Mobile terminal with coupling portion and molding unit for fixing and heat radiation structure

• US 10,666,779 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Minchul, Kwon, Wooyong, Lee, Bohyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannan, B M M
• Application Number:
  US15/982,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20190104211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 4555751-5758
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a display unit; a metal plate having a seating portion supporting a rear surface of the display unit and having a first coupling portion along an edge of the seating portion; a middle case having a second coupling portion covering a lateral surface of the metal plate and forming a gap between the middle case and the first coupling portion of the metal plate; a molding unit inserted in the gap and coupling the middle case and the metal plate to each other; and a rear case coupled to a rear surface of the middle case and defining an exterior of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit;

a metal plate having a seating portion supporting a rear surface of the display unit and having a first coupling portion along an edge of the seating portion;

a middle case surrounding a side of the metal plate and having a second coupling portion covering a lateral surface of the metal plate; and

a rear case coupled to a rear surface of the middle case and defining an exterior of the mobile,

wherein the middle case is configured to form a gap between an inner side of the middle case and an outer side of the first coupling portion and be fixed to the metal plate based on a molding unit inserted in the gap,

wherein the first coupling portion is continuously formed in the edge of the seating portion along a vertical direction,

wherein a thickness of the first coupling portion of the metal plate is greater than a thickness of the seating portion of the metal plate, and

wherein the molding unit is formed of a material with low heat transfer coefficient to induce heat along the first coupling portion.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the molding unit contacts the rear surface of the display unit.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the display unit comprises a curved edge surface, and

wherein at least one of the seating portion and the molding unit comprises a curved surface corresponding to the curved edge surface of the display unit.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the metal plate and the middle case are formed of different materials.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the metal plate has a higher heat conductivity and a lighter weight than the middle case.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the metal plate is formed of aluminum and the middle case is formed of SUS or STS.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion of the metal plate includes a step portion supporting the molding unit.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second coupling portion of the middle case projects inwardly to support the first coupling portion of the metal plate and support the molding unit.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the second coupling portion of the middle case contacting the first coupling portion is thinner than the thickness of the first coupling portion of the metal plate such that generated heat transfers to the seating portion of the metal plate, transfers to the first coupling portion of the metal plate, and transfers to the second coupling portion of the middle case to an outer portion of the mobile terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the molding unit covers an inner surface of the first coupling portion of the metal plate and a rear surface of the second coupling portion of the middle case, and

wherein the molding unit contacts a front inner surface of the middle case.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the rear case comprises a curved edge surface bending toward a front surface of the middle case, and the molding unit comprises a curved surface corresponding to the curved edge surface of the rear case.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are coupled to each other by welding or via a coupling hole, and

wherein the molding unit is insert-molded into the gap.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a printed circuit board and a battery mounted on a rear surface of the metal plate.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the rear case covers the printed circuit board.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion includes a stepped portion and the molding unit includes a protrusion portion seated on the stepped portion.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein a heat transmission coefficient of the molding unit is lower than a heat transmission coefficient of the metal plate such that heat transferred from the metal plate is transferred to the second coupling portion of the middle case.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the molding unit is sandwiched between the first coupling portion of the metal plate, the second coupling portion of the middle case and an inner front surface of the middle case in the gap such that the metal plate is coupled to the middle case.