Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To prevent the breakage of a housing member even when a malfunction occurs in a battery.SOLUTION: An electric apparatus includes: a first housing member; a second housing member to which the first housing member is detachably attached; and a battery. The electric apparatus further includes: a plurality of screws provided along a first edge of the housing member and fixing the first edge to the second housing member; a first engaging piece provided at one end in a longitudinal direction of a second edge of the first housing member; a second engaging piece provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second edge; a first reception part provided in the second housing member and detachably receiving the first engaging piece; and a second reception part for detachably receiving the second engaging piece. The battery is arranged at a position closer to the second edge side rather than the first edge side in a housing. An end face of the first engaging piece and an end face of the first reception part each have a first slope. An end face of the second engaging piece and an end face of the second reception part each have a second slope.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device having a battery housed in a housing. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic devices such as notebook PCs and tablet PCs typically include a housing formed into a flat box shape by stacking and connecting two housing members, and a battery housed within the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6212322 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Currently, the above-mentioned batteries include lithium ion batteries that can be both thin and have a large capacity, and lithium polymer batteries that are further thinned by wrapping the cells in a thin film package. Although rare, these batteries may expand in volume by 400 to 500% or more during use due to manufacturing defects, etc. Batteries with such defects need to be replaced, but there is a concern that the expansion may cause plastic deformation of the housing members or damage such as cracks. In that case, not only the battery but also the housing needs to be replaced, which increases the cost and effort of maintenance.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide an electronic device that can prevent damage to housing members even in the event of a battery failure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing having a first housing member formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape having a first edge and a second edge that are substantially parallel to each other, and a second housing member to which the first housing member is detachably connected, a battery accommodated in the housing, a plurality of screws provided along the first edge of the first housing member for fastening the first edge to the second housing member, a first engagement piece provided at one end in a longitudinal direction of the second edge of the first housing member and protruding outward from the second edge, and a second engagement piece provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second edge of the first housing member and protruding outward from the second edge. the battery is disposed within the housing at a position closer to the second edge side than to the first edge side, and an end face of the first engagement piece and an end face of the first receiving portion each have a first inclined surface that gradually slopes from the first edge side to the second edge side in a first direction from the one end side to the other end side, and the end face of the second engagement piece and the end face of the second receiving portion each have a second inclined surface that gradually slopes from the second edge side to the first edge side in the first direction. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above-described aspects of the present invention, even if a battery malfunctions, damage to the housing members can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the housing. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing the battery shown in FIG. 3A in an expanded state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the engagement piece and its surroundings. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the receiving portion and its surrounding area. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a bottom view showing a state immediately before the engagement piece is engaged with the receiving portion. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a bottom view showing a state in which the engagement piece shown in FIG. 6A is engaged with the receiving portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a schematic engagement state of the first to third engagement portions. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an engagement state between the engagement piece of the first engagement portion and the receiving portion when the engagement piece moves in an oblique direction. [Figure 9] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an engagement state between the first engagement portion shown in FIG. 8 and the receiving portion when an engagement piece of an engagement portion according to a comparative example moves in an oblique direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a plan view of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 is a notebook PC, but the electronic device to which the present invention can be applied may be other than the notebook PC, such as a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game machine. As shown in Fig. 1, the electronic device 10 has a configuration in which a housing 12 and a lid 14 are connected by a hinge 16 so as to be relatively rotatable. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the lid 14 is opened from the housing 12 (usage state).

[0011] The cover 14 has a flat box shape. A display 18 is mounted on the front of the cover 14. The display 18 is, for example, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display or a liquid crystal display. It is connected to the rear edge of the housing 12 by a hinge 16. FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration in which the cover 14 is connected to the housing 12 by a pair of left and right hinges 16. The hinge 16 may be configured as a long structure extending in the X direction, a so-called one-bar hinge, or the like.

[0012] In the following, the housing 12 will be described as being the X1, X2 directions in the left-right width direction, the Y1, Y2 directions in the front-back depth direction, and the Z1, Z2 directions in the top-bottom thickness direction, as viewed from a user operating the keyboard 20 while looking at the display 18 in the usage mode shown in Fig. 1. The X1 and X2 directions are sometimes collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1, Y2 directions and the Z1, Z2 directions are sometimes similarly referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction.

[0013] The housing 12 has a structure in which a first housing member 22 and a second housing member 23 are connected. The housing 12 has a flat box shape. The keyboard 20 is fixed to the second housing member 23 and faces a surface 12a of the housing 12. A touchpad 24 is provided on the surface 12a of the housing 12, in front of the keyboard 20. The housing 12 contains electronic components such as a motherboard 26 on which a CPU, memory, etc. are mounted, as well as a cooling module 27 for cooling the CPU, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, a battery 28 that serves as a power source for the electronic device 10 is housed inside the housing 12. The battery 28 is, for example, a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery. In this embodiment, a lithium polymer battery is used. The battery 28 has, for example, a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the X direction and short in the Y direction. The battery 28 is disposed in the housing 12 at a position away from the center in the Y direction toward the Y1 side. Therefore, the battery 28 extends in the X direction at a position close to the edge 22d and the standing wall 23d of the housing 12. The motherboard 26 is disposed so as to be aligned with the Y2 side of the battery 28, and extends in the X direction.

[0015] Next, a specific example of the configuration of the housing 12 will be described.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the housing 12. FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the battery 28 shown in FIG. 3A is expanded. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3A, the first housing member 22 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. The second housing member 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular bathtub shape. The housing members 22 and 23 can be formed of a metal material such as magnesium or aluminum, a resin material such as ABS resin or glass fiber reinforced plastic, or a carbon material such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

[0017] The first housing member 22 forms the bottom surface 12b of the housing 12. The first housing member 22 extends along the Y direction and has a pair of edges 22a, 22b that are approximately parallel to each other, and a pair of edges 22c, 22d that extend along the X direction and are approximately parallel to each other. The second housing member 23 has standing walls 23a to 23d that form the four circumferential side surfaces of the housing 12 at the four peripheral edges, and is open on the bottom surface 12b side. The standing walls 23a to 23d are in close contact with the edges 22a to 22d, respectively. The first housing member 22 serves as a cover member that closes the opening on the bottom surface 12b side of the second housing member 23. The standing wall 23c that forms the side surface on the Y2 side of the housing 12 has recessed portions 16a near both the left and right ends. The recessed portions 16a are installation spaces for the hinges 16.

[0018] The edge portions 22a, 22b and the edge portions 22c, 22d being approximately parallel to each other includes not only the case where the edge portions 22a to 22d are formed in completely straight lines and are completely parallel to each other, but also the case where the edge portions 22a to 22d are slightly curved or uneven and are not completely parallel. Therefore, the outer shape of the first housing member 22 whose four sides are formed by such edge portions 22a to 22d is also called approximately rectangular as a concept including a perfect square and a slightly distorted square.

[0019] Reference numeral 30 in Fig. 2 denotes rubber legs fixed at appropriate positions on the bottom surface 12b. Reference numeral 27a in Fig. 2 denotes an air intake port for the cooling module 27, which is formed, for example, by a plurality of slits opened in the bottom surface 12b.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the first housing member 22 is detachably connected to the second housing member 23 using a fastening portion 32, a first engagement portion 34, a second engagement portion 35, a third engagement portion 36, an adsorption portion 38, and an auxiliary engagement portion 40.

[0021] 2 and 3A, the fastening portion 32 is composed of a screw 42 and a screw hole 43 into which the screw 42 is screwed. The fastening portion 32 is provided at, for example, three locations along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the edge portion 22c of the first housing member 22. The fastening portion 32 fastens one end (X1 side) and the other end (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22c, as well as intermediate portions between these end portions, to the second housing member 23. The arrangement and number of the fastening portions 32 can be changed as appropriate.

[0022] The screw 42 is, for example, inserted in the Z1 direction into a boss portion 42a protruding in the Z1 direction from the inner surface 22e of the first housing member 22. The screw hole 43 is formed, for example, in the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion 43a protruding in the Z2 direction from the inner surface 23e of the second housing member 23. This enables the fastening portion 32 to firmly fix the edge portion 22c of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23.

[0023] 2 and 3A, the first engagement portion 34 is composed of an engagement piece (first engagement piece) 44 and a receiving portion (first receiving portion) 45. The first engagement portion 34 is a hook-shaped latch-type engagement portion that connects the edge portion 22d of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23. The first engagement portion 34 is provided on the inner surface 22e of one end portion 22d1 (X1 side) in the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d. In other words, the first engagement portion 34 is located near the corner between the X1 side end portion and the Y1 side end portion of the first housing member 22.

[0024] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the engagement piece 44 and its periphery. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the receiving portion 45 and its periphery. FIG. 6A is a bottom view showing a state immediately before the engagement piece 44 is engaged with the receiving portion 45. FIG. 6B is a bottom view showing a state in which the engagement piece 44 shown in FIG. 6A is engaged with the receiving portion 45. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a schematic engagement state of the first to third engagement portions 34 to 36. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the housing 12 as viewed from the bottom surface 12b side with the first housing member 22 other than the engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48 omitted.

[0025] 4, 6A and 7, the engagement piece 44 is a hook-shaped portion provided on the inner surface 22e of the end portion 22d1 on one side (X1 side) of the edge portion 22d and protruding toward the outside (Y1 side) of the edge portion 22d. The engagement piece 44 has a protruding piece 44a, a claw portion 44b, and an inclined surface 44c.

[0026] The protruding piece 44a is a plate piece that protrudes in the Z1 direction from the inner surface 22e of the first housing member 22. The claw portion 44b is bent from the tip of the protruding piece 44a and protrudes in the Y1 direction.

[0027] As shown by the dot pattern in FIG. 4, the inclined surface 44c has a configuration in which a part of the tip surface (Y1 side end surface) of the claw portion 44b is cut. The inclined surface 44c is a vertical surface along the Z direction, and gradually inclines from the Y2 side to the Y1 side in the X2 direction. That is, in a plan view of the housing 12, the inclined surface 44c gradually inclines from the edge portion 22c side to the edge portion 22d side in the X2 direction (first direction) from one end 22d1 side of the edge portion 22d to the other end 22d2 side. The claw portion 44b has such an inclined surface 44c at its tip. This makes it easier for the engagement piece 44 to be released from the engagement state with the receiving portion 45 when it moves horizontally in a diagonal direction (X2-Y2 direction) between the X2 direction and the Y2 direction.

[0028] 5, 6A, and 7, the receiving portion 45 is formed on the inner wall surface of the standing wall 23d of the second housing member 23 corresponding to the edge portion 22d, and is a portion for engaging and disengaging the hook-shaped engaging piece 44. The receiving portion 45 has a receiving surface 45a and an inclined surface 45b.

[0029] The standing wall 23d has a plate piece 45c formed thereon that protrudes in the Y2 direction from the inner wall surface. The receiving surface 45a is the Z1 side surface of the plate piece 45c. The receiving surface 45a functions as a locking surface that locks the Z2 side surface of the claw portion 44b of the engagement piece 44 in the Z direction. The receiving portion 45 of this embodiment has a recess 45d recessed toward the Y1 side on the inner wall surface of the standing wall 23d, thereby causing the plate piece 45c and the receiving surface 45a to protrude from the inner wall surface. The receiving portion 45 may be formed by not providing the recess 45d and by having the plate piece 45c protrude from the inner wall surface of the standing wall 23d.

[0030] As shown by the dot pattern in FIG. 5, the inclined surface 45b is formed by cutting a part of the tip surface (Y2 side end surface) of the receiving portion 45 (plate piece 45c). The inclined surface 45b is a vertical surface along the Z direction, and gradually inclines from the Y2 side to the Y1 side in the X2 direction. That is, when the direction of each part of the first housing member 22 in a plan view of the housing 12 is used as a reference, the inclined surface 45b gradually inclines from the edge portion 22c side to the edge portion 22d side in the X2 direction (first direction) from one end 22d1 side of the edge portion 22d to the other end 22d2 side. The receiving portion 45 has such an inclined surface 45b at its tip. This makes it easier for the receiving surface 45a to be released from the engagement state with the claw portion 44b when the engagement piece 44 moves horizontally in the X2-Y2 direction.

[0031] 2 and 3A, the second engagement portion 35 is composed of an engagement piece (second engagement piece) 46 and a receiving portion (second receiving portion) 47. The second engagement portion 35 is a hook-shaped latch-type engagement portion that connects the edge portion 22d of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23. The second engagement portion 35 is provided on the inner surface 22e of the other end portion 22d2 (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d. In other words, the second engagement portion 35 is located near the corner between the X2 side end portion and the Y1 side end portion of the first housing member 22.

[0032] The second engagement portion 35 of this embodiment has a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane (YZ plane) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d (see Figs. 2 and 7). Therefore, the components of the engagement piece 46 and the receiving portion 47 are given the same reference numerals as the components of the engagement piece 44 and the receiving portion 45 constituting the first engagement portion 34 described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] That is, the engagement piece 46 also has a protruding piece 44a, a claw portion 44b, and an inclined surface 44c. The inclined surface 44c of the engagement piece 46 is a vertical surface along the Z direction, and is gradually inclined from the Y2 side to the Y1 side in the X1 direction. That is, in a plan view of the housing 12, the inclined surface 44c of the engagement piece 46 is gradually inclined from the edge portion 22d side to the edge portion 22c side in the X2 direction (first direction) from one end 22d1 side of the edge portion 22d to the other end 22d2 side. Similarly, the receiving portion 47 also has a receiving surface 45a and an inclined surface 45b. The inclined surface 45b of the receiving portion 47 is a vertical surface along the Z direction, and is gradually inclined from the Y2 side to the Y1 side in the X1 direction. In other words, when the direction of each part of the first housing member 22 is used as a reference in a plan view of the housing 12, the inclined surface 45b of the receiving portion 47 gradually inclines from the edge portion 22d side to the edge portion 22c side in the X2 direction (first direction) from one end 22d1 side of the edge portion 22d to the other end 22d2 side.

[0034] In this way, the second engagement portion 35 also has inclined surfaces 44c, 45b at the tips of the engagement piece 46 and the receiving portion 47. This makes it easier for the second engagement portion 35 to disengage from the receiving portion 47 when the engagement piece 46 moves horizontally in a diagonal direction (X1-Y2 direction) halfway between the X1 direction and the Y2 direction in a plan view.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3A, the third engagement portion 36 is composed of an engagement piece (third engagement piece) 48 and a receiving portion (third receiving portion) 49. The third engagement portion 36 is a hook-shaped latch-type engagement portion that connects the edge portion 22d of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23. The third engagement portion 36 is provided on the inner surface 22e between the ends 22d1, 22d2 in the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d. The third engagement portion 36 of this embodiment is provided as a pair so as to be aligned along the edge portion 22d. One or three or more third engagement portions 36 may be provided.

[0036] The engagement piece 48 does not have the inclined surface 44c of the engagement piece 44 shown in Fig. 4. That is, the engagement piece 48 has a protruding piece 44a and a claw portion 44b similar to the engagement piece 44. However, the tip surface of the claw portion 44b of the engagement piece 48 is not cut. Therefore, the Y1 side end surface of the engagement piece 48 is provided with a flat surface 48a that is a vertical surface along the Z direction and also along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the edge portion 22d (see Fig. 7).

[0037] The receiving portion 49 does not have the inclined surface 45b of the receiving portion 45 shown in Fig. 5. That is, the receiving portion 49 has a receiving surface 45a and a plate piece 45c similar to the receiving portion 45. However, the tip surface of the plate piece 45c of the receiving portion 49 is not cut. Therefore, the Y2-side end surface of the receiving portion 49 is provided with a flat surface 49a that is a vertical surface along the Z direction and that is along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the edge portion 22d and the standing wall 23d (see Fig. 7).

[0038] 2 and 3A, the attraction unit 38 is composed of a first attraction body 38a and a second attraction body 38b that can be attracted to each other. The attraction unit 38 fixes the left and right edge parts 22a, 22b of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23 by magnetic force. One of the attraction bodies 38a, 38b can be composed of a magnet, and the other can be composed of a magnetic body such as a magnet or steel that can be attracted to the other magnet. Both of the attraction bodies 38a, 38b in this embodiment are magnets.

[0039] The first attraction body 38a is fixed to the inner surface 22e of the middle part in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the left and right edge parts 22a, 22b of the first housing member 22. The second attraction body 38b is fixed to the inner surface 23e of the second housing member 23 at a position overlapping the first attraction body 38a in the Z direction. The attraction part 38 is thus provided in the middle part of the edge parts 22a, 22b where the fastening part 32 and the engagement parts 34 to 36 are not provided, that is, near the center in the Y direction, and suppresses the occurrence of rattling or gaps between the housing members 22, 23. For example, when the first housing member 22 has sufficient rigidity, the attraction part 38 may be omitted.

[0040] 2 and 3A, the auxiliary engagement portion 40 is composed of an elastic engagement piece 50 and a receiving portion 51. The auxiliary engagement portion 40 is a hook-shaped latch-type engagement portion that connects the left and right edge portions 22a, 22b of the first housing member 22 to the second housing member 23. The auxiliary engagement portion 40 is provided on the inner surface 22e of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the edge portions 22a, 22b, and is adjacent to the suction portion 38.

[0041] The elastic engagement piece 50 has a claw portion protruding from the tip of the protruding piece protruding in the Z1 direction from the inner surface 22e toward the outside of the edge portions 22a and 22b. The claw portion of the elastic engagement piece 50 of the edge portion 22a protrudes in the X1 direction. The claw portion of the elastic engagement piece 50 of the edge portion 22b protrudes in the X2 direction. The receiving portion 51 is formed on the inner wall surface of the standing walls 23a and 23b of the second housing member 23 corresponding to the edge portions 22a and 22b, and is a portion where the claw portion of the elastic engagement piece 50 is engaged and disengaged. The elastic engagement piece 50 is a hook-shaped portion that is considerably smaller than the above-mentioned engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48. The protruding piece of the elastic engagement piece 50 is elastically deformable in the X direction. Therefore, the elastic engagement piece 50 can be easily engaged and disengaged with the receiving portion 51 along the Z direction.

[0042] The auxiliary engagement portion 40 is provided in the middle of the edges 22a, 22b, similar to the suction portion 38, and serves to suppress the occurrence of rattling or gaps between the housing members 22, 23. For example, in cases where the first housing member 22 has sufficient rigidity, the auxiliary engagement portion 40 may be omitted.

[0043] In the electronic device 10 of the present embodiment, the battery 28, which is made of, for example, a lithium polymer battery, may rarely expand to 400 to 500% or more in volume during use due to manufacturing defects or the like, which is called a swell phenomenon (see FIG. 3B). In FIGS. 2 and 7, the expanding portion 28a of the battery 28 is illustrated by being surrounded by a dashed line. The battery 28 that has such a defect needs to be replaced. However, when the battery 28 expands, it presses the first housing member 22 from the inside, which causes a problem of damage to the first housing member 22. Therefore, the electronic device 10 is provided with the above-mentioned engagement portions 34 and 35 in particular, so that the battery 28 can be smoothly removed from the second housing member 23 and replaced while suppressing damage to the first housing member 22 when the battery 28 expands.

[0044] Next, the operation and effects of the housing 12 when the battery 28 expands will be described.

[0045] 2 and 3A, in the state where the housing members 22 and 23 are connected to each other, the screws 42 are fastened to the screw holes 43 at the fastening portion 32, the suction bodies 38a and 38b are suction-fixed at the suction portion 38, and the elastic engagement pieces 50 are engaged with the receiving portions 51 at the auxiliary engagement portion 40. Furthermore, as shown by the engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48 drawn by solid lines in Figs. 2, 3A, 6B, and 7, the engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48 of the engagement portions 34 to 36 are engaged with the receiving portions 45, 47, and 49, respectively. As a result, the first housing member 22 is firmly connected to the second housing member 23 without any rattle.

[0046] In this state, if the battery 28 expands due to a defect or the like, the expansion portion 28a pushes up the inner surface 22e of the first housing member 22 in the Z2 direction as shown in FIG. 3B (see arrow A in FIG. 3B). The battery 28 is located closer to the Y1 side in the housing 12 (see also FIG. 2). Therefore, the expansion portion 28a pushes up the inner surface 22e at a position near the center in the X direction of the first housing member 22 and closer to the edge portion 22d on the Y1 side than the edge portion 22c on the Y2 side. Then, as shown by four arrows in FIG. 7, the first housing member 22 elastically deforms so as to expand in a dome or tent shape with the part overlapping the expansion portion 28a in the Z direction as the top of the roof. As a result, the edge portion 22c of the first housing member 22 moves in the Y2 direction, while the end portion 22d1 and its periphery also move to the X2 side, and the end portion 22d2 and its periphery also move to the X1 side.

[0047] Therefore, in the first engagement portion 34 near the end 22d1, the engagement piece 44 moves in a diagonal direction (X2-Y2 direction). In the second engagement portion 35 near the end 22d2, the engagement piece 46 moves in a diagonal direction (X1-Y2 direction). Meanwhile, in the third engagement portion 36 between the ends 22d1, d2, the engagement piece 48 moves in a substantially linear direction (Y2 direction).

[0048] Then, for example, when the expansion rate of the battery 28 exceeds a set value, for example, 100 to 150%, the engagement state at each of the engagement portions 34 to 36 is released as shown by the engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48 drawn by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 3B and FIG. 7. That is, the engagement state between the engagement pieces 44, 46, and 48 and the receiving portions 45, 47, and 49 is released, and the edge portion 22d becomes free (see arrow B in FIG. 3B). As a result, the edge portion 22d of the first housing member 22 is lifted to the Z2 side by separating from the second housing member 23 (see arrow C in FIG. 3B). At that time, the fixation of the attraction bodies 38a and 38b that were fixed only by magnetic force is also released. Also, in the auxiliary engagement portion 40, the elastic engagement piece 50 is attracted to the center side of the first housing member 22 in the X direction by the expansion portion 28a, and the engagement state with the receiving portion 51 is released.

[0049] On the other hand, because the fastening portion 32 is fixed with the screw 42, the edge portion 22c remains connected to the second housing member 23. As a result, the first housing member 22 is in an open state in which the edge portion 22d close to the battery 28 and parts of the Y1 sides of the left and right edges 22a, 22b are detached from the second housing member 23 and raised toward the Z2 side.

[0050] Therefore, the user can quickly recognize that the first housing member 22 has come off due to the expansion of the battery 28. A maintenance worker can then completely remove the first housing member 22 from the second housing member 23 simply by removing the screws 42 of the fastening portions 32, and can easily replace the battery 28. In this manner, when the battery 28 expands in the electronic device 10, the edge portion 22d of the first housing member 22 and its surrounding portion smoothly come off the second housing member 23, so that the first housing member 22 can be prevented from being plastically deformed or damaged due to an excessive force from the expanding portion 28a.

[0051] 8 and 9, the operation and effect of the first engagement portion 34 (embodiment) having the inclined surfaces 44c, 45b will be described in more detail in comparison with the conventional engagement portion 52 (comparison example) having a general configuration. The operation and effect of the second engagement portion 35 are also substantially similar to those of the first engagement portion 34.

[0052] Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an engagement state with the receiving portion 45 when the engagement piece 44 of the first engagement portion 34 moves in an oblique direction (X2-Y2 direction). Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an engagement state with the receiving portion 45 when the engagement piece 44 of an engagement portion 52 according to a comparative example of the first engagement portion 34 shown in Fig. 8 moves in an oblique direction (X2-Y2 direction).

[0053] An engagement portion 52 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9 has a configuration in which the inclined surfaces 44c, 45b of the first engagement portion 34 of the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0054] In the first engagement portion 34 shown in FIG. 8, when the engagement piece 44 moves in an oblique direction (X2-Y2 direction) with the expansion of the battery 28, the engagement state between the claw portion 44b and the receiving surface 45a is easily released. This is because the inclined surfaces 44c and 45b are provided, and the engagement amount (engagement distance) between the claw portion 44b and the receiving surface 45a in the direction along the relative movement direction (X2-Y2 direction) of the engagement piece 44 and the receiving portion 45 is small. Therefore, in the first engagement portion 34, the movement distance of the engagement piece 44 in the Y2 direction is smaller than that of the third engagement portion 36 located near the center of the edge portion 22d, but the claw portion 44b easily disengages from the receiving surface 45a in the shortest distance designed. Note that in the second engagement portion 35, the engagement piece 46 smoothly disengages from the receiving portion 47 when the battery 28 expands due to a similar action (see also FIG. 7).

[0055] On the other hand, in the engagement portion 52 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9, even if the engagement piece 44 moves in the diagonal direction the same distance as in the case shown in FIG. 8, the claw portion 44b cannot be easily detached from the receiving surface 45a. This is because the engagement amount (engagement distance) of the claw portion 44b having the flat surfaces 48a, 49a and the receiving surface 45a in the direction along the relative movement direction (X2-Y2 direction) of the engagement piece 44 and the receiving portion 45 is large. For this reason, in the engagement portion 52, the claw portion 44b of the engagement piece 44, which moves a smaller distance in the Y2 direction than the third engagement portion 36 located near the center of the edge portion 22d, cannot be easily detached from the receiving surface 45a. In this way, the first engagement portion 34 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 can be more smoothly detached from the receiving portion 45 when the engagement piece 44 is pulled in the diagonal direction when the battery 28 expands, compared to the engagement portion 52 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9.

[0056] As described above, in the electronic device 10 of the present embodiment, the battery 28 is disposed in the housing 12 at a position closer to the edge 22d side than the edge 22c side. The engaging piece 44 provided at one end 22d1 of the edge (second edge) 22d of the first housing member 22 and the end face of the receiving portion 45 engaged with and disengaged therewith are provided with inclined surfaces (first inclined surfaces) 44c, 45b that gradually incline from the edge 22c side to the edge 22d side toward the other end 22d2 side. Similarly, the engaging piece 46 provided at the other end 22d2 of the edge 22d of the first housing member 22 and the end face of the receiving portion 47 engaged with and disengaged therewith are provided with inclined surfaces (second inclined surfaces) 44c, 45b that gradually incline from the edge 22d side to the edge 22c side toward the end 22d1 side to the end 22d2 side.

[0057] Therefore, even if the battery 28 expands due to a defect and presses the first housing member 22, the engagement between the engagement pieces 44, 46 and the receiving parts 45, 47 that connect the edge portion 22d located near the battery 28 to the second housing member 23 is smoothly released. In other words, when the battery 28 expands to a predetermined expansion rate or more, the connection between the housing members 22, 23 of the housing 12 is released at the same time, and the edge portion 22d side opens. As a result, it is possible to prevent the first housing member 22 from being damaged by excessive force from the expanding battery 28, such as cracks, and it is possible to reduce the cost and effort of maintenance. At this time, the edge portion 22c is fixed by the fastening portion 32 using the screw 42. As a result, the fastening portion 32 supports the first housing member 22 even after the opening described above, so that it is possible to prevent the first housing member 22 from falling unintentionally, and the handling is improved.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the engagement piece 44 is disposed at a position protruding from the end (side surface) of the battery 28 on the X1 side based on the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d, and is disposed at a position not overlapping with the battery 28 in the Y direction (see Figs. 2 and 7). Similarly, the engagement piece 46 is disposed at a position protruding from the end (side surface) of the battery 28 on the X2 side based on the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d, and is disposed at a position not overlapping with the battery 28 in the Y direction. For this reason, when the engagement pieces 44, 46 are pulled by the first housing member 22 that rises when the battery 28 expands, the amount of movement in the X direction tends to be larger than the amount of movement in the Y2 direction. Therefore, for example, in the engagement portion 52 as shown in Fig. 9, when the amount of movement in the X direction is large, the engagement state is more difficult to release. In this regard, the engagement portions 34, 35 of the present embodiment are provided with the inclined surfaces 44c, 45b, so that the engagement state is smoothly released even when the amount of movement in the X direction is large.

[0059] In addition, since the claw portion 44b and the receiving surface 45a of each of the engaging portions 34, 35 have the inclined surfaces 44c, 45b, they are easily disengaged from each other during the above-mentioned movement in the diagonal direction, but have a sufficient engagement amount (locking distance) in the Y direction in the normal connected state of the housing members 22, 23. For this reason, the engaging portions 34, 35 are prevented from unintentionally disengaging when the housing 12 receives an impact, for example, when it is dropped.

[0060] On the other hand, the third engagement portion 36 between the ends 22d1, 22d2 of the edge portion 22d is disposed at a position that does not protrude from each end (side surface) of the battery 28 on the X1 and X2 sides based on the longitudinal direction of the edge portion 22d, and is positioned to overlap the battery 28 in the Y direction (see Figs. 2 and 7). Therefore, when the engagement piece 48 of the third engagement portion 36 is pulled by the first housing member 22 that rises when the battery 28 expands, it hardly moves in the X direction, but moves exclusively in the Y2 direction. Therefore, the third engagement portion 36 is configured to have flat surfaces 48a, 49a along the XZ direction instead of the inclined surfaces 44c, 45b, so that the engagement state is smoothly released when the battery 28 expands. Of course, such a third engagement portion 36 also has a sufficient engagement amount (engagement distance) in the Y direction, so that the engagement state is prevented from being unintentionally released when the housing 12 receives an impact such as a drop.

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Electronic equipment 12. Chassis 22 First housing member 23 Second housing member 28 Battery 32 Fastening Part 34 First engagement portion 35 Second engagement portion 36 Third engagement part 38 Adsorption part 38a First adsorbent 38b Second adsorbent 40 Auxiliary engagement part 44, 46, 48 Engagement piece 44c,45b Slope 45, 47, 49, 51 Receiving part 48a,49a plane

Claims

1. An electronic device, a housing including a first housing member formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape having a first edge portion and a second edge portion that are substantially parallel to each other, and a second housing member to which the first housing member is detachably connected; A battery housed within the housing; a plurality of screws provided along the first edge portion of the first housing member, the screws fastening the first edge portion to the second housing member; a first engagement piece provided at one end of the second edge portion of the first housing member in a longitudinal direction and protruding outward from the second edge portion; a second engagement piece provided at the other end of the second edge portion of the first housing member in the longitudinal direction and protruding outward from the second edge portion; a first receiving portion provided on the second housing member, with which the first engagement piece is engaged and disengaged, and a second receiving portion with which the second engagement piece is engaged and disengaged; Equipped with the battery is disposed in the housing at a position closer to the second edge than to the first edge, an end surface of the first engagement piece and an end surface of the first receiving portion each have a first inclined surface that gradually inclines from the first edge side to the second edge side in a first direction from the one end side toward the other end side, An end surface of the second engagement piece and an end surface of the second receiving portion each have a second inclined surface that gradually inclines from the second edge side to the first edge side in the first direction.

1. An electronic device comprising:

2. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface have a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second edge portion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first engagement piece and the second engagement piece are disposed at positions protruding from the end of the battery with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second edge portion, and are positioned so as not to overlap with the battery in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

1. An electronic device comprising:

4. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, a third engagement piece provided at a position between the one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second edge portion of the first housing member and protruding outward from the second edge portion; a third receiving portion provided on the second housing member and into which the third engagement piece is engaged and disengaged; Further equipped with the third engagement piece is disposed at a position not protruding from an end of the battery based on a longitudinal direction of the second edge portion, and is therefore located at a position overlapping with the battery in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, An end surface of the third engagement piece and an end surface of the third receiving portion are each a flat surface extending along the longitudinal direction of the second edge portion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

5. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first housing member further includes a third edge portion and a fourth edge portion that are substantially perpendicular to the first edge portion and the second edge portion and are substantially parallel to each other, moreover, a first adsorbent provided at a middle portion in a longitudinal direction of the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion of the first housing member; a second adsorption body provided on the second housing member and capable of adsorbing to the first adsorption body; Equipped with One of the first attraction body and the second attraction body is a magnet, and the other is a magnet or a magnetic body.

1. An electronic device comprising:

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