Electronic device including antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11963290-B2
Application number	US-202217855931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2022
Priority date	Jul 8, 2021
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device comprises: a housing; an electronic component disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic component generates heat during operation; a support cover disposed on the electronic component; a metal member overlapping with the electronic component while interposing the support cover between the metal member and the electronic component; a switching unit selectively forming or disconnecting an electrical connection path of the support cover and the metal member; and at least one processor configured to select an antenna tuning code, based at least in part on whether the switching unit forms or disconnects the electrical connection path, wherein the switching unit includes: a receiving member electrically connected to the support cover and providing a receiving space; a thermally deforming member received in the receiving space, wherein the thermally deforming member deforms based on a temperature; and an elevating member configured to move upwardly to electrically connect the metal member to the support cover, when the thermally deforming member deforms.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
an electronic component disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic component generates heat during operation;
a support cover disposed on the electronic component;
a metal member overlapping with the electronic component while interposing the support cover between the metal member and the electronic component;
a switching unit selectively forming or disconnecting an electrical connection path of the support cover and the metal member; and
at least one processor configured to select an antenna tuning code, based at least in part on whether the switching unit forms or disconnects the electrical connection path,
wherein the switching unit includes:
a receiving member electrically connected to the support cover and providing a receiving space;
a thermally deforming member received in the receiving space, wherein the thermally deforming member deforms based on a temperature; and
an elevating member configured to move upwardly to electrically connect the metal member to the support cover, when the thermally deforming member deforms.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thermally deforming member includes:
bimetals, and
wherein the thermally deforming member maintains flatness in a flat shape, when the temperature is a first temperature, and is bent toward the elevating member or the support cover when the thermally deforming member is a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the support cover and the metal member are electrically insulated from each other when the switching unit disconnects the electrical connection path at the first temperature, and
wherein the support cover and the metal member are electrically connected when the switching unit forms an electrical connection path at the second temperature.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a side member forming a portion of the housing;
an antenna structure including a conductive region included in at least a portion of the side member; and
an antenna tuner connected to the antenna structure,
wherein the at least one processor include:
a first processor configured to sense the temperature; and
a second processor configured to select an antenna code corresponding to the temperature sensed by the first processor and to transmit the antenna code to the antenna tuner.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the receiving member and the elevating member are integrally formed.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein at least one side surface of the receiving member is bent in a C-clip form.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the elevating member is disposed to be inclined with respect to the metal member at the first temperature, and
wherein the elevating member may be disposed in parallel to the metal member at the second temperature to make contact with the metal member.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the receiving member includes:
an opening region open toward the metal member, and
wherein the elevating member is configured to move upward and downward through the opening region.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the receiving member includes:
a first front surface region surrounding the opening region; and
a first rear surface region spaced apart from the first front surface region, and
wherein the elevating member includes:
a second front surface region protruding toward an elevating direction of the elevating member; and
a second rear surface region interposed between the first front surface region and the thermally deforming member, and making contact with the first front surface region when the elevating member is moved upward.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a contact pad disposed inside the metal member and connected to the at least one processor,
wherein the second front surface region of the elevating member is configured to be electrically connected to the contact pad, when the elevating member is moved upward.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the elevating member further includes:
a protruding region protruding toward the first front surface region of the receiving member, and
wherein the receiving member further includes:
a fixing protrusion protruding toward the elevating member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the elevating direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the switching unit further includes:
a first elastic member interposed between the thermally deforming member and the receiving member; and
a second elastic member interposed between the receiving member and the elevating member to surround the opening region.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a repulsive force between the first elastic member and the second elastic member is greater than expansion force of the thermally deforming member.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the receiving member includes a plurality of side surface regions in number more than a number of side surfaces of the elevating member, and at least one side surface region, which faces a corner of the elevating member, of the plurality of side surface regions has a curved surface or an inclined surface.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery adjacent to the electronic component,
wherein the electronic component comprises a speaker module, and
wherein the metal member overlaps with the battery and the speaker module.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a speaker module disposed in the housing;
a heat dissipation member disposed on the speaker module;
a switching unit interposed between the speaker module and the heat dissipation member, the switching unit comprising a thermally deforming member, the thermally deforming member having a first shape at a first temperature and a second shape at a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
a support cover interposed between the switching unit and the speaker module, and selectively connected to the heat dissipation member by the switching unit; and
at least one processor configured to sense whether a temperature is the first temperature or the second temperature and to select an antenna tuning code corresponding to the sensed temperature,
wherein the switching unit includes:
a receiving member electrically connected to the support cover, and having a receiving space to receive the thermally deforming member; and
an elevating member configured to be moved upward by the thermally deforming member having the second shape at the second temperature, thereby causing the elevating member electrically connect the heat dissipation member to the support cover.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the thermally deforming member includes bimetals, and
wherein the thermally deforming member maintains flatness when the temperature is the first temperature, and is bent toward the elevating member when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the first temperature.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the support cover and the heat dissipation member are electrically isolated from each other when the thermally deforming member has the first shape at the first temperature.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a side member included in the housing;
an antenna structure including a conductive region included in at least

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jongwoo
• Shin Seunghwa
• Lee Kyungrok
• Cho Woosik

Classifications

• H05K1/0237 Primary

  High frequency adaptations (H05K1/0216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/0209

  External configuration of printed circuit board adapted for heat dissipation, e.g. lay-out of conductors, coatings · CPC title

• H05K2201/10098

  Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas · CPC title

• H05K2201/10181

  Fuse · CPC title

• H04M1/026 Primary

  Details of the structure or mounting of specific components · CPC title