Electronic device and electronic device housing

Abstract

Provided are an electronic device and an electronic device case that improve the adhesive strength of a bracket of a hinge. An electronic device in which a first case and a second case are connected by a hinge, the hinge comprising: a hinge shaft serving as a rotating shaft; a first bracket fixed to the first housing and supporting one end of the hinge shaft; and a second bracket fixed to the second housing and supporting the other end of the hinge shaft, the first bracket having a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion and supporting the one end of the hinge shaft, one edge portion of the first housing being provided with a surface to be bonded to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed by an adhesive. In a first direction from one edge portion of the first case toward the other edge portion on the opposite side, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a recessed portion at an end portion on the side close to the other edge portion, and the chamfered portion or the recessed portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded and is filled with the adhesive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to electronic devices and electronic device housings. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices such as laptop PCs have a structure in which a first housing with a display panel is connected to a second housing with a keyboard, etc., by a hinge. For such electronic devices, there is a structure in which a support member is fixed to the first housing and a bracket screw that supports the hinge axis is installed on the support member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-139653

[0004] Electronic devices like the aforementioned have a strong demand for lightweight and thin design. Therefore, it's possible to consider not using a support component for the hinge, but instead directly bonding and fixing the bracket supporting the hinge axis to the housing. In this structure, the load from housing rotation acts directly on the bonding point where the bracket is bonded to the housing, thus raising concerns about the bonding strength of the bracket. Furthermore, in electronic devices, for example, those capable of rotating up to 180 degrees between housings, there are also cases where torques exceeding 180 degrees are applied.

[0005] In this situation, a force acts on the housing in the direction that peels the adhesive portion bonded to the bracket, thus making the adhesive strength of the bracket even more problematic. Alternatively, increasing the adhesive area of ​​the bracket could be considered to ensure adhesive strength, but this is limited by considerations of the space within the housing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide an electronic device and an electronic device housing that can improve the adhesive strength of the hinge bracket.

[0007] The electronic device according to the first aspect of the present invention is an electronic device in which a first housing and a second housing are connected by a hinge. The hinge includes: a hinge shaft, which serves as a rotation axis; a first bracket, which is fixed to the first housing and supports one end of the hinge shaft; and a second bracket, which is fixed to the second housing and supports the other end of the hinge shaft. The first bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft. An adhesive surface is provided at one edge of the first housing, which is used to fix the plate-shaped portion to an adhesive. In a first direction from one edge of the first housing toward another edge on the opposite side, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end near the other edge. The chamfered portion or concave portion is configured to face the adhesive surface and is filled with the adhesive.

[0008] The second aspect of the present invention relates to an electronic device housing that has a bracket fixed thereon for supporting one end of a hinge shaft that serves as a rotation axis for the hinge. The bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft. An adhesive surface is provided at one edge of the electronic device housing, which is used to fix the plate-shaped portion to the other edge. In a first direction from the one edge to the other edge, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end near the other edge. The chamfered portion or concave portion is configured to face the adhesive surface and is filled with the adhesive.

[0009] According to the above-described method of the present invention, the adhesive strength of the hinge support can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of an electronic device according to one embodiment, viewed from above.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic top view of the first shell.

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the first support and its surrounding parts.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic side sectional view of the first housing rotated 180 degrees relative to the second housing.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a 3D view of the first support.

[0015] Figure 6A It is along Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the VIA-VIA line.

[0016] Figure 6B It is along Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the VIB-VIB line.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a side sectional view of the first bracket and its surrounding parts involved in the first modified example.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a side sectional view of the first support and its surrounding parts involved in the second variation.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a side sectional view of the first support and its surrounding parts involved in the third variation.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0021] 10...electronic device; 11...first housing; 12...second housing; 14...hinge; 18...display panel; 20...housing component; 30, 30A~30C...first bracket; 31...second bracket; 32...hinge shaft; 36...plate-like part; 36a...adhesive surface; 37...bearing part; 38...adhesive surface; 40, 40A...adhesive; 42...embankment; 44, 46, 48...chamfered part; 50...recessed part. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device and electronic device housing involved in the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view, taken from above, of the electronic device 10 according to one embodiment. (As shown) Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 10 in this embodiment is a clamshell laptop PC, and the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 to form a structure that allows relative rotation. In this embodiment, an electronic device 10 based on a laptop PC is shown, but the electronic device may be, in addition to a laptop PC, a standalone display device, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game console.

[0024] The second housing 12 is a flat box and is adjacent to the first housing 11. The interior of the second housing 12 houses various electronic components, including a motherboard housing a CPU, battery, memory, and antenna. The keyboard 16 and touchpad 17 face the upper surface of the second housing 12.

[0025] The first housing 11 is a flat box that is thinner than the second housing 12. The first housing 11 is equipped with a display panel 18. Hereinafter, the first housing 11 and the structural elements mounted thereon will be described based on the direction observed by the user from the display surface 18a of the display panel 18, with the left and right directions referred to as X1 and X2, the up and down directions referred to as Y1 and Y2, and the depth direction (thickness direction) referred to as Z1 and Z2. There may also be cases where the X1 and X2 directions are 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 the Z direction.

[0026] The display surface 18a of the display panel 18 faces the Z1 side surface (front 11a) of the first housing 11. The first housing 11 has a housing member 20 forming the Z2 side surface (back 11b) and a frame member 22 forming the peripheral portion of the front 11a. The top, bottom, left, and right sides of the first housing 11 are formed by vertical walls 23 that rise from the periphery of the housing member 20. The frame member 22 is a frame-shaped thin plate that surrounds the outer periphery of the display panel 18. The hinge 14 is connected to the Y2 side edge (one edge 20b) of the first housing 11 and is covered by a rod-shaped hinge cover 34 extending in the X direction.

[0027] The display panel 18 is, for example, composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL display. The display panel 18 is constructed by laminating layers such as glass, a liquid crystal layer, and a light guide plate, and fixing the outer peripheries of each layer together using double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive. The display panel 18 is secured to the surface using double-sided adhesive tape 24 (see reference 24). Figure 2 It is fixed relative to the inner surface 20a of the shell member 20.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic top view of the first housing 11. Figure 2 The internal structure of the first housing 11 is schematically shown by removing the display panel 18 and the bezel member 22. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the first support 30 and its surrounding parts. Figure 4 It is a schematic side sectional view of the first housing 11 rotated 180 degrees relative to the second housing 12.

[0029] like Figures 2-4 As shown, the housing member 20 of this embodiment has: a rectangular plate portion 26 that includes most of the central portion and a frame portion 27 that joins the outer peripheral edge of the plate portion 26.

[0030] The plate portion 26 is composed of, for example, a prepreg laminate, a resin plate, or a metal plate such as aluminum or titanium. The prepreg laminate is, for example, a structure in which multiple layers of prepreg, obtained by impregnating a matrix resin (such as a thermosetting resin or thermoplastic resin such as epoxy resin) with reinforcing fibers such as carbon resin, are laminated, and, depending on the specifications, intermediate materials such as foam are sandwiched between the prepreg layers. In this embodiment, the plate portion 26 is a carbon fiber reinforced resin plate (CFRP plate) using carbon fiber as the reinforcing fiber.

[0031] The frame portion 27 is a structure in which resin material is injection molded and bonded to the outer periphery of the plate portion 26. The frame portion 27 can be formed, for example, by PCCF (carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate). The plate portion 26 formed by CFRP is lightweight and high-strength, but it has problems in terms of machinability and shape processing. Therefore, the shell member 20 provides a frame portion 27 made of resin material around the plate portion 26, and various shapes such as the upright wall 23, the bonded surface 38 (described later), and the embankment 42 formed on the frame portion 27 are formed.

[0032] On the outer periphery of the housing member 20, including an edge portion 20b, there is a laminated portion 28 formed by stacking a frame portion 27 on the inner surface 26a of the plate portion 26. The laminated portion 28 is used to improve the bonding strength of the frame portion 27 to the plate portion 26 and at the same time to provide protrusions, recesses, and other shapes formed by the frame portion 27 on the edge of the inner surface 26a of the plate portion 26.

[0033] Furthermore, the shell member 20 of this embodiment has a dome-shaped curved surface 20d in which the center of the plate portion 26 is more smoothly recessed than the surrounding area (see reference). Figure 4 The curved shape 20d is formed by partially or entirely bulging the plate portion 26 toward the rear side 11b, causing the inner surface 20a to be recessed in a disc shape. Alternatively, the plate portion 26 may not form a curved shape 20d, but may be formed entirely of a flat surface.

[0034] Next, the structure of hinge 14 and its surrounding parts will be described.

[0035] like Figures 2-4 As shown, hinge 14 is connected to an edge 20b of the housing member 20 constituting the first housing 11. Hinge 14 can have a first support 30, a second support 31, a hinge axis 32, and a hinge cover 34. Hinge 14 has a structure in which a pair of supports 30, 31 and hinge axis 32 are arranged on the left and right sides, and a rod-shaped hinge cover 34 covers the left and right first supports 30 and hinge axis 32. Alternatively, hinge cover 34 can be provided separately relative to the left and right first supports 30 and hinge axis 32.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a 3D view of the first support 30. Figure 6A It is along Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the VIA-VIA line. Figure 6B It is along Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the VIB-VIB line. Figure 6A and Figure 6B The cross-sectional structure of the first support 30 and its surrounding area is shown.

[0037] like Figures 2-6BAs shown, the first bracket 30 is bonded and fixed at the inner surface 20a of an edge portion 20b of the housing member 20 constituting the first housing 11. In other words, the first bracket 30 is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the laminated portion 28.

[0038] The first support 30 has a plate-like portion 36 and a bearing portion 37. The plate-like portion 36 and the bearing portion 37 are integrally formed. The first support 30 is a component formed by CNC (computer numerical control) machining of metals such as aluminum alloy, titanium, and stainless steel.

[0039] The bearing portion 37 is the part that supports one end of the hinge shaft 32. The bearing portion 37 rises from the Y2 side edge of the plate-shaped portion 36 in the Z1 direction and has a roughly arm-shaped or letter P-shaped profile when viewed from the side. A shaft hole 37a is formed in the bearing portion 37 along the X direction for inserting one end of the hinge shaft 32. In this embodiment, one end of the hinge shaft 32 of the hinge 14 is fitted into the shaft hole 37a in a manner that prevents relative rotation. In other words, the first housing 11 rotates integrally with the hinge shaft 32.

[0040] The plate-shaped portion 36 is the part fixed to the first housing 11. The plate-shaped portion 36 is, for example, a thin plate portion having a generally trapezoidal or generally combined shape when viewed from above. The Z2 side surface (adhesive surface 36a) of the plate-shaped portion 36 is fixed to the adhesive surface 38 of the housing member 20 by an adhesive 40. The adhesive surface 38 is formed on the inner surface 20a of an edge portion 20b. The adhesive 40 can be, for example, a two-component curing epoxy adhesive, but is not limited to this type.

[0041] The adhesive surface 38 is provided along the long side (X direction) of one edge 20b of the housing member 20. For example... Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, the bonding surface 38 has a height difference in the Y direction corresponding to the curved surface shape 20d of the housing member 20. When the housing member 20 is flat, it is preferable that the bonding surface 38 is also formed as a flat surface. A support surface 38a that protrudes slightly towards the Z1 side can be provided locally on the bonding surface 38. The support surface 38a ensures the space between the bonding surface 36a of the plate-shaped portion 36 and the bonding surface 38, ensuring the coating thickness of the adhesive 40.

[0042] The bonded surface 38 is surrounded by a dam 42 that rises from the inner surface 20a in the Z1 direction. The dam 42 is a wall that prevents the adhesive 40 from leaking into the periphery of the bonded surface 38. The height of the dam 42 in the Z direction is, for example, the same as the thickness of the plate-like portion 36. The dam 42 also functions to ensure the amount of adhesive 40 filling the inner space of the chamfered portion 44 (described later), and to more reliably ensure the thickness of the adhesive 40.

[0043] like Figures 5-6B As shown, the plate-shaped portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44. The chamfered portion 44 is formed at the end of the plate-shaped portion 36 on the Y1 side. In other words, in the Y direction from one edge portion 20b toward another edge portion 20c on the opposite side, the plate-shaped portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44 at the end near the other edge portion 20c. The chamfered portion 44 is an inclined surface formed at the corner between the adhesive surface 36a and the end face 36b on the Y1 side. The chamfered portion 44 is configured to face the adhesive surface 38 and also face the embankment portion 42.

[0044] Figure 3 Reference numeral 36c in the accompanying drawings is a positioning hole that penetrates the plate-shaped portion 36 in the thickness direction (Z direction). A positioning pin 38b protruding from the bonding surface 38 in the Z1 direction is fitted into the positioning hole 36c to position the plate-shaped portion 36 relative to the bonding surface 38.

[0045] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the second bracket 31 is fixed to the rear edge 12a within the second housing 12 by means of screws or the like. The second bracket 31 supports the other end of the hinge shaft 32 via a predetermined torque generating part, allowing it to rotate relative to the hinge shaft.

[0046] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment and the electronic device housing (first housing 11) constituting it include a first support 30, which has a plate-shaped portion 36 and a bearing portion 37 integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion 36 and supporting one end of the hinge shaft 32. An adhesive surface 38 is provided on one edge 20b of the first housing 11, where the plate-shaped portion 36 is fixed by an adhesive 40. In the Y direction (first direction) from one edge 20b of the housing member 20 toward the opposite edge 20c, the plate-shaped portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44 at its end near the other edge 20c. The chamfered portion 44 is positioned facing the adhesive surface 38 and is filled with adhesive 40. In other words, the plate-shaped portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44 at its corner near the Y1 side, thereby forming a filling space between it and the adhesive surface 38 that allows for a thicker accumulation of adhesive 40 than at other locations on the adhesive surface 36a.

[0047] Thus, the bonding surface 36a of the first bracket 30 is fixed relative to the bonding surface 38 of the first housing 11 by the adhesive 40. Furthermore, for the first bracket 30, the surface of the chamfered portion 44, in which a filling space is formed on the inner side, is fixed relative to the bonding surface 38 by an adhesive 40 with increased thickness. Hereinafter, the adhesive 40 that fills the chamfered portion 44 and increases the coating thickness compared to other locations may also be referred to as "adhesive 40A".

[0048] Therefore, the first bracket 30 is bonded to the bonded surface 38 by adhesives 40 and 40A, thus increasing the bonding strength with respect to the first housing 11. In particular, the first bracket 30 is directly fixed to the housing member 20 by adhesive 40 without the use of screws. Therefore, when the housings 11 and 12 rotate, the adhesive portion formed between the first bracket 30 and the bonded surface 38 directly bears the load applied to the hinge 14. However, the first bracket 30 has a chamfered portion 44 at its Y1-side end. Thus, the adhesive 40A, whose bonding strength is increased by increasing the coating thickness, can withstand the load during the rotation of the housings 11 and 12, and peeling can be suppressed.

[0049] However, for example, Figure 4 As shown, when the first housing 11 is rotated to a 180-degree position relative to the second housing 12, consider the case where a force F1 in a direction exceeding 180 degrees is applied to another edge 20c of the first housing 11. In other words, consider the case where the first housing 11 rotates relative to the second housing 12 beyond its designed rotation limit. In this case, for the first housing 11, one edge 20b abuts against the trailing edge 12a of the second housing 12, physically preventing further rotation. Therefore, by means of the "lever principle" with the hinge axis 32 as the rotation fulcrum, the housing member 20 rotates around... Figure 4 A clockwise rotating force F2 is applied to the adhesive portion where the first support 30 and the first housing 11 are bonded together. In particular, near the end (end face 36b) on the Y1 side of the first support 30, the force F2 acts particularly strongly in the direction that peels the adhesive surface 36a from the bonded surface 38.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, a chamfered portion 44 is provided at the Y1-side end of the first bracket 30, and the filling space inside it holds the adhesive 40A, which increases the coating thickness. Thus, due to the greater adhesive strength of the adhesive 40A, it is possible to suppress the first bracket 30 from peeling off from the bonded surface 38 at the Y1-side end, which is particularly affected by force F2. As a result, the electronic device 10 can effectively suppress the first bracket 30 from peeling off from the bonded surface 38 even when subjected to a load exceeding the aforementioned rotational limit (e.g., 180 degrees).

[0051] In this embodiment, the first support 30 can be formed by CNC machining of metals such as aluminum, as described above. Therefore, the chamfered portion 44 is not a structure cut out in a so-called subsequent processing, but can be formed simultaneously during the machining of the first support 30, resulting in high manufacturing efficiency.

[0052] The first housing 11 may have a embankment 42 that rises in the Y direction on the other edge 20c side (Y1 side) of the bonded surface 38. For example... Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, adhesive 40A can fill the space between the chamfered portion 44 and the embankment portion 42. Therefore, the electronic device 10 can also adequately ensure the width of adhesive 40A in the Y direction, which increases the coating thickness, resulting in more stable adhesive strength.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the plate-shaped portion 36 is wider than the bearing portion 37 in the X direction (second direction) relative to one edge portion 20b. In this case, the chamfered portion 44 can be formed at least in the range R where the plate-shaped portion 36 overlaps with the bearing portion 37 in the Y direction. Therefore, the adhesive 40A can be reliably provided in the range R opposite to the bearing portion 37, which becomes the fulcrum of force F2. Thus, the electronic device 10 can more efficiently suppress the peeling of the first support 30 due to force F2. Of course, as... Figure 4 As shown, the chamfered portion 44 can also be formed across the entire width of the plate-shaped portion 36 in the X direction. In this case, the adhesive 40A can be maximized within this range, thus further improving the adhesive strength.

[0054] The structure that increases the coating thickness of adhesive 40 is not limited to the chamfered portion 44. The structures involved in the following variations can also improve the adhesive strength of the first brackets 30A to 30C.

[0055] Figure 7 This is a side sectional view of the first bracket 30A and its surrounding portion involved in the first modified example. For Figure 7 Regarding the first bracket 30A shown, compared with Figure 6A and Figure 6B Compared to the first bracket 30 shown, it has a chamfered portion 46 with a different shape from the chamfered portion 44. The chamfered portion 44 is a so-called 45-degree chamfer. In contrast, the chamfered portion 46 has a shape in which the corner between the end face 36b and the adhesive surface 36a is cut into a rectangular shape. Such a chamfered portion 46 can also form a filling space between the end of the plate-shaped portion 36 on the Y1 side and the adhesive surface 38 for filling the adhesive 40A that increases the coating thickness.

[0056] Figure 8 This is a side sectional view of the first support 30B and its surrounding portion involved in the second variation. For Figure 8 Regarding the first bracket 30B shown, compared with Figure 6A and Figure 6BCompared to the first bracket 30 shown, it has a chamfered portion 48 with a different shape from the chamfered portion 44. The chamfered portion 48 has a shape in which the corner between the end face 36b and the adhesive surface 36a is cut into a cross-sectional arc shape (arc chamfer shape). Such a chamfered portion 48 can also form a filling space between the end of the plate-shaped portion 36 on the Y1 side and the adhesive surface 38 to fill the adhesive 40A and increase the coating thickness.

[0057] Figure 9 This is a side sectional view of the first bracket 30C and its surrounding parts involved in the third variation. Figure 9 The first bracket 30C shown has a concave portion 50 instead of chamfered portions 44, 46, and 48. The concave portion 50 is formed near the end of the plate-shaped portion 36 on the Y1 side and has a slit shape such that the adhesive surface 36a is cut out in a hole-like shape in the Z1 direction. Such a concave portion 50 can also form a filling space between the end of the plate-shaped portion 36 on the Y1 side and the adhesive surface 38 to fill the adhesive 40A, which increases the coating thickness.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is self-evident that it can be freely modified within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device, wherein a first housing and a second housing are connected by a hinge, characterized in that, The hinge has: The hinge axis becomes the axis of rotation; A first bracket, fixed to the first housing, and supporting one end of the hinge shaft; and The second bracket, which is fixed to the second housing, supports the other end of the hinge shaft. The first bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft. An adhesive surface is provided at one edge of the first housing to fix the plate-shaped portion in place by means of an adhesive. In a first direction from one edge of the first housing toward another edge on the opposite side, the plate-like portion has a chamfered or concave portion at the end near the other edge. The chamfered or concave portion is positioned facing the surface to be bonded and is filled by the adhesive.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first housing has a dam that rises in the first direction on the other edge of the bonded surface. The adhesive is filled between the chamfered portion and the embankment, or between the concave portion and the embankment.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Relative to the second direction along the one edge portion, the plate-shaped portion is formed to be wider than the bearing portion, and the chamfered or concave portion is formed at least in the range where the plate-shaped portion overlaps with the bearing portion in the first direction.

4. An electronic device housing having a bracket fixed thereon for supporting one end of a hinge axis, which serves as a rotation axis of the hinge. The electronic device housing is characterized in that... The bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft. An adhesive surface is provided at one edge of the electronic device housing to fix the plate-shaped part in place by means of an adhesive. In a first direction from one edge portion toward another edge portion on the opposite side, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered or concave portion at the end near the other edge portion. The chamfered or concave portion is positioned facing the surface to be bonded and is filled by the adhesive.

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