Electronic equipment and electronic equipment enclosures

Abstract

To improve the adhesive strength of the hinge bracket. [Solution] The electronic device is an electronic device in which a first housing and a second housing are connected by a hinge, the hinge comprises a hinge shaft which serves as a rotation axis, a first bracket fixed to the first housing and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, and a second bracket fixed to the second housing and supporting the other end of the hinge shaft, the first bracket having a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, one edge of the first housing is provided with a surface to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed with adhesive, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end closer to the other edge in a first direction from one edge of the first housing toward the other opposite edge, the chamfered portion or concave portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded and is filled with adhesive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and an electronic device housing.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC has a configuration in which a first housing having a display panel and a second housing having a keyboard or the like are connected by a hinge. In this type of electronic device, there is a configuration in which a support component is fixed to the first housing, and a bracket for supporting a hinge shaft is screwed to the support component (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a strong demand for weight reduction and thinning of the above-described electronic devices. Therefore, it is conceivable that the hinge directly adheres and fixes a bracket supporting the hinge shaft to the housing without using a support component. In this configuration, since the load during rotation of the housing directly acts on the adhesion portion between the bracket and the housing, the adhesion strength of the bracket becomes a problem. Further, for example, in an electronic device in which the housings can be rotated up to 180 degrees, a rotational force in a direction exceeding 180 degrees may be applied. In this case, since a force in a direction to peel off the adhesion portion with the bracket acts on the housing, the adhesion strength of the bracket becomes an even more serious problem. Although it is also conceivable to increase the adhesion area of the bracket to ensure the adhesion strength, there are limitations in consideration of the space inside the housing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device and an electronic device housing capable of improving the adhesion strength of a bracket of a hinge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an electronic device in which a first housing and a second housing are connected by a hinge, the hinge comprising a hinge shaft which serves as a rotation axis, a first bracket fixed to the first housing and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, and a second bracket fixed to the second housing and supporting the other end of the hinge shaft, the first bracket having a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, one edge of the first housing is provided with a surface to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed with adhesive, the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end closer to the other edge in a first direction from one edge of the first housing toward the other opposite edge, the chamfered portion or concave portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded and is filled with adhesive.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is an electronic device housing to which a bracket is fixed for supporting one end of a hinge shaft that serves as the rotation axis of the hinge, wherein the bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, and one edge of the electronic device housing is provided with a surface to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed with adhesive, and the plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end closer to the other edge in a first direction from the one edge toward the other edge opposite to the one edge, and the chamfered portion or concave portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded and is filled with adhesive. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive strength of the hinge bracket can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to one embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the first enclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first bracket and its surrounding area shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the first housing rotated 180 degrees relative to the second housing. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first bracket. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VIA-VIA line in Figure 2. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VIB-VIB line in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket and its surrounding area according to the first modified example. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket and its surrounding area according to a second modified example. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket and its surrounding area according to the third modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device and electronic device housing according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment, viewed from above. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment is a clamshell-type notebook PC, and is configured such that a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 so as to be rotatable relative to each other. In this embodiment, a notebook PC electronic device 10 is used as an example, but the electronic device may be other than a notebook PC, for example, a standalone display device, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game console.

[0012] The second enclosure 12 is a flat, box-shaped structure and is adjacent to the first enclosure 11. Inside the second enclosure 12 are various electronic components, including a motherboard with a CPU, a battery, memory, and an antenna. The top surface of the second enclosure 12 faces a keyboard 16 and a touchpad 17.

[0013] The first enclosure 11 is a flat, box-shaped body that is thinner than the second enclosure 12. The first enclosure 11 is equipped with a display panel 18. Hereinafter, the first enclosure 11 and each component mounted thereon will be described using the direction as seen from the user viewing the display surface 18a of the display panel 18 as the reference point, with the left and right directions being referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the up and down directions as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the depth direction (thickness direction) as the Z1 and Z2 directions. The X1 and X2 directions may also be collectively referred to as the X direction, and similarly, the Y1 and Y2 directions and the Z1 and Z2 directions may be referred to as the Y direction and Z direction.

[0014] The display surface 18a of the display panel 18 faces the Z1 side surface (front 11a) of the first housing 11. The first housing 11 has a housing member 20 that forms the Z2 side surface (rear 11b) and a bezel member 22 that forms the peripheral edge of the front 11a. The top, bottom, left, and right sides of the first housing 11 are formed by vertical walls 23 that rise from the four peripheral edges of the housing member 20. The bezel member 22 is a thin, frame-shaped plate that surrounds the outer peripheral edge of the display panel 18. The hinge 14 is connected to the Y2 side edge (one edge 20b) of the first housing 11 and is covered by a rod-shaped hinge cover 34 that extends in the X direction.

[0015] The display panel 18 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display panel 18 has a structure in which, for example, glass, a liquid crystal layer, and a light guide plate are laminated and the outer edges of each layer are fixed together with double-sided tape or adhesive. The display panel 18 is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the housing member 20 with double-sided adhesive tape (see Figure 2).

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the first housing 11. FIG. 2 schematically shows the internal structure of the first housing 11 with the display panel 18 and the bezel member 22 removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first bracket 30 shown in FIG. 2 and its peripheral portion. FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the first housing 11 rotated 180 degrees with respect to the second housing 12.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the housing member 20 of the present embodiment has a rectangular plate portion 26 forming most of the central portion, and a frame portion 27 joined to the outer peripheral edge portion of the plate portion 26.

[0018] The plate portion 26 is composed of, for example, a prepreg laminate, a resin plate, or a metal plate such as aluminum or titanium. The prepreg laminate is formed by laminating a plurality of prepregs obtained by impregnating reinforcing fibers such as carbon resin with a matrix resin (for example, a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin or a thermoplastic resin), and in some specifications, an intermediate material such as a foam is sandwiched between the prepreg layers. The plate portion 26 of the present embodiment is a carbon fiber reinforced resin plate (CFRP plate) using carbon fiber as the reinforcing fiber.

[0019] The frame portion 27 is formed by injection molding a resin material onto the outer peripheral edge portion of the plate portion 26 and joining it. The frame portion 27 can be formed of, for example, PCCF (carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate). The plate portion 26 formed of CFRP is light and has high strength, but there are problems in the workability of machining and shape processing. Therefore, the housing member 20 is provided with a frame portion 27 formed of a resin material around the plate portion 26, and various shapes such as the standing wall 23 formed on the frame portion 27, the adhesive surface 38 described later, and the embankment portion 42 are formed.

[0020] On the outer peripheral edge portion of the housing member 20 including one edge portion 20b, a laminated portion 28 in which the frame portion 27 is laminated on the inner surface 26a of the plate portion 26 is provided. The laminated portion 28 is for increasing the bonding strength of the frame portion 27 to the plate portion 26 and at the same time providing shapes such as protrusions and recesses by the frame portion 27 at the edge portion of the inner surface 26a of the plate portion 26.

[0021] In this embodiment, the housing member 20 has a dome-shaped curved surface 20d in which the center of the plate portion 26 is more smoothly recessed than the surrounding area (see Figure 4). The curved surface 20d is created by making part or all of the plate portion 26 bulge out toward the rear surface 11b side, thereby creating a dish-shaped recess on the inner surface 20a. The plate portion 26 may also be formed as a flat surface without forming the curved surface 20d.

[0022] Next, the structure of the hinge 14 and its surrounding parts will be described.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the hinge 14 is connected to one edge 20b of the housing member 20 that constitutes the first housing 11. The hinge 14 may have a first bracket 30, a second bracket 31, a hinge shaft 32, and a hinge cover 34. The hinge 14 is configured by installing a pair of brackets 30, 31 and hinge shafts 32 on the left and right sides, and covering the left and right first brackets 30 and hinge shafts 32 with a single rod-shaped hinge cover 34. The hinge cover 34 may be installed individually for the left and right first brackets 30 and hinge shafts 32, respectively.

[0024] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first bracket 30. Figure 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VIA-VIA line in Figure 2. Figure 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VIB-VIB line in Figure 2. Figures 6A and 6B show the cross-sectional structure of the first bracket 30 and its surrounding area.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 to 6B, the first bracket 30 is adhesively fixed to the inner surface 20a of one edge 20b of the housing member 20 that constitutes the first housing 11. In other words, the first bracket 30 is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the laminated portion 28.

[0026] The first bracket 30 has a plate-shaped portion 36 and a bearing portion 37. The plate-shaped portion 36 and the bearing portion 37 are integrally formed. The first bracket 30 is formed by machining a metal such as aluminum alloy, titanium, or stainless steel using CNC (computer numerical control) processing.

[0027] The bearing portion 37 is the part that supports one end of the hinge shaft 32. The bearing portion 37 rises in the Z1 direction from the Y2 side edge of the plate-shaped portion 36 and has a substantially arm shape or P shape in side view. The bearing portion 37 has a shaft hole 37a formed along the X direction into which one end of the hinge shaft 32 is inserted. In this embodiment, the hinge 14 is fitted so that one end of the hinge shaft 32 cannot rotate relative to the shaft hole 37a. In other words, the first housing 11 rotates integrally with the hinge shaft 32.

[0028] The plate-shaped portion 36 is the part that is fixed to the first housing 11. The plate-shaped portion 36 is a thin plate portion having, for example, a roughly trapezoidal or roughly assembled shape in plan view. The Z2 side surface (adhesive surface 36a) of the plate-shaped portion 36 is fixed to the adhesive surface 38 of the housing member 20 with adhesive 40. The adhesive surface 38 is formed on the inner surface 20a of one edge portion 20b. The adhesive 40 can be, for example, a two-component curing epoxy adhesive, but is not limited to this type.

[0029] The adhesive surface 38 is provided along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of one edge 20b of the housing member 20. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the adhesive surface 38 has a step in the Y direction to correspond to the curved shape 20d of the housing member 20. If the housing member 20 is flat, the adhesive surface 38 may also be formed as a flat surface. A support surface 38a that slightly protrudes toward the Z1 side can be provided on a part of the adhesive surface 38. The support surface 38a secures space between the adhesive surface 36a of the plate-shaped portion 36 and the adhesive surface 38, thereby ensuring the application thickness of the adhesive 40.

[0030] The periphery of the surface to be bonded 38 can be surrounded by a ridge portion 42 that rises from the inner surface 20a in the Z1 direction. The ridge portion 42 is a wall that has the function of preventing the adhesive 40 from leaking out around the surface to be bonded 38. The height of the ridge portion 42 in the Z direction is, for example, about the same as the thickness of the plate-shaped portion 36. The ridge portion 42 also has the function of ensuring the amount of adhesive 40 that is filled into the inner space of the chamfered portion 44, which will be described later, and more reliably ensuring the thickness of the adhesive 40.

[0031] As shown in Figures 5 to 6B, the plate-like portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44. The chamfered portion 44 is formed at the Y1 side end of the plate-like portion 36. In other words, the plate-like portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44 at the end closer to the other edge 20c in the Y direction, from one edge 20b to the opposite other edge 20c. The chamfered portion 44 is an inclined surface formed at the corner between the adhesive surface 36a and the Y1 side end surface 36b. The chamfered portion 44 is positioned to face the adhesive surface 38, and at the same time faces the embankment portion 42.

[0032] In Figure 3, reference numeral 36c denotes a positioning hole that penetrates the plate-like portion 36 in the thickness direction (Z direction). A positioning pin 38b, which protrudes from the adhesive surface 38 in the Z1 direction, is fitted into the positioning hole 36c to position the plate-like portion 36 relative to the adhesive surface 38.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the second bracket 31 is fixed to the rear edge 12a within the second housing 12 by screws or the like. The second bracket 31 supports the other end of the hinge shaft 32 so that it can rotate relative to it via a predetermined torque generating part.

[0034] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment and the electronic device housing (first housing 11) comprising it include a first bracket 30 having a plate-shaped portion 36 and a bearing portion 37 formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion 36 and supporting one end of the hinge shaft 32. One edge portion 20b of the first housing 11 is provided with a bonding surface 38 to which the plate-shaped portion 36 is fixed with adhesive 40. The plate-shaped portion 36 has a chamfered portion 44 at the end closest to the other edge portion 20c in the Y direction (first direction) from the one edge portion 20b of the housing member 20 toward the other edge portion 20c on the opposite side. The chamfered portion 44 is provided so as to face the bonding surface 38 and is filled with adhesive 40. In other words, by having a chamfered portion 44 at the corner on the Y1 side, the plate-shaped portion 36 forms a filling space that can store a thicker layer of adhesive 40 between it and the bonding surface 38 than at other positions on the bonding surface 36a.

[0035] In this way, the adhesive surface 36a of the first bracket 30 is fixed to the adhesive surface 38 of the first housing 11 with adhesive 40. Furthermore, the first bracket 30 is fixed to the adhesive surface 38 with an increased thickness of adhesive 40 on the surface of the chamfered portion 44, which has a filling space formed on its inside. The adhesive 40 that is filled into the chamfered portion 44 and has a thicker application thickness than in other areas may be referred to as "adhesive 40A" below.

[0036] Therefore, since the first bracket 30 is bonded to the bonding surface 38 with adhesive 40, 40A, the adhesive strength to the first housing 11 is improved. In particular, the first bracket 30 is directly fixed to the housing member 20 by adhesive 40 without using screws. As a result, the bonded portion between the first bracket 30 and the bonding surface 38 directly receives the load applied to the hinge 14 when the housing 11 and 12 are rotated. However, the first bracket 30 has a chamfered portion 44 at the Y1 side end. This allows the first bracket 30 to withstand the load during rotation of the housing 11 and 12 with adhesive 40A whose application thickness has been increased to increase the adhesive strength, thereby suppressing delamination.

[0037] Now, let's consider the case where, for example, as shown in Figure 4, the first housing 11 is rotated 180 degrees relative to the second housing 12, and a force F1 in a direction exceeding 180 degrees is applied to the other edge 20c of the first housing 11. In other words, let's consider the case where the first housing 11 is rotated beyond the design rotation limit relative to the second housing 12. In this case, one edge 20b of the first housing 11 comes into contact with the rear edge 12a of the second housing 12, and further rotation is physically prevented. Therefore, a force F2 is applied to the adhesive joint between the first bracket 30 and the first housing 11, causing the housing member 20 to rotate clockwise in Figure 4, due to the "lever principle" with the hinge shaft 32 as the pivot point. This force F2 acts particularly strongly near the Y1 side end (end face 36b) of the first bracket 30, in the direction of separating the adhesive surface 36a and the adhesive surface 38 from each other.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, a chamfered portion 44 is provided at the Y1 side end of the first bracket 30, and an adhesive 40A with increased coating thickness is held in the filling space inside thereof. As a result, the first bracket 30 can suppress delamination from the bonded surface 38 at the Y1 side end, which is particularly affected by the force F2, due to the high adhesive strength of the adhesive 40A. Consequently, even when the electronic device 10 is subjected to a load exceeding the rotation limit (e.g., 180 degrees) as described above, the first bracket 30 can be effectively prevented from delaminating from the bonded surface 38.

[0039] As described above, the first bracket 30 of this embodiment can be formed by machining a metal such as aluminum using CNC. Therefore, the chamfered portion 44 is not cut as a post-processing step, but can be formed simultaneously during the machining of the first bracket 30, resulting in high manufacturing efficiency.

[0040] The first housing 11 may have a raised embankment 42 on the other edge 20c side (Y1 side) of the adhesive surface 38 in the Y direction. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the adhesive 40A may be filled between the chamfered portion 44 and the embankment 42. This ensures that the electronic device 10 has sufficient width in the Y direction of the adhesive 40A with increased coating thickness, resulting in even more stable adhesive strength.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the plate-shaped portion 36 of this embodiment is formed wider than the bearing portion 37 in the X direction (second direction) along one edge portion 20b. In this case, the chamfered portion 44 can be formed in a range R in which the plate-shaped portion 36 overlaps with the bearing portion 37 in the Y direction. This ensures that the adhesive 40A of the first bracket 30 is securely installed in the range R facing the bearing portion 37, which is the fulcrum of the force F2. As a result, the electronic device 10 can more efficiently suppress the peeling of the first bracket 30 due to the force F2. Of course, as shown in Figure 4, the chamfered portion 44 may be formed over the entire width of the plate-shaped portion 36 in the X direction. In that case, the adhesive 40A can be secured over its maximum range, further improving the adhesive strength.

[0042] The configuration for increasing the application thickness of the adhesive 40 is not limited to the chamfered portion 44. The adhesive strength of the first brackets 30A to 30C can also be improved with the configurations described in the following modified examples.

[0043] Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket 30A and its surrounding area according to the first modified example. The first bracket 30A shown in Figure 7 has a chamfered portion 46 that has a different shape from the chamfered portion 44 compared to the first bracket 30 shown in Figures 6A and 6B. The chamfered portion 44 is a so-called C-cut surface. In contrast, the chamfered portion 46 has a shape in which the corner between the end face 36b and the adhesive surface 36a is cut into a rectangular shape. Such a chamfered portion 46 can also form a filling space for filling the adhesive 40A with increased coating thickness between the Y1 side end of the plate-shaped portion 36 and the surface to be bonded 38.

[0044] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket 30B and its surrounding area according to a second modified example. The first bracket 30B shown in Figure 8 has a chamfered portion 48 that has a different shape from the chamfered portion 44 compared to the first bracket 30 shown in Figures 6A and 6B. The chamfered portion 48 has a shape (R shape) in which the corner between the end face 36b and the adhesive surface 36a is cut in a circular arc shape in cross-section. Such a chamfered portion 48 can also form a filling space for filling the adhesive 40A with increased coating thickness between the Y1 side end of the plate-shaped portion 36 and the surface to be bonded 38.

[0045] Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the first bracket 30C and its surrounding area according to a third modified example. The first bracket 30C shown in Figure 9 has a concave portion 50 instead of chamfered portions 44, 46, and 48. The concave portion 50 is formed near the Y1 side end of the plate-shaped portion 36 and has a slit shape as if the adhesive surface 36a has been dug out in the Z1 direction. Such a concave portion 50 can also form a filling space for filling the adhesive 40A with increased coating thickness between the Y1 side end of the plate-shaped portion 36 and the surface to be bonded 38.

[0046] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10 Electronic equipment 11. First cabinet 12. Second cabinet 14 Hinge 18 Display Panels 20 Housing components 30, 30A~30C First Bracket 31 Second bracket 32 Hinge shafts 36 Plate-shaped part 36a Adhesive surface 37 Bearing section 38 Adhesive surface 40,40A adhesive 42 Embankment 44, 46, 48 Chamfered section 50 Concave portion

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a first housing and a second housing connected by a hinge, The aforementioned hinge is, The hinge shaft that serves as the axis of rotation, A first bracket fixed to the first housing and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, A second bracket fixed to the second housing and supporting the other end of the hinge shaft, Equipped with, The first bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft, One edge of the first housing is provided with an adhesive surface to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed with adhesive. The plate-shaped portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end closest to the other edge in a first direction from one edge of the first housing toward the opposite other edge, The chamfered portion or concave portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded, and is filled with the adhesive. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first housing has a raised embankment portion on the other edge side of the surface to be bonded in the first direction, The adhesive is filled between the chamfered portion or concave portion and the embankment portion. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, The plate-like portion is formed to be wider than the bearing portion in the second direction along the one edge, The chamfered portion or concave portion is formed in a range in which at least the plate-shaped portion overlaps the bearing portion in the first direction. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. An electronic device housing to which a bracket is fixed for supporting one end of a hinge shaft that serves as the axis of rotation of the hinge, The bracket has a plate-shaped portion and a bearing portion formed integrally with the plate-shaped portion and supporting one end of the hinge shaft. One edge of the electronic device housing is provided with an adhesive surface to which the plate-shaped portion is fixed with adhesive. The plate-like portion has a chamfered portion or a concave portion at the end closest to the other edge in the first direction from one edge to the opposite other edge, The chamfered portion or concave portion is provided so as to face the surface to be bonded, and is filled with the adhesive. An electronic device housing characterized by the following features.

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