Patent ID: 7433723

Claim:
A spring module for a sliding-type portable terminal, comprising: at least one first sliding slit extending longitudinally on a first housing of the portable terminal and having a first end, a second end and a predetermined shape, the first housing having a longitudinal axis; a second sliding slit extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and provided on a second housing of the portable terminal, the second sliding slit facing the at least one first sliding slit; at least one slider engaged in the at least one first and second sliding slits and coupled to one of the first and second housings, the at least one slider being operative to reciprocally slide in both the at least one first and second sliding slits simultaneously; and at least one spring for applying an elastic force to move the at least one slider to the first end when the slider is within a first portion of the at least one first sliding slit, and to the second end when the slider is within a second portion of the at least one first sliding slit, thereby opening or closing the sliding-type portable terminal, the at least one spring being one of a tension spring and a compression spring, wherein the predetermined shape is symmetrical with respect to a latitudinal axis extending through a midpoint of the at least one first sliding slit.