Rotating Camera Mount Conceals Lens in Rear Groove for Mobile Terminals

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Solution Overview

Problem

The placement of a front camera in mobile terminals hinders the improvement of the screen-to-body ratio due to the occupied space on the device.

Innovation Solution

A mobile terminal design featuring a rear housing with a recessed groove and a rotatable mounting seat for the camera, allowing the camera to be concealed within the housing when not in use, thereby exposing the screen area and enhancing the screen-to-body ratio.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the front camera is placed on the mobile terminal, then the photographing function is provided, but the screen-to-body ratio is reduced due to occupied space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephotographing functionVSAvoidscreen area
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting seat is designed to be rotatable relative to the rear housing, allowing the photographing device to dynamically change position between a retracted state (within the groove) and an extended state (outside the groove). This dynamic configuration enables the screen area to be fully utilized when photographing is not needed, while still providing access to the photographing function when required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting seat is arranged within a groove recessed from the second surface of the rear housing, allowing the photographing device to be nested within the housing structure when not in use. This nesting arrangement maximizes the visible screen area while maintaining the photographing capability through the rotatable mounting seat.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If the mounting seat is made rotatable to expose the photographing device, then the photographing function is accessible, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to photographing deviceVSAvoidmounting seat structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting seat is designed as a separate, independently rotatable component relative to the rear housing. This segmentation allows the rotation mechanism to be simplified and focused on a single degree of freedom, rather than integrating complex multi-axis movements into a monolithic structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solution adds a rotational dimension to the mounting seat, allowing it to move between retracted and extended positions. This dimensional change provides easy access to the photographing device without requiring complex linear mechanisms, as the rotation occurs around a fixed axis perpendicular to the housing surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3525424B1Mobile terminal
Publication Date: 2020.04.22 GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP LTD
  • EP3525424B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3525424B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3525424B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mobile terminal includes a rear housing, a display screen, a mounting seat and a photographing module. The rear housing includes a first surface, a second surface, a first side circumference, a second side circumference, a third side circumference and a fourth side circumference. The second surface is sunken toward the first surface to form a groove. The display screen is arranged at one side where the first surface is located. The mounting seat is rotatablely connected to the rear housing. A rotation axis of the mounting seat passes through a circle center of a circumcircle of a positive projection of the mounting seat on a reference plane. The photographing module is arranged on the mounting seat. The mounting seat is capable of being rotated relative to the rear housing through a first position and a second position. When the mounting seat is at the first position, the photographing module is located in the groove, and a first light entering surface of the photographing module is blocked by the display screen. When the mounting seat is at the second position, the photographing module is located out of the groove and the first light entering surface is exposed from one side where the display screen is located. The above mobile terminal is beneficial to implementing the high screen-to-body ratio of the mobile terminal.