ANTENNA AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a foldable housing, a flexible display, at least one printed circuit board (PCB), and a wireless communication circuit. The foldable housing includes a hinge structure, a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure and including a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first direction, and a first lateral member surrounding a first space between the first surface and the second surface, and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure and including a third surface facing in a second direction, a fourth surface facing in a direction opposite to the second direction, and a second lateral member surrounding a second space between the third surface and the fourth surface.

Description

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising: a flexible display;a printed circuit board (PCB) including wireless communication circuitry disposed thereon;a hinge structure including a conducive portion; anda foldable housing including a first housing accommodating a first portion of the flexible display and the PCB, and a second housing accommodating a second portion of the flexible display, the first housing connected to the second housing via the hinge structure and including a first lateral portion, the first lateral portion forming a side portion of the first housing, the first lateral portion including: a first conductive portion including a portion extending substantially parallel to a folding axis of the hinge structure;a second conductive portion extending substantially perpendicular to the folding axis;a third conductive portion including a portion extending substantially parallel to the folding axis;a first non-conductive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion; anda second non-conductive portion disposed between the second conductive portion and the third conductive portion,wherein the first conductive portion is physically connected to the hinge structure, the first conductive portion comprising a first part extending substantially parallel to the second conductive portion, and the first conductive portion comprising a first contact point via which the first conductive portion is electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit,wherein the second conductive portion forms a second part being positioned between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion, and the second conductive portion comprising a second contact point via which the second conductive portion is electrically connected to a ground area of the PCB, the second contact point being located closer to the first non-conductive portion than to the second non-conductive portion, andwherein the third conductive portion comprises a third part extending substantially parallel to the second conductive portion.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion includes a third contact point located further from the first non-conductive portion than the first contact point and electrically connected to the ground area of the PCB.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the third contact point is located on the portion of the first conductive portion.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first non-conductive portion is in contact with the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, andwherein the second non-conductive portion is in contact with the second conductive portion and the third conductive portion.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein an annular path for a signal is to be formed via at least a part of the first conductive portion, the first non-conductive portion, at least a part of the second conductive portion, and the ground area of the PCB.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the second conductive portion includes a fourth contact point located closer to the second non-conductive portion than to the first non-conductive portion and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuitry.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the second housing includes a second lateral portion forming a side surface of the second housing portion, the second lateral portion including: a third non-conductive portion, anda fourth non-conductive portion,wherein when the foldable housing is substantially fully folded, the third non-conductive portion and the fourth non-conductive portion are aligned with the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion, respectively.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein, when viewed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the flexible display, a region of the first conductive portion physically connected with the conductive portion of the hinge structure overlaps with a part of the conductive portion of the hinge structure.

9. The portable communication device of claim 8, wherein at least part of the region of the first conductive portion forms a recess under which the conductive portion of the hinge structure is disposed.

10. The portable communication device of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to at least one of transmit or receive a first signal of a first frequency band through the first contact point and the annular path when a conductive layer of the flexible display and a third contact point are electrically connected through a switching element.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion comprises a corner portion located closer to the first non-conductive portion than to the second non-conductive portion, andwherein the third conductive portion comprises another corner portion opposite to the corner portion with respect to the second conductive portion, the other corner portion being located closer to the second non-conductive portion than to the first non-conductive portion.

12. The portable communication device claim 1, wherein the first lateral portion includes a first side surface disposed in parallel with the folding axis, a second side surface extending from one end of the first side surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the folding axis, and a third side surface extending from another end of the first side surface in the direction substantially perpendicular to the folding axis.

13. The portable communication device claim 1, wherein the PCB comprises an electrical path configured to electrically connect, at the second contact point, a connecting piece to the ground area of the PCB.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13, wherein the connecting piece is configured to be electrically connected to the PCB through an electrical connection member.

15. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the electrical connection member is a C-clip or a conductive contact.

16. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first lateral portion is configured to surround at least in part a first space between a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the first housing.

17. The portable communication device claim 1, wherein the ground area of the PCB is configured to operate as a ground plane being electrically connected to the first lateral portion.

18. A portable communication device comprising: a display;a printed circuit board (PCB) including wireless communication circuitry disposed thereon;a hinge structure including a conducive portion; anda foldable housing including a first housing accommodating a first portion of the display and the PCB, and a second housing accommodating a second portion of the display, the first housing connected to the second housing via the hinge structure and including a first lateral portion, the first lateral portion forming a side portion of the first housing, the first lateral portion including: a first non-conductive portion disposed on a first side of four sides of the first lateral portion substantially perpendicular to a folding axis (axis-y) direction of the hinge structure;a second non-conductive portion disposed between the first non-conductive portion and the hinge structure, on the first side of the first lateral portion;a first conductive portion forming a first part of the first side between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion, the first conductive portion including a first contact point located closer to the second non-conductive portion than to the first non-conductive portion and electrically connected to a ground area of the PCB;a second conductive portion including a second part of the first side other than the first part and at least a part of a second side of the four sides substantially parallel to the folding axis and forming a first corner portion of the first lateral portion closer to the second non-conductive portion than the first non-conductive portion, the second conductive portion physically connected to a conductive portion of the hinge structure and including a second contact point via which the second conductive portion is electrically connected to the wireless communication circuitry; anda third conductive portion including a third part of the first side other than the first part and the second part and forming a second corner portion of the first lateral portion opposite to the first corner portion with respect to the first side.

19. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the second conductive portion includes a third contact point located further from the second non-conductive portion than the second contact point and electrically connected to the ground area of the PCB.

20. The portable communication device of claim 19, wherein the third contact point is located on the second side.