This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Oct. 31, 2006 and assigned Serial No. 2006-106380, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile phones, such as cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Hand Held Phones (HHPs), TV Phones for viewing Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) content, gaming phones, message transmission phones and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reinforcing apparatus for a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a mobile phone is a portable device that allows a user to receive and place telephone calls. One example of a mobile phone is a portable terminal, which is an apparatus that allows a user to perform radio communication with others while carrying the apparatus. Examples of portable terminals include Hand Held Phones (HHPs), cellular phones, PCS phones, PDAs and the like.
Portable terminals may be classified into diverse types according to their external shape. For example, a portable terminal may be classified as a bar-type, a flip-type, or a folder-type portable terminal. A bar-type terminal has a single housing that is shaped like a bar. A flip-type terminal has a cover that is rotatably attached to a bar-type housing by a hinge device. A folder-type has a folder that is rotatably and foldably connected to a single bar-type housing. These types of conventional portable terminals include an antenna unit, a data input/out unit, and a data transmitting/receiving unit. Typically, the data input unit uses key buttons through which a user inputs data by finger pressing. A touch pad or a touch screen may also be used.
The key buttons may be used to exchange messages.
Generally, the key buttons for data input are arranged with a plurality of key arrays. The keys include a sending key, a cancelling key, a clearing key, number keys, character keys, an ending key, a function key, a power key, and the like.
In a bar-type terminal, as shown in
Since a bar-type terminal includes the above-mentioned components in a single housing, the thickness and the length of the terminal are large. The large size increases the likelihood of breakage while being held by a user or while being carried in a user's pocket.
In addition, if the terminal is dropped, the housing may be broken and damaged due to impact shocks.
An aspect of the present invention is to address the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing apparatus for a mobile phone, in which a housing of a bar-type phone is configured so as to be capable of being bent or straightened, thereby reducing the possibility of the phone being broken.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing apparatus for a mobile phone, in which a housing of a bar-type phone is configured to be capable of being bent or straightened, thereby improving the portability of the phone with its flexibility upon being carried by a user.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing apparatus for a mobile phone, in which a housing of a bar-type phone is configured to be capable of being bent or straightened, thereby absorbing impact shocks and reducing the possibility of the phone being damaged when dropped.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a reinforcing apparatus for a mobile phone including a first housing having a liquid crystal display and a second housing having a key pad is provided. The reinforcing apparatus includes a first reinforcing member in the first housing, a second reinforcing member in the second housing, and a reinforcing connector coupling the first and second reinforcing members to each other so that they face each other. The reinforcing connector connects the first and second housings so that they are capable of being bent or straightened with respect to each other.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components and structures.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
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In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the first and second reinforcing members 40 and 50 are U-shaped and are made of a metal material.
The operation of the reinforcing apparatus having the above construction according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to
In
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In this state, as shown in
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In other words, as shown in
As set forth above, the reinforcing apparatus is configured such that upon wearing the mobile phone on a user's body or in a user's pocket, the first and second housings are capable of being bent and straightened, thereby improving the use of the mobile phone, and preventing breakage through shock-absorption when the phone is dropped.
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 and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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106380/2006 | Oct 2006 | KR | national |