Opening and closing structure of the opening

Abstract

The present invention provides an opening / closing structure that minimizes the risk of magnet demagnetization during use and reliably maintains the opening / closing state. [Solution] The opening / closing member 11 of the opening 3 is equipped with a magnetic material 23 and has an operating part 13 that moves along the second recess 10 of the housing and an opening / closing part 12 that moves along the first recess 9 of the housing and opens and closes the opening 3. First and second magnets 21 and 22 are provided at positions on the housing corresponding to the open and closed positions of the opening / closing member. When the opening / closing member is in the open position, the magnetic force of the first magnet acts predominantly on the magnetic material to fix the opening / closing member in the open position, and when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, the magnetic force of the second magnet acts predominantly on the magnetic material to fix the opening / closing member in the closed position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing structure that opens and closes an opening formed in a housing by means of an opening / closing member that slides along the surface of the housing. [Background Art]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an electronic device provided with a shutter that opens and closes a camera via a sliding mechanism. This electronic device comprises: a slider displaceable between a first position and a second position; a shielding cover provided on the slider, which is arranged at a position covering the front of the camera when the slider is at the first position, and arranged at a position avoiding the front of the camera when the slider is at the second position; a movable magnet 54 provided on the slider; and a fixed magnet 56 provided on the housing. A total of four poles of magnets 56a to 56d are arranged along the X direction for the fixed magnet 56, and two magnets 54a and 54b are arranged along the X direction for the movable magnet 54. The width L21 of the magnets 56a and 56d is narrower than the width L22 of the magnets 56b and 56c; the magnets 56a and 56b have the same width and are wider than the width L21 of the magnets 56a and 56d; and the width L1 of the movable magnet 54 is not more than 1 / 2 of the width L2 of the fixed magnet 56. According to this invention, a larger sliding amount can be achieved while suppressing the overall width of the mechanism.

[0003] Patent Document 2 below discloses an invention for a cover to prevent peeping and surreptitious filming using a webcam installed on another person's computer. This cover consists of a base component 1, which is made of a metal material that is attracted to magnets and has a shooting hole 4 that exposes the lens, installed in front of the lens 3 of the webcam installed on the computer, and a cover component 2 made of a permanent magnet which is attached to the base component 1. When the cover component 2 is attached to the base component 1 and covers the lens 3, filming becomes impossible, and when the cover component 2 is slid on the base component 1 to expose the lens 3, filming becomes possible. According to this invention, the cover component 2 does not require a mechanism such as a pivot shaft for sliding, and the disadvantage of deformation or breakage can be eliminated by using a thin material with strength. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7555508 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-180970 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] According to the invention of Patent Document 1, both the fixed magnet and the movable magnet are multi-pole magnets, each having multiple combinations of north and south poles, making them expensive. Furthermore, when the slider slides, the fixed magnet and the movable magnet, being multi-pole magnets, pass each other, creating a risk of demagnetization due to the influence of opposite magnetic fields.

[0006] According to the invention of Patent Document 2, the cover component is held in front of the shooting hole by the attractive force generated by the combination of a cover component made of a magnet and a base component made of a magnetic material. However, there is a problem in that there is a risk that the cover may fall off or shift from its position in front of the hole if an unintended external force is applied to the cover component after it has been held in place.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the conventional technology described above and its problems, and aims to provide an opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing that reduces manufacturing costs by using relatively inexpensive magnets, minimizes the risk of magnet demagnetization during use, and reliably maintains the open or closed state of the opening by fixing the opening and closing member that opens and closes the opening in a predetermined position using the attractive force of the magnet and a guide structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The opening and closing structure described in claim 1 is An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A magnet provided in the housing so as to correspond to one of the open position and the closed position, A magnetic body provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that the magnetic force from the magnet provided at a position corresponding to the open position or closed position set on the opening / closing member acts predominantly; It is characterized by having the following features.

[0009] The opening and closing structure described in claim 2 is An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A first magnet is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the open position, A second magnet is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the closed position, A magnetic body is provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that when the opening / closing member is in the open position, the magnetic force of the first magnet is dominant, and when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, the magnetic force of the second magnet is dominant; It is characterized by having the following features.

[0010] The opening and closing structure described in claim 3 is, In the opening and closing structure of the opening according to claim 2, The device is characterized in that, by operating the operating unit to move the opening / closing member, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material alternates between the magnetic force of the first magnet and the magnetic force of the second magnet.

[0011] The opening and closing structure described in claim 4 is In the opening and closing structure of the opening according to claim 3, When the opening / closing member is in the open position, the opening / closing member becomes fixed to the housing due to the magnetic force of the first magnet. A key feature is that when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, the opening / closing member becomes fixed to the housing due to the magnetic force of the second magnet.

[0012] The opening and closing structure described in claim 5 is In the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 4, The housing comprises a first surface on which the opening is provided, and a second surface intersecting the first surface. The opening / closing part is a plate-shaped member disposed on the guide structure of the first surface so as to be movable along a direction parallel to the first surface, The operation part is disposed on the guide structure of the second surface so as to be movable along a direction parallel to the second surface, which direction is parallel to the moving direction of the opening / closing part.

[0013] The opening / closing structure for an opening according to claim 6, In the opening / closing structure for an opening according to claim 5, The guide structure has a first recess provided on the first surface, and a second recess provided on the second surface so as to communicate with the first recess, When the opening / closing member is at the open position, the opening / closing part is close to one edge of the first recess, and the operation part abuts against one edge of the second recess, When the opening / closing member is at the closed position, the opening / closing part is close to the other edge of the first recess, and the operation part abuts against the other edge of the second recess.

[0014] The opening / closing structure for an opening according to claim 7, An opening / closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, comprising: an opening / closing member that includes an operation part moved along a guide structure of the housing by being operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in accordance with movement of the operation part, the opening / closing member moving between an open position for opening the opening and a closed position for closing the opening; a magnetic body provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to one of the open position and the closed position; a magnet provided at a predetermined position of the opening / closing member such that a magnetic force dominantly acts on the magnetic body provided at a position corresponding to the set open position or closed position of the opening / closing member; characterized by comprising:

[0015] The opening / closing structure for an opening according to claim 8, An opening / closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, wherein an opening / closing member comprising: an operation section that moves along a guide structure of the housing by being operated from outside the housing; and an opening / closing section that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in accordance with movement of the operation section, the opening / closing member moving between an open position where the opening is opened and a closed position where the opening is closed; a first magnetic body provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the open position; a second magnetic body provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the closed position; a magnet provided at a predetermined position of the opening / closing member, wherein magnetic force acts predominantly on the first magnetic body when the opening / closing member is at the open position, and magnetic force acts predominantly on the second magnetic body when the opening / closing member is at the closed position; characterized by comprising: Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the opening / closing structure for an opening set forth in claim 1, when the operation section of the opening / closing member is operated from outside the housing and moved along the guide structure of the housing, the opening / closing section of the opening / closing member moves along the guide structure of the housing between the open position and the closed position of the opening in the housing, so that the opening / closing operation of the opening can be easily performed. In this arrangement, when a magnet is provided at a position corresponding to the open position of the housing, placing the opening / closing member at the open position causes magnetic force from the magnet to predominantly act on the magnetic body provided on the opening / closing member, whereby the opening / closing member can be stably fixed at the open position. Further, when a magnet is provided at a position corresponding to the closed position of the housing, placing the opening / closing member at the closed position causes magnetic force from the magnet to predominantly act on the magnetic body provided on the opening / closing member, whereby the opening / closing member can be stably fixed at the closed position.

[0017] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 2, when the operating part of the opening and closing member is operated from outside the housing and moved along the guide structure of the housing, the opening and closing part of the opening and closing member moves along the guide structure of the housing between the open position and the closed position of the opening of the housing, so that the opening and closing operation of the opening can be easily performed. Here, when the opening and closing member is set in the open position, the magnetic force of the first magnet acts predominantly on the magnetic material provided on the opening and closing member, and the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the open position. Also, when the opening and closing member is set in the closed position, the magnetic force of the second magnet acts predominantly on the magnetic material provided on the opening and closing member, and the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the closed position.

[0018] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 3, in the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 2, by operating the operating part to move the opening and closing member between the open position and the closed position, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material of the opening and closing member can be switched between the magnetic force of the first magnet and the magnetic force of the second magnet. Therefore, when the opening is opened using the operating part, as the opening and closing member approaches the open position, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material switches from the second magnet to the first magnet, and the force acting in the direction of moving the opening and closing member to the open position becomes stronger. As a result, the operator can feel the sensation of moving the opening and closing member to the open position and reliably move the opening and closing member to the open position. Similarly, when the opening is closed using the operating part, as the opening and closing member approaches the closed position, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material switches from the first magnet to the second magnet, and the force acting in the direction of moving the opening and closing member to the closed position becomes stronger. As a result, the operator can feel the sensation of moving the opening and closing member to the closed position and reliably move the opening and closing member to the closed position.

[0019] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 4, in the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 3, when the opening and closing member is moved to the open position, the opening and closing member is fixed to the housing by the magnetic force of the first magnet, and the opening is held in an open state. Furthermore, when the opening and closing member is moved to the closed position, the opening and closing member is fixed to the housing by the magnetic force of the second magnet, and the opening is held in a closed state.

[0020] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 5, in the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 4, an opening and closing member having an integrated operating part and opening and closing part can be placed on a guide structure formed continuously on the first and second surfaces of the housing that intersect with each other, and move along the surfaces. That is, when the operating member is moved along the guide structure in a direction parallel to the second surface, the plate-shaped opening and closing part can move along the guide structure in a direction parallel to the first surface, which is parallel to the direction in which the operating part moves.

[0021] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 6, in the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 5, the housing has a first recess provided on the first surface as a guide structure and a second recess provided on the second surface so as to be connected to the first recess, and the opening and closing member can slide between an open position and a closed position within these two continuous recesses. When the opening and closing member is in the open position, the opening and closing part is close to one edge of the first recess but does not make contact, and the operating part abuts against one edge of the second recess and is fixed in position. When the opening and closing member is in the closed position, the opening and closing part is close to the other edge of the first recess but does not make contact, and the operating part abuts against the other edge of the second recess and is fixed in position.

[0022] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 7, when the operating part of the opening and closing member is operated from outside the housing and moved along the guide structure of the housing, the opening and closing part of the opening and closing member moves along the guide structure of the housing between the open position and the closed position of the opening of the housing, so that the opening and closing operation of the opening can be easily performed. Here, if a magnetic material is provided at a position corresponding to the open position of the housing, when the opening and closing member is set to the open position, the magnet provided on the opening and closing member exerts a dominant magnetic force on the magnetic material, so that the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the open position. Also, if a magnetic material is provided at a position corresponding to the closed position of the housing, when the opening and closing member is set to the closed position, the magnet provided on the opening and closing member exerts a dominant magnetic force on the magnetic material, so that the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the closed position.

[0023] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening described in claim 8, when the operating part of the opening and closing member is operated from outside the housing and moved along the guide structure of the housing, the opening and closing part of the opening and closing member moves along the guide structure of the housing between the open position and the closed position of the opening of the housing, so that the opening and closing operation of the opening can be easily performed. Here, when the opening and closing member is set in the open position, the magnet provided on the opening and closing member exerts a dominant magnetic force on the first magnetic material, and the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the open position. Also, when the opening and closing member is set in the closed position, the magnet provided on the opening and closing member exerts a dominant magnetic force on the second magnetic material, and the opening and closing member can be stably fixed in the closed position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electronic device, which is an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] In the electronic device of the embodiment, the diagram shows the state in which the opening / closing member of the opening is in the open position, wherein Figure (a) is a front view of the opening / closing structure of the opening, and Figure (b) is a rear view of the opening / closing structure of the opening. [Figure 3] In the electronic device of the embodiment, the diagram shows the state in which the opening / closing member of the opening is in the closed position, wherein Figure (a) is a front view of the opening / closing structure of the opening, and Figure (b) is a rear view of the opening / closing structure of the opening. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of Figure 2(b). [Figure 5] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing a portion of the cross-section along the AA cutting line. [Figure 6] Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view along the BB cutting line. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the first and second magnets of the housing and the magnetic material of the opening / closing member of the electronic device of the embodiment, when the opening / closing member is in the open position, and the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member by the magnetic material is indicated by arrows. [Figure 8]This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the first and second magnets of the housing and the magnetic material of the opening / closing member of the electronic device of the embodiment, when the opening / closing member is in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions, and the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member by the magnetic material is indicated by arrows. [Figure 9] This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the first and second magnets of the housing and the magnetic material of the opening / closing member of the electronic device of the embodiment, when the opening / closing member is in a position between the open and closed positions and approaching the closed position, and the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member by the magnetic material is indicated by arrows. [Figure 10] This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the first and second magnets of the housing and the magnetic material of the opening / closing member of the electronic device of the embodiment, when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, and the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member by the magnetic material is indicated by arrows. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] An embodiment of the opening and closing structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. First, the general configuration of the electronic device 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Then, the configuration of the opening and closing structure of the opening 3 in the housing 2 of the electronic device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Furthermore, the operation and effect of the opening and closing structure will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10.

[0026] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the security electronic device 1 according to this embodiment, viewed from the front. This electronic device 1 is equipped with a rectangular, thin, panel-shaped housing 2. The housing 2 is composed of a front housing 2a and a rear housing 2b, which are arranged and integrally connected in the front-to-back direction (i.e., the depth direction) of the housing 2, as indicated by the arrow on the right side of the figure (see also Figure 5). For convenience, the depth direction of the housing 2 is referred to as the front-to-back direction, while the lateral direction of the housing 2, indicated by the arrow in the figure as viewed from the front of the electronic device 1, i.e., the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, will be referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0027] The housing 2 of the electronic device 1 shown in Figure 1 contains a circuit board with electronic circuits, a display and operation device with a display screen, and a camera, among other things. Although not clearly shown in Figure 1, the front housing 2a is frame-shaped, and the display and operation screen of the display and operation device inside the housing 2 is mounted in a rectangular opening in the center of its front. A transparent rectangular glass front panel 4 is provided on the front of the front housing 2a, covering the display and operation screen and the front housing 2a, and the display and operation screen can be viewed as a rectangular display and operation area 5 through this front panel 4. In addition, the camera lens 6 is visible through a round opening 3 (details will be described later) formed in the front housing 2a at the top of the front housing 2a on the rear side of the front panel 4. The camera body inside the housing 2 is omitted from the drawing.

[0028] This camera is used for purposes such as facial recognition of the person using the electronic device 1, and when the camera is not in use, it is necessary to physically cover the camera's field of view to prevent unintended shooting for the purpose of protecting privacy. On the other hand, when performing facial recognition, if the camera's field of view is even partially obstructed, the accuracy of facial recognition will decrease, so it is also necessary to ensure that the camera is completely open and unobstructed. For these purposes, the opening and closing structure of the embodiment is characterized by having a sliding opening and closing mechanism that can be set to a state in which the opening 3 of the housing 2, behind which the camera lens 6 is located, is completely open, and can also be set to a state in which it is completely closed.

[0029] Figure 2 shows the circular opening 3 of the front housing 2a, which the lens 6 is visible through in Figure 1, in an open state. Diagram (a) is a front view of the front housing 2a, and diagram (b) is a rear view of the front housing 2a. The position of the opening / closing member 11 (details of its structure will be described later) shown in Figure 2, which opens the opening 3, is called the open position. Conversely, Figure 3 shows the circular opening 3 of the front housing 2a in a closed state. Diagram (a) is a front view of the front housing 2a, and diagram (b) is a rear view of the front housing 2a. The position of the opening / closing member 11 shown in Figure 3, which closes the opening 3, is called the closed position. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of Figure 2(b). Note that Figures 2 to 4 omit the illustration of the front glass 4, and each part is shown in a larger size than in Figure 1.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front housing 2a has a front surface 7 as a first surface with a circular opening 3, and a top surface 8 as a second surface that intersects the front surface 7 at a right angle (see also Figures 5 and 6).

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front surface 7 of the front housing 2a is provided with a first recess 9, which is a guide structure for the opening and closing member 11 described later. The first recess 9 has an upper recess 9a which is an inverted triangle with a relatively large depth, a lower recess 9b which is a roughly elongated rectangle with a relatively small depth and rounded on both sides, and an inclined recess 9c which is continuous with the upper recess 9a and the lower recess 9b and has a gradually changing depth (see also Figure 6).

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper surface 8 of the front housing 2a has a second recess 10 that is continuous with the first recess 9 (upper recess 9a). Its length in the left-right direction is slightly less than half the maximum length of the upper recess 9a in the left-right direction, and it is positioned in the center of the upper recess 9a in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the maximum length of the upper recess 9a of the first recess 9 in the left-right direction is about 90 mm, and the length of the second recess 10 in the left-right direction is about 45 mm. In contrast, the depth of the first recess 9 and the second recess 10 is about half the thickness of the front housing 2a, roughly 2 to 3 mm. Therefore, the first recess 9 and the second recess 10 have a structure that can be called a stepped portion or recessed portion, with a small depth compared to its area.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an opening / closing member 11 is provided in the first recess 9 and the second recess 10 of the front housing 2a so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The opening / closing member 11 includes an opening / closing section 12 for opening and closing the opening 3, and an operating section 13 for moving the opening / closing section 12 in the left-right direction (see also Figures 5 and 6).

[0034] The opening / closing section 12 has an inverted triangular upper plate section 12a and a substantially circular lower plate section 12b integrally provided below the upper plate section 12a, and is positioned within the first recess 9 so as to be movable along the left-right direction. The outer shape of the upper plate section 12a is similar to the inner shape of the first recess 9, but its dimensions are slightly smaller, and its thickness is slightly less than the depth of the first recess 9 and the inclined recess 9c. The outer diameter of the substantially circular lower plate section 12b is sized to sufficiently cover the opening 3 formed in the first recess 9, and its thickness is slightly less than the depth of the lower recess 9b of the first recess 9. Of the opening / closing section 12, the circular lower plate section 12b opens and closes the opening 3 of the front housing 2a. In the drawings, the opening 3 of the front housing 2a is shown, but as mentioned earlier, the camera inside the housing 2 is omitted from the drawings, and the camera lens 6 provided close to the opening 3 inside the housing 2 is also omitted from the drawings except in Figure 1.

[0035] The operating section 13 is integrally formed with the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing section 12 and is positioned within the second recess 10 of the upper surface 8 so as to be movable along the left-right direction parallel to the upper surface 8. The upper surface 8 of the operating section 13 is provided with a serrated portion 14 to prevent slipping when operating with a finger.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 to 4 and Figure 6, a small rectangular through-hole 15 is provided in the center of the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing section 12, and a locking portion 16 that protrudes toward the front housing 2a is provided on the lower edge of the through-hole 15. A barb is provided at the tip of this locking portion 16. In addition, a continuous through-guide groove 17 is formed in the front housing 2a at a position corresponding to the locking portion 16 in the left-right direction. The locking portion 16 is inserted through the guide groove 17 and slidably engages with the upper edge of the guide groove 17 with its barb. Therefore, the opening / closing member 11 is assembled in a state that prevents it from falling off the front housing 2a and from floating toward the front side due to the function of the locking portion 16. However, it is possible to remove the opening / closing member 11 from the front housing 2a by deforming the locking portion 16 within its elastic range and disengaging the barb from the guide groove 17.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 to 4 and Figure 6, cylindrical guide bosses 18 are provided at the center of the upper plate portion 12a on the rear side of the opening / closing portion 12, on both sides of the locking portion 16 in the left-right direction. These pair of guide bosses 18, 18 are inserted through the guide groove 17 of the front housing 2a and protrude to the rear side of the front housing 2a. The outer diameter of the guide bosses 18 is slightly smaller than the vertical width of the guide groove 17, and therefore the guide bosses 18 are in a state where they can slide against the lower edge of the guide groove 17 under the weight of the opening / closing member 11.

[0038] The distance between the two guide bosses 18 shown in Figures 2 to 4 in the left-right direction is the distance traveled when the opening / closing member 11 moves back and forth in the left-right direction to open and close the opening 3, that is, the length (stroke, which is 20 mm in this example, as will be described later) of the operating part 13 to slide and move the opening / closing member 11 back and forth. The length of the guide groove 17 in the left-right direction is set to be about twice the stroke in order to allow movement of the opening / closing member 11 with the open position and closed position as its ends.

[0039] Therefore, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the open position and the opening 3 is open, as shown in Figure 2(a), when viewed from the front, the operating part 13 is in contact with one of the right edges of the second recess 10, and as shown in Figures 2(b) and 4, when viewed from the rear, the left guide boss 18 is in contact with the left end of the guide groove 17. Furthermore, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the closed position and the opening 3 is closed, as shown in Figure 3(a), when viewed from the front, the operating part 13 is in contact with the other left edge of the second recess 10, and as shown in Figure 3(b), when viewed from the rear, the right guide boss 18 is in contact with the right end of the guide groove 17.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, a locking piece 19 is provided at the lower end of the lower plate portion 12b of the opening / closing section 12 so as to protrude diagonally downward toward the rear side. This protruding piece is slidably engaged with a locking groove 2020 provided on the lower edge of the front housing 2a, as shown in Figure 6.

[0041] As described above, in the opening / closing section 12, a pair of guide bosses 18, 18 and a locking section 16 are slidably engaged with the guide groove 17 of the front housing 2a in the upper plate section 12a, and a locking piece 19 is slidably engaged with the locking groove 20 of the front housing 2a in the lower plate section 12b. Therefore, the opening / closing member 11 can be slid arbitrarily within the length range of the second recess 10 in the left-right direction relative to the front housing 2a by operating the operating section 13 with a finger or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, the opening and closing structure of this embodiment also includes a structure for smoothly sliding the opening and closing member 11 with minimal frictional resistance, which will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Note that while Figure 5 shows the front glass 4, Figure 6 omits its illustration.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a gap C1 is provided between the inner surface of the second recess 10 on the upper surface 8 of the front housing 2a and the operating part 13 of the opening / closing member 11. In other words, the operating part 13 is floating above the second recess 10. Also, as shown in Figure 6, a gap C2 is provided between the inner surface of the first recess 9 (upper recess 9a) on the front surface 7 of the front housing 2a and the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11. In other words, the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11 is floating above the first recess 9. However, the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11 does not protrude beyond the upper recess 9a of the front housing 2a and does not come into contact with the inner surface of the front glass 4 that covers the front side of the front housing 2a in Figure 6 (see Figure 5).

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the lower plate portion 12b of the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11 is thinner than other parts, resulting in a smaller plate thickness, and a gap C3 is provided so as not to come into contact with the bottom surface of the lower recess 9b of the front housing 2a. Furthermore, since the lower plate portion 12b is housed within the lower recess 9b of the front housing 2a and does not protrude forward, it does not come into contact with the inner surface of the front glass 4 (not shown).

[0045] In this manner, the opening / closing member 11 has a vertical position defined by a pair of guide bosses 18, 18 on the upper plate portion 12a contacting the guide groove 17 of the front housing 2a, and a locking piece 19 on the lower plate portion 12b being locked into the locking groove 20 of the front housing 2a. As a result, the operating part 13 of the opening / closing member 11 can maintain a gap C1 (see Figures 5 and 6) between itself and the inner surface of the second recess 10, the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing member 11 can maintain a gap C2 (see Figure 6) between itself and the inner surface of the first recess 9 (upper recess 9a), and the lower plate portion 12b of the opening / closing member 11, being thin, can maintain a gap C3 (see Figure 6) between itself and the bottom surface of the lower recess 9b of the front housing 2a, and does not come into contact with the inner surface of the front glass 4. Therefore, when the user operates the control unit 13 with their finger to slide the opening / closing member 11 in the left-right direction, the opening / closing member 11 is guided by the front housing 2a with low contact resistance, so the movement of the opening / closing member 11 is smooth and stable.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(a), when the opening / closing member 11 is in the open position, the opening / closing part 12 is close to one edge of the first recess 9 but does not make contact, and its position is defined by the operating part 13 abutting against one edge on the right side of the second recess 10. Also, as shown in Figure 3(a), when the opening / closing member 11 is in the closed position, the opening / closing part 12 is close to the other edge on the left side of the first recess 9 but does not make contact, and its position is defined by the operating part 13 abutting against the other edge on the left side of the second recess 10.

[0047] Therefore, the positioning of the opening / closing member 11 is determined solely by the relationship between the first recess 9 and the operating part 13, and the plate-shaped opening / closing part 12, which has a relatively larger surface area than the operating part 13, does not participate in the positioning. For this reason, when the opening / closing member 11 is manufactured by resin molding, high precision is not required for molding the opening / closing part 12, which makes manufacturing easier.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the opening and closing structure of the opening 3 in the embodiment is provided with a first magnet 21 and a second magnet 22 on the front housing 2a, and a magnetic material 23 on the opening and closing member 11, as means for fixing the opening and closing member 11 in the open and closed positions.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 are provided on the rear side of the uppermost part of the first recess 9 of the front housing 2a, and are fixed at two positions spaced apart in the left-right direction in which the opening / closing member 11 moves. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the magnet closer to the opening / closing member 11 in the open position is called the first magnet 21, and as shown in Figure 3, the magnet closer to the opening / closing member 11 in the closed position is called the second magnet 22.

[0050] The magnetic material 23 is shown as a hidden line (dashed line) in Figures 2 and 3, and is located at the center in the left-right direction on the rear side of the uppermost part of the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing member 11. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the open position, the magnetic material 23 is positioned so that a portion of each is facing the first magnet 21 with the front surface 7 (first recess 9) of the front housing 2a in between, and as shown in Figure 6, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the closed position, the magnetic material 23 is positioned so that a portion of each is facing the second magnet 22 with the front surface 7 (first recess 9) of the front housing 2a in between.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 are magnets that have only one combination of north poles and south poles. The south poles of the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 are positioned in contact with the rear side of the front housing 2a, and the north poles are positioned further from the magnetic material 23 of the opening / closing member 11 in the front-to-back direction than the south poles. The reason why the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 are positioned with the same polarity facing the same direction, with the north and south poles aligned in the front-to-back direction, is to prevent demagnetization of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) due to the sliding motion of the remanently magnetized magnetic material. Furthermore, the embodiment in which the north and south poles are aligned in the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the left-to-right direction in which the opening / closing member 11 slides, has a stronger attractive force on the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) compared to the case in which the north and south poles are aligned in the left-to-right direction, making it more convenient for fixing the position of the opening / closing part 12.

[0052] More specific details regarding the dimensions of the first magnet 21, the second magnet 22, and the magnetic material 23 will be mentioned in the explanation of the operation and effects of the opening and closing structure, which will be done by referring to Figures 7 to 10.

[0053] In Figure 5, the front glass 4 provided on the front side of the electronic device 1 (see Figure 1) is shown. As explained earlier, the opening / closing member 11 is housed within the first recess 9 and does not protrude, so the sliding opening / closing member 11 does not come into contact with the inner surface of the front glass 4 and does not obstruct the movement of the opening / closing member 11.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, on the upper plate portion 12a of the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11, a groove portion 24 with a rectangular cross-section is provided along the left-right direction at a position slightly below the height where the magnetic material 23 is provided, and on the back of the front glass 4 opposite this, a strip-shaped shielding member 25 with a rectangular cross-section that is continuous in the left-right direction is provided. Because there is a tiny gap between the sliding operation part 13 or opening / closing part 12 and the front glass 4, dust may enter from here. For this reason, a shielding member 25 is provided directly below this gap, between the opening / closing member 11 and the front glass 4 to prevent dust from entering (or to hold the dust that has entered), and a groove portion 24 is provided on the opening / closing member 11 so that the sliding opening / closing member 11 and the shielding member 25 do not interfere with each other, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the display operation screen of the display operation device of the electronic device 1 and reducing visibility without impairing the sliding function of the opening / closing member 11. The shielding member 25 can be made of sponge or the like.

[0055] Referring to Figures 7 to 10, we will explain the more specific sizes and relative arrangements of the first magnet 21, the second magnet 22, and the magnetic material 23 in the opening / closing structure, as well as their functions and effects.

[0056] Figure 7 shows the state in which the opening / closing member 11 is in the open position (State 1). The first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 have dimensions of 4.5 x 15 mm, and the distance between them is 27 mm. The magnetic material 23 (indicated as an iron plate in the figure) has dimensions of 21.7 x 3 mm. The stroke of the operating section 13 is 20 mm. The overlapping length of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) and the first magnet 21 in the left-right direction is 7.65 mm. Note that the first magnet 21 and the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) are in different positions in the front-to-back direction, which is the depth direction in the figure, so the overlapping parts are not in contact.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the open position, the magnetic force from the first magnet 21 predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23. That is, the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the first magnet 21 (rightward arrow) is at its maximum and is greater than the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the second magnet 22 (leftward arrow). As a result, the position of the opening / closing member 11 is defined by the operating part 13 contacting one of the right edges of the second recess 10, and it is fixed in that position with the maximum attractive force. In other words, the opening / closing member 11 is locked to the front housing 2a and fixed in the open position.

[0058] Figure 8 shows the state in which the opening / closing member 11 is in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position (State 1-1). The distance between the first magnet 21 and the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) and the gap between the second magnet 22 and the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) are the same, which is 2.65 mm. The stroke from the edge of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) to the center point of the first magnet 21 (here meaning the distance the operating part 13 has moved from the open position) is 10 mm.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, when the opening / closing member 11 is in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions, the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the first magnet 21 (rightward arrow) and the magnitude of the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the second magnet 22 (leftward arrow) become the same, resulting in a net effect of zero.

[0060] When the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) of the opening / closing member 11 is positioned midway between the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22, the two magnets 21 and 22 and the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) are arranged such that there is a 2.65 mm gap between the two magnets and the magnetic material 23. This gap reduces the attractive force between the two magnets 21 and 22 and the magnetic material 23 (iron plate), enabling smooth sliding operation. In an arrangement without this gap, the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) would be attracted to the two magnets 21 and 22, requiring a large force to separate them, making sliding operation difficult.

[0061] Figure 9 shows the opening / closing member 11 approaching the second magnet 22 from a position midway between the open and closed positions shown in Figure 8, so that the left end of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) and the right end of the second magnet 22 coincide in the left-right direction (State 1-2).

[0062] The stroke from the right end of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) to the center point of the first magnet 21 (here, this means the distance the operating part 13 has moved from the open position) is 12.5 mm. Furthermore, the distance required for the opening / closing member 11 to reach the closed position is 7.65 mm, which is the distance at which the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) and the second magnet 22 should overlap in the closed position.

[0063] As shown in Figure 9, when the opening / closing member 11 moves beyond the center position, as it moves to the left, the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 by the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) by the second magnet 22 (leftward arrow) becomes greater than the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 by the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the first magnet 21 (rightward arrow). In other words, the leftward attractive force becomes stronger and the rightward attractive force becomes weaker, so the opening / closing member 11 moves to the left without moving the operating part 13 with a finger. This state is called the state in which the magnetic force from the second magnet 22 predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23 (iron plate).

[0064] Figure 10 shows the state in which the opening / closing member 11 is in the closed position (State 2). The overlapping length in the left-right direction between the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) and the second magnet 22 is 7.65 mm. The stroke of 20 mm is the distance that the operating part 13 moves from the open position of the opening / closing member 11, which was in contact with one edge on the right side of the second recess, to the closed position of the opening / closing member 11, which was in contact with the other edge on the left side of the second recess.

[0065] As shown in Figure 10, when the opening / closing member 11 is in the closed position, the magnetic force from the second magnet 22 predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23. That is, the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the second magnet 22 (leftward arrow) is at its maximum and is greater than the attractive force acting on the opening / closing member 11 due to the magnetic force acting on the magnetic material 23 by the first magnet 21 (rightward arrow). As a result, the position of the opening / closing member 11 is defined by the operating part 13 contacting the other left edge of the second recess 10, and it is fixed in that position with the maximum attractive force. In other words, the opening / closing member 11 is locked to the front housing 2a and fixed in the closed position.

[0066] It goes without saying that the dimensions and arrangement of magnets and magnetic materials in the embodiments described above are merely examples.

[0067] According to the opening and closing structure of the opening 3 as described above, when the operating part 13 of the opening / closing member 11 is operated from outside the housing 2 and moved along the second recess 10 of the housing 2, the opening / closing part 12 of the opening / closing member 11 can slide smoothly along the first recess 9 of the housing 2 with little frictional resistance between the open position and the closed position, making it easy to open and close the opening 3. When moving the opening / closing member 11 between the open position and the closed position, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23 alternates between the magnetic force of the first magnet 21 and the magnetic force of the second magnet 22, with the intermediate position between the open position and the closed position as the boundary. Therefore, the operator operating the operating part 13 can feel the sensation of opening or closing the opening 3 with their fingertips. When the opening / closing member 11 is set in the open position, the magnetic force of the first magnet 21 predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23 set on the opening / closing member 11, and the opening / closing member 11 can be securely fixed in the open position. Furthermore, when the opening / closing member 11 is set to the closed position, the magnetic force from the second magnet 22 predominantly acts on the magnetic material 23 set on the opening / closing member 11, ensuring that the opening / closing member 11 is securely fixed in the closed position.

[0068] In the embodiment described above, the first magnet 21 and the second magnet 22 were fixed to the front housing 2a, and the magnetic material 23 was attached to the movable opening / closing member 11. With this configuration, since the iron plate is lighter than the magnet for the same volume, it is advantageous that the operation of moving the opening / closing member 11 can be performed more easily. In addition, in the numerical example of the embodiment, the volume of the magnetic material 23 (iron plate) is also smaller. Furthermore, demagnetization does not occur as in the invention of Patent Document 1 mentioned above. However, even if the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material are fixed to the same position on the front housing 2a, respectively, and one magnet is attached to the opening / closing member 11, substantially the same effect as the embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, in this case, since there is one heavy magnet and two relatively light magnetic materials (iron plates), the overall weight can be reduced.

[0069] In the embodiment described above, due to the structure in which the operating unit 13 slides horizontally on the upper surface 8 of the housing 2, it was necessary to set an open position and a closed position at both ends in the left-right direction on the upper surface 8 of the housing 2, and to securely fix the opening / closing member 11 with magnetic force at both positions. This is why two magnets were used. However, the opening / closing structure of the opening 3 is not necessarily required to be provided on the upper surface 8 and front surface 7 of the housing 2, and may be provided, for example, on the side surface and front surface 7 of the housing 2. In this case, the operating unit 13 will have a structure that slides vertically on the side surface of the housing 2, and an open position and a closed position will be set at both ends in the vertical direction on the side surface of the housing 2. In this case, for example, if the upper side in the vertical direction is set as the open position and the lower side as the closed position, when setting the opening / closing member 11 to the closed position, gravity acts vertically downward on the opening / closing member 11, so there is no need to use a magnet to exert a downward attractive force on the magnetic material 23 of the opening / closing member 11 and fix the opening / closing member 11 to the closed position, and a magnet only needs to be provided on the open position side. In other words, the opening / closing member 11 may be provided with a magnetic material 23, and only one magnet may be provided in the housing 2 at the necessary locations. Alternatively, if there is one magnet and one magnetic material 23, the opening / closing member 11 may be provided with a magnet and the housing 2 may be provided with a magnetic material 23.

[0070] Furthermore, the electronic device is merely an example, and the use of the housing is not limited. Also, the opening / closing structure can be any structure that has the function of opening and closing an opening, regardless of its use or purpose. In the embodiment, the purpose was to shield or open the field of view of a camera mounted on an electronic device, but the purpose of providing an opening that opens and closes with an opening / closing structure is not particularly limited.

[0071] Furthermore, the enclosure provided with the opening and closing mechanism is not limited to a panel shape as in the embodiment. It may be a box shape, which is the general meaning of the term enclosure, or it may be a base or object having an outer surface where at least two planes intersect. For example, it may be a structure or object in which a step is provided in a part of a wall where two planes intersect. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1...Electronic equipment 2…Cabinet 2a…Previous cabinet 2b... Rear cabinet 3…Aperture 7…The front as the first surface 8…The upper surface as the second surface 9... The first recess is a guide structure. 9a…Upper recess 9b...Lower recess 9c... Inclined recess 10... The second recess is a guide structure. 11…Opening / closing member 12…Opening / Closing Section 12a... Upper plate section 12b…Lower plate part 13...Operation unit 16… Locking part 17… Guide groove 18... Guide Boss 21…First Magnet 22…Second Magnet 23...Magnetic material

Claims

1. An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A magnet provided in the housing so as to correspond to one of the open position and the closed position, A magnetic body provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that the magnetic force from the magnet provided at a position corresponding to the open position or closed position set on the opening / closing member acts predominantly; An opening and closing structure characterized by comprising the following features.

2. An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A first magnet is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the open position, A second magnet is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the closed position, A magnetic body is provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that when the opening / closing member is in the open position, the magnetic force of the first magnet is dominant, and when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, the magnetic force of the second magnet is dominant; An opening and closing structure characterized by comprising the following features.

3. The opening and closing structure for an opening according to claim 2, characterized in that by operating the operating part to move the opening and closing member, the magnetic force that predominantly acts on the magnetic material alternates between the magnetic force of the first magnet and the magnetic force of the second magnet.

4. When the opening / closing member is in the open position, the opening / closing member becomes fixed to the housing due to the magnetic force of the first magnet. The opening and closing structure for an opening according to claim 3, characterized in that when the opening and closing member is in the closed position, the opening and closing member is fixed to the housing by the magnetic force of the second magnet.

5. The housing comprises a first surface on which the opening is provided, and a second surface intersecting the first surface. The opening and closing portion is a plate-shaped member arranged on the guide structure of the first surface so as to be movable along a direction parallel to the first surface, The opening and closing structure for an opening according to claim 4, characterized in that the operating part is arranged on the guide structure of the second surface so as to be movable along a direction parallel to the second surface which is parallel to the direction in which the opening and closing part moves.

6. The guide structure has a first recess provided on the first surface and a second recess provided on the second surface so as to be connected to the first recess. When the opening / closing member is in the open position, the opening / closing portion is close to one edge of the first recess, and the operating portion is in contact with one edge of the second recess. The opening and closing structure for an opening according to claim 5, characterized in that when the opening and closing member is in the closed position, the opening and closing portion is close to the other edge of the first recess, and the operating portion is in contact with the other edge of the second recess.

7. An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A magnetic body provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to one of the open position and the closed position, A magnet provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that magnetic force predominantly acts on the magnetic material provided at a position corresponding to the open position or closed position set on the opening / closing member, An opening and closing structure characterized by comprising the following features.

8. An opening and closing structure for an opening provided in a housing, The device comprises an operating part that moves along a guide structure of the housing when operated from outside the housing, and an opening / closing part that opens and closes the opening by moving along the guide structure in conjunction with the movement of the operating part, and an opening / closing member that moves between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed, A first magnetic material is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the open position, A second magnetic material is provided at a predetermined position of the housing corresponding to the closed position, A magnet is provided at a predetermined position on the opening / closing member such that when the opening / closing member is in the open position, a magnetic force predominantly acts on the first magnetic material, and when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, a magnetic force predominantly acts on the second magnetic material. An opening and closing structure characterized by comprising the following features.

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