Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic device capable of embodying a structure capable of attenuating an impact to an enclosure.SOLUTION: A projection device 10 comprises an enclosure 20 which includes a top surface 20a and a reverse surface 20b, and respective side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f, and has an upper step part 21a and a lower step part 22a provided in steps by hollowing the entire periphery of both of the top surface 20a and reverse surface 20b and connection parts of the respective side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f toward the inside of the enclosure 20. As compared with constitution in which neither the upper step part 21 nor the lower step part 22b is provided, ridge parts of the enclosure 20 can be made larger in surface area, and impacts in falling can be absorbed by the ridges.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, electronic devices such as projection devices have been known that are equipped with a configuration for absorbing and attenuating shocks when dropped. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic cassette that is composed of an FPD (Flat Panel Detector) and a portable housing that houses the FPD, with the four corners of the housing replaced with shock-absorbing materials. These shock-absorbing materials protect the FPD and other components inside the housing from shocks when dropped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-257198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to absorb and attenuate the impact on the housing when it is dropped in a projection device or the like, if the corners of the housing are cut and cushioning materials are attached to the corners, as in the electronic cassette disclosed in Patent Document 1, the impact is absorbed at the corners, but not at the edges (ridges) connecting the corners, and the impact attenuation effect is insufficient.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can realize a structure that can attenuate impacts on the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electronic device of the present invention has a housing including an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface, and has a stepped portion formed in a stepped shape by recessing the entire circumference of the connection portion between at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface and the side surface into the interior of the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can realize a structure that can attenuate impacts on the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a projection device according to an embodiment, viewed from the upper front left side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the projection device according to the embodiment with the buffer member removed, as viewed from the upper front left side. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the projection device according to the embodiment with the buffer member removed, as viewed from the lower right rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a buffer member of the projection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a perspective view of the projection device according to the embodiment, seen from the upper front left side, with a third buffer portion of the buffer member removed. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the front portion of the projection device according to the embodiment, approximately at the center in the left-right direction, taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which a projection device according to an embodiment falls onto an installation surface. [Figure 8] 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a projection device according to a modified example of the embodiment, the cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a projection device (electronic device) 10 according to the embodiment includes an exterior member 12 including a housing 20 (housing for the electronic device) and a buffer member 30, and a display device 40 provided inside the housing 20. The housing 20 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction and has six faces (top face 20a, bottom face 20b (see FIG. 3), left face 20c, right face 20d (see FIG. 3), front face 20e, and rear face 20f (see FIG. 3)). The projection device 10 has a projection opening 11 from which projection light is emitted on the front face 20e side. In the following description, the left and right of the projection device 10 refer to the left-right direction relative to the direction in which projection light is emitted from the projection opening 11, and the front and rear refer to the front and rear directions relative to the direction in which projection light travels from the projection device 10. The top face 20a side is referred to as the upper side of the projection device 10, and the bottom face 20b side is referred to as the lower side of the projection device 10.

[0010] 2 and 3, the housing 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and therefore has eight corners. The housing 20 includes an upper cover 21 that includes a top surface 20a and four corners and four sides around the top surface 20a, and a lower cover 22 that includes a bottom surface 20b and four corners and four sides around the bottom surface 20b. Hereinafter, the four sides (sides connecting the four corners) included in the upper cover 21 and the four sides included in the lower cover 22 will also be referred to as "ridge lines."

[0011] A substantially rectangular adjustment opening 20g is provided in the front left corner of the top surface 20a of the upper cover 21. A movable adjustment ring 42a provided on a lens barrel 42 housed in the housing 20 is exposed through the opening of the adjustment opening 20g. The housing 20 also has a front panel 24 with a front side surface 20e on the front side, a rear panel 25 with a rear side surface 20f on the rear side, a left panel 26 with a left side surface 20c on the left side, and a right panel 27 with a right side surface 20d on the right side. The four corners of the housing 20 (boundaries between the panels 24, 25, 26, and 27) are formed as chamfered, rounded panel-like members (hereinafter referred to as "corner panels 29").

[0012] Each of the panels 24, 25, 26, and 27, excluding the corner panel 29, is a rectangular panel-like member, the upper edge of which is engaged with and screwed to the upper cover 21, the lower edge of which is engaged with and screwed to the lower cover 22, and both longitudinal ends of which are attached to the corner panels 29 by screws. The front panel 24 is provided with a projection port opening 24a through which the projection port 11 of the lens barrel 42 is exposed, a first air intake port 24b, and a first air exhaust port 24c. The rear panel 25 is provided with a second air intake port 25a and a third air intake port 25b. The rear side of the left panel 26 is provided with connection ports 26a for various connectors. The rear side of the right panel 27 is provided with a power cable 27a.

[0013] The upper edge of each corner panel 29 is screwed to the upper cover 21, and the lower edge is screwed to the lower cover 22. The approximate center of each corner panel 29 is formed into a flat surface that is slightly recessed toward the inside of the housing 20, and a screw hole 29a is provided therein. The upper cover 21, the lower cover 22, and the panels 24, 25, 26, 27, and 29 that constitute the housing 20 are made of, for example, metal.

[0014] The electronic device 40 provided inside the housing 20 includes the above-mentioned lens barrel 42, a display element (not shown), a light source device (not shown) including a light-emitting element, a control circuit board (not shown), a cooling device group (not shown), etc. The display device 40 forms an optical image on the display element by irradiating a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting element onto the display element, and projects and displays the image on a projection target such as a screen (not shown) through the projection port 11 and the projection port opening 24a. At this time, the user can adjust the focus and zoom of the lens barrel 42 by rotating the adjustment ring 42a exposed from the adjustment opening 20g.

[0015] Next, the configuration of the exterior member 12 will be described in detail. The projection device 10 of this embodiment is configured to attenuate impacts received when dropped, etc., by including the exterior member 12 (housing 20, buffer member 30). As shown in FIG. 2, the upper cover 21 has an upper step portion (step portion) 21a formed by recessing the entire periphery of the upper surface 20a (outer surface side)—in other words, the entire periphery of the connection portion between the upper surface 20a and each of the side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f—into the interior of the housing 20. The upper step portion 21a has an inclined surface 21a1 that connects to the upper surface 20a, and the rest of the step portion forms a staircase-like shape extending in the vertical direction (up-down direction) and horizontal directions (front-rear and left-right directions). The area of ​​the upper surface 20a of the upper cover 21 is larger than the area of ​​the surface (parallel step surface) of the upper step portion 21a that extends in the horizontal direction. Four corners 21C of this horizontally extending surface are C-chamfered. Hereinafter, of upper step portion 21a, the portion provided on the ridge line of the long side of the peripheral edge will be referred to as upper long side step portion 21aL, the portion provided on the ridge line of the short side of the peripheral edge will be referred to as upper short side step portion 21aS, and the portions provided at the four corners of the peripheral edge will be referred to as upper corner step portion 21aE. In upper step portion 21a, the depth of the recess in upper corner step portion 21aE is greater than the depth of the recess in upper long side step portion 21aL and upper short side step portion 21aS.

[0016] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3 , the lower cover 22 has a lower step portion (step portion) 22a formed by recessing the entire periphery of the lower surface 20b (outer surface side)—in other words, the entire periphery of the connection between the lower surface 20b and each of the side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f—into the interior of the housing 20. The portion of the step surface of the lower step portion 22a that connects to the lower surface 20b is an inclined surface 22a1, and the portion of the step surface other than the inclined surface 22a1 forms a staircase-like shape formed along the vertical direction (up-down direction) and horizontal directions (front-rear and left-right directions). The area of ​​the lower surface 20b of the lower cover 22 is larger than the area of ​​the surface (parallel step surface) of the lower step portion 21b that extends along the horizontal direction. Four corners 22C of this horizontally extending surface are C-chamfered. Hereinafter, of the lower step portion 22a, the portion provided on the ridge line of the long side of the peripheral edge is referred to as the lower long side step portion 22aL, the portion provided on the ridge line of the short side of the peripheral edge is referred to as the lower short side step portion 22aS, and the portions provided at the four corners of the peripheral edge are referred to as the lower corner step portion 22aE. In the lower step portion 22a, the recess depth of the lower corner step portion 22aE is greater than the recess depth of the lower long side step portion 22aL and the lower short side step portion 22aS. Note that the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a are not limited to being provided in a substantially right-angled staircase shape as in this embodiment, but may be provided in an arc-shaped step shape as in a modified example described below.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the cushioning member 30 of the exterior member 12 includes an upper cushioning section 31, a lower cushioning section 32, and four corner cushioning sections (third cushioning sections) 33. The cushioning member 30 is made of a material that easily absorbs shock, such as rubber. The upper cushioning section 31 is assembled around the housing 20 so as to cover the upper step section 21a and four corner panels 29 of the housing 20 (see FIG. 5). The lower cushioning section 32 is assembled around the housing 20 so as to cover the lower step section 22a of the housing 20 (see FIG. 5). The four corner cushioning sections 33 are assembled around the housing 20 so as to cover the four corner panels 29 of the housing 20 via the upper cushioning section 31 (see FIG. 1).

[0018] The upper buffer section 31 has a generally rectangular upper frame section 31a and wall sections 31b extending downward from the four corners of the upper frame section 31a. The upper frame section 31a is shaped and sized to be mountable to the upper step section 21a of the housing 20. The outer surface of the upper frame section 31a is formed in a generally inverted L shape so as to cover the upper step section 21a (see FIG. 6). The connection between the vertically extending section and the horizontally extending section of the generally inverted L-shaped upper frame section 31a is formed as an inclined surface 31a1. The four corners 31aC of the upper frame section 31a are chamfered to form rounded corners. The inner surface of the upper frame-shaped portion 31a is formed with a shape and thickness that allows it to abut against the upper step portion 21a excluding the inclined surface 21a1 when the upper buffer portion 31 is assembled around the housing 20. The configuration of the inner surface of the upper frame-shaped portion 31a will be described in detail later.

[0019] Each wall-shaped portion 31b of the upper buffer portion 31 is curved to fit the outer surface of each corner panel 29 and is slightly larger than the corresponding corner panel 29. Each wall-shaped portion 31b covers the corresponding corner panel 29 with its inner surface abutting the outer surface of the corresponding corner panel 29. A screw hole 31b1 is provided in the approximate center of each wall-shaped portion 31b. These screw holes 31b1 are positioned to overlap the screw holes 29a of the corresponding corner panel 29 when the upper buffer portion 31 is assembled around the housing 20. A fitting plate portion 31c is provided at the lower end of each wall-shaped portion 31b, extending slightly inward and protruding slightly downward. This defines a space on the inner surface of each wall-shaped portion 31b, surrounded by the four corners of the upper frame portion 31a, the wall-shaped portion 31b, and the fitting plate portion 31c.

[0020] The lower buffer section 32 has a lower frame section 32a having a substantially rectangular frame shape and a frame-shaped protruding section 32b protruding inward from the lower side of the lower frame section 32a. The lower frame section 32a and the protruding section 32b are shaped and sized to be mountable to the lower step section 22a of the housing 20. The outer surface of the lower frame section 32a, excluding the four corners, is formed into a substantially L-shape so as to cover the lower step section 22a (see FIG. 6). The connection between the vertically extending section and the horizontally extending section of the substantially L-shaped lower frame section 32a is formed as an inclined surface 32a1. The four corners 32aC of the lower frame section 32a are chamfered to form rounded corners. The inner surface of the lower frame-shaped portion 32a is formed with a shape and thickness that allows it to abut against the portion of the lower step portion 22a excluding the inclined surface 22a1 when the lower buffer portion 32 is assembled around the housing 20. The configuration of the inner surface of the lower frame-shaped portion 32a will be described in detail later.

[0021] The protruding portion 32b is provided with a plurality of screw holes 32b1. Furthermore, the upper surface of each of the four corners of the lower frame-shaped portion 32a is provided with a fitting recess 32c, which is slightly recessed downward. Each fitting recess 32c is shaped and sized to allow the downwardly protruding portion of each fitting plate portion 31c of the upper buffer portion 31 to fit in the vertical direction. By fitting each fitting plate portion 31c into each fitting recess 32c, the upper buffer portion 31 and the lower buffer portion 32 are assembled in the vertical direction. The protruding portion 32b is formed thinner near the screw holes 32b1 than other portions, making it easier to fasten screws.

[0022] Each corner buffer 33 includes a first plate-like portion 33a extending vertically and a second plate-like portion 33b extending inward at approximately right angles from both upper and lower ends of the first plate-like portion 33a. The first plate-like portion 33a covers the corner panel 29 via the wall-like portions 31b. The first plate-like portion 33a is curved to fit the outer surfaces of the wall-like portions 31b of the upper buffer 31 and is slightly larger than the wall-like portions 31b. This defines a recessed space surrounded by the first plate-like portion 33a and the second plate-like portions 33b on the inner surface of the first plate-like portion 33a. A screw hole 33a1 is provided in the approximate center of the first plate-like portion 33a. This screw hole 33a1 is positioned to overlap the screw hole 31b1 of the upper buffer 31 when the upper buffer 31 is assembled around the housing 20.

[0023] 4, 5, and 1, a procedure for assembling the upper buffer section 31, the lower buffer section 32, and the corner buffer sections 33 that constitute the buffer member 30 around the housing 20 will be described. First, the upper buffer section 31 is placed upside down, and while each corner panel 29 of the housing 20 is accommodated in the space formed on the inner surface side of each wall-shaped section 31b of the upper buffer section 31, the upper buffer section 31 is assembled upside down to the housing 20 so that the upper step section 21a is covered by the upper frame-shaped section 31a. Then, each fitting plate section 31c is screwed to each corner section of the lower cover 22. As a result, the upper buffer section 31 is positioned around the entire upper step section 21a.

[0024] Next, the lower buffer section 32 is placed over the housing 20, which is turned upside down, and the fitting plate sections 31c of the upper buffer section 31 are fitted into the fitting recesses 32c of the lower buffer section 32. The lower buffer section 32 is then assembled to the housing 20 so that the lower step section 22a is covered with the lower frame section 32a and the protruding section 32b. This positions the lower buffer section 32 over the entire area around the lower step section 22a. Next, the lower buffer section 32 is screwed to the lower cover 22 of the housing 20 through the screw holes 32b1 of the protruding section 32b, and the upper and lower orientations are reversed to return to the correct orientation (the state shown in FIG. 5). As a result, the upper buffer section 31 and the lower buffer section 32 are fixed to the housing 20 in their assembled state.

[0025] Next, each corner-side buffering portion 33 is assembled to the outer surface of each wall-like portion 31b of the upper buffering portion 31 so that each wall-like portion 31b is accommodated in a space formed on the inner surface of the first plate-like portion 33a of each corner-side buffering portion 33. Then, mounting screws are inserted through the screw holes 33a1 of the overlapping first plate-like portions 33a, the screw holes 31b1 of the wall-like portions 31b, and the screw holes 29a of the corner panels 29 to screw-fasten each first plate-like portion 33a and each wall-like portion 31b to each corner panel 29. This fixes the entire buffering member 30, including the upper buffering portion 31, the lower buffering portion 32, and the corner-side buffering portions 33, to the housing 20 (the state shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0026] The inner surface of the first plate-shaped portion 33a of each corner-side buffer portion 33 is formed thick enough to abut against the wall-shaped portion 31b with almost no gap when the corner-side buffer portion 33 is assembled to the wall-shaped portion 31b. In other words, each corner-side buffer portion 33 covers the chamfered corner panel 29 via the wall-shaped portion 31b and has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the chamfer.

[0027] Furthermore, since the center of gravity of the projection device 10 is located closer to the lens barrel 42, by placing the housing 20 on the upper buffer part 31 so that the center of gravity of the housing 20 is located on the left front side when viewed from the front side when the projection light is emitted in the forward direction, the upper buffer part 31 can be assembled to the housing 20 without making any mistakes in the up-down and left-right directions.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the inner surface side of the upper frame portion 31a and the configuration of the inner surface side of the lower frame portion 32a will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface side of the upper frame portion 31a is thick and stepped so as to abut against the upper step portion 21a with almost no gap (hereinafter, the portion of the upper frame portion 31a that abuts against the upper step portion 21a will be referred to as the "upper abutment portion 31a1"). In other words, the upper frame portion 31a is disposed within the upper step portion 21a and has a thickness TU corresponding to the recess of the upper step portion 21a. Note that FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a portion of the inner surface side of the upper frame portion 31a that faces the upper long side step portion 21aL of the upper step portion 21a, but the portions that face the upper short side step portion 21aS and the upper corner step portion 21aE also have a similar configuration.

[0029] Similar to the inner surface of the upper frame portion 31a, the inner surface of the lower frame portion 32a is thick and stepped so as to abut against the lower step portion 22a with almost no gap (hereinafter, the portion of the lower frame portion 32a that abuts against the lower step portion 22a is referred to as the "lower abutment portion 32a1"). In other words, the lower frame portion 32a is disposed within the lower step portion 22a and has a thickness TL corresponding to the recess of the lower step portion 22a. Note that while FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a portion of the inner surface of the lower frame portion 32a that faces the lower long-side step portion 22aL of the lower step portion 22a, portions that face the lower short-side step portion 22aS and the lower corner step portion 22aE are similarly configured.

[0030] In this embodiment, the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a are formed in a stepped shape with vertical dimensions WU1, WL1 slightly larger than horizontal dimensions WU2, WL2, but they may also be formed in a stepped shape with vertical dimensions WU1, WL1 and horizontal dimensions WU2, WL2 approximately equal. In this case, during the manufacturing process of the upper cover 21 and the lower cover 22, the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a can be manufactured with the vertical dimensions WU1, WL1 and the horizontal dimensions WU2, WL2 equal, making it easier to manufacture the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a.

[0031] Next, the effects of the exterior member 12 configured as described above will be described. As shown in Fig. 7, when the projection device 10 of this embodiment equipped with the exterior member 12 is dropped onto the installation surface IS, it is likely to fall from any part (particularly the four corners) of the periphery on the upper cover 21 side or any part (particularly the four corners) of the periphery on the lower cover 22 side, and these parts will receive impact from the installation surface IS when dropped (Fig. 7 shows the state where the projection device 10 falls from the front right corner of the periphery on the lower cover 22 side).

[0032] In this regard, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the buffer member 30 is attached to the housing 20 so as to cover the entire periphery of the periphery on the upper cover 21 side and the entire periphery of the periphery on the lower cover 22 side, and therefore the shock when the projection device 10 is dropped is absorbed by the buffer member 30. In particular, in this embodiment, the inner surface side of the upper frame-shaped portion 31a is formed thick so as to correspond to the recess of the upper step portion 21a provided in the upper cover 21, and the inner surface side of the lower frame-shaped portion 32a is formed thick so as to correspond to the recess of the lower step portion 22a provided in the lower cover 22. Therefore, the shock when the projection device 10 is dropped is effectively absorbed by the upper buffer member 31 and the lower buffer member 32, and the shock transmitted to the housing 20 side is attenuated.

[0033] Furthermore, in the projection device 10, by assembling corner-side buffer sections 33 on the outer surface of each wall-like section 31b, when the projection device 10 is dropped from each corner on the upper cover 21 side or each corner on the lower cover 22 side, the impact is absorbed not only by the upper buffer sections 31 and the lower buffer sections 32 but also by the corner-side buffer sections 33, thereby enhancing the impact absorption effect of the buffer members 30 (the thickness of the portion where the impact is absorbed can be increased), and further attenuating the impact transmitted to the housing 20 side. The thickness of the buffer members 30 required to absorb the impact when dropped can be calculated from the weight of the projection device 10, the expected drop height, etc.

[0034] Here, if buffer members were attached only to the corners of the housing of a projection device, it is expected that the ridges of the housing would not be able to absorb impacts, resulting in insufficient impact attenuation. In contrast, in projection device 10 of this embodiment, stepped upper step 21a is provided on the periphery of upper cover 21 and stepped lower step 22a is provided on the periphery of lower cover 22. This increases the contact area of ​​the ridges with installation surface IS when housing 20 is dropped, allowing impact to be absorbed even at the ridges of housing 20. Therefore, projection device 10 of this embodiment can improve the impact attenuation effect when housing 20 is dropped compared to conventional projection devices that do not have upper step 21a and lower step 22a.

[0035] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the peripheral edge of the upper cover 21 and the peripheral edge of the lower cover 22 are recessed all around to provide stepped upper step portion 21a and lower step portion 22a, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the upper surface 20a and the lower surface 20b of the housing 20 and thereby increasing the rigidity of the housing 20. Note that, although this embodiment has been described as an example of a configuration in which upper step portion 21a and lower step portion 22a are provided all around the peripheral edge of the upper cover 21 and the peripheral edge of the lower cover 22, the upper step portion 21a and lower step portion 22a may be provided only on a portion of the peripheral edge of the upper cover 21 or only on a portion of the peripheral edge of the lower cover 22. Even with this configuration, impact can be absorbed in the areas where the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a are provided, and the impact attenuation effect when the housing 20 is dropped can be improved compared to conventional projection devices that do not have the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a.

[0036] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the cushioning member 30 includes the corner-side cushioning portions 33, which increases the thickness of the outer surface of the housing 20 on the side where the corner-side cushioning portions 33 are provided. This makes it easier for the housing 20 to fall with the corner-side cushioning portions 33 facing downward when dropped. In other words, the corner-side cushioning portions 33 have a fall-guiding effect. Therefore, by locally thickening the cushioning member 30 in a portion of the housing 20 away from the portion that needs to be particularly protected, the housing 20 is guided to fall with the portion away from the portion that needs to be particularly protected facing downward when dropped, thereby reducing the impact transmitted to the portion that needs to be protected when dropped. On the other hand, by locally thickening the cushioning member 30 in a portion of the housing 20 near the portion that needs to be particularly protected, the impact attenuation effect in the portion that needs to be particularly protected can be further enhanced, thereby effectively protecting the housing 20.

[0037] Next, we will explain how to set the cushioning material thickness based on the results of past drop impact tests. First, let m1 be the weight of a projection device that has undergone drop impact tests, h1 be the drop height, and σ1 be the cushioning material thickness. Next, let m2 be the weight of the projection device to be designed, h2 be the expected drop height, and σ2 be the cushioning material thickness to be set. Assuming that the impact force F (= mgh / σ) received when dropped is similar between the projection device that has undergone drop impact tests and the projection device to be designed, F1 = m1 × g × h1 / σ1, F2 = m2 × g × h2 / σ2, and F1 = α × F2 (α is a safety factor ≥ 1). Rearranging these equations for σ2 gives σ2 = α × (m2 / m1)(h2 / h1) × σ1. Using this equation, we can calculate the minimum cushioning material thickness σ2 required for a projection device that has not undergone drop impact tests.

[0038] The thickness σ2 of the cushioning material calculated above corresponds to TU and TL in Figure 6. When the projection device is dropped, the greatest impact force is applied diagonally to the roughly rectangular parallelepiped cushioning material as shown in Figure 6. Forces applied from other angles are dispersed by the crushing of the cushioning material, which begins immediately after impact with the surface, and by the rotation of the housing, so the impact force from the drop is attenuated to about 70% of the force applied diagonally.

[0039] Here, consider a case where the center of gravity is not located in the dimensional center of the housing but is located to one side. In this case, if an electronic device equipped with such a housing is dropped from a sufficient height (a height that would cause the electronic device to rotate during the drop), there is a high probability that it will fall on the side where the center of gravity is located. Therefore, by focusing on reinforcing the side where the center of gravity is located (for example, by making the cushioning material thicker than other parts), it is possible to effectively attenuate the impact of the drop.

[0040] Next, a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the projection device 110 according to the modified example, the shapes of the upper cover 121 and the lower cover 122, and the shapes of the upper buffer section 131 and the lower buffer section 132 are different from those of the embodiment described above. The other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in the projection device 110 according to the modified example, components having the same configuration as those of the projection device 10 according to the embodiment described above are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0041] 8, in the projection device 10 according to the modification, the upper step portion 121a provided on the upper cover 121 and the lower step portion 122a provided on the lower cover 122 are not shaped like steps but are shaped like arc steps recessed in a concave arc shape toward the inside of the housing. Correspondingly, the upper abutment portion 131a1 provided on the upper frame-shaped portion 131a of the upper buffer portion 131 and the lower abutment portion 132a1 provided on the lower frame-shaped portion 132 are shaped like arc steps bulging out in a convex arc shape toward the inside of the housing so as to abut against the concave arc-shaped upper step portion 121a and lower step portion 122a with almost no gap.

[0042] In the projection device 110 according to the modified example, due to the above-described configuration, the thickness between the outer surface (the surface exposed to the outside of the housing) and the inner surface (the surface abutting the upper step portion 121a and the lower step portion 122a) of the upper frame-shaped portion 131a and the lower frame-shaped portion 132a is approximately uniform, so that no matter what angle the projection device 110 is dropped at (no matter at what position on the upper buffer portion 131 and the lower buffer portion 132 it hits the installation surface), the thickness necessary to absorb the impact can be secured in the upper buffer portion 131 and the lower buffer portion 132.

[0043] As described above, the projection device 10 according to this embodiment has a housing 20 including an upper surface 20a, a lower surface 20b, and each of the side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f, and has upper step portion 21a and lower step portion 22a formed in a stepped shape by recessing the entire periphery of the connection portion between both of the upper surface 20a and the lower surface 20b and each of the side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f into the interior of the housing 20.

[0044] By providing the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a in the housing 20 as described above, the projection device 10 of this embodiment can utilize space that was previously wasted (space corresponding to the recesses), and can increase the surface area of ​​the ridge portion of the housing 20 compared to a conventional configuration that does not have the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a. As a result, when the projection device 10 is dropped from the ridge side, the contact area of ​​the ridge portion of the housing 20 with the installation surface IS can be increased, and the ridge portion can absorb the impact of the drop. Therefore, the projection device 10 of this embodiment can achieve a structure that can attenuate impact on the housing 20.

[0045] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a have parallel step surfaces parallel to at least one of the upper surface 20a and the lower surface 20b, and the areas of the upper surface 20a and the lower surface 20b that are continuous with the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a are larger than the areas of the parallel step surfaces. With this configuration, the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a can be distinguished from steps formed by attachments or the like that are added to the projection device 10 later. Therefore, it is possible to provide specific configurations for the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a.

[0046] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the housing 20 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped that includes eight corners 21C, 22C, four sides corresponding to the top surface 20a, and four sides corresponding to the bottom surface 20b. When the projection device 10 is dropped onto the installation surface IS, it is particularly likely to fall from one of the eight corners 21C, 22C of the housing 20. According to the above configuration, by providing the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a at these corners 21C, 22C that are likely to fall, it is possible to effectively absorb the impact when the housing 20 is dropped, etc.

[0047] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the depth of the recesses of the upper corner step portion 21aE and the lower corner step portion 22aE of the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a is greater than the depth of the recesses of the upper long side step portion 21aL and the upper short side step portion 21aS and the lower long side step portion 22aL and the lower short side step portion 22aS. According to this configuration, by providing the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a, it is possible to effectively utilize the space (space corresponding to the recesses) that was previously wasted, particularly in the upper corner step portion 21aE and the lower corner step portion 22aE, and it is possible to reduce the size of the projection device 10.

[0048] Furthermore, in projection device 10 of this embodiment, the portions of upper surface 20a and lower surface 20b that connect to upper step portion 21a and lower step portion 22a are inclined surfaces 21a1, 22a1. Effect: Increasing the contact area improves the impact dispersion effect. With this configuration, the contact area with installation surface IS at the connected portions when housing 20 is dropped is larger than in a configuration in which inclined surfaces 21a1, 22a1 are not provided at the connected portions and surfaces are provided along the vertical direction, so the impact dispersion effect when housing 20 is dropped can be improved.

[0049] Furthermore, the projection device 10 of this embodiment includes a buffer member 30, at least a portion of which is disposed within the upper step portion 21a and the lower step portion 22a. With this configuration, the buffer member 30 can further enhance the impact absorption effect when the housing 20 is dropped. Furthermore, the buffer member 30 can be made to have almost no effect on the external dimensions of the housing 20 while ensuring a sufficient thickness. Therefore, the housing 20 can be made smaller while achieving a structure that can effectively attenuate impacts on the housing 20.

[0050] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, at least one of the four corners of each of the side surfaces 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f of the housing 20 is chamfered, and the chamfered corners are covered with the cushioning member 30. With this configuration, the corners of the housing 20 are chamfered, which allows the housing 20 to be made smaller, and furthermore, the cushioning member 30 can protect the chamfered corners from impact.

[0051] Furthermore, in the projection device 10 of this embodiment, the buffer member 30 includes corner-side buffer portions 33 that cover the chamfered corners and have a thickness corresponding to the chamfered thickness. With this configuration, the corner-side buffer portions 33 are provided with a thickness corresponding to the chamfered thickness, so that the corner-side buffer portions 33 do not affect the external dimensions of the housing 20. Furthermore, since the corner-side buffer portions 33 also absorb impacts in addition to being absorbed by other portions of the buffer member 30 (the upper buffer portion 31 and the lower buffer portion 32), the impact absorption effect of the buffer member 30 can be enhanced. Note that, although the present embodiment has been illustrated as a configuration in which the corner-side buffer portions 33 are separate from the upper buffer portion 31 and the lower buffer portion 32, the corner-side buffer portions 33 may also be integrated with the upper buffer portion 31 or the lower buffer portion 32.

[0052] Moreover, the projection device 10 of this embodiment includes the above-described exterior member 12 and a display device 40 provided inside the housing 20. In the projection device 10 of this embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to ensure the internal space of the projection device 10, while ensuring a sufficient thickness of the buffer member 30, and to prevent the buffer member 30 from affecting the external dimensions of the projection device 10. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a structure in which the buffer member 30 can absorb impact when the projection device 10 is dropped, thereby attenuating the impact on the projection device 10, while also miniaturizing the projection device 10.

[0053] The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which both an upper step portion and a lower step portion are provided is exemplified, but a configuration without either the upper step portion or the lower step portion is also possible. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the cushioning member has corner buffer portions is exemplified, but a configuration without corner buffer portions is also possible. Even in this case, the corners of the housing are protected by the upper step portion and the lower step portion, so the corners can be protected from impact by the cushioning member. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the upper step portion and the lower step portion are provided around the entire periphery is exemplified, but a configuration in which the upper step portion and the lower step portion are provided only on a portion of the periphery (for example, a configuration in which only the upper long side step portion and the lower long side step portion are provided, or a configuration in which only the upper short side step portion and the lower short side step portion are provided) is also possible. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the housing is substantially rectangular parallelepiped is exemplified, but the housing may be substantially cylindrical, for example. In this case, the housing may have a substantially circular upper surface, a substantially circular lower surface, and side surfaces that form the outer circumferential surface, and may have a substantially circular upper step portion provided around the upper surface and a substantially circular lower step portion provided around the lower surface. Also, in the above embodiment, an electronic device is exemplified as a projection device, and a configuration is exemplified in which the housing is a housing for the electronic device, but the housing may be a separate body rather than a housing for the electronic device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10: Projection device, 20: Housing, 20a: Top surface, 20b: Bottom surface, 20c: Left side, 20d: Right side, 20e: Front side, 20f: Rear side, 21a: Upper step, 22a: Lower step

Claims

1. a housing including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface; a step portion formed by recessing an entire periphery of a connection portion between at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface and the side surface into an inner side of the housing; electronic equipment.

2. the step portion has a parallel step surface parallel to at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface, an area of ​​the upper surface or the lower surface that is connected to the step portion is larger than an area of ​​the parallel step surface; The electronic device of claim 1 .

3. The housing has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including eight corners, four sides corresponding to the top surface, and four sides corresponding to the bottom surface. The electronic device of claim 1 .

4. a depth of a recess in a portion of the step portion corresponding to the corner portion is greater than a depth of a recess in a portion of the step portion corresponding to the side; The electronic device of claim 3 .

5. The upper surface and the lower surface, which are connected to the step portion, are inclined surfaces. The electronic device of claim 1 .

6. The step portion is recessed in a concave arc shape toward the inside of the housing. The electronic device of claim 1 .

7. a buffer member at least a portion of which is disposed within the stepped portion; The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. At least one corner of the four corners of the side surface of the housing is chamfered, The cushioning member covers the chamfered corner.

8. The electronic device of claim 7.

9. The cushioning member includes a corner cushioning portion that covers the chamfered corner and has a thickness corresponding to the chamfered thickness.

9. The electronic device of claim 8.

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