Electronic equipment with cover

Abstract

To properly facilitate removal of a cover component from electronic equipment.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed to electronic equipment with a cover having electronic equipment (scientific calculator 10) having engaging portions at both ends in the longitudinal direction and a cover component 20 having engagement portions 22 provided at both of the ends in the longitudinal direction so as to be engaged with the engaging portions in a first state having a gap between the cover component 20 and the electronic equipment. A shape of the electronic equipment and a position of the engaging portion and a shape of the cover component 20 and a position of the engagement position are determined so that a front surface fitting engagement amount as an amount of engagement of the engagement portion 22 and the engaging portion in a second state in which a center portion in the longitudinal direction of the cover component 20 is elastically deformed so as to be brought in contact with the electronic equipment in a state in which the cover component 20 is fitted to a front surface side of the electronic equipment should be substantially the same as a rear surface fitting engagement amount as an amount of engagement of the engagement portion 22 and the engaging portion in a second state in which a center portion in the longitudinal direction of the cover component 20 is elastically deformed so as to be brought in contact with the electronic equipment in a state in which the cover component 20 is fitted to a rear surface side of the electronic equipment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9A

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, cover parts for protecting electronic devices such as scientific calculators have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cover part that can be attached to both the front side and the back side of the electronic device, where the display unit and key operation unit are provided, and that the electronic device and the cover part are fixed by engaging an engaging part of the cover part with an engaging groove of the electronic device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-086173 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When removing the cover part of the invention of Patent Document 1 from an electronic device, a user typically removes the cover part by pushing down (or pulling) with their fingers the extension part on which the engagement part of the cover part is provided, but at this time, pressing the vertical center part of the cover part toward the electronic device to elastically deform the engagement part of the cover part so that it moves outward can change the ease with which the engagement part of the cover part is removed from the locking groove of the electronic device. Therefore, when the gap formed between the cover part attached to the electronic device and the electronic device is not an appropriate distance, there is a problem in that it is difficult to appropriately remove the cover part from the electronic device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an electronic device with a cover that can appropriately facilitate the detachment of a cover component from the electronic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the covered electronic device of the present invention comprises an electronic device having a locking portion on each side surface at both longitudinal ends, and a cover part that can be selectively attached to either the front side or the rear side of the electronic device, and that has an engaging portion provided on both longitudinal ends that engages with the locking portion in a first state in which there is a gap between the electronic device and the cover part at the longitudinal center when the cover part is attached to either the front side or the rear side.The shape and the position of the locking portion on the electronic device and the shape and the position of the engaging portion on the cover part are determined so that a front-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portion and the locking portion in a second state in which the longitudinal center of the cover part is elastically deformed so as to abut against the electronic device when the cover part is attached to the front side of the electronic device, and a rear-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portion and the locking portion in the second state in which the longitudinal center of the cover part is elastically deformed so as to abut against the electronic device when the cover part is attached to the rear side of the electronic device, are approximately the same. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately facilitate the removal of a cover component from an electronic device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] This is a diagram showing the cover part attached to the back side of the scientific calculator. [Figure 1B] This is a diagram showing the cover part attached to the front side of the scientific calculator. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a scientific calculator. [Figure 2B] FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. [Figure 4A]FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of the IVA portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion IVB surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the VA portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion VB surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views taken along lines VIA-VIA and VIB-VIB in FIG. 1A and FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion VII enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 6(a). [Figure 8A] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion VIIIA enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 6(b). [Figure 8B] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion VIIIB enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 6(b). [Figure 9A] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the up-down direction of the second state when the cover part is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator. FIG. [Figure 9B] 9B is an enlarged view of a portion IXB surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] 9B is an enlarged view of the IXC portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 9A. FIG. [Figure 10A] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the up-down direction of the second state when the cover part is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator. FIG. [Figure 10B] 10B is an enlarged view of the XB portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 10A. [Figure 10C] 10B is an enlarged view of the XC portion enclosed by the dashed dotted line in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction of the second state when the cover part is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator. FIG. [Figure 11B] 11B is an enlarged view of a portion XIB enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A]10 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction of the second state when the cover part is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator. FIG. [Figure 12B] 12B is an enlarged view of a portion XIIB enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 12A. [Figure 12C] 12B is an enlarged view of a portion XIIC enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 12A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12C. Note that the embodiment described below is subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and illustrated examples.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1A, the electronic device with cover 100 according to this embodiment includes a scientific calculator 10 and a cover part 20. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions refer to the directions shown in the drawings. That is, the front-rear direction refers to the front-to-back direction (thickness direction) of the scientific calculator 10 and the cover part 20, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the scientific calculator 10 and the cover part 20, and the top-bottom direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the scientific calculator 10 and the cover part 20. Furthermore, the cover part 20 can be attached to both the front and back sides of the scientific calculator 10, but hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the cover part 20 will be described assuming that it is oriented in the front-to-back direction when attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 as shown in FIG. 1A.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1A and 2A, scientific calculator 10 is an example of an electronic device according to the present invention, and is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 3, scientific calculator 10 includes a front case 11 that covers the front side, and a rear case 15 that covers the rear side. Front case 11 and rear case 15 engage in the front-to-rear direction to form the housing of scientific calculator 10. Front case 11 and rear case 15 are fastened together, for example, with a plurality of screws (not shown). Front case 11 is provided with a display screen 12 that displays various information, and a plurality of operation buttons 13 that receive user operations.

[0012] The cover part 20 covers and protects the main surface (front or rear surface) of the scientific calculator 10. As shown in Figures 1B and 2B, the cover part 20 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the scientific calculator 10 when viewed from the front, i.e., in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the scientific calculator 10, and is made of, for example, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) resin. The periphery of the cover part 20 curves forward so as to cover the periphery of the scientific calculator 10 when attached.

[0013] The cover part 20 has extending portions 21 at both the top and bottom ends thereof that curve forward and extend beyond the other peripheral portions. As shown in FIG. 3, the extending portions 21 cover at least a portion of the top and bottom side surfaces of the housing (rear case 15) of the scientific calculator 10. An engaging portion 22 that protrudes toward the center of the cover part 20 in the vertical direction is provided at the tip of each extending portion 21. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 5B, the engaging portions 22 are formed so as to be engageable from both the front and rear sides with engaging grooves 15a (engaging portions) formed on the top and bottom side surfaces of the housing (rear case 15) of the scientific calculator 10. In other words, the cover part 20 is configured so as to be individually attachable to the front and rear sides of the scientific calculator 10 by reversing the orientation in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the engaging portions 22 are protruding and the engaging grooves 15a (engaging portions) are groove-shaped, but this is not limiting. The engaging portions may be groove-shaped and the engaging portions may be protruding.

[0014] 3 and 6, cover part 20 can be selectively placed on either the front side or the back side of scientific calculator 10, and a state in which engagement portion 22 is engaged with engagement groove 15a without elastically deforming cover part 20 by pressing is defined as a first state. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 5B, the engagement amount between engagement portion 22 and engagement groove 15a in the first state is a first engagement amount H1, which is approximately the same when cover part 20 is attached to the front side of scientific calculator 10 and when it is attached to the back side, with the average value being 1.0 mm (here, approximately the same means that the difference in engagement amount from the average engagement amount is 40% or less (more preferably 20% or less)). 6(a) and 7, in the first state when the cover part 20 is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10, a first gap A having a width W1 is formed between the cover part 20 and the rear case 15 at the center in the vertical direction and the center in the horizontal direction (the position where the gap between the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 is narrowest). The width W1 of the first gap A is 0.1 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 0.9 mm or less.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 6(b), 8A, and 8B, in a first state in which the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, a second gap B having a width W2 is formed between the cover part 20 and the rear case 15 at the center in the up-down direction and at both ends in the left-right direction (positions where the gap between the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 is narrowest). The width W2 of the second gap B is within a first range, specifically, 0.1 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 0.9 mm or less. In this embodiment, the widths W1 and W2 are substantially the same (here, "substantially the same" means that the difference between the widths W1 and W2 is 0.9 mm or less (more preferably 0.5 mm or less), or the difference between the widths W1 and W2 is 80% or less (more preferably 50% or less) of the average value of the widths W1 and W2). 6(b), 8A, and 8B, the width W2 of the second gap B in the first state when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10 is the shortest distance between the cover part 20 and a peripheral portion of the housing (front case 11) of the scientific calculator 10 where the operation buttons 13 are not located. The shortest distance W3 between the front of the operation buttons 13 in the non-pressed state and the cover part 20 is within a second range, specifically, greater than the width W2 and 2.5 mm or less. More preferably, it is greater than the width W2 by 0.8 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

[0016] Next, we will explain how to determine the width of the gap between cover part 20 and scientific calculator 10. If cover part 20 and scientific calculator 10 come into contact with each other at a location other than the top or bottom ends where locking groove 15a or engaging portion 22 is provided when cover part 20 is attached to the front or back side of scientific calculator 10, the surface of scientific calculator 10 may be damaged over time, so a gap is provided between cover part 20 and scientific calculator 10. In this case, the required gap width is 0.1 mm or more, and preferably 0.2 mm or more when design tolerances are taken into consideration.

[0017] When a user of the covered electronic device 100 removes the cover part 20 from the scientific calculator 10, the user generally removes the cover part 20 by pushing down (or pulling) with their fingers the extension part 21 on which the engagement part 22 of the cover part 20 is provided, but at this time, the user may press the cover part 20 toward the scientific calculator 10 at the center in the vertical direction, and because there is a gap between the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 as described above, the cover part 20 elastically deforms in response to the pressure, and the engagement part 22 of the cover part 20 moves outward accordingly. In this case, the engagement between the engagement groove 15a and the engagement part 22 becomes shallower, so the force required to push down (pull) the extension part 21 with the fingers to release the engagement part 22 from the engagement groove 15a is reduced (making it easier to remove the cover part).

[0018] 9A to 12C, the second state is a state in which cover part 20 is pressed toward scientific calculator 10 at the center in the up-down direction from the first state and elastically deformed. As shown in FIGS. 9B, 9C, 10B, and 10C, the amount of engagement between engaging part 22 and locking groove 15a in the second state is a second amount of engagement H2 that is less than first amount of engagement H1, and the amount of engagement is approximately the same when cover part 20 is attached to the front side of scientific calculator 10 and when it is attached to the back side, with the average value being 0.93 mm (here, approximately the same means that the difference in the amount of engagement from the average amount of engagement is 40% or less, more preferably 20% or less). In other words, the second engagement amount H2 is the front-mounted engagement amount, which is the engagement amount between the engagement portion 22 and the locking groove 15a in the second state in which the center portion of the longitudinal direction of the cover part 20 is elastically deformed so as to abut against the scientific calculator 10 with the cover part 20 attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, and the rear-mounted engagement amount, which is the engagement amount between the engagement portion 22 and the locking groove 15a in the second state in which the center portion of the longitudinal direction of the cover part 20 is elastically deformed so as to abut against the scientific calculator 10 with the cover part 20 attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10. Furthermore, the shape and the position of the locking groove 15a of the scientific calculator 10 and the shape and the position of the engagement portion 22 of the cover part 20 are set so that the front-mounted engagement amount and the rear-mounted engagement amount are substantially the same.

[0019] However, if the second engagement amount H2 in the second state becomes smaller than expected, the engagement force becomes unstable, and the cover part 20 may come off too easily when pressed toward the scientific calculator 10. In this case, for example, if the cover part 20 is unintentionally pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 while carrying it, the cover part 20 may come off from the scientific calculator 10, which is undesirable. Therefore, the ratio of the second engagement amount H2 to the first engagement amount H1 is set to be in the range of 30% to 95%, and the width W1 of the first gap A or the width W2 of the second gap B is set to be 1.2 mm or less. If priority is given to the stability of attachment of the cover part 20 to the scientific calculator 10 rather than the ease of removal of the cover part 20, the ratio of the second engagement amount H2 to the first engagement amount H1 may be set to be 50% or more, or the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B may be set to be 0.9 mm or less. Furthermore, when emphasis is placed on making it easier to remove cover part 20 by utilizing the gap between cover part 20 and scientific calculator 10, if width W1 of first gap A or width W2 of second gap B is small, the amount of deflection when cover part 20 is pressed toward scientific calculator 10 and elastically deformed is insufficient, and the degree to which cover part 20 is easy to remove is small. Therefore, the ratio of second engagement amount H2 to first engagement amount H1 may be set to 80% or less, or width W1 of first gap A or width W2 of second gap B may be set to 0.2 mm or more.

[0020] Furthermore, if there is a large difference between the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B, the ease of removing the cover part 20 will differ greatly between when the cover part 20 is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10. For this reason, it is preferable to make the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B approximately the same (here, "approximately the same" means a predetermined value or less, such as a difference between the width W1 and the width W2 being 0.9 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or less), or to make the second engagement amount H2 approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side and when it is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10, so that the ease of removing the cover part 20 does not differ greatly between when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side and when it is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10 (here, "approximately the same" means that the difference in the engagement amount from the average engagement amount is 40% or less, more preferably 20% or less).

[0021] Furthermore, when the storability and design of the covered electronic device 100 are taken into consideration, if the width W1 of the first gap A or the width W2 of the second gap B is greater than 1.2 mm, the width (thickness) of the covered electronic device 100 in the front-to-rear direction when the cover part 20 is attached to the scientific calculator 10 increases, deteriorating the storability and design of the covered electronic device 100. In addition, this is undesirable because it may cause problems such as the user feeling uncomfortable when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 and elastically deformed, causing excessive deflection. In other words, by setting the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B to 0.1 mm or more (preferably 0.2 mm or more) and 1.2 mm or less (preferably 0.9 mm or less), as described above, the cover part 20 can be stably attached to the scientific calculator 10 and the cover part 20 can be more easily removed. In other words, the width W1 of the first gap A and / or the width W2 of the second gap B are set mainly based on conditions related to the stability of attachment and ease of removal of the cover part 20 attached to the electronic device (scientific calculator 10).

[0022] In conventional cover parts and scientific calculators, when the cover part is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator, the width of the gap formed between the cover part and the scientific calculator is smaller than the width W1 of the first gap A in this embodiment, so when the cover part is pressed toward the scientific calculator and elastically deformed, the amount of deflection is insufficient, making it difficult to remove the cover part. To address this issue, the width of the first gap A in this embodiment is set to a value that makes it easy to remove the cover part 20 when it is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10, as described above. Furthermore, the width of the first gap A in this embodiment is set to a value that allows the cover part 20 to be stably attached to the scientific calculator 10, as described above.

[0023] Furthermore, with conventional cover parts and scientific calculators, when removing a cover part attached to the front of a scientific calculator, pressing the cover part toward the scientific calculator at the center in the vertical direction could cause the cover part to come into contact with the operation buttons on the front of the scientific calculator. In this case, if the cover part is further pressed toward the scientific calculator while the operation buttons are in contact, the operation buttons move backward while exerting a reaction force on the cover member (the maximum stroke of the operation buttons is 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm). As a result, the force pressing the cover part and the amount of deflection of the cover part due to its elastic deformation are not stable, which creates a problem in that the cover part is not easily removable when attached to the front of a scientific calculator.

[0024] To address the above-described problem, in the second state when the cover part 20 of this embodiment is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, as shown in Figures 12B and 12C, the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 first come into contact with each other in region R2, which is the center in the up-down direction and both ends in the left-right direction where multiple operation buttons 13 are not provided. Therefore, in the second state when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 do not come into contact with each other first. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the ease of removal of the cover part 20 when it is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10.

[0025] In the second state shown in FIG. 11B, when the cover part 20 is placed on the rear side of the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 abut in region R1, which is the center in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0026] Furthermore, with conventional cover components and scientific calculators, the amount of deflection when the cover component is pressed toward the scientific calculator and elastically deformed differs depending on whether the cover component is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator or the front side of the scientific calculator, which results in different ease of removal of the cover component. In other words, the ease of removal of the cover component is inconsistent. To address this issue, in this embodiment, the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B are substantially the same, and the difference between widths W1 and W2 is 0.9 mm or less (more preferably 0.5 mm or less). In other words, the amount of deflection when the cover component 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 and elastically deformed is substantially the same whether the cover component 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 or the front side of the scientific calculator 10. Therefore, the ease of removing the cover part 20 is substantially the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, and the ease of removing the cover part 20 is stable. In other words, the difference between the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B is set based on conditions related to the difference in ease of removing the cover part 20 attached to the front side of the electronic device (scientific calculator 10) and the cover part 20 attached to the back side of the electronic device.

[0027] The electronic device with cover 100 of the above embodiment may satisfy at least one of the following first, second, and third conditions. The first condition is that, in a second state when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 abut in an area where the operation buttons 13 are not provided, as shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C . The second condition is that, in a first state when the cover part 20 is attached to the rear side of the scientific calculator 10, a first gap A is formed between the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 at the center in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 7 . The third condition is that the width W1 of the first gap A is approximately equal to the width W2 of the second gap B formed between the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 at the center in the vertical direction, in the first state when the cover part 20 is placed on the front side of the scientific calculator 10. In this case, the cover part 20 can also be appropriately removed from the scientific calculator 10 with ease.

[0028] Furthermore, the ease with which cover part 20 can be removed from scientific calculator 10 also depends on the shapes and hardness of cover part 20, engaging portion 22, front case 11, rear case 15, locking groove 15a, etc. In the above embodiment, it is assumed that scientific calculator 10 has the shape and dimensions of a typical scientific calculator (a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with a depth of 150 to 200 mm, a width of 60 to 90 mm, and a height of 10 to 20 mm), and that cover part 20 is made of a typical ABS resin (or PS (polystyrene) or other materials as long as they have a Young's modulus equivalent to that of ABS resin), and width W1 of first gap A and width W2 of second gap B are determined based on this assumption. However, conversely, at least one of the shape of cover part 20, the hardness of cover part 20, the shape of the housing of scientific calculator 10 (front case 11 and rear case 15), the hardness of the housing of scientific calculator 10, the shape of engaging portion 22, the hardness of engaging portion 22, the shape of locking groove 15a, and the hardness of locking groove 15a may be set based on the width W1 of first gap A and / or the width W2 of second gap B. Furthermore, when the target electronic devices such as scientific calculator 10 have different sizes, the width of the gaps, the amount of engagement, etc. may be changed in proportion to the difference in size.

[0029] <Modification> Next, a modified example of the electronic device with cover 100 according to the embodiment will be described. In the following description, differences from the electronic device with cover 100 according to the embodiment will be mainly described. Furthermore, the same components as those of the covered electronic device 100 according to the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] 12A to 12C is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 first abut in region R2, which is the center in the up-down direction and both ends in the left-right direction where multiple operation buttons 13 are not provided. Next, when the cover part 20 is further pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 in a state in which the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 abut in region R2, the cover part 20 and the surfaces of the operation buttons 13 abut. However, because the cover part 20 and the scientific calculator 10 are already abutting in region R2 and the cover part 20 is supported by region R2, the surfaces of the operation buttons 13 are less likely to be scratched.

[0031] Note that ribs or protrusions may be provided on the surface of cover part 20 facing scientific calculator 10. In this case, by configuring the ribs or protrusions to come into contact with the areas between operation buttons 13 on front case 11 when cover part 20 is attached to the front side of scientific calculator 10, it is possible to prevent cover part 20 and operation buttons 13 from coming into contact with each other.

[0032] As described above, the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment comprises an electronic device (scientific calculator 10) having locking portions (locking grooves 15a) on the side surfaces at both longitudinal ends, and a cover part 20 that can be selectively attached to either the front or rear side of the electronic device, and that has engagement portions 22 provided at both longitudinal ends that engage with the locking portions in a first state in which there is a gap between the electronic device and the electronic device at the longitudinal center regardless of whether the cover part 20 is attached to the front or rear side. In the covered electronic device 100, the shape and the positions of the locking portions on the electronic device and the shape and the positions of the engaging portions 22 on the cover part 20 are determined so that a front-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portions 22 and the locking portions in a second state in which the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the electronic device and the cover part 20 is elastically deformed so that the center portion of the longitudinal direction of the cover part 20 abuts against the electronic device, and a rear-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portions 22 and the locking portions in a second state in which the cover part 20 is attached to the rear side of the electronic device and the cover part 20 is elastically deformed so that the center portion of the longitudinal direction of the cover part 20 abuts against the electronic device, are substantially the same. This ensures that the ease of removal of the cover part 20 does not differ significantly between when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10 and when it is attached to the rear side. This makes it possible to ensure that the ease of removal of the cover part 20 from the scientific calculator 10 is appropriate.

[0033] The electronic device with cover 100 of this embodiment includes an electronic device (scientific calculator 10) having a plurality of operation buttons 13 on the front side, and a cover component 20 that can be attached to the electronic device. The electronic device has locking portions (locking grooves 15a) on the side surfaces at both longitudinal ends. The cover component 20 has extensions 21 provided at both longitudinal ends and covering at least a portion of the side surface of the electronic device, and an engagement portion 22 provided at the tip of the extensions 21 and engaging with the locking portions. When the engagement portions 22 are engaged with the locking portions while the cover component 20 is placed on the front or rear side of the electronic device, the electronic device enters a first state in which the amount of engagement between the engagement portions 22 and the locking portions is a first engagement amount H1. When the cover component 20 is pressed toward the electronic device at the center of the longitudinal direction of the cover component 20 and elastically deformed in the first state, the electronic device enters a second state in which the amount of engagement between the engagement portions 22 and the locking portions is a second engagement amount H2 that is less than the first engagement amount H1. The width W1 of a first gap A at the position where the gap width is narrowest is a gap formed between the cover part 20 and the electronic device at the center in the longitudinal direction in the first state when the cover part 20 is placed on the back side of the electronic device, and the width W2 of a second gap B at the position where the gap width is narrowest is a gap formed between the cover part 20 and the electronic device at the center in the longitudinal direction in the first state when the cover part 20 is placed on the front side of the electronic device. This makes it possible to make the amount of deflection when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 and elastically deformed approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10. Therefore, the ease of removal of the cover part 20 is approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, and the ease of removal of the cover part 20 from the scientific calculator 10 can be made appropriate.

[0034] The electronic device with cover 100 of this embodiment includes an electronic device (scientific calculator 10) having a plurality of operation buttons 13 on the front side, and a cover component 20 that can be attached to the electronic device. The electronic device has locking portions (locking grooves 15a) on the side surfaces at both longitudinal ends. The cover component 20 has extensions 21 provided at both longitudinal ends and covering at least a portion of the side surface of the electronic device, and an engagement portion 22 provided at the tip of the extensions 21 and engaging with the locking portions. When the engagement portions 22 are engaged with the locking portions while the cover component 20 is placed on the front or rear side of the electronic device, the electronic device enters a first state in which the amount of engagement between the engagement portions 22 and the locking portions is a first engagement amount H1. When the cover component 20 is pressed toward the electronic device at the center of the longitudinal direction of the cover component 20 and elastically deformed in the first state, the electronic device enters a second state in which the amount of engagement between the engagement portions 22 and the locking portions is a second engagement amount H2 that is less than the first engagement amount H1. In the covered electronic device 100, when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the electronic device in the first state, the region where the gap formed between the cover part 20 and the electronic device in the longitudinal center is narrowest is the region where the operation buttons 13 are not provided. In the second state when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the electronic device, the cover part 20 and the electronic device abut in the region where the operation buttons 13 are not provided, but do not abut in the region where the operation buttons 13 are provided. As a result, even when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 do not abut. Therefore, when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the operation buttons 13 move backward while applying a reaction force to the cover part 20, which prevents instability in the force pressing the cover part 20 and the amount of elastic deformation of the cover part 20. In other words, the cover part 20 can be appropriately removed when attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10.

[0035] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the electronic device (scientific calculator 10), in the second state, the cover part 20 and the electronic device abut at the longitudinal center and at both left and right ends where the multiple operation buttons 13 are not provided. As a result, even when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 do not abut. Therefore, when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the operation buttons 13 move rearward while exerting a reaction force on the cover part 20, which prevents instability in the force pressing the cover part 20 and the amount of deflection of the cover part 20 due to elastic deformation. In other words, the cover part 20 can be easily removed when attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10.

[0036] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, the second state is a state in which the cover part 20 first comes into contact with any part of the electronic device when the cover part 20 is pressed from the first state toward the electronic device (scientific calculator 10) at the center in the longitudinal direction of the cover part 20 to elastically deform it. Therefore, the area where the cover part 20 and the electronic device first come into contact is an area where multiple operation buttons 13 are not provided, and therefore the second state is a state in which the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 are not in contact with each other. In other words, by pressing the cover part 20 toward the scientific calculator 10, the operation buttons 13 move backward while exerting a reaction force on the cover part 20, and therefore it is possible to prevent instability in the force pressing the cover part 20 and the amount of deflection by which the cover part 20 elastically deforms.

[0037] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, the difference between the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B is 40% or less of the average value of the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B. As a result, the amount of deflection when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10 and elastically deformed is approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10. Therefore, the ease of removal of the cover part 20 is approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, and the ease of removal of the cover part 20 can be adjusted appropriately.

[0038] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, in a first state in which the cover part 20 is placed on the front side of the electronic device, the shortest distance between the cover part 20 and the periphery of the electronic device where the operation buttons 13 are not placed is within a first range. The shortest distance between the front of the operation buttons 13 and the cover part 20 when the operation buttons 13 are not pressed is within a second range, and the minimum value of the second range is greater than the maximum value of the first range. As a result, even when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the cover part 20 and the operation buttons 13 do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the cover part 20 is pressed toward the scientific calculator 10, the operation buttons 13 move backward while exerting a reaction force on the cover part 20. This prevents instability in the force pressing the cover part 20 and the amount of deflection of the cover part 20 due to elastic deformation. In other words, the cover part 20 can be easily removed when attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10.

[0039] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, the width W1 of the first gap A and / or the width W2 of the second gap B are set based on the shape of the cover part 20 and the shape of the housing of the electronic device when the electronic device (scientific calculator 10) is an electronic desk calculator of standard size and shape, under conditions that make the cover part 20 easy to remove and ensure stable attachment of the cover part 20. This makes it possible to improve the ease with which the cover part 20 can be removed from the scientific calculator 10 and the stability of attachment of the cover part 20 to the scientific calculator 10.

[0040] Furthermore, in the covered electronic device 100 of this embodiment, the difference between the width W1 of the first gap A and the width W2 of the second gap B is set based on the shape and hardness of the cover part 20, and the shape of the housing of the electronic device (scientific calculator 10), assuming that the electronic device (scientific calculator 10) is an electronic desk calculator of standard size and shape and the cover part 20 is made of a standard material, so that the ease of removal of the cover part 20 is approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the front of the electronic device and when the cover part 20 is attached to the back of the electronic device. As a result, the ease of removal of the cover part 20 is approximately the same when the cover part 20 is attached to the back side of the scientific calculator 10 and when the cover part 20 is attached to the front side of the scientific calculator 10, and the ease of removal of the cover part 20 from the scientific calculator 10 can be adjusted appropriately.

[0041] It goes without saying that the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the electronic device according to the present invention is not limited to scientific calculators (electronic desk calculators), but can be widely applied to electronic devices in general that have their main surfaces protected by cover parts, such as electronic dictionaries and smartphones.

[0042] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 100 Electronic device with cover, 10 Scientific calculator (electronic device), 13 Operation button, 15a Locking groove, 20 Cover part, 22 Engagement part, A First gap, B Second gap

Claims

1. an electronic device having locking portions on both side surfaces of both longitudinal ends; a cover component that can be selectively attached to either the front side or the rear side of the electronic device, and that has engaging portions provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction, which engage with the locking portion in a first state in which a gap is formed between the cover component and the electronic device at a center in the longitudinal direction regardless of whether the cover component is attached to the front side or the rear side; Equipped with a front-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portion and the locking portion in a second state in which the cover part is attached to the front side of the electronic device and the longitudinal center of the cover part is elastically deformed so as to abut against the electronic device, and a rear-mounted engagement amount, which is the amount of engagement between the engaging portion and the locking portion in the second state in which the cover part is attached to the rear side of the electronic device and the longitudinal center of the cover part is elastically deformed so as to abut against the electronic device, are approximately the same.

2. An electronic device having a plurality of operation buttons on a front side thereof, and a cover component attachable to the electronic device, the electronic device has locking portions on side surfaces at both ends in a longitudinal direction, the cover part has an extension part provided on both ends in a longitudinal direction and covering at least a part of the side surface of the electronic device, and an engagement part provided at a tip of the extension part and engaging with the locking part, When the engaging portion is engaged with the locking portion in a state in which the cover part is placed on the front side or the back side of the electronic device, a first state is established in which an engagement amount between the engaging portion and the locking portion is a first engagement amount, and when the cover part is pressed toward the electronic device at a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the cover part in the first state to be elastically deformed, a second state is established in which an engagement amount between the engaging portion and the locking portion is a second engagement amount that is smaller than the first engagement amount, A covered electronic device in which the width of a first gap formed between the cover part and the electronic device at the longitudinal center in the first state when the cover part is placed on the back side of the electronic device, where the width of the first gap is at the position where the gap width is narrowest, and the width of a second gap formed between the cover part and the electronic device at the longitudinal center in the first state when the cover part is placed on the front side of the electronic device, where the width of the second gap is at the position where the gap width is narrowest, are approximately the same.

3. An electronic device having a plurality of operation buttons on a front side thereof, and a cover component attachable to the electronic device, the electronic device has locking portions on side surfaces at both ends in a longitudinal direction, the cover part has an extension part provided on both ends in a longitudinal direction and covering at least a part of the side surface of the electronic device, and an engagement part provided at a tip of the extension part and engaging with the locking part, when the engaging portion is engaged with the locking portion in a state in which the cover part is disposed on the front side or the back side of the electronic device, a first state is established in which an engagement amount between the engaging portion and the locking portion is a first engagement amount, When the cover part is pressed toward the electronic device at a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the cover part in the first state and elastically deformed, the cover part enters a second state in which an engagement amount between the engaging portion and the locking portion is a second engagement amount that is smaller than the first engagement amount, a region in which a width of a gap formed between the cover part and the electronic device at a central portion in the longitudinal direction in the first state when the cover part is disposed on the front side of the electronic device is narrowest is a region in which the plurality of operation buttons are not provided, In the second state when the cover part is attached to the front side of the electronic device, the cover part and the electronic device abut in an area where the plurality of operation buttons are not provided, but do not abut in an area where the plurality of operation buttons are provided.

4. 4. The electronic device with a cover as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the cover part and the electronic device abut at the longitudinal center and at both left and right ends where the plurality of operation buttons are not provided in the second state when the cover part is attached to the front side of the electronic device.

5. 4. A covered electronic device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second state is a state in which the cover part first comes into contact with any part of the electronic device when the cover part is pressed toward the electronic device at the center of the longitudinal direction from the first state and elastically deformed.

6. The covered electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the difference between the width of the first gap and the width of the second gap is 40% or less of the average value of the width of the first gap and the width of the second gap.

7. 4. A covered electronic device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein in the first state when the cover part is placed on the front side of the electronic device, the shortest distance between the peripheral part of the electronic device where the operation button is not placed and the cover part is within a first range, and the shortest distance between the front of the operation button and the cover part when not pressed is within a second range, and the minimum value of the second range is greater than the maximum value of the first range.

8. The covered electronic device of claim 2, wherein the width of the first gap and / or the width of the second gap are set based on the shape of the cover part and the shape of the housing of the electronic device when the electronic device is an electronic desk calculator of standard size and shape, under conditions that make the cover part easy to remove and stable to attach.

9. The covered electronic device of claim 2, wherein the difference between the width of the first gap and the width of the second gap is set based on the shape of the cover part, the hardness of the cover part, and the shape of the housing of the electronic device, when the electronic device is an electronic desk calculator of standard size and shape and the cover part is made of a standard material, so that the ease of removal of the cover part is approximately the same when the cover part is attached to the front of the electronic device and when the cover part is attached to the back of the electronic device.

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