BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a side key in a key input apparatus of a conventional portable terminal;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state of a side key in a key input apparatus of a conventional portable terminal being assembled with the main body of the portable terminal;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state of a side key being assembled with a tact switch in a key input apparatus of a conventional portable terminal;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part A of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating a structure of a key input apparatus of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a key input apparatus of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the key input apparatus is assembled;
FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a push operation of a key input apparatus of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a sliding movement of a key input apparatus of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same elements will be designated by the same reference numerals although they are shown in different drawings.
As shown in FIG. 5, a key input apparatus 10 of a portable terminal includes a switch part 20 and a key part 30. The switch part 20 is mounted at a predetermined position of the main body 1 of the portable terminal in such a manner that the switch part 20 makes electric contact with the key part 30 which will be described later. A plurality of contact pieces 21 are included in a circumference of the switch part 20 so as to make contact with the key part 30. The key part 30 corresponds to the switch part 20 so that the key part 30 is pushed or slide so as to make contact with the contact pieces 21.
As shown in FIG. 6, the key part 30 includes a keypad and a side key for performing various operation mode functions of the main body 1 of the portable terminal.
As shown in FIG. 5, a mounting part 40 is included in the main body 1 of the terminal so as to allowing the key part 30 to be mounted therein. The mounting part 40 has at least one coupling hole 41 through which the key part 30 can extend so as to make contact with the contact pieces 21 of the switch part 20.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the contact pieces 21 include the first and second pieces 21a and 21b, respectively. The first contact piece 21a makes electric contact depending on if the key part 30 has been pushed, and the second contact piece 21b makes electric contact depending on the sliding movement of the key part 30.
As shown in FIG. 7, the first key contact part 31 is included in both ends of a rear surface of the key part 30 so that the first key contact part 31 can make contact with the first contact piece 21a depending on if the key part 30 has been pushed. The second key contact part 32 is included in the central part of the rear surface of the key part 30 so that the second key contact part 32 can make contact with the second contact piece 21b depending on the sliding movement of the key part 30. The first key contact part 31 included in one end of the key part 30 has a volume key 31a performing a volume raise/lower function, and the first key contact part 31 included in another end of the key part 30 has a camera key 31b operating a camera module.
As shown in FIG. 8, the second key contact part 32 has a control key 32a which is used to control the volume of the main body 1 of the terminal, and is used to control a camera function of a camera.
With reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, the operation of the key input apparatus, which has such a structure, of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described below in more detail.
As shown in FIG. 5, the key input apparatus 10 of a portable terminal includes a switch part 20 having a plurality of contact pieces 21 and a key part 30. The contact pieces 21 are included in a circumference of the switch part 20. The key part 30 is mounted in the mounting part 40 formed on a side surface of the main body 1 of the terminal, and the first and second key contact parts 31 and 32 of the key part 30 are assembled with the coupling hole 41 formed in the mounting part 40 while extending through the coupling hole 41.
As shown in FIG. 6, the first and second key contact parts 31 and 32 correspond to the first and second contact pieces 21a and 21b of the switch part 20, respectively. The key part 30 has a side key of the main body 1 of the terminal, and the switch part 20 includes a tact switch.
As shown in FIG. 7, the volume key 31a is included in one end of the key part 30, the camera key 31b is included in another end of the key part 30, and the control key 32a is included in the main part of the key part 30.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 7, when the volume key 31a of the key part 30 is pushed so as to perform various operation mode functions of the terminal 1, the first key contact part 31 included in one end of the key part is pushed toward the interior of the main body 1 of the terminal, and the first key contact part 31 makes electric contact with the first contact piece 21a of the switch part 20 and also applies a signal of the first contact piece 21a to a control unit (not shown) included in the main body 1 of the terminal.
When the camera key 31b is pushed, the first key contact part 31 included in another end of the key part is pushed toward the interior of the main body 1 of the terminal, and the first key contact part 31 makes electric contact with the first contact piece 21a of the switch part 20 and also applies a signal of the first contact piece 21a to a control unit (not shown) included in the main body 1 of the terminal.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the control key 32a, which is formed in the central part of the key part 30 so as to control the volume and the function of the camera, slides in a left or right direction, the second contact part 32 included in the central part of the rear surface of the key part 30 moves in the sliding direction of the control key 32a. The second key contact 32 makes electric contact with the second contact piece 21b of the switch part 20 and also applies a signal of the second contact piece 21b to the control unit (not shown) included in the main body 1 of the terminal.
As mentioned above, the side key of the main body of the terminal is adapted to be pressed or slid in various directions so that the number of the side keys can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the terminal and mounting space for keys can be reduced, thereby realizing slimness and size-reduction of the terminal. The present invention can be employed in all type terminals which can be carried.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20080088489
