Electronic devices

Abstract

To provide an electronic device that can achieve miniaturization through a simple configuration. [Solution] An electronic device 1 comprising a case 2, a circuit board 100 provided inside the case 2, and a connector 50 mounted on the circuit board 100, wherein the case 2 is made of resin in the area where the mounting pins 50a of the connector 50 face each other, and the other parts are made of metal.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device including a printed wiring board on which an electronic component and a connector are mounted, and a case that accommodates the printed wiring board. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-327643 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In an electronic device in which a connector is mounted on a substrate, when the case is made of metal, it has been necessary to ensure a sufficiently large separation distance between the mounting pin of the connector and the metal case to prevent electrical short-circuiting between the mounting pin of the connector and the metal case. However, ensuring a large separation distance between the mounting pin and the metal case results in an increase in the size of the entire electronic device.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device that can achieve size reduction with a simple configuration. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a case; a substrate provided inside the case; and a connector mounted on the substrate, wherein in the case, a portion facing the mounting pins of the connector is made of resin, and other portions are made of metal. [[Effect of the Invention]]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can achieve miniaturization with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the electronic device relating to this disclosure, viewed from below. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of electronic devices according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims. For the sake of clarity, the description of components having the same reference numeral as components already described in the description of embodiments will be omitted. Also, for the sake of clarity, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of the components. In Figure 1, etc., U, D, R, L, F, and B indicate directions in the electronic device 1, where U is up, D is down, R is to the right, L is to the left, F is forward, and B is to the rear.

[0010] The electronic device 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the electronic device 1 according to this disclosure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. The electronic device 1 according to this disclosure is, for example, a servo amplifier.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electronic device 1 comprises a rectangular case 2, a connector 50, a circuit board 100, and an electronic component 110. In Figure 1, the circuit board 100 is not visible and is therefore shown with a dashed line. Also, the electronic component 110 is omitted from the illustration in Figure 1. Case 2 is a box-shaped component capable of housing at least a portion of the circuit board 100, electronic components 110, and connector 50. Case 2 comprises a metal case 10 made of metal and a resin case 20 made of resin. Case 2 is constructed by fitting the metal case 10 and the resin case 20 together and fixing them in place. Therefore, the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment are provided with a surface made of metal and a surface made of resin. The metal case 10 and the resin case 20 may be fixed together by screws or the like.

[0012] The metal case 10 is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the left and right directions, and is a component that forms the lower and rear surfaces of the case 2. The metal case 10 has a substrate mounting portion 11 that protrudes upward from the lower surface on the inner circumference and supports the substrate 100. Although not shown in Figure 2, the metal case 10 has multiple substrate mounting portions 11. The resin case 20 is a component that constitutes part of the top surface, front surface, and left and right sides of the case 2. The resin case 20 has side members 21 that constitute part of the top surface and left and right sides of the case 2, and a cover member 22 that constitutes the front surface of the case 2. The side members 21 are fixed to the metal case 10. The cover member 22 is fitted and fixed to the side members 21. The cover member 22 has an opening 22a for exposing the connector 50.

[0013] As shown in Figure 2, a circuit board 100 and electronic components 110 are provided inside the case 2. The circuit board 100 is a resin printed circuit board with a pattern formed on its surface. The circuit board 100 has a mounting surface 100a, and the electronic components 110 and connector 50 are mounted on the mounting surface 100a. The circuit board 100 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the case 2. In this embodiment, the circuit board 100 is fixed to a circuit board mounting portion 11 provided on the metal case 10. For example, the circuit board 100 is fixed by inserting screws that pass through the circuit board 100 into the circuit board mounting portion 11, which has screw holes.

[0014] Electronic component 110 comprises a first electronic component 111 and a second electronic component 112. The first electronic component 111 generates more heat than the second electronic component 112. The first electronic component 111 is, for example, a power conversion unit that converts an input voltage to a desired output voltage. A power conversion unit refers to an electronic component that has switching elements such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), capacitors, transformers, diodes, etc. The second electronic component 112 generates less heat than the first electronic component 111. The second electronic component 112 is, for example, a resistor. In the following description, the first electronic component 111 and the second electronic component 112 may be collectively referred to as "electronic component 110".

[0015] The connector 50 is a component that protrudes from the inside of the case 2 toward the outside, and to which wires and the like can be connected from the outside. The electronic device 1 has multiple connectors 50. The connectors 50 are electrically connected to the circuit board 100.

[0016] Next, the manner of mounting the electronic component 110 and the connector 50 to the substrate 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electronic device 1 according to the present disclosure as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the connector 50 is attached to the substrate 100 by mounting pins 50a. Similarly to the connector 50, the first electronic component 111 is attached to the substrate 100 by mounting pins 111a. Further, the second electronic component 112 is attached to the substrate 100 by mounting pins 112a. The term "mounting pins" as used herein refers to terminal pins for electrically connecting the connector 50 and the electronic component 110 to the substrate 100. Note that the connector 50 and the electronic component 110 may be provided with fixing pins for fixing the connector 50 and the electronic component 110 to the substrate 100.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the mounting pins 50a of the connector 50 are provided at a position facing the cover member 22 in the resin case 20. In other words, the case 2 is made of resin at a position facing the position where the mounting pins 50a of the connector 50 are attached.

[0018] In the electronic device 1, when the case 2 is made of metal, there is a risk of electrical short circuit between the electronic component 110 mounted inside the electronic device 1 and the case 2. In particular, since mechanical strength is required for mounting the mounting pins 50a, it is necessary to fix the mounting pins 50a to the substrate with a sufficient amount of solder. However, in order to apply a sufficient amount of solder to the mounting pins 50a, the mounting pins 50a need to be lengthened. Therefore, for the long mounting pins 50a that require mechanical strength, the length of the portions of the mounting pins 50a protruding from the back surface of the substrate becomes large. Therefore, it was necessary to ensure a large separation distance between the long mounting pins 50a, which require mechanical strength for mounting, and the metal case 10 in order to prevent electrical short circuit. On the other hand, if a large separation distance between the mounting pins 50a and the metal case 10 is ensured, there arises a problem that the size of the case 2 increases.

[0019] According to the configuration of the present disclosure, a portion of case 2 that faces the mounting pin 50a of connector 50 is formed of resin. This prevents electrical short-circuiting even when case 2 and mounting pin 50a are close to each other. Furthermore, since the separation distance between case 2 and mounting pin 50a can be reduced, the overall size of electronic device 1 can be reduced.

[0020] Note that, portions of case 2 other than the portion that faces the mounting pin 50a of connector 50 may be formed of metal. In other words, for case 2, it is sufficient that at least the portion facing the mounting pin 50a of connector 50 is formed of resin.

[0021] The electronic device 1 according to the present disclosure is particularly suitable when a first electronic component 111, which is at least part of an electronic component 110 and serves as a power conversion unit, is mounted on a substrate 100. When a power conversion unit is provided in the electronic device 1, the interior of case 2 needs to be electromagnetically shielded. In this case, for electromagnetic shielding purposes, case 2 needs to be formed of metal. According to the electronic device 1 of the present disclosure, electrical short-circuiting between connector 50 and case 2 can be prevented even in an electronic device 1 including a power conversion unit that requires adoption of a metal case 10. Furthermore, according to the electronic device 1 of the present disclosure, the overall size of electronic device 1 can be reduced. Note that, when a power conversion unit is provided in the electronic device 1, it is sufficient that case 2 is formed of metal to an extent that enables electromagnetic shielding. In other words, even when a power conversion unit is provided in the electronic device 1, it is not necessary to form the entire case 2 from metal.

[0022] Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to this disclosure, the back surface of the mounting surface 100a of the substrate 100 is positioned facing the case 2. In other words, in the direction normal to the mounting surface 100a of the substrate 100, the distance between the back surface of the mounting surface 100a of the substrate 100 and the case 2 is shorter than the distance between the mounting surface 100a of the substrate 100 and the case 2. With this configuration, the substrate 100 and the case 2 can be brought closer together. This allows for effective use of the internal space of the case 2, increasing the design flexibility for the arrangement of components inside the case 2, and also enabling miniaturization of the electronic device 1 as a whole.

[0023] Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to this disclosure, the metal case 10 may also function as a heat sink that efficiently dissipates heat emitted from the electronic components 110 to the outside. With the above configuration, heat inside the electronic device 1 can be efficiently dissipated to the outside. The metal case 10 may have heat dissipation fins or irregularities for heat dissipation on its outer surface to allow for more efficient dissipation of heat inside the case 2. In addition, the metal case 10 and the resin case 20 may be provided with through holes connecting the inside and outside of the case 2 in order to efficiently dissipate heat inside the case 2 to the outside.

[0024] Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to this disclosure, the first electronic component 111, which generates more heat than the second electronic component 112, may be provided in a position facing the metal case 10. In the embodiment described above, the heat generated by the first electronic component 111 is greater than that of the second electronic component 112. Furthermore, the first electronic component 111 is mounted on the substrate 100 in a position facing the metal case 10. With this configuration, the heat generated by the first electronic component 111 can be efficiently dissipated to the outside through the metal case 10.

[0025] Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to this disclosure, the first electronic component 111 and the second electronic component 112 do not necessarily have to be attached by mounting pins that penetrate the substrate 100. For example, the first electronic component 111 and the second electronic component 112 may be attached to the surface of the substrate 100 by soldering.

[0026] Figure 4 shows an electronic device 1B according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, in the electronic device 1B according to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the first electronic component 111 (first electronic component 111B), which generates more heat than the second electronic component 112, is mounted on the back surface of the mounting surface 100a of the substrate 100. With this configuration, the distance between the first electronic component 111B and the metal case 10 can be shortened, so that the heat generated by the first electronic component 111B can be efficiently dissipated. It is preferable that the first electronic component 111B is a component of the first electronic component 111 that generates a particularly large amount of heat. With this configuration, the component that generates more heat than others can be brought closer to the metal case 10, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency. It is also preferable that the first electronic component 111B is a component of the first electronic component 111 that has a short height dimension. With this configuration, even if the first electronic component 111B is mounted on the back surface of the mounting surface 100a, the distance between the back surface of the mounting surface 100a and the case 2 in the direction normal to the substrate 100 can be shortened. This allows for effective use of the internal space of case 2, increasing design flexibility regarding the placement of components inside case 2, and also enabling miniaturization of the entire electronic device 1.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the metal case 10 has a projection 12 that protrudes upward from the lower surface on the inner circumference at a position facing the first electronic component 111B. With this configuration, the distance between the first electronic component 111B and the metal case 10 can be shortened, so that the heat emitted from the first electronic component 111B can be efficiently dissipated. The projection 12 may also be provided so as to be in contact with the first electronic component 111B. With this configuration, the heat emitted by the first electronic component 111B can be efficiently dissipated. Furthermore, the projection 12 may be configured to support the substrate 100, or to fix the substrate 100.

[0028] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1, 1B Electronic equipment 2 cases 10 Metal Cases 11. Mounting section for circuit board 12 Protrusion 20 resin cases 21 Side part 22 Cover section 22a opening 50 connectors 50a, 111a, 112a Mounting pins 100 circuit boards 100a Mounting surface 110 Electronic Components 111, 111B First electronic parts 112 Second electronic components

Claims

1. The case and A circuit board provided inside the aforementioned case, The aforementioned substrate has a connector mounted on it, The case is an electronic device in which the part where the mounting pins of the connector face each other is made of resin, and the other parts are made of metal.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a power conversion unit is mounted on the aforementioned substrate.

3. The substrate has a mounting surface on which the connector is mounted, The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back surface of the mounting surface of the substrate is arranged to face the case.

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