Mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9912792-B2
Application number	US-201414906515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile terminal comprising: a terminal body having a display part on the front side thereof; and a back input part exposed to the back side of the body and having a first button part for receiving a push input of a first function, wherein the first button part comprises: an exposed part having a colored layer and exposed to the outside; a knob part formed on the back side thereof so as to fix the exposed part; and a body part covering the knob part and formed to be integrated with the exposed part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body in which a display part is formed on a front side thereof;
a back input part including a first button part exposed to a back side of the terminal body to receive a push input of a first function and a second button part disposed to be adjacent to the first button part and exposed to the back side of the terminal body to receive a push input of a second function,
wherein the first button part includes:
an exposed portion having a colored layer formed thereon and exposed to the outside;
a knob portion formed on a back side of the first button part to fix the exposed portion; and
a body portion covering the knob portion and integrally formed with the exposed portion, and
the second button part has a through hole accommodating the first button part,
wherein the back input part includes:
a support member disposed on back sides of the first and second button parts, and having protrusions formed on a back side thereof to correspond to the first and second button parts;
a plate disposed below the support member, having switches formed in a row and operated upon being pressed by the protrusions, and formed on the second PCB;
a light source disposed on one side of the switches or on both sides of the switches;
a light guide formed to cover at least a portion of the switches and connected to the light source to emit light from the light source; and
a light blocking member disposed no both ends of an upper surface of the light guide and causing light to be introduced only to the light guide.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the terminal body and allowing various electronic components to be mounted thereon;
a shield can covering the first PCB to shield the electronic components; and
a second PCB electrically connected to the first PCB and configured to have the back input part.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is formed of stainless steel, and the body unit is formed of a light-transmissive material.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the light guide has a through hole formed in a portion corresponding to the protrusion, is disposed in a direction intersecting with the row, and covers a portion or the entirety of the switches.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the switches are connected by an air path.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the support member includes a demarcating portion configured to demarcate a region corresponding to the first button part and a region corresponding to the second button part, is formed of rubber, and is coupled to the first and second button part by a hook formed at an edge thereof or is coupled to the first and second button parts by bonding.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the plate, the light source, the light guide, the light blocking member, and the second PCB are integrally formed by the hook of the support member.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein a wing is formed on an edge of the second button part so as to be caught by a back side of the terminal body.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first PCB and the second PCB are connected by a connector.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein a key plate assisting rigidity of the shield can is disposed between the shield can and the second PCB.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the second button part includes a planar portion parallel to the back side of the terminal body and a sloped portion sloped downwardly toward the through hole from the planar portion, and the first button part is formed to be inwardly recessed, compared with the back side of the terminal body.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first function is a function related to ON/OFF of power or activation of the display part, and the second function is a function related to scroll with respect to output information of the display part or a function related to adjustment of a volume of a sound output from the terminal body.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal body in which a display part is formed on a front side thereof; and
a back input part including a first button part exposed to a back side of the terminal body to receive a push input of a first function,
wherein the back input part includes:
a support member allowing the first and second button parts to penetrate through an interior thereof so as to be exposed to the outside;
a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) attached to a back side of the support member;
a light source installed in a region corresponding to the first and second button parts on the FPCB; and
a switch pressed when the first and second button parts are pressed, and disposed below the FPCB,
wherein the support member, the FPCB, the light source, and the switch are integrally formed.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , further comprising:
a support member positioned below the switch and supporting the switch when the switch is pressed.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein the first button part has an exposed portion formed on an upper surface thereof and exposed to the outside, protruding along an outer edge thereof so as to be exposed, and limited in movement to the outside by the second button part.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hahn Sangwook
• Song Sooyong
• Jeon Sangchul
• Hyun Youngjin
• Lee Hyoyeol
• Kim Euna
• Lee Woohun

Classifications

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title

• H01H2231/022

  Telephone handset · CPC title

• G06F2203/04111

  Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate · CPC title

• H04M1/236 Primary

  including keys on side or rear faces · CPC title