Electronic device

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Korean Patent Application Serial No. 10-2017-0039554, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 28, 2017, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates generally to an electronic device including a shielding member for discharging heat or shielding electromagnetic waves generated from an electric element disposed inside the electronic device.

In view of the recent trends of electronic devices toward reduced size, additional functionality, and increased performance, electric elements with high power per unit area have been developed. Such electric elements are typically mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) with limited size, thus acting as a main heat source in an electronic device.

Additionally, the electric elements may generate electromagnetic waves, which may lead to a malfunction of the electronic device.

To shield the electromagnetic waves of the electric elements, one approach is to dispose a metal shield can surrounding the electric parts. The shield may shield the electromagnetic waves generated from the electric elements.

However, since the shield can traps heat generated from the electric parts, the internal temperature of the electric elements may increase. As a result, the performance of the electric elements may degrade when the heat is not dissipated to the outside. Rather, the heat is transferred to a product surface and adjacent electric elements through the PCB, thereby possibly resulting in performance degradation and a malfunction of the electronic device.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to address at least the above-mentioned problems or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device including a shielding member for shielding electromagnetic waves of at least one electric element and efficiently discharging heat from at least one electric element.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a substrate including an electric element mounted thereon; a shield can mounted on the electric element and including an opening formed at a part facing the electric element; a shielding member mounted around a part in which the opening is formed on an outer surface of the shield can, and electrically connected to the shield can; a metal plate mounted on the shielding member, with the opening covered, and electrically connected to the shielding member; and a heat conductive member mounted in the opening and interposed between the electric element and the metal plate, and in contact with the electric element and the metal plate.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device a substrate having an electric element mounted thereon; a shield can mounted on the electric element and including a first opening formed at a part facing the electric element; a shielding member mounted around a part in which the first opening is formed on a first surface of the shield can, and including a second opening electrically connected to the shield can; a metal plate mounted on the shielding member, with the first opening covered, and electrically connected to the shielding member; and a heat conductive member mounted in the first opening and interposed between the electric element and the metal plate, and in contact with the electric element and the metal plate. In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for assembling an electronic device is provided a. The method includes creating a substrate including an electric element mounted thereon; disposing a shield can including at least one first opening at a part facing the electric element on the substrate; disposing a shielding member to cover a first surface of the shield can, the shielding member being compressed when being pressed, and including at least one second opening for discharging heat of the electric element, and a shielding film engaged with an exterior of the shielding member; disposing a metal plate to cover a first surface of the shielding member, mounting a heat conductive member on a first surface of the metal plate, mounting an insulation film on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the metal plate, and disposing the heat conductive member to face a first surface of the electric element, in engagement with the first and second openings; and mounting the metal plate on a first surface of the insulation film, and mounting at least one cooling member on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the insulation film. The insulation film transfers heat from the heat conductive member to the at least one cooling member through the metal plate.

The embodiments and terms used herein are not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein to specific forms, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives to the corresponding embodiments. In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar elements A singular expressions may include a plural. In the present disclosure, the terms “A or B”, or “at least one of A or B” may cover all possible combinations of the enumerated items.

The term as used in the present disclosure, “first” or “second” may modify the names of components irrespective of sequence or importance. These expressions are used to distinguish one component from another component, not limiting the components. When it is said that a component (for example, a first component) is ‘(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to’ or ‘connected to’ another component (for example, a second component), it should be understood that the one component is connected to the other component directly or through any other component (for example, a third component).

The expression “configured to” as used herein may be interchangeably used with, for example, “suitable for”, “having the capacity to”, “designed to”, “adapted to”, “made to”, or “capable of” in terms of hardware or software, according to circumstances. Alternatively, in some situations, the expression “configured to” may mean that a device is “capable of”. For example, the phrase “processor configured to execute A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing the corresponding operations or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) that can perform the corresponding operations.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include at least one of, for example, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, medical equipment, a camera, or an wearable device. The wearable device may include at least one of an accessory type (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an ankle bracelet, a necklace, glasses, contact lenses, or a head-mounted device (HMD)), a fabric or clothing integrated type (e.g., electronic clothes), an attached type (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or an implantable circuit. The electronic device may include at least one of a television (TV), a digital versatile disk (DVD) player, an audio player, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air purifier, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a media box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, Google TV™, etc.), a game console (e.g., Xbox™, PlayStation™, etc.), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic picture frame.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include at least one of various medical devices (e.g., a portable medical meter (e.g., a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter, a body temperature meter, etc.), a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a computed tomography (CT) device, an imaging device, an ultrasonic device, etc.), a navigation device, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), an vehicle infotainment device, a naval electronic device (e.g., a naval navigation device, a gyrocompass, etc.), an avionic electronic device, a security device, an automotive head unit, an industrial or consumer robot, a drone, an automatic teller machine (ATM), a point of sales (POS) device, or an Internet of things (IoT) device (e.g., a light bulb, various sensors, an electric or gas meter, a sprinkler device, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlamp, a toaster, sporting goods, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, etc.).

An electronic device may include at least one of a part of furniture or a building/structure or a vehicle, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or various measuring devices (e.g., a water meter, an electric meter, a gas or electromagnetic wave measuring device). The electronic device may be flexible, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing devices. The electronic device is not limited to the foregoing devices. In the present disclosure, the term “user” may indicate a person using an electronic device or a device (e.g., artificial intelligence electronic device) using an electronic device.

is a block diagram illustrating a network environment including electronic devices, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

Referring to, an electronic devicein a network environmentmay include a bus, a processor, a memory, an input/output (I/O) interface, a display, and a communication interface. At least one of the components may be omitted from the electronic deviceor a component may be added to the electronic device. The busmay include a circuit that interconnects the processor, the memory, the I/O interface, the display, and the communication interface, and allows communication (e.g., control messages or data) between the foregoing components. The processormay include one or more of a CPU, an AP, or a communication processor (CP). The processormay execute computation or data processing related to control or communication of at least one other component of the electronic device. The processormay be called a controller.

The memorymay include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memorymay, for example, store instructions or data related to at least one other component of the electronic device. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memorymay store software or programs. The programsmay include, for example, a kernel, middleware, an application programming interface (API), or applications. At least some of the kernel, the middleware, and the APImay be called an operating system (OS). The kernelmay control or manage system resources (e.g., the bus, the processor, or the memory) that are used in executing operations or functions implemented in other programs (e.g., the middleware, the API, or the applications). Also, the kernelmay provide an interface for allowing the middleware, the API, or the applicationsto access individual components of the electronic device, and control or manage system resources.

The middlewaremay serve as a medium through which the kernelmay communicate with, for example, the APIor the applicationsto transmit and receive data. Also, the middlewaremay process one or more task requests received from the applicationsaccording to their priority levels. For example, the middlewaremay assign priority levels for using system resources (e.g., the bus, the processor, or the memory) of the electronic deviceto the applications, and process the one or more task requests according to the priority levels.

The APIis an interface for the applicationsto control functions that the kernelor the middlewareprovides. The APImay include at least one interface or function (e.g., a command) for file control, window control, video processing, or text control.

The I/O interfacemay provide a command or data received from a user or an external device to the other component(s) of the electronic device, or output a command or data received from the other component(s) of the electronic deviceto the user or the external device.

The displaymay include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display. The displaymay display, for example, various types of content (e.g., text, an image, a video, an icon, or a symbol) to the user. The displaymay include a touch screen and receive, for example, a touch input, a gesture input, a proximity input, or a hovering input through an electronic pen or a user's body part.

The communication interfacemay establish communication, for example, between the electronic deviceand an external device (e.g., a first external electronic device, a second external electronic device, or a server). For example, the communication interfacemay be connected to a networkby wireless communication or wired communication, and communicate with the external device (e.g., the second external electronic deviceor the server) over the network.

The wireless communication may include, for example, cellular communication that uses at least one of long term evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), wireless broadband (WiBro), or global system for mobile communications (GSM). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless communication may include at least one of wireless fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth™, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), magnetic secure transmission (MST), radio frequency (RF), or body area network (BAN), as indicated by the short term communication network. The wireless communication may include GNSS. GNSS may be, for example, a global positioning system (GPS), a global navigation satellite system (Glonass), a Beidou navigation satellite system (Beidou), or Galileo, the European global satellite-based navigation system. Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, the terms “GPS” and may be interchangeable used with the term “GNSS”. The wired communication may include at least one of a universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a recommended standard(RS-232), a power line communication, or a plain old telephone service (POTS). The networkmay be a telecommunication network, for example, at least one of a computer network (e.g., local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), the Internet, or a telephone network.

Each of the first and second external electronic devicesandmay be of the same type as or a different type from the electronic device. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, all or a part of operations performed in the electronic devicemay be performed in one or more other electronic devices (e.g., the electronic devicesand) or the server. If the electronic deviceis to perform a function or a service automatically or upon request, the electronic devicemay request at least a part of functions related to the function or the service to another device (e.g., the electronic deviceor, or the server), instead of performing the function or the service autonomously, or additionally. The other electronic device may execute the requested function or an additional function and provide a result of the function execution to the electronic device. The electronic devicemay provide the requested function or service based on the received result or by additionally processing the received result. For this purpose cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing may be used.

is a block diagram of an electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic devicemay include, for example, the whole or part of the electronic device. The electronic devicemay include at least one processor(e.g., AP), a communication module, a subscriber identification module (SIM), a memory, a sensor module, an input device, a display, an interface, an audio module, a camera module, a power management module, a battery, an indicator, and a motor. The processormay, for example, control a plurality of hardware or software components that are connected to the processorby executing an OS or an application program, and may perform processing or computation of various types of data. The processormay be implemented, for example, as a system on chip (SoC). The processormay further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) or an image signal processor (ISP). The processormay include at least a part (e.g., a cellular module) of the electronic device. The processormay load a command or data received from at least one of other components (e.g., a non-volatile memory), process the loaded command or data, and store result data in the non-volatile memory.

The communication modulemay have the same configuration as or a similar configuration to that of the communication interface. The communication modulemay include, for example, the cellular module, a WiFi module, a Bluetooth (BT) module, a GNSS module, an NFC module, and an RF module. The cellular modulemay provide services such as a voice call, a video call, a text service, or the Internet service through a communication network. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellular modulemay identify and authenticate the electronic devicewithin a communication network, using the SIM(e.g., a SIM card). The cellular modulemay perform at least a part of the functionalities of the processor. The cellular modulemay include a CP. At least a part (e.g., two or more) of the cellular module, the WiFi module, the BT module, the GNSS module, or the NFC modulemay be included in a single integrated (IC) chip or IC package. The RF modulemay transmit and receive, for example, communication signals (e.g., RF signals). The RF modulemay include, for example, a transceiver, a power amplifier module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), an antenna, etc. At least one of the cellular module, the WiFi module, the BT module, the GNSS module, or the NFC modulemay transmit and receive RF signals via a separate RF module. The SIMmay include, for example, a card including the SIM or an embedded SIM. The SIMmay include a unique identifier (e.g., integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).

The memorymay include, for example, an internal memoryor an external memory. The internal memorymay be at least one of, for example, a volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), and a non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD)). The external memorymay include a flash drive such as a compact flash (CF) drive, a secure digital (SD), a micro secure digital (micro-SD), a mini secure digital (mini-SD), an extreme digital (xD), a multi-media card (MMC), or a memory stick. The external memorymay be operatively or physically coupled to the electronic devicevia various interfaces.

The sensor modulemay, for example, measure physical quantities or detect operational states of the electronic device, and convert the measured or detected information into electric signals. The sensor modulemay include at least one of, for example, a gesture sensorA, a gyro sensorB, an atmospheric pressure sensorC, a magnetic sensorD, an accelerometer sensorE, a grip sensorF, a proximity sensorG, a color sensorH (e.g., a red, green, blue (RGB) sensor), a biometric sensorI, a temperature/humidity sensorJ, an illumination sensorK, or an ultra violet (UV) sensorM. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor modulemay include, for example, an electrical-nose (E-nose) sensor, an electromyogram (EMG) sensor, an electroencephaloeram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, or a finger print sensor. The sensor modulemay further include a control circuit for controlling one or more sensors included therein. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic devicemay further include a processor configured to control the sensor module, as a part of or separately from the processor. Thus, while the processoris in a sleep state, the control circuit may control the sensor module.

The input devicemay include, for example, a touch panel, a (digital) pen sensor, a key, or an ultrasonic input device. The touch panelmay operate in at least one of, for example, capacitive, resistive, infrared, and ultrasonic schemes. The touch panelmay further include a control circuit. The touch panelmay further include a tactile layer to thereby provide haptic feedback to the user. The (digital) pen sensormay include, for example, a detection sheet which is a part of the touch panel or separately configured from the touch panel. The keymay include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input devicemay sense ultrasonic signals generated by an input tool using a microphone, and identify data corresponding to the sensed ultrasonic signals.

The displaymay include a panel, a hologram device, a projector, or a control circuit for controlling them. The panelmay be configured to be, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The paneland the touch panelmay be implemented as one or more modules. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the panelmay include a pressure sensor (or a force sensor) for measuring the strength of the pressure of a user touch. The pressure sensor may be integrated with the touch panel, or configured as one or more sensors separate from the touch panel. The hologram devicemay utilize the interference of light waves to provide a three-dimensional image in empty space. The projectormay display an image by projecting light on a screen. The screen may be positioned, for example, inside or outside the electronic device.

The interfacemay include, for example, an HDMI, a USB, an optical interface, or a D-subminiature (D-sub). The interfacemay be included, for example, in the communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, the interfacemay include, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD/multimedia card (MMC) interface, or an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) interface.

The audio modulemay, for example, convert a sound to an electrical signal, and vice versa. At least a part of the components of the audio modulemay be included, for example, in the I/O interface. The audio modulemay process sound information input into, or output from, for example, a speaker, a receiver, an earphone, or the microphone. The camera modulemay capture, for example, still images and a video. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the camera modulemay include one or more image sensors (e.g., a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an ISP, or a flash (e.g., an LED or a xenon lamp). The power management modulemay manage power of, for example, the electronic device. The power management modulemay include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charger IC, or a battery gauge. The PMIC may use a wired or wireless charging method. The wireless charging may be performed, for example, in a magnetic resonance scheme, a magnetic induction scheme, or an electromagnetic wave scheme, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonance circuit, or a rectifier. The battery gauge may measure, for example, a charge level, a voltage while charging, current, or temperature of the battery. The batterymay include, for example, a rechargeable battery or a solar battery.

The indicatormay indicate specific states of the electronic deviceor a part of the electronic device(e.g., the processor), for example, boot status, message status, or charge status. The electronic devicemay include, for example, a mobile TV support device (e.g., a GPU) for processing media data compliant with, for example, digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital video broadcasting (DVB), or MediaFLO™. Each of the above-described components of the electronic device may include one or more parts, and the name of the component may vary with the type of the electronic device. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, some components may be omitted from or added to the electronic device, or one entity may be configured by combining a part of the components of the electronic device, to thereby perform the same functions of the components prior to the combining.

is a perspective view illustrating the front surface of an electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, andis a perspective view illustrating the rear surface of an electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic devicemay be a smartphone or a wearable device. Referring to, a touch screenmay be disposed at the center of the front surface of the electronic device. The touch screenmay occupy almost the entirety of the front surface of the electronic device. A main home screen is displayed on the touch screen. The main home screen is the first screen to be displayed on the touch screen, when the electronic deviceis powered on. In the case where the electronic devicehas different home screens on a plurality of pages, the main home screen may be the first of the home screens on the plurality of pages. Shortcut icons for executing frequently used applications, a main menu switch key, time, weather, etc. may be displayed on the home screen. The main menu switch key may display a menu screen on the touch screen. A status bard may be displayed at the top of the touch screenin order to indicate states such as a battery charged state, a received signal strength, and current time. A home keya, a menu buttonb, and a back buttonc may be formed at the bottom of the touch screen.

The home keya may be used to display the main home screen on the touch screen. For example, upon touching of the home keya while any home screen other than the main home screen or a menu screen is displayed on the touch screen, the main home screen may be displayed on the touch screen. In another example, upon touching of the home keya during execution of applications on the touch screen, the main home screen may be displayed on the touch screen. In another example, the home keya may also be used to display recently used applications or a task manager on the touch screen. The menu buttonb may provide link menus available on the touch screen. The link menus may include a widget adding menu, a background changing menu, a search menu, an edit menu, an environment setting menu, a recent task list menu, etc. The back buttonc may be used to display a screen executed previously to a current screen or end the latest used application.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first cameraa, an illumination sensorb, a proximity sensorc, or a speakerd may be included at a top end of the front surface of the electronic device.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic devicemay include a housinga having a first surface facing in a first direction Aand a second surface facing in a second direction Aopposite to the first direction A. For example, the housinga may include a substrate on which an electric element is mounted, inside the housinga. The substrate may form a first surface with an electric element mounted thereon, facing in the first direction Aand a second surface opposite to the first surface, facing in the second direction A.

Referring toa second cameraa, a flashb, or a speakerc may be included on the rear surface of the electronic device. If a battery pack is detachably attached to the electronic device, the bottom surface of the electronic devicemay be a detachable battery cover.

is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of an electronic devicehaving the shielding member, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, andis a view illustrating an assembled state of the electronic device having the shielding member, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to, the electronic devicemay include a substrate, a shield can, the shielding member, a heat conductive member, and a metal plate.

At least one electric element may be mounted on the substrate.

The shield canmay surround a part of at least one electric member mounted on the substrate, and include at least one first openingat a portion facing at least one electric member. The shield canmay be fixed on the substrate by soldering.

The shielding membermay be disposed around a part in which the first openingon the outer surface of the shield can, may be so elastic that if the shielding memberis pressed by an external force, the shielding membermay be compressed, may include at least one second opening to dissipate heat of the heat conductive member, and may cover at least a part of the shield canto shield electromagnetic waves of at least one electric element. For example, the shielding membermay be electrically connected to the shield can, to achieve the shielding performance of electromagnetic waves.

The heat conductive membermay be engaged in the shield canby being sequentially engaged with the first openingof the shield canand the second opening of the shielding memberso that the heat conductive membermay receive heat from at least one electric element, facing a first surface of at least one electric element. The heat conductive membermay be formed of a liquid thermal interface material (TIM).

The heat conductive membermay be engaged with a first surface of the metal plate, and at least one insulation film may be engaged with a second surface of the metal plateopposite to the first surface. The metal platemay be interposed between the heat conductive memberand at least one insulation film, thereby transferring the heat of the heat conductive member. The metal platemay cover the second opening of the shielding member, and may be disposed on the shielding memberin this state. To achieve the shielding performance of electromagnetic waves, the metal platemay be electrically connected to the shielding member.

A first surface of at least one insulation filmmay be engaged with the metal plate, and a second surface of at least one insulation film, opposite to the first surface may be engaged with at least one cooling member. At least one insulation filmmay transfer the heat received through the metal plateto at least one cooling member. For example, the heat Hemitted from at least one electric element may be transferred to the heat conductive member, and the metal platemay collect the heat and transfer the collected heat to at least one cooling member through the insulation film. At least one insulation filmmay be selectively used depending on the implementation of the electronic device.

At least one cooling member may include a first cooling member, and the first cooling member may include a heat pipe. The heat pipe may receive the heat generated from at least one electric element and dissipate the received heat. Any device that is capable of dissipating heat may be used as the first cooling member.

The second cooling member may be engaged with the first cooling member, supporting the first cooling member, and may include a bracket for absorbing and dissipating the heat from the first cooling member. A mounting recess for mounting the first cooling member therein may be formed in the bracket, and the first cooling member may be attached to an adhesive member provided inside the mounting recess. The bracket may be the housinga of the electronic device. The bracket may include parts provided inside the electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the shielding memberis configured to shield electromagnetic waves, including at least one second openinga to dissipate the heat of the heat conductive member, the heat His not trapped inside the shield canbut is dissipating to the outside. Therefore, the temperature of at least one electric member may be decreased, and the function of shielding the electromagnetic waves of at least one electric element may also be improved. As a consequence, the function of at least one electric element and the performance of the electronic devicemay be improved.