Patent ID: 8625290

Claim:
A waterproof structure for a portable terminal comprising at least a first housing and a second housing, comprising: a flexible printed circuit extending from an inside to an outside of the first housing and extending into and contained within an inside of the second housing; a first and a second wiring hole formed in the first and the second housings respectively for providing a path in which the flexible printed circuit passes therethrough; a first and a second partition wall formed respectively inside the first housing and the second housing; and a first and second protrusion extending respectively from a surface of the first partition wall and the second partition wall, wherein the first wiring hole is formed to penetrate the first protrusion and the second wiring hole is formed to penetrate the second protrusion; and a first and a second waterproof member provided in the first and the second wiring hole respectively to have substantial contact with at least inner walls of each of the first housing and the second housing and an outer circumferential surface of the flexible printed circuit so that said flexible printed circuit is held in place by the first and second waterproof member, wherein each of the first waterproof member and the second waterproof member comprises: a body portion substantially contacting an outer end of the first protrusion of the first partition wall and the second protrusion of the second partition wall, respectively; and a waterproof portion extending from the body portion to the inside of the first wiring hole and the second wiring hole, respectively, wherein the flexible printed circuit is wired through the waterproof portion, wherein the body portion is comprised of a rigid synthetic resin, and wherein the waterproof portion is comprised of an elastic material, and a slit penetrating the waterproof portion from the body portion allows the passage of the flexible printed circuit therethrough; and wherein an outer circumferential surface of each of the first waterproof member and the second waterproof member substantially contacts a circumference of an inlet of the first wiring hole or the second wiring hole or an inner wall of the first wiring hole or the second wiring hole to form a first and a second waterproof seal.