Mobile terminal

• US 8,456,809 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Youngjoong, Oh, Seokhwan, Song, Janghyun, Joo, Wonseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jinhee
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US12/870,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/679.58, 361/679.57, 4555751-5754, 455/575.8, 455/90.3, 37943311-43313
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal in which while a rear case is coupled to or separated from a terminal body, a case is slopingly moved with respect to the terminal body, so a camera hole of the rear case can be freely moved without being restricted by a camera mounting part protruded from the terminal body.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal body;

a camera mount installed in the terminal body and configured to protrude from a rear surface of the terminal body;

a camera mounted in the camera mount;

a case detachably coupled to the rear surface of the terminal body such that the case has a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, the case comprising a camera hole configured to expose the camera mount such that the camera protrudes from the camera hole when the case is in the locked configuration, the case sliding in a vertical direction at a first angle with respect to the terminal body when the case is moved between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration such that the camera hole moves without being restricted by the camera mount; and

a locking unit comprising;

a plurality of locking recesses formed on the rear surface of the terminal body, each of the plurality of locking recesses having a slope guiding portion in a same direction;

locking protrusions formed on an inner surface of the case, each of the locking protrusions corresponding to one of the plurality of locking recesses and having at least one slope face that is brought into contact with the slope guiding portion of the corresponding locking recess; and

horizontal locking units configured to interrupt retreat of the locking protrusions when each of the locking protrusions slopingly enters the slope guiding portion of the corresponding locking recess, each of the horizontal locking units comprising a first protrusion formed on the terminal body and a second protrusion formed on the inner surface of the case, the second protrusion configured to move in contact with the first protrusion.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the locking unit detachably couples the case to the rear surface of the terminal body.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of locking recesses comprises:

a plurality of first locking recesses formed along edges of the rear surface of the terminal body; and

at least one locking recess formed on one portion of the camera mount.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the camera mount protrudes from the camera hole when the each of the locking protrusions completely enters the corresponding locking recess.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the slope guiding portion of each of the plurality of locking recesses comprises:

a first sloped guide face with which the at least one slope face of the corresponding locking protrusion is brought into contact when the case is in the locked configuration; and

a second sloped guide face configured to retreat the corresponding locking protrusion when the case is in the unlocked configuration.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the at least one slope face of each of the locking protrusions comprises:

a first sloped face configured to allow the first sloped guide face to be brought into contact with the first sloped face when the case is in the locked configuration; and

a second sloped face configured to allow the second sloped guide face to be brought into contact with the second sloped face when the case is in the unlocked configuration.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein a slope face of the slope guiding portion of each of the plurality of the locking recesses has a second angle and a length such that at least one inner wall of the camera hole avoids contact with the camera mount when the case is moved into the locked configuration or the unlocked configuration.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein edge portions of at least the camera mount or camera hole are chamfered or rounded.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, further comprising an interface unit, wherein:

the case comprises an interface unit installation hole configured to receive the interface unit; and

a length of the interface unit installation hole is greater than a sum of a length of the interface unit and a distance along which each of the locking protrusions is horizontally moved when the case is moved into the locked configuration or the unlocked configuration.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein:

the case covers the rear surface of the terminal body and a side surface of the terminal body; and

the locking protrusions are located at a side portion of the case.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the camera mount has a length corresponding to a length of the camera hole.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 2, further comprising a recessed portion located on the inner surface of the case and at one side of the camera hole, the recessed portion having a depth such that the case does not contact the camera mount when the case is moved between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the terminal body is exposed when the case is in the unlocked configuration.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein components mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body can be replaced without providing a cover for each of the components.