacent to both ends along the longitudinal direction of the first slide member 110 as a boundary.

During the sliding of the second slide member 120, a magnetic force unit 130 is provided which generates a magnetic force for biasing the second slide member 120 to one of the end points.

The magnetic force unit 130 includes first and second elements 131 and 132 respectively disposed adjacent to both ends or end points of the first slide member 110 and second and third elements 131 and 132 disposed at both ends of the second slide member 120 And third and fourth elements 133 and 134 that are located.

In this embodiment, the first element 131 is mated in a corresponding manner with the third element 133 and the second element 132 is mated in a corresponding manner with the fourth element 134. In the above mates, if one is a magnet, the other is a magnetic body or other magnet that is in a relationship to generate attraction with it.

If the third and fourth elements 133 and 134 are located in a plane substantially coplanar with the plane defined by the second slide member 120, in other words if the former is arranged in parallel with the latter, It is advantageous to make the slide module 100 slimmer than a case where a spring or the like for realizing the semi-automatic movement of the slide module is disposed between the slide members 110 and 120.

In addition to the magnetic force unit 130, an elastic force unit 140 is provided to provide an elastic force to the sliding. The elastic force unit 140 generates an elastic force that biases the second slide member 120 toward the one point in the process of the second slide member 120 departing from the one point.

The elastic force unit 140 includes a first spring 141 connecting the third element 133 and the second slide member 120 and a second spring 141 connecting the fourth element 134 and the second slide member 120. [ And a second spring 142 for connecting the first spring 142 and the second spring 142. The first and second springs 141 and 142 may each include at least one coil spring.

Hereinafter, the operation of the slide module 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG.

In Figure 3 the second slide member 120 is positioned at one of the two end points of the first slide member 110 as the first element 131 is magnetically coupled to the third element 133, Respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4, as the second slide member 120 is moved toward another of the two end points, the first spring 141 is stretched. The second slide member 120 is supposed to be deflected to the original position due to the elastic deformation of the first spring 141 so that a resisting force acts on the direction in which the second slide member 120 is to be advanced.

A magnetic force acts between the first element 131 and the third element 133 up to a certain level despite the deformation of the first spring 141. Thus, the coupling between the first element 131 and the third element 133 is maintained.

Referring to FIG. 5, as the force for moving the second slide member 120 exceeds the magnetic force between the first element 131 and the third element 133, the first element 131 and the third element 133 Elements 133 are separated from each other.

In other words, even if the second slide member 120 is moved, the first element 131 and the third element 133 are not separated at a time, but are separated after the elastic force of the first spring 141 reaches a certain level .

As a result, when the second slide member 120 is moved, an elastic force acts primarily and a magnetic force acts secondarily. Therefore, when the second slide member 120 is slid, a feeling that the elastic force is smoothly transferred by the magnetic force can be obtained.

The third element 133 is brought into close contact with the second slide member 120 by the elastic force of the first spring 141. Also, as the fourth element 134 approaches the second element 132, a magnetic attractive force acts therebetween.

6, the magnetic attraction between the fourth element 134 and the second element 132 and the inertia resulting from the movement of the second slide member 120 cause the user to no longer move the second slide member 120, The second slide member 120 is positioned at another end point as shown in FIG.

At the other end point, the fourth element 134 is magnetically coupled to the second element 132. The third element 133 is brought into close contact with the one end of the second slide member 120 by the first spring 141.

The process of changing from the state of FIG. 6 to the state of FIG. 3 will be fully understood by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description, and will not be further described.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 for showing a concrete state in which the slide module 100 is coupled to the terminal.

Referring to this figure, the first slide member 110 is engaged with the main surface of the rear case 12 of the first body 10. The second slide member 120 is engaged with the front case 21 of the second body 20.

The relative movement of the first body 10 relative to the second body 20 between the open position and the closed position due to the relative sliding between the first slide member 110 and the second slide member 120, .

In addition, as the removal part 115 is formed on the first slide member 110, a part E disposed inside the first body 10 is exposed with a predetermined level protruded through the removal part 115 . If the part E determines the thickness of the first body 10, the entire thickness of the first body 10 can be thinned as a part of the part E protrudes outwardly.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a modification of FIG. 7. FIG.

According to this modification, the first element 131 'and the second element 132' may be disposed in the rear case 12 of the first body 10 rather than the first slide member 110. Specifically, the first element 131 'and the second element 132' are respectively disposed at flush portions with the main surface of the rear case 12, at portions adjacent to both ends of the first slide member 110 .

The portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the slide type shown in Fig. 1 but can be applied to various structures such as a folder type and a swing type.

9 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

9, a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 41, operation units 16, 23 and 24, image input units 15 and 28, an audio input unit 25, a display unit 13, sound output units 14 and 31, a sensing unit 46, an interface 26, a broadcast receiving module 45, a memory 44, a power supply unit 27 and a control unit 40.

The control unit 40 typically controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition to the normal function control, the control unit 40 controls the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 41 transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from a mobile communication base station through an antenna. A transmission unit 42 for transmitting and receiving voice data, character data, video data, and control data under the control of the control unit 40 and for modulating and transmitting a signal to be transmitted for this purpose; 43).

The operation units 16, 23, and 24 are configured as shown in FIG. 1, and provide the control unit 40 with key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 16, 23, and 24 are composed of a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The image input units 15 and 28 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame is converted into image data that can be displayed on the display unit 13 and output to the display unit 13. [ The image frames processed by the image input units 15 and 28 are stored in the memory 44 under the control of the control unit 40 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transmission / reception unit 41.

The sound input unit 25 receives an external sound signal by 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 is converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 41 in the communication mode, and is output to the wireless communication module. In the case of the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 44. The sound input unit 25 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 13 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, the control unit 40 displays and outputs a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the portable terminal is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the control unit 40 displays and displays the photographed image, the UI, and the GUI. When the display unit 13 includes a touch screen, the display unit 13 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 14 and 31 receive sound data received from the wireless communication module 41 under the control of the control unit 40 in the call signal reception mode, the communication mode or the recording mode, the voice recognition mode, And outputs the converted sound data to the outside. Also, the sound output units 14 and 31 output sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the portable terminal. These sound output units 14 and 31 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 46 senses the current state of the portable terminal, such as the opening / closing state of the portable terminal, the position of the portable terminal, whether or not the user touches the portable terminal, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal. For example, if the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, it senses whether the slide phone is opened or closed and outputs the sensing result to the controller 40 so that the operation of the terminal is controlled. And a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 27 is powered on, whether the interface 26 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The interface 26 may be connected to any external device such as a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (for example, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card) It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 26 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal, or transmits data in the portable terminal to an external device.

The memory 44 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 40 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, . In addition, the memory 44 stores a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention. The memory 44 includes the concept of a generally known hard disk, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a flash memory, a RAM, a ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 45 receives broadcast signals transmitted through satellite or terrestrial waves and converts the received broadcast signals into broadcast data types that can be output to the sound output units 14 and 31 and the display unit 13 and outputs them to the control unit 40 . In addition, the broadcast receiving module 45 receives additional data (e.g., EPG (Electric Program Guide), channel list, etc.) related to broadcasting. The broadcast data and the additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 45 may be stored in the memory 44. [

The power supply unit 27 receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit 40 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

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

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 portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide module of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the slide module immediately before the first and third elements are separated as the second slide member of Figure 3 moves.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the slide module with the first and third elements separated and the second and fourth elements trying to generate magnetic attraction as the second slide member of Figure 4 moves further.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the slide module with the second and fourth elements engaged by magnetic attraction as the second slide member of Figure 5 is further moved.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 for showing a specific state in which a slide module is coupled to a terminal. FIG.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a modification of FIG. 7; FIG.

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

Claims (9)

A first slide member; A second slide member slidably coupled to the first slide member; First and second elements respectively provided at both ends of the first slide member and third and fourth elements that generate magnetic force facing the first and second elements respectively and are respectively disposed at both ends of the second slide member, A magnetic force unit including an element; And And an elastic force unit for connecting the third and fourth elements to both ends of the second slide member, respectively, The elastic force unit includes: The second slide member is biased to a point out of the two end points of the sliding section, and when the second slide member is released from the one point, the elastic force is generated while being stretched within a certain range Wherein the slide module comprises: The method according to claim 1, Said first and second elements being located respectively adjacent said positive end points, Wherein one of the first and third elements and each of the second and fourth elements is a magnet and the other is a magnet or another magnet arranged to generate attraction with the magnet. 3. The method of claim 2, And the third and fourth elements are located in a plane substantially coplanar with a plane defined by the second slide member. delete delete delete A first body and a second body; And a slide module slidably connecting the first and second bodies, the slide module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Wherein the first slide member is coupled to the first body and the second slide member is coupled to the second body. 8. The method of claim 7, Wherein the first and second elements are respectively located at both ends of the first slide member or at portions adjacent to both ends of the first body. 8. The method of claim 7, Wherein a portion of the first slide member is formed with a removed portion and at least a portion of an element mounted on the first body protrudes through the removed portion.

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