electronic machinery

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device that can improve the communication characteristics of an antenna without reducing the heat dissipation performance of the cooling mechanism. [Solution] The electronic device comprises a hinge mechanism that rotatably connects a first housing and a second housing, a flexible substrate 20 provided across the first housing and the second housing, a cooling mechanism that discharges air from inside the second housing through an exhaust port, and an antenna provided on the second housing. The flexible substrate 20, the antenna, and the hinge mechanism are arranged in this order with reference to a first direction which is the axial direction of the hinge mechanism. The flexible substrate 20 has a flexible base material 23 and one or more conductive layers 24. At least one conductive layer 24 has a recess 61 formed on its side edge 25a facing the antenna by narrowing and bending, at least one of the two methods.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC includes, for example, a first housing equipped with a display and a second housing equipped with a motherboard, a cooling mechanism, etc. The first housing and the second housing are connected via a hinge mechanism. The electronic components in the first housing and the electronic components in the second housing are connected via a flexible printed board (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The cooling mechanism provided in the second housing discharges the air whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange with the CPU etc. from an exhaust port that opens at the rear end face of the second housing (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an electronic device, an antenna may be provided near the rear end portion of the second housing. In order to improve the communication characteristics of the antenna, it is desirable to arrange the antenna at a distance from the hinge mechanism and the flexible printed board. However, if the position of the flexible printed board in the left-right direction is adjusted to increase the distance from the antenna, the size of the exhaust port becomes insufficient, which may affect the exhaust heat performance of the cooling mechanism.

[0005] An aspect of the present invention aims to provide an electronic device capable of improving the communication characteristics of an antenna without degrading the exhaust heat performance of the cooling mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a first housing having a first base end and a first open end and mounting a first component; a second housing having a second base end and a second open end with an exhaust port formed thereon and mounting a second component; a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting the first base end and the second base end; a flexible substrate provided across the first housing and the second housing; a cooling mechanism provided in the second housing for releasing air from inside the second housing through the exhaust port; and an antenna provided near the second base end of the second housing, wherein the flexible substrate, the antenna, and the hinge mechanism are arranged in this order with respect to a first direction which is the axial direction of the hinge mechanism; the flexible substrate comprises a flexible base material and one or more conductive layers formed on the base material for electrically connecting the first component and the second component, and at least one of the conductive layers has a recess formed on its side edge facing the antenna by at least one of narrowing and bending.

[0007] Preferably, the first component is a display, the flexible substrate is a multilayer substrate having a first layer and a second layer, the conductive layer of the first layer includes a logic ground layer connected to the display, the conductive layer of the second layer includes a signal ground layer connected to the display, one end of the logic ground layer is electrically connected to the display and the other end is electrically connected to the signal ground layer.

[0008] The connection point between the logic ground layer and the signal ground layer is preferably located on the display side of the recess, with reference to the length direction of the flexible substrate.

[0009] Preferably, the conductive layer in which the recess is formed has a bent portion that is concave in a direction away from the antenna.

[0010] Preferably, two of the flexible substrates, antennas, and hinge mechanisms are provided spaced apart in the first direction, the exhaust port is formed between the two flexible substrates with respect to the first direction, the two antennas are provided outside the flexible substrates in the first direction, and the two hinge mechanisms are positioned slightly outside the antennas in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can improve the communication characteristics of an antenna without reducing the heat dissipation performance of the cooling mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a top view of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a top view showing the internal structure of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view showing the internal structure of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a bottom view showing the internal structure of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of a portion of the first flexible substrate of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a plan view of a portion of the second flexible substrate of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a plan view of a part of a flexible substrate related to the comparative configuration. [Figure 9] This is a graph showing the test results. [Figure 10] This is a graph showing the test results. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] An electronic device according to an embodiment will be described.

[0014] [Electronic device] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 includes a first housing 101, a second housing 102, two hinge mechanisms 110, two flexible substrates 20 (see FIG. 4), two antennas 30 (see FIG. 4), and a cooling mechanism 40 (see FIG. 4). The electronic device 100 is, for example, a notebook PC (PC: Personal Computer).

[0015] The first housing 101 is also called a display housing. The first housing 101 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. One of the ends of the first housing 101 is a first base end 101b. The end opposite to the first base end 101b is a first open end 101a. The first housing 101 mounts a display 103 (display unit) and a camera 104. The display 103 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (EL: Electro-Luminescence) display, or the like. The display 103 and the camera 104 are examples of "first components".

[0016] The second housing 102 is also called a system housing. The second housing 102 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. One of the ends of the second housing 102 is a second base end 102b. The end opposite to the second base end 102b is a second open end 102a.

[0017] The second housing 102 mounts a keyboard 107 and a touch pad 108. The second housing 102 houses electronic components such as a CPU, a memory, a motherboard, a battery, and a storage device. These electronic components are examples of "second components". The keyboard 107 and the touch pad 108 are examples of input units.

[0018] The positional relationships of each component of the second housing 102 are sometimes explained using the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. The X direction is the axial direction of the hinge mechanism 110. The Y direction is the direction connecting the second base end 102b and the second open end 102a of the second housing 102. The Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction. The Z direction is perpendicular to both the X and Y directions. Viewing from the Z direction is called a plan view. The +X side is one side of the X direction. The -X side is the side opposite to the +X side. The X direction is an example of the "first direction". The Y direction is an example of the "second direction".

[0019] The second housing 102 comprises a main housing portion 120 and a second cover plate 112. The second housing 102 is a flat plate-shaped case. The second housing 102 is made of, for example, metal, plastic, or the like.

[0020] The main housing portion 120 comprises a first cover plate 111, a pair of side plates 113, a front plate 114, and a rear plate 115. The first cover plate 111 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above. The pair of side plates 113 are formed on one and the other side edges of the first cover plate 111, respectively. The side plates 113 are formed perpendicular to the first cover plate 111. In this embodiment, the first cover plate 111 is the top plate.

[0021] The front plate 114 is formed on the front edge (second open end 102a) of the first cover plate 111. The rear plate 115 is formed on the rear edge (second base end 102b) of the first cover plate 111.

[0022] Multiple exhaust ports 116 are formed in the rear plate 115 (see Figure 4). The exhaust ports 116 are formed to penetrate the rear plate 115 in the thickness direction. The exhaust ports 116 are formed, for example, in a portion of the rear plate 115 that includes the center in the X direction. The exhaust ports 116 have, for example, multiple openings aligned in the X direction.

[0023] The second cover plate 112 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above. The second cover plate 112 faces the first cover plate 111 at a distance from it. When the second housing 102 is placed on the mounting surface, the second cover plate 112 faces the mounting surface. In this embodiment, the second cover plate 112 is the bottom plate.

[0024] The second housing 102 forms a storage space S1 (see Figure 4) between the first cover plate 111 and the second cover plate 112. The storage space S1 is the internal space of the second housing 102.

[0025] Figure 2 is a top view of the electronic device 100. Figure 3 is a top view showing the internal structure of the electronic device 100. Figure 3 is an internal structure diagram of the section indicated as A1 in Figure 2.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hinge mechanism 110 rotatably connects the first base end 101b of the first housing 101 and the second base end 102b of the second housing 102. Thus, the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are connected via the hinge mechanism 110. The first housing 101 becomes rotatable relative to the second housing 102 around the axis of rotation of the hinge mechanism 110.

[0027] Figure 4 is a bottom view showing the internal structure of the electronic device 100. Figure 5 is a bottom view showing the internal structure of the electronic device 100. Figure 5 is an internal structure diagram of the section shown as A2 in Figure 4.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the two hinge mechanisms 110 are spaced apart in the X direction. The two hinge mechanisms 110 are the first hinge mechanism 110A and the second hinge mechanism 110B, respectively. Each hinge mechanism 110 comprises a pivot shaft, a bearing, and a bracket. The pivot shaft extends in the X direction. The pivot shaft is inserted through a through hole in the bearing. The bracket is made of metal. The bracket is fixed to, for example, the second housing 102. The direction in which the two hinge mechanisms 110 move away from each other is outward in the X direction. The direction in which the two hinge mechanisms 110 move towards each other is inward in the X direction.

[0029] The two hinge mechanisms 110 (for example, brackets) are positioned, for example, slightly outward in the X direction relative to the antenna 30, with the X direction as the reference. That is, the two hinge mechanisms 110 are positioned slightly outward in the X direction relative to the antenna 30 when viewed from a second direction. More specifically, the first hinge mechanism 110A is positioned slightly -X relative to the first antenna 30A, with the X direction as the reference. The second hinge mechanism 110B is positioned slightly +X relative to the second antenna 30B, with the X direction as the reference.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the cooling mechanism 40 is mounted on the second housing 102. The cooling mechanism 40 comprises a heat diffusion member 41 and two fans 42. The heat diffusion member 41 has a metal plate 43 and a heat pipe 44. In a plan view, the metal plate 43 overlaps with a part of the motherboard 51 (second component). The CPU (not shown) on the motherboard 51 is located in a position that overlaps with the metal plate 43 in a plan view. The heat pipe 44 is provided on the lower surface of the metal plate 43. The metal plate 43 can exchange heat with the CPU and other components.

[0031] The two fans 42 are spaced apart in the X direction. In a plan view, the fans 42 are positioned outward in the X direction relative to the heat diffusion member 41. The fans 42 have outlets 42a that discharge air inward in the X direction. The air discharged from the outlets 42a of the fans 42 cools the heat diffusion member 41 by passing over its surface. The air whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange with the heat diffusion member 41 is discharged outside the second housing 102 through an exhaust port 116 formed in the rear plate 115.

[0032] Antenna 30 is mounted on the second housing 102. Antenna 30 is located near the second base end 102b of the second housing 102. The two antennas 30 are spaced apart in the X direction. The two antennas 30 are the first antenna 30A and the second antenna 30B, respectively. The first antenna 30A is, for example, the main antenna. The second antenna 30B is, for example, the auxiliary antenna. Antenna 30 is, for example, a slot antenna. The direction in which the two antennas 30 move away from each other is outward in the X direction. The direction in which the two antennas 30 move towards each other is inward in the X direction.

[0033] The two antennas 30 are positioned, for example, inward in the X direction relative to the hinge mechanism 110 (e.g., the bracket), with respect to the X direction. That is, the two antennas 30 are inward in the X direction relative to the hinge mechanism 110 when viewed from a second direction. More specifically, the first antenna 30A is on the +X side relative to the first hinge mechanism 110A, with respect to the X direction. The second antenna 30B is on the -X side relative to the second hinge mechanism 110B, with respect to the X direction.

[0034] The two antennas 30 are positioned on the outside of the X-direction relative to the flexible substrate 20 (the other side of the first direction), with respect to the X-direction. In other words, the two antennas 30 are on the outside of the X-direction relative to the flexible substrate 20 when viewed from the second direction. Specifically, the first antenna 30A is on the -X side relative to the first flexible substrate 20A, with respect to the X-direction. The second antenna 30B is on the +X side relative to the second flexible substrate 20B, with respect to the X-direction.

[0035] The two antennas 30 are positioned, for example, between the hinge mechanism 110 (e.g., a bracket) and the flexible substrate 20, with reference to the X direction. That is, the two antennas 30 are positioned between the hinge mechanism 110 and the flexible substrate 20 when viewed from a second direction. More specifically, the first antenna 30A is located between the first hinge mechanism 110A and the first flexible substrate 20A, with reference to the X direction. The second antenna 30B is located between the second hinge mechanism 110B and the second flexible substrate 20B, with reference to the X direction.

[0036] The two flexible substrates 20 are spaced apart in the X direction. The two flexible substrates 20 are the first flexible substrate 20A and the second flexible substrate 20B, respectively. The direction in which the two flexible substrates 20 are apart from each other is outward in the X direction. The direction in which the two flexible substrates 20 are moving towards each other is inward in the X direction.

[0037] The two flexible substrates 20 are positioned, for example, on the inside of the hinge mechanism 110 in the X direction (one side of the first direction) with respect to the X direction. That is, when viewed from the second direction, the two flexible substrates 20 are on the inside of the hinge mechanism 110 in the X direction. More specifically, the first flexible substrate 20A is on the +X side with respect to the first hinge mechanism 110A with respect to the X direction. The second flexible substrate 20B is on the -X side with respect to the second hinge mechanism 110B with respect to the X direction.

[0038] The two flexible substrates 20 are positioned outward in the X direction relative to the exhaust port 116, with respect to the X direction. In other words, the exhaust port 116 is positioned between the two flexible substrates 20, with respect to the X direction.

[0039] As mentioned above, the two antennas 30 are positioned slightly to the outside in the X direction relative to the flexible substrate 20. The two hinge mechanisms 110 are also positioned slightly to the outside in the X direction relative to the antennas 30. Therefore, the first flexible substrate 20A, the first antenna 30A, and the first hinge mechanism 110A are arranged in this order with respect to the X direction. The second flexible substrate 20B, the second antenna 30B, and the second hinge mechanism 110B are also arranged in this order with respect to the X direction.

[0040] Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of the first flexible substrate 20A. As shown in Figure 6, the first flexible substrate 20A is provided across the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 (see Figure 1). One end of the first flexible substrate 20A is electrically connected to a first component (for example, a display 103 (see Figure 1)) mounted on the first housing 101. The other end of the first flexible substrate 20A is electrically connected to a second component (for example, a motherboard 51 (see Figure 4)) mounted on the second housing 102. In this embodiment, the upper end of the first flexible substrate 20A in Figure 6 is connected to the first component. The lower end of the first flexible substrate 20A in Figure 6 is connected to the second component.

[0041] The first flexible substrate 20A is, for example, a multilayer substrate having a first layer 21 and a second layer 22. The first layer 21 comprises a first substrate 23 (substrate) and a plurality of conductive layers 24. The first substrate 23 is flexible. The first substrate 23 is formed in the form of a film or a sheet. The first substrate 23 is formed of, for example, polyimide, liquid crystal polymer, etc.

[0042] Multiple conductive layers 24 electrically connect a first component (e.g., a display 103) and a second component (e.g., a motherboard 51). One end of a conductive layer 24 is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the first component. The other end of a conductive layer 24 is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the second component. The conductive layer 24 is formed linearly from the first component to the second component. Multiple conductive layers 24 are arranged in the width direction (X direction) of the first flexible substrate 20A. The conductive layer 24 is made of a metal such as copper.

[0043] The multiple conductive layers 24 include a first conductive layer 25, a second conductive layer 26, a third conductive layer 27, and a logic ground layer 28. The first conductive layer 25 is the conductive layer 24 closest to the -X side. The first conductive layer 25 is the conductive layer 24 closest to the side edge 20a facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4). The first conductive layer 25 is, for example, a ground layer.

[0044] A recess 61 is formed on the -X side edge 25a of the first conductive layer 25 (the side edge facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). Preferably, the position of the recess 61 in the longitudinal direction of the first flexible substrate 20A is the position facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4).

[0045] The recess 61 has a first edge 61a, a side edge 61b, and a second edge 61c. The side edge 61b is parallel to the length direction of the first flexible substrate 20A. The first edge 61a extends from one end of the side edge 61b toward the -X side. The second edge 61c is inclined starting from the other end of the side edge 61b and gradually moving away from the first edge 61a toward the -X side. The recess 61 is formed by a trapezoidal cutout with the side edge 61b as the top base and the edge edges 61a and 61c as legs. The first edge 61a is, for example, perpendicular to the side edge 61b. The second edge 61c is inclined with respect to the side edge 61b at an angle greater than 90°. The recess 61 is formed to be concave toward the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)).

[0046] It can be said that the recess 61 is formed in the first conductive layer 25 by narrowing its width. Narrowing the width means making the line width narrower. It can also be said that the recess 61 is formed in the first conductive layer 25 by bending it in a concave shape towards the +X side.

[0047] The second conductive layer 26 is a ground layer connected to the display 103 (see Figure 1). The second conductive layer 26 is adjacent to the first conductive layer 25 on the +X side.

[0048] A recess 62 is formed on the -X side edge 26a of the second conductive layer 26 (the side edge facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). Preferably, the position of the recess 62 in the longitudinal direction of the first flexible substrate 20A is opposite to the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4).

[0049] The second conductive layer 26 has a bent portion 70. The bent portion 70 has an intermediate portion 72 along the side edge 61b of the recess 61, and inclined portions 71 and 73 extending toward the -X side from both ends of the intermediate portion 72 while moving away from each other. The bent portion 70 is formed by bending to become concave toward the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). The recess 62 is formed on the inner edge of the bent portion 70. It can be said that the recess 62 is formed on the side edge 26a of the second conductive layer 26 by bending to become concave toward the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)).

[0050] The intermediate portion 72 is narrower than the portion where the recess 62 is not formed. The second conductive layer 26 can be said to have formed the recess 62 by being bent concavely toward the +X side and being narrowed in width. The inclined portions 71 and 73 become narrower in width as they approach the intermediate portion 72.

[0051] The third conductive layer 27 is a power supply layer connected to the display 103. The third conductive layer 27 is adjacent to the second conductive layer 26 on the +X side.

[0052] A recess 63 is formed on the -X side edge 27a of the third conductive layer 27 (the side edge facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). Preferably, the position of the recess 63 in the longitudinal direction of the first flexible substrate 20A is the position facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4).

[0053] The third conductive layer 27 has a bent portion 80. The bent portion 80 has an intermediate portion 82 that runs along the intermediate portion 72 of the second conductive layer 26, and inclined portions 81 and 83 that move away from each other and toward the -X side from both ends of the intermediate portion 82. The bent portion 80 is formed by bending to become concave toward the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). The recess 63 is formed on the inner edge of the bent portion 80. It can be said that the recess 63 is formed on the side edge 27a of the third conductive layer 27 by bending to become concave toward the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)).

[0054] The intermediate portion 82 is narrower than the portion where the recess 63 is not formed. The third conductive layer 27 is bent in a concave shape toward the +X side and narrowed in width to form the recess 63. The inclined portions 81 and 83 become narrower as they approach the intermediate portion 82.

[0055] The logic ground layer 28 is provided to suppress voltage drop in the display 103. One end of the logic ground layer 28 is electrically connected to the display 103 (see Figure 1). The other end of the logic ground layer 28 is connected to the signal ground layer 29, which is a conductive layer of the second layer 22. Therefore, the logic ground layer 28 is electrically connected to a second component (e.g., the motherboard 51) via the signal ground layer 29.

[0056] The connection point C1 between the logic ground layer 28 and the signal ground layer 29 is located on the side of the display 103 relative to the recess 61, with reference to the length direction of the first flexible substrate 20A (closer to the display 103 than to the recess 61). Therefore, the logic ground layer 28 is not formed on the first layer 21 at the location corresponding to the recess 61.

[0057] No recess is formed on the -X side edge 23a of the first substrate 23 (the side edge facing the first antenna 30A (see Figure 4)). In other words, on the -X side edge of the first flexible substrate 20A, recesses are formed only in the conductive layer of the substrate and the conductive layer. This makes it possible to suppress the decrease in the bending characteristics of the first flexible substrate 20A in the portion where the recess 61 is formed. As a result, localized bending of the first flexible substrate 20A becomes less likely.

[0058] The second layer 22 comprises a second substrate (not shown) and a plurality of conductive layers (not shown). The second substrate is flexible. The second substrate is formed in the form of a film or a sheet. The conductive layers are made of a metal such as copper.

[0059] Multiple conductive layers electrically connect a first component (e.g., a display 103) and a second component (e.g., a motherboard 51). One end of a conductive layer is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the first component. The other end of a conductive layer is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the second component. The conductive layer is formed linearly from the first component to the second component. The multiple conductive layers include a signal ground layer 29.

[0060] The recesses 61-63 shown in Figure 6 can be said to be formed by both narrowing and bending of the conductive layer 24, but the recesses may also be formed by either narrowing or bending of the conductive layer 24. In other words, the recesses may be formed by at least one of narrowing or bending of the conductive layer.

[0061] Figure 7 is a plan view of a portion of the second flexible substrate 20B. As shown in Figure 7, the second flexible substrate 20B is provided across the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 (see Figure 1). One end of the second flexible substrate 20B is electrically connected to a first component mounted on the first housing 101 (for example, a camera 104 (see Figure 1)). The other end of the second flexible substrate 20B may be electrically connected to various sensors mounted on the first housing 101. The other end of the second flexible substrate 20B is electrically connected to a second component mounted on the second housing 102 (for example, a motherboard 51 (see Figure 4)). In this embodiment, the upper end of the second flexible substrate 20B in Figure 7 is connected to the first component. The lower end of the second flexible substrate 20B in Figure 7 is connected to the second component.

[0062] The second flexible substrate 20B comprises a base material 123 and a plurality of conductive layers 124. The base material 123 is flexible. Multiple conductive layers 124 electrically connect a first component (e.g., a camera 104) and a second component (e.g., a motherboard 51). One end of each conductive layer 124 is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the first component. The other end of each conductive layer 124 is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the second component. The conductive layers 124 are formed linearly from the first component to the second component.

[0063] The multiple conductive layers 124 include a first conductive layer 125. The first conductive layer 125 is the conductive layer 124 furthest to the +X side. The first conductive layer 125 is the conductive layer 124 closest to the side edge 20b facing the second antenna 30B (see Figure 4). The first conductive layer 125 is, for example, a signal ground layer.

[0064] A recess 161 is formed on the +X side edge 125a of the first conductive layer 125 (the side edge facing the second antenna 30B (see Figure 4)). Preferably, the position of the recess 161 in the longitudinal direction of the second flexible substrate 20B is opposite to the second antenna 30B (see Figure 4).

[0065] The recess 161 has a first edge 161a, a side edge 161b, and a second edge 161c. The side edge 161b is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second flexible substrate 20B. The first edge 161a extends from one end of the side edge 161b toward the +X side. The second edge 161c is inclined starting from the other end of the side edge 161b and gradually moving away from the first edge 161a toward the +X side. The recess 161 is formed by a trapezoidal cutout with the side edge 161b as the top base and the edges 161a and 161c as legs. The first edge 161a is, for example, perpendicular to the side edge 161b. The second edge 161c is inclined with respect to the side edge 161b at an angle greater than 90°. The recess 161 is formed to be concave on the -X side (away from the second antenna 30B (see Figure 4)).

[0066] It can be said that the recess 161 is formed in the first conductive layer 125 by narrowing its width. It can also be said that the recess 161 is formed in the first conductive layer 125 by bending it in a concave shape towards the -X side. Furthermore, the recess may be formed by either narrowing the conductive layer or bending it. In other words, the recess may be formed by at least one of narrowing the conductive layer or bending it.

[0067] No recess is formed on the +X side edge 123a of the first substrate 123 (the side edge facing the second antenna 30B (see Figure 4)). Therefore, on the +X side edge of the second flexible substrate 20B, recesses are formed only in the conductive layer of the substrate and the conductive layer. This suppresses the decrease in the bending characteristics of the second flexible substrate 20B in the portion where the recess 161 is formed. As a result, localized bending of the second flexible substrate 20B becomes less likely.

[0068] [Effects of the electronic device according to this embodiment] In the electronic device 100 according to this embodiment, recesses 61 to 63 are formed on the -X side edge of the conductive layer 24 (25, 26, 27) in the first flexible substrate 20A by narrowing its width and bending it. Therefore, the electromagnetic influence of the conductive layer 24 on the first antenna 30A is suppressed, and the communication characteristics of the first antenna 30A can be improved. In the second flexible substrate 20B, a recess 161 is formed on the +X side edge of the conductive layer 124 by narrowing its width and bending it. Therefore, the electromagnetic influence of the conductive layer 124 on the second antenna 30B is suppressed, and the communication characteristics of the second antenna 30B can be improved. Consequently, the distance between the two flexible substrates 20 can be increased. Therefore, the exhaust port 116 can be made larger, and the heat dissipation performance can be improved. In this way, the electronic device 100 can improve the communication characteristics of the antenna 30 without reducing the heat dissipation performance of the cooling mechanism 40.

[0069] In the electronic device 100, the logic ground layer 28 is connected to the signal ground layer 29. Therefore, the position of the logic ground layer 28 can be easily adjusted.

[0070] In the electronic device 100, the connection point C1 between the logic ground layer 28 and the signal ground layer 29 is located on the display 103 side of the recess 61, allowing the depth dimension of the recess 61 to be increased. Therefore, the communication characteristics of the antenna 30 can be improved.

[0071] Since the conductive layer 24 (25-27) is formed with a curve that is concave on the +X side (away from the first antenna 30A), the depth dimension of the recesses 61-63 can be increased. Therefore, the communication characteristics of the antenna 30 can be improved.

[0072] Since the electronic device 100 is provided with two flexible circuit boards 20 and two antennas 30, the functionality of the electronic device 100 can be enhanced.

[0073] Figure 8 is a plan view of a portion of the flexible substrate 220 relating to the comparative configuration. As shown in Figure 8, the flexible substrate 220 has a base material 223 and a plurality of conductive layers 224. The conductive layers 224 include a first conductive layer 225, a second conductive layer 226, a third conductive layer 227, and a logic ground layer 228. No recesses are formed in the conductive layers 225 to 227.

[0074] The second conductive layer 226 is adjacent to the first conductive layer 225 on the +X side. The third conductive layer 227 is adjacent to the second conductive layer 226 on the +X side. The logic ground layer 228 is adjacent to the third conductive layer 227 on the +X side. One end of the logic ground layer 228 is electrically connected to the display 103 (see Figure 1). The other end of the logic ground layer 228 is electrically connected to a second component (e.g., the motherboard 51). Therefore, the logic ground layer 228 is formed along the entire length of the flexible substrate 220.

[0075] In the flexible substrate 220 of the comparative form, the logic ground layer 228 is located in the same position as the conductive layers 225-227, so there is not much space available, and it is not easy to narrow the width of the conductive layers 225-227 or to bend them.

[0076] (Examples) As shown in Figures 6 and 7, an electronic device was fabricated using a flexible substrate 20 having recesses in the conductive layer 24. The gains of the first antenna 30A (MAIN) and the second antenna 30B (AUX) of this electronic device were investigated. The results for the first antenna 30A (MAIN) are shown in Figure 9. The results for the second antenna 30B (AUX) are shown in Figure 10.

[0077] (Comparative example) As shown in Figure 8, an electronic device similar to the example was fabricated, except that no recesses were formed in the conductive layer 224. The gains of the first antenna 30A (MAIN) and the second antenna 30B (AUX) were investigated for this electronic device. The results for the first antenna 30A (MAIN) are shown in Figure 9. The results for the second antenna 30B (AUX) are shown in Figure 10.

[0078] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, it was confirmed that excellent antenna characteristics were obtained in the embodiment.

[0079] The specific configuration of this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and also includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. The configurations described in the embodiments described above can be combined in any way.

[0080] In the electronic device 100 shown in Figure 1, there are two hinge mechanisms 110, but the number of hinge mechanisms 110 may be one or multiple (any number of two or more). In the electronic device 100 shown in Figure 1, there are two antennas 30, but the number of antennas 30 may be one or multiple (any number of two or more).

[0081] The first flexible substrate 20A shown in Figure 6 has multiple conductive layers 24, but the number of conductive layers may be one or multiple (any number of two or more). The first flexible substrate 20A shown in Figure 6 is a multilayer substrate having a first layer 21 and a second layer 22, but the flexible substrate may also be a single-layer substrate. If the flexible substrate is a multilayer substrate, the number of layers may be multiple (any number of two or more). [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 20...Flexible substrate, 21...First layer, 22...Second layer, 23...First base material (base material), 24...Conductive layer, 25...First conductive layer (conductive layer), 26...Second conductive layer (conductive layer), 27...Third conductive layer (conductive layer), 28...Logic ground layer, 29...Signal ground layer, 30...Antenna, 40...Cooling mechanism, 51...Motherboard (second component), 61, 62, 63, 161...Recess, 70, 80...Bend, 100...Electronic device, 101...First housing, 101a...First open end, 101b...First base end, 102...Second housing, 102a...Second open end, 102b...Second base end, 103...Display (first component), 104...Camera (first component), 110...Hinge mechanism, 116...Exhaust port, 123...Base material, C1...Connection point

Claims

1. A first housing having a first base end and a first open end, and on which a first component is mounted, A second housing having a second base end and a second open end with an exhaust port formed therein, and a second housing on which a second component is mounted, A hinge mechanism that rotatably connects the first base end and the second base end, A flexible circuit board is provided across the first housing and the second housing, A cooling mechanism provided in the second housing, which discharges air from inside the second housing through the exhaust port, An antenna provided near the second base end of the second housing, Equipped with, The flexible substrate, the antenna, and the hinge mechanism are arranged in this order with reference to the first direction, which is the axial direction of the hinge mechanism. The aforementioned flexible substrate is A flexible base material, The substrate has one or more conductive layers formed thereon that electrically connect the first component and the second component, At least one of the conductive layers has a recess formed on its side edge facing the antenna by at least one of narrowing and bending. electronic equipment.

2. The first component is a display, The flexible substrate is a multilayer substrate having a first layer and a second layer. The conductive layer of the first layer includes a logic ground layer connected to the display, The conductive layer of the second layer includes a signal ground layer connected to the display, One end of the logic ground layer is electrically connected to the display, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal ground layer. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The connection point between the logic ground layer and the signal ground layer is located on the display side of the recess, with reference to the length direction of the flexible substrate. The electronic device according to claim 2.

4. The conductive layer in which the recess is formed has a bent portion that is concave in a direction away from the antenna. The electronic device according to claim 1.

5. The flexible substrate, the antenna, and the hinge mechanism are each provided in pairs, spaced apart in the first direction. The exhaust port is formed between the two flexible substrates with reference to the first direction, The two antennas are provided on the outside in the first direction relative to the flexible substrate, The two hinge mechanisms are positioned slightly outward in the first direction relative to the antenna. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images