Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To suitably support a display part.SOLUTION: A scientific calculator 1 comprises: a liquid crystal display 2; and a protection panel 3 for supporting a back face of the liquid crystal display 2. The protection panel 3 comprises: a plurality of ribs 30 erected on a principal plane on the opposite side of the liquid crystal display 2; and a plurality of recesses 35 surrounded by the plurality of ribs 30. The plurality of recesses 35 include the ones with nonuniform size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in electronic devices such as scientific calculators, a protective panel that supports a liquid crystal display may be placed on the back of the display. Although aluminum protective panels are preferably used for this type of protective panel, resin protective panels are more preferable in terms of reducing weight.

[0003] In some resin protective panels, ribs are provided on the back surface in order to reduce weight while improving strength (rigidity). Such ribs are generally formed in a uniform pattern such as a honeycomb shape or a diamond shape, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-10414 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-62400 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, a uniform pattern of ribs does not adequately accommodate loads that are unevenly distributed across the protective panel. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a suitable support for a display unit such as a liquid crystal display. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic device, A display unit; A support member for supporting a rear surface of the display unit; Equipped with the support member has a plurality of ribs provided upright on a main surface opposite to the display unit, and a plurality of recesses surrounded by the plurality of ribs, The plurality of recesses include recesses having non-uniform sizes. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the display unit can be supported in an appropriate manner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a scientific calculator according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1A is a rear view of the upper half of the inside of the scientific calculator, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the deformation behavior analysis results of a protection panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 illustrates design loads for topology analysis. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the analysis results of a topology analysis. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an analytical model for deformation amount analysis. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the results of an analysis of the amount of deformation of a liquid crystal display. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the results of an analysis of the deformation amount of a protection panel. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a rear view of the inside of a scientific calculator when the battery spring is placed on the protective panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a scientific calculator 1 according to this embodiment, FIG. 2(a) is a view of the upper half of the interior of the scientific calculator 1 as seen from the rear side, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 2(a). In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions refer to the directions shown in each drawing. In other words, the front-rear direction refers to the front-to-back direction (thickness direction) of the scientific calculator 1, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the scientific calculator 1, and the top-bottom direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the scientific calculator 1.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, scientific calculator 1 is an example of an electronic device according to the present invention, and is formed into a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction. Scientific calculator 1 has a front case 11 that covers the front side (front surface), and a rear case 12 that covers the rear side (rear surface). Front case 11 is provided with a liquid crystal display 2 that displays various information, and a plurality of operation buttons 13 that receive user operations. Front case 11 and rear case 12 engage in the front-rear direction to form the housing of scientific calculator 1.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, a liquid crystal display 2 and its protective panel 3 are housed inside a housing defined by a front case 11 and a rear case 12. The liquid crystal display 2 is an example of a display unit according to the present invention, and is disposed above the center in the vertical direction of the scientific calculator 1. The liquid crystal display 2 has a liquid crystal main body 21 and a connector unit 22.

[0013] The liquid crystal body 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction and short in the up-down direction, and the front display surface is exposed to the front of the scientific calculator 1 through the front case 11. The connector section 22 is a terminal section of the liquid crystal display 2 for electrically connecting the liquid crystal main body 21 to a printed circuit board 41 on which a control circuit is mounted, and is provided below the liquid crystal main body 21. The connector section 22 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 41, which is located below the liquid crystal display 2, via a flexible board 42 connected to the center of the left and right sides of the connector section 22. The connector section 22 is located forward of the rear surface of the liquid crystal main body 21, and is separated from the protection panel 3.

[0014] The protective panel 3 is an example of a support member according to the present invention, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is slightly larger than the liquid crystal display 2. The protective panel 3 is disposed so as to cover substantially the entire back surface (rear surface) of the liquid crystal display 2, and is attached to the rear surface of the liquid crystal main body 21 with double-sided tape (not shown) to support the liquid crystal display 2. The protective panel 3 of this embodiment is formed of resin (contains resin).

[0015] The portion of the rear surface of the protective panel 3 that corresponds to the liquid crystal display 2 is a reinforcement portion R with increased rigidity, and is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 30. The reinforcement portion R in this embodiment is formed symmetrically in the left-right direction and asymmetrically in the top-bottom direction, and has a first reinforcement portion R1 that corresponds to the position of the liquid crystal main body 21 and a second reinforcement portion R2 that is provided in the center of the left-right direction below the first reinforcement portion R1. Specifically, the multiple ribs 30 include multiple first ribs 31 extending obliquely relative to the vertical direction, multiple second ribs 32 parallel to the left-right direction, and two third ribs 33 parallel to the vertical direction.

[0016] In this embodiment, the four first ribs 31 are arranged symmetrically in the left-right direction, that is, formed in a shape that is line-symmetrical with respect to the left-right center line V of the liquid crystal main body 21. The first ribs 31 closer to the left-right center line V have a smaller inclination angle with respect to the up-down direction and stand upright. Moreover, the first ribs 31 are arranged asymmetrically in the vertical direction. More specifically, each first rib 31 is bent toward the horizontal center with a bending point at a position on the vertical center line H of the liquid crystal main body 21, and is inclined so as to approach the horizontal center line V as it moves away from the vertical center line H. Although each first rib 31 extends at approximately the same inclination angle above and below the bending point, the distance from the vertical center line H to the bottom end is longer than the distance from the vertical center line H to the top end. Therefore, each first rib 31 is asymmetrical in the vertical direction.

[0017] In this embodiment, six second ribs 32 are arranged vertically at approximately equal intervals. However, only the length L3 of the lowermost second rib 32b is shorter than the length (L1, L2) of the other second ribs 32a, and is disposed in the left-right center to connect the lower ends of the four first ribs 31. Two third ribs 33 are disposed at both the left and right ends of the first reinforcing portion R1, and connect the left and right ends of the five second ribs 32a, respectively. However, the lower end of each third rib 33 is bent in a chamfered shape and connected to the second rib 32a. In addition, of the fifth second rib 32a from the top, a third rib 33a that is slightly shorter in the vertical direction extends downward slightly outward from the intersection with the first ribs 31 on both the left and right sides. Only this third rib 33a has one end (lower end) that is not connected to the other ribs 30. Of the reinforcing portion R, the rectangular portion blocked by the upper end and the fifth second rib 32a from the top and the two third ribs 33 on the left and right constitutes the first reinforcing portion R1, and the portion below this constitutes the second reinforcing portion R2.

[0018] By arranging the multiple ribs 30 as described above, multiple recesses 35 surrounded by the multiple ribs 30 are formed on the rear surface of the protective panel 3. That is, the multiple recesses 35 are defined by the multiple first ribs 31, the multiple second ribs 32, and the two third ribs 33. The multiple recesses 35 are formed with non-uniform sizes, and in this embodiment, the size of the recesses is generally smaller the farther they are from the left-right center line V of the liquid crystal display 2 (liquid crystal main body 21). More specifically, of the multiple recesses 35, the multiple recesses 35 arranged near the center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2 are distributed more sparsely than the multiple recesses 35 arranged near both ends in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the multiple recesses 35 are arranged so that they are more densely packed at the left and right end sides than at the left-right center side. The plurality of recesses 35 may include recesses of the same size as long as the recesses are of non-uniform size (different sizes).

[0019] A plurality of hooks 36 and extensions 37 are provided on both the left and right sides of the lower end of the protective panel 3 (on both the left and right sides of the second reinforcing portion R2). The multiple hooks 36 are for retaining lead wires (wires) 45. The lead wires 45 electrically connect the solar panel 43, the battery 44, etc., which are arranged above the protective panel 3, to the printed circuit board 41, and are routed over and beside the rib 30. Note that it is sufficient that the hooks 36 are provided on at least one side, either left or right, of the portion of the protective panel 3 that corresponds to the connector portion 22. The extensions 37 extend downward from the lower ends of both the left and right sides of the protection panel 3 and support a printed circuit board 41 .

[0020] Next, the analysis for determining the shape of the rib 30 will be described. In this analysis, first, we confirmed the deformation behavior of the protective panel 3 when an external force is applied to the scientific calculator 1. A simple flat plate model without ribs 30 was used as the protective panel 3, and calculations were performed for the case in which the panel was dropped from both the front and rear sides while housed inside the scientific calculator 1. Figures 3(a) and (b) show the main deformation behavior of the protective panel 3 (analysis model) (deformation magnification: 50 times). As shown in this figure, when the scientific calculator 1 is dropped, the protective panel 3 deforms so that the four corners of the panel are lifted (Figure 3(a)), or the center of the bottom edge is bent (Figure 3(b)).

[0021] Next, the optimal shape of the protection panel 3 (rib 30) was obtained by topology analysis. Here, a load was set to simulate the deformation behavior of the protective panel 3 obtained above. As shown in Fig. 4, a specified load was applied forward to both upper ends (Fig. 4(a)), both lower ends (Fig. 4(b)), and the center of the lower end (Fig. 4(c)) of the protective panel 3. The optimal shape when the surface of the flat plate model to which this set load was applied was thinned to a specified mass was obtained by topology analysis. The analysis results are shown in Figure 5. Figures 5(a) and (b) show the hollowed-out areas (light-colored areas) when the target mass was reduced by 30% and 50%. As shown in these figures, a shape similar to the protective panel 3 (rib 30) of this embodiment was obtained as the optimal shape when the mass was reduced to 50%.

[0022] Next, an analysis for evaluating the shape of the rib 30 will be described. In this analysis, the shape of the protection panel 3 (ribs 30) of this embodiment and the deformed shape thereof were evaluated based on the amount of deformation of the protection panel 3 itself and the liquid crystal display 2. The analytical model is shown in FIG. 6. The analytical model is composed of a protective panel 3, a liquid crystal display 2, a front case 11 (only the periphery of the protective panel 3), and a double-sided tape (both the upper and lower ends of the liquid crystal body 21 are attached to the protective panel 3). However, the protective panel 3 is a model in which the hook 36 and the extension part 37 are omitted. In addition, three analytical models were evaluated: one without the second reinforcing part R2 (FIG. 6(a)), one according to the present embodiment (with the second reinforcing part R2; FIG. 6(b)), and one in which the second reinforcing part R2 is expanded to the same width as the first reinforcing part R1 (FIG. 6(c)). For each of these analytical models, the amount of deformation was calculated when a predetermined load was applied to the load point P at the center bottom of the protective panel 3.

[0023] The amount of deformation of the liquid crystal display 2 is shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, the presence or absence of the second reinforcing portion R2 does not significantly affect the amount of deformation of the liquid crystal display 2. However, if the second reinforcing portion R2 is extended in the left and right directions (i.e., at least the second ribs 32 are shaped to have the same length in the left and right directions in the portion corresponding to the connector portion 22 and the portion corresponding to the liquid crystal main body 21), the amount of deformation of the liquid crystal display 2 can be further suppressed.

[0024] The deformation amount of the protection panel 3 is shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, the presence or absence of the second reinforcing portion R2 does not significantly affect the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3. However, if the second reinforcing portion R2 is extended to the left and right, the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3 can be further suppressed, similar to the liquid crystal display 2.

[0025] As described above, according to this embodiment, the protective panel 3 supporting the liquid crystal display 2 has a plurality of ribs 30 standing on the rear surface and a plurality of recesses 35 surrounded by the plurality of ribs 30, and the plurality of recesses 35 include those having non-uniform sizes. That is, the recesses 35 can be distributed in density between areas that require more strength (rigidity) and areas that do not. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the protective panel 3 while maintaining appropriate rigidity, unlike the conventional method in which ribs are provided in a uniform pattern. Therefore, the liquid crystal display 2 can be supported suitably. Here, the “size” of the recess 35 may include the concept of volume taking into account the height of the rib 30 in addition to the area of ​​the recess 35 surrounded by the rib 30 .

[0026] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, among the multiple recesses 35, those arranged near the center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2 are distributed more sparsely than those arranged near both ends in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the left and right sides of the protection panel 3, which are subject to a greater load, while reducing the weight of the left and right central parts, which are subject to a smaller load.

[0027] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, among the multiple second ribs 32, the second rib 32b corresponding to the connector portion 22 is shorter than the second rib 32a corresponding to the liquid crystal body 21 in the left-right direction. As a result, the hook 36 for engaging the lead wire 45 can be provided on the lower portion of the protective panel 3 corresponding to the connector portion 22. As a result, the lead wire 45 does not get in the way during assembly work, etc., and the efficiency of assembly work, etc. is improved compared to when there is no hook 36. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of manufacturing defects in which the lead wire 45 gets caught when closing the front case 11 and the rear case 12, etc.

[0028] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the protective panel 3 is made of resin (contains resin), there is no need to insulate, for example, a metal battery spring extending from the battery box. That is, since a metal battery spring has no coating, in the case of a metal protective panel, at least the portion that comes into contact with the battery spring needs to be insulated. In this regard, in the case of a resin (including resin) protective panel 3, even if a battery box 47 that houses a dry cell 46 is arranged, as shown in Fig. 9, for example, a battery spring 48 extending from the battery box 47 can be passed over it without the need for insulating (coating) treatment. In this case, the battery spring 48 is routed instead of the lead wire 45 in this embodiment, and therefore, as in the case of the lead wire 45, the second rib 32b can be shortened in the left-right direction and a hook 36 can be provided to suitably hold the battery spring 48. The reason for using battery spring 48 instead of lead wire 45 for wiring when using dry cell battery 46 is to enable soldering by automated machines, as well as to reduce the assembly time required for wiring. Since lead wire 45 is easily deformed, it takes time to wire it without causing assembly defects. In this regard, when battery spring 48 is used, although the cost of the part itself increases slightly, the assembly work time can be shortened, resulting in an overall reduction in costs.

[0029] Incidentally, the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0030] For example, the specific shapes (arrangement, position, quantity, etc.) of the multiple ribs 30 (recesses 35) are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and the multiple recesses 35 may be configured to include those of non-uniform sizes. In addition, in this embodiment, the pattern of the recesses 35 is designed to be dense at both ends of the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2, mainly based on the results of topology analysis. However, the pattern of the recesses 35 may be designed to be dense near the center depending on the liquid crystal to be protected or the housing.

[0031] Furthermore, the electronic device according to the present invention is not limited to a scientific calculator (electronic desk calculator) and can be widely applied to electronic devices in general that have a display unit, such as electronic dictionaries and smartphones. Moreover, the display unit according to the present invention is not limited to a liquid crystal display.

[0032] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application. [Additional Notes] <Claim 1> A display unit; A support member for supporting a rear surface of the display unit; Equipped with the support member has a plurality of ribs provided upright on a main surface opposite to the display unit, and a plurality of recesses surrounded by the plurality of ribs, The plurality of recesses include recesses having non-uniform sizes. 1. An electronic device comprising: <Claim 2> Among the plurality of recesses, a plurality of recesses arranged near a center in a longitudinal direction of the display unit are distributed more sparsely than a plurality of recesses arranged near both ends in the longitudinal direction. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1 . <Claim 3> the plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs extending obliquely with respect to a first direction corresponding to a short-side direction of the display unit, The plurality of first ribs are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first direction. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2. <Claim 4> The plurality of first ribs are disposed symmetrically with respect to a second direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the display unit perpendicular to the short-side direction. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3 . <Claim 5> the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the display unit perpendicular to the short-side direction, The plurality of recesses include those defined by the plurality of first ribs and the plurality of second ribs. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3 . <Claim 6> The support member includes a resin. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1 . <Claim 7> the display unit has a connector unit at one side in a short side direction and at a center in a long side direction, the connector portion is spaced apart from the support member more than a main body portion of the display portion is spaced apart from the support member, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction; The second ribs have a portion corresponding to the connector portion and a portion corresponding to the main body portion, the portion having the same length in the longitudinal direction. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, <Claim 8> the display unit has a connector unit at one side in a short side direction and at a center in a long side direction, the connector portion is spaced apart from the support member more than a main body portion of the display portion is spaced apart from the support member, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction; Among the plurality of second ribs, a portion corresponding to the connector portion is shorter in the longitudinal direction than a portion corresponding to the main body portion. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, <Claim 9> The support member includes a hook for engaging a wire on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of a portion of the support member corresponding to the connector portion. 9. The electronic device according to claim 8, <Claim 10> each of the plurality of ribs is positioned based on a result of a topological analysis; 9. The electronic device according to claim 8, [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Scientific calculator (electronic device) 2 LCD display (display unit) 3 Protective panel (support member) 11 Front case 12 Rear case 21 LCD unit (main unit) 22 Connector part 30 Ribs 31 First Rib 32, 32a, 32b Second rib 33, 33a 3rd Rib 35 Recess 36 Hook 41 Printed Circuit Board H Upper and lower center line V Left and right center line R Reinforcement R1 First reinforcement part R2 2nd reinforcement part

Claims

1. A display unit; A support member for supporting a rear surface of the display unit; Equipped with the support member has a plurality of ribs provided upright on a main surface opposite to the display unit, and a plurality of recesses surrounded by the plurality of ribs, The plurality of recesses include recesses having non-uniform sizes.

1. An electronic device comprising:

2. Among the plurality of recesses, a plurality of recesses arranged near a center in a longitudinal direction of the display unit are distributed more sparsely than a plurality of recesses arranged near both ends in the longitudinal direction.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

3. the plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs extending obliquely with respect to a first direction corresponding to a short-side direction of the display unit, The plurality of first ribs are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first direction.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.

4. The first ribs are disposed symmetrically with respect to a second direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the display unit that is perpendicular to the short-side direction.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3.

5. the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the display unit perpendicular to the short-side direction, The plurality of recesses include recesses defined by the plurality of first ribs and the plurality of second ribs.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3.

6. The support member includes a resin.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

7. the display unit has a connector unit at one side in a short side direction and at a center in a long side direction, the connector portion is spaced apart from the support member more than a main body portion of the display portion is spaced apart from the support member, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction; The second ribs have a portion corresponding to the connector portion and a portion corresponding to the main body portion, the portion having the same length in the longitudinal direction.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6.

8. the display unit has a connector unit at one side in a short side direction and at a center in a long side direction, the connector portion is spaced apart from the support member more than a main body portion of the display portion is spaced apart from the support member, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction; Among the plurality of second ribs, a portion corresponding to the connector portion is shorter in the longitudinal direction than a portion corresponding to the main body portion.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6.

9. The support member includes a hook for engaging a wire on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of a portion of the support member corresponding to the connector portion.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8.

10. each of the plurality of ribs is positioned based on a result of a topological analysis; 9. The electronic device according to claim 8.

Images