Internal electronic component holding structure in a cast housing

Abstract

The internal electronic components are securely fixed within the cast, sloping casing without requiring much effort or time, and the heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic components is efficiently dissipated to the outside of the casing. [Solution] A box-shaped housing, formed by casting, with one of its six sides open, and having an inner surface inclined in a direction such that the opening area is wider than the opposite side of the opening, has a projection on the back surface of the top wall, which is positioned on the upper side when the housing is in use, having an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclined in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall, fixed to a base having a contact surface with the bottom wall, which is positioned on the lower side when the housing is in use, and a part of the substrate of the internal electronic equipment, which is positioned horizontally inside the housing when the housing is in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member positioned between the projection and the substrate, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member, which is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic equipment and has elasticity in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate, is in close contact with the back surface of the top wall of the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , , , , , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for holding an internal electronic device unit constructed of an electronic component mounted on a substrate, an internal connection terminal, an external connection terminal, and a base for supporting the substrate, in a cast housing.

Background Art

[0002] The housing of a small electronic device must have the required functions within a limited dimensional range. Therefore, various proposals have been made for the housing of small electronic devices.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-259908 discloses impregnating a cloth woven from carbon fiber with an epoxy resin and encapsulating the cloth in the epoxy resin to form a bottom plate made of CFRP of a type, and integrally forming a side wall made of a casting of a magnesium alloy formed by thixomolding.

[0004] Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-13467 discloses a lower housing of a notebook personal computer having a first housing component made of a metal part by casting and a second housing component made of a metal part by press working, achieving both light weight and rigidity.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Disclosure of the Invention

[0007] However, the cast housing has a shape that requires an opening to remove the core used in the manufacturing process; that is, it is a box shape with one of its six sides open, and the inner surface has a slope of about 1 to 2 degrees, called a "draft angle," in the direction that the opening area is wider than the opposite side of the opening (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "back side"). As a result, the internal electronic equipment to be placed inside must be inserted through the opening and fixed in a stable position on the sloped surface, which presented a problem as the placement work was time-consuming and laborious.

[0008] Furthermore, while through-holes can be provided in the part opposite the opening in the cast housing (hereinafter referred to as the "back wall"), through-holes cannot be provided in the part located on the upper side when in use (hereinafter referred to as the "top wall"), the part located on the lower side when in use (hereinafter referred to as the "bottom wall"), or the two parts located perpendicular to the top wall and bottom wall when in use (hereinafter referred to as the "side walls"). As a result, heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic equipment could not be efficiently dissipated, leading to the problem of the internal electronic equipment becoming overheated.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a structure for holding internal electronic components in a cast housing, which allows for the stable fixing of internal electronic components within a cast housing with an inclined inner surface without requiring time and effort, and enables efficient dissipation of heat generated by heat-generating components of the internal electronic components to the outside of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In the substrate holding structure according to the present invention, a housing is formed by casting and has a box shape with one of its six sides open, and has an inner surface that is inclined in a direction such that the opening area is wider than the opposite side of the opening. A projection is provided on the back surface of the top wall which is positioned on the upper side when the housing is in use, and has an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and is inclined in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall. A part of the substrate of an internal electronic device, which is fixed to a base which has a contact surface with the bottom wall which is positioned on the lower side when the housing is in use and is positioned inside the housing in a horizontal orientation when the housing is in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member positioned between the projection and the substrate, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member which is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device and has elasticity in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate is in close contact with the back surface of the top wall of the housing.

[0011] The substrate of the internal electronic equipment may consist of a first substrate member and a second substrate member, and a conductive member spanning the first substrate member and the second substrate member may be pressed against the first substrate member and the second substrate member by the pressing member, thereby enabling electrical communication between the first substrate member and the second substrate member via the conductive member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a projection is provided on the back surface of the top wall of the housing, which is positioned on the upper side when in use, having an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and slopes in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall. A portion of the substrate of the internal electronic equipment, which is fixed to a base having a contact surface with the bottom wall of the housing and positioned horizontally inside the housing when in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member positioned between the projection and the substrate. At the same time, the top surface of a heat dissipation member, which is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic equipment and has elasticity in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate, is brought into close contact with the back surface of the top wall of the housing. As a result, the internal electronic equipment is pressed against the bottom wall at two points, allowing the internal electronic equipment to be stably fixed inside a housing with an inclined interior without requiring much effort or time.

[0013] Furthermore, by making the top surface of the heat dissipation member, which has elasticity in the direction of contact with and away from the substrate and is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic equipment, adhere tightly to the back surface of the top wall of the housing, the heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic equipment can be efficiently dissipated to the outside of the housing through the top wall of the housing.

[0014] Furthermore, if the internal electronic equipment consists of a first and second circuit board, the conductive member spanning between the first and second circuit boards is pressed against the first and second circuit boards by a pressing member. This ensures electrical conductivity between the first and second circuit boards, allowing the internal electronic equipment to be stably fixed within the housing, which has a sloping inner surface, without requiring much effort or time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of a small computer employing the internal electronic equipment holding structure according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the enclosure as seen from the opening side. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the internal electronics section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] An embodiment of the internal electronic equipment component holding structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The miniature computer according to this embodiment comprises a housing 1, an internal electronic equipment unit 2, a front panel 3 that closes the opening 11 of the housing 1, and a rear panel 4 that closes a small opening 13 formed in the rear wall 12 located opposite the opening 11 of the housing 1.

[0017] The housing 1 is formed by casting, has a box shape with one of its six sides open, and a rectangular small opening 13 is provided in the back wall 12 located opposite the opening 11. In this embodiment, the direction along the long side of the opening 11 is defined as the width direction, the direction along the short side of the opening 11 is defined as the height direction, and the direction orthogonal to the back wall 12 is defined as the depth direction. Also, for each of the wall members forming the housing 1, the surface that becomes the inner surface of the housing 1 is defined as the back surface.

[0018] The inner surface of the housing 1 is inclined in a direction where the opening area is wider than the back surface, that is, the back surface of the back wall 12. Also, a plurality of ridges 14 extending from the back surface to the opening 11 are formed on the inner surface of the housing 1, and screw holes 15 used for attaching the front panel 3 are provided on the end surfaces of the ridges 14 on the opening 11 side.

[0019] The top surface of the ridge 14 is parallel to the inner surface of the housing 1 and is inclined in the same direction as the inner surface of the housing 1. Also, the width of the ridge 14 provided at the center in the width direction of the surface arranged on the lower side in the use state, that is, the back surface of the bottom wall 18 arranged on the lower side in the use state, is gradually reduced from the back surface toward the opening 11.

[0020] Furthermore, on the inner surface of the housing 1, on the surface arranged on the upper side in the use state, that is, on the back surface of the top wall 16 arranged on the upper side in the use state, at a position closer to the side where the expansion module described later is arranged from the center in the width direction, a protrusion 17 having an inclined surface extending from the opposite side of the opening 11 toward the opening 11 and inclined in the same direction as the inner surface is provided.

[0021] The internal electronic component section 2 is constructed with an electronic component, an internal connection terminal, and an external connection terminal mounted on a substrate composed of a first substrate member 21 and a second substrate member 22, and a base 5 that supports the substrate. The first substrate member 21, the electronic component, the internal connection terminal, and the external connection terminal mounted on the first substrate member 21 form a basic system module, and the first substrate member 21, the electronic component, the internal connection terminal, and the external connection terminal mounted on the first substrate member 21 form an expansion module. In FIGS. 1 and 3, only the electronic components necessary for the description of this embodiment are shown, and the illustration of other electronic components is omitted.

[0022] The basic system module has a CPU corresponding to the heat-generating component of the present invention, and a heat dissipation member 23 having elasticity in a direction of approaching and separating from the first substrate member 21 in contact with the CPU is disposed above the first substrate member 21. Also, the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 are fixed on the base 5 in a state where both edges are in close contact, and the edges of the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 are arranged at a position closer to the second substrate member 22 from the center in the width direction inside the housing 1.

[0023] A conduction member 24 is laid across and disposed above the edges of the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 that are in close contact, and further, a pressing member 25 is stacked and disposed on the conduction member 24.

[0024] A part of the conduction path of the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 extends to the edge. Also, a conduction path is formed on the surface of the conduction member 24 disposed on the substrate side. Then, by overlapping the conduction path formed on the surface of the conduction member 24 disposed on the substrate side with the conduction path extending to the respective edges of the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 and pressing the conduction member 24 against the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22, the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 are made conductive.

[0025] The conductive member 24 is a rectangular prism-shaped member made of silicone rubber, with multiple gold fibers arranged at intervals on one surface. The surface with the gold fibers is pressed against the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22, allowing the gold fibers to function as a conductive path. If the internal electronic equipment unit 2 is composed of a single substrate and there is no need to connect different substrates electrically, the surface opposite to the surface with the gold fibers can be pressed against the substrate to prevent accidental electrical connection of the substrate circuit while stably fixing the internal electronic equipment unit 2.

[0026] The pressing member 25 has an inclined surface whose top surface is tilted in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall 16 of the housing 1. When the device body 2 is inserted into the housing 1, it cooperates with the protrusion 17 of the housing 1 to press the conductive member 24 against the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22, and also presses the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22 against the bottom wall 18 via the base 5.

[0027] The heat dissipation member 23 is a rectangular prism made of metal. Below its bottom surface, a heat transfer member 26 is positioned so that it contacts the CPU, which is a heat-generating component, when the internal electronic equipment unit 2 is located inside the housing 1. In this embodiment, the CPU is mounted on a separate substrate from the first substrate member 21, and is fixed to the first substrate member 21 with its back facing the heat dissipation member 23. The heat transfer member 26 is in contact with the back of the CPU.

[0028] The heat dissipation member 23 also has legs extending from the four corners on its bottom surface, and is fixed to the substrate by screws inserted through screw insertion holes provided in the legs. Furthermore, an elastic member 27 is positioned between the back surface of the legs and the surface of the substrate. The elastic member 27 is also provided with screw insertion holes, through which screws that fix the heat dissipation member 23 to the substrate are inserted. When fixing the heat dissipation member 23 to the substrate, the elastic member 27 is allowed to contract in the direction of the screw axis, that is, in the direction of moving toward and away from the first substrate member 21, thereby applying an elastic force to the heat dissipation member 23 in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate of the internal electronic equipment unit 2.

[0029] The base 5 is made of a metal plate and is provided with through holes 51 to avoid interference between the tall components mounted on the first substrate member 21 and the second substrate member 22, or to allow operation of the electronic components, for example, to allow insertion of a card into a slot. Furthermore, a recessed portion 52 is provided to restrict the movement of the internal electronic equipment 2 relative to the bottom wall 18 in the width direction, in cooperation with a protrusion 14 provided in the center of the width direction on the back surface of the bottom wall 18 of the housing 1. In addition, the bottom surface of the base 5 is an inclined surface parallel to the back surface of the bottom wall 18 of the housing 1 and serves as a contact surface with the bottom wall 18.

[0030] The front panel 3 has through holes 31 for exposing the external connection terminals 28 of the internal electronic equipment unit 2 to the outside of the housing 1, and external connection terminals 32 for which the internal electronic equipment unit 2 is connected. It is then fixed to the opening 11 of the housing 1 with screws.

[0031] The rear panel 4 is fixed to the rear wall 12 of the housing 1 with screws using screw holes formed in the rear wall 12, in a position that overlaps with a small opening 13 formed in the rear wall 12. The small opening 13 is used to expose the SIM card slot, microSD card slot, and USB port for connecting to an external processing unit, which are provided in the internal electronic equipment unit 2, as needed. When not in use, it is covered by the rear panel 4. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1 cabinet 2 Internal electronics section 3 Front plate 4 Back plate 5 bases 11 Opening 12 Back wall 13 Small openings 14 protrusion 15 screw holes 16. Top Wall 17 Protrusion 18 Bottom wall 21 First substrate component 22 Second substrate component 23 Heat dissipation components 24 Conductive member 25 Pressing member 26 Heat transfer components 27 Elastic members 28, 32 External connection terminals 31, 51 Through holes 52 Recessed area

Claims

1. An internal electronic component holding structure characterized in that a box-shaped housing, formed by casting, has one of its six sides open, and has an inner surface inclined in a direction such that the opening area is wider than the opposite side of the opening, has a projection on the back surface of the top wall which is positioned on the upper side when in use, having an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclined in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall, a part of the substrate of an internal electronic component fixed to a base which has a contact surface with the bottom wall which is positioned on the lower side when in use, and positioned inside the housing in a horizontal orientation when in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member positioned between the projection and the substrate, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member which is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic component and has elasticity in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate is in close contact with the back surface of the top wall of the housing.

2. The internal electronic equipment holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the substrate of the internal electronic equipment is composed of a first substrate member and a second substrate member, and a conductive member spanning the first substrate member and the second substrate member is pressed against the first substrate member and the second substrate member by the pressing member, and the first substrate member and the second substrate member are electrically connected via the conductive member.

Images