Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus which can be downsized.SOLUTION: The electronic apparatus includes: a solar cell having a light reception unit for receiving light, the solar cell converting light energy to electric energy; a housing for storing the solar cell and covering the light reception unit; and a light guide body having an entrance unit for receiving entrance of light from the outside of the housing and an emission unit for emitting light that has entered from the entrance unit toward the light reception unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] A solar-powered remote controller incorporating a solar cell as a power source has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The solar-powered remote controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a solar cell arranged so as to overlap with an operation nameplate. In Patent Document 1, light transmitted through the operation nameplate is incident on the solar cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-78440 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the solar-powered remote controller disclosed in Patent Document 1, the solar cell is arranged so as to overlap with the operation nameplate. Therefore, there is a limit to how small the solar-powered remote controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be made.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device that can be made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a photovoltaic cell having a light receiving unit that receives light and converts light energy into electrical energy, a housing that houses the photovoltaic cell and covers the light receiving unit, and a light guide having an incident unit through which light is incident from outside the housing, and an exit unit that emits the light incident from the incident unit toward the light receiving unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a right side view showing an example of a remote controller shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front view showing an example of a remote controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a rear view of the remote controller shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a remote controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of a light guide plate included in a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote controller according to a first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 8 is a front view showing an example of the remote controller shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote controller according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 is a right side view showing an example of the remote controller shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a remote controller according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a remote controller according to a third modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and their repeated description will be omitted. In addition, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Even if the embodiments and modifications are not limited to the embodiments and modifications, various modifications can be made according to the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a remote controller using a photovoltaic cell as a power source will be described as an example of an electronic device, but the electronic device is not limited to this. Examples of the electronic device include a mouse, an electronic dictionary, a calculator, an IC recorder, a smartphone, and a thermometer.

[0011] (Remote Controller) A configuration of a remote controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the remote controller 100 is viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a right side view illustrating an example of the remote controller 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating an example of the remote controller 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the remote controller 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the remote controller 100 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0012] The remote controller 100 is an electronic device that transmits control signals indicating operation instructions for devices such as a television or an air conditioner. The remote controller 100 can remotely control devices by transmitting control signals. For example, the remote controller 100 can transmit control signals using infrared rays.

[0013] In the following description, the side of the housing 20 of the remote controller 100 on which the operation surface 1 is provided is defined as the upper direction, and the side opposite the operation surface 1 is defined as the lower direction (see FIG. 2). When the operation surface 1 is viewed in plan from above, the operation surface 1 has a generally vertically elongated rectangular shape (see FIG. 1).

[0014] The longitudinal direction of the operation surface 1 is defined as the front-rear direction, with the upper side of the operation surface 1 being the front and the lower side being the rear in the front-rear direction. The shorter side of the operation surface 1 is defined as the left-right direction. When the operation surface 1 is viewed in a plan view from above, with the upper side of the operation surface 1 being the front and the lower side being the rear, the left side of the left-right direction of the operation surface 1 is defined as the left direction and the right side is defined as the right direction. However, these directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the directions when the remote controller 100 is in use.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, the remote controller 100 is provided with a housing 20 that is arranged on the lower side and includes a housing portion 10 that is open at the top, an upper cover 11 that covers the opening of the housing portion 10, and an operation panel 16.

[0016] The housing 10 is a member that houses each part of the remote controller 100. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, the housing 10 has a bottom surface that is generally vertically long and rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and side walls that stand upward on the outer periphery of the bottom surface. The side walls include flat side walls arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom surface, a flat side wall arranged in the front part of the bottom surface, and a side wall arranged in the rear part of the bottom surface that is curved so as to be convex toward the rear.

[0017] The top cover 11 is a member that closes the opening of the storage section 10, and together with the storage section 10, constitutes the housing 20 of the remote controller 100. The top cover 11 has a top surface that has a shape similar to the bottom surface of the storage section 10, and side walls that stand downward on the outer periphery of the top surface. The side walls include flat side walls arranged on the left and right sides of the top surface, a flat side wall arranged in the front part of the top surface, and a side wall arranged in the rear part of the top surface that is curved so as to be convex toward the rear.

[0018] Additionally, upper cover 11 has a plurality of openings at positions corresponding to a plurality of operation keys 1a and operation buttons 1b provided on operation panel 16. The plurality of operation keys 1a and operation buttons 1b of operation panel 16 are arranged so as to protrude upward from upper cover 11.

[0019] The upper surface of the top cover 11 and a plurality of operation keys 1a and operation buttons 1b protruding upward from the upper surface of the top cover 11 form an operation surface 1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, housing 20 accommodates, from bottom to top, photocell 12, light guide plate 13 (light guide), control board 14 (controller), rubber pad 15, and operation panel 16.

[0021] The photocell 12 can function as a power supply unit for the remote controller 100, and is electrically connected to the control board 14. The photocell 12 converts the optical energy of light received by the light-receiving unit 12a into electrical energy. The photocell 12 then supplies the converted electrical energy to the control board 14. The photocell 12 is housed in the housing 10, and the light-receiving unit 12a is covered by the housing 10.

[0022] The control board 14 controls each part of the remote controller 100 in response to the user pressing the operation keys 1a or the operation buttons 1b. An infrared diode 14a that functions as a transmitter that transmits a control signal to an external device is mounted on the front end of the control board 14. Furthermore, a microcontroller, an oscillation element, and the like (not shown) are mounted on the control board 14. The microcontroller is a control device that performs various controls of each part of the remote controller 100. The oscillation element is an electronic component that oscillates at a specific frequency and functions as a clock signal source in the digital circuit of the microcontroller. In addition, the control board 14 is provided with a contact pattern (not shown) for detecting the user pressing the operation keys 1a or the operation buttons 1b.

[0023] 5, a rubber pad 15 made of conductive rubber is disposed on the upper surface of the control board 14, and an operation panel 16 having a plurality of operation keys 1a is disposed on the rubber pad 15. The operation panel 16 is configured so that an operation button 1b can be incorporated in the approximate center. The operation button 1b includes a circular first button 1b1 disposed in the center, and an annular second button 1b2 disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the first button 1b1.

[0024] When any one of the multiple operation keys 1a or the operation button 1b is pressed, the pressing force on the operation key 1a or the operation button 1b acts on the rubber pad 15, and the rubber pad 15 comes into contact with a corresponding contact in the contact pattern of the control board 14. This allows the remote controller 100 to detect the operation key 1a or the operation button 1b pressed by the user. When the control board 14 detects the operation key 1a or the operation button 1b pressed by the user, it performs control according to the pressed operation key 1a or the operation button 1b.

[0025] A light guide plate 13 is disposed between the photocell 12 and the control board 14. The light guide plate 13 is a plate-shaped member that guides light incident from each of the left and right side ends 13a of the light guide plate 13 to the photocell 12. The light guide plate 13 can be made of a resin having optical transparency. The light guide plate 13 is not limited to a resin having optical transparency, and may be made of any material having optical transparency, for example, glass. The light guide plate 13 is formed to have a higher optical transmittance than the housing 20. In the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the side ends 13a of the light guide plate 13 is disposed so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the housing 20, and light outside the housing 20 enters the light guide plate 13 through each side end 13a. The light that enters the light guide plate 13 is emitted toward the photocell 12 from an emission portion 13b1 of one main surface (lower surface 13b) of the light guide plate 13. Therefore, on the lower surface 13b of the light guide plate 13, the emission portion 13b1 is provided at a position facing the light receiving portion 12a of the photocell 12.

[0026] Here, the light guide plate 13 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of the light guide plate 13 included in the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the light guide plate 13, light incident from the side end portion 13a travels toward the center of the light guide plate 13 while repeatedly undergoing total reflection inside the light guide portion 13d. A tapered convex portion that tapers downward is formed on the top surface 13c, which is the other main surface of the light guide plate 13, and the slope of the convex portion becomes a reflecting portion 13e that reflects the light downward.

[0027] Therefore, the light traveling in the light guide portion 13d is reflected downward by the reflecting portion 13e and is emitted from the light guide plate 13. Since the light guide plate 13 has a convex portion having the reflecting portion 13e, the light can be guided to a position directly below where the convex portion is provided. The area of ​​the lower surface 13b directly below the convex portion functions as the emitting portion 13b1 of the present disclosure. The light emitted from the emitting portion 13b1 irradiates the light receiving portion 12a of the photoelectric cell 12 provided at a position opposite to the emitting portion 13b1.

[0028] 6, the light guide plate 13 includes a reflector 31 in contact with the upper surface 13c. If the light guide plate 13 can reflect the light traveling in the light guide section 13d in a desired direction by the reflector 13e, the reflector 31 is not necessarily required.

[0029] Moreover, a plurality of dots may be provided as an optical pattern instead of the tapered convex portions on the top surface 13c, which is the other main surface of the light guide plate 13. With this configuration, the light incident on the light guide plate 13 is reflected by the dots and the reflector, and uniform light is emitted from the bottom surface 13b toward the photocell 12.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, in the light guide plate 13, the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 is disposed on the outer side (outer surface) of the housing 20. The side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 becomes an entrance portion where light from outside the housing 20 enters. The lower surface 13b of the light guide plate 13 becomes an exit portion where the light that entered the light guide plate 13 exits toward the light receiving portion 12a of the photocell 12. Note that FIG. 2 shows only the right side surface of the remote controller 100, but the left side surface of the remote controller 100 has the same configuration as the right side surface. Therefore, the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 each become an entrance portion of the light guide plate 13. In this way, in the remote controller 100, the entrance portion is provided at a position shifted from the light receiving axis that extends perpendicularly to the light receiving surface of the light receiving portion 12a, and light may enter the entrance portion from a direction parallel to the light receiving axis, or may enter the entrance portion from a direction intersecting the light receiving axis.

[0031] In the remote controller 100, the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are sandwiched between left and right side walls erected upward from the bottom surface of the housing 10 and left and right side walls erected downward from the top surface of the upper cover 11, and are provided so as to be exposed from the outer surface of the housing 20. More specifically, the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are arranged so as to be flush with the outer surface of the housing 20. Therefore, the light guide plate 13 can take in light from the left and right side end portions 13a and emit the taken-in light from the lower surface 13b toward the photocell 12.

[0032] In this way, the remote controller 100 can be housed in the housing 20 without disposing the photocell 12 on the operation surface 1, so there is no need to provide space for the photocell 12 on the operation surface 1. This allows the remote controller 100 to be compact. Furthermore, since the photocell 12 is not disposed on the operation surface 1, instead of providing space for the photocell 12 on the operation surface 1, the space of the operation surface 1 can be effectively utilized by providing a space for, for example, a liquid crystal screen.

[0033] In addition, since the side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are provided on the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 20, light can be guided to the photocell 12 and power can be generated by the photocell 12 even when the user is operating the remote controller 100 or holding the remote controller 100.

[0034] Although the remote controller 100 has a configuration in which the light guide plate 13 is arranged above the photocell 12 in the housing 20, the light guide plate 13 may be arranged below the photocell 12. When configured in this way, the upper surface 13c of the light guide plate 13 becomes the emission portion.

[0035] 3 and 4, the remote controller 100 is configured such that the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 is not arranged on the front and rear outer surfaces of the housing 20, but the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 may be arranged on the front and rear outer surfaces of the housing 20 as well. However, when the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 is arranged on the front outer surface of the housing 20 as well, since the infrared diode 14a is provided on the front side of the housing 20, it is necessary to arrange the light guide plate 13 so as not to interfere with the infrared rays emitted from the infrared diode 14a. Furthermore, the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 may be arranged on the top or bottom surface of the housing 20.

[0036] (First Modification) Next, a configuration of a remote controller 100 according to a first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a remote controller 100 according to a first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 shows a state in which the remote controller 100 according to the first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure is viewed from above in a plan view. Fig. 8 is a front view showing the example of the remote controller 100 shown in Fig. 7.

[0037] The remote controller 100 according to the first modified embodiment of the present disclosure is configured so that the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are arranged to be flush with the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 20. In contrast, the remote controller 100 according to the second modified embodiment of the present disclosure is different in that the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are arranged to protrude outward from the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 20, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In other respects, the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment and the remote controller 100 according to the first modified embodiment have the same configuration. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used for similar members, and their description will be omitted.

[0038] That is, in the remote controller 100 according to the first modification of the embodiment, the light guide plate 13 has a slightly larger dimension in the left-right direction than the light guide plate 13 included in the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment. Then, the left and right side ends 13a of the light guide plate 13 are sandwiched between the left and right side walls of the accommodation portion 10 and the left and right side walls of the upper cover 11 so as to protrude from the left and right outer side surfaces of the housing 20.

[0039] In the remote controller 100 according to the first modified embodiment, the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 are disposed so as to protrude outward from the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 20, respectively, so that the light guide plate 13 can improve the light collecting ability. In particular, the remote controller 100 according to the first modified embodiment can prevent the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13 from being blocked from entering light by the housing 20 itself.

[0040] (Second Modification) Next, a configuration of a remote controller 100 according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a remote controller 100 according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 shows a state in which the remote controller 100 according to the second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure is viewed from above in a plan view. Fig. 10 is a right side view showing an example of the remote controller 100 shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a remote controller 100 according to the second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] 11, the remote controller 100 according to the second modified example of the embodiment further includes a light collecting section 23 at each of the left and right side end sections 13a of the light guide plate 13. The side end sections 13a of the light guide plate 13 and the light collecting sections 23 can form the incident section of the light guide of the present disclosure.

[0042] The remote controller 100 according to the second modification of the embodiment has the same configuration as the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment, except that the light guide plate 13 further includes a light collecting section 23. For this reason, in the remote controller 100 according to the second modification of the embodiment, the same members as those in the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In the remote controller 100 according to the second modification of the embodiment, the light guide plate 13 is a plate-like member similar to the light guide plate 13 included in the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment, but the dimension in the left-right direction is smaller. That is, in the remote controller 100 according to the second modification of the embodiment, the light guide plate 13 has a dimension that can be accommodated within the housing 20.

[0044] The light collecting section 23 provided on the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 is a plate-like member that extends along the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13 and is arranged so as to perpendicularly intersect with the light guide plate 13. The light collecting section 23 can be a light collecting plate or a light collecting lens that collects light from outside the housing 20 on the side end 13a of the light guide plate 13. An example of the light collecting plate is a plate member made of optically transparent acrylic.

[0045] 10 and 11, in the remote controller 100 according to the second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer surface 23a, which is the surface of the light collecting unit 23 opposite to the side in contact with the light guide plate 13, is arranged to form a part of the outer surface of the housing 20 during assembly. Although not particularly shown, the left side surface of the remote controller 100 has the same configuration as the right side surface. That is, the outer surface 23a is also arranged on the left side surface of the remote controller 100 so as to form a part of the outer surface of the housing 20.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper end surface 23b and the lower end surface 23c of the light collecting portion 23 are arranged so as to form part of the upper surface (operation surface 1) of the upper cover 11 and part of the lower surface of the storage portion 10, which are connected to the outer surface of the housing 20.

[0047] 9 and 11, upper end faces 23b of the light collecting sections 23 arranged on the left and right sides of the light guide plate 13 respectively constitute left and right portions of the upper surface (operation surface 1) of the upper cover 11. In addition, although not particularly shown, lower end faces 23c of the light collecting sections 23 arranged on the left and right sides of the light guide plate 13 respectively constitute left and right portions of the lower surface of the storage section 10.

[0048] As described above, the upper end surface 23b of each of the left and right light collecting sections 23 is disposed on the upper surface (operation surface 1) of the upper cover 11, and the lower end surface 23c is disposed on the lower surface of the housing 10. Furthermore, the outer surfaces 23a of the left and right light collecting sections 23 are disposed so as to form a part of the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 20. Therefore, the light collecting section 23 can collect light from the upper surface, bottom surface, and left and right side surfaces of the housing 20 of the remote controller 100. Then, the light collected by the light collecting section 23 enters the left and right side end portions 13a of the light guide plate 13, respectively, and is emitted from the lower surface 13b of the light guide plate 13 toward the photoelectric cell 12. Therefore, in the remote controller 100 according to the second modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the light guide plate 13 can improve the light collecting performance.

[0049] (Third Modification) Next, a configuration of a remote controller 100 according to a third modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a remote controller 100 according to the third modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 12, the remote controller 100 according to the third modified example of the embodiment further includes a storage battery 17 that stores electric energy converted from light energy by the photocell 12.

[0051] The remote controller 100 according to the third modification of the embodiment has the same configuration as the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment, except that it further includes a storage battery 17. Therefore, in the remote controller 100 according to the third modification of the embodiment, the same members as those in the remote controller 100 according to the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] The storage battery 17 is a battery capable of storing electric energy converted from light energy by the photovoltaic cell 12. Examples of the storage battery 17 include a lithium ion battery and a nickel-metal hydride battery. The storage battery 17 is electrically connected to the photovoltaic cell 12 and stores electric energy supplied from the photovoltaic cell 12. The storage battery 17 is also electrically connected to the control board 14 and can supply the stored electric energy to the control board 14. As described above, the third modified example of the embodiment has been described as an example in which the photovoltaic cell 12 is connected to the control board 14 and the storage battery 17, and the photovoltaic cell 12 supplies electric power to each of the control board 14 and the storage battery 17. The photovoltaic cell 12, the storage battery 17, and the control board 14 may be connected in series in this order. By configuring the photovoltaic cell 12 to supply electric power to the control board 14 via the storage battery 17, the supply of electric power to the control board 14 can be stabilized.

[0053] Therefore, even if the remote controller 100 according to the third modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure is in a place where light does not reach and electrical energy cannot be supplied from the photocell 12 to the control board 14, the remote controller 100 can supply electrical energy from the storage battery 17. Therefore, the remote controller 100 can be used even in a dark place. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Operation surface 1a Operation key 1b Operation button 10 Storage section 11 Top cover 12 Photovoltaic Cell 12a Light receiving part 13 Light guide plate 13a Side edge 14 Control Board 16 Operation Panel 17 Storage battery 20. Cabinet 23 Light collecting section 23a External surface 23b Top surface 23c Lower end surface 100 Remote Controller

Claims

1. a photovoltaic cell having a light receiving portion for receiving light and converting light energy into electrical energy; A housing that houses the photovoltaic cell and covers the light receiving unit; a light guide having an incident portion through which light is incident from the outside of the housing, and an exit portion through which the light incident from the incident portion is emitted toward the light receiving portion; electronic equipment.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the incident portion is provided at a position shifted from a light receiving axis that extends perpendicularly to a light receiving surface of the light receiving portion.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the entrance portion is provided so as to be flush with a side surface of the housing.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the entrance portion is provided so as to protrude from a side surface of the housing.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the incident portion includes a light collecting portion that collects light outside the housing.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the light collecting portion is disposed so as to constitute a part of a side surface of the housing and another surface connected to the side surface.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage battery that stores the electric energy converted from the light energy by the photovoltaic cell.

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