Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-28
2001-05-29
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C343S766000, C343S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239754
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic retractable antenna system, and more particularly, to a system for extending an automatic retractable antenna for combatting disturbances to the extending/retracting of a rod antenna.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2
are perspective views of a conventional portable phone in an on-hook state and an off-hook state, respectively. The portable phone is a flip type.
The off-hook state refers to a speech mode state, and the on-hook state refers to a speech standby state. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, this portable phone includes a body
1000
, a flip cover
2000
, and a hinge (not shown) for mechanically connecting the body
1000
to the flip cover
2000
.
The body
1000
has an upper casing frame
1010
and a lower casing frame
1020
. An antenna device
1001
is installed on an upper end of the body
1000
, and an ear piece
1002
is located on an upper portion of the upper casing frame
1010
. Under the earpiece
1002
are disposed an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) window
1003
, a key pad
1004
including a plurality of keys, and a microphone
1005
. The hinge is located at a lower portion
1006
which includes microphone
1005
.
In accordance with the conventional portable phone, when the flip cover
2000
is opened, a speech mode is automatically set and a rod antenna
1001
b
is automatically extended. Conversely, when the flip cover
2000
is closed, a speech standby mode is automatically set and the rod antenna
1001
b
is automatically retracted.
FIG. 3
is a plan view of an automatic retractable antenna system inserted in an antenna housing
1001
a in the conventional portable phone. The conventional automatic retractable antenna system is installed in the lower casing frame
1020
by a fixing means including a fixing pin
452
and a bracket
420
. Here, an elastic member
454
, preferably constructed of rubber, is added to the fixing means to absorb vibrations generated when a motor
410
is driven. The rod antenna
1001
b
is moved by driving the motor
410
to rotate a pair of roller assemblies
430
and
440
.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of the conventional automatic retractable antenna system. The conventional automatic retractable antenna system includes motor
410
, typically a small coreless type DC (Direct Current) motor, the pair of rollers
430
and
440
rotated by the motor
410
, and the bracket
420
for fixing the rollers
430
and
440
to the motor
410
. The motor
410
includes a motor shaft
411
which rotates clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the polarity of a power supply voltage received from a microprocessor. The outer circumferential surface of the motor shaft
411
is typically coated with rubber to maximize frictional and elastic forces.
The bracket
420
has a base
421
to be fixed to the motor
410
with respect to a rotating axis A
1
. A hole
422
is formed at the center of the base
421
, for inserting the motor shaft
411
therein, and an engaging end
423
is bent downward from the outer circumferential surface of the base
421
and soldered to the motor
410
. Thus, the bracket
420
is fixed to the motor
410
. The bracket
420
also includes free ends
424
and
425
bent at a right angle to fix the roller assemblies
430
and
440
. The free ends
424
and
425
have coaxial holes for inserting roller shafts
431
a
and
441
a
therein.
The roller assembly
430
has a disc shaped member
431
for contacting with the motor shaft
411
and roller
432
for contacting with the antenna system. Similarly, the roller assembly
440
has a disc shaped member
441
for contacting with the disc shaped member
431
of roller assembly
430
and a roller
442
for contacting with the antenna system. Similarly, the diameter of the rollers
432
and
442
is smaller than that of the disc shaped members
431
and
441
. Thus, the motor shaft
411
rotates with respect to the axis A
1
, the roller assembly
430
with respect to an axis A
2
, and then the roller assembly
440
with respect to an axis A
3
to effect a force transfer.
FIG. 5
is a plan view for describing the operation of the conventional automatic retractable antenna system. Referring to
FIGS. 4 and 5
, when the motor
410
is driven, the roller assembly
430
rotates in contact with the motor shaft
411
and the roller assembly
440
rotates in contact with the roller assembly
430
. Then, the frictional force between the rod antenna
1001
b
and the outer circumferential surfaces of the rollers
432
and
442
extends/retracts the rod antenna
1001
b
. The frictional force, since it is generated from the tight contact between the rollers
432
and
442
, experiences little transfer loss.
When the motor shaft
411
rotates clockwise, the roller assembly
430
rotates counterclockwise in contact with the motor shaft
411
, and the roller assembly
440
rotates clockwise in contact with the roller assembly
430
.
Though the rollers
432
and
442
are formed of an elastic material such as rubber, they show limitations in their effectiveness of maximizing the frictional force with the rod antenna during extending/retracting the rod antenna. Especially, a slip phenomenon is frequently observed during the extending. and retracting operations. Furthermore, the extension/retraction of the rod antenna is not reliable because rod antennas typically do not have a constant diameter along its length. If a user inadvertently imposes an external impact on the rod antenna while extending it, the rod antenna is warped or malfunctions, deteriorating the antenna characteristics.
In view of the characteristics of a portable phone, it should be highly resistant against dropping or other impacts, and the rod antenna should be stably moved during extending/retracting. In addition, there is a need for extending/retracting the rod antenna by driving a motor with low power consumption and minimized frictional force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic system for extending and retracting an antenna in a portable phone, which can accommodate the varying diameter of a rod antenna along its length.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic system for extending and retracting an antenna system in a portable phone that will accommodate a disturbance to the extending or retracting system for the antenna without incurring damage to the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic retractable antenna system in a portable phone, which can cope with vibrations generated when a motor is driven.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic retractable antenna system in a portable phone, in which a worm and a worm gear are used.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic retractable antenna system in a portable phone, in which a rod antenna can be operated automatically or manually.
To achieve the above objects, there is provided an automatic system for extending and retracting an antenna in a portable phone. A driving motor has a motor shaft with a worm, a worm gear is engaged with the motor shaft; a pulley arrangement including a first roller or wheel spaced from and attached by a shaft to the worm gear, a timing belt which transfers the force of the first roller or wheel a second roller or wheel; the second roller or wheel has means to turn a driving roller when it receives the force from the timing belt. The driving roller and a driven roller receive the force from the second roller or wheel, a rod antenna is disposed between the driving and driven rollers, to be extended/retracted by the driving and driven rollers. A first main bracket is provided and has a space for holding the driving motor, a first free end for supporting the worm gear, and a second free end for supporting the driving roller, while a second main bracket has an engaging end to be engaged with the first main bracket and a guide rib for supporting the driving motor. A
Chen Shih-Chao
Dilworth & Barrese LLP
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Wong Don
LandOfFree
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