Patent Description:
An electronic device may include a metal part forming at least a portion of an outer appearance. The metal part may form a path for dissipating heat emitted from the inner part of the electronic device. In addition, at least a portion of the electronic device may form the ground of the electronic device, together with the ground area of a circuit board.

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) (e.g., static electricity) may be applied to the metal part of the electronic device. The ESD may disturb the operation of electronic devices. The electronic device should sufficiently be grounded to be operable (e.g., robustness) even when the ESD is applied. In similar regards, publication <CIT> relates to an electronic device with heat radiating structures added to printed circuit boards and publication <CIT> relates to a portable electronic device with an embedded electric shock protection function.

A mobile electronic device may include more many electrical devices and larger batteries, as various functions are added and required performance increases. The area of the circuit board is more reduced, and the heat is increasingly emitted from the inner part of the electronic device. The circuit board reduced in size may not provide a sufficient grounding function against the ESD (e.g., static electricity). Meanwhile, recently, the electronic device may include a vapor chamber to effectively resolve the increased heat.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, there is provided an electronic device including a ground connection structure to form a discharge path including the vapor chamber and the metal part of the housing.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device includes a housing including a metal part, in which the metal part includes a frame structure forming a portion of a surface of the electronic device and a plate structure extending into an inner space of the housing, a printed circuit board disposed in the plate structure, a camera module disposed in the plate structure, in which the camera module includes a connector coupled to the printed circuit board, and the connector includes a conductive pad electrically connected to a ground area of the camera module, a vapor chamber interposed between the plate structure and the printed circuit board, having a conductivity, and at least partially facing the conductive pad of the connector, an electrical absorption member interposed between the vapor chamber and the conductive pad, an insulating adhesive member interposed between the vapor chamber and the plate structure, and a varistor electrically connect the vapor chamber to the metal part.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device includes a front plate, a rear plate opposite to the front plate, a metal housing extending to a space between the front plate and the rear plate, a display disposed in the metal housing such that the display is viewed through the front plate, a conductive vapor chamber interposed between the metal housing and the rear plate, and a varistor to be electrically coupled to the metal housing and the vapor chamber. The varistor may be configured to form an electric short circuit between the metal housing and the vapor chamber, when static electricity is applied to the metal housing.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, the vapor chamber is extended to the camera module to improve the dissipation performance of the electronic device. In addition, when the ESD (e.g., the static electricity) is applied, the vapor chamber and the metal part of the housing serve as the ground, thereby preventing the internal components from being damaged or preventing the camera module from erroneously operating.

Besides, a variety of effects directly or indirectly understood through the disclosure may be provided.

With regard to description of drawings, the same or similar components will be marked by the same or similar reference signs.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the disclosure may be described with reference to accompanying drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the disclosure is not limited to a specific embodiment, and modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives on the various embodiments described herein can be variously made as long they are within the limits as defined by the appended claims.

<FIG> is a front perspective view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a rear perspective view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment. <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may include a housing <NUM> including a first surface 110A (or front surface), a second surface 110B (or rear surface), and a side surface 110C surrounding the space between the first surface 110A and the second surface 110B.

According to another embodiment (not illustrated), the housing <NUM> may be referred to as the structure forming some of the first surface 110A, the second surface 110B, and the side surface 110C of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the first surface 110A may include a front plate <NUM> (e.g., a glass plate or a polymer plate including various coating layers) having at least a portion substantially transparent. The second surface 110B may be formed through a rear plate <NUM> substantially opaque. The rear plate <NUM> may include, for example, coating or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium) or the combination of tat least two of the above materials. The side surface 110C may include a frame structure <NUM> which is coupled to the front plate <NUM> and the rear plate <NUM>, and includes metal and/or polymer.

According to an embodiment, the rear plate <NUM> and the frame structure <NUM> may be formed integrally with each other and may include the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

According to an embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the front plate <NUM> may include two first areas 110D bent toward the rear plate <NUM> from the first surface 110A while seamlessly extending, and formed at opposite long edge ends of the front plate <NUM>.

According to an embodiment illustrated (see <FIG>), the rear plate <NUM> may include two second areas 110E which is bent from the second surface 110B toward the front plate <NUM> while seamlessly extending and formed at opposite long edge ends of the rear plate <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the front plate <NUM> (or the rear plate <NUM>) may include only one of the first areas 110D (or the second areas 110E). According to another embodiment, the front plate <NUM> (or the rear plate <NUM>) may include some of the first areas 110D (or the second areas 110E).

According to embodiments, when viewed from the side surface of the electronic device <NUM>, the frame structure <NUM> may have a first thickness (or width) on one side surface (e.g., a shorter side) where the first areas 110D or the second areas 110E are not included, and may have a second thickness smaller than the first thickness on a side surface (e.g., a longer side) in which the first ares 110D or the second areas 110E are included.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> includes at least one a display <NUM>, audio modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> (e.g., the audio module <NUM> of <FIG>), a sensor module (not illustrated) (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>), camera modules <NUM>, and <NUM> (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>), a key input device <NUM> (e.g., the input device <NUM> of <FIG>), a light emitting device <NUM>, and connector holes <NUM> and <NUM> (e.g., the connector <NUM> of <FIG>). According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include remaining components except for at least one (e.g., the key input device <NUM>) of the above-described components or may additionally include another component (e.g., the light emitting device <NUM>).

According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may be exposed through substantial parts of the front plate <NUM>. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the display <NUM> may be exposed through the front plate <NUM> including the first surface 110A and first areas 110D of the side surface 110C.

According to an embodiment, a corner of the display <NUM> may be formed to be substantially identical in shape to an outer portion of the front plate <NUM>, which is adjacent thereto. According to another embodiment (not illustrated), to expand an area for exposing the display <NUM>, the distance between an outer portion of the display <NUM> and an outer portion of the front plate <NUM> may be substantially uniformly formed.

According to an embodiment, the surface (or the front plate <NUM>) of the housing <NUM> may include a screen display area formed as the display <NUM> is visually exposed. For example, the screen display area may include the first surface 110A and first areas 110D of the side surface.

According to an embodiment, the screen display areas 110A and 110D may include a sensing area (not illustrated) configured to obtain biometric information of a user. In this case, the wording "the screen display areas 110A and 110D may include a sensing area" may be understood as that at least a portion of the sensing area may be overlapped with the screen display areas 110A and 110D. For example, the sensing area may be an area to display visual information by the display <NUM> and to additionally obtain the biometric information (e.g., a fingerprint) of the user, which is similar to another area of the screen display areas 110A and 110D.

According to an embodiment, the screen display area (110A, 110D) of the display <NUM> may include an area <NUM> for visually exposing the first camera module <NUM> (e.g., a punch through camera). For example, at least a portion of an edge of the area for exposing the first camera module <NUM> (e.g., the punch hole camera) may be surrounded by the screen display areas 110A and 110D. According to an embodiment, the first camera module <NUM> may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to another embodiment (not illustrated), the display <NUM> may be coupled or disposed adjacent to a touch sensing circuit, a pressure sensor to measure the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and/or a digitizer to detect the stylus pen based on an electromagnetic scheme.

According to an embodiment, the audio modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include microphone holes <NUM> and <NUM> and speaker holes <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a microphone may be disposed in a microphone hole <NUM> to obtain external sound. According to an embodiment, the microphone may include a plurality of microphones to sense the direction of the sound. According to an embodiment, the microphone hole <NUM>) formed in a partial area of the second surface 110B may be disposed to be adjacent to the camera modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>. For example, the microphone hole <NUM> may obtain sound when the camera modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are executed, or may obtain a sound, when another function is executed.

According to an embodiment, the speaker holes <NUM> and <NUM> may include an external speaker hole <NUM> and a receiver hole <NUM> for conversation. According to an embodiment, the speaker hole <NUM> and <NUM> and the microphone hole <NUM> may be implemented in the form of one hole.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a speaker to communicate with the speaker hole <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the speaker may include a piezoelectric speaker having no the speaker hole <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a sensor module (not illustrated; the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>) may generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to an internal operating state or an external environment state of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the sensor module may at least one of a proximity sensor, an HRM sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

According to an embodiment, the camera modules <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may include the first camera module <NUM> (e.g., a punch hole camera) exposed to the first surface 110A of the electronic device <NUM>, and/or the second camera module <NUM> exposed to the second surface 110B, and/or the flash <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first camera module <NUM> may be exposed through a portion of the screen display areas 110A and 110D of the display <NUM>. For example, the first camera module <NUM> may be exposed through a portion of the screen display area 110A and 110D through an opening (not illustrated) formed in a portion of the display <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the second camera module <NUM> may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., dual cameras or triple cameras). However, the second camera module <NUM> is not limited to necessarily including a plurality of camera modules, and may include one camera module.

The first camera module <NUM> and the second camera module <NUM> may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and/or an image signal processor. The flash <NUM> may include, for example, a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. According to an embodiment, at least two lenses (an infrared camera, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens) and image sensors may be disposed on one side surface of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the key input device <NUM> may be disposed on the side surface 110C (e.g., the first areas 110D and/or the second areas 110E) of the housing <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may not include some or an entire portion of the key input device <NUM> mentioned above, and the key input device <NUM>, which is not included, may be implemented in different forms, such as a soft key, on the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the key input device may include a sensor module (not illustrated) forming the sensing area (not illustrated) included in the screen display areas 110A and 110D.

According to an embodiment, the connector hole <NUM> may receive a connector. According to an embodiment, the connector hole <NUM> may be disposed on the side surface 110C of the housing <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a first connector hole <NUM> to transmit/receive power and/or data together with an external electronic device and a second connector hole (not illustrated), and a second connector hole (not illustrated) to receive a connector (e.g., an earphone jack) to transmit/receive the audio signal together with the external electronic device.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a light emitting device (not illustrated). For example, the light emitting device may be disposed on the first surface 110A of the housing <NUM>. The light emitting device may provide state information of the electronic device <NUM> in the form of light. According to an embodiment, the light emitting device may provide a light source linking to the operation of the first camera module <NUM>. For example, the light emitting device may include an LED, an infrared light emitting device (IR LED), and/or a xenon lamp.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may include a front plate <NUM> (e.g., the front surface 110A and the first area 110D of <FIG>), a display <NUM> (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>), a bracket <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a printed circuit board <NUM>, a support member <NUM> (e.g., a rear case), and a rear surface plate <NUM> (e.g., the rear surface 110B and the second area 110E of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may not include at least one (e.g., the support member <NUM>) of the components or may further include any other component. At least one of components of the electronic device <NUM> may be identical to or similar to at least one of components of the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>, and the duplicated description will be omitted below.

According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the front plate <NUM>, the rear plate <NUM>, and the bracket <NUM> (e.g., the frame structure <NUM>) may constitute a housing (e.g., the housing <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the bracket <NUM> may include a frame structure <NUM> constituting the surface (e.g., a portion of the side surface 110C of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM>, and a plate structure <NUM> extending inward of the electronic device <NUM> from the frame structure <NUM>.

The plate structure <NUM> may be positioned inside the electronic device <NUM>, and may be connected to the frame structure <NUM> or may be formed integrally with the frame structure <NUM>. For example, the plate structure <NUM> may be formed of, for example, a metal material and/or a non-metal material (e.g., polymer). The plate structure <NUM> may have one surface to be coupled to the display <NUM>, and an opposite surface to be coupled to the printed circuit board <NUM>. The printed circuit board <NUM> may include a processor, a memory, and/or an interface. The processor may include, for example, one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphic processing device, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

The memory may include, for example, a volatile memory and/or a non-volatile memory.

The interface may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and/or an audio interface. The interface may electrically or physically connect, for example, the electronic device <NUM> with an external electronic device and may include a USB connector, an SD card/MMC connector, or an audio connector.

According to an embodiment, the battery <NUM> may supply power to at least one of components of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the battery <NUM> may include a primary battery, which is not rechargeable, a secondary battery which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell. According to an embodiment, at least a part of the battery <NUM> may be positioned on substantially the same dielectric layer as the printed circuit board <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the battery <NUM> may be disposed inside the electronic device <NUM> integrally with the electronic device <NUM>, and may be detachably disposed from the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first camera module <NUM> may be disposed in the plate structure <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>, such that a lens is exposed to a partial area of the front plate <NUM> (e.g., the front surface 110A of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first camera module <NUM> may be disposed such that an optical axis of a lens is partially aligned with a hole or a recess <NUM> formed in the display <NUM>. For example, the area for exposing the lens may be formed on the front plate <NUM>. For example, at least a portion of the first camera module <NUM> may include a punch hole camera disposed in the hole or the recess <NUM> formed in the rear surface of the display <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the second camera module <NUM> (e.g., the second camera module <NUM> of <FIG>) may be disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM>, such that the lens is exposed to the camera area <NUM> of the rear plate <NUM> (e.g., the rear surface 110B of FIG. 2B) of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the camera area <NUM> may be formed on the surface (e.g., the rear surface 110B of <FIG>) of the rear plate <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the camera area <NUM> may be formed to be at least partially transparent such that external light is incident to the lens of the second camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the camera area <NUM> may protrude to a specific height from the surface of the rear plate <NUM>. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The camera area <NUM> may form substantially the same plane as the surface of the rear plate <NUM>.

<FIG> is a rear view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a rear view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment. <FIG> and <FIG> are views in which a rear plate and a printed circuit board of an electronic device illustrated in <FIG> is omitted.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> includes the housing <NUM>, the camera module <NUM> including the connector <NUM>, and a vapor chamber <NUM>, when viewed from the rear surface.

According to an embodiment, the housing <NUM> includes the frame structure <NUM> constituting the surface (e.g., a portion of the side surface 110C of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM>, and the plate structure <NUM> extending from the frame structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the frame structure <NUM> may be formed to surround at least a portion of the edge of the plate structure <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the frame structure <NUM> may be formed integrally with the plate structure <NUM> or in the form of a member separate from the plate structure <NUM> to be coupled to the plate structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed in the plate structure <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed on a first surface 142a of the plate structure <NUM>. For example, the first surface 142a of the plate structure <NUM> may be a surface facing in a direction opposite to a direction in which the display <NUM> is disposed.

According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include a first camera module <NUM> allowing the optical axis of the lens to face the rear surface, a second camera module <NUM> allowing the optical axis of the lens to face the side surface. For example, the second camera module <NUM> may further include a prism <NUM> to refract light. Each of the first camera module <NUM> and the second camera module <NUM> may include a plurality of camera devices.

According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> includes a connector(s) <NUM>. The connector <NUM> may be coupled to the printed circuit board <NUM>. For example, the connector <NUM> is physically coupled to a corresponding connector <NUM> included in the printed circuit board <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the connector <NUM> may include a signal terminal <NUM>, and a ground terminal connected with the ground area of the camera module <NUM>. The signal terminal <NUM> may be electrically connected to a signal line of the printed circuit board <NUM>. The ground terminal may include, for example, a conductive pad <NUM> formed in a direction toward the vapor chamber <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> may face a surface of the vapor chamber <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> may be electrically coupled to the vapor chamber <NUM>. For example, the conductive pad <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be configured to be electrically open for DC signals and electrically short-circuited for AC signals.

According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed to cover at least a portion of the plate structure <NUM>, when viewed from the rear surface of the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be formed to have conductivity. For example, the vapor chamber <NUM> may include a metallic material. At least a portion of the surface of the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed to face the conductive pad <NUM> of the connector <NUM> of the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be electrically coupled to the conductive pad <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be configured to dissipate heat from electrical components included in the printed circuit board <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be formed to have a specific size or more to provide sufficient space for internal working fluids to circulate. For example, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be formed to have a width of at least <NUM>.

<FIG> is a sectional view of an electronic device, according to an embodiment;.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may include a plate structure <NUM>, a display <NUM>, a printed circuit board <NUM>, a vapor chamber <NUM>, an insulating adhesive member <NUM>, an electrical absorption member <NUM>, and a conductive structure <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may be disposed on the second surface 142b of the plate structure <NUM> and exposed to the surface of the electronic device <NUM>. According to some embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may include a display module including the display <NUM> and a cover (e.g., the front plate <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the plate structure <NUM> may include a metal material. The plate structure <NUM> may have a first surface 142a on which the vapor chamber <NUM> and the printed circuit board <NUM> are disposed, and a second surface 142b on which the display <NUM> is disposed. The insulating adhesive member <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed on a portion of the first surface 142a of the plate structure <NUM>. The plate structure <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be physically coupled to each other by the insulating adhesive member <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the plate structure <NUM> may be electrically coupled to the vapor chamber <NUM> through a varistor <NUM>. For example, the plate structure <NUM> may be electrically connected to the vapor chamber <NUM> within a specific voltage range. For example, the varistor <NUM> may electrically insulate the vapor chamber <NUM> from the plate structure <NUM> with respect to a lower voltage electrical signal, and may electrically connect the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM> with respect to the higher voltage electrical signal. For example, the varistor <NUM> may electrically connect the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM> with respect to the AC signal having a specific frequency, and may electrically insulate the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM> with respect to the DC signal. For example, the AC signal may include static electricity. According to various embodiments, the varistor <NUM> may be disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM>.

According to one embodiment, the first surface 142a of the plate structure <NUM> may include a first area 142a-<NUM> directly connected to the varistor <NUM> and a second area 142a-<NUM> in which the vapor chamber <NUM> is disposed and the insulating adhesive member <NUM> is directly disposed. According to one embodiment, the plate structure <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may not be conducted to each other with respect to the DC signals or the lower voltage signals by the insulating adhesive member <NUM>. According to one embodiment, the plate structure <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be electrically coupled to each other with respect to the AC signals or the higher voltage signals by the varistor <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board <NUM> may include the corresponding connector <NUM> coupled to the connector <NUM> of the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board <NUM> may be electrically connected to the camera module <NUM> through the connector <NUM> and the corresponding connector <NUM>. For example, a control circuit to control the camera module <NUM> may be disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the varistor <NUM> may be disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM>. In this case, the surface of the printed circuit board <NUM> may be connected to the plate structure <NUM> through the conductive structure <NUM>. For example, the printed circuit board <NUM> may include a conductive area connected to the varistor <NUM>, and the plate structure <NUM> may be connected to the conductive area by the conductive structure <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the camera connector <NUM> may include a conductive pad <NUM> electrically connected to the ground area of the camera module <NUM>. For example, the conductive pad <NUM> may be formed in a direction toward the vapor chamber <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> may be electrically coupled to the vapor chamber <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electrical absorption member <NUM> and a conductive buffer member <NUM> may be interposed between the camera connector <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may be connected to the conductive pad <NUM> of the camera connector <NUM>. For example, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may include the ground area of the camera module <NUM>. Accordingly, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may include a conductive sponge. According to an embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may prevent the camera connector <NUM> and the plate structure <NUM> from being damaged. According to an embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may be disposed on the electrical absorption member <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may be interposed while being compressed, between the connector <NUM> of the camera module <NUM> and the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may be disposed between the conductive buffer member <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>. The electrical absorption member <NUM> may electrically couple the conductive buffer member <NUM> with the vapor chamber <NUM>. For example, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may be configured such that the vapor chamber <NUM> and the conductive buffer member <NUM> are electrically open with respect to the DC signal and electrically short-circuited with respect to the AC signal. For example, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may be configured such that the vapor chamber <NUM> and the conductive buffer member <NUM> are electrically short-circuited with respect to a signal having a higher frequency, and electrically open with respect to a signal having a lower frequency. For example, when the higher voltage and the ESD (e.g., static electricity) having a higher voltage and a fine current are applied to the vapor chamber <NUM>, some of a current of the ESD may flow to the conductive buffer member <NUM> and the ground of the camera module <NUM> through the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the conductive structure <NUM> may electrically connect the vapor chamber <NUM> with the varistor <NUM>. For example, the varistor <NUM> may be disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the conductive structure <NUM> may be configured to electrically connect the printed circuit board <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board <NUM> may include a conductive area 150a electrically connected to the varistor <NUM> and the conductive structure <NUM>. In this case, the conductive area 150a may be configured not to be directly connected to another electrical path (e.g., an electrical devices) included in the printed circuit board <NUM>. For example, the conductive area 150a may be directly connected to only the varistor <NUM> and the conductive structure <NUM>.

According to one embodiment, the conductive area 150a may be electrically connected to the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM> through the conductive structure <NUM>, the vapor chamber <NUM>, and the electrical absorption member <NUM>. For example, the conductive area 150a may not be directly connected to the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM>, but may be electrically connected through the conductive structure <NUM>, the vapor chamber <NUM>, and the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the conductive structure <NUM> may include a C-clip disposed on any one of the printed circuit board <NUM> or the vapor chamber <NUM> and configured to provide elastic force toward a remaining one. According to various embodiments, the conductive structure <NUM> may include a flexible circuit board extending from the vapor chamber <NUM>. For example, the flexible circuit board may extend to the printed circuit board <NUM> on which the varistor <NUM> is mounted. For example, the flexible circuit board may connect the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM>, and the varistor <NUM> may be mounted on the flexible circuit board.

According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be interposed between an electrical device <NUM> disposed on the printed circuit board <NUM> and the plate structure <NUM>. For example, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be configured to transfer heat emitted from the electric device <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM>. In this case, to efficiently transfer the heat, a thermally conductive adhesive member <NUM> may be disposed. For example, the thermally conductive adhesive member <NUM> may be interposed between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the electrical device <NUM>, and/or between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the plate structure <NUM>.

According to an embodiment disclosure of the disclosure, the electronic device <NUM> may provide a ground connection structure to absorb the ESD (e.g., static electricity) applied to the metal part (e.g., the frame structure <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>) exposed on the surface. For example, referring to <FIG>, the ground connection structure may include the housing <NUM>, the vapor chamber <NUM>, and the ground areas of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the camera module <NUM>.

When viewed through the electrical path, the varistor <NUM> may be interposed between the housing <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>. When viewed through the electrical path, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may be interposed between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the ground of the camera module <NUM>.

For example, when the ESD (e.g., the static electricity) is applied to the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the frame structure <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>), the metal part (e.g., the plate structure <NUM>) of the housing, the vapor chamber <NUM>, and the ground area of the camera module <NUM> are electrically coupled to each other to serve as the ground.

For example, an ESD (e.g., static electricity) may have various frequency bands. The ESD in the low frequency band may be blocked by the varistor <NUM> and the insulating adhesive member <NUM> to be prevented from flowing to the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM>. For example, the ESD in the high frequency band may be distributed into the vapor chamber <NUM> and the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM>.

For example, when the current leaks from the inner part (e.g., the camera module <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, the leakage current may not flow to the surface (e.g., the frame structure <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM> by the electrical absorption member <NUM> and/or the varistor <NUM>. For example, when the current leaks from the inner part (e.g., the printed circuit board <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, the leakage current may not flow to the surface of the electronic device by the insulating adhesive member <NUM> and/or the varistor <NUM>.

Therefore, according to embodiments of the disclosure, the electric shock of the user may be prevented, and the electrical component may be prevented from being broken due to the ESD and/or the erroneous operation of the electrical component may be prevented due to the ESD.

<FIG> is a sectional view illustrating a conductive buffer member, an electrical absorption member, and a vapor chamber of an electronic device, according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a sectional view of part "A" of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the electrical absorption member may include a first insulating layer <NUM> disposed on the conductive buffer member, a second insulating layer <NUM> disposed in the vapor chamber <NUM>, and a conductive layer <NUM> interposed between the first insulating layer <NUM> and the second insulating layer <NUM>. According to one embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may be electrically connected to the ground area of the camera module <NUM> and/or the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a first conductive layer <NUM> may be thicker than the first insulating layer <NUM> and/or the second insulating layer <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be thicker than the first conductive layer <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the conductive buffer member <NUM> may be thicker than the first conductive layer <NUM>.

According to one embodiment, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may electrically open the conductive buffer member <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> with respect to a DC signal or a relatively low voltage electric signal. For example, when the leakage current flows through the ground area of the camera module <NUM> and/or the printed circuit board <NUM>, the conductive buffer member <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be insulated from each other by the first insulating layer <NUM>.

According to one embodiment, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may electrically open the conductive buffer member <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM> with respect to a DC signal or a relatively low voltage electric signal. For example, when static electricity is applied to the electronic device <NUM>, the thicker vapor chamber <NUM> may form a sufficient ground capacity together with the metal part of the housing <NUM> (e.g., the frame structure of <FIG> and <FIG> and the plate structure <NUM>). In this case, a portion of static electricity may flow through the electrical absorption member <NUM> to the ground area of the camera module <NUM> and/or the ground area of the printed circuit board <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a ground structure of an electronic device, according to an embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a ground structure including a metal part of a housing (e.g., the housing <NUM> of <FIG>), a vapor chamber (e.g., the vapor chamber <NUM> of <FIG>), and the ground area of the circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board <NUM> of <FIG>).

In this case, the circuit board may be a camera substrate including a printed circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board <NUM> of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM>, or a camera substrate included in a camera module (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>). In this case, the metal part of the housing may include the frame structure (e.g., the frame structure <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>) and the plate structure (e.g., the plate structure <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may include a varistor and an electrical absorption member to prevent the current leaking from the circuit board from flowing to the metal part of the housing forming the surface of the electronic device. Accordingly, the electric shock of the user may be prevented.

According to an embodiment, when the ESD (e.g., the static electricity) is applied to the surface of the electronic device, the metal part of the housing and the vapor chamber provide the sufficient ground capacity, thereby preventing the camera module or the electrical components included in the printed circuit board from erroneously operating and/or broken.

According to one embodiment, when ESD is applied to the metal part of the housing, the ESD may flow to the vapor chamber (e.g., the vapor chamber <NUM> in <FIG>) through the varistor (e.g., the varistor <NUM> in <FIG>). The ESD in the low frequency band may be blocked by the electrical absorption member (e.g., the electrical absorption member <NUM> of <FIG>). The ESD in the high frequency band may be distributed to the ground area of the circuit board through the electrical absorption member. According to various embodiments, the ESD may have various frequency bands. The ESD in the low frequency band is substantially a DC, and is blocked by a varistor (e.g., the varistor <NUM> of <FIG>) and an electrical absorption member (e.g., the electrical absorption member <NUM> of <FIG>) to prevent the ESD from being flowing to the ground area of the circuit board. ESD in the high frequency band may be distributed to the ground area of the vapor chamber (e.g., the vapor chamber <NUM> in <FIG>) and the circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board <NUM> in <FIG>).

According to embodiments of the disclosure, the electronic device <NUM> may include the housing <NUM> including the metal part, in which the metal part includes the frame structure <NUM> forming a portion of a surface of the electronic device <NUM> and the plate structure <NUM> extending into an inner space of the housing <NUM>, a printed circuit board <NUM> disposed in the plate structure <NUM>, the camera module <NUM> disposed in the plate structure <NUM>, in which the camera module <NUM> includes the connector <NUM> coupled to the printed circuit board, and the connector includes the conductive pad <NUM> electrically connected to a ground area of the camera module, the vapor chamber <NUM> interposed between the plate structure <NUM> and the printed circuit board <NUM>, having a conductivity, and at least partially facing the conductive pad of the connector, an electrical absorption member <NUM> interposed between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the conductive pad <NUM>, an insulating adhesive member <NUM> interposed between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the plate structure <NUM>, and a varistor <NUM> electrically connect the vapor chamber <NUM> to the metal part.

According to various embodiments, the varistor <NUM> may be disposed in a first area of the printed circuit board <NUM> and may further include the conductive structure <NUM> to electrically connect the first area to the vapor chamber <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the conductive structure <NUM> may include a C-clip or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) disposed in any one of the vapor chamber <NUM> and the conductive area, and configured to provide elasticity to a remaining one.

According to various embodiments, at least one electrical device may be disposed in the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed to make contact with the at least one electrical device to dissipate heat from the at least one electrical device <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the vapor chamber <NUM>, the plate structure <NUM>, and the frame structure <NUM> may form a heat dissipation path to dissipate heat emitted from the at least one electrical device.

According to various embodiments, the vapor chamber <NUM> and the conductive pad <NUM> may be electrically coupled to each other through the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to various embodiment, the insulating adhesive member <NUM> may physically couple the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM> and electrically insulate the vapor chamber <NUM> to the plate structure <NUM>.

According to various embodiment, the electronic device may further include the conductive buffer member <NUM> interposed between the conductive pad <NUM> and the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may include the conductive buffer member <NUM> including a conductive sponge interposed while being compressed, between the conductive pad <NUM> and the electrical absorption member <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the vapor chamber <NUM> may be disposed on a first surface 142a of the plate structure <NUM>, and at least a portion of the connector <NUM> may be partially overlapped with the vapor chamber <NUM>, when the first surface 142a is viewed from above.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a display module <NUM> disposed on a second surface 142b of the plate structure <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, when an electrical signal having a specific voltage or less is applied, the varistor <NUM> may be configured to electrically open the vapor chamber <NUM> and the metal part.

According to various embodiments, when an electrical signal having a specific voltage or more, the varistor <NUM> may be configured to distribute a portion of the electrical signal.

According to various embodiment, the electrical absorption member <NUM> may include a plurality of layers, and the plurality of layers may include a first insulating layer <NUM> making contact with the conductive pad <NUM>, a second insulating layer <NUM> making contact with the vapor chamber, and a conductive layer <NUM> interposed between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

According to an embodiment, the first conductive layer <NUM> may be thicker than the first insulating layer <NUM> and/or the second insulating layer <NUM>.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device <NUM> may include a front plate <NUM>, a rear plate <NUM> opposite to the front plate, a metal housing <NUM> extending to a space between the front plate <NUM> and the rear plate <NUM>, a display <NUM> disposed in the metal housing such that the display <NUM> is viewed through the front plate <NUM>, a conductive vapor chamber <NUM> interposed between the metal housing <NUM> and the rear plate, and a varistor <NUM> configured to be electrically coupled to the metal housing <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>. The varistor <NUM> may be configured to form an electric short circuit between the metal housing <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>, when static electricity is applied to the metal housing <NUM>.

According to various embodiment, the electronic device may further include a circuit board <NUM> interposed between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the rear plate <NUM>, and including a ground area, and an electrical absorption member <NUM> configured to electrically couple the ground area of the circuit board <NUM> and the vapor chamber <NUM>. The electrical absorption member <NUM> may be configured to form an electric short circuit between the vapor chamber <NUM> and the ground area, when static electricity is applied to the metal housing <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the varistor <NUM> may further include a conductive structure <NUM> disposed on the circuit board <NUM> and extending to the vapor chamber <NUM> to electrically connect the vapor chamber <NUM> to the varistor <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include an insulating adhesive member <NUM> physically couple the vapor chamber <NUM> to the metal housing <NUM>, such that the vapor chamber <NUM> is insulated from the metal housing <NUM> with respect to a DC signal.

According to various embodiments, when an electrical signal having a specific voltage or more is applied, the varistor <NUM> may be configured to distribute a portion of the electrical signal.

Various embodiments of the disclosure and terms used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the disclosure to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the embodiments and the terms include modification, equivalent and/ or alternative on the corresponding embodiments described herein. With regard to description of drawings, similar components may be assigned with similar reference numerals. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless otherwise specified. In the disclosure, the wording "A or B", "at least one of A and/or B", "A, B, or C", or "at least one of A, B, and/or C" may include all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The expressions, such as "first", or "second" may express various components regardless of the order or priority of the components and may be used to distinguish a component from another component, not to limit the elements. It will be understood that when a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to" or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), the component may be directly coupled with/to or connected to the another component or an intervening component (e.g., a third component) may be present therebetween.

According to the disclosure, the wording "adapted to or configured to" used herein may be interchangeably used as, for example, the wording "suitable for", "having the capacity to", "changed to~", "made to~", "capable of ~", or "designed to" in hardware or software depending on situations. Under a certain situation, the wording "a device configured to~" may refer to that the device is "capable of" operating together with another device or other components. For example, a "processor configured to perform A, B, and C" may refer to a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing a corresponding operation or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) which may perform corresponding operations by executing one or more software programs which are stored in a memory device.

The term "module" used in this specification may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware. For example, the term "module" may be interchangeably used with the term "logic", "logic block", "component", "circuit", and the like. The "module" may be an integrated component, a minimum unit for performing one or more functions, or a part thereof. The "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the module may include a well-known or to-be-developed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, a field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a programmable logic device.

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of a device (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or a method (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments may be, for example, implemented by instructions stored in a computer-readable storage media in the form of a program module. The instruction, when executed by a processor, may cause the processor to perform a function corresponding to the instruction. A computer-readable recording medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic media (e.g., a magnetic tape), an optical media (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magneto-optical media (e.g., a floptical disk)), and an embedded memory. The instructions may include codes formed by a compiler or codes executable by an interpreter.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) including a metal part, wherein the metal part includes:
a frame structure (<NUM>) forming a portion of a surface of the electronic device; and
a plate structure (<NUM>) extending into an inner space of the housing;
a printed circuit board (<NUM>) disposed in the plate structure;
a camera module (<NUM>) disposed in the plate structure, wherein the camera module includes a connector (<NUM>) electrically and mechanically coupled to the printed circuit board, and wherein the connector includes an electrically conductive pad (<NUM>) electrically connected to a ground area of the camera module;
a vapor chamber (<NUM>) disposed between the plate structure and the printed circuit board, having a heat conductivity and an electrical conductivity, and at least partially facing the conductive pad of the connector, wherein the vapor chamber is configured to dissipate heat from at least one electrical device disposed in the printed circuit board; characterized in that:
an electrical absorption member (<NUM>) disposed between the vapor chamber and the conductive pad and configured that the vapor chamber (<NUM>) and the conductive buffer member (<NUM>) are electrically short-circuited with respect to a signal having a higher frequency, and electrically open with respect to a DC signal or a signal having a lower frequency an electrically insulating adhesive member (<NUM>) disposed between the vapor chamber and
the plate structure; and
a varistor (<NUM>) electrically connect the vapor chamber to the metal part.