Portable phone device

• US 6,763,245 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2000
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Hidenori, Satoh, Noriyoshi, Kubo, Tetsuya, Ishida, Takefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks-Harold, Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/504,404
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/556, 455/412, 455/566, 455/575.1, 379/88, 379/368, 379/433, 379/449, 379/433.06, 379/433.07
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

In a housing comprising an upper case and a lower case are stored a whip antenna, a built-in antenna, a receiver for outputting a voice, a display part for indicating characters and marks, a back side key to be operated during the call, a flexible substrate comprising a diaphragm switch, a printed board, and a shield case for shielding a receiving circuit part and a radio circuit part. In the case the user would like to keep the content of the conversation during the call, the back side key can be operated by a finger. Accordingly, the diaphragm switch is turned on so as to drive a recording mechanism.

Claims

1. A portable phone device comprising:

a housing with an upper case and a lower case,

a printed board located within the housing,

a shield case mounted on the printed board,

a back side key provided on a back surface of the portable phone for executing an operation concerning a function of the portable phone during a call,

a diaphragm provided on the back side of the shield case in contact with the back side key, and

a rib contacting with the printed board on an inside side of the shield case at an opposite side with respect to the back side key for preventing deformation of the shield case when the back side key is pressed.

2. The portable phone device according to claim 1, wherein the key is located generally opposite a receiver sound hole of the phone such that operating the key forces the receiver against a user'"'"'s ear.

3. The portable phone device according to claim 1, wherein the key is located on an upper portion of the phone.

4. The portable phone device according to claim 1, wherein said function is one of starting recording of the content of the call and starting reproduction of the recorded content of the call.

5. A portable phone device comprising:

a housing with an upper case and a lower case,

a printed board located within the housing,

a shield case mounted on the printed board,

a back side key provided on a back surface of the portable Phone for executing an operation concerning a function of the portable phone during a call,

a diaphragm provided on the back side of the shield case in contact with the back side key, and

a flexible substrate mounted on the shield case comprising a diaphragm switch for providing a switch by contacting with the diaphragm.

6. The portable phone device according to claim 5, wherein a first signal pattern and a second signal pattern are provided in the flexible substrate, wherein the diaphragm contacts the first signal pattern when in an undeflected state and the diaphragm comes in contact with the second signal pattern when in a deflected state.

7. The portable phone device according to claim 6, wherein the first signal pattern is a doughnut-like pattern, and the second signal pattern is a round pattern having a through hole in the center thereof.

8. The portable phone device according to claim 6, wherein the flexible substrate further comprises a first cover film below a first contact pattern, the first contact pattern linked with the second signal pattern by a through hole, a base film located between the first contact pattern and a second contact pattern, the second contact patten comprising the first signal pattern, and a second cover film made of an insulating material.