Electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses an electronic device, which comprises a shell and a fingerprint module. The shell has a containing space and first and second openings on two adjacent side walls. The fingerprint module comprises a reinforcing assembly arranged in the containing space, the reinforcing assembly comprising a first side, a second side and a third side connected in sequence, the first side opposite to the third side, and a fingerprint body located on the first side and facing the first opening. A flexible circuit board comprises a first part and a second part connected in sequence, the first part connected with the fingerprint body and arranged on the first side, the second side and the third side, and the second part extending out of the containing space through the second opening, at least part of the second part located outside the projection of the fingerprint body on the plane of the first side. A fixing assembly is arranged in the containing space, faces the second opening and is arranged in position with the reinforcing assembly. The stress generated by pressing does not act on the second part, improving the problem of easy fracture of the flexible circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of electronic equipment technology, and specifically relates to an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, as electronic devices increasingly pursue a full-screen viewing experience and ease of use, the location of the fingerprint module has also moved from the display panel to the side of the electronic device's casing. However, for existing electronic devices, the flexible circuit board of the fingerprint module is prone to breakage due to prolonged pressure, leading to fingerprint module failure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to provide an electronic device that at least solves the problem that the flexible circuit board of the fingerprint module of the electronic device is prone to breakage, thereby causing the fingerprint module to fail.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0005] This application provides an electronic device, including:

[0006] The housing and fingerprint module are included. The fingerprint module comprises a fingerprint body, a reinforcing component, a flexible circuit board, and a fixing component. The housing has an accommodating space, and two adjacent side walls of the housing have a first opening and a second opening, respectively.

[0007] The reinforcing component is disposed within the receiving space, and the reinforcing component includes a first side, a second side and a third side connected in sequence. The first side and the third side are two opposite sides. The fingerprint body is located on the first side and faces the first opening.

[0008] The flexible circuit board includes a first part and a second part connected in sequence. The first part is connected to the fingerprint body and is disposed on a first side, a second side and a third side. The second part extends out of the receiving space through a second opening, and at least part of the second part is located outside the projection of the fingerprint body on the plane where the first side is located.

[0009] The fixing component is disposed within the receiving space, and the fixing component and the reinforcing component are positioned to limit each other, with the fixing component facing the second opening.

[0010] In embodiments of this application, the electronic device may include a housing and a fingerprint module. The fingerprint module may include a fingerprint body, a reinforcing component, a flexible circuit board, and a fixing component. A second portion of the flexible circuit board extends out of the receiving space through a second opening, and at least a portion of the second portion is located outside the projection of the plane containing the first side of the fingerprint body. Thus, through a bending design, the flexible circuit board causes at least a portion of the second portion to deviate from the position of the fingerprint body. When the fingerprint body is pressed, the stress generated by the pressing will not act on the second portion; that is, the second portion can act as a buffer, thereby improving the problem of the flexible circuit board being prone to breakage.

[0011] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a partial perspective view of the fingerprint module of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a partial plan view of the fingerprint module of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0016] Figure label:

[0017] 1. Fingerprint itself;

[0018] 2. Reinforcing components; 21. Positioning posts; 22. Bevels; 23. Metal reinforcement; 231. Slots; 24. Flexible circuit board reinforcement;

[0019] 3. Flexible circuit board; 31. First part; 32. Second part;

[0020] 4. Fixing components; 41. Plastic body; 42. Metal inserts;

[0021] 5. Power switch for the dome switch;

[0022] 6. Elastic sheet;

[0023] 100. Housing; 101. Antenna assembly; 102. First opening; 103. Second opening. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. Furthermore, "and / or" in the specification and claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] The following is combined Figures 1 to 3 This application describes an electronic device provided in an embodiment. In this embodiment, the electronic device may include devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, educational machines, game consoles, smartwatches, and electronic photo albums. These electronic devices may include the fingerprint module mentioned above.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the electronic device provided in this application embodiment may include:

[0030] The housing 100 and the fingerprint module include a fingerprint body 1, a reinforcing component 2, a flexible circuit board 3, and a fixing component 4. The housing 100 has an accommodating space, and two adjacent side walls of the housing 100 have a first opening 102 and a second opening 103, respectively. The reinforcing component 2 is disposed within the accommodating space and includes a first side, a second side, and a third side connected in sequence. The first side and the third side are two opposite sides. The fingerprint body 1 is located on the first side and faces the first opening 102. The flexible circuit board 3 includes a first part 31 and a second part 32 connected in sequence. The first part 31 is connected to the fingerprint body 1 and is disposed on the first side, the second side, and the third side. The second part 32 extends out of the accommodating space through the second opening 103, and at least part of the second part 103 is located outside the projection of the fingerprint body 1 onto the plane of the first side. The fixing component 4 is disposed within the accommodating space and is limited to the reinforcing component 2. The fixing component 4 faces the second opening 103.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device may include a housing 100, which may have two adjacent sidewalls. A first opening 102 and a second opening 103 may be respectively formed on these two sidewalls, and the first opening 102 and the second opening 103 may communicate with the receiving space of the housing 100. A fingerprint module may be installed in the receiving space of the housing 100 through the first opening 102 and the second opening 103. The fingerprint body 1 may face the first opening 102 and close the first opening 102, while the fixing component 4 may face the second opening 103 and close the second opening 103.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the fingerprint body 1 can be a land grid array (LGA), which may include a fingerprint recognition chip. The reinforcing component 2 may include a first side, a second side, and a third side, wherein the first side and the third side are opposite each other, and the second side may connect to the first and third sides. The fingerprint body 1 may be located on the first side of the reinforcing component 2. The reinforcing component 2 provides strength to the fingerprint body 1, preventing damage to the fingerprint recognition chip and potential malfunction when the user presses the fingerprint body 1.

[0033] The flexible circuit board 3 may include a first part 31 and a second part 32. The first part 31 may be disposed on the first side, second side, and third side of the reinforcing component 2, so that the reinforcing component 2 can also support the flexible circuit board 3. The first part 31 may also be connected to the fingerprint body 1, mainly to be in communication with the fingerprint recognition chip to realize the fingerprint recognition function.

[0034] One end of the second part 32 is connected to the first part 31, and the other end extends out of the receiving space through the second opening 103, so that at least a portion of the second part 103 can be located outside the projection of the fingerprint body 1 on the plane of the first side. It is understood that the second part 32 can be bent along a direction perpendicular to the electronic device display panel to form a "U"-shaped structure. In this way, the flexible circuit board 3, through its bending design, ensures that at least a portion of the second part 32 is misaligned with the fingerprint body 1. When the fingerprint body 1 is pressed, the stress generated by the pressing will not act on the second part 32, meaning the second part 32 can act as a buffer, thereby improving the problem of the flexible circuit board 3 being prone to breakage. Simultaneously, the second part 32 requires a certain length of flexible circuit board 3 to form; the bending design can reduce the length of the flexible circuit board 3 extending into the receiving space of the housing 100, which can, to some extent, reduce the slotted space occupied by the fingerprint module in the housing 100.

[0035] In addition, the fixing component 4 can be positioned relative to the reinforcing component 2 by the second opening 103, thereby fixing the fingerprint module within the housing 100's accommodating space. This design is simple and easy to install.

[0036] Optionally, in some embodiments, the fingerprint module may further include:

[0037] The power switch 5 is disposed within the receiving space, and is located on the third side. The power switch 5 is connected to the first part 31 attached to the third side.

[0038] It is understandable that, in order to reduce the number of openings on the housing 100, the fingerprint recognition function and power switch function of the electronic device can be integrated into a single button. Based on this, in this embodiment, as... Figure 2 As shown, the fingerprint module may also include a power switch 5, which may be located on the third side of the reinforcing component 2 and connected to the first part 31.

[0039] In this way, on the one hand, the fingerprint recognition function and power switch function of the electronic device can be integrated together. That is, when pressing the fingerprint body 1, the electronic device can be turned on and fingerprint recognition can be performed to unlock it at the same time, which effectively reduces the user's operation and improves the convenience of using the electronic device. It also reduces the number of openings on the housing 100 and improves the waterproof and dustproof performance of the electronic device. On the other hand, the power dome 5 and the fingerprint body 1 can share a flexible circuit board 3, which can reduce the complexity of assembly, improve the space utilization of the motherboard, and reduce costs.

[0040] Optionally, in some embodiments, the fingerprint module may further include:

[0041] The elastic sheet 6 is disposed within the receiving space and is positioned directly opposite the power switch plate 5.

[0042] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the fingerprint module may also include an elastic sheet 6, which can be positioned directly opposite the power switch 5. This allows the elastic sheet 6 to effectively improve the pressing feel when the user presses the fingerprint sensor 1 to activate the power switch function. For example, the elastic sheet 6 can be made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer rubber. The elastic sheet 6 can be embedded in the receiving space of the housing 100 by means of adhesive or other methods. Then, the flexible circuit board 3 can be inserted through the first opening 102 on the housing 100, and the power switch 5 is also installed in the receiving space of the housing 100, with its position corresponding to the position of the elastic sheet 6, to increase the rebound force of the power switch 5 and improve the pressing feel.

[0043] Optionally, in some embodiments, a slope 22 is provided at the connection between the first side and the second side, and at the connection between the second side and the third side, wherein there is a gap between the slope 22 and the first part 31.

[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a slope 22 can be provided at the corner of the reinforcing component 2 (i.e., the connection between the first side and the second side, and the connection between the second side and the third side). This slope 22 has a gap with the first part 31; in other words, the first part 31 does not contact the slope 22. It is understood that stress is generally more concentrated at corners than at other locations. In this embodiment, by providing the slope 22, the stress on the first part 31 at the corner of the reinforcing component 2 can be effectively reduced, thereby preventing damage to the flexible circuit board 3 and the resulting failure of the fingerprint module function.

[0045] Optionally, in some embodiments, the length of the first side is greater than the length of the third side, wherein the projection of the third side onto the plane containing the first side does not coincide with the projection of the second part 32 onto the plane containing the first side.

[0046] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the lengths of the first and third sides of the reinforcing component 2 can be different, with the first side being longer than the third side, so that the projection of the third side onto the plane containing the first side does not coincide with the projection of the second part 32 onto the plane containing the first side. In other words, the reinforcing component 2 has a notch at the position of the second part 32, allowing the second part 32 to operate without the support of the reinforcing component 2.

[0047] In this way, when the user presses the fingerprint body 1, the second part 32 is not abutted by the reinforcing component 2. The gap of the reinforcing component 2 provides a space for the second part 32 to absorb the pressing pressure, effectively reducing the pressing stress on the second part 32 and further improving the situation where the flexible circuit board 3 is prone to breakage due to long-term pressing.

[0048] Optionally, in some embodiments, a positioning post 21 is provided on the third side, and a positioning hole is provided on the first part 31, with the positioning hole and the positioning post 21 being positioned to limit each other.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a positioning post 21 can be provided on the third side of the reinforcing component 2. The positioning post 21 cooperates with the positioning hole opened in the first part 31, that is, the positioning post 21 is set in the positioning hole, which can play the role of positioning the flexible circuit board 3.

[0050] It is understandable that there can be multiple positioning posts 21, and the number of positioning holes is the same as the number of positioning posts 21. The positioning holes and positioning posts 21 are matched one-to-one for limiting the positioning. This can prevent the flexible circuit board 3 from rotating around a positioning post 21, which would cause the position of the flexible circuit board 3 to deviate. This can effectively improve the positional accuracy of the flexible circuit board 3.

[0051] In some examples, the positioning post 21 can be fixed to the reinforcing component 2 by welding or other means. In other examples, in order to ensure the connection strength between the positioning post 21 and the reinforcing component 2, the positioning post 21 can be integrally formed with the reinforcing component 2.

[0052] In some examples, the position of the positioning post 21 corresponds to the installation position of the power dome 5. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the position of the positioning post 21 can be flush with one side of the installation position of the power switch 5. In this way, when installing the power switch 5, one end of the power switch 5 can be aligned with the position of the positioning post 21, thereby ensuring the positional accuracy of the power switch 5.

[0053] It is understandable that if there are multiple positioning posts 21, the specific distribution of the multiple positioning posts 21 can be designed according to actual needs. For example, they can be evenly distributed on one side of the power dome 5, or they can be distributed on both sides of the power dome 5. No specific limitation is made here. In some examples, the multiple positioning posts 21 can all be located on the first side of the power dome 5, and the housing 100 is provided with an antenna assembly 101. The first side can be the side away from the antenna assembly 101.

[0054] The positioning post 21 is typically made of metal, while the housing 100 of the electronic device usually houses the antenna assembly 101. The metal positioning post 21 may affect the clearance of the antenna assembly 101, thereby affecting the signal of the electronic device. Therefore, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, multiple positioning posts 21 can be located on the first side of the power dome 5, which is the side away from the antenna assembly 101. In this way, the impact of the metal positioning posts 21 on the clearance of the antenna assembly 101 can be reduced to a certain extent, thus ensuring the signal of the electronic device.

[0055] Optionally, in some embodiments, the reinforcing component 2 may include:

[0056] Metal reinforcement 23 is disposed on the side close to the fingerprint body 1;

[0057] Flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 is disposed on the side of metal reinforcement 23 opposite to fingerprint body 1.

[0058] Understandably, given the strength requirements of the fingerprint sensor 1, the reinforcing component 2, which provides support for the fingerprint sensor 1, typically needs to be made of metal. Therefore, as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the reinforcing component 2 in this embodiment may include a metal reinforcement 23 and a flexible circuit board reinforcement 24. The metal reinforcement 23 is disposed on the side close to the fingerprint body 1, providing sufficient support strength for the fingerprint body 1. The flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 may be disposed on the side of the metal reinforcement 23 away from the fingerprint body 1, mainly providing support for the flexible circuit board 3. It may be made of metal or other materials with high hardness such as rubber or plastic; no specific limitation is made here.

[0059] In some examples, the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 is made of FR-4 material. As mentioned above, metal can have a negative impact on the antenna assembly 101 in electronic devices. Therefore, the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 can be made of FR-4 material, which can increase the clearance of the antenna assembly 101 on the one hand, and reduce the weight of the fingerprint module on the other.

[0060] Optionally, in some embodiments, the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 has a through hole, the positioning post 21 is disposed on the metal reinforcement 23, and the positioning post 21 protrudes out of the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 through the through hole.

[0061] like Figure 2As shown above, to increase the clearance of the antenna assembly 101 of the electronic device and reduce the weight of the fingerprint module, the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 can be made of a non-metallic material, while the positioning post 21 is often made of a metallic material. Based on this, the positioning post 21 can be disposed on the metallic reinforcement 23, passing through the through-hole of the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 and protruding from the flexible circuit board reinforcement 24 so that it can be subsequently positioned with the positioning hole of the first part 31. This effectively ensures the connection strength of the positioning post 21.

[0062] Optionally, in some embodiments, the reinforcing component 2 is provided with a slot 231, and the fixing component 4 is a pin, which is limited by the slot 231.

[0063] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a slot 231 can be formed on the reinforcing component 2, and the position of the slot 231 within the receiving space corresponds to the installation position of the fixing component 4. The fixing component 4 can be a pin, which can be inserted into the second opening 103 to cooperate with the slot 231, thereby fixing the fingerprint module within the receiving space of the housing 100. In this way, the assembly process of the fingerprint module in the housing 100 is simple and convenient, and the entire process has low requirements for positional accuracy, effectively improving the installation efficiency of the fingerprint module. Furthermore, the simple structure and small size of the pin further reduce the space occupied by the fingerprint module.

[0064] Optionally, in some embodiments, the pin includes a plastic body 41 and a metal insert 42, the metal insert 42 being disposed on the plastic body 41 and located within the slot 231.

[0065] Understandably, in order to increase the clearance of the antenna assembly 101 of the electronic device and to avoid the problem of easy breakage of the pin, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the pin may include a plastic body 41 and a metal insert 42. The plastic body 41 and the metal insert 42 can be connected together by injection molding or other methods. The metal insert 42 can be located in the slot 231 to achieve a limiting fit between the fixing component 4 and the reinforcing component 2, so as to fix the fingerprint module in the receiving space of the housing 100.

[0066] Other components of the electronic device according to the embodiments of this application, such as camera modules and power supply modules, as well as their operation, are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0068] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: The housing and fingerprint module, the fingerprint module including a fingerprint body, a reinforcing component, a flexible circuit board, and a fixing component, the housing having an accommodating space, and the housing having a first opening and a second opening on two adjacent side walls respectively. The reinforcing component is disposed within the accommodating space, and the reinforcing component includes a first side, a second side, and a third side connected in sequence. The first side and the third side are two opposing sides. The fingerprint body is located on the first side and faces the first opening. The flexible circuit board includes a first part and a second part connected in sequence. The first part is connected to the fingerprint body and is disposed on the first side, the second side and the third side. The second part extends out of the receiving space through the second opening. The second part is bent in a direction perpendicular to the display panel of the electronic device, such that at least part of the second part is located outside the projection of the fingerprint body on the plane where the first side is located. The fixing component is disposed within the receiving space, and the fixing component and the reinforcing component are positioned to limit each other, with the fixing component facing the second opening; Wherein, the length of the first side is greater than the length of the third side, and the projection of the third side onto the plane where the first side is located does not coincide with the projection of the second part onto the plane where the first side is located, so that the second part is not abutted by the reinforcing component. The reinforcing component has a slot, and the fixing component is a pin, which is positioned to limit the slot. The pin includes a plastic body and a metal insert, the metal insert being disposed on the plastic body and located within the slot.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fingerprint module also includes: A power switch is disposed within the receiving space, the power switch is disposed on the third side, and the power switch is connected to the first part attached to the third side.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fingerprint module also includes: An elastic sheet is disposed within the receiving space, and the elastic sheet is positioned directly opposite the power switch plate.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An inclined surface is provided at the connection between the first side and the second side, and at the connection between the second side and the third side, wherein there is a gap between the inclined surface and the first part.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third side is provided with a positioning post, and the first part is provided with a positioning hole, which is positioned to limit the positioning of the positioning post.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The reinforcing components include: Metal reinforcement, wherein the metal reinforcement is disposed on the side close to the fingerprint body; A flexible circuit board reinforcement is provided on the side of the metal reinforcement that is opposite to the fingerprint body.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board reinforcement has a through hole, and the positioning post is disposed on the metal reinforcement, and the positioning post protrudes from the flexible circuit board reinforcement through the through hole.

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