electronic machinery

Abstract

The goal is to reduce the thickness of the chassis while improving the support rigidity of the keyboard unit. [Solution] The keyboard device 12 has a plurality of through holes 38 through which the shaft portion is inserted. The support bracket 40 has a first through hole 44 through which the shaft portion of some of the multiple fixing portions 30, 31 is inserted, and a second through hole 45 that accommodates the flange portion of the other fixing portions. Some of the fixing portions 30 fix the keyboard device and support bracket to the housing member 24 by having the shaft portion inserted through the through hole and the first through hole, and the flange portion 30b being supported on the lower surface of the support bracket on the outer circumference of the first through hole. Other fixing portions 31 fix the keyboard device to the housing member by having the shaft portion 31a inserted through the through hole, and the flange portion housed in the second through hole being supported on the lower surface of the keyboard device on the outer circumference of the through hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device provided with a keyboard device.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC mounts a keyboard device so as to face the upper surface of the housing (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] The keyboard device may be supported in a suspended state on the housing member by being fixed to the inner surface of the housing member that constitutes the upper surface of the housing by a fixing portion. This type of keyboard device may lack rigidity against the pressing operation of the key top. Therefore, the keyboard device may laminate a plate-shaped bracket on the lower surface to ensure rigidity.

[0005] By the way, in the fixing portion as described above, a flange portion (head portion) for fixing the keyboard device and the bracket protrudes from the lower surface of the bracket. Therefore, in an electronic device such as a notebook PC where there is a strong demand for thinning, the flange portion may interfere with components located under the keyboard device and prevent the thinning of the housing. For example, a thick and large component such as a battery device may be partially arranged so as to overlap the keyboard device vertically. In this case, in order to avoid interference of the flange portion with the battery device, it may not be possible to install the fixing portion in the overlapping region. Then, the rigidity of the keyboard device against the pressing operation of the key top in this region decreases.

[0006] This invention has been made in consideration of the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide an electronic device that can improve the support rigidity of a keyboard device while making the housing thinner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing member having an opening and a plurality of fixing portions provided to protrude from the inner surface; a keyboard device having a plurality of keytops facing the upper surface of the housing member through the opening and supported on the inner surface side of the housing member; and a plate-shaped support bracket stacked on the lower surface of the keyboard device, wherein the fixing portion has a shaft portion provided to protrude from the inner surface of the housing member and a flange portion provided at the tip of the shaft portion; the keyboard device has a plurality of through holes through which the shaft portion is inserted; and the support bracket is fixed to a portion of the plurality of fixing portions. The support bracket has a first through-hole through which the shaft portion of the fixed part is inserted, and a second through-hole through which the flange portion of the other fixed part of the plurality of fixed parts is housed. The fixed part of the plurality of fixed parts fixes the keyboard device and the support bracket to the housing member by having the shaft portion inserted through the through-hole and the first through-hole, and the flange portion being supported on the lower surface of the support bracket on the outer circumference of the first through-hole. The fixed part of the other fixed part fixes the keyboard device to the housing member by having the shaft portion inserted through the through-hole, and the flange portion housed in the second through-hole being supported on the lower surface of the keyboard device on the outer circumference of the through-hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the support rigidity of the keyboard device while making the housing thinner. [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 enclosure components of the enclosure, seen from the inner side. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the keyboard device and support bracket fixed to the inner surface of the housing member shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the battery device and motherboard mounted on the inner surface of the enclosure component shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device 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. The electronic device 10 is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 comprises a housing 14 equipped with a keyboard device 12 and a lid 18 equipped with a display 16. The lid 18 is connected to the housing 14 by a hinge 20 and is rotatable relative to it. The display 16 can be made of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The electronic device may be something other than a notebook PC.

[0012] The enclosure 14 is a flat box. The keyboard device 12 and the touchpad 22 face the top surface 14a of the enclosure 14. Hereinafter, the enclosure 14 and its components, such as the keyboard device 12, will be described from the perspective of the operator operating the keyboard device 12, with the depth direction of the enclosure 14 being referred to as front and back, the width direction as left and right, and the thickness direction as up and down. These directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation position of the electronic device 10.

[0013] The housing 14 has a plate-shaped housing member 24 that forms the upper surface 14a and a plate-shaped cover member 25 that forms the lower surface (bottom surface) 14b (see also Figure 5). The vertical walls 26 formed on the four circumferential sides of the housing 14 are formed upright, for example, on the four circumferential edges of the housing member 24. The outer surface 24a of the housing member 24 forms the upper surface 14a of the housing 14, and the inner surface 24b faces inward towards the housing 14.

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the housing member 24 of the housing 14 as seen from the inner surface 24b side. Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the keyboard unit 12 and support bracket 40 fixed to the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the battery unit 50 and motherboard 48 attached to the inner surface 24b side of the housing member 24 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 3. Figure 5 shows the internal structure of the housing 14 in the region R where the keyboard unit 12 and the battery unit 50 overlap vertically and in the surrounding area.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the housing member 24 of this embodiment may have a metal member 24A and a resin member 24B. The metal member 24A forms the outer surface 24a and vertical walls 26 of the housing member 24. The metal member 24A is, for example, a plate-shaped material formed by press-molding aluminum and forming vertical walls 26 on its four peripheral edges. The resin member 24B is provided so as to cover most of the inner surface of the metal member 24A and forms most of the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24. The resin member 24B is, for example, a resin frame made of PC / ABS. The resin member 24B is fixed to the inner surface of the metal member 24A by adhesive, integral molding, or the like.

[0016] The housing member 24 has an opening 28 and a plurality of fixing parts 30, 31.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the opening 28 penetrates the housing member 24 in the plate thickness direction. The opening 28 is composed of a plurality of small windows arranged according to the arrangement of each key top 34 of the keyboard device 12. Each key top 34 is inserted into each small window constituting the opening 28 so as to be vertically movable. By having the opening 28, the installation range of the keyboard device 12 in the housing member 24 forms a mesh shape. In this mesh-shaped portion, a resin member 24B is provided on the inner surface of the metal member 24A. A pad opening 32 for exposing the touch pad 22 on the upper surface 14a is also formed in the housing member 24.

[0018] The fixing portion 30 is illustrated by a circle (hollow circle) in FIGS. 2 and 3. The fixing portion 31 is illustrated by a black circle (filled circle) in FIGS. 2 and 3. The fixing portions 30 and 31 project downward from various locations in the range where the opening 28 is formed and its surroundings. That is, the fixing portions 30 and 31 project from various locations on the inner surface 24b of the resin member 24B formed in a mesh shape. The fixing portions 30 and 31 are used to fix the keyboard device 12 to the inner surface 24b side of the housing member 24, and the details will be described later.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the keyboard device 12 extends over substantially the entire width in the left-right width direction of the upper surface 14a. On the inner surface 24b side of the housing member 24, the keyboard device 12 is installed in a wide range that projects from near the rear edge portion of the housing member 24 to slightly forward of the center in the front-rear direction.

[0020] The keyboard device 12 has a plurality of key tops 34 and a plate portion 36 that supports each key top 34.

[0021] The key top 34 is supported so as to be vertically movable on the upper surface 36a side of the plate portion 36. The plate portion 36 is a laminated plate in which, for example, a membrane sheet, a base plate 36c, and a waterproof sheet are laminated in order from top to bottom. The plate portion 36 supports the key top 34 so as to be vertically movable by, for example, a scissor mechanism having a pantograph structure and a rubber dome. The membrane sheet is a switch sheet that is pressed by the rubber dome compressed when the key top 34 is pressed and outputs a predetermined input signal. The base plate 36c is a sheet metal member that forms the framework of the keyboard device 12. The waterproof sheet is a sheet that prevents liquid such as water from entering the housing 14 through the gaps around each key top 34. Instead of the waterproof sheet, a light-emitting module that causes each key top 34 to emit light can also be provided in the lower layer of the plate portion 36.

[0022] The keyboard device 12 has a plurality of through holes 38 that penetrate the plate portion 36 vertically. The through holes 38 are mounting holes for fixing the keyboard device 12 to the housing member 24 by the fixing portions 30, 31. Each through hole 38 is located at a position that overlaps vertically with each fixing portion 30, 31. The inner diameter of the through hole 38 is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portions 30a, 31a of the fixing portions 30, 31. Thus, each through hole 38 can allow each fixing portion 30, 31 to pass through. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface 36a of the plate portion 36 can have a concave portion 38a. The concave portion 38a is, for example, a cutout hole obtained by cutting out a membrane sheet laminated on the upper surface of the base plate 36c to a diameter larger than that of the through hole 38. The through hole 38 penetrates the base plate 36c located at the bottom of the concave portion 38a.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a plate-shaped support bracket 40 is laminated on the lower surface (bottom surface) 36b of the keyboard device 12. The lower surface 36b is the lower surface of the plate portion 36.

[0024] The support bracket 40 can be made of a sheet metal material such as aluminum or steel. The keyboard device 12 is suspended and fixed to the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24 via fixing parts 30 and 31. The support bracket 40 is provided so as to cover the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12. This allows the support bracket 40 to improve the rigidity of the keyboard device 12 when the keytops 34 are pressed. The support bracket 40 may also be provided with bosses (female threads) for screw fastening to fix the motherboard 48.

[0025] The support bracket 40 may have a support plate portion 41 and a plurality of auxiliary fixing portions 42.

[0026] The support plate portion 41 has an outer shape that is approximately the same as the outer shape of the keyboard device 12 in a plan view. The support plate portion 41 covers the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12 and is the part that supports the keyboard device 12. The auxiliary fixing portion 42 is provided so as to protrude from a part of the outer edge of the support plate portion 41. The auxiliary fixing portion 42 protrudes outward beyond the outer shape of the keyboard device 12. The auxiliary fixing portion 42 cranks upward at the boundary with the support plate portion 41 (see Figure 5). The crank height (step) of the auxiliary fixing portion 42 is approximately the same as the plate thickness of the plate portion 36. As a result, the auxiliary fixing portion 42 can contact and fix the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24.

[0027] The support bracket 40 has a plurality of first through holes 44 and a plurality of second through holes 45.

[0028] The first through-holes 44 are through-holes in the thickness direction provided in the support plate portion 41 and the auxiliary fixing portion 42, respectively. The first through-holes 44 are mounting holes for fixing the support bracket 40 to the housing member 24 with the fixing portion 30. The first through-holes 44 formed in the support plate portion 41 are fixed to the housing member 24 by fastening together with the keyboard device 12 using the fixing portion 30. The first through-holes 44 formed in the auxiliary fixing portion 42 are fixed directly to the housing member 24 using the fixing portion 30.

[0029] The second through-hole 45 is a through-hole in the thickness direction of the support plate portion 41. The second through-hole 45 is located in the region R where the keyboard device 12 and the battery device 50 overlap. The second through-hole 45 is a relief hole that accommodates the flange portion 31b of the fixing portion 31, which fixes the keyboard device 12 to the housing member 24, as will be described later. The second through-hole 45 can be larger in diameter than the first through-hole 44 (see Figures 3 and 5). The second through-hole 45 can also be an elongated hole, for example, that is long in the left-right direction (see Figure 3).

[0030] In this way, the support bracket 40 is fixed to the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24 by fixing parts 30 and 31 with the keyboard device 12 sandwiched in between. As shown in Figure 4, the motherboard 48 and components 49 are supported on the lower surface 40a side of the support bracket 40. The motherboard 48 is the main board of the electronic device 10. Components 49 such as a CPU, memory, and communication module are mounted on the lower surface of the motherboard 48. Components 49 may include a thermal module installed on the lower side of the motherboard 48. The thermal module may have, for example, a heat pipe that transports heat from the CPU, a heat sink to which the heat pipe is connected, and a fan that blows air onto the heat sink.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a battery device 50 is mounted inside the housing 14. The battery device 50 is a secondary battery that powers the electronic device 10. The battery device 50 extends along approximately the entire width in the left-right direction on the inner surface 24b side of the housing member 24. The battery device 50 is installed over a wide area from near the center to near the front edge in the front-rear direction of the housing member 24. The rear edge and surrounding portion of the battery device 50 are located on the lower surface 36b side of the keyboard device 12, forming a region R that overlaps vertically with the keyboard device 12.

[0032] Next, the fixing structure of the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 to the housing member 24 will be described.

[0033] As described above, the keyboard device 12 is fixed to the housing member 24 using fixing parts 30 and 31. The support bracket 40 is stacked on the lower surface 36b side of the keyboard device 12 and is fixed to the inner surface 24b of the housing member 24 by fastening together with the keyboard device 12 using the fixing part 30. As shown in Figure 5, the fixing parts 30 and 31 can be formed integrally with the resin member 24B and consist of resin pins protruding downward from the inner surface 24b.

[0034] The fixing portion 30 is used outside of region R (see Figures 3 and 5). The fixing portion 30 has a shaft portion 30a and a flange portion 30b. The shaft portion 30a is a thin cylindrical portion. The shaft portion 30a is inserted through the through holes 38 and 44. The flange portion 30b is a head provided at the tip of the shaft portion 30a and is formed in a disc shape with a larger diameter than the shaft portion 30a. The flange portion 30b is a welded portion (heat-welded portion) formed by heating and crushing the tip of the shaft portion 30a and pressing it against the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40. The flange portion 30b is supported by the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40 on the outer circumference of the first through hole 44. As a result, the fixing portion 30 can sandwich and fix the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 between the flange portion 30b and the housing member 24.

[0035] When fixing the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 with the fixing part 30 made of resin pins, first, the long shaft portion 30a1, shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 before heat welding, is inserted through the through holes 38 and 44. Next, the tip of the shaft portion 30a1 is heated and heat-welded to the lower surface 40a. As a result, the fixing part 30 has a configuration having a shaft portion 30a inserted through the through holes 38 and 44 and a flange portion 30b provided at its tip. Consequently, the fixing part 30 can fix the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40.

[0036] The fixing portion 31 is used in region R (see Figures 3 and 5). The fixing portion 31 has a shaft portion 31a and a flange portion 31b. The shaft portion 31a is a thin cylindrical part. The shaft portion 31a is inserted through the through hole 38 and is shorter than the shaft portion 30a of the fixing portion 30. The flange portion 31b is a head provided at the tip of the shaft portion 31a and is formed in a disc shape with a larger diameter than the shaft portion 31a. The flange portion 31b is a welded portion (heat-welded portion) formed by heating and crushing the tip of the shaft portion 31a and pressing it against the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12. The flange portion 31b is housed in the second through hole 45 and is supported by the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12 on the outer circumference of the through hole 38. As a result, the fixing portion 31 can fix the keyboard device 12 by sandwiching it between the flange portion 31b and the housing member 24.

[0037] Preferably, the flange portion 31b is housed within the second through hole 45 and does not protrude below the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40. If the flange portion 31b does protrude below the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40, it is necessary to control the amount of protrusion to a small extent so as not to interfere with the battery device 50 located directly below it. Therefore, it is preferable that the height of the flange portion 31b is the same as or less than the height of the second through hole 45 (the plate thickness of the support bracket 40).

[0038] When fixing the keyboard device 12 with the fixing part 31 made of resin pins, a long shaft portion similar to the shaft portion 30a1 is inserted through the through hole 38, and the tip is heated and heat-welded to the lower surface 36b. As a result, the fixing part 31 has a configuration having a shaft portion 31a inserted through the through hole 38 and a flange portion 31b provided at its tip. In this case, it is preferable that the flange portion 31b is housed in the second through hole 45. That is, it is preferable that the second through hole 45 be configured to have a larger diameter than the first through hole 44 and to be large enough to accommodate the flange portion 31b, which is the heat-welded portion. As a result, the fixing part 31 fixes the keyboard device 12 while avoiding protruding from the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40.

[0039] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment is configured to support the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 on the inner surface 24b side of the housing member 24 using a plurality of fixing parts 30, 31. In the fixing part 30, the shaft part 30a is inserted through through holes 38, 44, and the flange part 30b is supported on the lower surface 40a of the support bracket 40 on the outer circumference of the first through hole 44. In this way, the fixing part 30 fixes the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 to the housing member 24. In the fixing part 31, the shaft part 31a is inserted through through hole 38, and the flange part 31b housed in the second through hole 45 is supported on the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12 on the outer circumference of the through hole 38. In this way, the fixing part 31 fixes the keyboard device 12 to the housing member 24.

[0040] In this way, by providing a support bracket 40 on the lower surface 36b of the keyboard device 12 in the electronic device 10, the support rigidity of the keyboard device 12 relative to the housing member 24 is improved. In other words, the rigidity of the keyboard device 12 against the pressing operation of the keytops 34 is improved. As a result, the phenomenon of the keyboard device 12 sinking during pressing is suppressed in the electronic device 10, improving operability and the feel of operation.

[0041] In the electronic device 10, among the multiple fixing parts 30, 31, a portion of which, fixing part 30, secures the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 together using a shared fastening mechanism. In other words, in the electronic device 10, the keyboard device 12 and the support bracket 40 are fastened to each other by the fixing part 30, further improving the rigidity of the keyboard device 12.

[0042] In the electronic device 10, among the multiple fixing parts 30 and 31, the other fixing part 31 fixes the keyboard device 12, while the flange portion 31b is housed within the second through-hole 45 of the support bracket 40. This prevents the flange portion 31b of the fixing part 31 from protruding significantly from the lower surface 40a, thereby suppressing interference with components inside the housing 14 directly below it. This allows the rigidity of the keyboard device 12 to be improved by the fixing part 31 without affecting the thickness of the housing 14. Furthermore, because the flange portion 31b of the fixing part 31 does not protrude from the lower surface 40a, it is possible to smoothly attach, for example, a graphite sheet for heat dissipation to the lower surface 40a.

[0043] In particular, the battery unit 50 is one of the largest components within the housing 14, and is also quite thick. Therefore, it is preferable to use the fixing portion 31 in the region R where the keyboard unit 12 and the battery unit 50 overlap vertically. This prevents the flange portion 31b from interfering with the battery unit 50 directly below it, contributing to a thinner housing 14 and a larger battery unit 50.

[0044] On the other hand, the fixing part 31 securely fixes the keyboard device 12 to the housing member 24 even in region R. That is, in order to avoid interference with, for example, the battery device 50, there is also a configuration in which the fixing part is not used in region R. Compared to this configuration, the electronic device 10 has improved support rigidity of the keyboard device 12 in region R, and the operability and feel of the keyboard device 12 during operation are greatly improved.

[0045] The fixing portion 31 can also be used in areas other than the region R in which the keyboard device 12 overlaps with the battery device 50. For example, the fixing portion 31 can be used in areas where the keyboard device 12 needs to avoid electronic components mounted on the top surface of the motherboard 48.

[0046] Some or all of the fixing parts 30 and 31 can be replaced with a structure other than a welded structure in which the tips of resin pins are heated to form flange parts 30b and 31b, for example, a crimped structure of screws or metal pins. If the fixing part 30 is a screw, the shaft part (threaded part) 30a fastened to the housing member 24 is inserted through the through holes 38 and 44, and the flange part (head) 30b is brought into contact with the lower surface 40a. If the fixing part 31 is a screw, the shaft part (threaded part) 31a fastened to the housing member 24 is inserted through the through hole 38, and the flange part (head) 31b is brought into contact with the lower surface 36b in the second through hole 45. If the fixing parts 30 and 31 are metal pins, the flange parts 30b and 31b are formed at the tips of the shaft parts 30a and 31a by crimping deformation or the like instead of heat welding.

[0047] 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]

[0048] 10 Electronic equipment 12 Keyboard Devices 14 cabinets 24 Housing components 24A Metal component 24B Resin component 28 Opening 30,31 Fixed part 30a,30a1,31a Shaft part 30b, 31b Flange section 34 keycaps 36 Plate section 38 Through holes 40 Support Brackets 44 First through hole 45 Second through hole 50 Battery Unit

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, A housing member having an opening and a plurality of fixing parts provided to protrude from the inner surface, A keyboard device having a plurality of keytops facing the upper surface of the housing member through the aforementioned opening, and supported on the inner side of the housing member, A plate-shaped support bracket stacked on the lower surface of the keyboard device, Equipped with, The fixing portion has a shaft portion provided so as to protrude from the inner surface of the housing member, and a flange portion provided at the tip of the shaft portion. The keyboard device has a plurality of through holes through which the shaft portion is inserted, The support bracket has a first through hole through which the shaft portion of some of the plurality of fixing portions is inserted, and a second through hole through which the flange portion of the other fixing portions is accommodated. The aforementioned fixing portion is such that the shaft portion passes through the through hole and the first through hole, and the flange portion is supported on the lower surface of the support bracket at the outer circumference of the first through hole, thereby fixing the keyboard device and the support bracket to the housing member. The fixing portion of the other part is such that the shaft portion is inserted through the through hole, and the flange portion housed in the second through hole is supported on the lower surface of the keyboard device by the outer circumference of the through hole, thereby fixing the keyboard device to the housing member. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, Furthermore, it includes a battery device located on the inner surface side of the housing member, A portion of the battery device overlaps vertically with a portion of the lower surface of the keyboard device. The fixing portion of the other part is located in the area where the keyboard device and the battery device overlap vertically. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, The housing member is formed of a resin material on at least a portion of its inner surface. The fixing portion is formed integrally with the resin member and includes a resin pin protruding from the resin member. The flange portion is a welded portion formed at the tip of the resin pin. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, The height of the flange portion of the fixing part of the other part is the same as or less than the height of the second through hole. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, The second through hole has a larger diameter than the first through hole. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

Images