Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus capable of easily removing a battery while securing thinning of a housing.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus includes: a housing member having an opening surface; a cover member including a plate part and an inclined wall part standing from an edge part of the plate part and inclined in a direction separating from the plate part toward a standing direction to open / close at least a portion of the opening surface; a battery detachably supported on an inner surface side of the housing member to have a locked part on a first side surface directed toward the inclined wall part; a latch member supported movably by the housing member between a lock position for pressing the locked part and an unlock position moved backward from the locked part to have an inclination surface facing an inner wall surface of the inclined wall part at the lock position; and a spring member interposed between the housing member and the battery to energize the battery in a direction of being floated from an inner surface of the housing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a battery. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Electronic devices such as notebook PCs and tablet PCs include a flat, box-shaped housing and a battery housed within the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7309838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a demand for thinner housings for the electronic devices mentioned above. For this reason, most electronic devices have batteries embedded in the housing to further reduce the thickness of the housing. For this reason, most electronic devices are not designed to allow users to replace the battery themselves.

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for electronic devices with excellent maintainability from the perspective of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance). From this perspective, it is desirable for batteries to be easily replaceable.

[0006] However, as mentioned above, typical electronic devices are not designed for easy battery replacement. For example, to replace the battery in the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, first, the cover member forming the bottom of the housing is removed to expose the battery. Next, a complex procedure is required, including removing the screws and double-sided adhesive tape securing the battery, and then detaching the connection part to the motherboard, etc. Therefore, battery replacement requires a complex procedure using various tools, which is time-consuming and a psychological hurdle for typical users.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and has an object to provide an electronic device that ensures a thin housing while allowing the battery to be easily removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing member having an opening surface, a plate portion, and an inclined wall portion that rises from the edge of the plate portion and is inclined in the direction away from the plate portion in the rising direction, and a cover member that opens and closes at least a portion of the opening surface, a battery that is detachably supported on the inner surface of the housing member and has an engaging portion on a first side facing the inclined wall portion, a latch member that is supported on the housing member so as to be movable between a locked position that presses the engaging portion and an unlocked position that is retracted from the engaging portion, and has an inclined surface that faces the inner wall surface of the inclined wall portion in the locked position, and a spring member that is interposed between the housing member and the battery and biases the battery in a direction that lifts it from the inner surface of the housing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the battery can be easily removed while ensuring a thin housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the electronic device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view showing the housing shown in FIG. 2 with the cover member removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view showing the housing shown in FIG. 3 with the battery removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the locking mechanism and its surroundings. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the housing shown in FIG. 5 placed on a desk or the like with the bottom side facing up and the cover member removed. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a view showing the latch member shown in FIG. 8A moved to the unlocked position. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the housing shown in FIG. 6 placed on a desk or the like with the bottom side facing up and the cover member removed. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the battery being lifted up by the biasing force of the spring member shown in FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a housing provided with a cover member according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] 1 is a plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 10 is a clamshell notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a housing 12 and a lid 14 connected by a hinge 16 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The present invention can be applied to electronic devices other than notebook PCs, such as tablet PCs, smartphones, and portable game consoles.

[0013] The cover 14 is shaped like a flat box. A display 18 faces the front of the cover 14. The display 18 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display. The cover 14 is connected to the rear edge of the housing 12 by a hinge 16.

[0014] Hereinafter, the housing 12 and each of the components mounted thereon will be described by referring to the left-to-right width direction of the housing 12 as the X1-X2 direction, the front-to-back depth direction as the Y1-Y2 direction, and the top-to-bottom thickness direction as the Z1-Z2 direction, all of which are directions seen from the perspective of a user operating the keyboard 20 while looking at the display 18. The X1-X2 directions are sometimes collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1-Y2 and Z1-Z2 directions are sometimes similarly referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction. For ease of explanation, the keyboard 20 side (Z1 direction) in the thickness direction of the housing 12 may also be referred to as the bottom, and the opposite side (Z2 direction) as the top (see FIGS. 8A to 9B). These directional designations are provided for ease of explanation, and the manner of use of the electronic device 10 is not limited thereto.

[0015] Housing 12 is a flat box-like structure. Inside housing 12, a motherboard on which a CPU, memory, etc. are mounted, and a cooling module for cooling the CPU, etc. are housed. Inside housing 12, a battery 24 that is the power source for electronic device 10, a locking mechanism 26 that holds battery 24, speakers 28, 29, etc. are also housed.

[0016] A keyboard 20 and a touchpad 22 face the surface 12a of the housing 12. The keyboard 20 extends across substantially the entire width of the surface 12a in the X direction. The keyboard 20 is installed over a wide area extending from near the Y2-side edge of the surface 12a to the Y1 side beyond the center in the Y direction. The touchpad 22 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. The touchpad 22 is provided near the Y1-side edge of the surface 12a and is disposed approximately in the center of the surface 12a in the X direction. The touchpad 22 can be used in place of a mouse to operate a cursor (mouse pointer) displayed on the display 18. The touchpad 22 may be capable of performing a tracing operation by tracing the operation surface 22a with a fingertip or the like and a click operation by pressing the operation surface 22a with a fingertip or the like. The touchpad 22 may be configured to generate vibrations using an actuator when a click operation is received.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the electronic device 10. Fig. 3 is a view showing the housing 12 shown in Fig. 2 with the cover member 34 removed. Fig. 4 is a view showing the housing 12 shown in Fig. 3 with the battery 24 removed. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 2.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the housing 12 can be composed of a housing member 30, a base cover member 32, and a cover member .

[0019] The housing member 30 has a surface plate 30a and a standing wall 30b. The surface plate 30a forms the Z1 side surface (surface 12a) of the housing 12. The standing wall 30b stands in the Z2 direction from the outer peripheral edge of the surface plate 30a.

[0020] A recessed portion 36 in which the touchpad 22 is placed is formed in the surface plate 30a (see FIGS. 1 and 5). The recessed portion 36 is a portion in which part of the surface plate 30a is recessed on the Z2 side. The touchpad 22 is placed on a bottom plate 36a of the recessed portion 36, and the operation surface 22a is disposed substantially flush with the surface 12a. A through-hole 36b is formed in part of the bottom plate 36a. The touchpad 22 is connected to a motherboard or the like by wiring that passes through the through-hole 36b.

[0021] The surface plate 30a also has a rectangular cutout or recessed portion in which the keyboard 20 is installed. A palm rest 12c is also formed on the surface 12a, which is the outer surface of the surface plate 30a (see FIG. 1). The palm rests 12c are respectively disposed on the X1 and X2 sides of the touchpad 22. The palm rests 12c are flat surfaces on which a user operating the keyboard 20 and touchpad 22 can place their hands.

[0022] The Z2-side surface of the housing member 30 is an opening surface 30c that is not covered by the surface plate 30a. This gives the housing member 30 an overall shallow bathtub shape (see FIG. 5). The opening surface 30c corresponds to the open top surface of a container whose bottom is formed by the surface plate 30a and whose four peripheral walls are formed by the upright walls 30b. In this embodiment, the opening surface 30c is partially closed by the bottom plate 36a of the recessed portion 36, but overall forms an upper opening of the bathtub-shaped housing member 30.

[0023] The base cover member 32 and the cover member 34 are detachably connected to the housing member 30 and are covers that open and close the opening surface 30c. A part of the total opening area of ​​the opening surface 30c, for example, approximately half of the range on the Y1 side, is covered by the cover member 34. The remaining part of the total opening area of ​​the opening surface 30c, for example, approximately half of the range on the Y2 side, is covered by the base cover member 32.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the base cover member 32 can have an outer plate portion 38, an inclined wall portion 40, and an inner plate portion .

[0025] The outer plate portion 38 forms the Z1-side surface (bottom surface 12b) of the housing 12. The outer plate portion 38 can form approximately half of the total surface area of ​​the bottom surface 12b on the Y2 side. An edge portion 38a on the Y1 side of the outer plate portion 38 extends linearly along the X direction. The edge portion 38a forms a boundary line with an edge portion 48a of the cover member 34. The outer plate portion 38 can have a pair of left and right engagement recesses 38b, 38b that open toward the edge portion 38a.

[0026] Reference numeral 44 in FIG. 2 denotes rubber feet. The rubber feet 44 are feet used when placing the electronic device 10 on a desk or the like. A pair of rubber feet 44 are fixed, for example, to the surface of the outer plate portion 38 and to the surface of a plate portion 48 of the cover member 34 (described later), one on each side. The rubber feet 44 may be in the shape of a bar that is long in the left-right direction. Reference numeral 45 in FIG. 2 denotes an air intake port. The air intake port 45 is an opening for introducing outside air into the fan of the cooling module mounted inside the housing 12.

[0027] The inclined wall portion 40 is a wall portion that rises from the edges of three sides of the outer plate portion 38, excluding the edge portion 38a. The outer shapes of these three sides of the outer plate portion 38 are smaller than the outer shapes of the corresponding three sides of the housing member 30. The inclined wall portion 40 is a tapered wall portion that diagonally connects the edge portion of the outer plate portion 38 and the standing wall 30b of the housing member 30. The inclined wall portion 40 rises in the Z2 direction from the edges of three sides of the outer plate portion 38, excluding the edge portion 38a. Furthermore, the inclined wall portion 40 gradually slopes in a direction away from the outer plate portion 38 (toward the outside of the housing 12) as it rises. This allows the tip of the inclined wall portion 40 to abut against the tip of the standing wall 30b.

[0028] The inner plate portion 42 is a strip-shaped plate that protrudes toward the Y1 side from the edge portion 38a of the outer plate portion 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The surface of the inner plate portion 42 is located one step lower than the surface of the outer plate portion 38. In other words, the inner plate portion 42 is located at a position offset toward the Z1 side from the outer plate portion 38. As a result, the inner plate portion 42 is normally covered by the cover member 34 (see FIG. 2).

[0029] Such a base cover member 32 is fastened to the housing member 30 with screws 46 provided at various locations on the outer periphery. The base cover member 32 is fastened to the housing member 30 with screws 46, for example, at the Y2 side corners of the inclined wall portion 40 and at multiple locations on the inner plate portion 42. The base cover member 32 can be removed from the housing member 30 by removing the screws 46 after removing the cover member 34. The base cover member 32 can also be engaged with the housing member 30 using predetermined hooks or the like together with the screws 46.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover member 34 may have a plate portion 48 and an angled wall portion 50 .

[0031] The plate portion 48 forms the bottom surface 12b of the housing 12. The plate portion 48 can form approximately half of the total surface area of ​​the bottom surface 12b on the Y1 side. An edge portion 48a on the Y2 side of the plate portion 48 extends linearly along the X direction. The edge portion 48a forms a boundary line with the edge portion 38a of the base cover member 32. The plate portion 48 can have a pair of left and right engagement latches 48b, 48b facing the edge portion 48a.

[0032] The engagement latch 48b is a plate piece supported by the plate portion 48 and slidable in the Y direction. At least an operating portion 48b1 of the engagement latch 48b is exposed on the surface (bottom surface 12b) of the plate portion 48. The engagement latch 48b can be slid in the Y direction by operating the operating portion 48b1 with a fingertip or the like. An end 48b2 on the Y2 side of the engagement latch 48b engages with the engagement recess 38b of the base cover member 32 at least at the position where it has moved furthest toward the Y2 side. The end 48b2 is separated from the engagement recess 38b at least at the position where it has moved furthest toward the Y1 side, and the engagement state is released. When the engagement latch 48b engages with the engagement recess 38b, movement of the cover member 34 in the Z direction relative to the housing member 30 is prevented.

[0033] 3 denotes a latch arrangement groove formed in the inner plate portion 42. The latch arrangement groove 42a is, for example, a cutout hole or a recess. The engaging latch 48b is slidably received in the latch arrangement groove 42a.

[0034] The inclined wall portion 50 is a wall portion that rises from the edges of three sides of the plate portion 48, excluding the edge portion 48a. The outer shapes of these three sides of the plate portion 48 are smaller than the outer shapes of the corresponding three sides of the housing member 30. The inclined wall portion 50 is a tapered wall portion that diagonally connects the edge portion of the plate portion 48 and the standing wall 30b of the housing member 30. The inclined wall portion 50 rises in the Z2 direction from the edges of three sides of the plate portion 48, excluding the edge portion 48a. Furthermore, the inclined wall portion 50 gradually slopes in a direction away from the plate portion 48 (toward the outside of the housing 12) as it rises. This causes the tip of the inclined wall portion 50 to abut against the tip of the standing wall 30b (see FIG. 5).

[0035] 2, the left and right inclined wall portions 50 extending along the Y direction are continuous with the left and right inclined wall portions 40 of the base cover member 32 across the edges 38a, 48a. As a result, the outer peripheries of the base cover member 32 and the cover member 34 appear to be formed by the inclined wall portions 40, 50, and the outer peripheries as a whole have a generally tapered shape.

[0036] The cover member 34 may have a hook 34a on its Y1-side edge. The hook 34a is formed on the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50 extending in the X direction. The hooks 34a are provided, for example, at three locations in the X direction. The housing member 30 may have an engaged portion 30d on its Y1-side edge. The engaged portion 30d is formed on the inner wall surface of the standing wall 30b extending in the X direction or in its vicinity. The engaged portions 30d are provided at positions corresponding to the three hooks 34a. The engaged portion 30d is, for example, a recess. The engaged portion 30d can engage with the hook 34a toward the Y1 direction. When the hook 34a engages with the engaged portion 30d, movement of the cover member 34 in the Z direction relative to the housing member 30 is prevented.

[0037] This cover member 34 is positioned relative to the base cover member 32, which is screwed to the housing member 30, so that the edge portion 48a and its periphery cover the inner plate portion 42. The cover member 34 has its hooks 34a engaged with the engaged portions 30d and its engaging latches 48b engaged with the engaging recesses 38b. This connects the cover member 34 to the housing member 30. When removing the cover member 34 from the housing member 30, the engaging latches 48b are operated to disengage the cover member 34 from the engaging recesses 38b. Next, the edge portion 48a is lifted in the Z2 direction, while the hooks 34a are pulled out from the engaged portions 30d. This allows the cover member 34 to be easily removed from the housing member 30 without the need for complicated procedures such as removing screws.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the battery 24 is detachably supported on the inner surface 30e of the housing member 30 and covered by the cover member 34. In other words, the battery 24 is mounted in an area on the Y1 side of the housing 12, which is opened and closed by the cover member 34. The battery 24 has, for example, a long overall length in the X direction, a short width in the Y direction, and a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flattened in the Z direction. The battery 24 has a side surface (first side surface) 24a on the Y1 side and a side surface (second side surface) 24b on the opposite side that extend across most of the width of the housing 12 in the X direction. The side surface 24a is the surface facing the inclined wall portion 50 on the Y1 side of the cover member 34. The side surface 24b is the surface facing the inside of the housing 12.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the battery 24 can have a locked portion 52 and a protruding piece 54 on the side surface 24a.

[0040] The latched portion 52 is a claw-shaped protrusion provided on the side surface 24a and extends in the X direction. The latched portion 52 may have a length of, for example, about 1 / 4 of the overall length of the side surface 24a. The latched portion 52 is provided at an intermediate position including the center in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the side surface 24a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the latched portion 52 may be located so that at least a portion thereof vertically overlaps the touchpad 22. In this embodiment, the latched portion 52 vertically overlaps the touchpad 22 over its entire length. The latched portion 52 is, for example, aligned on the X1 side of the speaker 29 on the X2 side. The latched portion 52 may be provided in pair on the left and right in the longitudinal direction of the side surface 24a. In this case, it is preferable to similarly provide a pair on the left and right of the latch member 60 described later.

[0041] The locked portion 52 can have a locked surface 52a and a sliding surface 52b.

[0042] The locked surface 52a protrudes from the side surface 24a and is a flat surface (XY plane) facing the Z2 side. The sliding surface 52b is on the opposite side of the locked surface 52a in the Z direction and faces the Z1 side. The sliding surface 52b is an inclined surface that gradually slopes toward the Z2 side from the side surface 24a toward the tip side of the locked portion 52. The locked portion 52 may be formed as a recess recessed from the side surface 24a toward the Y2 side, rather than a protrusion protruding from the side surface 24a toward the Y1 side.

[0043] The protruding piece 54 is a visor-shaped plate piece provided on the side surface 24a, and extends in the X direction. The length of the protruding piece 54 can be shorter than the locked portion 52. The protruding piece 54 is adjacent to the locked portion 52 on the X1 side, for example. The protruding piece 54 is located between the locked portion 52 and the speaker 28 on the X1 side.

[0044] The protruding piece 54 can have a receiving portion 54a and a handle portion 54b.

[0045] The receiving portion 54a abuts against one end of a spring member 62 of the locking mechanism 26 (described later). The Z2-side surface of the protruding piece 54 is formed as an inclined surface 54c that follows the inclined shape of the inclined wall portion 50 on the Y1 side (see FIG. 6). The Z1-side surface of the receiving portion 54a can be formed as a flat surface (XY plane). The Z1-side surface of the receiving portion 54a may also be formed as an inclined surface that follows the inclined shape of the inclined surface 54c.

[0046] The handle portion 54b is formed, for example, in a range including the center in the longitudinal direction of the protruding piece 54. The handle portion 54b extends in the X direction from the receiving portion 54a along the side surface 24a. The handle portion 54b can be used as a finger hook when removing the battery 24 from the housing 12 (see FIG. 9B). For example, an operator can hook a fingertip F on the Z2 side surface of the handle portion 54b to easily lift the battery 24 toward the Z2 side. It is preferable that the Z1 side surface (inner surface) of the handle portion 54b is formed as an inclined surface that follows the inclined shape of the inclined surface 54c. This makes it easier to hook a fingertip F on the inner surface of the handle portion 54b.

[0047] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the battery 24 may have a connector 56 and a positioning piece 58 on the side surface 24b.

[0048] The connector 56 serves as a contact point that electrically connects the battery 24 with a power supply component mounted on a motherboard or the like. The connector 56 protrudes in the Y2 direction from the side surface 24b. As shown in Fig. 3, the connector 56 can be positioned to pair with the protruding piece 54 in the Y direction. In other words, the protruding piece 54 and the connector 56 can be positioned on the same straight line that is perpendicular to the side surfaces 24a and 24b and extends in the Y direction.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, a motherboard supported by the housing member 30 is mounted with terminals 57 to which a connector 56 is connected. It is preferable that the connector 56 be connectable to the terminal 57 in a manner that allows it to be freely attached and detached in the Z direction. The connector 56 can be configured, for example, as a connector with a comb-tooth structure in which a plurality of comb teeth 56a are arranged in the X direction. The comb teeth 56a are arranged in parallel in the X direction with slits at predetermined intervals between them, and terminals (contact points) that come into contact with the terminals 57 are provided between them. This allows the connector 56 to be connected to the terminal 57 in the Z1 direction and to be detached from the terminal 57 in the Z2 direction.

[0050] A plate-shaped stopper that positions the battery 24 in the Z direction can be integrally provided with the connector 56. The stopper of the connector 56 can be held down by the inner plate portion 42. A notch 42b is provided on the edge on the Y1 side of the inner plate portion 42 to expose the connector 56 and terminals 57.

[0051] The positioning piece 58 is a stopper that can position the side surface 24b of the battery 24 at least in the Z direction. The positioning piece 58 is a plate piece that protrudes in the Y2 direction from the side surface 24b. When the cover member 34 is connected to the housing member 30, the surface of the positioning piece 58 can be pressed by the inner plate portion 42. In this embodiment, the connector 56 is located closer to X1 in the longitudinal direction of the side surface 24b. It is preferable that the positioning piece 58 be located closer to X2 on the side surface 24b. A notch 42c is provided on the edge on the Y1 side of the inner plate portion 42 to expose the positioning piece 58.

[0052] 7 is a schematic perspective view of the locking mechanism 26 and its surrounding area. The locking mechanism 26 holds the battery 24 in the housing 12. The locking mechanism 26 also has the function of making it easy to remove the battery 24 when replacing it, for example.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the locking mechanism 26 can have a latch member 60 biased by a spring 66, and a spring member 62 that biases the battery 24 in the Z direction.

[0054] 5 and 7, the latch member 60 is supported on the inner surface 30e of the housing member 30 so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The latch member 60 extends in the X direction along the Y1-side edge of the housing member 30. The latch member 60 can lock the latched portion 52 of the battery 24 from the Z2 side. The latch member 60 has a length in the X direction that is slightly shorter than the overall length of the latched portion 52, for example.

[0055] The latch member 60 may have a locking portion 64, an inclined surface 60a, and a receiving surface 60b.

[0056] The locking portion 64 may have a locking surface 64a and a sliding surface 64b. The locking surface 64a protrudes from the Y2-side side surface of the latch member 60 and is a flat surface (XY plane) facing the Z1 side. The sliding surface 64b is on the opposite side of the locking surface 64a in the Z direction and faces the Z2 side. The sliding surface 64b is an inclined surface that gradually slopes toward the Z1 side from the side surface on which the locking portion 64 is formed toward the tip of the locking portion 64.

[0057] The inclined surface 60a is the surface of the latch member 60 facing the Z2 side. The inclined surface 60a gradually slopes toward the Z1 side as it extends in the Y1 direction. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 60a is preferably similar to or the same as the inclination angle of the inclined wall portion 50 on the Y1 side of the cover member 34. The inclined surface 60a can be close to or come into contact with the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50 on the Y1 side of the cover member 34 (see FIG. 5).

[0058] The receiving surface 60b is formed, for example, by recessing the Z1-side surface of the latch member 60. The receiving surface 60b stands in the Z direction and faces the Y1 side. One end of a spring 66 that generates a biasing force in the Y direction is supported on the receiving surface 60b. The other end of the spring 66 is supported by the housing member 30. The spring 66 is, for example, a compression coil spring, and is installed along the Y direction. The spring 66 constantly biases the latch member 60 in the Y2 direction.

[0059] When not subjected to an operating force (external force) from an operator, the latch member 60 is normally in a locked position, moved furthest toward the Y2 side by the biasing force of the spring 66 (see FIGS. 5 and 8A). In the locked position, the latch member 60 has an engaging surface 64a that presses against the engaged surface 52a of the battery 24 from the Z2 side. In the locked position, the inclined surface 60a is in a position close to or in contact with the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50.

[0060] By applying an external force, the latch member 60 can be moved to an unlocked position where it is retracted toward the Y1 side from the locked portion 52 against the biasing force of the spring 66 (see FIG. 8B). In the unlocked position, the locking surface 64a of the latch member 60 is disengaged from the locked surface 52a.

[0061] 6 and 7, the spring member 62 is, for example, a compression coil spring, and is installed along the Z direction. One end of the spring member 62 abuts against the Z1-side surface of the receiving portion 54a of the protruding piece 54 so as to be able to press against it. The other end of the spring member 62 is supported on the inner surface 30e side of the housing member 30. As a result, the spring member 62 is interposed between the housing member 30 and the battery 24, and constantly biases the battery 24 in a direction (Z2 direction) that lifts it up from the inner surface 30e.

[0062] Next, the operation of replacing the battery 24 will be described.

[0063] Fig. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the housing 12 shown in Fig. 5 placed on a desk or the like with the bottom surface 12b facing up and the cover member 34 removed. Fig. 8B is a diagram showing the latch member 60 shown in Fig. 8A moved to the unlocked position. Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the housing 12 shown in Fig. 6 placed on a desk or the like with the bottom surface 12b facing up and the cover member 34 removed. Fig. 9B is a diagram showing the battery 24 raised by the biasing force of the spring member 62 shown in Fig. 9A.

[0064] First, we will explain the procedure for removing the battery 24. When removing the battery 24, the lid 14 is closed on the surface 12a of the housing 12, and the electronic device 10 is placed on a desk or the like with the bottom surface 12b of the housing 12 facing up.

[0065] As shown in Figures 8A and 9A, the cover member 34 is removed from the housing member 30. For example, the engagement latch 48b is operated with a fingertip to disengage it from the engagement recess 38b, and the hook 34a is removed from the engaged portion 30d. This allows the cover member 34 to be easily removed from the housing member 30 without using tools or the like. This exposes the Y1 side area of ​​the opening surface 30c of the housing member 30, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, making the battery 24 and the locking mechanism 26 accessible.

[0066] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the latch member 60 is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. The engaging portion 64 of the latch member 60 disengages from the engaged portion 52 of the battery 24. Then, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the biasing force of the spring member 62 presses the protruding piece 54, causing the battery 24 to rise upward (towards Z2) from the inner surface 30e. In other words, the battery 24 pops up.

[0067] At this time, the connector 56 is connected to the terminals 57 so as to be freely attachable and detachable in the Z direction. As a result, the battery 24 rotates around the side surface 24b where the connector 56 and positioning piece 58 are located as a fulcrum, causing the side surface 24a to rise up. In particular, in this embodiment, the connector 56 is positioned so as to overlap the protruding piece 54 in the Y direction, which receives the biasing force of the spring member 62. Therefore, when the protruding piece 54 is raised by the spring member 62, no load is applied to the connector 56 and terminals 57 in the X direction. This further reduces the load on the connector 56 and terminals 57 when popping up. The protruding piece 54 functions not only when popping up, but also as a handle when removing the battery 24. By using this handle to pull the battery 24 straight out, it can be operated without applying any load.

[0068] 9B, insert fingertip F under (on the Z1 side) handle portion 54b of raised protruding piece 54 and lift handle portion 54b up. This allows battery 24 to be easily removed from housing 12.

[0069] When the operating force on the latch member 60 is released in the unlocked position, the latch member 60 returns to the locked position due to the biasing force of the spring 66. At this time, the battery 24 is in a pop-up state due to the biasing force of the spring member 62. Therefore, the latch member 60 slides under the locked portion 52 while the sliding surface 64b slides against the sliding surface 52b of the locked portion 52. As a result, the locked portion 52 is caught on the locking portion 64, maintaining the pop-up state of the battery 24. In other words, after the locking mechanism 26 moves the latch member 60 to the unlocked position and pops up the battery 24, the fingertips can be released from the latch member 60. This makes it even easier to remove the battery 24. Of course, the battery 24 may also be removed while the latch member 60 is held in the unlocked position with the fingertips.

[0070] Next, a procedure for installing a new battery 24 to replace the battery 24 removed as described above will be described.

[0071] In this case, the latch member 60 has returned to the locked position due to the biasing force of the spring 66. The locking mechanism 26 allows the battery 24 to be attached to the housing 12 with the latch member 60 in the locked position. First, the connector 56 and positioning piece 58 of the battery 24 are tilted downward and inserted into the notches 42b and 42c. Next, the battery 24 is pushed down into the housing 12 against the biasing force of the spring member 62. The latched portion 52 of the battery 24 presses against the latch member 60 from above. As a result, the sliding surface 52b presses against the sliding surface 64b, causing them to slide against each other, moving the latch member 60 toward the Y1 side against the biasing force of the spring 66.

[0072] When the battery 24 is pushed down to a predetermined position, the latch member 60 moves again to the locked position by the biasing force of the spring 66. Then, when the latch member 60 is in the locked position, the locking surface 64a again presses the locked surface 52a of the battery 24 from the Z2 side. This locks the battery 24 with the latch member 60. At this time, the connector 56 also smoothly connects to the terminal 57 from above. Finally, the cover member 34 is connected to the housing member 30, completing the installation of the battery 24.

[0073] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment can include a latch member 60 supported by the housing member 30 so as to be movable between a locked position where it presses against the locked portion 52 of the battery 24, and an unlocked position where it is retracted from the locked portion 52. The latch member 60 has an inclined surface 60a that faces the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50 of the cover member 34 when in the locked position. The electronic device 10 can also include a spring member 62 that is interposed between the housing member 30 and the battery 24 and biases the battery 24 in a direction that lifts it from the inner surface 30e.

[0074] Therefore, in the electronic device 10, simply moving the latch member 60 from the locked position to the unlocked position causes the battery 24 to rise due to the biasing force of the spring member 62. This allows the battery 24 to be easily removed from the electronic device 10 without the need for complicated procedures using tools. This reduces the effort and psychological hurdles for general users when replacing the battery 24. Furthermore, the latch member 60 has an inclined surface 60a that faces the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50 of the cover member 34 when in the locked position. This allows the latch member 60 to be installed in the electronic device 10 by effectively utilizing the triangular space inside the inclined wall portion 50, which is dead space within the housing 12 of general electronic devices (see FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, when the cover member 34 is removed to replace the battery 24, the inclined wall portion 50 disappears. As a result, space is created for the latch member 60 to move to the unlocked position. This also prevents the electronic device 10 from hindering the slimming and miniaturization of the housing 12 due to the need to secure installation space for the latch member 60.

[0075] Incidentally, the palm rest 12c on the side of the touchpad 22 in the housing 12 is formed only by a thin surface plate 30a. Therefore, although the space below the palm rest 12c is a triangular space that tends to become dead space, it still has a certain amount of vertical height. Therefore, in this embodiment, speakers 28, 29 are installed below the palm rest 12c (see FIGS. 1 and 3). This allows the electronic device 10 to maximize the volume of the speakers 28, 29 boxes while effectively utilizing the dead space below the palm rest 12c.

[0076] On the other hand, the triangular space inside the inclined wall portion 50 is narrower at the position where it overlaps with the touchpad 22. This is because, although the touchpad 22 is thin, it is thicker than the surrounding surface plate 30a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the latch member 60 is disposed in a position where it overlaps vertically with the touchpad 22. This is because the latch member 60 does not need to have a large vertical height like the speakers 28, 29. This allows the electronic device 10 to effectively utilize the narrower dead space below the touchpad 22 to install the latch member 60, thereby making it possible to further reduce the thickness and size of the housing 12.

[0077] In the locked position, the inclined surface 60a of the latch member 60 can approach or abut the inner wall surface 50a of the inclined wall portion 50 (see FIG. 5). This prevents the latch member 60 from rattling due to an impact such as when the electronic device 10 is dropped, or from unintentionally retracting from the latched portion 52. As a result, the battery 24 can be prevented from floating up or rattling within the housing 12 due to the biasing force of the spring member 62.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the latch member 60 is in the locked position, the amount of engagement between the locking surface 64a and the locked surface 52a, i.e., the contact distance in the Y direction between the locking surface 64a and the locked surface 52a, is referred to as distance L. The gap between the inclined surface 60a and the inner wall surface 50a in the movement direction (Y direction) of the latch member 60 is referred to as gap C. It is preferable that gap C be smaller than distance L. Consider a case where the latch member 60 in the locked position moves toward the Y1 direction due to an impact such as when the electronic device 10 is dropped. In this case, since gap C is smaller than distance L, the inclined surface 60a abuts against the inner wall surface 50a before the locking state between the locking surface 64a and the locked surface 52a is released. This prevents the latch member 60 from moving further backward, further reliably suppressing rattle of the battery 24 within the housing 12. Note that gap C is zero when the inclined surface 60a abuts against the inner wall surface 50a.

[0079] In the electronic device 10, the cover member 34 can be configured to open and close a portion of the opening 30c of the housing member 30. The remaining portion of the opening 30c is covered by a base cover member 32 that is screwed to the housing member 30. This allows the housing 12 to accommodate only the battery 24 and other devices that require frequent replacement or maintenance inside the cover member 34, while the motherboard and other components can be hidden inside the base cover member 32. This makes it even easier to remove the cover member 34 of the electronic device 10 when replacing the battery 24, further reducing the effort and psychological hurdles for general users.

[0080] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the housing 12 equipped with a cover member 70 according to a modified example.

[0081] In the above example, the opening 30c of the housing member 30 is closed by the base cover member 32 and the cover member 34. As shown in Fig. 10, the opening 30c of the housing member 30 can also be configured to be detachably closed by a single cover member 70. The cover member 70 is essentially a structure in which the base cover member 32 and the cover member 34 are integrated together.

[0082] The cover member 70 can have a plate portion 72 and an inclined wall portion 74. The plate portion 72 has a structure in which the outer plate portion 38 and the plate portion 48 shown in FIG. 2 are integrated together. The plate portion 72 can omit a portion corresponding to the inner plate portion 42 of the base cover member 32. The left and right inclined wall portions 74 along the Y direction have a structure in which the inclined wall portion 40 and the inclined wall portion 50 shown in FIG. 2 are integrated together. The inclined wall portion 74 on the Y1 side along the X direction can have the same structure as the inclined wall portion 50 shown in FIG. 2.

[0083] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10 Electronic equipment 12. Case 14 Lid 22 Touchpad 24 Battery 26 Locking mechanism 30 Housing material 30c opening surface 32 Base cover member 34,70 Cover member 40,50,74 Slanted wall section 48,72 Plate section 52 Locked part 54 Projecting piece 54a Receiving part 54b Handle 56 Connector 57 terminals 60 Latch member 62 Spring member 64 Locking part

Claims

1. An electronic device, a housing member having an opening surface; a cover member having a plate portion and an inclined wall portion that stands up from an edge of the plate portion and is inclined in a direction away from the plate portion in the standing direction, and that opens and closes at least a part of the opening surface; a battery that is detachably supported on the inner surface of the housing member and has a latched portion on a first side surface facing the inclined wall portion; a latch member supported by the housing member so as to be movable between a locked position where the latched portion is pressed and an unlocked position where the latched portion is retracted from the locked portion, the latch member having an inclined surface facing the inner wall surface of the inclined wall portion at the locked position; a spring member interposed between the housing member and the battery and biasing the battery in a direction to lift it up from the inner surface of the housing member; Equipped with An electronic device characterized by:

2. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The battery has a protruding piece that protrudes from a side surface and contacts one end of the spring member. An electronic device characterized by:

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, The protruding piece is a receiving portion against which one end of the spring member abuts; a handle portion extending from the receiving portion along the side surface; have An electronic device characterized by:

4. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, The protruding piece is provided on the first side surface. An electronic device characterized by:

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 4, a terminal supported on the housing member side, the battery has a connector that protrudes from a second side surface facing the opposite side to the first side surface and is detachably connected to the terminal; The protruding piece and the connector are positioned on the same straight line perpendicular to the first side surface and the second side surface. An electronic device characterized by:

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, In the locked position, the inclined surface is in close proximity to or in contact with the inner wall surface of the inclined wall portion. An electronic device characterized by:

7. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, With respect to the moving direction of the latch member, the gap between the inclined surface and the inner wall surface is smaller than the engagement amount between the latch member and the latched portion. An electronic device characterized by:

8. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, the cover member opens and closes a part of an opening surface of the housing member, The device further includes a base cover member that is fixed to the housing member with screws and closes the remaining portion of the opening of the housing member. An electronic device characterized by:

9. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, a touch pad exposed on a surface of the housing member; The latch member is positioned so as to overlap the touch pad vertically. An electronic device characterized by:

Images