Elastic member and electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an elastic member with which disassembly work of a housing can be easily performed, and an electronic apparatus comprising the elastic member.SOLUTION: An elastic member 3 is mounted to a housing (back case 12). Grooves 33a and 33b are formed in the elastic member 3. With the grooves 33a and 33b defined as boundaries, the elastic member 3 includes an adhesion region 31, which is adhered to the housing at least partially, and cover regions 32a and 32b covering hole parts (first hole parts 16a and 16b) provided in the housing without being adhered to the housing. The cover regions 32a and 32b can be folded to the side of the adhesion region 31 along with the grooves 33a and 33b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an elastic member and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in electronic devices such as calculators, a member for concealing heads of screws for fastening the housing is sometimes disposed on the surface of the housing.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a housing for an electronic device having a decorative sheet that is attached to the surface of a cover and covers the heads of screws exposed on the surface of the cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-193885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Furthermore, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the decorative sheet is adhered to the surface of the cover with an adhesive, and when disassembling the housing for the electronic device, the adhered decorative sheet needs to be peeled off.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an elastic member that allows easy disassembly of a housing, and an electronic device that includes the elastic member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an elastic member, An elastic member attached to a housing, The elastic member has a groove formed therein. an attachment region at least a part of which is attached to the housing and a cover region which is not attached to the housing and covers a hole provided in the housing, the attachment region being separated by the groove; The cover area can be folded toward the application area along the groove.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic device, The elastic member; The housing; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an elastic member that allows easy disassembly of a housing, and an electronic device that includes the elastic member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a calculator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a rear view of the calculator without the elastic member attached. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6A] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6B] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2 in a state in which the elastic member is folded. [Figure 8] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0012] (Electronic device configuration) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a calculator 1 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a rear view of the calculator 1. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions refer to the directions shown in each drawing. In other words, the front-rear direction refers to the front-to-back direction (thickness direction) of calculator 1, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of calculator 1, and the top-bottom direction refers to the longitudinal direction of calculator 1.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a calculator 1 is an example of an electronic device according to the present invention, and is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction. The calculator 1 includes a front case 11 that covers the front side (front surface) and a rear case 12 that covers the rear side (rear surface). The front case 11 and the rear case 12 form the housing of the calculator 1.

[0014] The front case 11 is provided with a liquid crystal display 2 that displays various information, and a plurality of operation buttons 13 that receive user operations.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, an elastic member 3 is attached to the lower side of the rear case 12. An elastic member 3 is also attached upside down to the upper side of the rear case 12, but is omitted from the illustration since it has a similar configuration. The elastic member 3 is made of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the calculator 1 without the elastic member 3 attached. Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a front view of the elastic member 3. Fig. 6A shows a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB shown in Fig. 2. Note that Figs. 6A and 6B only show the elastic member 3.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a screw 14a is disposed on the right side of the rear case 12 for fastening the rear case 12 to the front case 11. Also, a screw 14b is disposed on the left side of the rear case 12 for fastening the rear case 12 to the front case 11. As shown in Fig. 4, a head 141a of the screw 14a is disposed in a first hole 16a formed in the rear case 12, and a head 141b of the screw 14b is disposed in a first hole 16b formed in the rear case 12. In other words, the heads 141a and 141b are embedded so as not to protrude from the surface of the rear case 12 (surfaces other than the first holes 16a and 16b and the second holes 17a and 17b (described later)). The members for fastening the rear case 12 and the front case 11 are not limited to the screws 14a and 14b, and other fastening methods (for example, clips, mating claws, etc.) may be used for fastening.

[0018] 4 to 6A, a groove 33a extending from the upper end to the lower end is formed in the elastic member 3 on the left-right center side and to the right of the first hole 16a of the rear case 12. In addition, a groove 33b extending from the upper end to the lower end is formed in the elastic member 3 on the left-right center side and to the left of the first hole 16b of the rear case 12. This allows the elastic member 3 to be easily folded along the grooves 33a and 33b. Furthermore, the elastic member 3 is less likely to tear when folded, and the durability of the elastic member 3 can be improved.

[0019] The grooves 33a and 33b are formed on the side of the elastic member 3 that is attached to the rear case 12 (housing). This makes it possible for the grooves 33a and 33b to be invisible from the outside, and the aesthetic appearance is not impaired.

[0020] 4, the grooves 33a, 33b have a cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the grooves 33a, 33b) that is, for example, a semicircular, bow-shaped, or partially circular arc shape. This makes it more difficult for the elastic member 3 to tear when the elastic member 3 is bent along the grooves 33a, 33b, compared to a case in which the cross-sectional shape in the left-right direction of the grooves 33a, 33b is, for example, a V-shape. The cross-sectional shape of the grooves 33a, 33b in the left-right direction may be a shape other than an arc shape.

[0021] 4, the elastic member 3 is attached to an attachment portion 15 (see FIG. 3) of the rear case 12 with double-sided tape 4 on the left-right central side of the grooves 33a and 33b. The elastic member 3 may be attached to the rear case 12 with an adhesive instead of the double-sided tape 4. Since the elastic member 3 is attached to the rear case 12, it is possible to prevent the elastic member 3 from being unintentionally detached from the rear case 12 and being lost.

[0022] The elastic member 3 is divided by groove 33a into an attachment area 31, which is attached to the rear case 12 (housing), and a cover area 32a arranged to the right of the attachment area 31, and by groove 33b into the attachment area 31 and a cover area 32b arranged to the left of the attachment area 31. In the elastic member 3, the grooves 33a, 33b and the cover regions 32a, 32b are disposed symmetrically with respect to the attachment region 31. The cover areas 32a and 32b are not attached to the rear case 12 (housing). Cover region 32a covers first hole 16a (hole) in the state shown in Fig. 4. Cover region 32b covers first hole 16b (hole) in the state shown in Fig. 4. This makes it possible to make head 141a of screw 14a, head 141b of screw 14b, and first hole 16a, 16b invisible from the outside, and does not impair the aesthetic appearance.

[0023] 4, a press-fit portion 34a serving as a fitting portion is formed on the rear case 12 side of the cover area 32a. Also, a press-fit portion 34b serving as a fitting portion is formed on the rear case 12 side of the cover area 32b. The press-fit portion 34a is press-fitted into the second hole portion 17a, which is a fitted portion formed in the rear case 12, and thereby fits into the second hole portion 17a. The press-fit portion 34a is insertable and removable from the second hole portion 17a in the front-rear direction. In other words, the press-fit portion 34a fits detachably into the second hole portion 17a. The press-fit portion 34b is press-fitted into the second hole portion 17b, which is a fitted portion formed in the rear case 12, and thereby fits into the second hole portion 17b. The press-fit portion 34b is insertable and removable from the second hole portion 17b in the front-rear direction. That is, the press-fit portion 34b fits detachably into the second hole portion 17b.

[0024] In addition, as shown in Figures 2, 6A and 6B, the elastic member 3 has an uneven portion 35 on the surface (rear surface) opposite to the side attached to the rear case 12 (side attached to the housing) in which concave and convex portions are alternately arranged along a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the grooves 33a, 33b. As shown in Fig. 2, uneven portion 35 is formed such that the width of the recesses of uneven portion 35 varies at a location corresponding to groove 33a (line VIA-VIA shown in Fig. 2) and a location corresponding to groove 33b (line BB shown in Fig. 2). Specifically, the width of the recesses of uneven portion 35 in the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 6A is smaller than the width of the recesses of uneven portion 35 in the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 6B. This allows the design and strength of the elastic member 3 to be improved.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2, 6A, and 6B, the elastic member 3 has an inclined portion 36 above the concave-convex portion 35, the thickness of which in the front-rear direction decreases toward the upper side. This allows the user's fingers to fit onto the inclined portion 36 when the user holds the calculator 1 .

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 3 is attached to the bottom surface (rear surface) of the housing (rear case 12) so as to protrude slightly rearward from the bottom surface, and functions as an anti-slip material to prevent the calculator 1 from moving relative to the surface on which it is placed.

[0027] Furthermore, in the elastic member 3, as shown in FIG. 7, the press-fit portions 34a, 34b can be pulled out of the second hole portions 17a, 17b, and the cover areas 32a, 32b of the elastic member 3 can be folded toward the center in the left-right direction (toward the attachment area 31) along the grooves 33a, 33b. When the cover areas 32a, 32b shown in FIG. 7 are folded toward the center in the left-right direction, that is, when the cover areas 32a, 32b are removed from the rear case 12, the head 141a of the screw 14a, the head 141b of the screw 14b, and the first hole portions 16a, 16b are exposed to the outside. As a result, when disassembling the calculator 1, the fastening of the front case 11 and the rear case 12 can be released by removing the screws 14a, 14b exposed to the outside. That is, only the cover areas 32a and 32b, which are necessary for disassembling the calculator 1, can be removed from the rear case 12, and the screws 14a and 14b can be removed to disassemble the calculator 1. After disassembling the calculator 1, the cover areas 32a and 32b can be reattached to the rear case 12 by pressing the press-fit portions 34a and 34b into the second hole portions 17a and 17b. Therefore, the elastic member 3 can be reused before and after disassembling the calculator 1, so there is no need to discard the elastic member 3, and costs can be reduced.

[0028] (Modification) Next, a calculator 1 according to a modification of the above embodiment will be described. The following mainly describes the differences from the above embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 8(a) shows a cross-sectional view of this modified example taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 8(a), a magnet 37a (first connecting portion) is arranged at the right end of the cover area 32a (first cover area) of the elastic member 3 in this modified example, and a magnet 37b (second connecting portion) having a polarity different from that of the magnet 37a is arranged at the left end of the cover area 32b (second cover area). The magnet 37a (first connecting portion) and the magnet 37b (second connecting portion) may be a combination of a magnet and a magnetic material.

[0030] FIG. 8(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2 in a state in which the elastic member 3 in this modified example is folded. 8(b), the press-fit portions 34a, 34b of the elastic member 3 are pulled out of the second holes 17a, 17b, and the cover areas 32a, 32b of the elastic member 3 are bent toward the center in the left-right direction (toward the attachment area 31) along the grooves 33a, 33b, thereby removing the cover areas 32a, 32b from the rear case 12. Then, the attractive force of the magnets 37a, 37b makes it possible to maintain the right end of the cover area 32a and the left end of the cover area 32b in contact with each other. This prevents the cover areas 32a, 32b from getting in the way when removing the screws 14a, 14b exposed to the outside during disassembly of the calculator 1, improving workability.

[0031] The method of maintaining the right end of cover area 32a and the left end of cover area 32b in contact with each other is not limited to the attractive force of magnets 37a, 37b, and the contact may be maintained by other methods (e.g., hooks, etc.).

[0032] (effect) As described above, the elastic member 3 of this embodiment is an elastic member 3 that is attached to the housing (rear case 12), and grooves 33a, 33b are formed in the elastic member 3. On either side of the grooves 33a, 33b, there are an attachment area 31, at least a portion of which is attached to the housing, and cover areas 32a, 32b that are not attached to the housing and cover holes (first hole portions 16a, 16b) formed in the housing. It is possible to easily fold the cover areas 32a, 32b toward the attachment area 31 along the grooves 33a, 33b. Therefore, since the elastic member 3 is attached to the rear case 12, it is possible to prevent the elastic member 3 from unintentionally coming off the rear case 12 and becoming lost. Furthermore, disassembly of the calculator 1 can be performed by removing only the cover areas 32a and 32b, which are necessary for disassembly of the calculator 1, from the rear case 12. Therefore, disassembly of the housing can be easily performed.

[0033] Furthermore, in the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, the cover areas 32a, 32b are provided with fitting portions (press-fit portions 34a, 34b), and the fitting portions are detachably fitted into fitting portions (second hole portions 17a, 17b) provided in the housing (rear case 12). Therefore, when disassembling calculator 1, cover areas 32a, 32b can be easily removed from rear case 12 by pulling press-fit portions 34a, 34b out of second hole portions 17a, 17b. After disassembling calculator 1 is completed, cover areas 32a, 32b can be easily reattached to rear case 12 by pressing press-fit portions 34a, 34b into second hole portions 17a, 17b.

[0034] In the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the grooves 33a, 33b in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) is an arc shape. This makes it more difficult for the elastic member 3 to tear when the elastic member 3 is bent along the grooves 33a, 33b, as compared to a case in which the cross-sectional shape of the grooves 33a, 33b in the left-right direction is, for example, V-shaped.

[0035] In the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, the grooves 33a and 33b are formed on the side that faces the housing when the elastic member 3 is attached to the housing (rear case 12). This allows the grooves 33a and 33b to be invisible from the outside, and the aesthetic appearance is not marred.

[0036] Furthermore, in the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, on the side opposite to the side that faces the housing when the elastic member 3 is attached to the housing (rear case 12), there is provided an uneven portion 35 in which concave and convex portions are alternately arranged along a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the grooves 33a, 33b, and the thickness of the concave portions of the uneven portion 35 changes at the locations corresponding to the grooves 33a, 33b. This allows the design and strength of the elastic member 3 to be improved.

[0037] Moreover, the elastic member 3 of this embodiment is attached so as to protrude from the bottom surface (surface on the rear side) of the housing (rear case 12), and functions as an anti-slip member. This makes it possible to prevent calculator 1 from moving relative to the surface on which it is placed.

[0038] In the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, the pair of left and right grooves 33a, 33b and the cover regions 32a, 32b are disposed symmetrically with respect to the attachment region 31. As a result, the pair of left and right screws 14a, 14b and the first holes 16a, 16b that are symmetrically arranged can be covered by the cover regions 32a, 32b.

[0039] Furthermore, in the elastic member 3 of this embodiment, the first cover area (cover area 32a) located on the right side of the cover area has a first connecting portion (magnet 37a) at its right end, and the second cover area (cover area 32b) located on the left side of the cover area has a second connecting portion (magnet 37b) at its left end that connects to the first connecting portion, so that when the first cover area and the second cover area are folded along the grooves 33a, 33b and removed from the housing (rear case 12), the right end of the first cover area and the left end of the second cover area can be abutted by the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. This prevents the cover areas 32a, 32b from getting in the way when removing the screws 14a, 14b exposed to the outside during disassembly of the calculator 1, improving workability.

[0040] The electronic device (calculator 1) of this embodiment also includes an elastic member 3 and a housing (rear case 12). Therefore, in the calculator 1, it is possible to prevent the elastic member 3 from unintentionally coming off the rear case 12 and becoming lost. Furthermore, disassembly of the calculator 1 can be performed by removing only the cover areas 32a and 32b, which are necessary for disassembly of the calculator 1, from the rear case 12. Therefore, disassembly of the housing can be easily performed.

[0041] Incidentally, the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0042] For example, in the above embodiment, the cover area 32a covers the first hole 16a in which the head 141a of the screw 14a is disposed, and the cover area 32b covers the first hole 16b in which the head 141b of the screw 14b is disposed, but this is not limited thereto. The cover areas 32a and 32b may be configured to cover a card slot or the like provided in the housing.

[0043] Furthermore, the number of screws 14a, 14b fastening the front case 11 and the rear case 12 of the calculator 1 and the positions at which the screws 14a, 14b are arranged are not limited to the example shown in the above embodiment. Therefore, the number of elastic members 3 of the calculator 1 and the positions at which the elastic members 3 are attached to the rear case 12 are not limited to the example shown in the above embodiment.

[0044] The shapes of the uneven portion 35 and the inclined portion 36 are not limited to those shown in the above embodiment, and may be any shape. The elastic member 3 may have a smooth shape without the uneven portion 35 and the inclined portion 36.

[0045] Furthermore, the electronic device according to the present invention is not limited to a calculator (electronic desk calculator) and can be widely applied to electronic devices in general, such as electronic dictionaries and smartphones. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Calculator (electronic device) 2 LCD display 3 Elastic member 4 Double-sided tape 11 Front case 12 Rear case 13 Operation buttons 14a,14b Screws 141a,141b Head 15 Attachment section 16a, 16b 1st hole (hole) 17a, 17b 2nd hole (mated part) 31 Attachment area 32a Coverage Area (First Coverage Area) 32b Coverage Area (Second Coverage Area) 33a,33b groove 34a, 34b Press-fit portion (fitting portion) 35 Uneven part 36 Slope 37a Magnet (1st coupling part) 37b Magnet (second coupling part)

Claims

1. An elastic member attached to a housing, The elastic member has a groove formed therein. an attachment region at least a part of which is attached to the housing and a cover region which is not attached to the housing and covers a hole provided in the housing, the attachment region being separated by the groove; An elastic member capable of folding the cover area toward the application area along the groove.

2. The cover region includes a fitting portion, The elastic member according to claim 1 , wherein the fitting portion is detachably fitted into a fitted portion provided on the housing.

3. The elastic member according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is an arc shape.

4. The elastic member according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed on a side of the elastic member that faces the housing when the elastic member is attached to the housing.

5. a concave-convex portion having a series of alternating concave and convex portions along a direction perpendicular to the groove, on the side opposite to the side facing the housing when the elastic member is attached to the housing; The elastic member according to claim 1 , wherein the uneven portion has a width of the recess that changes at a location corresponding to the groove.

6. The elastic member according to claim 1 , which is attached so as to protrude from the bottom surface of the housing and functions as an anti-slip member.

7. The elastic member according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of left and right grooves and cover regions are disposed symmetrically with respect to the attachment region.

8. A first cover area located on the right side of the cover areas includes a first coupling part at a right end portion, a second cover region located on the left side of the cover region includes a second coupling portion at a left end portion thereof, the second coupling portion being coupled to the first coupling portion; The elastic member described in claim 7, wherein when the first cover area and the second cover area are folded along the groove and removed from the housing, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are capable of abutting the right end portion of the first cover area and the left end portion of the second cover area.

9. An elastic member according to any one of claims 1 to 8; The housing; An electronic device comprising:

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