Abstract:
A mobile terminal includes a speaker arrangement for providing surround sound. The terminal includes a folder hinged at a main body and having an LCD attached thereto, speakers mounted at the folder and implementing a three-dimensional surround-sound effect, and a sliding unit for sliding at least one of the speakers when the speakers produce the three-dimensional surround-sound effect. Because the distance between the speakers can be widened according to a user&#39;s selection, three-dimensional surround-sound can be maximized and thus product quality can be significantly enhanced.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly to a mobile terminal implementing surround-sound through installation of a plurality of speakers at the terminal.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Mobile terminals have recently been developed which allow users to download music files or video clips from the Internet as well as transmit or receive voice signals and access the Internet. In fact, the functionality of mobile terminals are being extended every day.  
           [0005]    [0005]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a related-art mobile terminal which includes a main body  110  having various circuit components installed therein, a menu button  102  and a dial button  104  provided at its front surface, a battery  106  mounted at its rear surface, and a folder  120  rotatably connected by a hinge connection unit  112  to the main body and having an inner LCD  116  for displaying user-desired information.  
           [0006]    A microphone  122  is installed at the main body to transmit a voice signal of a user. In addition to the inner LCD  116 , a receiver  126  is mounted at an inner side of the folder for transferring the voice of another party to the user. At an outer side of the folder, an outer LCD  130  is attached and two speakers  124  for implementing three-dimensional surround-sound are installed with a certain spacing interval therebetween.  
           [0007]    When the related-art mobile terminal downloads a music file or video clip and executes it, three-dimensional surround-sound is implemented through the two speakers  124 . However, since the two speakers are fixed within folder  120 , the spacing distance between the two speakers significantly limited. That is, because the amount by which the width of the folder can be increased is limited, it is difficult to space the two speakers a significant distance apart. This causes a problem in that the user can not feel the three-dimensional surround-sound effect. Also, with the related-art arrangement, even if the spacing can be increased, the surround-sound effect can be hardly perceived, by the user with the two speakers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    An object of the present invention is to solve one or more problems of the related-art and/or to achieve at least one of the following advantages.  
           [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal with enhanced product value by slidably installing speakers at a folder, to thereby widen the distance between the speakers and thus to maximize the three-dimensional surround-sound effect.  
           [0010]    To achieve these and other objects and advantages, the present invention provides a mobile terminal which according to one preferred embodiment includes: a folder hinged at a main body and an LCD attached thereto, a plurality of speakers (at least two) mounted at the folder for implementing three-dimensional surround-sound, and a sliding unit for slidably extending a position of at least one of the speakers relative to the folder when the speakers produce the three-dimensional surround-sound effect.  
           [0011]    The speakers are slidably mounted on a mounting part formed at an inner surface of the folder. The following features are provided on the surface of the mounting part: a first connection terminal electrically connected to the speaker when the speaker is in a state of having been received in the folder, and a second connection terminal electrically connected to the speaker when the speaker is in a state of having been moved in a width direction of the folder. The speakers are preferably disposed to face the mounting part, and at least one of the speakers slides in a predetermined (e.g., width) direction of the folder.  
           [0012]    The speaker includes a speaker case slidably disposed at the mounting part formed at the folder; a sound generator installed in the speaker case and generating a sound; and a speaker terminal formed at a lower surface of the speaker case and electrically connected one of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.  
           [0013]    The sliding unit includes: a guide rail formed in a width direction of the folder at the mounting part of the folder; and a guide groove formed at a lower surface of the speaker case and slidably inserted into the guide rail.  
           [0014]    A stopper is formed between the speaker case and the mounting part in order to prevent the speaker from releasing from the folder when the speaker is slidably moved.  
           [0015]    The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related-art mobile terminal.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a front view of a folder of the mobile terminal in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a folder with speakers mounted in the mobile terminal of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the folder and speakers of the mobile terminal of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the mobile terminal containing the speakers taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of the mobile terminal containing the speakers taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 4.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the speakers in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 9 and 10 show different operational states of the mobile terminal of the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 shows a mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view of the folder with speakers mounted of the mobile terminal in accordance with the present invention. The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a main body  20 , a folder  26 , an LCD  24 , speakers  28  and  30 , and a sliding unit. The main body includes a printed circuit board having various circuit components mounted thereon. The folder is rotatably connected by hinge connection unit  22  to the main body, and the LCD is included on an inner surface of the folder for displaying user-desired and other information. The two speakers are mounted on an outer surface of the folder and accomplish a three-dimensional surround-sound effect. And, the sliding unit is provided for sliding at least one of the speakers in order to widen the spacing between the speakers when the speakers are intended to accomplish the three-dimensional surround-sound effect. While for illustrative purposes two speakers are shown, any number of speakers more than two may be mounted in the folder if desired. Also, if desired, all or a portion of the speakers may be mounted at other locations in the terminal, including but not limited to the inner surface of the folder on the main body. In these alternative arrangements, the sliding unit may be disposed to slide one or more of the speakers relative to one another.  
         [0027]    A front surface of the main body preferably includes a menu button  10 , a dial button  12 , and a microphone  14  for transmitting a voice signal of a user. A battery  16  may be mounted at a rear surface of the main body for powering the terminal.  
         [0028]    The inner side of the folder preferably includes the inner LCD  24  and a receiver  27  for transferring a voice of another party to the user, and an outer side of the folder may include an outer LCD  25  and a mounting part  32  on which the speakers  28  and  30  are mounted (FIG. 5). The mounting part  32  is preferably lower than the folder  26 , and when the speakers are mounted on the mounting part the inner surface of the folder may be at the same level.  
         [0029]    A first connection terminal  34  and a second connection terminal  36  are formed at the inner surface of the mounting part  32 . When the speakers  28  and  30  are in retracted position in the folder, the first connection terminal  34  is electrically connected to the speakers. When the speakers are in an outwardly slid state from the folder, the second connection terminal  26  is electrically connected to the speakers.  
         [0030]    With reference to FIG. 6, the two speakers  28  and  30  respectively include, a speaker case  40  slidably installed at the mounting part formed at the folder, a sound generator  42  installed in the speaker case for generating surround-sound, and a speaker terminal  44  connected to the sound generator. The speaker terminal  44  protrudes from the rear surface of the speaker case  40  so as to be in contact with one of the first connection terminal  34  and the second connection terminal  36 .  
         [0031]    One or more sound discharge holes  46  are formed at a front surface of the speaker case  40  to discharge outwardly a sound generated from the sound generator  42 . The speaker terminals  44  and the first and second connection terminals  34  and  35  protruding from the surface of the mounting part  32  are preferably but not necessarily formed to be round at their end portions, so that they can easily establish contact with each other.  
         [0032]    With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the sliding unit includes a guide rail  48  formed long in a width direction of the folder  26  on the mounting part  32  of the folder, and a guide groove  50  formed at a lower surface of the speaker case  40  and insertedly coupled to the guide rail  48  to allow sliding movement.  
         [0033]    The guide rail  48  may be formed in a ‘T’ shape in its section although other shapes may be used, and a release preventing jaw  52  is preferably formed at the guide groove  50  to prevent the speakers from releasing from the folder.  
         [0034]    Each speaker unit may also include a stopper arrangement formed between the speaker case  40  and mounting part  32 . The stopper arrangements are provided to prevent the speakers  28  and  30  from releasing from the folder  26  after sliding for more than a predetermined distance. Each of the stopper arrangements includes a first stopper  56  protruding from the surface of the mounting part  32  and a second stopper  58  protruding from a lower surface of the speaker case  40 , which is caught by the first stopper when the speakers slide as long as the predetermined distance. While these stopper arrangements are preferable, other stopper arrangements may alternatively be used. Operation of the aforementioned embodiment of the mobile terminal will now be explained.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 9 and 10 show different operational states of the mobile terminal. As shown in FIG. 9, if the mobile terminal is used for a voice transmission and reception or for purposes other than the three-dimensional surround-sound, the speakers  28  and  30  are disposed in a retracted position, e.g., in contact with each other, on mounting part  32  of the folder. In this case, speaker terminal  44  formed at the lower surface of the speaker case  40  contacts the first connection terminal  34  in order to input an electric signal into the speakers.  
         [0036]    Also shown in FIG. 10, if a user desires to implement three-dimensional surround-sound, the user may take and pull the speaker case  40  in the width direction of the folder. As a result of these pulling forces, the speaker case  40  slides outwardly from the folder along guide rail  48  formed at the mounting part, thereby widening the space between the speakers. In this extended position, the speakers are prevented from falling out of the folder as a result of the first stopper  56  formed at the mounting part contacting the second speaker  58  formed at the speaker case  40 . In this position, speaker terminal  44  contacts the second connection terminal  36  formed at the mounting part  32 . If desired, the sliding unit may be configured so that only one of the speakers slides relative to one or more other speakers, which, for example, may be placed at a fixed position in the folder.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the speakers are preferably installed at an inner side of the folder. That is, a receiver  80  for receiving a voice from another party is installed at a center of the inner side of the folder  26 , and plurality of speakers (e.g., two)  82  and  84  are installed to be movable in a width direction of the folder at respective sides of the receiver. A sliding unit for moving the speakers may be the same as the sliding unit of the former embodiment.  
         [0038]    In the mobile terminal, a voice of the other party is received through the receiver  80  mounted at an inner side of the folder, and three-dimensional surround-sound is implemented by moving the speakers apart from one another in the width direction to widen the space between the speakers.  
         [0039]    As so far described, the mobile terminal of the present invention has the following advantages. For example, in implementing three-dimensional surround-sound at least one of a plurality of speakers slides in a width direction of the folder to widen the space between the speakers. As a result, three-dimensional surround-sound effect can be maximized and thus performance of the mobile terminal can be enhanced.  
         [0040]    The present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.