Circuit board and electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide a circuit board capable of improving workability in attaching / detaching work of an electronic module, and an electronic apparatus comprising the circuit board.SOLUTION: On a circuit board, mounted are a connector which connects one end of an electronic module and a supporter which supports the other end of the electronic module. The supporter comprises: a stud member including a flange which is fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion erected from the flange; a lock member which is supported relatively rotatably to the protrusion and switchable between a lock position where the other end of the electronic module is pressed and an unlock position where the other end is not pressed; and a torque generation section which imparts rotation torque to rotation of the lock member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit board and an electronic device including the circuit board.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC is used by connecting an electronic module such as an SSD to a connector of a circuit board (motherboard) on which a CPU is mounted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, usually, one end of an electronic module is connected to a connector mounted on a circuit board, and the other end is supported by a screw with respect to the circuit board. By the way, an electronic module may be attached by an operator in a factory or the like, or may be replaced by the user himself / herself. At this time, the screw may fall into the housing and may be troublesome to collect or may be lost, which deteriorates the workability of the attachment / detachment work of the electronic module.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a circuit board capable of improving the workability of the attachment / detachment work of an electronic module and an electronic device including the circuit board.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The circuit board according to the first aspect of the present invention is a circuit board on which a connector for connecting one end of an electronic module and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module are mounted. The support includes a stud member having a flange fixed to the surface of the circuit board and a protruding portion standing up from the flange, a lock member rotatably supported relative to the protruding portion and switchable between a lock position for pressing the other end of the electronic module and an unlock position for not pressing the other end, and a torque generating portion for applying a rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member.

[0007] The electronic device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a circuit board on which a connector is mounted, an electronic module having one end connected to the connector, and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module on the circuit board. The support includes a stud member having a flange fixed to the surface of the circuit board and a protruding portion standing up from the flange, a lock member rotatably supported relative to the protruding portion and switchable between a lock position for pressing the other end of the electronic module and an unlock position for not pressing the other end, and a torque generating portion for applying a rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the workability of the attachment / detachment operation of the electronic module can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device and the circuit board according to the present invention will be given, and detailed description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a top view of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a configuration in which a lid body 11 and a housing 12 are relatively rotatably connected by a hinge 14. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 of the notebook PC is illustrated, but the electronic device may be other than a notebook PC, such as a desktop PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game machine.

[0012] The lid body 11 has a thin and flat box-shaped housing. The lid body 11 is equipped with a display 16. The display 16 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display.

[0013] The housing 12 is a thin and flat box body. A keyboard device 18 and a touch pad 19 face the upper surface (surface 12a) of the housing 12. Hereinafter, regarding the housing 12 and each component mounted thereon, with the posture of the operator operating the keyboard device 18 as a reference, the width direction (left and right) of the housing 12 is referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front and back) of the housing 12 is referred to as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (up and down) of the housing 12 is referred to as the Z1 and Z2 directions for explanation. The X1 and X2 directions may also be collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1, Y2 directions and the Z1, Z2 directions may also be similarly referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction. These directions are directions defined for convenience of explanation and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation posture of the electronic device 10.

[0014] The housing 12 is formed by overlapping a first cover material 20 and a second cover material 21 in the thickness direction and connecting them to be detachable from each other. The first cover material 20 forms, for example, the upper surface and the four peripheral side surfaces of the housing 12 and has a substantially bathtub shape. The second cover material 21 forms, for example, the lower surface of the housing 12 and has a substantially flat plate shape. The hinge 14 is installed in a concave hinge arrangement groove 12b formed at the rear edge of the housing 12 to connect the housing 12 and the lid body 11.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing 12. FIG. 2 is a view of the inside of the first cover member 20 as seen from the lower surface side with the second cover member 21 removed.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 12, a circuit board 24, a cooling module 25, and a battery device 26 are accommodated. Inside the housing 12, various electronic components, mechanical components, etc. are further provided.

[0017] The circuit board 24 is a printed circuit board that serves as the motherboard of the electronic device 10. The circuit board 24 is disposed closer to the Y2 side of the housing 12 and extends in the X direction. The circuit board 24 mounts a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 28 and a pair of connectors 30, 30. The CPU 28 is a processing device that performs operations related to the main control and processing of the electronic device 10. The connector 30 complies with a predetermined connection standard, in this embodiment, the M.2 (M-dot-two) standard. Electronic modules 32, 33 are respectively connected to each connector 30. The specific configurations of the circuit board 24, the electronic modules 32, 33, and their peripheries will be described later. Various electronic components such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and memory can be further mounted on the circuit board 24. For example, the Z1 side surface (the first surface 24a) of the circuit board 24 becomes the mounting surface for the first cover member 20, and the Z2 side surface (the second surface 24b) becomes the mounting surface for the CPU 28 and the connector 30. It goes without saying that the shape, arrangement, and electronic components to be mounted on the circuit board 24 are not limited to the above.

[0018] The cooling module 25 can absorb the heat generated by the CPU 28 and discharge it outside the housing 12. The cooling module 25 includes a heat pipe 34, a pair of heat sinks 35, 35, and a pair of fans 36, 36. The cooling module 25 can transport the heat of the CPU 28 to each heat sink 35 by the heat pipe 34 and promote the heat dissipation of each heat sink 35 by the air blowing from each fan 36.

[0019] The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that serves as the power source for the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is disposed closer to the Y1 side of the circuit board 24 and extends in the X direction.

[0020] Next, a specific configuration example of the circuit board 24 and the electronic modules 32, 33 will be described.

[0021] First, the circuit board 24 is a printed circuit board in which a predetermined conductive pattern is formed on the second surface 24b of a plate material having insulation. The circuit board 24 may be configured such that conductive patterns are formed on both surfaces 24a and 24b.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 24 includes a pair of connectors 30, 30 and a pair of supports 40, 40, and supports the electronic modules 32, 33 with each connector 30 and each support 40. On the second surface 24b of the circuit board 24, a pair of ground pads 41, 41 used for fixing each support 40 are provided (see also FIG. 6). The ground pad 41 is formed of, for example, a circular metal pattern. The metal pattern is, for example, a copper foil printed by silk screen. The circuit board 24 has, for example, through holes 24c, and ground pads 41 are formed at the peripheral portions on the second surface 24b side.

[0023] The connector 30 is mounted on the second surface 24b. The mounting type of the connector 30 is not limited, and for example, a drop-in mounting type (Pcie Gen3: PCI Express 3.0) or an on-board mounting type (Pcie Gen4: PCI Express 4.0) can be used.

[0024] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the support 40. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the support 40 seen from the back side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the support 40. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the support 40 in the unlocked position. FIG. 5B is a plan view of the support 40 shown in FIG. 5A in the locked position. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the support 40 supporting the electronic module 32 (33). Here, a configuration in which one electronic module 32 is supported by the support 40 will be typically described. Since the configuration in which the other electronic module 33 is supported by the support 40 can be the same or similar to that of the electronic module 32, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3A to 6, the support 40 includes a stud member 42, a lock member 44, and a resistance member 46. The support 40 is a locking component that can be switched between a locking position (closed position) and an unlocking position (open position) where the electronic module 32 can be supported by inverting the cam-shaped lock member 44 by 180 degrees. The rotation angle required for switching between the locking position and the unlocking position of the lock member 44 may be other than 180 degrees, for example, 90 degrees.

[0026] The stud member 42 is a metal part having a flange 42a and a protrusion 42b.

[0027] The flange 42a is a metal disk. The protrusion 42b is integrally formed with the flange 42a and is a cylindrical body standing in the Z direction from the center of the flange 42a. A hole 42c having an axial center along the protruding direction is provided in the protrusion 42b. The hole 42c penetrates the stud member 42 in the axial direction (Z direction). The hole 42c is, for example, a stepped hole with an inner diameter that changes in two steps. In the hole 42c, the portion from the Z2-side opening to the inside of the flange 42a in the axial direction has a larger diameter than the portion from the Z1-side opening to the flange 42a (see FIG. 6). As a result, a flange-shaped edge 42c1 with a reduced inner peripheral surface diameter is formed at the Z1-side end of the hole 42c.

[0028] The locking member 44 is a metal part having a shaft portion 44a and a plate portion 44b. The stud member 42 and the locking member 44 can be formed of, for example, stainless steel, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, or the like.

[0029] The shaft portion 44a is a rotating shaft inserted into the hole portion 42c from the Z2-side opening. The shaft portion 44a is inserted into the hole portion 42c without play and rotatably relative thereto. The shaft portion 44a projects from the Z2-side surface of the plate portion 44b. A screw hole 44a1 extending along the axial direction (Z direction) is formed in the shaft portion 44a. The screw hole 44a1 has a female thread formed on its inner peripheral surface. The screw hole 44a1 opens at the tip surface (Z1-side end surface) of the shaft portion 44a. An annular groove portion 44a2 is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a. The groove portion 44a2 has a shape in which an arc-shaped cutout is made on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a, thereby forming a substantially donut-shaped groove. The groove portion 44a2 is formed at the root portion of the shaft portion 44a with respect to the plate portion 44b.

[0030] The plate portion 44b is integrally formed at the base end of the shaft portion 44a. The plate portion 44b is rotatable about the axis of the protruding portion 42b together with the shaft portion 44a. The plate portion 44b has, for example, a shape formed by combining two semi-circular metal plates (semicircular plates 44b1, 44b2) having different outer diameters. Thereby, the plate portion 44b has a substantially cam shape or a substantially mushroom shape in plan view. The shaft portion 44a is formed so as to project from the smaller-diameter semi-circular plate 44b1 toward the Z1 side. An operation hole 45b3 is formed at the center of the semi-circular plate 44b1. The operation hole 44b3 is a cross hole used when fitting a tool such as a plus driver and rotating the locking member 44. The larger-diameter semi-circular plate 44b2 is provided so as to project from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a in plan view. Thereby, when the locking member 44 is rotated with respect to the stud member 42, the larger-diameter semi-circular plate 44b2 pivots around the axis of the shaft portion 44a (see FIGS. 5A and 5B).

[0031] The locking member 44 is rotatably supported in a state where it is prevented from coming off the stud member 42 without rattling. A screw 48 is tightened against a threaded hole 44a1 of a shaft portion 44a inserted into a hole portion 42c of the stud member 42. The screw 48 is passed through the hole portion 42c from the back side of the flange 42a. The head portion 48a of the screw 48 sandwiches an edge portion 42c1 between itself and the front end surface of the shaft portion 44a. The plate thickness of the edge portion 42c1 is slightly shorter than the distance between the head portion 48a of the screw 48 tightened in the threaded hole 44a1 and the front end surface (Z1-side end surface) of the shaft portion 44a.

[0032] The resistance member 46 constitutes a torque generating portion that imparts rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member 44. The resistance member 46 is, for example, an O-ring. The resistance member 46 is fitted into a groove portion 44a2 of the shaft portion 44a and is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a. The resistance member 46 is sandwiched between the Z1-side surface of the plate portion 44b and the Z2-side end surface of the protruding portion 42b and is in close contact with both. Thereby, the resistance member 46 can generate rotational resistance due to friction between the locking member 44 and the protruding portion 42b.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the resistance member 46 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the groove portion 44a2 and the Z1-side surface of the plate portion 44b with respect to the locking member 44. The resistance member 46 is in close contact only with the front end surface of the protruding portion 42b with respect to the stud member 42. Therefore, the contact area of the resistance member 46 with respect to the locking member 44 is significantly larger than the contact area with respect to the stud member 42. That is, the frictional resistance between the resistance member 46 and the locking member 44 is larger than the frictional resistance between the resistance member 46 and the stud member 42. For this reason, when the locking member 44 rotates with respect to the stud member 42, the resistance member 46 adheres closely to the locking member 44 and rotates integrally therewith, and its Z1-side surface slides on the front end surface of the protruding portion 42b. Thereby, the situation where the resistance member 46 slips with respect to both the locking member 44 and the protruding portion 42b and substantially no frictional resistance is generated is avoided. As a result, the support 40 can more reliably generate rotational torque between the locking member 44 and the protruding portion 42b.

[0034] Next, the electronic modules 32 and 33 are card-type module components that can be connected to the connector 30 compliant with the M.2 standard as described above.

[0035] The electronic module 32 is, for example, a storage device. The electronic module 32 of the present embodiment is an SSD (Solid State Drive). As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic module 32 includes a module substrate 32a, terminals 32b formed at one end 32a1 of the module substrate 32a, and semiconductor chips 32c mounted on the module substrate 32a. When the terminals 32b are connected to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 of the module substrate 32a is pressed in the Z direction by the support tool 40. Thereby, the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24. A semi-circular notch 32d in which the protruding portion 42b of the stud member 42 can be arranged is formed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the other end 32a2 (see FIG. 4).

[0036] Ground portions 32e and 32f are provided on one surface 32a3 and the other surface 32a4 of the module substrate 32a, respectively (see FIG. 6). The ground portions 32e and 32f are metal patterns provided at the peripheral edge of the notch 32d and are, for example, copper foils printed by silk screen.

[0037] The electronic module 33 is, for example, a communication module. The electronic module 33 of the present embodiment supports WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network). The communication standard supported by the electronic module 33 may be, for example, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic module 33 includes a module substrate 33a, a terminal 33b formed at one end 33a1 of the module substrate 33a, and a semiconductor chip 33c mounted on the module substrate 33a. With the terminal 33b connected to the connector 30, the other end 33a2 of the module substrate 33a is pressed in the Z direction by the support 40. Thereby, the electronic module 33 is attached to the circuit board 24. A cable 51 from the antenna element 50 installed at various locations on the housing 12 and the lid 11 is appropriately connected to the other end 33a2 of the electronic module 33.

[0038] The electronic module 33 differs from the electronic module 32 in terms of function, size, etc., but the mounting structure with respect to the circuit board 24 can be the same or similar. Therefore, a notch similar to the notch 32d of the electronic module 32 is also provided at the other end 33a2 of the electronic module 33. Also, ground portions similar to the ground portions 32e and 32f of the module substrate 32a are provided on one surface and the other surface of the module substrate 33a, respectively.

[0039] Next, the method of assembling the support 40 and the method of supporting the electronic modules 32 and 33 by the support 40 will be described. Here, the method of supporting one of the electronic modules 32 will be typically described, but the method of supporting the other electronic module 33 can also be the same or similar to this.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the support tool 40 is fixed to the ground pad 41. For the support tool 40, for example, the bottom of the stud member 42 is inserted into the through hole 24c, and the flange 42a is placed on the ground pad 41 to perform a reflow soldering process. Thereby, the stud member 42 is fixed to the ground pad 41 and mounted on the circuit board 24. The fixing of the stud member 42 can be performed, for example, simultaneously with the process of mounting the connector 30 and other mounting components on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering.

[0041] Subsequently, a gasket 54, which is a conductive member, is passed through the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 42b. The gasket 54 is, for example, a cushioning material having conductivity. The gasket 54 has a predetermined thickness, for example, and is formed in a substantially C shape. The gasket 54 is arranged on the Z2 side of the flange 42a so as to grip the protruding portion 42b.

[0042] Next, the shaft portion 44a of the lock member 44 with the resistance member 46 fitted in the groove portion 44a2 is inserted into the hole portion 42c of the protruding portion 42b. The screw 48 is tightened into the screw hole 44a1 to prevent the lock member 44 from coming off the stud member 42. Thereby, the support tool 40 is attached to the circuit board 24.

[0043] The O-ring constituting the resistance member 46 can also be formed of a heat-resistant material that can withstand the temperature of the reflow soldering process. Then, the support tool 40 can be directly mounted on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering with the stud member 42 in a state where the lock member 44 is connected to the stud member 42 with the screw 48 in advance. Thereby, the manufacturing efficiency of the circuit board 24 is improved. The gasket 54 may be installed after the support tool 40 is mounted on the circuit board 24.

[0044] When attaching the electronic module 32 to the circuit board 24 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the lock member 44 of the support tool 40 is set to the unlock position. The unlock position is a position where the large-diameter semi-circular plate 44b2 of the lock member 44 faces the side opposite to the electronic module 32 side (X2 side). At this time, since the lock member 44 receives the rotational torque from the resistance member 46, it can be reliably held in the unlock position. Then, after connecting the terminal 32b to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 is placed immediately beside the support tool 40 in the unlock position. Then, the notch 32d is arranged so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 42b for a half circle, and at the same time, the gasket 54 is sandwiched between the ground portion 32f of the other surface 32a4 and the flange 42a.

[0045] Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lock member 44 is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the lock position. The lock position is a position where the large-diameter semi-circular plate 44b2 of the lock member 44 faces the electronic module 32 side (X1 side). At this time, the lock member 44 receives the rotational torque from the resistance member 46. Therefore, the lock member 44 can be smoothly rotated from the unlock position to the lock position with an appropriate rotational torque, and a high operating feeling can be obtained. As a result, one end 32a1 of the electronic module 32 is connected to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 is supported by the support tool 40, and the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24. Also in this case, since the lock member 44 receives the rotational torque from the resistance member 46, it can be reliably held in the lock position. In this way, the circuit board 24 can easily support the electronic module 32 using the support tool 40, and high work efficiency can be obtained.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, when the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24, the plate portion 44b of the lock member 44 contacts the ground portion 32e of one surface 32a3 and is electrically connected. The ground portion 32f of the other surface 32a4 of the electronic module 32 is electrically connected to the flange 42a via the gasket 54. Thereby, the support tool 40 can surely electrically connect between the ground portions 32e and 32f and the ground pad 41 of the circuit board 24. The electronic module 32 may have, for example, a single-sided ground structure without the ground portion 32f on the other surface 32a4. In this case, the gasket 54 can also be omitted.

[0047] When removing the electronic module 32 from the circuit board 24, the lock member 44 is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the unlock position shown in FIG. 5A. Then, the pressing of the electronic module 32 by the lock member 44 is released. As a result, the electronic module 32 receives the biasing force at the connection portion between the connector 30 and the terminal 32b and the repulsive force of the gasket 54, and with one end 32a1 as the rotation fulcrum, the other end 32a2 floats upward on the Z2 side. Thereby, the electronic module 32 can be easily removed from the circuit board 24.

[0048] As described above, the circuit board 24 of the present embodiment is provided with a support tool 40 that supports the other end 32a2 (33a2) on the side opposite to the connector 30 side of the electronic module 32 (33). The support tool 40 includes a stud member 42 having a flange 42a fixed to the circuit board 24 and a protruding portion 42b standing up from the flange 42a. The support tool 40 further includes a lock member 44 that is rotatably supported with respect to the protruding portion 42b and can be switched between a lock position for pressing the other end 32a2 (33a2) of the electronic module 32 (33) and an unlock position for not pressing, and a resistance member 46 that constitutes a torque generating portion for applying a rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member 44.

[0049] Accordingly, in the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 equipped with the same, screws for supporting the electronic modules 32 and 33 on the circuit board 24 are not required, and the workability of attaching and detaching the electronic modules 32 and 33 is improved. In particular, an electronic device 10 such as a notebook PC may have the user himself / herself replace the electronic modules 32 and 33 not only during work at a factory or the like but also in other cases. Also in this case, since the electronic device 10 can reduce the risk of screw dropping or loss, its maintainability and expandability are further improved.

[0050] Moreover, rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the lock member 44 in the support tool 40. For this reason, the lock member 44 can be stably held at any rotational position of the locked position and the unlocked position. When the lock member 44 is held at the locked position, the workability of the support tool 40 in the attaching and detaching operation of the electronic modules 32 and 33 is further improved. When the lock member 44 is held at the unlocked position, the support tool 40 can support the electronic modules 32 and 33 more stably. This is because, for example, even when the circuit board 24 is impacted due to the dropping of the electronic device 10 or the like, the lock member 44 is suppressed from accidentally rotating to the unlocked position.

[0051] In the support tool 40, the lock member 44 is prevented from coming off the stud member 42 by fastening a screw 48 from the back side of the flange 42a to the tip of a shaft portion 44a inserted into the hole portion 42c. As described above, the user may attach and detach the electronic modules 32 and 33 himself / herself. For this reason, the support tool 40 may cause problems such as the operation hole 44b3 of the lock member 44 being damaged by a tool or the resistance member 46, which is an O-ring, being cut. At this time, the support tool 40 can easily attach and detach the lock member 44 from the stud member 42 by operating the screw 48. For this reason, in the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10, it is not necessary to replace the entire circuit board 24 on which the stud member 42 is mounted when the above problems occur in the support tool 40. Accordingly, the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 have high maintainability and low maintenance costs.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support tool 40A according to the first modification. FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the electronic module 32(33) supported by the support tool 40A shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the support tool 40A shown in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 7 to 9, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 indicate the same or similar configurations. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted as having the same or similar functions and effects, and the same applies to FIGS. 10A to 14 hereinafter.

[0053] The support tool 40A shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 includes a stud member 42A, a lock member 44A, and a resistance member 46A, which have configurations different from those of the stud member 42, the lock member 44, and the resistance member 46 of the support tool 40 shown in FIGS. 3A to 6.

[0054] The stud member 42A has a protruding portion 60 and a hole portion 61. The protruding portion 60 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the protruding portion 42b. A groove portion 44a2 is not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 60. The hole portion 61 has a shape different from that of the hole portion 42c. The hole portion 61 has a countersunk portion 61a in which the inner diameter of the portion opening to the Z1 side surface is enlarged compared to other portions.

[0055] The lock member 44A has a shaft portion 62 having an outer diameter smaller than that of the shaft portion 44a. The shaft portion 62 has a cylindrical shape, and a threaded hole 44a1 is not formed. As shown in FIG. 9, in a state before connecting the lock member 44A to the stud member 42A, a standing wall 62a is formed at the tip end (Z2 side end) of the shaft portion 62. The standing wall 62a is a cylindrical wall portion having a shallow recess formed at the center. As shown in FIG. 8, the standing wall 62a is deformed by caulking after the shaft portion 62 is inserted into the hole portion 61, and becomes a caulked portion 62a. The caulked portion 62a is a substitute for the screw 48. That is, the caulked portion 62a prevents the lock member 44A from coming off relative to the stud member 42A in a relatively rotatable state. The lock member 44A has a stopper convex portion 63 on the back surface (Z1 side surface) of the semi-circular plate 44b2 of the plate portion 44b. The stopper convex portion 63 is, for example, an arcuate standing wall.

[0056] The resistance member 46A constitutes a torque generating portion that imparts rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member 44A. Unlike the resistance member 46 formed of an O-ring, the resistance member 46A is a leaf spring formed by shaping a metal plate into a C-ring shape. The resistance member 46A has an opening 65 and a stopper recess 66.

[0057] The opening 65 corresponds to a C-shaped opening. The inner diameter of the resistance member 46A is smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 62. The resistance member 46A can be fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 62 by being elastically deformed so as to open the C-shape through the opening 65. Thereby, the resistance member 46A is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 62 so as to be relatively rotatable with a predetermined rotational torque.

[0058] The stopper recess 66 is a notch-shaped recess formed in the end face on the Z2 side of the resistance member 46A. The stopper recess 66 is on the side opposite to the opening 65 in the diameter direction of the resistance member 46A. The stopper convex portion 63 of the lock member 44A is fitted into the stopper recess 66. Thereby, the lock member 44A can rotate relative to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 60 of the stud member 42A integrally with the resistance member 46A.

[0059] Next, the mounting method of the support tool 40A and the support method of the electronic modules 32 and 33 by the support tool 40A will be described.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 8, also in the support tool 40A, the method of fixing the stud member 42A to the ground pad 41 and mounting it on the circuit board 24 can be performed in the same manner as in the case of the support tool 40 described above.

[0061] First, for the support tool 40A, the resistance member 46A is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 60 of the stud member 42A. Subsequently, the shaft portion 62 of the lock member 44A is inserted through the hole portion 61. At this time, the stopper convex portion 63 is fitted into the stopper concave portion 66. Next, caulking is performed on the standing wall 62a at the tip of the shaft portion 62 that has passed through the hole portion 61 to form a caulked portion 62a. As a result, the lock member 44A is prevented from coming off the stud member 42A, and the assembly of the support tool 40A is completed. The entire support tool 40A is composed of a metal member. Therefore, after assembling the lock member 44A to the stud member 42A, the support tool 40A can also be easily mounted on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering.

[0062] The method of supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 by the support tool 40A can be performed in the same manner as the method of supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 by the support tool 40 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, so a detailed description is omitted. That is, also in the case of the support tool 40A, the lock member 44A can be rotated from the unlock position to the lock position while receiving the rotational torque from the resistance member 46A. Therefore, also in the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 provided with the support tool 40A, the workability of the attaching and detaching operations of the electronic modules 32, 33 is improved, and their stable support is possible.

[0063] In the support tool 40A, a screw 48 can also be used instead of the caulked portion 62a. Also, in the above-described support tool 40 and the support tools 40B to 40D described later, the caulked portion 62a can also be used instead of the screw 48. The configuration using the screw 48 enables easy replacement of the lock member 44 etc. even if the caulked portion 62a is damaged.

[0064] FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the support tool 40B and the positioning member 70 according to the second modification. FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the support tool 40B shown in FIG. 10A viewed from another angle. FIG. 11A is a plan view of the support tool 40B shown in FIG. 10A in the unlock position. FIG. 11B is a plan view of the support tool 40B shown in FIG. 11A in the lock position. FIG. 12 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the electronic module 32(33) supported by the support tool 40B shown in FIG. 10A.

[0065] The support tool 40B shown in FIGS. 10A to 12 includes a lock member 44B that is different in configuration from the lock member 44 of the support tool 40 shown in FIGS. 3A to 6. The support tool 40B is used together with the positioning member 70.

[0066] The lock member 44B has a shaft portion 72 that is different in configuration from the shaft portion 44a. The shaft portion 72 is a stepped shaft having a large-diameter portion 72a on the Z2 side and a small-diameter portion 72b on the Z1 side. The large-diameter portion 72a is formed to have the same diameter as the semi-circular plate 44b1 of the plate portion 44b and projects in the Z1 direction so as to be continuous from the semi-circular plate 44b1. The small-diameter portion 72b has the same diameter as the shaft portion 44a and is the portion inserted into the hole portion 42c of the stud member 42.

[0067] A groove portion 44a2 is not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72. A pair of recesses 74a and 74b are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 72a of the shaft portion 72. The recesses 74a and 74b are longitudinal grooves extending in the axial direction (Z direction) of the large-diameter portion 72a. The recesses 74a and 74b are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72 on opposite sides by 180 degrees. Based on the diameter direction of the large-diameter portion 72a, the recess 74a is arranged on the side of the small-diameter semi-circular plate 44b1, and the recess 74b is arranged on the side of the large-diameter semi-circular plate 44b2.

[0068] The positioning member 70 is a sheet metal part formed in a substantially L shape in side view. The positioning member 70 is mounted on the second surface 24b of the circuit board 24 and selectively positions the lock member 44B at the locked position and the unlocked position by contacting the lock member 44B. The positioning member 70 has a fixing portion 70a, a spring portion 70b, and a convex portion 70c. The positioning member 70 can be formed of, for example, stainless steel, steel, aluminum, copper, or brass.

[0069] The fixing portion 70a is a plate formed in a substantially U shape in plan view. The fixing portion 70a is fixed to the ground pad 41 at a position close to the stud member 42 (see FIG. 12). That is, the positioning member 70 can be mounted on the circuit board 24 simultaneously with the process of mounting the stud member 42, the connector 30, etc. on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering. The positioning member 70 is disposed on the side opposite to the electronic modules 32, 33 side (X1 side) (X2 side) when viewed from the stud member 42.

[0070] The spring portion 70b is bent and erected from the fixing portion 70a toward the Z2 side. The spring portion 70b is formed in a substantially arch shape as a whole, for example. The spring portion 70b is a leaf spring that extends along the Y direction and is elastically deformable at least in the X direction.

[0071] The convex portion 70c is provided at the center in the longitudinal direction of the spring portion 70b and is a dome-shaped small protrusion protruding toward the support 40B side. The tip of the convex portion 70c receives the biasing force of the spring portion 70b and is constantly pressed against and in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 72a. When the lock member 44B rotates, the convex portion 70c can be selectively engaged with one of the recesses 74a, 74b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72.

[0072] Next, the mounting method of the support 40B and the support method of the electronic modules 32, 33 by the support 40A will be described. Here too, the support method of one of the electronic modules 32 will be typically described, but the support method of the other electronic module 33 can be the same or similar to this.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 12, also in the support 40B, the method of fixing the stud member 42 to the ground pad 41 and mounting it on the circuit board 24 can be performed in the same manner as in the case of the support 40 described above. The support 40B can be assembled in the same manner as in the case of the support 40 described above for the lock member 44B with respect to the stud member 42, except that it does not have the resistance member 46 which is an O-ring.

[0074] When attaching the electronic module 32 to the circuit board 24 using the support tool 40B, the lock member 44B of the support tool 40B is set to the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 11A. At this time, the convex portion 70c of the positioning member 70 is engaged with one of the concave portions 74b of the shaft portion 72 in the lock member 44B. For this reason, although the support tool 40B does not have a resistance member 46 like the support tool 40 described above, it can be reliably held in the unlocked position.

[0075] Next, connect the terminal 32b to the connector 30, place the other end 32a2 immediately beside the support tool 40B in the unlocked position, and then rotate the lock member 44B. That is, as shown in FIG. 11B, the lock member 44B is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the locked position. At this time, after the convex portion 70c is disengaged from the concave portion 74b due to the elastic deformation of the spring portion 70b, it slides on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 72a. When the lock member 44B is rotated 180 degrees, the convex portion 70c engages with the other concave portion 74a, generating a click feeling. For this reason, the support tool 40B can reliably position and hold the lock member 44B in the locked position while obtaining an appropriate click feeling. As a result, one end 32a1 of the electronic module 32 is connected to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 is supported by the support tool 40B, and the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24.

[0076] When removing the electronic module 32 from the circuit board 24, rotate the lock member 44B with a predetermined tool or the like to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 11A. Also in this case, after the convex portion 70c is disengaged from the concave portion 74a due to the elastic deformation of the spring portion 70b, it engages with the concave portion 74b again, generating an appropriate click feeling. As a result, the electronic module 32 can be easily removed from the circuit board 24.

[0077] Therefore, also in such a support tool 40B, the lock member 44B can be rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position and held in each position. For this reason, also in the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 provided with the support tool 40B, the workability of the attachment and detachment operations of the electronic modules 32 and 33 is improved, and their stable support is possible.

[0078] When the support tool 40B moves the convex portion 70c between the concave portions 74a and 74b, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72 slides under the biasing force of the spring portion 70b. For this reason, also in the case of the support tool 40B, although slightly, rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the lock member 44B. However, since both the convex portion 70c and the shaft portion 72 are metal members and are liable to slide relative to each other, the rotational torque is extremely small. Therefore, the positioning structure of the lock member 44B using the positioning member 70 may be configured to obtain sufficient rotational torque by being used together with the following support tools 40C and 40D.

[0079] FIG. 13 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the support tool 40C according to the third modification example supporting the electronic module 32(33).

[0080] The support tool 40C shown in FIG. 13 is different from the support tool 40B shown in FIGS. 10A to 12 in that a resistance member 46 is attached to the shaft portion 72. The shaft portion 72 of the support tool 40C has a groove portion 44a2 on the outer peripheral surface of the root portion of the small-diameter portion 72b with respect to the large-diameter portion 72a. A resistance member 46 which is an O-ring is fitted in the groove portion 44a2.

[0081] Also with the support tool 40C, the lock member 44B can be positioned at the locked position and the unlocked position by the positioning member 70, and an appropriate click feeling can be obtained during the rotation operation. Further, with the support tool 40C, sufficient rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the lock member 44B by the resistance member 46. For this reason, the support tool 40C has further improved operability during the rotation operation of the lock member 44B compared to the support tool 40B, and also improved holding stability at the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0082] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the support tool 40D and the positioning member 70 according to the fourth modification example.

[0083] The support tool 40D shown in Fig. 14 is different from the support tool 40B shown in Figs. 10A to 12 in that it has a resistance portion 76 on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 72a of the shaft portion 72. In Fig. 14, the illustration of the stud member 42 is omitted. The resistance portion 76 is an uneven shape or a spline groove formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 72a. The depth of the groove of the resistance portion 76 is shallower and narrower than those of the concave portions 74a and 74b, and has a shape in which the convex portion 70c cannot be completely engaged.

[0084] In the support tool 40D, when the lock member 44B rotates, the convex portion 70c of the positioning member 70 continuously contacts the unevenness of the resistance portion 76, so that rotational resistance and a rotational operation feeling are imparted to the lock member 44B. That is, the resistance portion 76 and the convex portion 70c function as a torque generation portion that imparts rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member 44B. For this reason, the support tool 40D has further improved operability when operating the lock member 44B as compared with the support tool 40B. The resistance portion 76 can be configured by providing, for example, a rubber sheet or a surface treatment that imparts frictional resistance to the convex portion 70c on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72. The resistance portion 76 can also be used simultaneously with the resistance member 46 shown in Fig. 13.

[0085] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that it can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0086] 10 Electronic device 12 Housing 24 Circuit board 30 Connector 32, 33 Electronic module 40, 40A to 40D Support tool 42, 42A Stud member 42a Flange 42b, 60 Protrusion 42c, 61 Hole portion 44, 44A, 44B Lock member 44a, 62, 72 Shaft portion 44a1 Threaded hole 44a2 groove part 44b plate part 46, 46A resistance member 48 screw 70 positioning member 70b spring part 70c convex part 74a, 74b concave part 76 resistance part

Claims

1. A circuit board on which a connector for connecting one end of an electronic module and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module are mounted, wherein the support includes: a stud member having a flange fixed to the surface of the circuit board and a protruding portion standing up from the flange; a lock member that is rotatably supported with respect to the protruding portion and is switchable between a lock position for pressing the other end of the electronic module and an unlock position for not pressing the other end; a torque generating portion that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member; and characterized in that it comprises the above.

2. The circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the torque generating portion includes a resistance member that generates a rotational resistance between the lock member and the protruding portion. characterized in that it comprises the above.

3. The circuit board according to claim 2, wherein the protruding portion has a hole portion along the protruding direction, and the lock member includes: a shaft portion inserted rotatably with respect to the hole portion; a plate portion provided at one end of the shaft portion and capable of supporting the electronic module by rotating between the lock position and the unlock position; and the resistance member is an O-ring mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and sandwiched between the plate portion and the tip surface of the protruding portion. characterized in that it comprises the above.

4. The circuit board according to claim 3, wherein an annular groove portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, and the O-ring is fitted in the groove portion. characterized in that it comprises the above.

5. The circuit board according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the shaft portion is prevented from coming off the stud member by screwing from the back side of the flange to the tip portion inserted into the hole portion. characterized in that it comprises the above.

6. The circuit board according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a positioning member mounted on the surface of the circuit board and capable of selectively positioning the lock member at the lock position and the unlock position by contacting the lock member. characterized in that it comprises the above.

7. The circuit board according to claim 6, wherein the protruding portion has a hole portion along the axial direction, and the lock member includes: a shaft portion inserted rotatably with respect to the hole portion; a plate portion provided at one end of the shaft portion and capable of supporting the electronic module by rotating between the lock position and the unlock position; and A pair of concave portions arranged on opposite sides by 180 degrees to each other are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion. The positioning member has a convex portion that can be selectively engaged with one of the pair of concave portions when the lock member is rotated, and a spring portion that presses the convex portion against the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion. It is characterized in that it has a circuit board.

8. The circuit board according to claim 7, wherein the torque generating portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, and includes a resistance portion that imparts rotational resistance to the lock member by contacting the convex portion when the lock member is rotated. It is characterized in that it has a circuit board.

9. An electronic device, including a circuit board on which a connector is mounted, an electronic module having one end connected to the connector, and a support tool that supports the other end of the electronic module on the circuit board. It is characterized in that it includes the support tool has a stud member having a flange fixed to the surface of the circuit board and a protruding portion standing up from the flange, a lock member that is rotatably supported with respect to the protruding portion and can be switched between a lock position that presses the other end of the electronic module and an unlock position that does not press the other end, and a torque generating portion that imparts rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member. It is characterized in that it includes an electronic device.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the torque generating portion includes a resistance member that generates rotational resistance between the lock member and the protruding portion. It is characterized in that it has an electronic device.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the protruding portion has a hole portion along the axial direction, the lock member has a shaft portion that is rotatably inserted into the protruding portion, and a plate portion provided at one end of the shaft portion that can support the electronic module by rotating between the lock position and the unlock position. It is characterized in that it has the resistance member is an O-ring mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and sandwiched between the plate portion and the tip surface of the protruding portion. It is characterized in that it has an electronic device.

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