Electronic equipment and display devices

Abstract

This design ensures both fire protection and EMC functionality while avoiding an increase in the overall weight of the enclosure. [Solution] According to the present invention, an electronic device is provided comprising a circuit board and a fireproof enclosure, wherein the fireproof enclosure comprises a first member made of sheet metal and a second member including an insulating layer and a metal layer, the first member having a top surface portion having one or more openings and covering a part of the circuit board, the second member closing the one or more openings, and the insulating layer of the second member being located between the metal layer and the circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device having a fire enclosure. The present invention also relates to a display device having such an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Various devices such as liquid crystal display devices have a circuit board inside a housing on which elements connected to a power source (commercial power source or battery) are mounted. In such an electronic device, it is common practice to attach a metal enclosure covering elements that can become hot to the circuit board (for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] The enclosure may further be required to have a function of ensuring EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility). The enclosure is generally formed of sheet metal from the viewpoints of ease of manufacture and cost (for example, Patent Document 2 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, when the enclosure is formed in a shape that covers the entire circuit board, not only does the size of the enclosure increase, but also its thickness increases from the viewpoint of ensuring rigidity, resulting in an increase in the overall weight of the electronic device. That is, the requirements for thinning and lightening of the electronic device may not be satisfied.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides the following: [1] Electronic device comprising a circuit board and a fireproof enclosure, wherein the fireproof enclosure comprises a first member made of sheet metal and a second member including an insulating layer and a metal layer, the first member having a top surface portion having one or more openings and covering a part of the circuit board, the second member closing the one or more openings, and the insulating layer of the second member being located between the metal layer and the circuit board. [2] The electronic device described in [1], wherein the second member is located between the top surface of the first member and the circuit board. Electronic equipment according to [3] [1] or [2], wherein the one or more openings include openings having a shape in which the length of the widest part exceeds 1.0 mm. Electronic device according to any one of [4] [1] to [3], wherein the first member has a pair of wall portions that rise from the top portion and face each other, the wall portions have support portions that extend toward the inside of the first member, and the circuit board is held between the pair of wall portions by being fixed to the support portions of the first member. An electronic device according to any one of paragraphs [5], [1] to [4], wherein the metal layer is an aluminum foil attached to the insulating layer. An electronic device according to any one of paragraphs [6], [1] to [5], wherein the insulating layer is a sheet of polycarbonate. An electronic device according to any one of items [7], [1] to [6], wherein the insulating layer has a thickness of 0.25 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less. An electronic device according to any one of items [8], [1] to [7], wherein a portion of the outer edge of the circuit board is located outside the outer edge of the top surface portion of the first member. Electronic equipment according to any one of paragraphs [9][1] to [8], wherein the aperture has a diameter greater than 1.1 mm or an area greater than 1.1 mm². Electronic device as described in

[10] [9], wherein the aperture has a diameter greater than 2.0 mm or an area greater than 3.2 mm².

[11] A display device comprising a display panel and a housing, further comprising an electronic device according to any one of [1] to

[10] and a third member made of sheet metal, wherein the display panel is fixed to the housing by being covered by the third member from the back side opposite to the display surface, and the circuit board is supported in the housing by the first member at a distance from the third member. A display device according to

[12]

[11] , further comprising an arm connected to the first member.

[0007] According to the present invention, a first member made of sheet metal has one or more openings, and a second member including an insulating layer and a metal layer closes these openings. Furthermore, by positioning the insulating layer of the second member between the metal layer and the circuit board, it is possible to ensure both fire protection and EMC functions while avoiding an increase in the overall weight of the enclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front view of an exemplary display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the rear of an exemplary display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the separation of the arm 500 from the housing 300 of the display device 100 shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a schematic rear perspective view showing the display device 100 with the arm 500 and rear panel 320 removed. [Figure 5] This is a schematic exploded perspective view of the display device 100. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view illustrating the electrical system 200 in detail. [Figure 7] This is a side view illustrating an exemplary shape of the first member 221. [Figure 8]It is a side view showing the first member 221 to which the circuit board 210 is attached. [Figure 9] It is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the fire enclosure 220. [Figure 10] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second member 222 of the fire enclosure 220. [Figure 11] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the arrangement of the second member 222 in the fire enclosure. [Figure 12] It is a plan view showing an exemplary appearance of the main body portion 222S of the second member 222. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining an example of an opening having a shape including a plurality of curves that can be provided in the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221. [Figure 14] It is a schematic perspective view showing the circuit board 210 and the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 taken out from the fire enclosure. [Figure 15] It is a schematic perspective view showing the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 taken out from the fire enclosure. [Figure 16] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the connection of the arm 500 to the first member 所221. [Figure 17] It is a schematic exploded view showing an example of the configuration of the arm 500.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Various characteristic matters shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Also, an invention can be established independently for each characteristic. At the end of the numerical values disclosed in the following description, any number (for example, one or two) of "0" may be added. For example, one or two "0" may be added after "1.4" to make it "1.40" or "1.400".

[0010] <1. Schematic Configuration of the Display Device> It should be noted that there seems to be an incorrect character "所" in the description of item . I translated it as "member 所221" according to the original text. If this is a misprint, please correct it for a more accurate translation.Here, a typical embodiment of the present invention will be described using a liquid crystal display device as an example. Figures 1 and 2 show examples of the front and rear views of a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention, respectively. The display device 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes a housing 300, a display panel 400, and an arm 500. For the sake of explanation, arrows indicating the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z axes are shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the arrow indicating the Z axis here points from the front to the back of the display device 100. In the following, these arrows indicating the X, Y, and Z axes may also be shown in other drawings.

[0011] In the configuration illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 300 includes a front panel 310 and a rear panel 320. As shown in Figure 1, the front panel 310 includes a bezel 312 having an opening 30, through which the display surface 400a of the display panel 400 is exposed.

[0012] On the other hand, referring to Figure 2, in this example, an arm 500 for supporting the display device 100 is attached to the back of the display device 100. Figure 3 shows the arm 500 separated from the housing 300 of the display device 100. The arm 500 is detachably attached to a component located inside the display device 100. The structure of the arm 500 and details of its connection will be described later.

[0013] Figure 4 shows the display device 100 with the arm 500 and rear panel 320 removed. As shown in Figure 4, the display device 100 has an internal frame 330 inside the housing 300. The internal frame 330 is made of sheet metal, for example, and fixes the display panel 400 to the front panel 310 of the housing 300 by covering the display panel 400 from the rear side opposite to the display surface 400a.

[0014] As shown in Figure 4, the display device 100 has an electronic component 200 as an electronic device on an internal frame 330. The electronic component 200 includes a circuit board 210 on which the driver for the display panel 400 and other components are mounted, and functions as a control unit for the display device 100. As shown in an enlarged view in Figure 4, the electronic component 200 includes the aforementioned circuit board 210 and a fire-resistant enclosure 220 that covers at least a portion of the circuit board 210.

[0015] As will be explained in detail later with reference to the drawings, the fireproof enclosure 220 includes at least a first member 221 and a second member 222. The electrical equipment 200 may be configured to be detachably attached to, for example, the internal frame 330 on the rear side of the display panel 400 as an integrated unit, by fixing the circuit board 210 to, for example, the first member 221 of the fireproof enclosure 220. As will be described later, the circuit board 210 of the electrical equipment 200 may be supported by the first member 221 and positioned in the housing 300 at a distance from the internal frame 330.

[0016] Figure 5 schematically shows the internal structure of the display device 100 after disassembly. However, to avoid making the drawing excessively complex, some components are omitted in Figure 5. In other drawings of this disclosure, some components such as screws may also be omitted.

[0017] As shown in Figure 5, the display device 100 includes a front panel 310, a display panel 400, an internal frame 330, electrical components 200, and a rear panel 320. The display panel 400 includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel and a backlight unit. That is, the display device 100 described herein is a liquid crystal display device. Here, the display panel 400 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, and the X and Y axes are parallel to the long and short sides of the rectangular shape of the display panel 400, respectively. Of course, the display device of the present invention is not limited to a liquid crystal display device, but may also be a self-emissive display device such as a mini-LED display or an organic EL display.

[0018] As described above, the electrical equipment 200 includes a circuit board 210 and a fire-resistant enclosure 220. Here, the fire-resistant enclosure 220 is constructed by arranging a second member 222 and a first member 221 toward the rear of the display device 100 and integrating them, and covers the circuit board 210 from the rear side of the display device 100.

[0019] In the configuration illustrated in Figure 5, the display device 100 further includes an insulating sheet 201 located between the circuit board 210 and the internal frame 330 (or display panel 400). However, the arrangement of such an insulating sheet 201 is not essential to the embodiments of the present invention and may be omitted.

[0020] <2. Electrical Equipment 200> Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the electrical equipment 200 shown in Figure 5. The circuit board 210 of the electrical equipment 200 is typically a printed circuit board (PCB) with electronic components mounted on it. As schematically shown in Figure 6, electronic components such as the USB connector 12 are mounted on the upper surface 210a of the circuit board 210. Note that, for simplicity, Figure 6 omits the illustration of electronic components other than the USB connector 12. In this embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface 210a of the main surface of the circuit board 210 faces away from the display panel 400, i.e., towards the fire-resistant enclosure 220.

[0021] The shape of the circuit board 210 in a plan view, viewed in a direction parallel to the Z-axis in the figure, is, for example, rectangular. In the example shown in Figure 6, the circuit board 210 has a rectangular shape that is longer in the X-axis direction compared to the Y-axis direction. Of course, the plan view shape of the circuit board 210 is not limited to this example and may be other shapes such as square or circular.

[0022] The fireproof enclosure 220 of the electrical equipment 200 typically covers almost the entire circuit board 210. However, as can be seen from a comparison of Figures 4 and 6, the fireproof enclosure 220 may have small-diameter holes through which connectors on the circuit board 210 (e.g., USB connector 12 in Figure 6) can pass. The formation of such holes in the fireproof enclosure 220 is permissible as long as both fire protection and EMC functions are ensured.

[0023] In embodiments of the present invention, the fire enclosure 220 is composed of a plurality of members. Here, the fire enclosure 220 is generally composed of at least two members: a first member 221 and a second member 222. Of these, the first member 221 is made of sheet metal, and the second member 222 includes a main body 222S composed of a combination of a plurality of members made of different materials, as will be described later. In this example, the second member 222 further includes two covering members 222T, each having a strip shape, in addition to the main body 222S.

[0024] In the configuration illustrated in Figure 6, the first member 221 of the fire-resistant enclosure 220 includes two parts: an intermediate plate 221P and an outer shell 221Q, both made of sheet metal. Of these, the outer shell 221Q has a top surface portion 20 with one or more openings. The top surface portion 20 is a plate-like portion corresponding to the one with the largest area among the multiple surfaces that make up the shape of the outer shell 221Q, and in this case, the top surface portion 20 is provided with three openings: a first opening 20x, a second opening 20y, and a third opening 20z. It is not essential that the top surface portion 20 be flat; it may have a curved surface or parts with different thicknesses. However, from the viewpoint of making the display device 100 thinner, it is more advantageous if the top surface portion 20 is a flat plate.

[0025] In the illustrated example, the second opening 20y is located between the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z and has a larger area than each of the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z. In a typical embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first opening 20x, the second opening 20y, and the third opening 20z may be large enough to expose two or more electronic components mounted on the circuit board 210.

[0026] The intermediate plate 221P of the first member 221 is generally plate-shaped overall and is joined to the top surface 20 of the outer shell 221Q by riveting or the like. In this example, the intermediate plate 221P is attached to the surface of the top surface 20 that is opposite to the surface facing the rear panel 320 (see, for example, Figure 5).

[0027] The intermediate plate 221P is located approximately in the center of the top surface 20 in the X direction of the figure and, when fixed to the outer shell 221Q, closes the second opening 20y of the three openings described above. Here, in this specification, when one member "closes" the opening of the other member in a combination of two members, it means that when viewed in the Z direction of the figure, one member overlaps the entire opening. However, it is not essential that one member completely covers the entire opening, as long as the fire protection and EMC specifications or standards required for the product are satisfied. For example, the member that closes the opening may have a small diameter hole, etc., as long as it satisfies the required specifications or standards.

[0028] While the second opening 20y is closed by the intermediate plate 221P of the first member 221, the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z are closed by the second member 222, as will be described later. In this sense, the fire enclosure 220 as a whole can be said to cover almost the entire circuit board 210.

[0029] Figure 7 shows an exemplary shape of the first member 221 as viewed from the side. In the configuration illustrated in Figure 7, the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 has a top surface 20, as well as wall sections 21 and 22, leg sections 23 and 24, and bent sections 1 to 4. Wall sections 21 and 22 rise approximately vertically from the top surface 20 and face each other in the Y direction of the figure. Bent section 1 is located between the top surface 20 and the wall section 21, and bent section 2 is located between the top surface 20 and the wall section 22. Leg section 23 is formed by bending a part of the sheet metal constituting the outer shell 221Q outward from the wall section 21 at approximately a right angle, and leg section 24 is formed by bending another part of the sheet metal outward from the wall section 22 at approximately a right angle. The bent portion 3 is located between the wall portion 21 and the leg portion 23, and the bent portion 4 is located between the wall portion 22 and the leg portion 24.

[0030] Figure 8 shows the first member 221 to which the circuit board 210 is attached. The outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 has a top surface 20, wall sections 21 and 22, and leg sections 23 and 24, and thus has a roughly U-shaped cross-section with the top surface 20 as its bottom surface. As will be explained in detail later, the circuit board 210 is fixed to the first member 221 (in this case, the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221) between the wall sections 21 and 22 with its upper surface 210a facing the top surface 20 of the outer shell 221Q. At this time, as shown in Figure 8, the upper surface 210a of the circuit board 210 does not come into contact with the top surface 20 of the outer shell 221Q or the intermediate plate 221P, and a space Gp is ​​formed between the circuit board 210 and the intermediate plate 221P. In this embodiment, the second member 222 of the fire-resistant enclosure 220 is inserted into this space Gp, so that a large portion of it is positioned between the circuit board 210 and the top surface 20.

[0031] Figure 9 shows an example of the appearance of the fire-resistant enclosure 220. The second member 222 of the fire-resistant enclosure 220 covers almost the entire circuit board 210 attached to the first member 221, and a portion of the main body 222S of the second member 222 is exposed to the outside through the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z provided in the top surface 20 of the first member 221. In other words, in the exemplary configuration shown in Figure 9, the second member 222 also closes the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z provided in the top surface 20.

[0032] As can be seen from Figure 6 above, here, covering members 222T are attached to both ends of the main body portion 222S of the second member 222 in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the X-axis in this case). An example of a covering member 222T is aluminum tape. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is not essential that the main body portion 222S of the second member 222 covers the entire circuit board 210. It is sufficient that the second member 222 as a whole covers the circuit board 210.

[0033] Figure 10 schematically shows an example of a cross-section of a second member 222 of a fire-resistant enclosure 220. The second member 222 includes two or more layers made of different materials, in this case including an insulating layer 22L and a metal layer 22M. A resin sheet can be used as the insulating layer 22L. Examples of resin sheet materials include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyoxymethylene (POM). Examples of metal layer 22M materials include aluminum, copper, tin, and stainless steel. The use of aluminum, for example, for the metal layer 22M is advantageous in terms of reducing manufacturing costs and weight.

[0034] In this embodiment, aluminum foil is exemplified as the metal layer 22M. The covering member 222T (in this case, aluminum tape, see Figure 6) can perform the function of ensuring an electrical connection between the metal layer 22M of the main body 222S and the first member 221, particularly the outer shell 221Q.

[0035] It is not essential in the embodiments of the present invention that both the insulating layer 22L and the metal layer 22M have a self-supporting structure. For example, the metal layer 22M may be a layer formed on the insulating layer 22L by vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like. In this case, the insulating layer 22L may function as a support layer for the metal layer 22M. As will be described later, it is not essential in the embodiments of the present invention that the metal layer 22M covers the entire surface of the insulating layer 22L.

[0036] In the example shown in Figure 10, the second member 222 further has an adhesive layer 22N located between these layers, in addition to the insulating layer 22L and the metal layer 22M. That is, in the configuration illustrated in Figure 10, the second member 222 is a composite material having a laminated structure including three layers.

[0037] The insulating layer 22L and the metal layer 22M may be independent components, or they may be joined to each other by another component such as an adhesive layer 22N, as shown in Figure 10. In embodiments of the present invention, the insulating layer 22L and the metal layer 22M only need to be in contact in a way that allows heat transfer, and direct contact between them is not essential. The thermal conductivity of the adhesive layer 22N is, for example, in the range of 0.50 to 2.1 W / mK, and is advantageous if it is 1.5 W / mK or higher. Common adhesives such as acrylic adhesives, rubber adhesives, silicone adhesives, and urethane adhesives can be used for the adhesive layer 22N.

[0038] As can be seen from Figure 10, the insulating layer 22L of the second member 222 is located between the metal layer 22M and the circuit board 210. By interposing the insulating layer 22L between the metal layer 22M of the second member 222 and the circuit board 210, electrical short circuits can be prevented between the electronic components on the circuit board 210 and the metal layer 22M, and consequently between the electronic components on the circuit board 210 and the first member 221.

[0039] Here, the second member 222 is located between the top surface 20 or intermediate plate 221P of the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 and the circuit board 210. However, the performance of the fire protection and EMC functions of the fire protection enclosure 220 does not fundamentally depend on the relative positions of the first member 221 and the second member 222 in the fire protection enclosure 220. It is also possible to arrange the first member 221, for example, the top surface 20, between the second member 222 and the circuit board 210, as shown in the fire protection enclosure 220A illustrated in Figure 11. However, to adopt such an arrangement, it is necessary to increase the distance between the first member 221 and the circuit board 210 (i.e., the space Gp) in order to ensure insulation between them. From the viewpoint of thinning the electrical equipment 200, the arrangement in which the second member 222 is interposed between the top surface 20 of the first member 221 and the circuit board 210, as illustrated in Figure 10, is more advantageous.

[0040] <3. The inventors' findings and the effects of the present invention> In the above-described embodiment, the first member 221 of the fire-resistant enclosures 220 and 220A has a plurality of openings (here, the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z). These openings function as weight-reducing holes in the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221, contributing to a reduction in the weight of the first member 221.

[0041] Fireproof enclosures are required to have a function that prevents the spread of fire even if electronic components on a circuit board ignite, and international standards such as IEC62368 have been established for this purpose. According to the inventor's research, for example, simply placing a resin sheet between a sheet metal member and a printed circuit board makes it difficult to satisfy the fire-retardant standards (e.g., IEC 60950-1:2005+AMD1:2009+AMD2:2013). However, by applying a second member 222 including an insulating layer 22L and a metal layer 22M, the fire-retardant standards can be satisfied. This is presumed to be because the metal layer 22M, which is placed in close proximity to the insulating layer 22L, has the function of dissipating heat from the insulating layer 22L to the outside.

[0042] Thus, according to the above embodiment, while reducing weight by providing weight-reducing holes in the first member 221, the fire-resistant function of the entire fire enclosure can be ensured. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, within the electrical equipment 200, the second member 222 of the fire-resistant enclosure 220 is arranged to close the first opening 20x and the third opening 20z provided in the first member 221. Here, since the second member 222 includes a metal layer 22M, the metal layer 22M performs an electromagnetic wave shielding function, making it possible to ensure the EMC function of the entire enclosure while achieving weight reduction.

[0043] <4. Further details of the components that make up the fire enclosure> As described above, the technology disclosed herein contributes to the weight reduction of electronic equipment while ensuring both fire protection and EMC functions. Further details of the components constituting the fire protection enclosures 220 and 220A are described below.

[0044] (4.1 Second member 222) In the fire-resistant enclosure, the second member 222 does not fundamentally require the same rigidity as the first member 221 or the circuit board 210. Both the metal layer 22M and the insulating layer 22L of the second member 222 can be made of sheet-like material. In this specification, "sheet-like" is interpreted to broadly include flexible forms such as films, foils, and thin plates, regardless of whether they are self-supporting structures or not.

[0045] In the example described with reference to Figures 10 and 11, an aluminum foil is attached to the insulating layer 22L via an adhesive layer 22N as the metal layer 22M. The use of aluminum foil is simpler than forming a metal film on the insulating layer 22L by, for example, vapor deposition, and is advantageous from the viewpoint of reducing manufacturing costs. An aluminum tape with adhesive pre-applied to one surface may also be used as the set of metal layer 22M and adhesive layer 22N.

[0046] Figure 12 shows an example of the appearance of the main body portion 222S of the second member 222. In the example shown in Figure 12, the metal layer 22M of the main body portion 222S does not cover the central part of the surface of the insulating layer 22L, and as schematically shown by shading in the figure, a part of the insulating layer 22L is exposed to the outside. As in this example, the entire main body portion 222S may not have a laminated structure of the metal layer 22M and the insulating layer 22L. In this embodiment, of the main surface of the insulating layer 22L, at least the portion corresponding to the base portion 510 of the arm 500 shown in Figure 17, which will be described later, is not covered by the metal layer 22M. Note that structures such as slits may be formed in the part of the insulating layer 22L that is not covered by the metal layer 22M.

[0047] The portion of the insulating layer 22L not covered by the metal layer 22M may overlap, for example, with the region obtained by projecting the second opening 20y onto the XY plane in the figure. However, as explained with reference to Figure 6, the second opening 20y is closed by an intermediate plate 221P made of sheet metal. Even if the entire surface of the insulating layer 22L is not covered by the metal layer 22M, the EMC specification requirements can be satisfied by closing the opening of the outer shell 221Q with a metal component such as the intermediate plate 221P.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, a polycarbonate sheet is exemplified as the insulating layer 22L. According to the inventor's research, by specifically using polycarbonate as the material for the insulating layer 22L, it is possible to satisfy the flame retardancy requirement while keeping the weight of the insulating layer 22L to, for example, 25g or less. By selecting the material for the insulating layer 22L, it is possible to satisfy environmental standards (typically, gold registration in the US environmental assessment system "EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool)") while ensuring flame retardancy. Thermoplastic resins can be reused as recycled plastics by crushing and melting, and using thermoplastic resins as the material for the insulating layer 22L is advantageous in reducing environmental impact.

[0049] The thickness of the insulating layer 22L is, for example, in the range of 0.25 mm to 0.50 mm, preferably in the range of 0.39 mm to 0.47 mm. A certain thickness is required of the insulating layer 22L to ensure flame retardancy. On the other hand, increasing the thickness of the insulating layer 22L leads to an increase in the weight of the electrical equipment 200. By keeping the thickness of the insulating layer 22L within the above range, it is possible to achieve both flame retardancy and weight reduction.

[0050] (4.2 First member 221) As explained with reference to Figure 6, the first member 221 has one or more openings. The number and arrangement of these openings, as well as the shape and size of each opening, are basically arbitrary as long as the necessary functions and rigidity of the first member 221 are ensured.

[0051] According to embodiments of the present invention, it becomes possible to provide openings of sizes not typically found in general enclosures made entirely of sheet metal, while satisfying the specifications regarding fire resistance and EMC. For example, at least one of the first opening 20x, second opening 20y, and third opening 20z described above may have a size larger than the openings specified as bottom openings in IEC C62368-1:2018. For example, the opening provided in the first member 221 may have a diameter greater than 1.1 mm or 1.1 mm 2 It may have an area greater than 2.0 mm, and a diameter greater than 3.2 mm. 2 It may have an area greater than or equal to. According to embodiments of the present invention, by having the second member 222 or the intermediate plate 221P close one or more openings provided in the first member 221, it is possible to satisfy fire-retardant standards while improving the design freedom regarding the size and / or arrangement of these openings.

[0052] An opening provided in, for example, the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 may include an opening having a shape in which the length of its widest part exceeds 1.0 mm. Figure 13 shows an example of an opening having a shape that includes multiple curves. In the opening Ap shown in Figure 13, the "length of the widest part" refers to the maximum distance between one point P and another point Q on the figure defining the shape of the opening, as schematically shown by the solid double arrows in Figure 13. The length of the widest part of an opening provided in the first member 221 is typically 42 mm or less.

[0053] This "length of the widest part" can be considered one of the parameters that characterize the size of the opening provided in the first member 221. The range of acceptable sizes of the opening may be defined in relation to the thickness of the first member 221. For example, if the size of the opening is D and the thickness of the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 in the vicinity of the part where the opening is provided (for example, within 5 mm from the outer edge of the opening), then the ratio (D / T) may be in the range of 1.45 to 14.0. More preferably, the ratio (D / T) is in the range of 5.0 to 12.0.

[0054] Figure 14 shows the circuit board 210 and the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 removed from the fireproof enclosure. As shown in Figure 14, the top surface 20 of the outer shell 221Q has a shape that covers not all but part of the circuit board 210 in a plan view in the Z-axis direction of the figure. In this example, in the direction parallel to the X-axis, a part of the outer edge of the circuit board 210 is located outside the outer edge of the top surface 20. In other words, in this example, the rectangular short-side ends of the circuit board 210 are exposed from the top surface 20. Thus, the first member 221 may have a shape in which a pair of walls (here, walls 21 and 22) face each other in one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions, while both ends are open in the other direction.

[0055] As described above, the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 has a leg portion 23 connected to the wall portion 21 and a leg portion 24 connected to the wall portion 22. The leg portion 23 is continuous with the wall portion 21 via a bent portion 3, and the leg portion 24 is continuous with the wall portion 22 via a bent portion 4. In this example, the leg portions 23 and 24 are provided with through holes 34 for attachment to the internal frame 330 as a third member. That is, in this example, the electrical equipment 200 is fixed to the internal frame 330 by, for example, screw fastening, which connects the first member 221 to the internal frame 330 (see Figure 4).

[0056] Figure 15 shows the outer shell 221Q of the first member 221 removed from the fire enclosure. In the configuration illustrated in Figure 15, the outer shell 221Q has a first opening 20x, a second opening 20y, and a third opening 20z, in addition to several smaller openings. In the example shown in Figure 15, the outer shell 221Q further has four openings located in the wall 21 or wall 22. More specifically, the outer shell 221Q has two openings 21h each extending from the wall 21 to the top surface 20, and two openings 22h each extending from the wall 22 to the top surface 20.

[0057] These openings 21h and 22h can be formed, for example, by lancing. In this example, a non-closed curve cut is formed in the sheet metal, and a portion of the sheet metal is bent, thereby forming a tab 21t corresponding to opening 21h and a tab 22t corresponding to opening 22h in the outer shell 221Q. As shown in Figure 15, each of these four tabs 21t and 22t extends inward in the U-shape of the outer shell 221Q. That is, tab 21t extends from the position of wall portion 21 toward wall portion 22, while tab 22t extends from the position of wall portion 22 toward wall portion 21. Tabs 21t and 22t may also be called claw portions 21t and 22t, respectively.

[0058] In this example, each of the tabs 21t and 22t is provided with a screw hole for securing the circuit board 210. That is, here, the tabs 21t and 22t function as supports for holding the circuit board 210. The circuit board 210 is secured between the wall portions 21 and 22, for example, by screwing it to the tabs 21t and 22t.

[0059] As can be seen from a comparison between Figure 15 and Figure 8, in this example, tabs 21t and 22t are located closer to the top surface 20 than to the lower surfaces (surfaces facing the internal frame 330) of legs 23 and 24. Therefore, the circuit board 210 is held between walls 21 and 22, spatially separated from the upper surface of the member to which the first member 221 is fixed (in this case, the internal frame 330). By supporting the circuit board 210 with the first member 221, direct contact between the circuit board 210 and other members (e.g., the internal frame 330) can be avoided, thereby preventing damage to the circuit board 210 and electrical short circuits between the circuit board 210 and other members.

[0060] The structure for supporting the circuit board 210 by suspending it from, for example, other metal components is not limited to the tabs or claws described above. For example, the outer shell 221Q may be provided with slots or notches for inserting the circuit board 210, or with springs for clamping and fixing it between the walls 21 and 22.

[0061] Figure 16 shows the connection of the arm 500 to the first member 221. In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the arm 500 is connected to the first member 221 (e.g., the intermediate plate 221P) of the fire-resistant enclosure. By connecting the arm 500 to the first member 221 rather than to, for example, the rear panel 320 of the housing 300, rigidity can be easily ensured because the first member 221 is made of sheet metal, and the support of the display device 100 by the arm 500 can be made more reliable.

[0062] As in this example, by having the fire enclosure also function as a fixing device for the arm, it is not necessary to separately provide parts for attaching the arm 500 to the housing 300, and the effects of reducing the number of parts and making the display device thinner can be expected. However, this does not prevent the first member 221 of the fire enclosure from further having a mount configured to detachably support an arm or stand for the display device 100. For example, the arm 500 may be connected to the first member 221 by screwing it in via another intermediate member made of sheet metal instead of the intermediate plate 221P.

[0063] Figure 17 shows an example of the configuration of the arm 500. In the example shown in Figure 17, the arm 500 is composed of roughly three members. That is, in the configuration illustrated in Figure 17, the arm 500 includes a base 510, an intermediate arm 520, and an end arm 530. In Figure 17, for the sake of explanation, some of the multiple members that make up the arm 500 are not shown.

[0064] The base 510 is the part that is connected to the first member 221 of the fire enclosure and has a joint 511 for connection with the intermediate arm 520. This joint 511 may be configured to rotate with respect to the first member 221 about an axis parallel to the Z axis. The intermediate arm 520 is rotatably connected to the joint 511 about an N1 axis parallel to the Y axis, and the tip arm 530 is rotatably connected to the intermediate arm 520 about an N2 axis parallel to the X axis. A clamp or the like may be attached to the end of the tip arm 530 opposite to the intermediate arm 520 for temporary fixing to a desk, partition, etc.

[0065] As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of electronic devices while maintaining the function of the enclosure. As is clear from the above description, the present invention is not limited to display devices such as liquid crystal displays, but can be broadly applied to general electronic devices such as home appliances, personal computers, and mobile devices such as smartphones.

[0066] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1-4: Bending section 12: USB connector 20:Top section 20x: 1st opening 20y: 2nd opening 20z: 3rd opening 21, 22: Wall part 21h, 22h: Opening 21t, 22t: Tab (claw part) 22L: Insulating layer 22M: Metal layer 22N: Adhesive layer 23, 24: Legs 30:Aperture 34: Through hole 100:Display device 200: Electrical equipment 201: Insulating sheet 202: Aluminum tape 210: Circuit board 210a:Top surface 220, 220A: Fire protection enclosure 221: First member 221P: Intermediate plate 221Q: Outer shell 222: Second component 222S: Main body 222T: Covering material 300: Cabinet 310: Front Panel 312: Bezel 320: Rear Panel 330: Internal frame 400: Display Panel 400a:Display surface 500: Arm 510: Base 511: Joint 520: Middle arm 530: Tip arm Ap:Aperture Gp :Space

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, Circuit board and Fireproof enclosure and Equipped with, The aforementioned fire-resistant enclosure is A first member made of sheet metal, A second member including an insulating layer and a metal layer Includes, The first member has a top surface portion having one or more openings, and a top surface portion that covers a part of the circuit board. The second member closes the one or more openings, The insulating layer of the second member is located between the metal layer and the circuit board, in an electronic device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The second member is an electronic device located between the top surface of the first member and the circuit board.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The electronic device includes one or more openings having a shape in which the length of the widest part exceeds 1.0 mm.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The first member has a pair of wall portions that rise from the top surface and face each other, The wall portion has a support portion that extends toward the inside of the first member, The circuit board is held between the pair of wall portions by being fixed to the support portion of the first member, in an electronic device.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The aforementioned metal layer is an aluminum foil attached to the insulating layer, in this electronic device.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The aforementioned insulating layer is a sheet of polycarbonate, in an electronic device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The insulating layer has a thickness of 0.25 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less, in an electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, An electronic device wherein a portion of the outer edge of the circuit board is located outside the outer edge of the top surface portion of the first member.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The opening has a diameter greater than 1.1 mm or 1.1 mm ２ An electronic device with an area exceeding [a certain value].

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, The aforementioned opening has a diameter greater than 2.0 mm or 3.2 mm ２ An electronic device with an area exceeding [a certain value].

11. A display device comprising a display panel and a housing, The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The third member is made of sheet metal and Furthermore, The display panel is fixed to the housing by being covered by the third member from the back side opposite to the display surface. The circuit board is a display device supported in the housing by the first member at a distance from the third member.

12. A display device according to claim 11, A display device further comprising an arm connected to the first member.

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