Electronic device and exterior panel thereof

Abstract

To provide an electronic device which improves the appearance and easily ensures the strength of an exterior member.SOLUTION: An electronic device has an upper surface of an exterior panel (20A) having, at its outer periphery, a first position (P1), a second position (P2) defined on the opposite side of the first position (P1) with respect to the center (P0) of the upper surface, a third position (P3), and a fourth position (P4) defined on the opposite side of the third position (P3) with respect to the center (P0) of the upper surface. A line (L1) formed along the upper surface connecting the first position (P1) and the second position (P2) is a curved line bulging downward, and a line (L2) formed along the upper surface connecting the third position (P3) and the fourth position (P4) is a curved line bulging upward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an exterior member for an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] International Publication No. WO 2014 / 185311 discloses an electronic device that functions as a game machine. The electronic device has, as exterior members, an upper cover that covers the upper side of internal devices such as a circuit board, a power supply unit, and a heat sink, and a lower cover that covers the lower side of the internal devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The electronic device proposed in the present disclosure has an exterior member having a first outer surface facing a first direction. The first outer surface has, on its outer periphery, a first position, a second position defined on the opposite side of the center of the first outer surface from the first position, a third position, and a fourth position defined on the opposite side of the center of the first outer surface from the third position. A line formed along the first outer surface connecting the first position and the second position is a curved line bulging to one side in the first direction, and a line formed along the first outer surface connecting the third position and the fourth position is a curved line bulging to the other side in the first direction. This electronic device improves the appearance and makes it easier to ensure the strength of the exterior member. For example, when an external force acts on the exterior member, it is possible to reduce the deflection and deformation that occur in the exterior member. In this electronic device, the first outer surface may be the outer surface of a housing that houses an internal device such as a circuit board, or the outer surface of a cover or panel attached to the outer surface of a housing.

[0004] The exterior panel proposed in the present disclosure is an exterior panel arranged in a first direction relative to a housing of an electronic device and attached to the housing. The exterior panel has a first position, a second position defined on the opposite side of the center of the exterior panel from the first position, a third position, and a fourth position defined on the opposite side of the center of the exterior panel from the third position. A line connecting the first position and the second position and formed along the first outer surface is a curved line bulging to one side in the first direction, and a line connecting the third position and the fourth position and formed along the first outer surface is a curved line bulging to the other side in the first direction. This exterior panel improves the appearance and makes it easier to ensure the strength of the exterior panel. For example, when an external force acts on the exterior member, it is possible to reduce the deflection and deformation occurring in the exterior member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic device proposed in the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1D] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1E] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1F] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1G] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the electronic device. [Figure 1H] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the electronic device. [Figure 2A] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a device main body and upper and lower exterior panels of the electronic device. FIG. [Figure 2B] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a device main body and upper and lower exterior panels of the electronic device. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an internal device of the electronic device. [Figure 4] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a housing and a front cover of the device body. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the upper housing member. [Figure 6A] FIG. [Figure 6B] 4 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between air flow paths and components formed above the circuit board. FIG. [Figure 7A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device body taken along the line VIIa-VIIa in FIG. 6B. [Figure 7B] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device body taken along the line VIIb-VIIb in FIG. 6B. [Figure 7C] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device body taken along the line VIIc-VIIc in FIG. 6B. [Figure 8A] FIG. [Figure 8B] 13 is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between air flow paths and components formed below the circuit board. FIG. [Figure 9] 7B is a cross-sectional view of the device body taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 7A. [Figure 10A] FIG. [Figure 10B] 10B is a cross-sectional view of the fan guard and the cooling fan taken along line Xb-Xb in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A] FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the intake wall and the side wall. [Figure 12] 6C is a cross-sectional view of the device body taken along the line XII-XII in FIG. 6B. [Figure 13A] 4 is a plan view of the heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 3 and disposed above the circuit board. [Figure 13B] 13B is a bottom view of the heat dissipation device shown in FIG 13A, with the base plate supporting the fins omitted in this view. [Figure 14A] 13B is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation device and the circuit board taken along the line XIVa-XIVa in FIG. 13A. [Figure 14B] 13B is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation device taken along the line XIVb-XIVb in FIG. 13A. [Figure 14C] 14 is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation device and the circuit board taken along the line XIVc-XIVc in FIG. 13B. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16A] 16 is a cross-sectional view of the circuit board and board shield taken along line XVIa-XVIa in FIG. 15, showing a side view of the heat dissipation device. [Figure 16B] FIG. 2 is a diagram (plan view) of the heat dissipation device viewed from the circuit board side. [Figure 17A] 13 is a diagram (plan view) of a heat dissipation device according to a modified example viewed from the circuit board side. [Figure 17B] 17B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIIb-XVIIb in FIG. 17A. [Figure 17C] FIG. 11 is a side view of a heat dissipation device according to a modified example. [Figure 18A] 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIIIa-XVIIIa in FIG. 8A. [Figure 18B] 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIIIb-XVIIIb in FIG. 18A. [Figure 18C] 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIIIc-XVIIIc in FIG. 18A. [Figure 19] 1 is a top view of a memory chamber, with a substrate shield depicted. [Figure 20A] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exterior panel and the housing taken along the line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D. [Figure 20B] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exterior panel and the housing taken along the line XXb-XXb in FIG. 1D. [Figure 21A] 1B is a cross-sectional view of an exterior panel and a housing of an electronic device that does not include an optical disk drive, the cross section being the same as the cross section shown by line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D. [Figure 21B]21B is a cross-sectional view of the exterior panel and the housing shown in Fig. 21A, taken along the same line as the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 1D along the line XXb-XXb. [Figure 21C] FIG. 21B is a front view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 21A. [Figure 22] 2 is a cross-sectional view of an upper exterior panel and an upper housing member taken along the section indicated by the line XX-XX in FIG. 1D. [Figure 23] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a mounting structure between an upper exterior panel and an upper housing member. FIG. [Figure 24] 13 is a perspective view for explaining a modified example of the mounting structure of the upper exterior panel and the upper housing member. FIG. [Diagram 25] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device taken along the line XXV-XXV in FIG. 1C. [Figure 26A] 13B is a plan view showing a modified example of the heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 13A. [Figure 26B] 26B is a side view of the heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 26A, looking at the heat dissipation device in the direction of the arrow indicated by XXVIb in the same figure. [Figure 26C] FIG. 26B is a plan view of the heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 26A, with the heat sink omitted. [Figure 27] FIG. 26B is a plan view of an equipment body on which the heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 26A is mounted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and the like show an electronic device 1 as an example of an embodiment. In the following description, X1 and X2 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1H are respectively the right direction and the left direction, Y1 and Y2 are respectively the front and the rear, and Z1 and Z2 are respectively the top and the bottom. However, these directions are defined to explain the shapes, relative positional relationships, and movements of the elements (components, members, and parts) of the electronic device 1, and do not limit the orientation of the electronic device 1 during use. For example, FIG. 1A and the like show the electronic device 1 in a horizontal orientation, but the electronic device 1 may be arranged in a vertical orientation during use. (The "vertical orientation" refers to an orientation in which the right side or the left side of the electronic device 1 is downward.)

[0007] The electronic device 1 is, for example, an entertainment device that functions as a game device or audio-visual device. The electronic device 1 outputs moving image data generated by executing a game program, video and audio data acquired through a network, and video and audio data acquired from a recording medium such as an optical disk to a display device such as a television. The electronic device may be, for example, a personal computer.

[0008] [Overall configuration] As shown in FIG. 2A, the electronic device 1 has a device body 10, an upper exterior panel 20A covering the upper side of the device body 10, and a lower exterior panel 20B covering the lower side of the device body 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the device body 10 has internal devices such as a circuit board 50 and a heat dissipation device 70, and a housing 30 that accommodates the internal devices. The housing 30 has an upper housing member 30A that covers the upper side of the circuit board 50 and a lower housing member 30B that covers the lower side of the circuit board 50, which are combined in the vertical direction. The upper housing member 30A forms the upper surface of the device body 10, and the lower housing member 30B forms the lower surface of the device body 10. The upper exterior panel 20A may be detachable from the upper housing member 30A, and the lower exterior panel 20B may be detachable from the lower housing member 30B. The exterior panels 20A, 20B and the housing members 30A, 30B are formed from a resin such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin or polycarbonate.

[0009] 1A, device body 10 may have a power button 2a and an optical disk eject button 2b on its front side. Device body 10 may also have connectors 3a and 3b on its front side. Device body 10 may also have connectors 4a to 4e (see FIG. 1G) on its rear side.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 3, the device body 10 has, as internal devices, a cooling fan 5, a heat dissipation device 70, and an optical disk drive 6 in addition to a circuit board 50 and a power supply unit 60. The heat dissipation device 70 is composed of heat sinks 71 and 72 (see FIG. 6B) and heat pipes 73A to 73F (see FIG. 13B), as described later. The upper surface of the circuit board 50 is covered by an upper board shield 51 that blocks electromagnetic waves from electronic components mounted on the upper surface. The lower surface of the circuit board 50 is covered by a lower board shield 52 that blocks electromagnetic waves from electronic components mounted on the lower surface. The board shields 51 and 52 are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board 50, respectively. The board shields 51 and 52 are metal plates, and their material may be, for example, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, or the like.

[0011] [Parts Layout Overview] The power supply unit 60 and the heat dissipation device 70 are disposed, for example, on the upper side of the circuit board 50 (more specifically, on the upper side of the upper board shield 51). An integrated circuit 50a (see FIG. 3) functioning as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU) is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 50. The integrated circuit 50a is a heat generating device and is connected to the heat dissipation device 70. The power supply unit 60 is also a heat generating device. The airflow generated by the cooling fan 5 is supplied to the heat dissipation device 70 and the power supply unit 60. The layout of the internal devices such as the heat dissipation device 70, the power supply unit 60, and the cooling fan 5 is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1.

[0012] The optical disk drive 6 is disposed, for example, below the circuit board 50 (more specifically, below the lower board shield 52). A heat dissipation device 80 (see FIG. 7A) may be disposed below the circuit board 50. Electronic components (e.g., power transistors that generate driving power for the integrated circuit 50a) may be mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board 50, and the heat dissipation device 80 may be connected to these electronic components.

[0013] [Cooling fan] As shown in FIG. 7A, the cooling fan 5 is disposed so that its rotation center line Cf is along the thickness direction of the circuit board 50 (the up-down direction in the electronic device 1). The cooling fan 5 is disposed outside the outer edge of the circuit board 50. The cooling fan 5 is disposed, for example, on the right side of the right edge of the circuit board 50. In the description here, the up-down direction of the electronic device 1 is the direction along the perpendicular line of the circuit board 50. The directions mentioned in this specification do not limit the posture of the electronic device 1 during use. Therefore, for example, when the electronic device 1 is disposed in a vertical position, the rotation center line Cf of the cooling fan 5 is a line along the left-right direction.

[0014] The cooling fan 5 may have a portion located above the horizontal plane Hp1 including the circuit board 50 and a portion located below the horizontal plane Hp1 including the circuit board 50. More specifically, each of the multiple fins 5a rotating about the rotation center line Cf may have a portion 5b located above the horizontal plane Hp1 and a portion 5c located below the horizontal plane Hp1. This arrangement of the cooling fan 5 can generate an air flow F1 along the upper surface of the circuit board 50 and an air flow F2 along the lower surface of the circuit board 50. Therefore, a heat generating device arranged or mounted on the upper side of the circuit board 50 and a heat generating device arranged or mounted on the lower side of the circuit board 50 can be cooled without increasing the number of components.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2A, upper housing member 30A has upper air intake port 31a located above cooling fan 5. As shown in Fig. 2B, lower housing member 30B has lower air intake port 31b located below cooling fan 5. By forming air intake ports 31a and 31b in the upper and lower surfaces of housing 30 in this manner, air can be efficiently taken into housing 30.

[0016] The heat generation amount of the heat generating devices arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board 50 may be greater than the heat generation amount of the heat generating devices arranged on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. For example, the total heat generation amount of the integrated circuit 50a and the power supply unit 60 arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board 50 may be greater than the total heat generation amount of the electronic components 50c (e.g., integrated circuits such as power transistors and memories) arranged on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. When the heat generating devices are arranged in this manner, the center Ch of the cooling fan 5 in the vertical direction may be located above the horizontal plane Hp1 including the circuit board 50, as shown in FIG. 7A. This allows a large amount of air to be supplied to the devices that generate a large amount of heat.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 7A, the distance D5 between the upper air intake 31a and the lower air intake 31b corresponds to the width of the cooling fan 5 in the vertical direction. Therefore, air is sucked in through the air intakes 31a and 31b and flows smoothly in the radial direction of the cooling fan 5. In the example of the electronic device 1, the lower part of the cooling fan 5 (specifically, the base plate 5d, see Fig. 3) is attached to the edge of the lower air intake 31b. Meanwhile, the upper end of the cooling fan 5 (specifically, the upper end of the rotor 5e) is located at substantially the same height as the edge of the air intake 31a.

[0018] The distance in the up-down direction between the upper housing member 30A and the lower housing member 30B at the positions of the intake ports 31a and 31b, i.e., the distance D5 (see FIG. 7A) between the intake ports 31a and 31b, may be smaller than the distance between the upper housing member 30A and the lower housing member 30B at other positions. In the example of the electronic device 1, the upper housing member 30A has a recessed plate portion 32a (see FIG. 2A) on its upper surface. The recessed plate portion 32a is recessed toward the circuit board 50 relative to another portion 32c on the upper surface. (In the description here, the other portion 32c is referred to as the "main plate portion.") The upper intake port 31a is formed in this recessed plate portion 32a. The heat dissipation device 70, the power supply unit 60, and the like are arranged between the main plate portion 32c and the circuit board 50.

[0019] The lower housing member 30B has a recessed plate portion 32b on its lower surface, similar to the upper housing member 30A. As shown in Fig. 2B, the recessed plate portion 32b is recessed with respect to another portion 32d on the lower surface. (In this description, the other portion 32d is referred to as the "main plate portion.") The lower air intake 31b is formed in this recessed plate portion 32b. Fins 81 (see Figs. 8A and 8B) of a heat dissipation device 80 are disposed between the main plate portion 32d and the circuit board 50.

[0020] The distance between the upper and lower recessed plate portions 32a and 32b corresponds to the height of the cooling fan 5. With this structure, the distance between the air intakes 31a and 31b corresponds to the height of the cooling fan 5, while a sufficient distance is ensured between the upper and lower main plate portions 32c and 32d, thereby ensuring a sufficient capacity for the heat dissipation devices 70 and 80 placed therebetween.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling fan 5 has a rotor 5e having a plurality of fins 5a and a base plate 5d supporting the rotor 5e. The rotor 5e is rotatable relative to the base plate 5d. As shown in FIG. 8B, the base plate 5d may have, for example, a ring-shaped outer peripheral portion 5f, a central portion 5g located inside the outer peripheral portion 5f, and a bridge 5i connecting the outer peripheral portion 5f and the central portion 5g. Such a base plate 5d may be attached to the lower housing member 30B. Specifically, the ring-shaped outer peripheral portion 5f may be attached to the edge of the lower air intake 31b.

[0022] Since such a base plate 5d is located below the cooling fan 5, the air resistance at the top of the cooling fan 5 is smaller than the air resistance at the bottom of the cooling fan 5. As described above, the heat generation amount of the heat generating device disposed on the upper surface of the circuit board 50 is larger than the heat generation amount of the heat generating device disposed on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. In other words, the cooling fan 5 is disposed so that the upper part of the cooling fan 5, which has smaller air resistance, corresponds to the flow path in which the device with larger heat generation amount is disposed.

[0023] The circuit board 50 may have a curved edge 50b (see FIG. 15) that is curved in an arc shape on the right edge thereof. The cooling fan 5 is disposed inside the curved edge 50b. This arrangement of the circuit board 50 and the cooling fan 5 makes it possible to generate airflow on both the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board 50 while preventing the electronic device 1 from becoming larger.

[0024] [Relative position of cooling fan and heat sink] The power supply unit 60 and the heat dissipation device 70 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first heat sink 71 is arranged to the right of the power supply unit 60. The cooling fan 5 may be arranged so that its center line Cf is located to the right of the right end of the first heat sink 71. In the example of the electronic device 1, the entire cooling fan 5 is located to the right of the right end of the first heat sink 71. According to this layout, even if the size of the first heat sink 71 in the front-rear direction is increased, interference between the first heat sink 71 and the cooling fan 5 does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of the entire electronic device 1 in the front-rear direction from increasing while ensuring a sufficient size of the first heat sink 71 in the front-rear direction. In the description here, the front-rear direction of the heat sink 71 is the direction in which air passes through the heat sink 71. The left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the direction in which air passes through the heat sink 71. Moreover, the directions mentioned in this specification do not limit the posture of the electronic device 1 during use. Therefore, for example, the power supply unit 60 and the heat dissipation device 70 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, and the cooling fan 5 and the heat sink 71 may also be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. In this case, the size of the heat sink 71 in the left-right direction can be increased.

[0025] 6B, the cooling fan 5 is located behind a front end 61n of a power supply unit case 61, which will be described later. In addition, the center line Cf of the cooling fan 5 is located behind the front end of the first heat sink 71.

[0026] 6B, a second heat sink 72 (heat dissipation device) may be disposed to the right of the first heat sink 71. At least a portion of the cooling fan 5 may be located in front of the second heat sink 72. This arrangement of the cooling fan 5 and the second heat sink 72 allows the air flowing rearward from the cooling fan 5 to be effectively utilized.

[0027] 6B, the width of the second heat sink 72 in the front-to-rear direction may be smaller than the width of the first heat sink 71 in the front-to-rear direction. The cooling fan 5 may be disposed in front of the second heat sink 72. This arrangement of the heat sinks 71 and 72 and the cooling fan 5 makes it possible to effectively utilize the air flowing rearward from the cooling fan 5 while preventing the size of the electronic device 1 from increasing in the front-to-rear direction.

[0028] As will be described later in detail, the heat dissipation device 70 has a plurality of heat pipes 73A to 73F (see FIG. 13B). The two heat sinks 71 and 72 are thermally connected by the plurality of heat pipes 73. In addition, the two heat sinks 71 and 72 are fixed to a common base plate 75 (see FIG. 13A).

[0029] Unlike the example of the electronic device 1, the first heat sink 71 and the second heat sink 72 may not be connected by a heat transfer means such as a heat pipe. For example, the second heat sink 72 may be used to cool a heat generating component (e.g., an electronic component) other than the integrated circuit 50a to which the first heat sink 71 is connected. In addition, the component disposed to the right of the first heat sink 71 and behind the cooling fan 5 does not have to be the heat sink 72. For example, a heat generating component (e.g., an electronic component) to be cooled may be disposed behind the cooling fan 5.

[0030] [Air flow path between the housing and the exterior panel] The upper surface of the housing 30 is covered by the upper exterior panel 20A. A gap Ua (see FIG. 20A) that allows air to flow toward the upper air intake 31a may be formed between the upper surface of the housing 30 and the upper exterior panel 20A. (Hereinafter, this gap Ua will be referred to as the upper flow path.) As described above, the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A has a recessed plate portion 32a (see FIG. 2A) that is recessed with respect to the main plate portion 32c. The recessed plate portion 32a is formed, for example, in the right front portion of the upper housing member 30A, and the upper air intake 31a is formed in this recessed plate portion 32a. For example, the upper flow path Ua is secured between this recessed plate portion 32a and the upper exterior panel 20A.

[0031] The upper flow passage Ua may open toward the front and / or right side of the electronic device 1, for example. That is, an air intake may be provided between the front edge of the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A (specifically, the front edge of the recessed plate portion 32a) and the front edge of the upper exterior panel 20A, or between the right edge of the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A (specifically, the right edge of the recessed plate portion 32a) and the right edge of the upper exterior panel 20A. In the example of the electronic device 1, as shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 1E, an air intake Ea is provided that continues from the front edge to the right edge of the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A and the upper exterior panel 20A. The air intake Ea may continue, for example, from the center in the left-right direction of the front edge of the upper exterior panel 20A to the rear of the right edge of the upper exterior panel 20A. The upper housing member 30A may have a louver 33A at the air intake Ea.

[0032] The lower surface of the housing 30 is covered by the lower exterior panel 20B. The electronic device 1 may have the same structure on the lower surface of the housing 30 and the lower exterior panel 20B as the above-described structure of the housing 30 and the upper exterior panel 20A.

[0033] That is, a gap Ub (see FIG. 20A) that allows air to flow toward the lower air intake 31b may be formed between the lower surface of the housing 30 and the lower exterior panel 20B. (Hereinafter, this gap Ub will be referred to as the lower flow path Ub.) As described above, the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B has a recessed plate portion 32b (see FIG. 2B) that is recessed relative to the main plate portion 32d. The recessed plate portion 32b is formed, for example, in the right front portion of the lower housing member 30B, and the lower air intake 31b is formed in this recessed plate portion 32b. For example, the lower flow path Ub is secured between this recessed plate portion 32b and the lower exterior panel 20B.

[0034] This lower flow passage Ub may also open toward the front and / or right side of the electronic device 1, for example. That is, an air intake may be provided between the front edge of the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B (specifically, the front edge of the recessed plate portion 32b) and the front edge of the lower exterior panel 20B, or between the right edge of the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B (specifically, the right edge of the recessed plate portion 32b) and the right edge of the lower exterior panel 20B. In the example of the electronic device 1, as shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 1E, an air intake Eb is provided that continues from the front edge to the right edge of the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B and the lower exterior panel 20B. The air intake Eb may continue, for example, from the center in the left-right direction of the front edge of the lower exterior panel 20B to the rear of the right edge of the lower exterior panel 20B. The lower housing member 30B may have a louver 33B at this air intake Eb.

[0035] The portion of the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A other than the recessed plate portion 32a, i.e., the main plate portion 32c, is adjacent to the upper exterior panel 20A. The main plate portion 32c and the upper exterior panel 20A may be in contact with each other, or a gap having a vertical width smaller than the upper flow passage Ua may be formed between them.

[0036] The airflow generated by driving the cooling fan 5 is discharged rearward from exhaust port M (see Figs. 1G and 6A) formed on the rear surface of the housing 30. Louvers 33C-33D may be formed at exhaust port M. As shown in Fig. 2A, the main plate portion 32c may have a portion 32e located rearward of the recessed plate portion 32a. With this structure, the main plate portion 32c can prevent the air discharged rearward from exhaust port M from flowing back toward the intake port 31a.

[0037] The lower surface of the lower housing member 30B is adjacent to the lower exterior panel 20B, i.e., the main plate portion 32d. The main plate portion 32d and the lower exterior panel 20B may be in contact with each other, or a gap having a vertical width smaller than the lower flow passage Ub may be formed between them. As shown in FIG. 2B, the main plate portion 32d may have a portion 32f located on the rear side of the recessed plate portion 32b. With this structure, the main plate portion 32d can prevent the air discharged rearward from the exhaust port M from flowing back toward the intake port 31b.

[0038] The outer surface of the electronic device 1 is curved so that the width of the electronic device 1 in the vertical direction is greater at the front right part of the electronic device 1 where the air intakes 31a and 31b are formed. In other words, the exterior panels 20A and 20B are curved so that the distance between the exterior panels 20A and 20B is greater at the front right part of the electronic device 1. This external shape of the electronic device 1 makes it easy to ensure a sufficient width in the vertical direction of the above-mentioned flow paths Ua and Ub. The curvature of the exterior panels 20A and 20B will be described in detail later.

[0039] The positions of the air intakes 31a and 31b formed in the housing 30 and the positions of the air intakes Ea and Eb formed between the housing 30 and the exterior panels 20A and 20B are not limited to the example shown in the electronic device 1. For example, the air intakes 31a and 31b may be formed in the left part of the housing 30. The air intakes 31a and 31b may be formed in only one of the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 30. The positions of the air intakes Ea and Eb may be changed as appropriate to match the positions of the air intakes 31a and 31b.

[0040] 6A, the electronic device 1 may have a fan guard 38A attached to the edge of the intake port 31a and covering the upper side of the cooling fan 5. Similarly, the electronic device 1 may have a fan guard 38B attached to the edge of the intake port 31b and covering the lower side of the cooling fan 5.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 10A, the fan guard 38A has a plurality of rings 38a, a center portion 38b located at the center of the plurality of rings 38a, and a plurality of spokes 38c extending from the outer ring 38a toward the center portion 38b. In the example of the electronic device 1, the cooling fan 5 rotates in a clockwise direction in a plan view. The spokes 38c are inclined so as to follow the rotation direction of the cooling fan 5. In detail, the spokes 38c are inclined with respect to the radial direction so as to move in a clockwise direction as they approach the center Cf. This structure can suppress the spokes 38c from creating air resistance.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 10B, the positions of the multiple rings 38a and the position of the center 38b become higher as they approach the center Cf. Also, the spokes 38c extend obliquely so as to become higher as they approach the center Cf. This makes it possible to increase the area of ​​the openings formed between the rings 38a and the spokes 38c.

[0043] As described above, the spokes 38c extend obliquely so as to become higher as they approach the center Cf. Meanwhile, each ring 38a may have a cross section along a plane (plane Hp5 in FIG. 10B) perpendicular to the rotation center line Cf of the cooling fan 5. This makes it possible to increase the area of ​​the opening formed between the ring 38a and the spokes 38c. The upper exterior panel 20A is disposed above the fan guard 38A. As described above, the upper exterior panel 20A is curved. The fan guard 38A may be curved to match the curvature of the upper exterior panel 20A.

[0044] Fan guard 38B covering the underside of cooling fan 5 may have the same structure as upper fan guard 38A. That is, fan guard 38B may be configured such that the upper and lower surfaces of fan guard 38A are inverted.

[0045] [Power supply unit] As shown in FIG. 7B, the power supply unit 60 has a power supply circuit 62 and a power supply unit case 61 that houses the power supply circuit 62. The power supply unit case 61 has a wall portion 61a located in front of the first heat sink 71. A plurality of air intake holes 61b may be formed in the wall portion 61a. (Hereinafter, this wall portion 61a will be referred to as the "air intake wall.") As shown in FIG. 6B, the heat sinks 71 and 72 have a plurality of fins 71a and 72a arranged in the left-right direction. Therefore, air passes through the heat sinks 71 and 72 in the front-rear direction. The air intake wall 61a is disposed at an angle to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and its outer surface faces the first heat sink 71. Here, "the outer surface of the air intake wall 61a faces the first heat sink 71" means that a straight line extending from the outer surface and perpendicular to the outer surface intersects with the first heat sink 71. The cooling fan 5 is disposed so as to send air toward the air intake wall 61a. In the example of electronic device 1, cooling fan 5 is located to the right away from the outer surface of intake wall 61a, and airflow from cooling fan 5 toward intake wall 61a is formed by flow path walls 34A and 34B, which will be described later.

[0046] According to this shape and arrangement of the power supply unit case 61, as shown in Fig. 6B, part of the air that reaches the intake wall 61a passes through the intake holes 61b and enters the power supply unit case 61. Another part of the air that reaches the intake wall 61a is guided by the intake wall 61a toward the first heat sink 71. In other words, the intake wall 61a ensures an airflow to be supplied to the first heat sink 71, and at the same time, the power supply unit 60 can be cooled with cold air (air that has not been warmed by other heat generating devices or heat dissipating devices). If the power supply unit 60 can be cooled with cold air, the gaps between the circuit components 62a and 62b (e.g., transformers and capacitors) that constitute the power supply circuit 62 can be reduced, and the power supply unit 60 can be made smaller in size.

[0047] The power supply unit case 61 has a case rear part 61c located to the left of the first heat sink 71, and a case front part 61d extending forward beyond the position of the front end of the first heat sink 71. In the example of the electronic device 1, the air intake wall 61a is the right side wall of the case front part 61d, and extends diagonally forward and to the right from the right side wall 61f of the case rear part 61c. Meanwhile, the left side wall 61e of the power supply unit case 61 extends straight forward from the case rear part 61c toward the case front part 61d. Therefore, the width of the case front part 61d in the left-right direction gradually increases toward the front.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 11B, the air intake hole 61b may be formed at an angle to the air intake wall 61a. That is, the center line Ch1 of the air intake hole 61b may be inclined to the air intake wall 61a. For example, the center line Ch1 of the air intake hole 61b may be along the left-right direction. This makes it easier for the air coming out of the cooling fan 5 to pass through the air intake wall 61a. The structure of the air intake hole 61b is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. The center line Ch1 of the air intake hole 61b may be inclined to both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction in accordance with the direction of the air flow. For example, the center line Ch1 may extend diagonally forward and to the right from the air intake wall 61a.

[0049] 11A and 11B, an air intake hole 61m may also be formed in the right side wall 61f of the case rear portion 61c. In this case, the direction in which the air intake hole 61m penetrates the right side wall 61f, i.e., the direction of the center line Ch2 of the air intake hole 61m, may be the same as that of the air intake hole 61b in the air intake wall 61a. This makes it easy to form the two types of air intake holes 61b and 61m.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 7B, part of the power supply circuit 62 may also be arranged in the space within the case front part 61d secured by the inclination of the intake wall 61a, in other words, in the space Sf (see Fig. 6B) formed inside the intake wall 61a. Circuit components 62b constituting the power supply circuit 62 are housed in this space and are located in front of the first heat sink 71. With such a layout, the capacity of the power supply unit case 61 can be effectively utilized.

[0051] The circuit components 62b arranged in the space formed inside the intake wall 61a may be smaller in size than the other components 62a. This can facilitate smooth airflow inside the power supply unit case 61.

[0052] A plurality of exhaust holes 61g-61h may be formed in the case rear portion 61c. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 7C, a plurality of exhaust holes 61g may be formed in the rear wall 61i of the case rear portion 61c, and a plurality of exhaust holes 61h may be formed in the rear portion 61k of the upper wall 61j of the power supply unit case 61. In the example of the electronic device 1, the rear portion 61k of the upper wall 61j is recessed with respect to the front portion of the upper wall 61j. This recess ensures an air flow path Se between the upper housing member 30A and the rear portion 61k.

[0053] The positions of the exhaust holes 61g-61h are not limited to the example shown in the electronic device 1. For example, the exhaust hole 61h formed in the top wall 61j does not have to be formed. A plurality of exhaust holes may be formed in the rearmost portion of the left side wall 61e.

[0054] [Air passage walls that define the air passage] The heat dissipation device 70 has a first heat sink 71 and a second heat sink 72 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The cooling fan 5 is located in front of the second heat sink 72. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6B, the upper housing member 30A may have a flow path wall 34A that defines a flow path of the airflow sent out from the cooling fan 5 and guides the airflow toward the first heat sink 71. The flow path wall 34A has a portion that is curved along the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5. In the example of the electronic device 1, the entire flow path wall 34A is curved.

[0055] 6B, the distance from the cooling fan 5 to the flow path wall 34A (the distance in the radial direction of the cooling fan 5) increases as the distance from the start point 34a of the flow path wall 34A in the extension direction of the flow path wall 34A increases. The flow path wall 34A extends from the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5 toward the intake wall 61a of the power supply unit case 61. The intake wall 61a is located on an extension of the end point 34b of the flow path wall 34A. Such a flow path wall 34A allows air from the cooling fan 5 to be smoothly sent toward the intake wall 61a.

[0056] The intake wall 61a may be curved, similar to the flow path wall 34A. For example, the flow path wall 34A is formed along a curve defined by a predetermined function. The intake wall 61a may also be disposed along the same curve. For example, the flow path wall 34A is formed along a clothoid curve with the rotation center line Cf of the cooling fan 5 as the origin. In this case, the intake wall 61a may also be curved along the same clothoid curve. In this way, a smooth air flow is formed from the cooling fan 5 toward the intake wall 61a and the first heat sink 71. Note that the curve on which the curvature of the flow path wall 34A and the intake wall 61a is based may not be a clothoid curve, but may be, for example, an involute curve, a logarithmic spiral, or a Nielsen spiral.

[0057] The flow path wall 34A surrounds the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5 located outside the outer edge of the circuit board 50. The flow path wall 34A extends downward from a portion of the upper housing member 30A that constitutes the upper surface of the device main body 10 (the recessed plate portion 32a in the example of the electronic device 1). The lower edge of the flow path wall 34A may reach the lower housing member 30B.

[0058] 4 and 8B, in the example of the electronic device 1, an upwardly protruding flow path wall 34B is formed in the lower housing member 30B. Like the flow path wall 34A, the flow path wall 34B defines a flow path for the airflow sent out from the cooling fan 5. The flow path wall 34B has a portion that is curved along the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5. In the example of the electronic device 1, like the flow path wall 34A, the entire flow path wall 34B is curved.

[0059] 7B, the lower edge of the flow path wall 34A of the upper housing member 30A is connected to the flow path wall 34B of the lower housing member 30B in the up-down direction. The flow path walls 34A and 34B are connected to each other to form a single wall extending along the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5. In the example of the electronic device 1, the flow path walls 34A and 34B function as a front wall of the cooling fan 5.

[0060] The structure of the flow path walls 34A and 34B is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. For example, the flow path walls may be formed in only one of the upper housing member 30A and the lower housing member 30B. The flow path walls formed in this one housing member may extend upward or downward until they reach the other housing member.

[0061] 4, the electronic device 1 has a front exterior panel 35 covering the flow path walls 34A and 34B as a part of the exterior member. The front exterior panel 35 is located in front and on the right side of the curved flow path walls 34A and 34B, and covers the entire flow path walls 34A and 34B. The presence of the front exterior panel 35 ensures a degree of freedom in the shape of the flow path walls 34A and 34B. A circuit board on which switches operated by the power button 2a and the optical disc eject button 2b are mounted, or a circuit board on which connectors 3a and 3b are mounted may be attached to the front exterior panel 35.

[0062] [Air flow path below the circuit board] As described above, the power supply unit 60 and the heat dissipation device 70 are arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board 50, and are aligned in the left-right direction. Air sent out from the cooling fan 5 passes through the heat dissipation device 70 and the power supply unit case 61. Therefore, an air flow is formed in the entire space between the circuit board 50 and the upper housing member 30A. In contrast, a member that reduces the width of the air flow path between the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B may be provided on the lower side of the circuit board 50. The width of the air flow path between the lower surface of the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B may be narrower than the width of the air flow path between the upper surface of the circuit board 50 and the upper housing member 30A. This makes it easier to ensure the speed of the air flow formed on the lower side of the circuit board 50.

[0063] In the example of the electronic device 1, the optical disk drive 6 is disposed below the circuit board 50. The optical disk drive 6 reduces the width of the air flow path between the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B.

[0064] 8B, the optical disc drive 6 is located to the left of the cooling fan 5 in a plan view of the electronic device 1. The optical disc drive 6 has a disc drive case 6a, inside which a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the optical disc, a pickup module (not shown), etc. are disposed.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 8B, an air flow path Sb is formed between the cooling fan 5 and the disk drive case 6a, leading from the cooling fan 5 to the exhaust port M (see Fig. 8A). The air flow path Sb is limited to the right region on the circuit board 50 by the disk drive case 6a. The disk drive case 6a has a right side wall 6b that faces the cooling fan 5 and extends in the front-rear direction at a position away from the cooling fan 5 to the left. The air flow path Sb is formed between this right side wall 6b and the cooling fan 5. A plurality of fins 81 of the heat dissipation device 80 are arranged along the air flow path Sb.

[0066] A wall defining the air flow path Sb may be formed in the lower housing member 30B. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 8B, for example, the lower housing member 30B may have a flow path wall 34c extending from the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5 toward the heat dissipation device 80. In the example of the electronic device 1, the flow path wall 34c extends from the starting point of the above-mentioned flow path wall 34B that is curved at the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5 toward the heat dissipation device 80.

[0067] The electronic device 1 does not necessarily have to have the optical disk drive 6. In this case, the air flow path Sb may be restricted by a wall. A wall portion formed on the lower housing member 30B may be used as a member that reduces the width of the air flow path between the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B compared to the air flow path between the circuit board 50 and the upper housing member 30A.

[0068] 4, an opening 30c corresponding to the size and shape of the disk drive case 6a is formed in the lower housing member 30B. The bottom surface of the disk drive case 6a may be exposed downward from this opening 30c. With this structure, the vertical width of the electronic device 1 can be reduced by the thickness of the lower housing member 30B.

[0069] [Dust collection chamber] 6B, a dust collection chamber Ds may be provided in the flow path wall 34A. The dust collection chamber Ds captures dust contained in the airflow formed above the circuit board 50 and accumulates the captured dust. This structure can reduce the amount of dust that enters devices disposed downstream of the dust collection chamber Ds, such as the first heat sink 71 and the power supply unit 60.

[0070] The dust collection chamber Ds is defined by a dust collection chamber wall 34C (see FIG. 5). The dust collection chamber wall 34C is in the shape of a box that opens in two directions, which will be described later. The dust collection chamber wall 34C is formed integrally with the upper housing member 30A, for example. In this way, the dust collection chamber Ds can be ensured without increasing the number of parts. Furthermore, since the upper housing member 30A is a member that covers the entire internal device, forming the dust collection chamber wall 34C integrally with the upper housing member 30A ensures a degree of freedom in the position of the dust collection chamber Ds.

[0071] In a plan view of the electronic device 1, the cooling fan 5 rotates in a clockwise direction around the rotation center line Cf. In the example of the electronic device 1, the flow path wall 34A extends in a clockwise direction from a starting point 34a of the flow path wall 34A along the outer periphery of the cooling fan 5. The entire flow path wall 34A is curved. The dust collection chamber Ds may be provided in the flow path wall 34A curved in this way. More specifically, the dust collection chamber Ds may be located at an end of the flow path wall 34A. The position of the dust collection chamber Ds is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1, and the dust collection chamber Ds may be provided in the middle of the flow path wall 34A.

[0072] Two devices, each of which is a heat generating device or a heat dissipating device, may be disposed downstream of the air flow path formed by the flow path wall 34A. The dust collection chamber Ds may be located upstream of the two devices. In the example of the electronic device 1, the power supply unit 60 and the first heat sink 71 are located downstream of the air flow path defined by the flow path wall 34A. The dust collection chamber Ds is located upstream of the power supply unit 60 and the first heat sink 71. This makes it possible to prevent dust from being sent to the two devices by the single dust collection chamber Ds. In the example of the electronic device 1, the dust collection chamber Ds is located between the intake wall 61a of the power supply unit case 61 and the flow path wall 34A.

[0073] 12, the dust collection chamber Ds has a first opening A1 that opens in a direction along the circuit board 50 toward the air flow path Sa defined by the flow path wall 34A and the intake wall 61a. Dust contained in the air flowing through the air flow path Sa is taken into the dust collection chamber Ds from the first opening A1. The dust collection chamber Ds further has a second opening A2 that opens toward the outside of the air flow path Sa in a direction intersecting the circuit board 50. This structure of the dust collection chamber Ds allows dust to be accumulated in the dust collection chamber Ds, and the accumulated dust can be discharged through the second opening A2 with a relatively simple operation.

[0074] The direction in which the second opening A2 is open is, for example, a direction perpendicular to the circuit board 50. The second opening A2 opens toward the outside of the housing 30, more specifically, toward the upper side of the upper housing member 30A. The upper exterior panel 20A covers the second opening A2 and prevents the second opening A2 from being exposed to the outside. A user can remove the upper exterior panel 20A from the upper housing member 30A to expose the second opening A2 and take out the dust accumulated in the dust collection chamber Ds. For example, the dust accumulated in the dust collection chamber Ds can be sucked out with a vacuum cleaner. In addition, since the upper exterior panel 20A is used as a member covering the second opening A2, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

[0075] The dust collection chamber wall 34C that defines the dust collection chamber Ds has a side wall 34e (see FIG. 12) that extends downward from the edge of the second opening A2. As shown in FIG. 6B, a part 34f of the side wall 34e is located between the flow path wall 34A and the intake wall 61a, and faces the air flow path Sa. (Hereinafter, this part 34f is referred to as the "inner wall.") The inner wall 34f may be curved to match the flow path wall 34A. For example, the inner wall 34f may be formed along a curve of a function (e.g., a clothoid curve) that defines the curvature of the flow path wall 34A. In yet another example, as shown by a dashed line in FIG. 6B, the inner wall 34f may extend inward from the curve of the function (e.g., a clothoid curve) that defines the curvature of the flow path wall 34A. This allows the first opening A1 to be enlarged, and the amount of air that enters the dust collection chamber Ds to be increased.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 12, the dust collection chamber wall 34C may have a bottom 34g located at the lower edge of the side wall 34e. Dust taken into the dust collection chamber Ds accumulates on the bottom 34g. The bottom 34g may have a bank portion 34h along the edge of the first opening A1. This can prevent the dust accumulated on the bottom 34g from returning to the air flow path Sa. The bottom 34g may be attached to the circuit board 50 by a boss 34i or a screw 59.

[0077] When the upper exterior panel 20A is attached to the upper housing member 30A, a gap may be formed between the edge of the second opening A2 and the upper exterior panel 20A. This makes it easier to form an air flow that enters the dust collection chamber Ds from the first opening A1 and exits from the dust collection chamber Ds to the outside through the second opening A2.

[0078] The structure of the dust collection chamber Ds is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. For example, instead of using the upper exterior panel 20A as a cover that covers the second opening A2, a dedicated cover (lid) that covers the second opening A2 may be provided on the second opening A2. In another example, the dust collection chamber Ds may be formed in the power supply unit case 61 instead of in the upper housing member 30A.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 27, the upper housing member 30A may be formed with a third opening A3 in addition to the second opening A2 of the dust collection chamber Ds. In the example shown in FIG. 27, the upper housing member 30A covers a heat dissipation device 170 (see FIGS. 26A to 26C) described later, which is a modified example of the heat dissipation device 70. The fins 171a of the front heat sink 171A are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, a substantially triangular space is generated between the fins 171c located at the end of the heat sink 171A and the right wall portion 61f of the power supply unit case 61. The third opening A3 is located directly above this gap. With this structure, dust that accumulates in the space between the front heat sink 171A and the right wall portion 61f of the power supply unit case 61 can be taken out through the third opening A3. For example, the dust that accumulates in this space can be sucked out with a vacuum cleaner.

[0080] [Upper heat dissipation device] As shown in FIG. 13B, the heat dissipation device 70 has a plurality of heat pipes 73A-73F in addition to the heat sinks 71-72. In the example of the electronic device 1, the heat dissipation device 70 has six heat pipes 73A-73F, but the number may be two, three, or more than six. In the following description, when the heat pipes 73A-73F are not to be distinguished from one another, the heat pipes 73A-73F are denoted by reference numeral 73. In addition, the heat dissipation device 70 may have a base plate 75 as shown in FIG. 13A. The heat sinks 71-72 are fixed to the upper side of the base plate 75. The fins 71a-72a of the heat sinks 71-72 are fixed to the base plate 75 by, for example, solder.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 14A, each heat pipe 73 has a heat receiving portion 73a that is thermally connected to an integrated circuit 50a mounted on a circuit board 50. Here, "the heat receiving portion 73a is thermally connected to the integrated circuit 50a" means that they are in direct contact with each other or are connected via a metal part having high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum so that the heat of the integrated circuit 50a is transferred to the heat receiving portion 73a. In the example of the electronic device 1, the heat receiving portion 73a is a portion located directly above the integrated circuit 50a. The heat dissipation device 70 may have a heat transfer member 74 disposed between the heat pipe 73 and the integrated circuit 50a. The heat receiving portion 73a may be connected to the integrated circuit 50a via the heat transfer member 74.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 14A, the heat receiving portions 73a of the multiple heat pipes 73 are aligned in the left-right direction and may be in contact with the heat receiving portions 73a of adjacent heat pipes 73. The cross section of the heat receiving portion 73a is substantially rectangular, and has an upper surface, a lower surface, a left side surface, and a right side surface. The heat receiving portion 73a is in contact with the adjacent heat receiving portion 73a at these side surfaces. Two adjacent heat receiving portions 73a may be in direct contact with each other, or may be in contact with each other via a layer of thermally conductive grease or the like.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 14A, each heat receiving portion 73a has a width W1 in the vertical direction and a width W2 in the horizontal direction. The width W1 in the vertical direction is larger than the width W2 in the horizontal direction. This structure makes it easy to increase the number of heat pipes 73. As a result, it becomes easy to increase the size of the heat sinks 71 and 72 to which the heat of the integrated circuit 50a is transferred through the heat pipes 73. In the example of the electronic device 1, the width W2 in the horizontal direction is smaller than 3 / 4 of the width W1 in the vertical direction. The width W2 in the horizontal direction may be smaller than 2 / 3 of the width W1 in the vertical direction. The width W2 in the horizontal direction may be larger than 1 / 2 of the width W1 in the vertical direction.

[0084] 14A, the overall width Wa (width in the left-right direction) of the heat receiving parts 73a of the multiple heat pipes 73 may correspond to the width of the integrated circuit 50a in the left-right direction. More specifically, the difference between the overall width Wa and the width of the integrated circuit 50a may be smaller than the thickness of one heat pipe 73 (width W2 of the heat receiving parts 73a in the left-right direction). In the example of the electronic device 1, this difference is smaller than half the thickness of one heat pipe 73. In this way, by having the overall width Wa correspond to the width of the integrated circuit 50a, all of the heat pipes 73 can function effectively.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 14A, the heat transfer member 74 has two side portions 74b separated in the left-right direction and a groove 74a formed between the two side portions 74b. The width of the groove 74a in the left-right direction corresponds to the overall width Wa of the heat receiving portions 73a of the multiple heat pipes 73, and the heat receiving portions 73a of all the heat pipes 73 are arranged inside this groove 74a. The side surfaces of the heat receiving portions 73a located at the right and left ends may contact the inner surface (side portion 74b) of the groove 74a of the heat transfer member 74. The depth of the groove 74a corresponds to the width W1 of the heat receiving portion 73a in the up-down direction. Therefore, the height of the upper surface of the heat receiving portion 73a and the height of the upper surface of the side portion 74b are substantially the same. The lower edge of the fin 71a constituting the heat sink 71 is fixed to the upper surface of the side portion 74b. The fin 71a is fixed to the upper surface of the side portion 74b by, for example, solder. The side portions 74b can also transfer heat to the fins 71a on the right and left sides of the heat receiving portion 73a.

[0086] The width of the heat pipe 73 in the vertical direction and the width in the horizontal direction may vary in the extension direction of the heat pipe 73. The heat pipe 73 may include a portion whose width in the vertical direction is smaller than its width in the horizontal direction, opposite to the heat receiving portion 73a. This makes it easier to bend the heat pipe 73 and improves the thermal conductivity from the heat pipe 73 to the heat sinks 71 and 72. In the example of the electronic device 1, the width in the vertical direction of all the heat pipes 73 varies in the extension direction of the heat pipe 73. Unlike the example of the electronic device 1, the width in the vertical direction of only some of the heat pipes 73 may vary in the extension direction of the heat pipe 73.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 13B, each heat pipe 73 has portions 73b and 73c in contact with the heat sinks 71 and 72 at a position away from the heat receiving portion 73a (see Fig. 14A) in the extension direction of the heat pipe 73. Hereinafter, the portion 73b in contact with the first heat sink 71 is referred to as a first heat dissipation portion, and the portion 73c in contact with the second heat sink 72 is referred to as a second heat dissipation portion. For example, as shown in Fig. 14B, the heat pipes 73C and 73D have second heat dissipation portions 73c that extend to the right below the second heat sink 72 and connect to the lower edges of the fins 72a. The heat pipes 73E and 73F have second heat dissipation portions 73c that extend to the right above the second heat sink 72 and connect to the upper edges of the fins 72a. 13B, the heat pipes 73A to 73F have a first heat dissipation portion 73b that is in contact with the lower edge of the first heat sink 71. As shown in FIG.

[0088] The width of the second heat dissipation portion 73c in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second heat dissipation portion 73c and the vertical direction may be larger than the width of the second heat dissipation portion 73c in the vertical direction. In the example of the electronic device 1, as shown in FIG. 14B, the second heat dissipation portion 73c has a width W3 in the vertical direction and a width W4 in the front-rear direction. The width W4 in the front-rear direction is larger than the width W3 in the vertical direction. This allows heat to be efficiently transferred from the second heat dissipation portion 73c to the second heat sink 72.

[0089] Similarly, the width of the first heat dissipation portion 73b in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first heat dissipation portion 73b and the vertical direction may be larger than the width of the first heat dissipation portion 73b in the vertical direction, thereby improving the thermal conductivity from the first heat dissipation portion 73b to the first heat sink 71.

[0090] In each heat pipe 73, the width W1 of the heat receiving portion 73a in the vertical direction is larger than the width of the heat dissipating portions 73b and 73c in the vertical direction (W1>W3). On the other hand, the width of the heat dissipating portions 73b and 73c in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the heat dissipating portions 73b and 73c and the vertical direction (for example, the width W4 of the second heat dissipating portion 73c) is larger than the width of the heat receiving portion 73a in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the heat receiving portion 73a and the vertical direction (i.e., the width W2) (W4>W2). With this structure, it is possible to prevent the peripheral length of the cross section of each heat pipe 73 from changing.

[0091] The heat dissipation portions 73b and 73c may not be disposed above or below the heat sinks 71 and 72. For example, the second heat dissipation portion 73c may extend in the left-right direction on the front or rear side of the second heat sink 72. In this case, the width of the second heat dissipation portion 73c in the up-down direction may be greater than its width in the front-rear direction. In yet another example, each fin 72a of the second heat sink 72 may have a hole penetrating through them in the left-right direction. The second heat dissipation portion 73c may be inserted into this through hole. In this case, the upper surface and / or the lower surface of the second heat dissipation portion 73c may contact the edge of the through hole of the heat sink 72. The width of the second heat dissipation portion 73c in the front-rear direction may be greater than its width in the up-down direction.

[0092] The radius of curvature of the corner 73d (see FIG. 14A) of the heat receiving portion 73a may be smaller than the radius of curvature of the corner or side (for example, side 73e shown in FIG. 14B) of the heat dissipating portions 73b and 73c. ​​In this way, the cross section of the heat receiving portion 73a becomes closer to a rectangle, so that the multiple heat pipes 73 can be efficiently arranged above the integrated circuit 50a.

[0093] 14C, each heat pipe 73 has a midway portion 73h located between the integrated circuit 50a mounted on the circuit board 50 and the first heat sink 71. The midway portion 73h is a portion located between the heat receiving portion 73a and the first heat dissipation portion 73b. The midway portions 73h of the multiple heat pipes 73 extend in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of each heat receiving portion 73a (the left-right direction in the example of the electronic device 1) in a plan view of the heat dissipation device 70 (see FIG. 13B).

[0094] As shown in FIG. 14C, the upper surface 73i of the intermediate portion 73h is connected to the lower edge of the fin 71a of the first heat sink 71. The upper surface 73i is parallel to the circuit board 50 and the lower edge of the fin 71a. On the other hand, the lower surface 73j of the intermediate portion 73h may be inclined so that the width W7 of the intermediate portion 73h in the vertical direction gradually decreases as it moves away from the heat receiving portion 73a. This improves the degree of freedom in the layout of the electronic component 50c below the intermediate portion 73h. Note that the lower surface 73j of the intermediate portion 73h does not necessarily have to be inclined. A plurality of steps may be formed on the lower surface 73j so that the width W7 of the intermediate portion 73h in the vertical direction gradually decreases.

[0095] The base plate 75 has a bottom portion 75c located below the intermediate portion 73h. A plurality of steps may be formed in the bottom portion 75c, and the lower surface 73j of the intermediate portion 73h may be biased toward the heat sink 71.

[0096] As described above, the second heat dissipation portions 73c of the heat pipes 73E and 73F are disposed along the upper side of the second heat sink 72. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 13A, the two heat pipes 73E and 73F may have curved portions 73g that are curved upward from the lower side of the first heat sink 71 toward the upper side of the second heat sink 72.

[0097] As shown in Fig. 9, curved portion 73g has width W5 in the up-down direction. Curved portion 73g also has width W6 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of curved portion 73g and the up-down direction (front-rear direction in the example shown in Fig. 9). Width W6 may be greater than width W5 in the up-down direction. This structure of heat pipes 73E-73F makes it easy to bend heat pipes 73E-73F upward.

[0098] The direction in which the curved portion 73g is bent is not limited to the up-down direction. For example, when the second heat dissipation portion 73c is disposed on the front or rear side of the second heat sink 72, the curved portion 73g may be bent toward the front or rear. In this case, the width of the curved portion 73g in the up-down direction may be larger than the width of the curved portion 73g in the front-rear direction.

[0099] 26A to 26C are diagrams showing a heat dissipation device 170 as a modified example of the heat dissipation device 70, and Fig. 27 is a plan view of the device body 10 having the heat dissipation device 170. In Fig. 27, the heat dissipation device 170 is covered by an upper housing member 30A.

[0100] In the heat dissipation device 170, the first heat sink 71 shown in FIG. 13A etc. is separated into two heat sinks 171A and 171B (two fin blocks) in the direction along the air flow (front-rear direction in the example of the electronic device 1) as shown in FIG. 26A. The heat sinks 171A and 171B are fixed to a common base plate 75. The heat sinks 171A and 171B are connected to a common heat pipe 73 having a heat receiving portion 73a thermally connected to an integrated circuit 50a mounted on a circuit board 50. The front heat sink 171A is located to the left of the center line Cf of the cooling fan 5, and a line along the left-right direction passes through the center line Cf and the heat sink 171A (see FIG. 27). A heat transfer member 74 and a heat receiving portion 73a of the heat pipe 73 are fixed to the front heat sink 171A (front fin block), and the heat sink 171A is connected to the integrated circuit 50a through the heat transfer member 74 and the heat receiving portion 73a. The rear heat sink 171B (rear fin block) is located behind the heat sink 171A. The rear heat sink 171B has heat dissipation portions 73c of a plurality of heat pipes 73 fixed thereto. The second heat sink 72 and the rear heat sink 171B are aligned in the left-right direction.

[0101] In the following description, the front heat sink 171A is referred to as a first front heat sink, the heat sink 171B is referred to as a first rear heat sink, and the heat sink 72 is referred to as a second heat sink, similar to the example of FIG. 13A.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 26A, the front edge of the first rear heat sink 171B is spaced rearward from the rear edge of the first front heat sink 171A, and a gap Gn is provided between the front edge of the first rear heat sink 171B and the rear edge of the first front heat sink 171A. With this structure, the air that has passed the rear edge of the first front heat sink 171A mixes in the gap Gn (i.e., the flow is disturbed in the gap Gn) and then enters the first rear heat sink 171B. This makes it easier for the air that should dissipate heat to spread throughout the entire first rear heat sink 171B. As a result, the first rear heat sink 171B can be effectively utilized, and the cooling performance can be improved.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 26A, in the heat dissipation device 170, the heat sinks 171A and 171B each have a plurality of fins 171a and 171b arranged in the left-right direction. The fins 171a constituting the first front heat sink 171A are inclined in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. A wall 61a (the intake wall of the power supply unit case 61, see FIG. 6B) that sends air toward the first front heat sink 171A is formed in front of the first front heat sink 171A. Each fin 171a may be inclined in the same direction as the wall 61a. This allows air to pass through the heat sink 171A smoothly. In the example of the electronic device 1, the wall 61a extends diagonally backward and leftward from its front edge. Each fin 171a extends diagonally backward and leftward from its front edge, similar to the wall 61a. The fins 171a and the wall 61a do not have to be parallel to each other.

[0104] On the other hand, the fins 171b of the first rear heat sink 171B are arranged along the front-rear direction. Therefore, the fins 171a of the first front heat sink 171A are inclined with respect to the fins 171b of the first rear heat sink 171B.

[0105] It is desirable that the gap Gn be large enough to allow air to mix. For example, the gap Gn may be larger than 1 / 5 of the width of the first front heat sink 171A in the front-rear direction. The gap Gn may be larger than 1 / 4 of the width of the first front heat sink 171A in the front-rear direction.

[0106] In the example shown in Fig. 26A, midway portions 73h of the heat pipes 73 are exposed in the gap Gn. As shown in Fig. 26B, the upper surface of the heat receiving portion 73a of the heat pipe 73 and the upper surface of the heat transfer member 74 contact the lower edge of the fin 171a of the first front heat sink. The heat dissipation portions 73c of the heat pipes 73 contact the lower edge of the fin 171b of the first rear heat sink 171B. Therefore, in the example shown in Figs. 26A to 26C, the heat sinks 171A and 171B all contact the heat pipes 73 at the portions where the widths W1 and W3 (Figs. 14A and 14B) of the heat pipes 73 in the up-down direction are uniform.

[0107] [Lower heat dissipation device] As shown in Fig. 15, the heat dissipation device 80 disposed on the lower surface of the circuit board 50 has a base plate 82, a plurality of fins 81, and a heat pipe 83. As shown in Fig. 16A, the heat pipe 83 is disposed between the lower board shield 52 and the circuit board 50. An opening 52a is formed in the lower board shield 52. The fin 81 is disposed inside the opening 52a and exposed to the outside of the lower board shield 52 (the lower side of the lower board shield 52 in the example of the electronic device 1). The fin 81 is disposed in the above-mentioned air flow path Sb (see Fig. 8B) formed between the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B.

[0108] The base plate 82 is a metal plate such as copper, aluminum, or stainless steel. The base plate 82 is formed by pressing a metal plate. That is, the portion of the base plate 82 is formed from a single metal plate. The multiple fins 81 are supported by the base plate 82. The fins 81 are fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 82, for example, by soldering.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 15, the heat pipe 83 has a heat receiving portion 83n at a position away from the fins 81. The heat pipe 83 is, for example, L-shaped. The heat receiving portion 83n is disposed between the optical disk drive 6 and the circuit board 50 described above. The fins 81 are disposed in an area that does not overlap with the optical disk drive 6 (in the example of the electronic device 1, an area to the right of the optical disk drive 6). In the manufacturing process of the circuit board 50 (the process of mounting electronic components on the circuit board 50), a jig may be pressed against the surface of the circuit board 50 to prevent warping of the circuit board 50. The heat pipe 83 may have a shape that matches the area against which the jig is pressed.

[0110] The heat receiving portion 83n contacts an electronic component 50c mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. The electronic component 50c is, for example, a power transistor that generates drive power for an integrated circuit 50a (specifically, a CPU) mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 50 from power supplied from the power supply unit 60. The components and devices cooled by the heat dissipation device 80 are not limited to transistors, and the heat dissipation device 80 may be used to cool a memory.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 16A, the heat pipe 83 has a connection portion 83a on the opposite side to the heat receiving portion 83n. The connection portion 83a is located between the fin 81 and the circuit board 50 and extends in the left-right direction. A holding recess 82f extending in the left-right direction is formed on the lower surface of the base plate 82. The lower surface of the base plate 82 is recessed upward at the holding recess 82f. A first through hole 82g penetrating the base plate 82 in the left-right direction is formed at the left end of the holding recess 82f, and a second through hole 82h penetrating the base plate 82 in the left-right direction is formed at the right end of the holding recess 82f. The connection portion 83a is inserted into the holding recess 82f, for example, from the first through hole 82g on the left side, and is held inside the holding recess 82f. The connection portion 83a is fixed to the holding recess 82f, for example, by solder. Both the holding recess 82f and the connection portion 83a are linearly extending portions.

[0112] 16A, gaps G1 and G2 are generated between the edge of opening 52a of lower substrate shield 52 and fin 81. In detail, gap G1 is generated between the edge (left edge) of opening 52a and the fin 81 located at the left end, and gap G2 is generated between the edge (right edge) of opening 52a and the fin 81 located at the right end.

[0113] 16A, the base plate 82 may have a plate left portion 82c located to the left of the holding recess 82f. The plate left portion 82c may cover the lower surface (the surface on the board shield 52 side) of the heat pipe 83 and close the gap G1. This makes it possible to prevent electromagnetic waves from escaping from the gap G1 to the outside of the lower board shield 52. The plate left portion 82c may have a size larger than the gap G1 in the front-rear direction and may close the entire gap G1.

[0114] 16A, the base plate 82 may have a plate right portion 82d located to the right of the holding recess 82f. The plate right portion 82d may cover the lower surface (the surface on the board shield 52 side) of the heat pipe 83 and close the gap G2. This makes it possible to prevent electromagnetic waves from escaping from the gap G2 to the outside of the lower board shield 52. The plate right portion 82d may have a size larger than the gap G2 in the front-to-rear direction and may close the entire gap G2.

[0115] 16A, plate left portion 82c has a width T1 larger than the distance (gap G1) between the fin 81 located at the left end among the multiple fins 81 and the edge (left edge) of opening 52a of board shield 52. Therefore, plate left portion 82c overlaps with fin 81 located at the left end in a plan view of circuit board 50, and also overlaps with the edge of opening 52a of board shield 52. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking from gap G1. In the example of electronic device 1, multiple fins 81 overlap plate left portion 82c.

[0116] 16A, the plate right portion 82d has a width T2 larger than the distance (gap G2) between the fin 81 located at the right end among the multiple fins 81 and the edge (right edge) of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. Therefore, the plate right portion 82d overlaps the fin 81 located at the right end in a plan view of the circuit board 50, and also overlaps with the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking from the gap G2. In the example of the electronic device 1, the multiple fins 81 also overlap the plate right portion 82d.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 16B, the base plate 82 has a plate front portion 82a and a plate rear portion 82b located on opposite sides of the holding recess 82f in the front-rear direction. The plate front portion 82a, the plate rear portion 82b, the plate left portion 82c, and the plate right portion 82d are connected to each other and surround the holding recess 82f. The four portions 82a to 82d are located on the same plane along the circuit board 50. The edges of the fins 81 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the plate front portion 82a and the plate rear portion 82b by, for example, solder. Heat transferred from the heat pipe 83 to the holding recess 82f is transferred to the fins 81 via the plate front portion 82a and the plate rear portion 82b.

[0118] The plate front portion 82a extends forward from the holding recess 82f and overlaps with the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. The plate rear portion 82b extends rearward from the holding recess 82f and overlaps with the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. In this manner, the base plate 82 may overlap with the entire periphery of the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. This makes it possible to effectively prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking.

[0119] Each of the portions 82a to 82d may be fixed to the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52 by fasteners such as screws or rivets. The fixing structure of the base plate 82 and the lower board shield 52 is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. For example, fasteners for fixing the base plate 82 to the lower board shield 52 may be provided only on the plate front portion 82a and the plate rear portion 82b.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 16B, the width W11 of the first through hole 82g in the left-right direction may be larger than the width (width in the left-right direction) of one fin 81. Similarly, the width W12 of the second through hole 82h in the left-right direction may be larger than the width (width in the left-right direction) of one fin 81. The first through hole 82g is closed by a plurality of fins 81. The second through hole 82h is also closed by a plurality of fins 81. Each fin 81 has a fixing portion 81b at its upper edge that is bent toward the adjacent fin 81. The fixing portion 81b is in contact with the adjacent fin 81, and there is no gap between two adjacent fins 81. This makes it possible to suppress leakage of electromagnetic waves from between two adjacent fins 81.

[0121] 16B, the base plate 82 may have a stopper 82k that faces the left-right end (the right end in the example of the electronic device 1) of the heat pipe 83. When the connection portion 83a of the heat pipe 83 is inserted into the holding recess 82f from the left side during the manufacturing process of the heat dissipation device 80, the stopper 82k can reduce deviation in the relative position between the connection portion 83a and the holding recess 82f.

[0122] In the example of the electronic device 1, the base plate 82 has a left plate portion 82c and a right plate portion 82d on the right and left sides of the holding recess 82f, respectively, which overlap with the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. Unlike this example, only one of the left plate portion 82c and the right plate portion 82d may overlap with the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52.

[0123] In still another example, the base plate 82 may not have the holding recess 82f. In this case, the heat dissipation device 80 may have a back plate that sandwiches the connection portion 83a of the heat pipe 83 together with the base plate 82. Figures 17A to 17C are diagrams showing an example of such a heat dissipation device.

[0124] In the examples shown in these figures, the heat dissipation device 180 has a base plate 182 and a back plate 184. As shown in FIG. 17B, the base plate 182 is disposed between the connection portion 83a of the heat pipe 83 and the fins 81. The upper edge of the fins 81 is fixed to the base plate 182. Unlike the above-mentioned base plate 82, the base plate 182 does not have a holding recess. The back plate 184 covers the upper surface of the connection portion 83a and is attached to the base plate 182. The back plate 184 is formed with a holding recess 184a extending in the left-right direction, and the connection portion 83a of the heat pipe 83 is fitted into this holding recess. The back plate 184 has a plate front portion 184b and a plate rear portion 184c located on opposite sides of the holding recess 184a. These portions 184b and 184c are attached to the base plate 182. In the heat dissipation device 180, unlike the heat dissipation device 80, the connection portion 83a of the heat pipe 83 does not have to be straight, and may be curved, for example. In this case, the holding recess 184a may be curved to match the connection portion 83a.

[0125] 17C, base plate 182 has left plate portion 182c located to the left of fin 81, and right plate portion 182d located to the right of fin 81. Left plate portion 182c closes gap G1, and right plate portion 182d closes gap G2. This makes it possible to prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking from gaps G1 and G2.

[0126] 17C, plate left portion 182c extends leftward beyond the edge (left edge) of opening 52a of board shield 52 and overlaps with board shield 52. Plate right portion 182d extends rightward beyond the edge (right edge) of opening 52a of board shield 52 and overlaps with board shield 52. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking from gaps G1 and G2.

[0127] 17B, ​​the base plate 182 has a plate front portion 182a and a plate rear portion 182b that are located on opposite sides of the connection portion 83a in the front-rear direction. These also extend forward and backward, respectively, beyond the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52 and overlap with the board shield 52. In this way, the base plate 182 may overlap the entire periphery of the edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. This makes it possible to effectively prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking.

[0128] The backplate 184 may have substantially the same size as the baseplate 182 in at least one of the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. In the example of the electronic device 1, as shown in FIG. 17A, the size K2 of the backplate 184 in the front-rear direction is the same as that of the baseplate 182. Also, the size K1 of the backplate 184 in the left-right direction is the same as that of the baseplate 182. According to this structure of the backplate 184 and the baseplate 182, the heat transferred from the heat pipe 83 to the backplate 184 is easily transferred to the entire baseplate 182, and therefore, is easily transferred to the entire fins 81. Note that the backplate 184 may have substantially the same size as the baseplate 182 only in one of the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Here, the backplate 184 and the base plate 182 being the same size in the front-to-rear direction means that their frontmost portions can be attached to the board shield 52 with a common fastener (screws or rivets), and their rearmost portions can be attached to the board shield 52 with a common fastener. For example, the frontmost and rearmost portions of the plates 184 and 182 are each formed with a mounting hole into which a common fastener is inserted. Similarly, the backplate 184 and the base plate 182 being the same size in the left-to-right direction means that their rightmost portions can be attached to the board shield 52 with a common fastener, and their leftmost portions can be attached to the board shield 52 with a common fastener.

[0129] Furthermore, according to this structure, unlike the above-described base plate 82, no holes (the above-described through holes 82g and 82h) are formed penetrating the base plate 182. Therefore, leakage of electromagnetic waves can be more effectively suppressed.

[0130] [Memory Containment Room] As shown in Fig. 15, a ground pattern 50f made of a conductor and functioning as an electrical ground is formed on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. The ground pattern 50f is shaded in Fig. 15. The ground pattern 50f surrounds the entire periphery of an area B1 (hereinafter referred to as the shielded area) in which electronic components 50c, 50e, etc. are mounted. A lower board shield 52 covers this shielded area B1. The lower board shield 52 has a ground contact portion 52b (see Fig. 7C) that is fixed to the ground pattern 50f with a fastener such as a screw.

[0131] As shown in Fig. 15, a memory connector 50g to which a semiconductor memory 55 (see Fig. 18A) can be detachably attached may be mounted in an area outside the shield area B1 on the lower surface of the circuit board 50. In the example of the electronic device 1, the semiconductor memory 55 is disposed to the right of the memory connector 50g. The lower board shield 52 may have a connector cover 52c (see Fig. 18A) that covers the memory connector 50g. A memory accommodation chamber R1 (see Fig. 18A) that accommodates the semiconductor memory 55 is defined on the lower side of the circuit board 50.

[0132] 18C, the lower substrate shield 52 has shield walls 52e-52f formed along the memory accommodating chamber R1. This structure can reduce the effects of static electricity on the semiconductor memory 55 while suppressing an increase in the number of components. The shield walls 52e-52f are higher than the semiconductor memory 55 and have a length (width in the left-right direction) corresponding to the semiconductor memory 55.

[0133] In the example of the electronic device 1, the memory accommodation chamber R1 is defined closer to the front surface 10a (see FIG. 8A) of the electronic device 1. As shown in FIG. 15, the memory accommodation chamber R1 is located forward of the center of the circuit board 50 in the front-rear direction, and is formed, for example, along the front edge 50h of the circuit board 50. The shield wall 52e is formed on the front side of the memory accommodation chamber R1. With this structure, when a user touches the front surface 10a of the electronic device 1, the shield wall 52e can prevent static electricity from flowing to the semiconductor memory 55.

[0134] 18C, a shield wall 52f may be formed on the rear side of the memory housing chamber R1, whereby the effects of static electricity on the semiconductor memory 55 can be more effectively suppressed.

[0135] 15, the ground pattern 50f may have ground portions 50i and 50j formed along the memory accommodating chamber R1. The ground portions 50i and 50j have a length (length in the left-right direction) corresponding to the memory accommodating chamber R1, for example. The ground portion 50i is formed on the front side of the memory accommodating chamber R1, and the ground portion 50j is formed on the rear side of the memory accommodating chamber R1. Hereinafter, the ground portion 50i will be referred to as the front ground portion, and the ground portion 50j will be referred to as the rear ground portion.

[0136] 18C, the lower board shield 52 has a contact portion 52g in contact with the front ground portion 50i and a contact portion 52h in contact with the rear ground portion 50j. The front shield wall 52e extends downward from the contact portion 52g, and the rear shield wall 52f extends downward from the contact portion 52h. With this structure, the distance from the shield walls 52e and 52f to the ground pattern 50f of the circuit board 50 is reduced. As a result, the effects of static electricity can be reduced more effectively.

[0137] The structure of the ground pattern 50f and the structure of the lower board shield 52 are not limited to the example shown in the electronic device 1. For example, the ground pattern 50f may have only one of the two ground portions 50i-50j (e.g., the front ground portion 50i). In this case, the lower board shield 52 may have only one of the two contact portions 52g-52h (e.g., the front contact portion 52g).

[0138] 18A, the memory housing chamber R1 may be covered by a memory cover 56. The memory cover 56 is made of, for example, a conductive material (for example, a metal such as copper, aluminum, or iron) and is electrically connected to the shield walls 52e-52f. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the influence of static electricity on the semiconductor memory 55.

[0139] In the example of the electronic device 1, the memory cover 56 is electrically connected to the shield wall 52e through a conductive cushion 56a (FIG. 18C) disposed between the edge of the memory cover 56 and the edge of the front shield wall 52e. Also, the memory cover 56 is electrically connected to the shield wall 52f through a conductive cushion 56b disposed between the edge of the memory cover 56 and the edge of the rear shield wall 52f.

[0140] 18C, an opening 30d that exposes the memory accommodating chamber R1 is formed in the lower housing member 30B. Support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c that surround the memory accommodating chamber R1 may be formed in the lower housing member 30B. These support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c extend from the edge of the opening 30d toward the circuit board 50. The support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c ensure the strength of the lower housing member 30B around the opening 30d.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 18C, the shield walls 52e and 52f may be located inside the support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c. The front shield wall 52e is, for example, located inside the front support wall 37a and along the support wall 37a. The rear shield wall 52f is, for example, located inside the rear support wall 37b and along the support wall 37b. In the example of the electronic device 1, the board shield 52 does not have a shield wall located inside the support wall 37c formed on the right side of the memory accommodation chamber R1. Unlike the example of the electronic device 1, the board shield 52 may have a shield wall located inside the support wall 37c.

[0142] The outer periphery of the memory cover 56 is disposed, for example, on the lower edges of the support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c. As shown in FIG. 18A, a protrusion 56c is formed on an end (the left end in the example shown in the electronic device 1) of the memory cover 56. An opening into which the protrusion 56c fits horizontally is formed in the lower housing member 30B. The opposite end (the right end in the example shown in the electronic device 1) of the memory cover 56 is disposed on the support wall 37c and fixed to this support wall 37c. For example, a hole is formed in the support wall 37c, and the end of the memory cover 56 is fixed to this hole by a fastener such as a screw 58a.

[0143] The semiconductor memory 55 may be fixed to the circuit board 50 or the upper board shield 51 at a position away from the memory connector 50g. For example, as shown in FIG. 18A, a right end 55a of the semiconductor memory 55 may be fixed by a screw 58b in a screw hole 51b formed in the upper board shield 51. In this case, a spacer 57 may be disposed between the upper board shield 51 and the right end 55a of the semiconductor memory 55. A hole 50k for disposing the spacer 57 may be formed in the circuit board 50 at a position corresponding to the screw hole 51b.

[0144] In the electronic device 1, a plurality of semiconductor memories having different storage capacities may be selectively available. Such semiconductor memories have different lengths in the left-right direction depending on their storage capacities. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18A, a plurality of screw holes 51b may be formed in the upper substrate shield 51 so that such a plurality of semiconductor memories having different lengths can be fixed to the upper substrate shield 51. In addition, holes for arranging spacers 57 may be formed in the circuit substrate 50 at positions corresponding to the screw holes 51b.

[0145] The memory housing chamber R1 may be formed with a ventilation hole H1 (see FIGS. 18A and 18B) that allows air to flow between the inside and outside of the memory housing chamber R1 when the memory cover 56 is closed. This can improve the heat dissipation performance of the semiconductor memory 55.

[0146] As described above, the memory accommodation chamber R1 is provided near the front surface 10a of the electronic device 1. The ventilation hole H1 may be formed in the wall portion on the rear side of the memory accommodation chamber R1. In the example of the electronic device 1, the ventilation hole H1 may be provided in the rear shield wall 52f or the rear support wall 37b. The ventilation hole H1 may open toward the rear side of the electronic device 1. According to this structure of the ventilation hole H1, since the ventilation hole H1 is far from the front surface 10a of the electronic device 1, the ventilation hole H1 can be effectively prevented from becoming a passage for static electricity.

[0147] In the example of the electronic device 1, a plurality of gaps 52i (see FIG. 19) are formed in the rear shield wall 52f. As shown in FIG. 18B, the lower edge of the support wall 37b of the lower housing member 30B has a recess 37e at a position corresponding to the gap 52i. A vent hole H1 opening toward the rear side of the electronic device 1 is formed between the recess 37e and the edge of the memory cover 56. A mounting hole 52j (see FIG. 18B) for fixing the ground contact portion 52h of the lower board shield 52 to the circuit board 50 may be formed in the gap 52i.

[0148] The above-mentioned lower flow passage Ub (see FIG. 20A) is formed between the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B and the lower exterior panel 20B. The ventilation opening H1 opens in this lower flow passage Ub. The ventilation opening H1 also opens from the memory accommodating chamber R1 toward the intake opening 31b of the lower housing member 30B (see FIG. 8A). Therefore, when the cooling fan 5 is driven, an air flow is formed that flows from the inside of the memory accommodating chamber R1 through the ventilation opening H1 toward the intake opening 31b.

[0149] In addition to the ventilation hole H1, holes opening toward the outside of the memory accommodating chamber R1 may be formed in the walls that define the memory accommodating chamber R1, such as the shield walls 52e and 52f, the support walls 37a, 37b, and 37c, and the circuit board 50. When the cooling fan 5 is driven, air flows into the inside of the memory accommodating chamber R1 through the holes. The holes opening toward the outside of the memory accommodating chamber R1, i.e., the intake holes, are, for example, the holes 50k formed in the circuit board 50 to fix the semiconductor memory 55.

[0150] [Exterior panel] As described above, the electronic device 1 has the upper exterior panel 20A attached to the upper surface of the device body 10, and the lower exterior panel 20B attached to the lower surface of the device body 10. The device body 10 has an upper housing member 30A and a lower housing member 30B that are combined in the vertical direction. The upper exterior panel 20A is attached to the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A, and the lower exterior panel 20B is attached to the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B.

[0151] As shown in Fig. 1C, the upper exterior panel 20A may have a right protrusion 20a on its right side that protrudes rightward beyond the position of the right side surface 10b of the device body 10 (the outer surface on the right side of the front exterior panel 35). Also, the upper exterior panel 20A may have a left protrusion 20b (Fig. 1G) on its left side that protrudes leftward beyond the position of the left side surface 10c of the device body 10 (the left side surface of the housing 30). The protrusions 20a and 20b may continue from the rear edge to the front edge of the upper exterior panel 20A as shown in Fig. 1B.

[0152] The protrusions 20a and 20b can protect the device body 10. For example, when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically so that the right side surface 10b of the electronic device 1 faces downward, the right protrusion 20a comes into contact with the floor surface and supports the device body 10, thereby preventing the side surface of the device body 10 from being scratched or soiled.

[0153] As with the upper exterior panel 20A, the lower exterior panel 20B may have, on its right side, a right protrusion 20c that protrudes rightward beyond the position of the right side surface 10b of the device body 10, as shown in Fig. 1C, and a left protrusion 20d (see Fig. 1G) that protrudes leftward beyond the position of the left side surface 10c of the device body 10, on its left side. The protrusions 20c and 20d may continue from the rear edge to the front edge of the lower exterior panel 20B. This structure of the exterior panels 20A and 20B allows the device body 10 to be protected more effectively.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 1E, the upper exterior panel 20A may have a front protrusion 20e on its front side that protrudes forward beyond the position of the front surface 10a of the device body 10 (the front surface of the front exterior panel 35). Similarly, the lower exterior panel 20B may have a front protrusion 20f on its front side that protrudes forward beyond the position of the front surface 10a of the device body 10. This structure of the exterior panels 20A and 20B can protect the front surface 10a of the device body 10 and the components arranged on the front surface 10a (e.g., buttons 2a and 2b and connectors 3a and 3b). The front protrusion 20e continues from the right edge to the left edge of the upper exterior panel 20A, and the front protrusion 20f continues from the right edge to the left edge of the lower exterior panel 20B. In addition, the exterior panels 20A and 20B may have a rear protrusion that protrudes backward beyond the position of the rear surface of the device body 10 (the rear surface of the housing 30).

[0155] The exterior panels 20A and 20B may have protrusions only on a part of their right side, left side, and front side. For example, the exterior panels 20A and 20B may not have the protrusions 20e and 20f on the front side. Also, only one of the two exterior panels 20A and 20B may have a protrusion.

[0156] As shown in FIG. 1A, the upper exterior panel 20A has a shape in which a single plate is gently curved in the thickness direction, and does not have a wall portion that descends toward the lower exterior panel 20B at its outer periphery. In other words, the upper exterior panel 20A is not box-shaped. Therefore, the upper exterior panel 20A has a right end surface 20g (see FIG. 1E) that faces right and has a width T3 (width in the vertical direction) corresponding to the thickness of the upper exterior panel 20A. Similarly, the upper exterior panel 20A has a left end surface that faces left and has a width corresponding to the thickness of the upper exterior panel 20A, a front end surface that faces forward and has a width corresponding to the thickness of the upper exterior panel 20A, and a rear end surface that faces rearward and has a width corresponding to the thickness of the upper exterior panel 20A.

[0157] Similarly to the upper exterior panel 20A, the lower exterior panel 20B does not have a wall portion extending toward the upper exterior panel 20A at its outer periphery. Therefore, the lower exterior panel 20B has a right end surface 20h (see FIG. 1G) facing right and having a width T4 (width in the vertical direction) corresponding to the thickness of the lower exterior panel 20B, a left end surface facing left and having a width corresponding to the thickness of the lower exterior panel 20B, a front end surface facing forward and having a width corresponding to the thickness of the lower exterior panel 20B, and a rear end surface facing rearward and having a width corresponding to the thickness of the lower exterior panel 20B.

[0158] [Curved exterior panels] The upper exterior panel 20A may have a curved cross section in a cut surface along the vertical direction and intersecting with the left-right direction. This can increase the strength of the exterior member when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically, compared to when the upper exterior panel 20A is a flat plate. The upper exterior panel 20A may have cross sections curved in different ways in two cut surfaces along the vertical direction and intersecting with each other, as shown in Figs. 20A and 20B. Here, the two cut surfaces are, for example, a cut surface shown by the line XXa-XXa and a cut surface shown by the line XXb-XXb shown in Fig. 1D. The cut surfaces are not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1D, and may be, for example, a surface along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. Even in this case, the strength of the upper exterior panel 20A (strength against a force acting in the left-right direction) can be increased.

[0159] In Fig. 1D, the four corners of the upper exterior panel 20A are assigned a first position P1, a second position P2 located on the opposite side of the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A from the first position P1, a third position P3, and a fourth position P4 located on the opposite side of the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A from the third position P3. In Fig. 1D, the first position P1 is assigned to the right front corner, the second position P2 is assigned to the left rear corner, the third position P3 is assigned to the left front corner, and the fourth position P4 is assigned to the right rear corner.

[0160] When the four positions in the example of the electronic device 1 are defined in this way, the line L1 that connects the first position P1 and the second position P2 and runs along the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A is a curved line that bulges downward as shown in Fig. 20A. In other words, when a cut surface of the electronic device 1 along the first diagonal line is viewed, the upper exterior panel 20A curves along a circular arc centered at a point that is upwardly spaced from the upper exterior panel 20A. Here, the "first diagonal line" is the line XXa-XXa shown in Fig. 1D.

[0161] On the other hand, the line L2 that connects the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 and runs along the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A is a curved line that bulges upward as shown in Fig. 20B. In other words, when a cut surface of the electronic device 1 along the second diagonal line is viewed, the upper exterior panel 20A may curve along a circular arc centered at a point that is away from the upper exterior panel 20A downward. Here, the "second diagonal line" is the line XXb-XXb shown in Fig. 1D.

[0162] 20A, the thickness (width in the vertical direction) of the electronic device 1 at the right front corner (first position P1) of the electronic device 1 is larger than the thickness (width in the vertical direction) of the electronic device 1 at the left rear corner (second position P2) of the electronic device 1. Therefore, the posture of the electronic device 1 can be stabilized when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically.

[0163] For example, when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically so that its right side surface faces downward, the right front corner (first position P1) having a large thickness is on the lower side and supports the electronic device 1. When the electronic device 1 is placed so that its front surface faces downward, the right front corner (first position P1) having a large thickness is also on the lower side. On the other hand, when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically so that its left side surface faces downward, the left rear corner (second position P2) having a large thickness is on the lower side and supports the electronic device 1. Therefore, the curvature of the upper exterior panel 20A described above can stabilize the posture of the electronic device 1 when placed vertically.

[0164] In Fig. 20A, a first distance D1 at a first position P1 (right front corner) and a second distance D2 at a second position P2 (left rear corner) are shown as distances from a horizontal plane Hp1 including the circuit board 50 to the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A. In Fig. 20B, a third distance D3 at a third position P3 (left front corner) and a fourth distance D4 at a fourth position P4 (right rear corner) are shown as distances from the horizontal plane Hp1 including the circuit board 50 to the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A. As described above, the line L1 connecting the first position P1 and the second position P2 defined on the diagonal of the upper exterior panel 20A is a curved line bulging downward, and the line L2 connecting the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 on another diagonal of the upper exterior panel 20A is a curved line bulging upward. Therefore, the first distance D1 and the second distance D2 are each greater than the third distance D3 and the fourth distance D4, respectively. Therefore, by disposing cooling system devices and components near the first position P1 and near the second position P2, smooth intake and exhaust can be achieved.

[0165] For example, as shown in Fig. 1D, in a plan view of the electronic device 1, a line (XXa-XXa line showing a cross section) connecting the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A and the first position P1 passes through the intake port Ea (see Fig. 1C) formed between the upper exterior panel 20A and the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A. In addition, a line connecting the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A and the first position P1 passes through the upper flow path Ua (see Fig. 20A) formed between the upper exterior panel 20A and the recessed plate portion 32a (see Fig. 2A) of the upper housing member 30A. This makes it easy to ensure a sufficient vertical width of the intake port Ea and a sufficient vertical width of the upper flow path Ua.

[0166] In addition, in a plan view of the electronic device 1, a line (XXa-XXa line showing a cross section) connecting the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A and the second position P2 may pass through a flow path from the cooling fan 5 to the exhaust port M provided on the back surface of the electronic device 1. In the example of the electronic device 1, the air flowing out from the cooling fan 5 passes through the inside of the power supply unit case 61 and is exhausted from the exhaust port M. In a plan view of the electronic device 1, a line (XXa-XXa line showing a cross section) connecting the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A and the second position P2 passes through an air flow path formed in the rear part (case rear part 61c) of the power supply unit case 61. Therefore, it is easy to ensure a sufficient size in the vertical direction of the rear part of the power supply unit case 61, and the exhaust efficiency can be improved.

[0167] Furthermore, a line connecting the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A and the second position P2 passes through the rear wall 61i (see FIG. 7C) of the power supply unit case 61 in which the exhaust hole 61g is formed and the rear part 61k (see FIG. 7C) of the upper wall 61j in which the exhaust hole 61h is formed, in a plan view of the electronic device 1. This makes it easy to ensure a sufficient vertical size of the rear wall 61i of the power supply unit case 61 and to ensure a sufficient vertical width of the air flow path Se (see FIG. 7C) formed between the rear part 61k of the upper wall 61j and the upper housing member 30A.

[0168] The lower exterior panel 20B may also be curved overall. For example, as shown in FIG. 20A, when a cut surface of the electronic device 1 taken along a first diagonal line (XXa-XXa line in FIG. 1D) is viewed, the lower exterior panel 20B is curved. As shown in FIG. 20B, when a cut surface of the electronic device 1 taken along a second diagonal line (XXb-XXb line in FIG. 1D) is viewed, the lower exterior panel 20B may be curved in a manner different from that of the cut surface shown in FIG. 20A. As described above, the optical disk drive 6 is disposed below the circuit board 50. The optical disk drive 6 is located at the left part of the electronic device 1. Therefore, the left part of the lower exterior panel 20B bulges downward so as to cover the lower side of the optical disk drive 6. The right part Br of the lower exterior panel 20B may have a shape symmetrical to the right part of the upper exterior panel 20A.

[0169] The electronic device 1 may not have an optical disk drive 6 below the circuit board 50. In this case, the overall shape (curvature) of the lower exterior panel 20B may be symmetrical to the shape (curvature) of the upper exterior panel 20A. FIGS. 21A and 21B are cross-sectional views showing a lower exterior panel according to such a modification. In the example shown in these figures, the lower exterior panel 120B and the upper exterior panel 20A have symmetrical shapes with respect to the horizontal plane Hp2. FIG. 21A shows a cross section of the exterior panels 20A-120B obtained on the same cutting plane as the cutting plane shown by the line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D, and FIG. 21B shows a cross section of the exterior panels 20A-120B obtained on the same cutting plane as the cutting plane shown by the line XXb-XXb in FIG. 1D. FIG. 21C is a front view of the electronic device 101 having the exterior panels 20A-120B shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B.

[0170] In the example shown in FIG. 21A and FIG. 21B, the four corners of the lower exterior panel 120B are assigned a fifth position P5, a sixth position P6 located on the opposite side of the center Pc of the lower exterior panel 120B from the fifth position P5, a seventh position P7, and an eighth position P8 located on the opposite side of the center Pc of the lower exterior panel 120B from the seventh position P7. For example, the fifth position P5 is assigned to the right front corner of the lower exterior panel 120B, the sixth position P6 is assigned to the left rear corner, the seventh position P7 is assigned to the left front corner, and the eighth position P8 is assigned to the right rear corner. Therefore, in a plan view of the electronic device 1, the fifth position P5, the sixth position P6, the seventh position P7, and the eighth position P8 correspond to the above-mentioned first position P1, second position P2, third position P3, and fourth position P4, respectively.

[0171] When the four positions are defined in this way in the lower exterior panel 120B, the line L3 that connects the fifth position P5 and the sixth position P6 and runs along the lower surface of the lower exterior panel 120B may be a curved line that bulges upward as shown in Fig. 21A. On the other hand, the line L4 that connects the seventh position P7 and the eighth position P8 and runs along the lower surface of the lower exterior panel 120B may be a curved line that bulges downward as shown in Fig. 21B.

[0172] The curved form of the upper exterior panel 20A is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. For example, the above-mentioned four positions P1 to P4 that define the curved form of the upper exterior panel 20A do not have to be the four corners of the upper exterior panel 20A. For example, the first position P1 may be defined at the center of the front edge of the upper exterior panel 20A, the second position P2 may be defined on the opposite side to the first position P1 across the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A, the third position P3 may be defined at the center of the right edge of the upper exterior panel 20A, and the fourth position P4 may be defined on the opposite side to the third position P3 across the center Pc of the upper exterior panel 20A. When the four positions P1 to P4 are defined in this way, the line that connects the first position P1 and the second position P2 and runs along the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A may be, for example, a curved line that bulges downward. On the other hand, the line connecting the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 and running along the upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A may be a curved line bulging upward.

[0173] In this case, the curved form of the lower exterior panel 20B may also correspond to the curved form of the upper exterior panel 20A. For example, the entire shape (curvature) of the lower exterior panel 20B may be symmetrical to the shape (curvature) of the upper exterior panel 20A. In yet another example, only the upper exterior panel 20A may be curved as described above, while the lower exterior panel 20B may be a flat plate. In yet another example, a part of the upper exterior panel 20A or a part of the lower exterior panel 20B may include a flat surface.

[0174] [Exterior panel mounting structure] 2A and 22, a plurality of mounting holes 30e-30f are formed in the upper surface of the device body 10 (the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A). A plurality of mounting projections 21-22 (see FIG. 2B) are formed in the lower surface of the upper exterior panel 20A. The mounting projections 21-22 fit into the mounting holes 30e-30f, respectively. The mounting holes 30e-30f are, for example, holes that penetrate the upper housing member 30A.

[0175] In FIG. 22, the fitting direction of each of the mounting projections 21 and 22 into the mounting holes 30e and 30f is indicated by an arrow Da. The fitting direction Da corresponds to, for example, the protruding direction of the mounting projections 21 and 22 from the lower surface of the upper exterior panel 20A. The fitting direction Da corresponds to, for example, the direction in which the mounting holes 30e and 30f penetrate the upper housing member 30A. The fitting directions Da of the multiple mounting projections 21 and 22 into the mounting holes 30e and 30f are all parallel. This fitting direction Da may be inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction (a horizontal plane Hp3 parallel to the circuit board 50 in FIG. 22). For example, the fitting direction Da may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane Hp3 and may be along a plane parallel to the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

[0176] As described above, the upper exterior panel 20A is curved in different ways in two cut surfaces that are along the vertical direction and intersect with each other. That is, the upper exterior panel 20A is curved so as to bulge downward in a cut surface along the first diagonal line (XXa-XXa line in FIG. 1D), and is curved so as to bulge upward in a cut surface along the second diagonal line (XXb-XXb line in FIG. 1D). As shown in FIG. 22, the upper surface of the device main body 10 is also curved in accordance with the upper exterior panel 20A. By inclining the fitting direction Da with respect to the horizontal plane Hp3, the curved upper exterior panel 20A can be attached to the upper surface of the device main body 10 that is also curved, and they can be closely attached to each other.

[0177] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram for explaining this. In the example shown in this figure, a horizontal portion 30i and an inclined portion 30j are formed in the upper housing member 30A. A horizontal portion 20i and an inclined portion 20j are also formed in the upper exterior panel 20A. The mounting projections 21 and 22 protrude in a direction Da inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The mounting holes 30e and 30f penetrate the upper housing member 30A in a direction Da inclined with respect to the horizontal plane Hp3. The fitting direction Da is inclined more than the inclined portions 30j and 20j. That is, the angle θ1 between the horizontal plane Hp3 and the fitting direction Da is larger than the angle θ2 between the horizontal plane Hp3 and the inclined portions 20j and 30j. Therefore, the mounting projections 21·21 can be inserted into the mounting holes 30e·30f without interference between the inclined portions 20j and 30j or between the horizontal portions 20i and 30i. Furthermore, after the mounting projections 21·21 are inserted, the inclined portions 20j and 30j can be brought into tight contact with each other, and the horizontal portions 20i and 30i can be brought into tight contact with each other.

[0178] In order to reduce the size of the electronic device 1 in the vertical direction, for example, it is effective to attach the upper exterior panel 20A to the upper housing member 30A by sliding them to the right or left relative to the upper housing member 30A. However, this method may cause gaps between the inclined portions 20j and 30j, or other inclined portions of the upper exterior panel 20A may interfere with the upper housing member 30A. In contrast, in the example of the electronic device 1, the fitting direction Da is inclined more than the inclined portions 20j and 30j, so that the upper exterior panel 20A can be attached to the upper housing member 30A without causing such gaps or interference. Therefore, it is preferable that the fitting direction Da of the mounting projections 21 and 22 and the mounting holes 30e and 30f is inclined more than the most inclined portion of the upper exterior panel 20A with respect to the horizontal plane Hp3.

[0179] The mounting holes 30e-30f are preferably distributed over the entire upper surface of the upper housing member 30A. This allows the entire upper exterior panel 20A to be tightly attached to the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A. In the example of the electronic device 1, a recessed plate portion 32a is formed on the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A. It is preferable that the mounting holes 30e-30f are distributed in an area other than the recessed plate portion 32a.

[0180] As shown in FIG. 22, the mounting projection 21 has an engaging projection 21a at its base. A recess 30h is formed on the bottom surface of the mounting hole 30e. The engaging projection 21a fits into the recess 30h and prevents the mounting projection 21 from coming out of the mounting hole 30e. On the other hand, the mounting projection 22 does not have a projection at its base. The engaging projection 21a has a surface 21b facing the direction in which the mounting projection 21 comes out of the mounting hole 30e, and this surface 21b is caught by the recess 30h. (Hereinafter, the surface 21b is referred to as the locking surface.) The upper exterior panel 20A grips the upper surface of the upper housing member 30A with the locking surface 21b of the mounting projection 21 and the mounting projection 22. A plurality of mounting projections 22 are lined up along the left edge of the upper exterior panel 20A. Unlike the mounting projection 21, the base of the mounting projection 22 does not need to have a protrusion formed thereon.

[0181] The mounting structure of the lower exterior panel 20B to the lower housing member 30B may be the same as the mounting structure of the upper exterior panel 20A to the upper housing member 30A. That is, as shown in Fig. 2A, the lower exterior panel 20B may have a mounting projection 25 having a protrusion formed on its base, and a mounting projection 24 having no such protrusion formed thereon. Mounting holes into which the mounting projections 24, 25 fit may be formed in the lower surface of the lower housing member 30B.

[0182] The structure for fixing the upper exterior panel 20A to the upper housing member 30A is not limited to the example of the electronic device 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, instead of the engaging protrusion 21a formed at the base of the mounting projection 21, an engaging protrusion 26 may be formed on the lower surface of the upper exterior panel 20A. The engaging protrusion 26 may be formed so that its center line is aligned in the up-down direction. Meanwhile, the upper housing member 30A may be formed with a hole or a recess into which the engaging protrusion 26 fits. With this structure, it is easy to make the size of the protrusion larger than the engaging protrusion 21a of the mounting projection 21. As a result, the strength of the engaging protrusion can be increased.

[0183] [Disc insertion slot] 1B and 25, the lower exterior panel 20B may be formed with a disk insertion opening 23a for inserting an optical disk toward the optical disk drive 6. The lower exterior panel 20B has a front slope 23 on its front side. The front slope 23 is a surface that extends obliquely downward and rearward from the front edge 20k of the lower exterior panel 20B. The disk insertion opening 23a is formed in this front slope 23. This can prevent the disk insertion opening 23a from being noticeable.

[0184] 25, a guide curved surface 23c that is connected to the edge of the disk insertion opening 23a is formed on the upper part of the disk insertion opening 23a. This guide curved surface 23c can function as a guide for the optical disk D. For example, if the front edge of the optical disk D collides with the area immediately below the front edge 20k of the lower exterior panel 20B during insertion, the optical disk D is guided to the inside of the disk insertion opening 23a by this guide curved surface 23c.

[0185] In the example of the electronic device 1, the disk insertion slot 23a is located at the left part of the electronic device 1. The front slope 23 on which the disk insertion slot 23a is formed is formed at an angle so that its right part (the part closer to the center in the left-right direction of the electronic device 1) is located further forward than the left part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1H, the front edge 23e of the disk insertion slot 23a is inclined forward from the left end of the front edge 23e toward the center of the electronic device 1 (the center in the left-right direction) in a bottom view of the electronic device 1. Therefore, when the optical disk D is inserted, guiding of the optical disk D starts early near the center of the electronic device 1.

[0186] As shown in Fig. 25, a slope 23d is formed on the lower edge of the disk insertion opening 23a. The slope 23d extends diagonally rearward and upward from the front edge. When the front edge of the optical disk collides with the slope 23d, the slope 23d guides the optical disk D toward the insertion opening 6c formed on the front surface of the disk drive case 6a.

[0187] The insertion opening 6c formed on the front surface of the disk drive case 6a is located above the lower part of the slope 23d. This reduces the distance from the insertion opening 6c to the disk insertion opening 23a formed in the lower housing member 30B. As a result, the insertion of the optical disk D can be made smoother.

[0188] As described above, in the electronic device 1, the housing 30 has an upper housing member 30A covering the upper surface of the circuit board 50 and a lower housing member 30B covering the lower surface of the circuit board 50. The cooling fan 5 is disposed outside the outer edge of the circuit board 50, has a rotation center line Cf along the vertical direction which is the thickness direction of the circuit board 50, and forms an air flow between the upper surface of the circuit board 50 and the upper housing member 30A, and an air flow between the lower surface of the circuit board 50 and the lower housing member 30B. The upper housing member 30A has an upper air intake 31a defined above the cooling fan 5. The lower housing member 30B has a lower air intake 31b defined below the cooling fan 5. According to this electronic device 1, since air can be sent to both sides of the circuit board 50 with one cooling fan 5, the components disposed on both sides of the circuit board 50 can be cooled without increasing the number of components. In addition, since the upper air intake 31a and the lower air intake 31b are formed in the housing 30, air can be efficiently taken in, and the cooling performance can be improved.

[0189] The electronic device 1 also includes a power supply unit 60 having a first heat sink 71 that allows air to pass in the front-rear direction, a power supply circuit 62, and a power supply unit case 61 having an intake wall 61a that houses the power supply circuit 62 and has a plurality of intake holes 61b formed therein, and a cooling fan 5. The intake wall 61a is located in front of the first heat sink 71. The intake wall 61a has an outer surface that is inclined in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction and faces the first heat sink 71. The cooling fan 5 is disposed so as to send air toward the intake wall. The intake wall 61a ensures an air flow to be supplied to the first heat sink 71, and at the same time, the power supply unit 60 can be cooled with cold air (air that has not been heated by other heat generating devices or heat dissipating devices). If the power supply unit 60 can be cooled with cold air, the gap between the circuit components 62a and 62b (e.g., a transformer and a capacitor) that constitute the power supply circuit 62 can be reduced, and the power supply unit 60 can be made smaller in size.

[0190] The electronic device 1 also includes a circuit board 50, a cooling fan 5 that forms an airflow for cooling components mounted on the circuit board 50, a flow path wall 34A that defines the flow path of the airflow sent out from the cooling fan 5, and a dust collection chamber Ds that is provided in the flow path wall 34A and captures dust in the airflow and accumulates the captured dust. This structure can reduce the amount of dust that enters devices disposed downstream of the dust collection chamber Ds, such as the first heat sink 71 and the power supply unit 60. The dust collection chamber Ds also includes a first opening A1 that opens toward the air flow path Sa in a direction along the circuit board 50, and a second opening A2 that opens toward the outside of the dust collection chamber Ds in a direction intersecting the circuit board 50. In the example of the electronic device 1, the direction in which the second opening A2 opens is perpendicular to the circuit board 50. This structure of the dust collection chamber Ds allows dust to be accumulated in the dust collection chamber Ds, and the accumulated dust can be discharged through the second opening A2 with a relatively simple operation.

[0191] The heat dissipation device 70 has a plurality of heat pipes 73A-73F, each having a heat receiving portion 73a located above the integrated circuit 50a and thermally connected to the integrated circuit 50a, and heat sinks 71-72 connected to the plurality of heat pipes 73A-73F. The heat receiving portions 73a of the heat pipes 73A-73F are aligned in the left-right direction and are in contact with the heat receiving portion 73a of the adjacent heat pipe 73. The heat receiving portion 73a has a first width W1 in the up-down direction and a second width W2 in the left-right direction that is smaller than the first width W1. This structure makes it easy to increase the number of heat pipes 73. As a result, it becomes easy to increase the size of the heat sinks 71-72 to which the heat of the integrated circuit 50a is transferred through the heat pipes 73. This improves the cooling performance for the integrated circuit 50a.

[0192] The electronic device 1 also includes a circuit board 50, a board shield 52 covering the circuit board 50 and having an opening 52a formed therein, and a heat dissipation device 80. The heat dissipation device 80 includes a plurality of fins 81 arranged inside the opening 52a, a heat pipe 83 located between the plurality of fins 81 and the circuit board 50 and having a connection portion 83a extending in the left-right direction along the circuit board 50, and a base plate 82·182 supporting the plurality of fins 81. The base plate 82·182 includes plate left portions 82c·182c. The plate left portions 82c·182c cover the lower surface of the heat pipe 83 facing the board shield 52 side, and close the gap G1 between the left ends of the plurality of fins 81 and the left edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52. This structure can effectively suppress leakage of electromagnetic waves from the gap G1 between the left ends of the plurality of fins 81 and the left edge of the opening 52a of the board shield 52.

[0193] As described above, in electronic device 1, the underside of circuit board 50 has shielded area B1 in which electronic components 50c-50e are arranged, and board shield 52 covers this shielded area. Outside the shielded area, memory housing chamber R1 capable of housing semiconductor memory 55 is defined. Board shield 52 has shield walls 52e, 52f that run along memory housing chamber R1. In electronic device 1, because board shield 52 has shield walls 52e-52f, semiconductor memory 55 can be protected from static electricity while minimizing an increase in the number of components.

[0194] As described above, the electronic device 1 has an upper exterior panel 20A having an upper surface. The upper surface of the upper exterior panel 20A has, on its outer periphery, a first position P1, a second position P2 defined on the opposite side of the first position P1 across the center Pc of the upper surface, a third position P3, and a fourth position P4 defined on the opposite side of the center Pc from the third position P3. A line L1 formed along the upper surface connecting the first position P1 and the second position P2 is a curved line bulging downward, and a line L2 formed along the upper surface connecting the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 is a curved line bulging upward. This electronic device 1 improves the appearance and makes it easier to ensure the strength of the exterior panel 20A. It may be applied to an electronic device that does not have an exterior panel 20A. In this case, the upper surface of the housing that houses an internal device such as a circuit board 50 may be curved as described above.

[0195] The electronic device 1 also includes a device body 10 having a top surface and a right side surface 10b, and a curved upper exterior panel 20A. The upper exterior panel 20A covers the top surface of the device body 10 and is attached to the top surface. The upper exterior panel 20A has a right protruding portion 20a that exceeds the position of the right side surface 10b at an end of the upper exterior panel 20A. According to this electronic device 1, when the electronic device 1 is placed vertically so that the right side surface 10b is on the lower side, the device body 10 can be protected by the upper exterior panel 20A. In addition, since the upper exterior panel 20A is curved, its strength can be ensured compared to, for example, a case in which the upper exterior panel 20A is a flat plate. In addition, the upper exterior panel 20A has a curved cross section in a cut surface (specifically, a cut surface indicated by the line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D) that is along the vertical direction and intersects with the horizontal direction. As a result, the strength of the exterior panel 20A can be sufficiently ensured. The cut surface that is along the up-down direction and intersects with the left-right direction may be, for example, a surface that is along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. Even in this case, the strength of the exterior panel 20A against an external force acting in the left-right direction can be sufficiently ensured.

[0196] Moreover, the upper exterior panel 20A is a panel to be attached to the housing 30 having a top surface and a right side surface 10b and disposed above the housing 30. The upper exterior panel 20 is curved and has a plurality of mounting projections 21, 22 for respectively mounting into a plurality of mounting holes 30e, 30f formed in the top surface of the housing 30, and has a right protruding portion 20a at its end that extends beyond the position of the right side surface 10b. According to this upper exterior panel 20A, when the electronic device 1 is placed with the right side surface 10b facing downwards, the upper exterior panel 20A can protect the device main body 10.

[0197] The exterior member 20A (or 20B) for mounting to the outer surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 has curved inner and outer surfaces. The exterior member 20A (or 20B) has a plurality of mounting projections 21, 22 (or 24, 25) protruding from its inner surface. Each mounting projection 21, 22 (or 24, 25) is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction of the exterior member 20A (or 20B). Each mounting projection 21, 22 (or 24, 25) is configured to fit into a mounting hole 30e, 30f penetrating the outer surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 when the exterior member 20A (or 20B) is mounted to the housing 30 of the device body 10.

[0198] The up-down direction is the direction from the lower surface to the upper surface of the housing 30. The exterior member 20A (or 20B) is configured to cover the surface of the housing 30 when attached to the device body 10.

[0199] The surface of the housing 30 to which the exterior member 20A is attached is one surface (upper surface) of two surfaces (upper surface and lower surface) formed on opposite sides of the housing 30. These two surfaces of the housing 30 are substantially parallel to each other. The second exterior member 20B is configured to be attached to the other surface (lower surface) of the two surfaces (upper surface and lower surface) formed on opposite sides of the housing 30.

[0200] When the multiple mounting projections 21, 22 (or 24, 25) are fitted into the corresponding mounting holes 30e, 30f, a gap (flow path Ua (or Ub)) is secured between the surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 and the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B).

[0201] When the exterior member 20A (or 20B) is attached to the housing 30, the gap Ua (or Ub) ensures a flow path for the airflow generated by the cooling fan 5 of the device body 10 between the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the surface of the housing 30. When the exterior member 20A (or 20B) is attached to the surface of the housing 30, the cooling fan 5 faces from the surface of the housing 30 to the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B).

[0202] As shown in Fig. 24 and Fig. 2B, some of the attached protrusions 21 protrude more from the inner surface of the exterior member 20A than the other attached protrusions 21. Also, as shown in Fig. 2A, some of the attached protrusions 24 (or 25) protrude more from the inner surface of the exterior member 20B than the other attached protrusions 24 (or 25). That is, the multiple attached protrusions 21 and 22 (or 24 and 25) have a first size and a second size (see Fig. 24, Fig. 2A, and Fig. 2B). Here, the first size protrudes less from the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) than the second size.

[0203] The gap Ua (or Ub) is secured between the surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 and the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) when the multiple mounting projections 21, 22 (or 24, 25) of the first size and the second size are fitted into the corresponding mounting holes 30e and 30f.

[0204] The gap Ua (or Ub) is a flow path through which the airflow generated by the cooling fan of the device body 10 passes between the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the surface of the housing 30.

[0205] The multiple mounting projections 21 and 22 (or 24 and 25) of the second size have extensions. (The mounting projection 21 having a relatively large size shown in FIG. 24 has an extension having an arc shape that extends from the inner surface of the exterior member 20A.) A gap is formed between the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the extension. This gap allows air to flow along the flow path Ua (or Ub) when the cooling fan 5 of the device body 10 is operated and the exterior member 20A (or 20B) is attached to the surface of the housing 30.

[0206] One or more of the plurality of mounting projections 21 (or 25) have an engaging projection 21a. The engaging projection 21a is located near the base of the mounting projection 21 (or 25).

[0207] The housing 30 has a second exterior member 20 B having a plurality of mounting projections 24 , 25 configured to be mounted on the underside of the housing 30 .

[0208] The curvature of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) at the first cut surface (cut surface along the line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D) is different from the curvature of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) at the second cut surface (cut surface along the line XXb-XXb in FIG. 1D). Here, the first cut surface and the second cut surface are cut surfaces that are aligned in the up-down direction and intersect with each other.

[0209] The exterior member 20A bulges downward in a first cut surface along a first diagonal line (line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D) and bulges upward in a second cut surface along a second diagonal line (line XXb-XXb in FIG. 1D).

[0210] The exterior member 20A (or 20B) for mounting on the surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 is curved and has an inner surface and an outer surface. The exterior member 20A (or 20B) has a plurality of mounting projections 21·22 (or 24·25) protruding from the inner surface of the exterior member. Each mounting projection 21·22 (or 24·25) is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction (Z1-Z2 direction) of the exterior member 20A (or 20B). The multiple mounting projections 21·22 (or 24·25) have a first size mounting projection 21·22 (or 24·25) and a second size mounting projection 21·22 (or 24·25). Here, the second size mounting protrusions 21-22 (or 24-25) protrude further from the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) than the first size mounting protrusions 21-22 (or 24-25). The second size mounting protrusions 21-22 (or 24-25) include extensions. (The large size mounting protrusion 21 shown in FIG. 24 extends from the inner surface of the exterior member 20A and includes an arc-shaped extension.) A gap is formed between the extension of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B).

[0211] Each mounting projection 21, 22 (or 24, 25) is configured to fit into a corresponding mounting hole 30e, 30f that penetrates the surface of the housing 30 of the device body 10 when the exterior member 20A (or 20B) is attached to the housing 30 of the device body 10.

[0212] A gap formed between the extension of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) allows air to flow. The air flow is formed between the inner surface of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the surface of the housing 30 when the cooling fan 5 of the device body 10 is operating.

[0213] A gap Ua (or Ub) is secured between the exterior member 20A (or 20B) and the surface of the housing 30. The gap Ua (or Ub) is secured by a plurality of mounting projections 21, 22 (or 24, 25). In the example shown in Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B, and Fig. 24, the mounting projections 21, 22 (or 24, 25) having a relatively large size are positioned in the area of ​​the gap Ua (or Ub) and secure the gap Ua (or Ub).

[0214] The curvature of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) in the first cut surface is different from the curvature of the exterior member 20A (or 20B) in the second cut surface. Here, the first cut surface and the second cut surface are cut surfaces along the up-down direction and intersect with each other. In the first cut surface along the first diagonal line (line XXa-XXa in FIG. 1D), the exterior member 20A (or 20B) bulges downward, and in the second cut surface along the second diagonal line (XXb-XXb in FIG. 1D), the exterior member 20A (or 20B) bulges upward.

Claims

1. a sheath member having a first outer surface facing in a first direction; the first outer surface has, on an outer periphery thereof, a first position, a second position defined on an opposite side of a center of the first outer surface from the first position, a third position, and a fourth position defined on an opposite side of a center of the first outer surface from the third position; a line connecting the first position and the second position and formed along the first outer surface is a curved line bulging out to one side in the first direction; A line connecting the third position and the fourth position and formed along the first outer surface is a curved line bulging out toward the other side in the first direction. electronic equipment.

2. the first position and the second position are positions of two corners located on opposite sides of a center of the first outer surface, The third position and the fourth position are positions of two corners located on opposite sides of the center of the first outer surface.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The electronic device further includes a circuit board. The electronic device has a first distance at the first position, a second distance at the second position, a third distance at the third position, and a fourth distance at the fourth position as distances from a horizontal plane including the circuit board to the first outer surface, and at least the first distance of the first distance and the second distance is greater than each of the third distance and the fourth distance.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

4. The electronic device has a vent, When the electronic device is viewed in the first direction, a line connecting a center of the first outer surface and the first position passes through the ventilation hole.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

5. the electronic device has a cooling fan, an air intake, and a flow path extending from the air intake to the cooling fan; When the electronic device is viewed in the first direction, a line connecting a center of the first outer surface and the first position passes through the flow path.

4. An electronic device according to claim 3.

6. The electronic device further includes a circuit board. the electronic device has a first distance at the first position, a second distance at the second position, a third distance at the third position, and a fourth distance at the fourth position, as distances from a horizontal plane including the circuit board to the first outer surface; At least the second distance of the first distance and the second distance is greater than each of the third distance and the fourth distance.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

7. the electronic device has a cooling fan, an exhaust port, and a flow path extending from the cooling fan to the exhaust port; When the electronic device is viewed in the first direction, a line connecting a center of the first outer surface and the second position passes through the flow path.

7. An electronic device according to claim 6.

8. When the electronic device is viewed in the first direction, a part of a power supply unit case is disposed between a center of the first outer surface and the second position, A vent hole is formed in the portion of the power supply unit case.

7. An electronic device according to claim 6.

9. The exterior member has a second exterior surface facing opposite the first exterior surface, the second outer surface has, on its outer periphery, a fifth position, a sixth position defined on the opposite side of the center of the second outer surface from the fifth position, a seventh position, and an eighth position defined on the opposite side of the center of the second outer surface from the seventh position, a line connecting the fifth position and the sixth position and formed along the second outer surface is a curved line bulging out to one side in the first direction, A line connecting the seventh position and the eighth position and formed along the second outer surface is a curved line bulging out toward the other side in the first direction.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

10. One of the fifth position and the sixth position corresponds to the first position when the exterior member is viewed in the first direction.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9.

11. The electronic device has a housing and an exterior panel attached to the housing and having the first exterior surface.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

12. 1. A face panel for mounting to a housing of an electronic device and oriented in a first orientation relative to the housing, comprising: The exterior panel has, on its outer periphery, a first position, a second position defined on the opposite side of the center of the exterior panel from the first position, a third position, and a fourth position defined on the opposite side of the center of the exterior panel from the third position, A line connecting the first position and the second position and formed along the outer surface of the exterior panel is a curved line bulging to one side in the first direction, A line connecting the third position and the fourth position and formed along the outer surface of the exterior panel is a curved line bulging toward the other side in the first direction. Exterior panel.

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