This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0034963 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Apr. 22, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a flexible printed circuit board and problems associated with their manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile terminal is an electronic device that permits a user to access functions such as wireless communication, network connection, and digital broadcasting reception almost regardless of time and location. Recent mobile terminals have been developed to perform a communication function and functions such as Internet connection, digital broadcasting reception, document writing, and game playing. Even with the increased functionality provided therein, the more recent mobile terminals have gradually decreased in size and thickness while having an increased function according to a user's request.
An electronic circuit board for mounting many electronic components is installed within the mobile terminal, and such an electronic circuit board transmits and receives an electrical signal to and from a function module such as a display unit or a camera unit of the mobile terminal. As a size of the typical mobile terminal manufactured gradually decreases when compared to older models, an electrical signal including various data can be transmitted and received by connecting an electronic circuit board and a display unit or a camera unit using a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter, a FPCB) in order to effectively use internal space thereof.
More recent mobile terminal adapt a display unit or a camera unit of a high specification in addition to the other functionality, and thus a data transfer amount between an electronic circuit board and a display unit or a camera unit increases, and because an operational frequency of data is extended to a relatively high frequency range, radiation performance and electrostatic discharge (ESD) performance of the mobile terminal are seriously deteriorated.
Further, in the FPCB, because only a ground line formed in a pattern form exists, and a path for separately bypassing noise and ESD surge having an influence on radiation performance is not provided, a shielding effect of the FPCB for shielding noise and ESD surge is also seriously deteriorated. Particularly, because an ESD surge has an immediate impact on the ground formed in the electronic circuit board, there is a high possibility that peripheral electronic components may be damaged from the ESD.
Therefore, a mobile terminal having a FPCB that can improve radiation performance and ESD performance of the mobile terminal by extending the ground of the FPCB is desirous.
The present invention provides a mobile terminal having a FPCB that improves radiation performance and ESD performance of the mobile terminals by extending the ground of the FPCB.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described objects and other aspects that will be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.
In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal having a FPCB includes: a first main body having a first electronic circuit board arranged therein; a second main body movably (slidably) connected to the first main body and having a second electronic circuit board arranged therein; a FPCB electrically coupling the first electronic circuit board and the second electronic circuit board for transferring an electronic signal there between; and a ground extension portion in contact with one end of the FPCB electrically coupled to the first electronic circuit board, having a ground layer connected to a ground line of the FPCB therein, and in contact with a noise shielding portion for shielding noise generating from one or more electronic components mounted on the first electronic circuit board.
In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal comprising: a first main body having a first electronic circuit board arranged therein; a second main body movably connected to the first main body and having a second electronic circuit board arranged therein; a FPCB electrically coupling the first electronic circuit board and the second electronic circuit board for transferring an electronic signal there between; and a ground extension portion in contact with one end of the FPCB electrically coupled to the first electronic circuit board, said ground extension portion having a ground layer connected to a ground line of the FPCB therein, and in contact with a noise shielding portion for shielding noise generated from one or more electronic components mounted on the first electronic circuit board, wherein the mobile terminal comprises one of a folder-type mobile terminal, rotating-type mobile terminal, or a combination-type mobile terminal thereof.
The exemplary objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a and 3b are side views illustrating a configuration of the mobile terminal of
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.
The views in the drawings are not intended to be to scale or correctly proportioned. While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in drawings and are described herein in detail, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Hereinafter, a mobile terminal having a FPCB according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, for convenience of description, a mobile terminal according to the present invention is described as a “mobile communication terminal”, however the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the mobile terminal having a FPCB according to the present exemplary embodiment may comprise an information and communication device, or a multimedia device such as a mobile communication terminal, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) terminal, code division multiple access (CDMA) terminal, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) terminal, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) terminal, general packet radio service (GPRS) terminal, enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE) terminal, universal mobile telecommunication service (UMTS) terminal, digital broadcasting terminal, and applications thereof.
Referring now to
The display unit 11 provides a function of a user interface for outputting a desired screen to a user or for receiving (and/or displaying) an instruction from the user. The display unit 11 is preferably formed as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or organic light emitting diodes (OLED). However, virtually any thin-film screen technology may also be used.
The key input unit 21 for receiving a manipulation instruction from the user is preferably formed in an upper surface of the lower case 20, and when the upper case 10 is positioned away from the lower case 20 by a sliding movement, at least a portion of the lower case 20 is exposed to the outside. The key input unit 21 is formed in a form of a keypad or a key button. A person of ordinary skill in the art understands and appreciates that the display 11 may also double as a touch screen input for certain designated functions of the device.
As shown in
As shown in
Referring now to
When the mobile terminal 1 is in operation, noise is generated from various electronic components mounted in the first electronic circuit board 23 of the lower case 20. Here, the term “noise” indicates noise generating when data are output from the display unit 11 or the camera unit 14, noise by a power source, and noise radiated from an antenna portion (not shown) and radiated by being coupled to the upper case, etc. Therefore, a noise shielding portion 24 for shielding such noise is installed in an upper surface of the first electronic circuit board 23. Preferably, a shield can is used as the noise shielding portion 24, as shown in
As described above, and in view of
The mobile terminal 1 having the FPCB 40 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a ground extension portion 50 connected at one end of the FPCB 40 connected to the first electronic circuit board 23, and having a ground layer connected to a ground line of the FPCB 40 therein, and connected to the noise shielding portion 24 for shielding noise generating from electronic components mounted on the first electronic circuit board 23.
Referring now to
As shown in
The first extension portion 51 preferably is connected to the first connector 42 for connecting the FPCB 40 and the first electronic circuit board 23. The third extension portion 53 is grounded in the noise shielding portion 24 in order to extend the ground of the FPCB 40. The second extension portion 52 connects the first extension portion 51 and the third extension portion 53 therebetween. The third extension portion 53 is made of a hard material that is made for being grounded in the noise shielding portion 24, and the first extension portion 51 and the second extension portion 52 are made of a flexible material in order to prevent damage from folding due to the third extension portion 53 of a hard material when connecting the ground extension portion 50. Sectional structures of the first extension portion 51 to the third extension portion 53 have a substantially equal ground layer (54a of
A structure of the ground extension portion 50 shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
As shown in
Furthermore, in an upper surface or a lower surface of the first extension portion 51, or in an upper surface or a lower surface of the second extension portion 52, EMI paints 56a and 56b are painted to minimize an influence due to static electricity and to secure the ground, as in the first connector 42 to which the FPCB 40 is connected.
As shown in
As shown in
A sectional structure of the ground extension portion 50 shown in
As described above, in the present invention, a slide type mobile terminal 1 is exemplified, however a form of the mobile terminal 1 is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention can be applied to various forms of mobile terminals using a FPCB in order to connect the first electronic circuit board and the second electronic circuit board, such as a slide type mobile terminal, folder-type mobile terminal, rotating-type mobile terminal, or a combination-type mobile terminal thereof.
As described above, in a mobile terminal having a FPCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by connecting a ground extension portion extended from one end of a FPCB connected to an electronic circuit board to a noise shielding portion installed in the electronic circuit board, the ground can be extended and an influence of noise and static electricity have on electronic components mounted on the electronic circuit board can be minimized. Further, radiation performance and ESD performance of the mobile terminal can be improved by the structure. Further, because the ground can be extended by the structure of the invention, a production cost of the mobile terminal can be reduced. The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects and the other objects will be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understood that many variations and modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein described, which may appear to those skilled in the art, will still fall within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
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