electronic machinery

Abstract

To provide an electronic device that can reduce the portion of the leg section that is exposed to the outside of the housing while maintaining strength. [Solution] The electronic device 10 comprises leg portions 28 that partially protrude from the lower surface of the housing 12, an outer portion 25 that forms the lower surface, and an inner portion 24 inside the housing 12. The leg portion 28 protrudes from the leg opening 25f of the outer portion 25 and has a leg body 31 whose surface is made of an elastic material, and a flange 32 that protrudes in the Y1 and Y2 directions inside the housing 12 and is sandwiched between the inner portion 24 and the outer portion 25. The leg portion 28 is integrally formed with the rigid flange 30b of the flange 32 and has a core portion 30a that is built into the leg body 31 and protrudes from the leg opening 25f.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device in which legs are provided on a lower surface of a housing.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC is provided with legs on the lower surface of a housing. The legs are formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and have functions such as anti-slip and shock absorption. Since a relatively large external force may act on the legs, sufficient attachment strength is required. In the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, the leg is formed of rubber and a core material, a projection of the core material is arranged to pass through a hole of a lower cover member, and the projection is thermally welded inside the housing to be deformed into a disk shape. Then, the leg is fixed by clamping the lower cover between a portion of the core material outside the housing and the thermally deformed disk-shaped portion. Further, as another fixing means for the leg, there is a case where the leg is screwed to the lower cover.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, the lower cover is clamped inside and outside the housing by the core material. That is, in order to secure sufficient strength of the leg, a certain size and area are required also for the portion outside the housing. Further, when the leg is screwed to the lower cover, a relatively large and long screw is required to maintain sufficient strength. Therefore, these fixing means result in the leg being larger than required for the original function of the leg, which is also unfavorable in terms of design.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an electronic device that can reduce the portion of the leg portion that is exposed to the outside of the housing while maintaining strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device comprising: legs that partially protrude from the lower surface of a housing; a bottom plate that forms the lower surface; and a retaining member provided inside the housing, wherein the legs protrude from the leg openings of the bottom plate and have a leg body whose surface is made of an elastic material, and a flange made of a rigid material that protrudes in at least two opposing directions inside the housing and is sandwiched between the bottom plate and the retaining member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the leg that is exposed to the outside of the housing can be reduced while maintaining strength. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to one embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear edge of the enclosure, seen from the bottom. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the enclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the leg opening, the leg portion, and its surrounding area. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the leg opening, the leg section, and its surrounding area. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the leg section. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the leg section. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the leg opening, leg portion and surrounding area of ​​an electronic device according to a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment, viewed from above. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic device 10 in this embodiment is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a configuration in which a lid 11 and a housing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 so that they can rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, a notebook PC electronic device 10 is used as an example, but the electronic device may be something other than a notebook PC, such as a tablet PC, smartphone, or portable game console.

[0011] The lid 11 is a thin, flat, box-shaped enclosure. The lid 11 houses a display 16. The display 16 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display.

[0012] The enclosure 12 is a thin, flat box. The keyboard device 18 and touchpad 19 face the top surface 12a of the enclosure 12. Hereinafter, the enclosure 12 and each component mounted thereon will be described using the operator's posture when operating the keyboard device 18 as the reference point, with the width direction (left and right) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front and back) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (up and down) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the Z1 and Z2 directions. The X1 and X2 directions may also be collectively referred to as the X direction, and similarly, the Y1 and Y2 directions and the Z1 and Z2 directions may be referred to as the Y direction and Z direction. These directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation posture of the electronic device 10.

[0013] The housing 12 can be composed of a plate-shaped member 20 that forms the top surface 12a, a lower cover member 21 that forms the bottom surface 12b, and vertical wall members 22 that form the four perimeter sides 12c. The plate-shaped member 20 has a large rectangular opening 20a in which the keyboard device 18 is placed. The area around the opening 20a forms a bezel 20b that surrounds the keyboard device 18. The lower cover member 21 is formed in the shape of a plate (see Figure 3). As will be described later, the housing 12 of this embodiment has a protrusion 23 near the Y2 edge of the lower cover member 21. The vertical wall members 22 stand upright between the four perimeter edges of the plate-shaped member 20 and the four perimeter edges of the lower cover member 21, forming a frame shape as a whole. The plate-shaped member 20 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. The lower cover member 21 is, for example, a molded product of resin material.

[0014] The hinge 14 is installed in a concave hinge placement groove 12d formed on the rear edge of the housing 12, connecting the housing 12 and the lid 11. The hinge 14 in this embodiment is a so-called single-bar drop-down structure. The structure of the hinge 14 may be other than that described above.

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear edge of the housing 12, seen from the bottom surface 12b side. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the housing 12. In Figure 3, the keyboard device 18, plate-shaped member 20, and internal components are omitted.

[0016] A protrusion 23 is formed on the bottom surface 12b of the housing 12, projecting downwards. The protrusion 23 is a rectangular tube shape, elongated in the X direction and flattened in the Z direction. The length of the protrusion 23 in the X direction is approximately the same as the total width of the housing 12 in the X direction. The protrusion 23 is located on the bottom surface 12b, towards the Y2 side in the front-to-back direction (Y direction), directly in front of the hinge placement groove 12d.

[0017] The protruding portion 23 can be provided with an input / output port 39 at each of its longitudinal ends (left and right end surfaces). Examples of the input / output port 39 include an input / output port conforming to the HDMI (registered trademark) standard, an input / output port conforming to the USB 3.0 communication standard, and the like. This enables the electronic device 10 to minimize the thickness of the housing 12 while allowing installation of the input / output port 39 which requires a certain height. The protruding portion 23 also functions as a rear leg that lifts the rear part of the housing 12 placed on a placing surface such as a desk surface higher than the front part. Accordingly, in use of the electronic device 10, the keyboard device 10 is placed in a forward-downward inclined posture, which improves operability. A mother board, a module card, a fan, a cooling module and the like, which are not shown in the drawings, can be arranged inside the protruding portion 23.

[0018] The protruding portion 23 is constituted by an inner portion (pressing member) 24 which is a part of the lower cover member 21, and an outer portion (bottom plate) 25 that covers the inner portion 24. That is, in the protruding portion 23, the lower cover member 21 is not exposed downward, and the outer portion 25 forms the lower surface and serves as a substantial bottom plate. Intake holes for the fan may be provided on the front and rear walls of the protruding portion 23.

[0019] The inner portion 24 includes an inner flat plate portion 24a extending along the X direction, and arc-shaped inner walls 24b and 24c provided before and after the inner flat plate portion 24a. Fan holes 24d are formed in the inner portion 24 at positions separated from each other in the left-right direction. The fan holes 24d and an intake hole 25d described later are holes for air intake of the fan. Although the two fan holes 24d are separated from each other, a margin portion 24e with an appropriate width is secured between each fan hole 24d and the left and right edges of the lower cover member 21. A housing of the input / output port 39 or the like is arranged in the margin portion 24e.

[0020] The lower cover member 21 is fitted with a rear wall frame 211, two rear corner frames 212, two lateral frames 213, and two port partitions 214. The rear wall frame 211 is attached to the rear edge of the lower cover member 21 and forms part of the hinge arrangement groove 12d. An exhaust hole 211a is formed in the rear wall frame 211. The exhaust hole 211a is a hole for exhausting the fan. The port partitions 214 are attached to the remaining space 24e and partition the multiple input / output ports 39.

[0021] Front legs 27 are attached near the front edge of the lower cover member 21. The front legs 27 are long and slender in the X direction and protrude briefly downward. Multiple posts 27a of the front legs 27 are inserted into post holes 21a formed in the lower cover member 21 and welded in place. However, instead of the front legs 27, legs 28 may be provided near the front edge of the lower cover member 21 in the same manner as shown in Figure 8.

[0022] The outer portion 25 is obtained, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. The outer portion 25 has an outer flat plate portion 25a that covers the lower surface of the inner flat plate portion 24a, and outer walls 25b and 25c that cover the front and rear of the inner walls 24b and 24c. The outer portion 25 is provided with intake holes 25d at positions corresponding to the fan holes 24d. The intake holes 25d are composed of a number of small holes. A space 25e of appropriate width is secured between each intake hole 25d and the left and right edges. The space 24e and space 25e overlap. Leg openings 25f are formed near the rear ends of each left and right space 25e. The leg openings 25f are moderately narrow, long in the X direction (first direction), and have an oval shape with semicircular ends.

[0023] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the leg opening 25f, the leg portion 28, and its surrounding area. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the leg opening 25f, the leg portion 28, and its surrounding area. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the leg portion 28. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the leg portion 28. Contour lines and other features that are not actually present have been added to the resin elastic material 29 in Figures 6 and 7 for ease of understanding.

[0024] A shallow counterbore 25g is formed around the leg opening 25f. A shallow counterbore 24g is formed in the remaining space 24e at a position opposite to the counterbore 25g. The leg body 31 of the leg portion 28 fits into the leg opening 25f and protrudes downward. The leg portion 28, as the rear leg portion, together with the front leg portion 27 described above, supports the housing 12 on the mounting surface. The leg portion 28 and the front leg portion 27 have functions such as anti-slip and shock absorption. The protruding portion 23 is slightly raised from the mounting surface by the leg portion 28, so that the intake hole 25d is not blocked.

[0025] Let's explain the leg section 28 further. The leg portion 28 is composed of a resin elastic material 29 such as silicone rubber and a bracket 30. The leg portion 28 is symmetrical in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The resin elastic material 29 has moderate elasticity. The bracket 30 has moderate thickness and high strength. The resin elastic material 29 and the bracket 30 are integrally molded by insert molding. Therefore, they are basically inseparable, but in Figure 7 they are shown separated for ease of understanding.

[0026] The bracket 30 is harder than the resin elastic material 29 and is usually a rigid material. In this embodiment, the bracket 30 is formed by bending a metal plate such as stainless steel. Depending on the specifications, a rigid material such as polycarbonate may be used as the core portion 30a.

[0027] The bracket 30 is constructed by integrally forming a core portion 30a and two rigid flanges 30b. The core portion 30a is long in the X direction and has a U-shaped cross-section that opens upwards (towards the inside of the housing). The width of the core portion 30a in the Y direction and the width in the Z direction are approximately equal. Multiple holes 30aa are formed in the front and rear walls of the core portion 30a, making it easy to inject the resin elastic material during insert molding and making it difficult to separate after molding. The cross-section of the core portion 30a may be V-shaped or C-shaped.

[0028] The rigid flange 30b protrudes in the Y1 and Y2 directions (second direction) from both ends of the upper opening side of the U-shape formed by the core portion 30a. The Y-direction width of each rigid flange 30b is approximately equal to that of the core portion 30a. A semicircular notch 30ba for positioning is formed in the center of the edge of the rigid flange 30b. A pin protruding from the inner portion 24 fits into the semicircular notch 30ba for positioning. However, this pin is omitted in Figure 4.

[0029] The resin elastic material 29 has a dome portion 29a and an auxiliary flange 29b. The dome portion 29a contains a core portion 30a, and together with the core portion 30a, constitutes the leg body 31. The leg body 31 is the part that performs the basic functions of the legs 28, such as preventing slippage and mitigating shock for the housing 12. As described above, the leg body 31 fits into the leg opening 25f and protrudes downward. The leg body 31 is sized and shaped to fit perfectly into the leg opening 25f, and consists of a semi-cylindrical portion 31a and spherical portions 31b at both ends. The spherical portions 31b are shaped like a sphere cut into quarters. The amount of downward protrusion of the leg body 31 from the leg opening 25f is about half the Y-direction width of the leg opening 25f. The semi-cylindrical portion 31a is a downwardly convex semicircle, and its Y-direction width is about twice that of the core portion 30a.

[0030] The core portion 30a is built into the leg body 31 and protrudes from the leg opening 25f. The amount of downward protrusion of the core portion 30a from the leg opening 25f is approximately half of the width of the core portion 30a in the Z direction. Depending on design conditions such as the hardness of the resin elastic material 29, the core portion 30a may be made larger, smaller, or omitted. In other words, the leg body 31 only needs to have at least its surface made of the resin elastic material 29.

[0031] The auxiliary flange 29b protrudes from the spherical portion 31b in the Y1 and Y2 directions, and is continuous with the rigid flange 30b with the same thickness, forming an apparently integrated flange 32. However, the rigid flange 30b is stronger, and the auxiliary flange 29b is auxiliary. The boundary between the flange 32 and the stalk body 31 is smoothly connected in an arc shape. The rigid flange 30b is basically exposed on its upper and lower surfaces, but it is permissible for a thin film to be covered during the insert molding process into the resin elastic material 29.

[0032] The upper surface of the leg portion 28 is rectangular, and an adhesive sheet 33 of the same size is attached to it, and it is fixed in contact with the counterbore 25g via the adhesive sheet 33. An adhesive sheet 34 of the same size is attached to the lower surface of each of the two flanges 32, and they are fixed in contact with the counterbore 24g via the adhesive sheet 34. The adhesive sheets 33 and 34 may be omitted depending on the conditions. The presence of counterbores 24g and 25g helps to suppress the thickness in the Z direction of this portion.

[0033] The space 24e of the inner section 24 and the space 25e of the outer section 25 are fixed together by a moderately wide heat-adhesive sheet 35 (see Figure 5). The heat-adhesive sheet 35 is provided in the area in front of the leg opening 25f and the leg section 28. The inner section 24 and the outer section 25 are fixed together by a heat-adhesive sheet 36 (see Figure 3) in the relatively wide area between the two fan holes 24d. The heat-adhesive sheet 36 is even wider than the heat-adhesive sheet 35. By heating, the heat-adhesive sheets 35 and 36 strongly bond the inner section 24 and the outer section 25. The means of fixing the inner section 24 and the outer section 25 are not limited to these. The rigid flange 30b is close to the heat-adhesive sheet 35, but is made of metal and is not affected by heating.

[0034] In the electronic device 10 configured in this way, the leg portion 28 has a leg body 31 that protrudes from the leg opening 25f, and the flange 32, including the rigid flange 30b, protrudes in opposing Y1 and Y2 directions within the housing 12 and is sandwiched between the inner portion 24 and the outer portion 25, thus maintaining high mounting strength and preventing it from peeling off the housing 12. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 23 has an outer portion 25 that constitutes a bottom plate and an inner portion 24 that constitutes a retaining member for the flange 32. Suitable strength can be obtained if the rigid flange 30b protrudes in at least two opposing directions, but it may also protrude in four directions. Since the rigid flange 30b is inside the housing 12 and not exposed, its size does not affect the appearance. The flange 32 is more securely fixed to the inner portion 24 and the outer portion 25 by adhesive sheets 33 and 34.

[0035] Since the leg body 31 protruding from the leg opening 25f does not have the fixing action of the leg portion 28, the area of ​​the bottom view only needs to be the same as or less than the leg opening 25f, and the portion exposed to the outside of the housing 12 can be made small, which is aesthetically pleasing. The leg body 31 has a core portion 30a built into it, which provides suitable strength and can prevent tipping in the Y direction in particular. The core portion 30a is integrally constructed with the rigid flange 30b, which provides even higher strength. The core portion 30a is U-shaped and has a moderately thick width in the Y direction, which provides even higher strength and is also suitable for insert molding with the bracket 30. The leg portion 28 is divided into left and right sides of the housing 12, but it may also be a single long shape, or there may be three or more.

[0036] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the leg opening 25f and leg portion 28 and its surrounding area in the modified electronic device 10A. The lower cover member 21A in the electronic device 10A corresponds to the lower cover member 21 described above and forms the bottom plate of the housing 12. The electronic device 10A does not have the protruding portion 23 of the electronic device 10. Therefore, the electronic device 10A does not have the outer portion 25 and the inner portion 24.

[0037] The lower cover member 21A has two leg openings 25f formed therein. These leg openings 25f are located in approximately the same position as the leg openings 25f in the lower cover member 21 in a plan view, and each is provided with a leg portion 28. The leg portion 28 and its surrounding area are covered with a retaining member 37. The retaining member 37 is a plate material of appropriate size and appropriate strength. The flange 32 of the leg portion 28 is clamped and fixed by the retaining member 37 and the lower cover member 21A. The leg portion 28 is further securely fixed to the lower cover member 21A and the retaining member 37 by adhesive sheets 33 and 34. The retaining member 37 is fixed to the lower cover member 21A by a heat-adhesive sheet 38. The retaining member 37 is a member for fixing the leg portion 28, but it does not need to be a dedicated member; for example, the rear corner frame 212 may also be used.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10,10A electronic equipment 12 cabinets 21,21A Lower cover member 23 Protrusion 24. Inner part (retaining member) 25 Outer part (bottom plate) 25f leg opening 28 Legs 29 Resin elastic material 29a Dome section 30 brackets 30a core 30b Rigid flange 31 Script 31a Semi-cylindrical section 31b Spherical part 32 flange 33,34 Adhesive sheets 37 Retaining member

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, Legs that protrude from the bottom of the casing, The bottom plate forming the lower surface, A retaining member provided inside the housing, Equipped with, The legs protrude from the leg openings of the base plate and have a leg body whose surface is made of an elastic material, and a flange made of a rigid material that protrudes in at least two opposing directions within the housing and is sandwiched between the base plate and the retaining member. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The housing comprises a lower cover member and an outer part that covers the lower surface of an inner part which is part of the lower cover member. The outer portion constitutes the bottom plate, The inner portion constitutes the retaining member. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, The inner portion and the outer portion form a protruding portion that extends downward. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, The screen body has a shape that is elongated in the first direction, and the flange protrudes in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, The leg portion is a rigid material integrally formed with the flange and has a core portion that is built into the leg body and protrudes from the leg opening. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, The core portion is U-shaped, V-shaped, or C-shaped, opening to the inside of the housing, with the flanges protruding from both ends of the opening. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

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