Patent Abstract:
A mobile device including a first circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a second circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the second circuitry supporting substrate at least partially overlapping the first circuitry supporting substrate, and a metallic member extending from one of the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate and the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate, the metallic member contacting the other of the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate and the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate to define a shield region between the first circuitry supporting substrate and the second circuitry supporting substrate.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0004549, filed Jan. 15, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to a mobile device, and more particularly, to a mobile device having at least one member extending between two circuitry supporting substrates to define a shield region. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    A related art mobile device in the form of a portable terminal provides multiple functionality including receiving/transmitting voice signals, accessing the Internet, and downloading data files such as music and video. However, for the portable terminal to perform these various functions, many different electronic components are provided therein. Consequently, when the portable terminal is operated, electromagnetic interference (EMI) is generated from the electronic components, which may adversely affect the functionality of other electronic components. For example, the EMI generated from one component may cause signal distortion on other components. Accordingly, research for shielding electronic components that generate an electromagnetic wave or electronic components influenced by an electromagnetic wave is ongoing. 
         [0006]    As the portable terminal becomes increasingly smaller, the number of circuitry supporting substrates, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) mounted in the portable terminal increases in an attempt to fully utilize the internal space of the portable terminal. With the increasing number of PCBs and electronic components located more densely in the portable terminal, it is becoming increasing difficult to provide adequate electromagnetic shielding within the portable terminal. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal, which includes two or more PCBs therein, capable of shielding desired electronic components without the shielding unit(s) interfering with each other or the electronic components on the PCBs. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile device capable of allowing a manufacture to have a free circuit design by mounting electronic components at the desired positions without limitations in space and position due to mounting of the shielding unit(s). 
         [0009]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile device capable of being thinner that related art mobile devices by reducing a gap between PCBs. 
         [0010]    To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a mobile device including a first circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a second circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the second circuitry supporting substrate at least partially overlapping the first circuitry supporting substrate, and a metallic member extending from one of the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate and the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate, the metallic member contacting the other of the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate and the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate to define a shield region between the first circuitry supporting substrate and the second circuitry supporting substrate. 
         [0011]    According to principles of the present invention, there is also provided a mobile device including a first circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a second circuitry supporting substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the second circuitry supporting substrate at least partially overlapping the first circuitry supporting substrate, a first metallic member located on the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate, the first metallic member extending towards the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate, a second metallic member located on the upper surface of the second circuitry supporting substrate, the second metallic member extending towards the lower surface of the first circuitry supporting substrate. The first metallic member and the second metallic member contact each other to define a shield region between the first circuitry supporting substrate and the second circuitry supporting substrate. 
         [0012]    The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Further scope of applicability of the present application will become more 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 way of illustration only, because various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view showing a portable terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 1B  is a sectional view of the portable terminal of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling method between first and second shielding units according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of coupling method between the first and second shielding units of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing a coupling method between the first and second shielding units according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a partial sectional view showing a coupling method between the first and second shielding units according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view showing a coupling method between the first and second shielding units according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a partial sectional view showing a shielding unit having a shielding surface according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, a mobile device in the form of a bar-type portable terminal will be explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the bar-type portable terminal, but may also be applied to various portable terminals, such as a folder type, a slide type, and a swivel type portable terminal. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a portable terminal according to the present invention includes at least one body  10  (only one shown for clarity), at least two circuitry supporting substrates in the form of first and second PCBs  20  and  21 , and first and second shielding units  22  and  23  located on the first and second PCBs  20  and  21 , respectively. Shielding unit  22  is a metallic member that extends from a lower surface of the first PCB  20  towards the second PCB  21  and shielding unit  23  is a metallic member that extends from an upper surface of the second PCB  21  towards the first PCB  20 . Depending on the specific arrangement of the shielding units  22  and  23 , the free ends of the shielding units  22  and  23  not connected to the PCBs  20  and  21 , respectively, may contact the opposing surface PCBs  21  and  20 , respectively. Alternatively, the free ends of the shielding units  22  and  23  may cooperate with each other to define a shielded region. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the arrangement of the shielding units  22  and  23  and the PCBs  20  and  21  define a shield region between the first PCB  20  and the second PCB  21  in which one or more electronic components  30  are located. 
         [0024]    The body  10 , which may be a cover of the portable terminal) includes a transparent window  11   a  for viewing contents displayed on a display unit  13 , and an input unit  11   b , such as a key pad, for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, and the like. As described above at least two PCBs  20  and  21  are mounted in the body  10 . In this exemplary embodiment, the PCB  20  disposed closest the body  10  may include the display unit  13  for displaying various information inputted through the input device  11   b  and one or more switches  12  to detect the inputting of information via the input device  11   b.    
         [0025]    Various electronic components  30  may be mounted on the PCBs  20  and  21 , some of which may be isolated from other electronic components by being placed in the shield region between the first and second shield members  22  and  23 . As described above, during operation of the portable terminal, the electronic components  30  may generate EMI that adversely affect one or more other electronic components, such as signal distortion or other adverse affect. Accordingly, the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  are configured to shield the electronic components within the shield region from the electronic components arranged outside the shield region. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the first shielding unit  22  is located at the first PCB  20 , and the second shielding unit  23  is located at the second PCB  21 . The shielding units  22  and  23  may be formed of sheet metal or other materials imbedded with metal. When the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  are coupled or at least partially overlap each other, the first and second shielding units define the shield region such that EMI generated inside the shield region does not impact the electronic components located outside the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  and EMI generated by the electronic components  30  located outside the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  does not impact the electronic components located inside the shield region. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first shielding unit  22  includes a single wall body  22 A and the second shielding unit  23  includes an outer wall body  23 A and an inner wall body  23 B. The outer wall body  23 B is spaced from the inner wall body  23 B to define a fitting groove  25 . The first and second shielding units  22  and  23  are coupled to each other as the first shielding unit  22  is fitted into the fitting groove  25  of the second shielding unit  23 . The arrangement of the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  could be reversed. In addition, one of the inner and outer wall bodies  23  could be eliminated so long as contact is maintained between the first and second shielding units. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the height of the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  can be different ( FIG. 2 ) or equal ( FIG. 3 ) depending on the coupling intensity or the amount of shielding to be provided. For example, when a high coupling intensity or a high shielding degree is required, the contact surfaces between the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  will have substantially the same height. 
         [0029]    While the contact surfaces of the first and second shielding units  22  and  23  are shown as being substantially planar, various modifications for reinforcing the coupling intensity may be implemented. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , a protrusion  26 A and a recessed portion  26 B may be formed at contact surfaces between the first and second shielding units  22  and  23 , respectively, to reinforce the coupling between the first and second shielding units. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the contact surfaces may be formed at opposing ends of each of the first and second shielding units  22  and  23 . Various shapes for the protrusions and recessed portions may be provides, such as, a spherical shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a conical shape, among others. In addition, the location of the protrusion and recessed portion can be altered so that protrusions are formed in the fitting groove  25  and recessed portions are provided on the first shielding member  22 . 
         [0030]    Another modification to the contact surfaces of the first and second shielding units, as seen in  FIG. 6 , includes an elastic member  27 A provided at one of the first and second shielding units  22  and  23 , thereby reinforcing a coupling intensity between the first and second shielding units  22  and  23 . The elastic member  27 A may take the form of a connection member between a spring and a metallic ball, a rubber projection, among other elastic members. A groove  27 B is formed at a side surface of the first shielding unit  22  that contacts the elastic member  27 A, thereby reinforcing the coupling between the first and second shielding units  22  and  23 . Similar to the projection and recessed portion described above, the placement of the elastic member  27 A and the groove  27 B may be replaced. 
         [0031]    While the above exemplary embodiments provided a shield region that prevented EMI from electronic components outside of the shield region from interfering with electronic components located inside the shield region, it may be desirable to shield one or more electronic components in the shield region from each other. This may occur where for design limits, one or more electronic components are required to occupy the same region. One approach to solving this problem includes providing a metallic member that can further divide the shield region, as shown in  FIG. 7 . As shown in this exemplary embodiment, the inner wall  23 B may be replaced with a third shielding unit  28  that has a planar surface to enclose the electronic component  30  between the PCB  21  and the third shielding unit. The height of the third shielding unit can be selected so as not to physically interfere with the electronic components  30  on both the first and second PCBs. 
         [0032]    In addition to the shielding units  22  and  23 , two connectors  24  are configured to be coupled to each other in a fitting manner are provided on opposing surfaces of the first and second PCBs  20  and  21  to provide a connection circuit between the first and second PCBs  20  and  21 . Not only do the connectors  24  electrically connect the circuits provided at the PCBs  20  and  21 , they also further support a coupled state between the first and second PCBs  20  and  21 . The first and second shielding units  22  and  23 , in addition to shielding the electronic components, also serve as a connector for the first and second PCBs  20  and  21 . 
         [0033]    The portable terminal according to the present invention has several advantages. First, a portable terminal, which includes two or more PCBs therein, may be capable of shielding desired electronic components without the shielding unit(s) interfering with each other or the electronic components on the PCBs. Second, the shielding unit(s) may allow a manufacture to have a free circuit design by mounting electronic components at the desired positions without limitations in space and position due to mounting of a the shielding unit(s). Third, an overall thickness of the portable terminal may be reduced by decreasing a gap between the PCBs. Fourth, the many permutations of the shielding unit(s) allow for greater flexibility in coupling intensity and shielding strength. Fifth, the shielding unit(s) may also function to provide a connection mechanism between the two PCBs. 
         [0034]    The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present invention can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. This description is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7