Mobile terminal

• US 9,774,137 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Minho, Chung, Hoseok, Lee, Yongho, Lee, Sangchul, Kim, Sungpil
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US15/158,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20170194739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 439 39, 439 40
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module

Abstract

A mobile terminal according to the present invention may include a terminal body having a socket, a connector having a coupling portion capable of being coupled to the socket, and a moving module capable of moving the coupling portion to be drawn out of or inserted into the connector through an opening formed at the connector. The moving module may include an elastic member disposed within the connector and capable of applying an elastic force to the connecting portion in a direction that the connecting portion is inserted into the connector, a first magnetic member coupled to the terminal body, and a second magnetic member coupled to the coupling portion and capable of generating a magnetic force with the first magnetic member, so as to apply a force to the coupling portion in a direction that the coupling portion is drawn out of the connector.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a terminal body having a socket;

a connector having an opening and a coupling portion configured to be coupled to the socket through the opening; and

a moving module configured to move the coupling portion so as to be drawn out of or drawn into the connector through the opening, the moving module including;

a first magnetic member at the terminal body;

a second magnetic member at the coupling portion and configured to generate a first magnetic force with the first magnetic member, so as to apply a force to the coupling portion in a direction that the coupling portion is drawn out of the connector; and

a third magnetic member disposed at one surface of the connector having the opening, the third magnetic member being configured to generate a second magnetic force with at least one of the first and second magnetic members.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic member is disposed within the terminal body at a position adjacent to one surface of the terminal body having the socket, and

wherein the second magnetic member is disposed within the connector at a position opposite the first magnetic member when the coupling portion is opposite the socket.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the moving module further comprises an elastic member disposed in the connector, the elastic member being configured to apply an elastic force to the coupling portion in a direction that the coupling portion is drawn into the connector.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein, when the connector is moved to a position adjacent to the socket, the first magnetic force increases in strength to be greater than the elastic force such that the coupling portion is inserted into the socket when the connector is moved to the position adjacent to the socket.

5. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the second magnetic force is generated by the third magnetic member and the second magnetic member, the second magnetic force being smaller than the elastic force such that the coupling portion is drawn into the connector when the connector is not located adjacent to the terminal body.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the connector is moved to a position adjacent to the socket, the third magnetic member is disposed at the one surface of the connector to face the first magnetic member such that the opening is located at a position corresponding to the socket.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first and third magnetic members are provided in plurality, respectively,

wherein at least two of the first magnetic members are disposed on one surface of the terminal body having the socket, and the socket is located between the at least two of the first magnetic members, and

wherein at least two of the third magnetic members are disposed on the one surface of the connector with the opening, and the opening is located between the at least two of the third magnetic members.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the plurality of first magnetic members are arranged along the one surface of the terminal body to have first and second polarities in an alternating manner, and

wherein the plurality of third magnetic members are arranged along the one surface of the connector to have second and first polarities in an alternating manner so as to generate attractive forces with the plurality of first magnetic members, respectively.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the connector is coupled to the terminal body, the third magnetic member is located between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member such that the first to third magnetic members are arranged along a same line.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first to third magnetic members is configured as an electromagnet having a polarity that is changeable according to a flowing direction of a current, and

wherein the at least one of the first to third magnetic members is configured such that a current flows thereon in one direction to generate an attractive force with the remaining magnetic members of the first to third magnetic members.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the terminal body is provided with a battery, and

wherein, when the battery is fully charged, the at least one of the first to third magnetic members is configured such that a current flows thereon in an opposite direction to the one direction to generate a repulsive force against the remaining magnetic members of the first to third magnetic members.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein, when a preset event is generated from the terminal body during charging of the battery, the at least one of the first to third magnetic members is configured such that a current flows in the opposite direction to the one direction to generate a repulsive force against the remaining magnetic members of the first to third magnetic members.

13. The terminal of claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to control the at least one of the first to third magnetic members such that an intensity of the flowing current is adjusted based on a user selection.

14. The terminal of claim 10, further comprising:

a sensor on one surface of the terminal body having the socket or the one surface of the connector, the sensor being configured to detect a coupled state between the terminal body and the connector; and

a controller configured to control the at least one of the first to third magnetic members such that the current starts to flow on the at least one of the first to third magnetic members based on the detected coupled state.

15. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the moving module further comprises a moving member configured to be movable along a guide rail disposed in the connector, and

wherein the coupling portion and the second magnetic member are coupled to the moving member so as to be movable along with the moving member.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the moving member comprises:

a first part having the coupling portion coupled thereto; and

a second part protruding from the first part and having the second magnetic member coupled thereto.

17. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the guide rail comprises a stopping portion configured to stop the second part such that the moving member has a predetermined stroke.

18. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the coupling portion is provided with a chamfer formed at an end thereof.

19. The terminal of claim 18, further comprising a connection groove formed at one surface of the terminal body, the connection groove having a portion configured to cooperate with the chamfer of the coupling portion to guide the coupling portion.

20. The terminal of claim 19, wherein the connection groove has a profile greater than that of the socket.

21. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the connector is a charging connector for supplying power to the terminal body.