Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus capable of suppressing malfunction and failure due to static electricity while avoiding reduction in degree of freedom of design and increase in size of the apparatus.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus includes a first member including a ground portion to be grounded and having conductivity, a housing positioned on a side opposite to a ground portion side of the first member, the housing having a recessed portion for suppressing a sink during molding of the housing, a second member at least facing a portion of the housing where the recessed portion is provided, the second member having conductivity, and a conductive member at least a portion of which is located inside the recessed portion, the conductive member having conductivity and electrically connecting the first member and the second member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, in electronic devices such as electronic wristwatches, structures have been known that allow static electricity to escape via a path that does not pass through the circuit elements in order to prevent malfunctions or failures caused by static electricity in the circuit elements. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure that provides electrical continuity between the conductive case back cover and the conductive external operating parts operated by the user via a conductive member placed in a side cut section (a hollow near the side surface) that is a dead space inside the watch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-122684 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above structure requires that the electronic device has a side cut portion, which imposes significant design constraints, and there is also the issue that adding a new side cut portion to adopt the above structure will lead to an increase in the size of the device.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can suppress malfunctions and breakdowns caused by static electricity while avoiding a decrease in design freedom and an increase in the size of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the electronic device according to the present invention comprises: a first member having electrical conductivity and including a ground portion to be grounded; a housing located on an opposite side of the first member from the grounding portion side, the housing having a recess for suppressing sink marks during molding of the housing; a second member that is electrically conductive and faces at least the portion of the housing where the recess is provided; a conductive member at least a portion of which is located inside the recess, has conductivity, and electrically connects the first member and the second member; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, malfunctions and breakdowns caused by static electricity can be suppressed while avoiding a decrease in design freedom and an increase in the size of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the device main body before the band and bezel are attached. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the device main body before the band and bezel are attached. [Figure 4] 3 is an enlarged view of the area around the recess in a cross section of the housing and back cover taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram showing a cross section of the device body taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conductive member. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the second portion of the conductive member on the rear surface of the housing. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of the shape of the conductive member before the bezel is attached. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a device main body according to a modified example. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of shapes of conductive members according to modified examples. [Figure 11]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of the shape of a conductive member according to a modified example before a bezel is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Configuration of an electronic clock> FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment. The electronic watch 1 (electronic device) comprises a device main body 2 and a band 3 attached to the device main body 2. The electronic watch 1 is a wearable device that is worn on the wrist of a user (human body) by the band 3.

[0011] The device main body 2 includes an information display unit 51 that displays information such as the time in a circular display area, a windshield member 60 that protects the information display unit 51, a bezel 10 (second member) that has a frame-like portion that surrounds the circular outer periphery of the windshield member 60 and forms part of the exterior of the device main body 2, a plurality of operation buttons 52 exposed from the side of the bezel 10, and fixing screws 53 that fix the bezel 10 to the housing 20 (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0012] The information display unit 51 displays information such as the time using rotating hands on a dial. However, the method of displaying information by the information display unit 51 is not limited to this, and information such as the time may be displayed using a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. Hereinafter, the surface of the device main body 2 on which information is displayed (the surface depicted in FIG. 1) will be referred to as the "display surface," and the surface opposite the display surface will be referred to as the "rear surface." The rear surface is the surface that comes into contact with the user's body (wrist) when worn on the user's body.

[0013] The windshield member 60 is made of a light-transmitting material (for example, glass), and the user can view the information displayed by the information display unit 51 through the windshield member 60. The surface of the windshield member 60 forms the display surface.

[0014] The bezel 10 has functions such as fixing the windshield member 60, enhancing the design around the display area, and covering and protecting part of the housing 20 of the device main body 2. In this embodiment, the bezel 10 is made of a metal such as a titanium alloy or stainless steel. Therefore, the bezel 10 is conductive.

[0015] 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the configuration of the device main body 2 before the band 3 and bezel 10 are attached, with FIG. 2 being a front view and FIG. 3 being a perspective view. The device main body 2 includes a housing 20 having an outer shape that fits into the inner wall surface of the bezel 10, and a back cover 30 (first member) that forms the back surface 30a that contacts the wearer's body when worn. The housing 20 is a frame-shaped member with circular openings on the display surface side and the back surface 30a side. As shown in FIG. 3, a windshield member 60 is attached to the opening 23 on the display surface side of the housing 20 so as to cover the opening 23. Meanwhile, the back cover 30 is attached to the back surface 30a side of the housing 20 with fixing screws 31 so as to cover the opening 26 on the back surface 30a side (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In other words, the housing 20 is located on the side opposite the back surface 30a side of the back cover 30. In this embodiment, the back cover 30 is made of a metal such as a titanium alloy or stainless steel. Therefore, the back cover 30 is conductive. The housing 20 is also made of a resin such as ABS resin. Therefore, the conductivity of the housing 20 is lower than that of the back cover 30. The back surface 30a of the back cover 30 corresponds to the "grounded part." When the electronic timepiece 1 is worn on the user's body, the back surface 30a comes into contact with the body and is thereby grounded.

[0016] The interior of the housing 20, i.e., the space enclosed by the housing 20, back cover 30, and crystal member 60, contains the hands, dial, hand movement mechanism for rotating the hands, and a circuit board. Circuit elements constituting the control unit of the electronic timepiece 1 are mounted on the circuit board. The control unit is composed of circuit elements such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and the CPU executes various processes according to programs stored in the memory, thereby controlling the operation of the electronic timepiece 1. Specifically, the control unit counts time, controls the operation of the hand movement mechanism, and performs various processes in response to input operations using the operation buttons 52. External static electricity flowing through the circuit elements of the control unit can cause malfunctions or failures. To prevent such problems, the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment is designed to allow static electricity to dissipate via a path that does not pass through the circuit elements.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 20 has a side surface 20a extending in a direction intersecting the back surface 30a. When the bezel 10 is attached to the housing 20, the side surface 20a faces the inner wall surface of the bezel 10 (see FIG. 5; hereinafter referred to as "first wall surface 10a"). The side surface 20a of the housing 20 is provided with insertion holes through which the operation buttons 52 are inserted, screw holes into which the fixing screws 53 are attached, and a plurality of recesses 21. Therefore, the bezel 10 faces at least the portions of the housing 20 where the recesses 21 are provided.

[0018] The recesses 21 are sink reliefs (also called "lightening holes") provided to prevent sink marks from occurring during molding of the housing 20. Generally, when a resin member is molded, variations in resin thickness tend to cause depressions called "sink marks" on the surface of the thick portion, resulting in an external shape that differs from the designed shape. In response to this, by providing the recesses 21 (sink reliefs) in advance in the thick portion and making the resin thickness closer to a uniform state, it is possible to prevent sink marks from occurring. In this embodiment, a total of 16 recesses 21 (8 on each of the right and left sides in FIG. 2) are provided in the thick portion of the side surface 20a of the housing 20.

[0019] The space formed by each of the plurality of recesses 21 has a substantially rectangular prism shape. Therefore, the wall surface of the recess 21 (hereinafter referred to as "second wall surface 21a") has five flat surfaces corresponding to five of the six faces of the rectangular prism, excluding one face located at the opening of the recess 21. Adjacent flat surfaces may be connected by a smoothly curved surface. Note that the shape of the recess 21 is not limited to this, and for example, the second wall surface 21a may have a shape formed by a curved surface.

[0020] Some of the recesses 21 (in this embodiment, a total of eight recesses 21 surrounded by four circles B in FIG. 2 out of the 16 recesses 21) are positioned so that they overlap with the back cover 30 when viewed perpendicular to the back surface 30a. When viewed perpendicular to the back surface 30a, the back cover 30 is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the housing 20, so only some of the recesses 21 overlap with the back cover 30. However, this configuration is not limited, and all of the recesses 21 may be positioned so that they overlap with the back cover 30. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the entirety of one recess 21 to overlap with the back cover 30 when viewed perpendicular to the back surface 30a, and only a portion of one recess 21 may overlap with the back cover 30.

[0021] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area around the recess 21 in the cross section of the case 20 and back cover 30 taken along the line AA in FIG. A cross section perpendicular to the rear surface 30a is shown in Fig. 4. In the following, the direction perpendicular to the rear surface 30a and from the rear surface 30a toward the display surface is referred to as the Z direction, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and from the inside of the recess 21 toward the opening side in the cross section of Fig. 4 is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction and toward the depth in Fig. 4 is referred to as the Y direction.

[0022] 4 is located at a position overlapping with the back cover 30 when viewed from the Z direction. The second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 has a recess upper surface 211a located on the +Z direction side of two surfaces parallel to the XY plane, a recess facing surface 212a parallel to the YZ plane and facing the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 when the bezel 10 is attached, two recess side surfaces 213a parallel to the XZ plane, and a recess lower surface 214a located on the -Z direction side of the two surfaces parallel to the XY plane. Note that the orientation of each surface is not limited to the above, and the recess upper surface 211a and the recess lower surface 214a may be inclined with respect to the XY plane, the recess facing surface 212a may be inclined with respect to the YZ plane, and the recess side surface 213a may be inclined with respect to the XZ plane.

[0023] Housing 20 is provided with a through-hole 22 that penetrates in the Z direction between recessed portion lower surface 214a of second wall surface 21a and back surface 20b of housing 20 that faces back cover 30. In addition, back surface 20b is provided with a groove 25 that communicates with through-hole 22.

[0024] When the bezel 10 is attached to the housing 20, a conductive member 40 (see FIG. 5) that electrically connects the bezel 10 and the back cover 30 is provided inside the recess 21 shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the bezel 10 attached to the housing 20 after the conductive member 40 has been provided in the recess 21 shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a cross section of the device main body 2 at a position passing through line AA in FIG. 2. Various components housed inside the housing 20 are omitted from FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0025] 5, bezel 10 covers an area extending from side surface 20a to the top surface (the surface where opening 23 on the display surface side) of housing 20. When bezel 10 is attached, side surface 20a of housing 20 and recess-facing surface 212a of second wall surface 21a of recess 21 face first wall surface 10a of bezel 10. In addition, bezel 10 is spaced apart from back cover 30 and does not come into direct contact with it.

[0026] Additionally, an annular O-ring groove 24 is provided on the back surface 20b of the housing 20, closer to the opening 26 than the through-hole 22, so as to go around the opening 26. An O-ring 70 (a packing made of resin or the like) is provided inside the O-ring groove 24. The O-ring 70 is pressed and compressed within the O-ring groove 24 between the wall surface of the O-ring groove 24 and the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30. This O-ring 70 ensures waterproofness (airtightness) at the connection point between the housing 20 and the back cover 30.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the conductive member 40. As shown in FIG. 5 and 6, the conductive member 40 is a plate-like member shaped to contact the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10, the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21, and the inner surface 30b (the surface opposite the back surface 30a) of the back cover 30. The conductive member 40 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is conductive. Furthermore, the conductive member 40 is elastic, and when it receives a force from another member and is deformed, it exerts a restoring force on that member according to the amount of deformation.

[0028] 5 and 6 , the conductive member 40 includes a first portion 41 extending in the Z direction, a second portion 42 connected to an end of the first portion 41 on the −Z direction side and extending in the +X direction, a third portion 43 connected to an end of the first portion 41 on the +Z direction side and extending in the +X direction, and a fourth portion 44 connected to an end of the third portion 43 on the +X direction side and extending in the −Z direction. Note that the first portion 41 to the fourth portion 44 may be integrally connected. That is, the conductive member 40 may be formed by bending a single plate-like member to have the first portion 41 to the fourth portion 44.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 , a part of the first portion 41, the third portion 43, and the fourth portion 44 of the conductive member 40 are located inside the recess 21. Of these, the first portion 41 is in contact with the recess-facing surface 212a of the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21, and the fourth portion 44 is in contact with the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10. The first portion 41 also extends from the inside of the recess 21 through the through-hole 22 to the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30, while the second portion 42 extends along the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 and is in contact with the inner surface 30b. That is, the conductive member 40 is in contact with the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 while inserted through the through-hole 22. The second portion 42 is located in a groove 25 provided in the back surface 20b of the housing 20. Before assembling the electronic timepiece 1, the second portion 42 is not bent relative to the first portion, and the portion corresponding to the first and second portions forms a plate-like portion extending in one direction. During assembly, this plate-like portion is inserted into the through-hole 22 from the recess 21 side, and the portion protruding from the through-hole 22 is bent along the groove 25 to form the second portion 42. Alternatively, depending on the size of the through-hole 22, the plate-like portion may be bent in advance to form the second portion 42 before being inserted into the through-hole 22. In this way, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the bezel 10 and the back cover 30, electrically connecting the bezel 10 and the back cover 30, which are spaced apart, via the conductive member 40. Therefore, if the bezel 10 becomes charged with static electricity, the static electricity can be dissipated to the user's body via a path that passes through the bezel 10, the conductive member 40, and the back cover 30. This prevents static electricity from causing malfunction or failure of circuit elements inside the housing 20.

[0030] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 on the back surface 20b of the housing 20. Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 7(b) are enlarged views showing the periphery of the groove 25 (area C in Fig. 5) on the back surface 20b of the housing 20, Fig. 7(a) shows a state in which the conductive member 40 has been removed, and Fig. 7(b) shows a state in which the conductive member 40 has been attached. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the groove 25 has a shelf-like bottom surface 25a that is one step lower than the rear surface 20b, and communicates with the through-hole 22. When viewed from the Z direction (the normal direction of the rear surface 20b), the groove 25 has a shape (here, rectangular) that accommodates the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40. As shown in Fig. 7(b), the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 is located inside the groove 25 when viewed from the Z direction.

[0031] Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the second portion 42 in the Z direction is greater than the depth T2 of the groove 25 in the Z direction. The difference between the thickness T1 and the depth T2 may be, for example, approximately 0.05 mm. This ensures that the back cover 30 makes reliable contact with the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 when the back cover 30 is attached to the case 20. Furthermore, the provision of the groove 25 prevents an excessive gap between the case 20 and the back cover 30 when the second portion 42 is sandwiched between them, thereby ensuring waterproofness (airtightness) provided by the O-ring 70. Furthermore, when the back cover 30 is fastened and fixed with the fixing screw 31, the second portion 42 comes into contact with the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 while being pressed between them. This ensures a reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30 (inner surface 30b). Alternatively, the thickness T1 and the depth T2 may be made the same so that the second portion 42 comes into contact with the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 when the back cover 30 is attached.

[0032] On the other hand, the reliability of the electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10 is increased by the conductive member 40 contacting the bezel 10 while biasing the bezel 10 with its restoring force. This configuration will be described below.

[0033] 5, if the width in the X direction of the space formed in the recess 21 when the bezel 10 is attached to the housing 20 (the width from the recess-facing surface 212a of the recess 21 to the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10) is defined as a "first space width," and the width in the X direction of the conductive member 40 before the bezel 10 is attached to the housing 20 (the width from the surface on the -X direction side of the first portion 41 to the surface on the +X direction side of the fourth portion 44) is defined as a "first member width," in this embodiment, the first space width is slightly smaller than the first member width. Therefore, when the bezel 10 is attached, the conductive member 40 receives a force from the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a in a direction that reduces its dimension in the X direction, and is elastically deformed. Therefore, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a in a state in which the restoring force corresponding to this deformation urges the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a in opposite directions. More specifically, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a in a state in which the first portion 41 urges the recess-facing surface 212a in the -X direction and the fourth portion 44 urges the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 in the +X direction. This ensures a more reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10 (first wall surface 10a).

[0034] To achieve this state in which the conductive member 40 biases the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a, the shape of the conductive member 40 before the bezel 10 is attached may be adjusted. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the fourth portion 44 of the conductive member 40 before the bezel 10 is attached may be adjusted to a shape that protrudes outside the recess 21 (i.e., a shape in which the angle θ1 between the third portion 43 and the fourth portion 44 is a larger obtuse angle than the angle between the third portion 43 and the side surface 20a). As a result, when the bezel 10 is attached, the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 presses the fourth portion 44 in the −X direction, causing the conductive member 40 to elastically deform so that the angle between the third portion 43 and the fourth portion 44 becomes smaller. Therefore, a restoring force corresponding to this deformation allows the conductive member 40 to bias the first wall surface 10a and the recess-facing surface 212a.

[0035] 5, the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 is pressed between the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30, thereby ensuring a reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30. However, this electrical connection may be further reinforced by the restoring force of the conductive member 40. That is, if the width in the Z direction from the upper surface 211a of the recess 21 to the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 when the back cover 30 is attached to the case 20 is defined as the "second spatial width," and the width in the Y direction of the conductive member 40 before the back cover 30 is attached to the case 20 (the width from the surface on the -Z direction of the second portion 42 to the surface on the +Z direction of the third portion 43) is defined as the "second member width," the second spatial width may be slightly smaller than the second member width. As a result, when the back cover 30 is attached, the conductive member 40 is subjected to a force from the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b in a direction that reduces its dimension in the Z direction, causing it to deform. Therefore, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b, with the restoring force corresponding to this deformation biasing the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b in opposite directions. Specifically, the conductive member 40 contacts the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b with the third portion 43 biasing the recessed portion upper surface 211a in the +Z direction and the second portion 42 biasing the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 in the -Z direction. This configuration reinforces the electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30 (inner surface 30b).

[0036] <Modification> Next, a modified example of the above embodiment will be described. This modified example differs from the above embodiment in the shape of the conductive member 40. The following describes the differences from the above embodiment.

[0037] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the device main body 2 according to a modified example, taken along the line AA in Fig. 2 of the embodiment. The conductive member 40 according to this modification has a first portion 41, a third portion 43, and a fourth portion 44, but does not have a second portion 42. Therefore, the −Z-direction end of the first portion 41, which passes through the through-hole 22, contacts the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30. Furthermore, this modification eliminates the need for the groove 25 in the housing 20 for accommodating the second portion 42. The first portion 41 contacts the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 while biasing it against the inner surface 30b due to the restoring force generated during deformation. Specifically, in this modification, the second space width is slightly smaller than the second member width (the width from the −Z-direction end of the first portion 41 to the +Z-direction surface of the third portion 43). As a result, when the back cover 30 is attached, the conductive member 40 receives a force from the recess upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b that reduces its dimension in the Z direction, causing it to deform. As a result, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b, with the restoring force corresponding to this deformation biasing the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b in opposite directions. More specifically, the conductive member 40 comes into contact with the recessed portion upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b, with the third portion 43 biasing the recessed portion upper surface 211a in the +Z direction and the end of the first portion 41 on the -Z direction biasing the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 in the -Z direction. This ensures a reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30 (inner surface 30b).

[0038] As in the above embodiment, the reliability of the electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10 is increased by the conductive member 40 contacting the bezel 10 while biasing the bezel 10 due to its restoring force. That is, the first space width is smaller than the first member width, and when the bezel 10 is attached, the first portion 41 biases the recess-facing surface 212a in the -X direction, and the fourth portion 44 biases the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 in the +X direction, while the conductive member 40 contacts the recess-facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a. This ensures a reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10 (first wall surface 10a).

[0039] In this manner, the shape of the conductive member 40 before the bezel 10 is attached may be adjusted so that the conductive member 40 urges the recess upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b in opposite directions and urges the recess facing surface 212a and the first wall surface 10a in opposite directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the angle θ1 formed between the third portion 43 and the fourth portion 44 is set to an obtuse angle that is larger than the angle formed between the third portion 43 and the side surface 20a in the state shown in FIG. 9 . Also, as shown in FIG. 10 , the angle θ2 formed between the first portion 41 and the third portion 43 is set to an obtuse angle. When such a conductive member 40 is attached to the recess 21, as shown in FIG. 11 , the recess upper surface 211a presses the third portion 43 in the −Z direction, and the conductive member 40 elastically deforms so that the angle formed between the first portion 41 and the third portion 43 becomes smaller (to 90°). Therefore, a restoring force corresponding to this deformation allows the conductive member 40 to bias the recess upper surface 211a and the inner surface 30b. Furthermore, when the conductive member 40 is attached to the recess 21 in this manner and before the bezel 10 is attached, the fourth portion 44 protrudes from the recess 21. Therefore, when the bezel 10 is attached, the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 presses the fourth portion 44 in the -X direction, and the conductive member 40 is elastically deformed so that the angle between the third portion 43 and the fourth portion 44 becomes smaller. Therefore, a restoring force corresponding to this deformation allows the conductive member 40 to bias the first wall surface 10a and the recess-facing surface 212a.

[0040] <Effects> As described above, the electronic watch 1 as an electronic device according to this embodiment comprises a conductive back cover 30 (first member) including a grounded back surface 30a (grounded portion), a housing 20 located on the side opposite the back surface 30a of the back cover 30 and having a recess 21 for suppressing sink marks during molding of the housing 20, a conductive bezel 10 (second member) facing at least the portion of the housing 20 where the recess 21 is provided, and a conductive member 40 at least a portion of which is located inside the recess 21, is conductive, and electrically connects the bezel 10 and the back cover 30. This allows the housing 20 and the back cover 30 to be electrically connected via the conductive member 40. Therefore, if the bezel 10 becomes charged with static electricity, the static electricity can be dissipated to the user's body via a path passing through the bezel 10, the conductive member 40, and the back cover 30, thereby preventing malfunctions and failures of circuit elements due to static electricity. Furthermore, by utilizing the space formed by the recesses 21, which are intended to prevent sink marks during molding of the housing 20, the conductive member 40 can be placed without any special design changes to ensure space for placing the conductive member 40. In other words, the conductive member 40 can be placed without changing the external dimensions of the housing 20 or bezel 10. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions and failures caused by static electricity while avoiding a reduction in design freedom or an increase in size of the electronic timepiece 1.

[0041] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 is elastic, and when the conductive member 40 is deformed, the restoring force generated by the conductive member 40 biases at least one of the back cover 30 and the bezel 10 while the conductive member 40 is in contact with the back cover 30 and the bezel 10. This configuration ensures a more reliable electrical connection between the bezel 10 and the back cover 30. Furthermore, by using an elastic conductive member 40, even if there is variation in the shape of the recess 21, the conductive member 40 can be reliably brought into contact with the back cover 30 and the bezel 10 while absorbing such variation. Furthermore, because the elasticity of the conductive member 40 itself is utilized, no additional component is required to bias the conductive member 40 against at least one of the back cover 30 and the bezel 10. This minimizes the increase in the number of parts while suppressing problems caused by static electricity.

[0042] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 is elastic, and is in contact with the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 while biasing the second wall surface 21a due to the restoring force generated when the conductive member 40 is deformed. As a result, the conductive member 40 is deformed by receiving force from the second wall surface 21a as well, and is therefore able to bias at least one of the back cover 30 and the bezel 10 with a greater restoring force. Furthermore, the orientation of the conductive member 40 within the recess 21 can be stabilized. This allows for more reliable electrical connection by the conductive member 40.

[0043] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 is in contact with the second inner wall surface 21a and the bezel 10 while biasing the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 (more specifically, the recess-facing surface 212a) and the bezel 10 in opposite directions due to a restoring force. This allows the conductive member 40 to bias the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 more strongly in a more stable position, thereby more reliably electrically connecting the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 according to the modified example is in contact with the second inner wall surface 21a and the back cover 30 while biasing the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 (more specifically, the upper surface 211a of the recess) and the back cover 30 in opposite directions due to a restoring force. This allows the conductive member 40 to bias the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30 more strongly in a more stable position, thereby more reliably electrically connecting the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30.

[0045] Additionally, the housing 20 is provided with a through-hole 22 that penetrates between the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 and the back surface 20b facing the back cover 30, and the conductive member 40 is inserted through the through-hole 22 and comes into contact with the back cover 30. This allows the bezel 10 and the back cover 30 to be electrically connected over a shorter distance. This ensures a more reliable electrical connection between the bezel 10 and the back cover 30. Additionally, the conductive member 40 can be made smaller.

[0046] The conductive member 40 has a first portion 41 that passes through the through-hole 22 and extends from the inside of the recess 21 to the back cover 30, and a second portion 42 that is connected to the first portion 41 and extends along the back cover 30 to come into contact with the back cover 30. This allows for flat contact between the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 and the inner surface 30b of the back cover 30, ensuring a more reliable electrical connection between the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30.

[0047] Additionally, a groove 25 having a shape that accommodates the second portion 42 when viewed from the Z direction (the normal direction of the back surface 20b) is provided on the back surface 20b of the housing 20, and the second portion 42 is located inside the groove 25 when viewed from the Z direction and is in contact with the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the back cover 30. This makes it easy to align the position of the second portion 42 within the range of the groove 25. Furthermore, compared to when the groove 25 is not provided, the gap in the Z direction between the housing 20 and the back cover 30 can be made smaller, which prevents a reduction in the waterproof function provided by the O-ring 70 and prevents an increase in the thickness of the device.

[0048] Furthermore, the thickness of the second portion 42 in the Z direction is thicker than the depth of the groove 25 in the Z direction, and the second portion 42 is in contact with the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the back cover 30 while being pressed between them. This ensures that the back cover 30 comes into reliable contact with the second portion 42 of the conductive member 40 when the back cover 30 is attached to the case 20. Furthermore, by keeping the second portion 42 in a state where it is pressed between the bottom surface 25a of the groove 25 and the back cover 30, the conductive member 40 and the back cover 30 can be electrically connected more reliably.

[0049] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 is a plate-like member shaped to come into contact with the back cover 30 and the bezel 10. This allows the conductive member 40 to have a simple configuration and also helps prevent an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0050] Furthermore, the electronic timepiece 1 can be worn on the human body, and the back cover 30 is grounded by contact with the human body. This allows the static electricity to be dissipated to the user's body via the bezel 10, conductive member 40, and back cover 30 if the bezel 10 becomes charged with static electricity.

[0051] <Other> The description of the above embodiment is merely an example of the electronic device according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, although the electronic device is exemplified as an electronic watch 1, the electronic device is not limited to this and may be, for example, any electronic device that the user wears on their body (such as a health care device such as an activity monitor or blood pressure monitor).

[0052] Furthermore, while the back cover 30 is used as an example of the first member, this is not intended to be limiting. The first member can be any conductive member, including a grounded portion. Furthermore, the grounded portion does not necessarily have to be grounded by direct contact with the human body, but may be grounded by indirect contact with the human body via another conductive member.

[0053] Furthermore, although the bezel 10 is given as an example of the second member, the present invention is not limited to this. The second member can be any member that faces at least the portion of the housing 20 where the recess 21 is provided and has electrical conductivity.

[0054] Furthermore, although the configuration in which the recess 21 is provided on the side surface 20a of the housing 20 has been exemplified, the location of the recess 21 is not limited to this. For example, the recess 21 may be provided on the top surface opposite to the back cover 30.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the conductive member 40 contacts at least one of the first member (back cover 30 in the above embodiment) and the second member (bezel 10 in the above embodiment) while biasing at least one of the first member and the second member due to the restoring force generated when the conductive member 40 is deformed. However, this is not intended to be limiting, and the conductive member 40 may contact the first member and the second member in a manner that does not exert a restoring force on either the first member or the second member, thereby electrically connecting the first member and the second member. In this case, the conductive member 40 does not need to be elastic.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the housing 20 is provided with the through-hole 22 for passing the conductive member 40 therethrough, but the structure for connecting the recess 21 to the rear surface 20b side of the housing 20 is not limited to this. For example, the recess 40 may be configured to penetrate to the rear surface 20b side of the housing 20. In this case, the through-hole 22 can be omitted. Furthermore, the width of the portion that penetrates from the recess 40 to the rear surface 20b side (the width in the Y direction in FIG. 4 ) may be smaller than the width of the recess 40 in the Y direction. Furthermore, the through-hole 22 does not necessarily have to be flush with the recess-facing surface 212a as shown in FIG. 4, but may be provided near the center of the recess lower surface 214a in the X direction in FIG.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was given of a configuration in which the conductive member 40 biases the first wall surface 10a of the bezel 10 while in contact with the second wall surface 21a of the recess 21 (the recess facing surface 212a), but this is not limited to this, and the conductive member 40 may bias the first wall surface 10a by a restoring force without contacting the second wall surface 21a. 8 is provided deeper in the −X direction than the position of the through-hole 22 in Fig. 8, even if the fourth portion 44 is pressed in the −X direction and deformed when the bezel 10 is attached, the first portion 41 will not contact any part of the second wall surface 21a, including the recess-facing surface 212a. Even in such a case, the conductive member 40 contacts the first wall surface 10a while biasing the first wall surface 10a in the +X direction due to a restoring force corresponding to the deformation, and therefore the conductive member 40 and the bezel 10 (first wall surface 10a) can be more reliably electrically connected to each other.

[0058] Furthermore, the conductive member 40 may be provided integrally with either the bezel 10 or the back cover 30.

[0059] Furthermore, although a configuration in which a conductive member 40 is provided in one of the multiple recesses 21 provided in the side surface 20a of the housing 20 has been exemplified, this is not limited to this, and a conductive member 40 may be provided in each of two or more recesses 21 that overlap the back cover 30 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the back surface 30a.

[0060] Furthermore, the number of recesses 21 provided on the side surface 20a of the housing 20 is not limited to the number exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, a configuration in which a single recess 21 is provided on the side surface 20a may be adopted.

[0061] Furthermore, the recess 21 is not limited to a sink relief provided for the purpose of suppressing deformation during molding of the housing 20, but may be provided for any other purpose.

[0062] Although the back cover 30 is exemplified as the first member, the first member may be any member that constitutes a part of the back surface 30a. That is, it is sufficient that at least a part of the part of the back surface 30a that comes into contact with the human body (the ground contact part) is constituted by the first member.

[0063] The conductive member is not limited to the plate-like member exemplified in the above embodiment as long as it is conductive and elastic. For example, the conductive member may be a helical spring or a sponge-like metal fiber.

[0064] In addition to the conductive member 40, a member for stabilizing the position of the conductive member 40 in the recess 21 (a member filling the space in the recess 21) or the like may be provided inside the recess 21.

[0065] Furthermore, although resin is exemplified as the material of the housing 20, the present invention is not limited to this and any material having lower conductivity than the back cover 30 may be used. Furthermore, the housing 20 may have a configuration in which the metal surface is covered with a member made of a material having lower conductivity than the back cover 30 (such as resin or rubber).

[0066] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of the components of the electronic timepiece 1 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, 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. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are as follows. The claim numbers described in the appendix are the same as those of the claims originally attached to this application. [Note] <Claim 1> a first member having electrical conductivity and including a ground portion to be grounded; a housing located on an opposite side of the first member from the grounding portion side, the housing having a recess for suppressing sink marks during molding of the housing; a second member that is electrically conductive and faces at least the portion of the housing where the recess is provided; a conductive member at least a portion of which is located inside the recess, has conductivity, and electrically connects the first member and the second member; An electronic device comprising: <Claim 2> the conductive member has elasticity and is in contact with at least one of the first member and the second member in a state where at least one of the first member and the second member is biased by a restoring force generated when the conductive member is deformed. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1. <Claim 3> 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member has elasticity and is in contact with the wall surface of the recess while biasing the wall surface by a restoring force generated when the conductive member is deformed. <Claim 4> 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the conductive member is in contact with the wall surface of the recess and the second member while the restoring force urges the wall surface and the second member in opposite directions. <Claim 5> 5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the conductive member is in contact with the wall surface of the recess and the first member while the restoring force biases the wall surface and the first member in opposite directions. <Claim 6> a through-hole is provided in the housing, the through-hole penetrating between a wall surface of the recess and a surface facing the first member; the conductive member is inserted into the through hole and is in contact with the first member; 6. The electronic device according to claim 5. <Claim 7> 7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the conductive member has a first portion extending from inside the recess through the through hole to the first member, and a second portion connected to the first portion, extending along the first member and contacting the first member. <Claim 8> a groove having a shape in which the second portion is accommodated when viewed from a normal direction of the surface is provided on a surface of the housing facing the first member, the second portion is located inside the groove when viewed from the normal direction, and is in contact with a bottom surface of the groove and the first member. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7. <Claim 9> a thickness of the second portion in the normal direction is greater than a depth of the groove in the normal direction; the second portion is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove and the first member in a state where it is pressed between the bottom surface of the groove and the first member; 9. The electronic device according to claim 8. <Claim 10> 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is a plate-like member shaped to come into contact with the first member and the second member. <Claim 11> The electronic device is wearable on a human body, 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first member is grounded by coming into contact with the human body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Electronic clocks (electronic devices) 2 Device body 3 bands 10 Bezel (second component) 10a First wall 20 Case 20a Side 20b back 21 Recess (sink relief) 21a Second wall (wall) 211a Recessed top surface 212a Recessed portion facing surface 213a Recessed side 214a Concave bottom surface 22 Through hole 23 Aperture 24 O-ring groove 25 groove 25a Bottom 26 Aperture 30 Back cover (first component) 30a Back side (grounding part) 30b Inner surface 40 Conductive material 41 Part 1 42 Part 2 43 Part 3 44 Part 4 51 Information display section 52 Operation buttons 53 Fixing screw 60 Windshield member 70 O-rings

Claims

1. a first member having electrical conductivity and including a ground portion to be grounded; a housing located on an opposite side of the first member from the grounding portion side, the housing having a recess for suppressing sink marks during molding of the housing; a second member that is electrically conductive and faces at least the portion of the housing where the recess is provided; a conductive member at least a portion of which is located inside the recess, has conductivity, and electrically connects the first member and the second member; An electronic device comprising:

2. the conductive member has elasticity and is in contact with at least one of the first member and the second member in a state where at least one of the first member and the second member is biased by a restoring force generated when the conductive member is deformed; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive member has elasticity and is in contact with the wall surface of the recess while biasing the wall surface by a restoring force generated when the conductive member is deformed.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the conductive member is in contact with the wall surface of the recess and the second member in a state where the wall surface and the second member are biased in opposite directions by the restoring force.

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the conductive member is in contact with the wall surface of the recess and the first member while the wall surface and the first member are biased in opposite directions by the restoring force.

6. a through-hole is provided in the housing, the through-hole penetrating between a wall surface of the recess and a surface facing the first member; the conductive member is inserted through the through hole and is in contact with the first member; The electronic device according to claim 5 .

7. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the conductive member has a first portion extending from inside the recess through the through hole to the first member, and a second portion connected to the first portion, extending along the first member, and contacting the first member.

8. a groove having a shape in which the second portion is accommodated when viewed from a normal direction of the surface is provided on a surface of the housing facing the first member, the second portion is located inside the groove when viewed from the normal direction, and is in contact with a bottom surface of the groove and the first member.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7.

9. a thickness of the second portion in the normal direction is greater than a depth of the groove in the normal direction; the second portion is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove and the first member in a state of being pressed between the bottom surface of the groove and the first member; 9. The electronic device according to claim 8.

10. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is a plate-like member having a shape that contacts the first member and the second member.

11. The electronic device is wearable on a human body, 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first member is grounded by contacting the human body.

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