Portable terminal having replaceable modules

• US 20060205447A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Chang-Soo, Park, In-Gon
• Application Number:
  US11/351,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable terminal having replaceable accessory modules. A user can selectively mount the accessory modules to a body of the portable terminal. The portable terminal includes a body; a plurality of accessory modules selectively mounted on the body, for providing additional functions to the portable terminal; and a locking portion provided to the body and each accessory module, for fixing the accessory to the body.

Claims

1. A portable terminal having replaceable accessory modules, the portable terminal comprising:

a body;

a plurality of accessory modules selectively mounted on the body, for providing additional functions to the portable terminal; and

a locking portion provided on the body and each of the accessory modules, for fixing the accessory to the body.

2. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking portion includes a guide channel which is formed along sides of the body, and a pair of connecting rods which extend from both sides of the accessory module outwardly and which are fixedly inserted into the guide channel formed on opposite sides of the body.

3. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking portion includes a guide channel which is formed along sides of the body, a pair of connecting rods which extends from both sides of the accessory module outwardly and which have an inner surface facing the opposite side of the body, and locking members which are formed on an inner surface of each connecting rod to be fixedly inserted in the guide channel of the body.

4. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the respective accessory module encloses one side and half of two sides of the body of the portable terminal adjacent to the one side by means of the module body and the pair of connecting rods thereof.

5. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein two accessory modules are provided to the portable terminal, which are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the body to face each other around the body.

8. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the accessory module is at least one of a communication module containing a Bluetooth communication function, a game module having a game pad, a camera module, a dummy module, a phone module and a speaker module.

9. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein a phone module having a plurality of keys is mounted on one side of the body, and at least one of a communication module containing a Bluetooth communication function, a game module having, a camera module, a dummy module, and a speaker module is disposed on another side opposite to the one side of the body.

10. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body has the same shape and length on all sides thereof so that a respective accessory module can be attached to the body in any direction.

11. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessory modules can be mounted to the body in a transverse or vertical direction.

12. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality accessory modules are mounted parallel to the body.

6. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two accessory modules are respectively mounted on upper and lower sides of the body.

7. The portable terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the accessory modules are respectively mounted on right and left sides of the body.