electronic machines

Abstract

To provide electronic equipment that can ensure grounding in a replaceable battery device. [Solution] The electronic device comprises a housing member having an inner surface and a battery device detachably supported on the inner surface side of the housing member, wherein the battery device has a metal plate on one surface facing the inner surface side of the housing member, and a conductive member that contacts the metal plate is provided on the inner surface of the housing member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device including a battery device.

Background Art

[0002] Electronic devices such as notebook PCs and tablet PCs include a housing configured in a flat box shape and a battery device housed in 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] There is a strong demand for thinning the housing of the above-described electronic devices. Therefore, general electronic devices are installed so that the battery device is embedded in the housing to save space. That is, such electronic devices are not assumed to be replaced by the user.

[0005] In recent years, electronic devices as described above are desired to be products with excellent maintainability from the viewpoint of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance). From this viewpoint, it is desirable that the battery device can be easily replaced.

[0006] In a configuration assuming that the user replaces the battery device, it is necessary to prevent the battery device from malfunctioning during replacement. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a metal plate as a protective material for the battery device, but the grounding countermeasure becomes a problem. This is because there is a concern that the electrical characteristics of the metal plate may affect an antenna or the like mounted in the housing.

[0007] 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 secure a ground in a replaceable battery device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing member having an inner surface, and a battery device detachably supported on the inner surface side of the housing member, wherein the battery device has a metal plate on one surface facing the inner surface side of the housing member, and a conductive member in contact with the metal plate is provided on the inner surface of the housing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to secure a ground in a replaceable battery device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an overall view of an electronic device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the enclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the operation of installing the battery device shown in Figure 2 into the housing. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the battery unit as viewed from the Z1 side. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the process of attaching the battery device shown in Figure 5 to the housing component. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is an overall view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 10 is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 consists of a housing 12 and a lid 14 connected by a hinge 16 so as to be rotatable relative to each other. Electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied may be other than notebook PCs, such as tablet PCs, smartphones, or portable game consoles.

[0013] The lid 14 is a flat, box-shaped structure. A display 18 faces the front of the lid 14. The display 18 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display. The lid 14 is connected to the rear edge of the housing 12 by a hinge 16.

[0014] Hereinafter, the chassis 12 and each component mounted thereon will be described using the following terms: the width direction of the chassis 12 will be referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front to back) as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (top to bottom) 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 the Z direction. For the sake of explanation, the keyboard 20 side (Z1 direction) of the chassis 12 may also be referred to as the bottom, and the opposite side (Z2 direction) as the top (see Figures 5 and 6). These directional designations are for the sake of explanation and do not limit the usage of the electronic device 10.

[0015] The enclosure 12 is a flat box-shaped structure. Inside the enclosure 12 are a motherboard 24 on which the CPU 24a and memory are mounted, and a cooling module 25 for cooling the CPU 24a and other components (see Figure 2). The enclosure 12 also houses a battery device 26, which is the power source for the electronic device 10, and antenna elements 28, 29, etc.

[0016] The keyboard 20 and the touch pad 22 face the surface 12a of the housing 12. The keyboard 20 extends across substantially the entire width of the surface 12a in the X direction. The keyboard 20 is installed in a wide range that extends from the vicinity of the Y2-side edge of the surface 12a to the Y1 side rather than the center in the Y direction. The touch pad 22 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The touch pad 22 is provided in the vicinity of the Y1-side edge of the surface 12a and is disposed substantially at the center in the X direction of the surface 12a. The touch pad 22 can operate the cursor (mouse pointer) displayed on the display 18 as an alternative to a mouse. The touch pad 22 may be capable of performing a tracing operation of tracing the operation surface 22a with a fingertip or the like and a click operation of pressing with a fingertip or the like. The touch pad 22 may be configured to generate vibration with an actuator when receiving a click operation.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing 12. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the operation of attaching the battery device 26 shown in FIG. 2 into the housing 12. FIGS. 2 and 3 are views of the housing 12 seen from the bottom side with the cover member 32 removed.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the housing 12 includes a housing member 30 and a cover member 32.

[0019] The housing member 30 can have a plate portion 34 and a standing wall 35. The plate portion 34 is a plate-shaped member that forms the Z1-side surface (surface 12a) of the housing 12. The standing wall 35 stands up in the Z2 direction from the outer peripheral edge portion of the plate portion 34. The standing wall 35 forms a part of the side surface 12c of the outer periphery of the housing 12. Thereby, the housing member 30 has a shallow bathtub shape as a whole.

[0020] An opening 36 for installing the touch pad 22 is formed in the plate portion 34. The touch pad 22 is fixed to the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30 (plate portion 34), and the operation surface 22a is exposed to the front surface 12a through the opening 36. That is, the touch pad 22 has the back surface 22b on the opposite side of the operation surface 22a disposed on the inner surface 30a side and exposed (see FIG. 3). A rectangular cutout or recess for installing the keyboard 20 is also formed in the plate portion 34. A concave hinge placement portion 34a for installing the hinge 16 is formed at the Y2 side edge portion of the plate portion 34 (see FIG. 2).

[0021] The cover member 32 is a plate-shaped member that is detachably connected to the housing member 30 and opens and closes the Z2 side opening of the housing member 30. The cover member 32 is connected to the housing member 30 by a detaching and attaching mechanism using, for example, screws and hooks. Wall portions that form the side surface 12c together with the standing walls 35 are also formed at the four peripheral edge portions of the cover member 32. Thus, the cover member 32 also has an overall shallow bathtub shape.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motherboard 24 is fixed to the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30. The motherboard 24 is a circuit board that serves as the main board of the electronic device 10. The motherboard 24 is disposed closer to the Y2 side of the housing 12 and extends in the X direction.

[0023] The cooling module 25 cools the CPU 24a and other components mounted on the motherboard 24. The cooling module 25 can have, for example, a pair of left and right fans 25a, 25a. The cooling module 25 can have a heat dissipation member or the like that absorbs and diffuses the heat of the CPU 24a and the like between the left and right fans 25a, 25a.

[0024] Antenna elements 28 and 29 are fixed to the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30 and connected to a communication module mounted on the motherboard 24. Antenna element 28 is, for example, a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) antenna. Antenna element 28 is installed, for example, at the left and right corners on the Y1 side of the housing member 30 and has an L-shape that wraps around each corner. Antenna element 29 is, for example, an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna. Antenna element 29 is installed, for example, on the X2 side of the touchpad 22.

[0025] The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that powers the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 can be made up of, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery. The battery device 26 is located near the Y1 side of the motherboard 24 and extends in the X direction.

[0026] Figure 4 is a view of the battery device 26 from the Z1 side. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the operation of attaching the battery device 26 shown in Figure 5 to the housing member 30.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the battery device 26 is detachably supported on the inner surface 30a side of the housing member 30 and covered by the cover member 32. The battery device 26 has a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, with a long overall length in the X direction, a short width in the Y direction, and flattened in the Z direction. The battery device 26 has an edge (one edge) 26a on the Y1 side and an edge (the other edge) 26b on the opposite side that extends over most of the total width of the housing 12 in the X direction.

[0028] The battery device 26 may include a cell 40, a sheet material 42, a metal plate 44, a connector 46, a hook portion 48, and a screw fastening portion 50.

[0029] The battery device 26 has a plurality of cells 40 connected to each other, and the cells 40 are wrapped in a sheet material 42. The sheet material 42 is a thin, insulating resin sheet. The resin material forming the sheet material 42 can be, for example, PC (polycarbonate) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The sheet material 42 also serves as a surface material for displaying, for example, the model number, specifications, characteristics, etc. of the battery device 26.

[0030] The metal plate 44 is a thin metal plate member made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS) or steel. The thickness of the metal plate 44 is, for example, about 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm. The battery device 26 is intended to be replaced by the user. The metal plate 44 is a protective member for protecting the battery device 26 during replacement or other similar procedures.

[0031] The metal plate 44 is provided on one side (Z1 side) 26c of the battery device 26, which is positioned facing the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30. The metal plate 44 has substantially the same outer shape as the side 26c and can be provided so as to cover substantially the entire surface 26c. The metal plate 44 increases the rigidity of the battery device 26. The metal plate 44 also prevents the cells 40 from being subjected to localized pressure by foreign matter that gets caught between the inner surface 30a and the side 26c when the battery device 26 is replaced.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the metal plate 44 in this embodiment can be covered and hidden inside the sheet material 42. In other words, the sheet material 42 encloses the cell 40 from above the metal plate 44. As a result, the battery device 26 employs a structure in which the metal plate 44 is not exposed on one side 26c.

[0033] A cutout hole 42a can be provided in a part of the sheet material 42. The cutout hole 42a is an opening that exposes a part of the metal plate 44 (gland portion 44a) on one surface 26c. The gland portion 44a is used to frame-gland the metal plate 44 and is located in a position that allows it to contact the conductive member 52, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the cutout hole 42a is provided near both the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the battery device 26, and is provided near the edge portion 26b in the short direction (Y direction). The cutout hole 42a can be formed, for example, in a strip shape that is long in the Y direction. Preferably, the cutout hole 42a and the gland portion 44a are located between the screw fastening portion 50 and the hook portion 48 in the Y direction.

[0034] The metal plate 44 may be attached to the sheet material 42 and left exposed. However, in this case, the metal plate 44 will be exposed over almost the entire surface 26c of one side of the battery device 26. Therefore, when handling the battery device 26, it may come into contact with other parts, and it becomes necessary to consider the possibility of short circuits or damage. For this reason, it is preferable to cover the metal plate 44 with the sheet material 42 and expose only the gland portion 44a through the cutout hole 42a.

[0035] The connector 46 serves as a contact point for electrically connecting the battery device 26 to the power components mounted on the motherboard 24. The connector 46 is provided, for example, near the center of the edge portion 26b and protrudes in the Y2 direction. As shown in Figure 3, the motherboard 24 is equipped with terminals 47 to which the connector 46 is connected. The connector 46 can be detachably connected to terminals 47 in the Z direction. The connector 46 can be configured, for example, as a comb-type connector with multiple comb teeth arranged in the X direction. The comb teeth are arranged in parallel in the X direction via slits at predetermined intervals, and terminals (contacts) that contact terminals 47 are provided between them. This allows the connector 46 to be connected to terminals 47 in the Z1 direction and detached from terminals 47 in the Z2 direction.

[0036] The hook portion 48 and the screw fastening portion 50 constitute a detachable mechanism for detachably supporting the battery device 26 to the housing member 30.

[0037] The hook portion 48 can be made of a small plate piece that protrudes in the Y1 direction from the Y1 side edge 26a of the battery device 26. Multiple hook portions 48 are provided so as to be aligned along the edge 26a. In this embodiment, four hook portions 48 are provided. The hook portions 48 can engage with and disengage from engagement holes 54a, which will be described later, provided on the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30. As a result, the hook portions 48 hold the battery device 26 against the housing member 30 and prevent the battery device 26 from rattling in the X and Z directions.

[0038] The screw fastening portion (fastening portion) 50 can be made up of a small tongue-shaped plate piece that protrudes in the Y2 direction from the Y2 side edge portion 26b of the battery device 26. Multiple screw fastening portions 50 are provided so as to be aligned along the edge portion 26b. In this embodiment, four screw fastening portions 50 are provided. Each screw fastening portion 50 can be aligned in the Y direction with each hook portion 48. The screw fastening portion 50 can be fastened together with the motherboard 24 with screws 60 to a boss portion 58, which will be described later, provided on the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30. In this way, the screw fastening portion 50 can fix the battery device 26 to the housing member 30.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30 can be provided with a conductive member 52, an engaged portion 54 with an engagement hole 54a, an inclined portion 56, and a boss portion 58. These are located in the portion covered by the battery device 26 and its surrounding area.

[0040] The conductive member 52 can be formed from a cushioning material such as a conductive sponge. In this embodiment, the conductive member 52 is a conductive gasket. The conductive member 52 is fixed to the inner surface 30a with double-sided adhesive tape or the like. The conductive member 52 contacts the metal plate 44, thereby grounding the metal plate 44 to the housing member 30 (frame ground).

[0041] In this embodiment, the conductive member 52 contacts the gland portion 44a of the metal plate 44 through the cutout hole 42a. Therefore, a pair of conductive members 52 are provided on the left and right so as to overlap vertically with the pair of left and right gland portions 44a. That is, the conductive members 52 are positioned closer to the edge portion 26b than the edge portion 26a, with reference to the position of the battery device 26 in a plan view of the inner surface 30a. Specifically, the conductive member 52 is located at a distance L in the Y2 direction from the opening end (Y2 side end) of the engagement hole 54a (see Figure 6). The conductive member 52 is positioned between the screw fastening portion 50 and the hook portion 48 in the Y direction. Each conductive member 52 can have a shape that matches the shape of each cutout hole 46a (gland portion 44a), for example, a rod shape that is long in the Y direction.

[0042] The arrangement and shape of the conductive member 52 and the ground portion 44a are not limited to those described above. However, it is preferable that the conductive member 52 be positioned so as not to overlap the touchpad 22 vertically. This is to prevent the touchpad 22 from being subjected to a load due to the repulsive force of the conductive member 52 pressed against the ground portion 44a, thereby affecting touch operability.

[0043] The engaged portion 54 is a receiving portion for engaging and disengaging the hook portion 48, and the same number of engaged portions 54 are provided as the number of hook portions 48. The engaged portion 54 can be shaped to protrude from the inner surface 30a toward the Z2 side, with an engagement hole 54a opening on the side facing the Y2 side. In other words, the engaged portion 54 can protrude from the inner surface 30a and have a hook shape facing the Y2 side so as to be able to engage with the hook portion 48. Each engaged portion 54 is provided so as to be aligned along the Y1 side edge of the inner surface 30a and faces each hook portion 48.

[0044] The inclined portion 56 is formed on the inner surface 30a and forms an inclined surface that gradually slopes toward the Z2 side toward the Y1 side. The inclined portion 56 is provided directly in front of each engaged portion 54 (on the Y2 side). As shown in Figure 5, when the battery device 26 is attached to the housing member 30, there is a gap C in the Z direction between one surface 26c and the inner surface 30a. The gap C is a gap to avoid interference with the various components and uneven shapes provided on the inner surface 30a, and is also the installation space for the conductive member 52. For this reason, the engagement hole 54a is positioned floating above (towards the Z2 side) the inner surface 30a. The inclined portion 56 forms a guide surface for easily engaging the hook portion 48 with the engagement hole 54a which is positioned floating above the inner surface 30a in this way. The inclined portion 56 may be omitted.

[0045] The boss portions 58 are for fastening the screw fastening portions 50, and there are the same number of boss portions 58 as there are screw fastening portions 50. The boss portions 58 are small-diameter cylindrical portions that are provided to stand upright from the inner surface 30a toward the Z2 side, and a female screw hole is formed at the center of the axis. Each boss portion 58 is provided so as to be aligned along the edge portion 26b on the Y2 side of the battery device 26, and overlaps each screw fastening portion 50 vertically. Screws 60 that are passed through holes 50a formed in the screw fastening portions 50 are fastened to the boss portions 58. In this embodiment, the motherboard 24 is sandwiched between the screw fastening portion 50 and the boss portions 58. In other words, the screws 60 can fasten the motherboard 24 and the screw fastening portions 50 together to the housing member 30. The motherboard 24 has holes 24b that communicate with the holes 50a and through which the screws 60 are passed.

[0046] Next, the battery replacement procedure for the battery unit 26 will be explained.

[0047] First, the procedure for removing the battery device 26 will be explained. When removing the battery device 26, the cover 14 should be closed to the surface 12a of the housing 12, and the electronic device 10 should be placed on a desk or other surface with the bottom surface 12b of the housing 12 facing upwards. The cover member 32 should be removed from the housing member 30. This will allow access to the battery device 26 (see Figures 2 and 5).

[0048] Next, after removing each screw 60, grasp the edge 26b of the battery device 26 and lift it upward (towards Z2). At this time, since the connector 46 is detachably connected to the terminal 47 in the Z direction, it can be easily detached from the terminal 47. Then move the battery device 26 diagonally upward towards the Y2 side. This will pull the hook portion 48 out of the engagement hole 54a, and the battery device 26 can be easily removed from the housing member 30.

[0049] Next, we will explain the procedure for installing a new battery unit 26 in place of the battery unit 26 that was removed as described above.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the battery device 26 is tilted with its edge 26b raised upward and the hook portion 48 facing downward. Next, the hook portion 48 is pushed into the engagement hole 54a. At this time, since there is an inclined portion 56 in front of the engagement hole 54a, the hook portion 48 can smoothly engage with the engagement hole 54a along the inclined portion 56.

[0051] In this case, the conductive member 52 is located at a distance L from the engagement hole 54a on the Y2 side (see Figure 6). Therefore, when the hook portion 48 engages with the engagement hole 54a along the inner surface 30a, it is avoided that it will catch on the conductive member 52. This prevents the hook portion 48 from unintentionally detaching the conductive member 52. Accordingly, it is preferable that the distance L is at least equal to the engagement distance (insertion distance) between the hook portion 48 and the engagement hole 54a. More preferably, if the distance L is, for example, twice the engagement distance or more, interference between the hook portion 48 and the conductive member 52 can be avoided even more reliably. The distance L can also be set to be at least longer than the Y-direction distance of the inclined portion 56. In addition, the distance L is also effective in preventing the conductive member 52 from detaching when the hook portion 48 is pulled out of the engagement hole 54a.

[0052] Next, the edge portion 26b is lowered. This places the screw-fastening portion 50 on the motherboard 24, and the hole portion 50a overlaps with the hole portion 24b. At this time, the conductive member 52 contacts the ground portion 44a of the metal plate 44 through the cutout hole 42a. Since the connector 46 is detachable from the terminal 47 in the Z direction, it is smoothly connected to the terminal 47.

[0053] The screw 60 is fastened to the boss portion 58 through the holes 50a and 24b (see Figure 5). This attaches the battery device 26 to the housing member 30, and the conductive member 52 is pressed against the gland portion 44a. Finally, the battery device 26 is installed by connecting the cover member 32 to the housing member 30.

[0054] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment includes a battery device 26 that is detachably supported on the inner surface 30a side of the housing member 30. The battery device 26 has a metal plate 44 on one surface 26c that faces the inner surface 30a side of the housing member 30. A conductive member 52 that contacts the metal plate 44 is provided on the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30.

[0055] Thus, the electronic device 10 is equipped with a metal plate 44 on one side 26c of the battery device 26. This allows for the protection of the replaceable battery device 26. In this case, the metal plate 44 is in contact with the conductive member 52 and frame-grounded when the battery device 26 is attached to the housing member 30. This prevents the metal plate 44, which is a conductor with a large surface area, from becoming electrically floating within the housing 12. As a result, it is possible to suppress the influence of noise and other factors on antenna elements 28 and 29 installed around the battery device 26, for example.

[0056] The battery device 26 may have an insulating sheet material 42 that covers at least one surface 26c of the metal plate 44. A cutout hole 42a can be provided in a part of the sheet material 42 to expose the metal plate 44 to the outside. This prevents the metal plate 44 from being exposed on the outer surface of the battery device 26. Moreover, the conductive member 52 can be reliably made electrical contact with the metal plate 44 through the cutout hole 42a.

[0057] In a plan view of the inner surface 30a of the housing member 30, the conductive member 52 can be positioned between the screw fastening portion 50 and the hook portion 48. This allows for more reliable contact between the conductive member 52 and the metal plate 44. Furthermore, the repulsive force from the conductive member 52, which is composed of, for example, a conductive gasket, can be reliably received by the screw fastening portion 50 and the hook portion 48, thereby suppressing the load on the cell 40 and the like.

[0058] 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]

[0059] 10 Electronic equipment 12 cabinets 14 Lid 22 Touchpads 26 Battery device 28,29 Antenna elements 30 Housing components 40 cells 42 Sheet material 44 Metal Plates 44a Ground Section 48 Hook section 50 Screw fastening part 52 Conductive members 54a Engagement hole

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, A housing member having an inner surface, A battery device detachably supported on the inner surface side of the housing member, Equipped with, The battery device has a metal plate on one side facing the inner surface of the housing member, A conductive member is provided on the inner surface of the housing member, which contacts the metal plate. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The battery device has an insulating sheet material that covers at least one surface from above the metal plate. A portion of the sheet material is provided with a cutout hole that exposes the metal plate. The conductive member contacts the metal plate through the cutout hole. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned battery device has a hook portion protruding from one edge, The inner surface of the housing member is provided with an engagement hole into which the hook portion can be engaged. In a plan view of the inner surface of the housing member, the conductive member is positioned closer to the other edge of the battery device, opposite to the one edge. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, The battery device has a screw fastening portion provided on the other edge side, In a plan view of the inner surface of the housing member, the conductive member is positioned between the screw fastening portion and the hook portion. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, The housing member supports a touchpad which is positioned to overlap vertically with a part of the battery device, The conductive member is positioned so as not to overlap the touchpad vertically. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

Images