Abstract:
A sliding-type portable terminal including a first housing and a second housing linearly movably coupled to the first housing face-to-face includes a spring module for opening/closing the first and second housings. The spring module includes at least a pair of asymmetrical S-shaped wires each including a first bend and a second bend extending from the first bend and having a greater curvature than the first bend. The spring module of the portable terminal provides a reduced thickness because of the spring action in the portable terminal, contributing in particular to an overall reduction in thickness of a sliding-type portable terminal and permit smooth opening/closing of the portable terminal.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) from a Korean Patent Application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Oct. 28, 2008 and assigned Serial No. 10-2008-0105800, and Jul. 28, 2009 and assigned Serial No. 10-2009-0068901, the entire disclosure of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable terminal such as a cellular phone and a Personal Digital Assistance (PDA). More particularly, the present invention relates to a sliding-type portable terminal, and improvements in the housing of such devices that permit a decrease in thickness. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, portable terminals may be classified into bar-type terminals, flip-type terminals and folder-type terminals according to their appearance. 
     The bar-type terminal has a single body housing, in which a data input/output means and a mouthpiece/earpiece part are mounted thereon. The flip-type terminal includes a body, a flip and a hinge module for pivotally coupling the flip to the body. The folder-type terminal includes a body, a folder and a hinge module for rotatably coupling the folder to the body. Among these portable terminals, the folder-type terminal is the most popular in the portable terminal market, as a data input/output means and a mouthpiece/earpiece part are arranged on a body and a folder in a distributed manner so that the terminal is easier to carry and use than the other types. 
     Meanwhile, desires of users for external shapes of terminals are becoming increasingly diversified in line with the increased use of the portable terminals in general. To meet the desires of users, portable terminals having new outward shapes have appeared, such as sliding-type and swing-type terminals. Among them, the sliding-type portable terminals have seen increases in its market share beyond that of the folder-type terminal due to the easy of use in an opening/closing operation. 
     Recently, as multimedia functions for portable terminals have increased, which include watching moving images and broadcast viewing-related functions, display devices of the portable terminals are increasing in size. Because of this demand for increased display size, there is a limit in minimizing the overall size of portable terminals, and attempts to minimize the size of portable terminals are now focusing on reducing a thickness of such portable terminals. 
     Despite the realization that most attempts to minimize the overall size of portable terminals are focusing on reducing the thickness of the terminals, since the sliding-type portable terminal has a structure in which a pair of housings and a sliding module for coupling the housings are stacked up, facing each other, there are many difficulties in attempting to reduce terminal thickness. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary aspect of the present invention is to provide a sliding-type portable terminal that is suitable for miniaturization, and is lightweight and can make full use of multimedia functions. 
     Another exemplary aspect of the present invention provides a sliding-type portable terminal that is small and lightweight and can offer convenience in an opening/closing operation unknown heretofore. 
     According to still another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal including a first housing and a second housing linearly movably coupled to the first housing face-to-face. The portable terminal includes a spring module with asymmetrical S-shaped wires each including a first bend and a second bend extending from the first bend and having a greater curvature than the first bend. 
     Preferably, in an exemplary aspect of the invention, the spring module may be formed by combining the wires in a pair. The spring module may be formed such that a second bend of a first wire is arranged to wrap up a first bend of a second wire, and a second bend of the second wire is arranged to wrap up a first bend of the first wire. 
     Preferably, in another exemplary aspect of the invention, the spring module has a symmetric S-shape when the wires are combined with each other, and cross sections of the wires are rectangular. 
     Preferably, in still another exemplary aspect of the invention, in the portable terminal with the spring module, elasticity accumulated in the spring module changes when curvatures of the first and second bends change by a linear movement of the second housing. 
     Preferably, the spring module can be installed such that one end of the spring module is supported on the first housing, another end is supported on the second housing, and both ends of the spring module approach to or get away from each other when curvatures of the first and second bends change by the linear movement of the second housing. 
     Also, the spring module can be installed such that one end of the spring module is supported on the first housing, another end is supported on the second housing, and the spring module provides elasticity that acts in a direction of keeping its both ends away from each other. 
     Preferably, in the multiple wire spring module, each of the wires further includes a straight line portion extending in a straight line, and the straight line portion connects the first and second bends to each other between the first and second bends. 
     Also, in the spring module with these multiple wires, one end of the spring module is supported on the first housing, another end is supported on the second housing, and the spring module provides elasticity that acts in a direction of keeping its both ends away from each other. 
     Preferably, the straight line portion of the spring module extends slantingly with respect to a radius direction of a curvature of each of the first and second bends. Also, the straight line portion extends along a radius direction of any one of curvatures of the first and second bends, and extends slantingly with respect to a radius direction of another curvature. 
     Preferably, the spring module may further include a third wire interposed between the first and second wires. The third wire has two bends having the same curvature, and each of the bends of the third wire is arranged to wrap up a first bend of any one of the first and second wires and to be wrapped up by a second bend of another one of the first and second wires. 
     Also, the third wire has two bends having the same curvature, and the bends can be connected to each other by a straight line portion extending straight therebetween. 
     Preferably, the spring module further may include third and fourth wires, which are interposed in a pair between the first and second wires. 
     Preferably, each of the third and fourth wires is an asymmetrical S-shaped wire which includes a third bend, and a fourth bend that is connected to the third bend and has a greater curvature than the third bend. The spring module is arranged such that the fourth bend of the third wire wraps up the third bend of the fourth wire, and the fourth bend of the fourth wire wraps up the third bend of the third wire. 
     Preferably, when the asymmetrical S-shaped first, second, third and fourth wires are connected to one other, the spring module has a symmetrical S-shape. 
     Preferably, the spring module further includes support members provided on both ends thereof, and are supported on the first and second housings to provide elastic force. The support members can be made of a synthetic resin material or a metallic material, and are coupled to the first or second housing by coupling members such as rivets, or by support protrusions formed on the support members. 
     Other exemplary aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other exemplary aspects, features and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view illustrating a spring module for a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view illustrating disassembled wires of the spring module shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view illustrating a situation before the spring module shown in  FIG. 1  is assembled in a portable terminal; 
         FIG. 4A  is a plan view illustrating a situation after the spring module shown in  FIG. 1  is assembled in a portable terminal; 
         FIG. 4B  is a plan view illustrating the spring module shown in  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a plan view illustrating a situation in which the second housing shown in  FIG. 4  slidingly moves; 
         FIG. 5B  is a plan view illustrating the spring module shown in  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a plan view illustrating a situation in which the second housing shown in  FIG. 4  slidingly moves to open up a keypad; 
         FIG. 6B  is a plan view illustrating the spring module shown in  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a spring module of a portable terminal according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view illustrating disassembled wires of the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a comparison between the wire shown in  FIG. 2  and the wire shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating another spring module designed by applying the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a further another spring module designed by applying the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  illustrate a first method of combining the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 13A to 13C  illustrate the support member and the rivet for coupling the support member, which are shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B ; 
         FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate a second method of combining the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 15A and 15B  illustrate the support member shown in  FIGS. 14A and 14B ; 
         FIGS. 16A and 16B  illustrate a third method of combining the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 17A and 17B  illustrate the support member shown in  FIGS. 16A and 16B  and coupling holes to which the support member is coupled; 
         FIGS. 18A and 18B  illustrate a fourth method of combining the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates the support member shown in  FIGS. 18A and 18B ; 
         FIGS. 20A and 20B  illustrate a fifth method of combining the spring module shown in  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 21  illustrates the support member shown in  FIGS. 20A and 20B . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features and structures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist a person of ordinary skill in the art with a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the PORTABLE TERMINAL WITH SPRING MODULE invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the exemplary embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness when their inclusion could obscure appreciation of the claimed invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventors to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a spring module  103  of a portable terminal  100  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and  FIGS. 3 to 6  illustrate stages of a process before and after the spring module  103  shown in  FIG. 1  is assembled into the portable terminal  100 , and provide an illustration of one particular way the spring module  103  according to the present invention operates in an opening/closing operation of the portable terminal  100 . 
     In the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portable terminal  100  is partially illustrated throughout  FIGS. 3 to 6 . Since various external structures of the portable terminal  100  are disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 640,321 (US Patent Publication No. 2006/0084303) filed by and granted to the applicant of this application, the U.S. Patent Publication being incorporated by reference as background material, only a part of the portable terminal  100  is illustrated in the annexed drawings for simplicity. Although a sliding module for coupling the housings  101  and  102  of the portable terminal  100  may be separately made, its structure can also be easily understood from the aforementioned U.S. Patent Publication and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 to 6 , the portable terminal  100  includes a first housing  101  and a second housing  102  ( FIG. 5A ), which is coupled to the first housing  101  face-to-face, the second housing being able to move linearly in a longitudinal direction of the first housing  101 . In  FIGS. 3 and 4A , the second housing  102  is not shown to illustrate the spring module  103  clearly, but in  FIGS. 5A and 6A , the second housing  102  is illustrated in perforated line to show an interrelation between the sliding movement of the second housing  102  and the operation of the spring module  103 . A keypad  111  is installed in the first housing  101 , and opened/closed by a sliding movement of the second housing  102 . A display device (not shown) is typically installed in the second housing  102 , and a user may activate the display device regardless of the sliding movement of the second housing  102 . In addition to the keypad  111 , a key for activating the display device may be further installed, and the display device may be composed of a touch screen. 
     If the portable terminal  100  includes a telephone function for a voice communication, a microphone may be installed in the first housing  101  and a speakerphone may be installed in the second housing  102 , providing a mouthpiece and an earpiece for a voice call. 
     Exemplary structure, installation mechanism and operation of the spring module  103  will now be described below with further reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the spring module  103  is a structure made by combining a pair of wires  131  and  133 , which include first bends  131   a  and  133   a,  and second bends  131   b  and  133   b , respectively. The second bends  131   b  and  133   b  extend from one ends of the first bends  131   a  and  133   a , and have a greater curvature than the first bends  131   a  and  133   a . Therefore, the wires  131  and  133  have an asymmetrical S-shape. The spring module  103  is formed by combining such wires, and when the wires  131  and  133  are combined with each other, the spring module  103  has a symmetric S-shape. The term “combined” means arranging the ends at least in pairs so at least to come in partial contact with each other, and the wires may be soldered, welded, crimped, glued, magnetized, aligned, etc., just to name a few possibilities. 
     More specifically, the second bend  131   b  of the first wire  131  is arranged to wrap up the first bend  133   a  of the second wire  133  at the outskirts, and the second bend  133   b  of the second wire  133  is arranged to wrap up the first bend  131   a  of the first wire  131  at the outskirts. In this state, the spring module  103  is finished by joining both ends of the wires  131  and  133  to each other. As a result, in the final product, the spring module  103  has a symmetric S-shape. 
     The wires  131  and  133  are generally manufactured to have a circular cross-section. However, it has been shown that wires having a rectangular cross section could be manufactured thinner than the wires having the circular cross section, in providing the same elastic force. Therefore, by forming the spring module  103  using the wires having the rectangular cross section, it is possible to contribute to reducing thickness of the spring module  103 , especially thickness of the portable terminal  100 . 
     The spring module  103  is interposed between the first and second housings  101  and  102 , and its one end is supported on the first housing  101  while the other end is supported on the second housing  102 , providing an elastic force that acts in a direction of keeping the both ends away from each other. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a situation before the spring module  103  is assembled in the portable terminal  100 . The situation illustrated in  FIG. 3  represents a state where no external force is applied to the spring module  103  and the spring module  103  also has accumulated no elastic force. 
     In  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the spring module  103  is separately illustrated in sub-drawings (b), to show only the enlarged spring module  103  in the portable terminal shown in sub-drawings (a). 
     For example,  FIG. 4A  illustrates a situation in which the first and second housings  101  and  102  are in an overlapping position and the spring module  103  has been completely installed between the first and second housings  101  and  102  of the portable terminal  100 . When the spring module  103  is installed between the first and second housings  101  and  102 , its one end  139   a  is supported on the first housing  101  and the other end  139   b  is supported on the second housing  102 . 
     Now comparing the spring module  103  illustrated in  FIG. 3  with the spring module  103  illustrated in  FIG. 4B , it can be appreciated that curvatures of the first and second bends  131   a ,  133   a ,  131   b  and  133   b  in  FIG. 4B  are less than those in  FIG. 3  on the whole. That is, both ends  139   a  and  139   b  of the spring module  103  illustrated in  FIG. 4B  are located closer to each other as compared with those illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Given that the spring module  103  has a structure providing elastic force that acts in a direction of keeping both ends  139   a  and  139   b  away from each other, it can be understood that elastic force is accumulated in the spring module  103  illustrated in  FIG. 4B . 
     In the case shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the second housing  102  in the portable terminal  100  can move only upward in a position where second housing  102  overlaps with the first housing  101 . Therefore, in the state shown in  FIG. 4A , even though elastic force is accumulated in the spring module  103 , the second housing  102  is maintained in the state where it overlaps with the first housing  101 , and the elastic force of the spring module  103  acts as a force that restrains the second housing  102  from moving freely in the state where it overlaps with the first housing  101 . 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrates a situation in which both ends of the spring module  103  are located closest within a range where the second housing  102  can gradually move upward from the location where it overlaps with the first housing  101 , especially, a range where the second housing  102  can slidingly move. While the second housing  102  slidingly moves until the second housing  102  reaches the point where both ends of the spring module  103  are located closest, from the position where the second housing  102  overlaps with the first housing  101 , both ends of the spring module  103  approach each other little by little. Therefore, elastic force accumulated in the spring module  103  increases little-by-little until the second housing  102  reaches the point shown in  FIG. 5A  from the point in  FIG. 4A  (in  FIG. 4A  housing  102  is completely overlapped in front of housing  101  and is not shown), and the elastic force accumulated in this range will act as a driving force that moves the second housing  102  downward. In conclusion, while the second housing  102  slidingly moves between the points shown in  FIGS. 4A and 5A , the elastic force of the spring module  103  acts as a driving force that moves the second housing  102  downward. Note that  FIGS. 4A and 5A  show the relationship between the movement of the second housing and the variation of the shape of the spring module. 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates an example of the portable terminal according to the present invention in which the second housing  102  moves to the topside of the first housing  101 , thereby opening the keypad  111  for use. If the second housing  102  passes by the point where both ends of the spring module  103  approach closest to each other, by gradually moving upward, the second housing  102  moves up to the point where the keypad  111  is fully open, by the elastic force of the spring module  103 . That is, in the range from the point where both ends of the spring module  103  approach closest to each other to the point where the keypad  111  is fully open, the elastic force of the spring module  103  acts as a driving force that moves the second housing  102  upward. Therefore, in the process of opening the keypad  111  from the location where the first and second housings  101  and  102  overlap, if the user moves the second housing  102  upward only until it passes by the point shown in  FIG. 5A  from the point shown in  FIG. 4A , the second housing  102  may move upward by the elastic force of the spring module  103  in the remaining range. 
     In contrast, when a user closes the keypad  111  back in the state where the keypad  111  is fully open, the user may move the second housing  102  downward until the second housing  102  passes by the point shown in  FIG. 5A  from the point shown in  FIG. 6A . Then, the second housing  102  may move downward by the elastic force of the spring module  103  in the range between the points shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 4A . 
     In this manner, it is possible to reduce thickness of the portable terminal and enable its smooth opening/closing operation by forming the spring module using a pair of asymmetric S-shaped wires in combining the first and second housings of the sliding-type portable terminal. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a spring module  203  according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 8  is a plan view illustrating disassembled wires  231  and  233  of the spring module  203  shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 9  is a view showing a comparison between the wires  131  and  133  constituting the spring module  103  in  FIG. 1  and the wires  231  and  233  constituting the spring module  203  in  FIG. 7 . The spring module  203  is similar to the spring module  103  in terms of the structure or the like installed on the portable terminal  100 , but is different in that straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  (show in  FIG. 8 ) are formed between the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  and the second bends  231   b  and  233   b.    
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  extend straight between the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  and the second bends  231   b  and  233 , connecting the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  to the second bends  231   b  and  233   b.  Preferably, the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  is perpendicular to a straight line which connects the end portions of the spring module  103 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  are formed between the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  and the second bends  231   b  and  233   b  in order to increase radiuses of curvatures of the first and second bends  231   a,    233   a ,  231   b  and  233   b . Therefore, extension directions of the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  should not necessarily being perpendicular to the straight line which connects the end portions of the spring module  103 . Instead, it is enough that extension directions of the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  are similar to a perpendicular line to the straight line which connects the end portions of the spring module  103 , that is the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  extend slantingly with respect to the straight line which connects the end portions of the spring module  103 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , comparing this exemplary embodiment with the preceding exemplary embodiment, it can be understood that if the spring modules  103  and  203  are equal in distance between both ends, the first and second bends  231   a ,  233   a ,  231   b  and  233   b  of the spring module  203  according to this embodiment may have greater radiuses of curvatures. It may be possible by connecting the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  to the second bends  231   b  and  233   b  using the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c.    
     When the first and second housings  101  and  102  slidingly move with respect to each other, actual deformation of the spring module  203  occurs in the first and second bends  231   a ,  233   a ,  231   b  and  233   b . Thus, if radiuses of curvatures of the first and second bends  231   a ,  233   a ,  231   b  and  233   b  are small, a stress caused by the deformation of the spring module  203  may concentrate at a particular point undesirably. In this exemplary embodiment, by forming the straight line portions  231   c  and  233   c  between the first bends  231   a  and  233   a  and the second bends  231   b  and  233   b  of the spring module  203 , it is possible to secure sufficient radiuses of curvatures of the wires  231  and  233  in the limited space in the portable terminal  100 , in which the spring module  203  can be mounted. 
     As a result, while the first and second housings  101  and  102  slidingly move, a stress caused by deformation of the spring module  203  may be uniformly distributed over the wires  231  and  233 , and more specifically over the first and second bends  231   a ,  233   a ,  231   b  and  233   b , thereby improving durability of the spring module  203 . 
     In making the spring module by combining the elastic wires, it is not necessary to manufacture the spring module with a pair of wires.  FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate spring modules manufactured using three wires and four wires, respectively. 
     A spring module  203   a  illustrated in  FIG. 10  is an example given by placing another wire between a pair of wires, and is made by further installing a third wire to the spring module illustrated in  FIG. 7 . Accordingly, in the following description of alternative embodiments below, the same drawing reference numerals will be assigned to the same elements, features and structures as those in the embodiments described above. 
     Regarding the structure of the spring module  203   a  illustrated in  FIG. 10 , a third wire  235  is arranged between first and second wires  231  and  233 , and the third wire  235  has a symmetrical S-shape with two bends having the same curvature. In this embodiment, the two bends are connected to each other through a straight line portion. Of the two bends, one bend is arranged to wrap up a first bend of the first wire  231  and to be wrapped up by a second bend of the second wire  233 , and the other bend is arranged to wrap up a first bend of the second wire  233  and to be wrapped up by a second bend of the first wire  231 . As a result, in the final product, the spring module  203   a  also has a symmetrical S-shape. 
     A spring module  203   b  illustrated in  FIG. 11  is an example given by placing another pair of wires between a pair of wires, and is manufactured by further installing third and fourth wires  237  and  239  to the spring module illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The third and fourth wires  237  and  239  each have third and fourth bends, and the fourth bend is connected to the third bend and has a greater curvature than the third bend. Therefore, the third and fourth wires  237  and  239  each have an asymmetrical S-shape. Also, in the spring module  203   b  of this embodiment, the third and fourth bends are connected to each other through a straight line portion. When the third and fourth wires  237  and  239  are combined with each other, a third bend of the third wire  237  is arranged to be wrapped up by a fourth bend of the fourth wire  239  while a fourth bend of the third wire  237  is arranged to wrap up a third bend of the fourth wire  239 . Therefore, a combined shape of the third and fourth wires  237  and  239  is a symmetrical S-shape. 
     As the spring module  203   b  is manufactured by arranging the third and fourth wires  237  and  239  between the first and second wires  231  and  233 , the final spring module  203   b  may have a symmetrical S-shape. 
     As described above, the spring modules according to the present invention are manufactured by combining at least one pair of asymmetrical S-shaped wires, and in alternative embodiments, at least one other wire is interposed between the one pair of wires, so the whole spring module has a symmetrical S-shape. The number of wires constituting the spring module can be properly determined by those skilled in the art, considering possible elastic force provided by each wire and required elastic force of the spring module in the actual product. 
       FIGS. 12 through 21  illustrate different structures for coupling the spring module  203  to housings of a portable terminal. 
     In different embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 12 through 21 , support members made of a synthetic resin material or a metallic material are installed on both ends of the spring module  203 , and coupling members such as rivets are provided or support protrusions are formed on the support members to fit the support members to the housings of the portable terminal. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 12A to 13C , support members  23   a  made of a synthetic resin material are installed on both ends of the spring module  203 , and coupled to the housings of the portable terminal using rivets  27   a.    
     When the support members  23   a  are made of synthetic resins, the support members  23   a  can fixed to both ends of the spring module  203  while being molded by insert molding.  FIG. 12A  shows the features that both ends of the spring module  203  are located within the support members  23   a  by molding the support members  23   a  by insert molding.  FIG. 12B  shows the features that both ends of the spring module  203  moved close to each other. 
       FIGS. 13A and 13B  illustrate a shape of the support member  23   a , which is not coupled to the spring module  203 . A support hole  25   a  through which the rivet  27   a  (shown in  FIG. 13C ) passes is formed in the support member  23   a , passing through both sides thereof, and a stepped surface is formed on the support hole  25   a  so that a head portion of the rivet  27   a  can be supported. To secure sufficient coherence between the wires  231  and  233  and the support members  23   a , both ends of the spring module  203  can be arranged to surround the support holes  25   a  within the support members  23   a.    
       FIGS. 14A through 15B  illustrate an example in which support members  23   b  made of a metallic material are installed on both ends of the spring module  203 , and are engaged to the housings of the portable terminal using the rivets  27   a . When the support members  23   b  are made of a metallic material, both ends of the spring module  203  are preferably welded after arranged to wrap up the outer circumferential surface of the support members  23   b . Support holes  25   b  are formed in the support members  23   b,  passing through both sides of each of the support holes  25   b , and a stepped surface is formed on the support holes  25   b  so that head portions of the rivets  27   a  can be supported. 
       FIGS. 16A to 17B  illustrate an example in which support members  23   c  are made of a synthetic resin material and a support protrusion  25   c  is formed on one side of the support members  23   c . The support members  23   c  are also combined and fixed to both ends of the spring module  203  while being molded by insert molding. If the support protrusion  25   c  on one end of the spring module  203  is installed to face one direction, a protrusion on the other end is installed to face the opposite direction.  FIG. 17B  illustrates coupling holes  27   c  to which the support protrusion  25   c  is coupled. The coupling holes  27   c  are formed in the housings of the portable terminal. 
     The support protrusion  25   c  is assembled into the coupling holes  27   c  through the portions having a greater diameter, and the support protrusion  25   c  is engaged with the portions having a smaller diameter on the coupling holes  27   c  by elastic force of the spring module  203  after the support protrusion  25   c  is accommodated in the coupling holes  27   c . That is, the larger-diameter portions and the smaller-diameter portions are connected to each other on the coupling holes  27   c . The support members  23   c  can be assembled through the larger-diameter portions, and after the assembly, the support protrusion  25   c  is supported at the smaller-diameter portions on the coupling holes  27   c.    
       FIGS. 18A to 19  illustrate an example in which support members  23   d  are made of a metallic material, and a support protrusion  25   d  is formed on one side of the support members  23   d . As both ends of the spring module  203  are welded after arranged to wrap up the support members  23   d , the support members  23   d  are fixed to the spring module  203 . 
     A structure of installing the spring module  203  in the portable terminal using the support members  23   d  shown in  FIGS. 18A to 19  is similar to the structure illustrated in  FIGS. 16A to 17B , so a detailed description thereof is omitted herein. 
       FIGS. 20A to 21  illustrate an example in which support members  23   e  are molded using synthetic resins, and support holes  25   e  extend from the edges on one sides of the support members  23   e . If the spring module  203  is mounted in the portable terminal after the installation of the support members  23   e , the rivets fixed to the housings of the portable terminal are coupled to the support holes  25   e . To be more specific, the rivets are supported on inner walls of inner ends of the support holes  25   e . As the inner ends of the support holes  25   e  have a greater diameter than other portions, the rivets can be well accommodated therein. Preferably, the remaining portions of the support holes  25   e,  excluding the portions that substantially accommodate the rivets, have a gap slightly less than the diameter of the rivets. This is to prevent the support members  23   e  from being detached from the rivets, and ensure the smooth opening/closing operation of the portable terminal. That is, during the opening/closing operation of the portable terminal, the support members  23   e  rotate about the rivets fixed to the housings of the portable terminal, and the gap contributes to reducing the friction generated during the rotation, guaranteeing the smooth rotation of the support members  23   e.    
     In the foregoing description of the exemplary installation structure for the spring module using such support members, the support members with support holes  25   a ,  25   b  and  25   e  formed thereon are coupled to the housings of the portable terminal using the coupling members such as rivets. However, if protrusions that can be coupled to the support holes are provided on the housings of the portable terminal, it is not necessary to use separate coupling members. 
     As is apparent from the foregoing description, the spring module for a portable terminal according to the present invention provides for reduced thickness in the portable terminal, and is particularly beneficial to a sliding-type portable terminal. In addition, it is also possible to provide sufficient elastic force while reducing the thickness, thereby enabling a smooth opening/closing operation of the sliding-type portable terminal. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.