Patent Publication Number: US-2007123295-A1

Title: Mobile terminal

Description:
This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0091637 filed on Sep. 29, 2005 in Korea, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a mobile terminal.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
       FIG. 1  is an overview of a slide type mobile terminal in accordance with the related art. As shown, the related art slide type terminal includes a terminal body  110  having a battery  104  on one side and a keypad  102  on the other side, and a sliding body  106  that slides open and closed over the keypad  102 . Further, the sliding body  106  includes a display  122 , function keys  126  and a speaker  124 . A printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown) is also disposed between the keypad  102  and the battery  104 .  
      However, because the keypad  102  is mounted on the terminal body  110 , the battery  104  is mounted at a rear surface of the terminal body  110 , and the PCB is installed between the keypad  102  and the battery  104 , the related art sliding-type mobile terminal is relatively thick. The same is true for the bar type terminal shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      That is, because the bar type terminal includes a display  132  and a keypad  134  mounted on a front surface of a main body  130 , the terminal is relatively thick and also the display  132  is small so as to accommodate the keypad  134 .  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to address the above-noted and other objects.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal that includes a stackable keypad inserted within the main body of the terminal and that can be drawn out when needed.  
      To achieve at least the above objects in whole or in parts, the present invention provides in one aspect a mobile terminal including a main body having a display mounted thereon, and a keypad assembly including at least first and second keypads configured to be received in a stacked state within the main body. Further, the at least first and second keypads are slidably mounted with respect to each other such that when the first keypad is drawn out of the body, the first keypad engages with the second keypad to also draw out the second keypad.  
      In another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile terminal including a first body, a second body slidably mounted on the first body, and a key pad assembly including at least first and second keypads configured to be received in the second body in a stacked state and drawn out when the first body is slidably opened from the second body such that the first and second key pads are exposed on an upper surface of the first body.  
      In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile terminal including a first body, a second body slidably mounted on the first body, and a keypad assembly including at least first and second keypads configured to be received between the first and the second body in a stacked state and the first keypad is connected to the first body and the second keypad is connected to the second body such that when the first body is slid open from the second body, the first and second keypads are protracted.  
      Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is an overview showing a slide type mobile terminal in accordance with the related art;  
       FIG. 2  is an overview showing a bar type mobile terminal in accordance with the related art;  
       FIG. 3  is an overview of a mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is an overview showing an operational state of the mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5A  is a sectional view of a keypad assembly included in the mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5B  is an enlarged view of a portion ‘A’ of  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the keypad assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the keypad assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a side view showing a state that the keypad assembly has been drawn out in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view showing another example of the keypad assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view of a mobile terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 11  is a sectional view showing an operational state of the mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
      Turning first to  FIG. 3 , which is an overview of a mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the mobile terminal includes a terminal body  20  having a display  10  mounted on its front surface and a battery  12  mounted on its rear surface. The terminal also includes a stackable keypad assembly  30  slidably received in a receiving part  16  of the terminal body  20  such that the keypad assembly  30  can be drawn out the terminal body  20  when needed.  
      The keypad assembly  30  also includes a first keypad  32  and a second keypad  34 . Further, a speaker  14  is mounted at an upper portion on the front surface of the terminal body  20 . In addition,  FIG. 1  illustrates the receiving part  16  being formed at a lower surface of the terminal body  20 . However, the receiving part  16  can also be formed at the left, right or top sides of the terminal body  20 .  
      Next,  FIG. 4  is an overview showing an operational state of the mobile terminal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the first and second keypads  32  and  34  can be drawn out of the receiving part  16  when needed. Note that  FIG. 1  illustrates the first and second keypads  32  and  34  being secured within the receiving part  16 .  
      Turning next to  FIG. 5A , which is a sectional view of the keypad assembly  30  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . See also  FIG. 5B , which illustrates section “A” of  FIG. 5A  in more detail. As shown, the second keypad  34  is stacked below the first keypad  32  and slidably mounted with the first keypad  32 . Further, the first keypad  32  includes a first frame  40  slidably mounted in the receiving part  16 , a first board  42  fixed at the first frame  40 , a first PCB  46  mounted at the first board  42  and having a plurality of dome switches  44 , and first key buttons  48  disposed on an upper surface of the dome switches  44  and pressing against the dome switches  44 .  
      In addition, the second keypad  34  is slidably received at the first frame  40 , the first board  42  is fixed at an upper side of the first frame  40 , and both upper ends of the first frame  40  are bent in an inward direction to secure the first key buttons  48 . Also, first guide parts including a guide pin  50  and guide slot  52  for slidably guiding the first frame  40  are formed between a side of the first frame  40  and a side of the receiving part  16  of the terminal body  20 .  
      Further, the guide pin  50  is formed to protrude from both sides of the first frame  40 , and the guide slot  52  is formed at an inner surface of both sides of the receiving part  16 . Thus, the guide pin  50  is inserted and slidably moved in the guide slot  52 . In addition, both end portions of the guide slot  52  are blocked to prevent the guide pin  50  from being slidably moved more than a certain distance. Moreover, both edges of the first board  42  extend upwardly and are fixed at both inner sides of the first frame  40 , and the first PCB  46  is mounted on an upper surface thereof. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the key buttons  48  are formed in two lines and are positioned on the upper surface of the first PCB  46 .  
      Further, the second keypad  34  includes a second frame  60  slidably mounted at the first frame  40 , a second board  62  fixed at the second frame  60 , a second PCB  64  mounted at the second board  62  and having a plurality of dome switches  66 , and second key buttons  68  disposed on an upper surface of the dome switches  66  and pressing against the dome switches  66 . The second frame  60  is slidably disposed inside the first frame  40  and both upper ends of the second frame  60  are bent in an inward direction to prevent the second key buttons  68  from being released.  
      Further, second guide parts including a guide pin  70  and guide slot  72  slidably guide a movement of the second frame  60  and are formed between the first and second frames  40  and  60 . In addition, the guide slot  72  is formed at both sides of the first frame  40 , and the guide pin  70  protrudes from both sides of the second frame  60  and is slidably moved along the guide slot  72 . As shown, both edges of the second board  62  extend in an upward direction and are fixed at both inner sides of the second frame  60 , and the second PCB  64  is mounted on an upper surface thereof. In addition, it is also possible not to include the first and second key buttons  48  and  68  in which the first and second dome switches  44  and  66  are directly pressed to input information. A touch screen input device may also be used.  
      In addition, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a flexible printed circuit (FPC)  54  connects the first PCB  46  and the second PCB  64 . That is, one end of the FPC  54  is connected with a front side of the first PCB  46  and the other end is connected with a rear surface of the second PCB  64 . Also, the FPC  54  is bent between the first and second keypads  32  and  34 . Accordingly, when the second keypad  34  is slidably moved, the bent portion is gracefully moves along with the second keypad  34 .  
      The above-described mobile terminal operates as follows. When a user draws the keypad assembly  30  out of the receiving part  16 , the second keypad  34  is slidably drawn out first and then the first key pad  32  follows and is slidably drawn out of the receiving part  16 . That is, the second keypad  34  is drawn out as the guide pin  70  of the second frame  60  is slid along the second guide slot  72  formed at the first frame  40 , and the first keypad  32  is drawn out as the first guide pin  50  formed at the first frame  40  is slid along the guide slot  52  formed at the receiving part  16 .  
      Accordingly, because the keypad assembly  30  with the first and second keypads  32  and  34  stacked therein is received at the side of the terminal body  20 , the display  10  can be installed on the entire front surface or at least a larger front surface of the terminal body  20  than the related art. Thus, the size of the display  10  can be increased and the overall size of the terminal can be reduced.  
      Next,  FIG. 9  is a sectional view showing another example of a keypad assembly  74  in accordance with the present invention. In this example, the keypad assembly  74  has four keypads stacked together. Namely, the keypad assembly  74  includes a first keypad  76  disposed at an upper most side, a second keypad  78  slidably connected at a lower surface of the first keypad  76 , a third keypad  80  slidably connected at a lower surface of the second keypad  78 , and a fourth keypad  82  slidably connected at a lower surface of the third keypad  80 . The keypads  76 ,  78 ,  80 ,  82  are stacked in a similar fashion as the keypads  32  and  34 . Further, key buttons of the keypads  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82  are arranged in a row. The keypad assembly  74  operates in a similar manner as the keypad assembly  30 . It is also possible to provide any number of stacked key pads.  
      Turning next to  FIG. 10 , which is a sectional view of a mobile terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 11 , which is an overview showing an operational state of this mobile terminal. As shown, the mobile terminal is a slide type mobile terminal including a first body  76  on which a display  74  is mounted, a second body  78  slidably connected with the first body  76 , a slide module  75  mounted between the first body  76  and the second body  78  and slidably guiding the first body  76 , and a keypad assembly  80  received in the first body  76 . Similar to the other embodiments, the keypad assembly  80  includes stacked keypads  90  and  91  drawn out of the mobile terminal.  
      In addition, the first body  76  also includes a microphone  81  installed at its upper side, and a multi-keypad  82  installed at its lower side. A receiving part  83  receives the keypad assembly  80  and is formed at a lower side of the portion where the multi-keypad  82  is installed. In addition, because the multi-keypad  82  is thin, a space for accommodating the keypad assembly  80  can be sufficiently secured at its lower side thereof. Further, the receiving part  83  is formed such that the side and lower surface of the first body  76  are opened at the lower side of the multi-keypad  82 , and has a space for receiving the keypad assembly  80 .  
      In addition, the second body  78  is slidably moved by the first body  76 . The terminal also includes a main PCB  84 , and a battery  86  mounted on a rear surface thereof. A space part  88  accommodates another component (e.g., an antenna, ear jack, speaker, etc.) after the battery  86  is mounted. Further, the first keypad  90  is slidably received in the receiving part  83 , and the second keypad  91  is slidably stacked on a lower surface of the first keypad  90  and fixed on an upper surface of the second body  78 .  
      In addition, the first and second keypads  90  and  91  are similar to the first and second keypads  32  and  34  in the first embodiment of the present invention, so a detailed description thereof is not repeated. The mobile terminal in accordance with this other embodiment of the present invention operates as follows.  
      When the first body  76  is slidably moved relatively with respect to the second body  78 , the first and second keypads  90  and  91  are drawn out and exposed on the upper surface of the second body  78 . Namely, because the second keypad  91  is fixed on the upper surface of the second body  78 , when the first body  76  is slidably moved, the second keypad  91  is slidably moved relatively with respect to the first keypad  90  so as to be exposed, and when the movement of the second keypad  91  is completed, the first keypad  90  is slidably moved out of the receiving part  83  and exposed. In addition, when the first body  76  is slidably moved to a closed position, the first keypad  90  is pushed into the receiving part  83  and then the second keypad  91  is pushed into the receiving part  83 .  
      Further, the above description describes both of the first and second key pads being drawn out of the receiving part. However, it is also possible that the user only draw out the first key pad and not draw out the second keypad. The terminal may also be configured such that the second keypad is drawn out without drawing out the first keypad. Therefore, if the user only wants to use one of the keypads, he or she can merely draw out the desired key pad. That is, the first and second key pads may be independently drawn out.  
      As so far described, the mobile terminal in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages. That is, because the keypad assembly is received within the body of the terminal and can be protracted, the size of the terminal can be reduced. That is, the first and second keypads are slidably mounted with respect to each other such that when the first keypad is drawn out of the body, the first keypad engages with the second keypad to also draw out the second keypad. Thus, the limited space of the terminal is effectively utilized.  
      As 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 of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, 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.