Electronic device including rotating optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11470191-B2
Application number	US-202016782376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Apr 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

According to various embodiments disclosed herein, an electronic device may include: a first housing; a second housing coupled to the first housing and configured to slide in a first direction or a second direction opposite the first direction with respect to the first housing between a first position at which at least a portion of the second housing is accommodated in the first housing and a second position at which the second housing protrudes from the first housing; an optical module comprising optical circuitry mounted on the second housing, the optical module configured to be rotated in response to sliding of the second housing to be disposed to face a rear side of the first housing at the first position and to face a front side of the first housing at the second position; and an elastic member comprising a flexible elastic material accommodated in the second housing and configured to provide an elastic force to the optical module. The elastic member may provide the elastic force in a rotating direction of the optical module in a first operation in which the optical module rotates while moving from the first position to the second position or in a second operation in which the optical module rotates while moving from the second position to the first position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing coupled to the first housing and configured to slide in a first direction or
in a second direction opposite the first direction with respect to the first housing between a first position at which at least a portion of the second housing is accommodated in the first housing and a second position at which the second housing protrudes from the first housing;
an optical module comprising optical circuitry mounted on the second housing, the optical module configured to rotate in response to and during sliding of the second housing to be disposed to face a rear side of the first housing at the first position and to face a front side of the first housing at the second position; and
an elastic member comprising a flexible elastic material accommodated in the second housing and configured to provide an elastic force to the optical module.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is configured to provide the elastic force in the rotating direction of the optical module in a first operation in which the optical module rotates in a first direction while the second housing slides from the first position to the second position or in a second operation in which the optical module rotates in a second direction while the second housing slides from the second position to the first position.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optical module includes at least one of a camera, an infrared projector, a light-emitting device, or an illuminance sensor.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display viewable through a front face of the first housing,
wherein the optical module is disposed to be oriented in a direction parallel to the display at the second position.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optical module includes:
a case accommodating at least one electronic component and at least partially exposed outward of the second housing; and
rotating shafts extending from both ends of the case and rotatably mounted within the second housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the elastic member comprises a flexible printed circuit board and includes:
a first connector connected to the electronic component inside the case;
a first extension extending from the first connector and disposed inside a first one of the rotating shafts;
a second extension extending from one side of the first extension, at least a portion of the second extension being arranged around the first rotating shaft; and
a second connector provided at an end portion of the second extension.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein, at the second position, a portion of the second extension is disposed between the first rotating shaft and a remaining portion of the second extension to surround a portion of the first rotating shaft.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein, at the first position, a portion of the second extension is disposed between a front face of the second housing and the first rotating shaft, and a remaining portion of the second extension is disposed between a rear face of the second housing and the first rotating shaft.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first slide mounted in the second housing and slidably coupled to the first housing; and
a rotation support mounted on the first slide,
wherein the optical module includes a case at least partially exposed outward of the second housing and a rotating shaft extending from both ends of the case and rotatably mounted on the rotation support.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second slide mounted in the second housing and slidably coupled to the first housing;
a rack gear provided on the second slide; and
a pinion gear provided at an end of the rotating shaft,
wherein, based on the second slide member sliding on the first slide, the pinion gear is engaged with the rack gear to rotate the optical module.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a guide stopper disposed on the first slide, wherein
the second slide is coupled to the guide stopper.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first guide hole provided in the first slide;
a second guide hole provided in the second slide and extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the first slide; and
a first guide protrusion provided on the guide stopper and accommodated in the first guide hole through the second guide hole,
wherein first guide hole includes an inclined section extending to be inclined with respect to the first direction, and a linear section extending from one end of the inclined section parallel to the first direction.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein, based on the second housing moving from the first position to the second position, the first guide protrusion is configured to move from the inclined section to the linear section.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a fixing member mounted on the second slide and configured to restrain the guide stopper to the second slide;
a third guide hole provided in the fixing member and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction; and
a second guide protrusion provided on the guide stopper and accommodated in the third guide hole.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third guide hole provided in the second slide and extending in the first direction; and
a guide screw mounted on the first slide through the third guide hole,
wherein, based on the second housing moving from the first position to the second position, the first guide protrusion is configured to move from the inclined section to the linear section, and
based on the first guide projection being located in the linear section, the second slide is configured to slide with respect to the first slide together with the guide stopper under guidance of the third guide hole and the guide screw.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a driven member mounted on the first slide;
a lead screw screwed to the driven member; and
a driving motor mounted in the first housing and configured to rotate the lead screw.

17. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a display viewable through a front face thereof;
a second housing coupled to the first housing and configured to slide in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction with respect to the first housing between a first position at which at least a portion of the second housing is accommodated in the first housing and a second position at which the second housing protrudes from the first housing;
an optical module comprising optical circuitry mounted on the second housing and configured to rotate in response to the sliding of the second housing to be disposed to face the rear side of the first housing at the first position and to be disposed parallel to the display to face the front side of the first housing at the second position, the optical module including a case at least partially exposed outward of the second housing and rotating shafts extending from both ends of the case and rotatably mounted in the second housing; and
a flexible printed circuit board,
wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes:
a first connector disposed inside the case;
a first extension extending from the first connector and disposed inside the rotating shaft; and
a second extension

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Bongsuk
• Jung Minsu
• Bae Chulho

Classifications

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title

• H04M1/0237 Primary

  Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom · CPC title

• G02B7/023 Primary

  permitting adjustment · CPC title