Electronic device including antenna module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11303014-B2
Application number	US-201916716063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device. The electronic device includes a housing that includes a first plate facing a first direction, a second plate facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a side housing surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the second plate includes an outer surface facing the second direction and being substantially flat and an inner surface facing the first direction and being substantially flat, an inner plate interposed between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the inner plate includes a surface facing the inner surface of the second plate and an opening, an antenna structure comprising a substrate including a first surface facing the inner surface of the second plate and a second surface facing away from the inner surface, at least one conductive pattern on the first surface and/or embedded in the substrate, a surrounding portion including a hole penetrating the second surface, the antenna structure being disposed in the opening, and a support coupler including a protrusion extending to an interior of the hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first plate facing a first direction, a second plate facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a side housing surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the second plate includes an outer surface facing the second direction and being substantially flat and an inner surface facing the first direction and being substantially flat;
an inner plate interposed between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the inner plate includes a surface facing the inner surface of the second plate and an opening;
an antenna structure comprising a substrate facing the inner surface of the second plate and a second surface facing away from the inner surface, at least one conductive pattern on the first surface and/or embedded in the substrate, a first surrounding portion including a first hole penetrating the second surface, and a second surrounding portion including a second hole penetrating the second surface, the antenna structure being disposed in the opening;
a first support coupler including a first portion, least a portion of the first support coupler being located between the first surrounding portion and the first plate, and a first protrusion extending to an interior of the first hole;
a second support coupler including a second portion, least a portion of the second support coupler being located between the second surrounding portion and the first plate, and a second protrusion extending to an interior of the second hole; and
a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the conductive pattern and mounted on the second surface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication circuit is mounted on the second surface between the first surrounding portion and the second surrounding portion, when viewed from above the second surface.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first support coupler is maintained by a first portion of the inner plate such that the first support coupler is configured to resist moving to the inner surface, and
wherein the second support coupler is maintained by a second portion of the inner structure such that the second support coupler is configured to resist moving to the inner surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first support coupler includes a first flange including a surface not overlapping the substrate and facing the inner surface, when viewed from above the second plate, and
wherein the second support coupler includes a second flange including a surface not overlapping the substrate and facing the inner surface, when viewed from above the second plate.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the first portion of the inner plate includes a surface facing the first flange, and
wherein the second portion of the inner plate includes a surface facing the second flange.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first portion is larger in size than the first hole, and the second portion is larger in size than the second hole.

7. The electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising:
an adhesive member comprising an adhesive material interposed between the surface of the first flange and the surface of the first portion of the inner plate.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board interposed between the first plate and the inner plate,
wherein the first support coupler and the second support coupler are disposed on the printed circuit board.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the side housing includes a first portion adjacent to the substrate of the antenna structure, and
wherein the antenna structure is disposed adjacent to the side housing such that the first support coupler and the second support coupler are spaced from the first portion of the side housing by the same distance.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first plate facing a first direction, a second plate facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a side housing surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the second plate includes an outer surface facing the second direction and being substantially flat and an inner surface facing the first direction and being substantially flat;
an inner plate interposed between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the inner plate includes a surface facing the inner surface of the second plate and an opening;
an antenna structure comprising a substrate including a first surface facing the inner surface of the second plate and a second surface facing away from the inner surface, at least one conductive pattern on the first surface and/or embedded in the substrate, and at least one hole penetrating the second surface, the antenna structure being disposed in the opening;
at least one support coupler including a first portion at least partially located between the substrate and the first plate and a protrusion extending to an interior of the hole; and
a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the conductive pattern and mounted on the second surface.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the hole is provided around a region corresponding to the conductive pattern, of the second surface.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the hole penetrates the second surface and the first surface, and the hole penetrating the first surface is provided around a region corresponding to the conductive pattern.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the hole includes a first hole provided on one side of a region corresponding to the conductive pattern and a second hole provided on an opposite side thereof,
wherein the support coupler includes a first support coupler including a first protrusion inserted into the first hole and a second protrusion inserted into the second hole, and
wherein the first support coupler and the second support coupler are spaced from an inner surface of the side member by the same distance.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the support coupler includes a support surface supporting the second surface of the substrate, and
wherein the protrusion extends from the support surface to an interior of the hole.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the protrusion is configured to be press-fitted in the hole, and
wherein at least a portion of the protrusion protrudes in a direction facing an inner surface of the hole press an inner side surface of the hole.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board disposed in the space between the first plate and the second plate; and
a mid plate interposed between the printed circuit board and the second plate and in which at least one opening is formed,
wherein the substrate is disposed in the opening, and
wherein at least a portion of a surrounding region of the opening is supported by at least a portion of the support surface of the support coupler.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the side housing includes a first side defining an outer surface of the electronic device and a second side from the first side to the space, and
wherein the printed circuit board is interposed between the second side and the second plate.

18. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first plate, a second plate facing away from the first plate, and a side housing surroundin

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Jinho
• Kim Yonghwa
• Park Jungsik
• Cheong Hyunmi

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H01Q21/08

  the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path {(waveguide fed H01Q21/0037)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/1207

  for fastening a rigid aerial element · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title