Electronics, removal screws, and cover removal instructions

Abstract

To provide electronic equipment which can have preferable appearance, comprises a cover and a housing and enables the cover to be properly removed from the cover.SOLUTION: Electronic equipment 10 comprises: a cover 18A which is fixed to a first housing 12A by an adhesive tape 58 arranged along the edge of the first housing 12A; a female screw hole 52 formed in a side wall 40a; and a projected portion 54 which is projected from an inner surface 18Ac of the cover 18A. The projected portion 54 is positioned at an extention of the female screw hole 52, and includes an inclined surface 54b in which a projection amount is increased toward a direction separated from a side wall 40c. A removal screw 70 includes: a head 70a; a male screw portion 70b which is projected from the head 70a, and is threadedly engaged with the female screw hole 52; a columnar portion 70c which has a diameter smaller than that of the male screw portion 70b, and is further projected from the male screw portion 70b; and a spherical portion 70d which forms a distal end of the columnar portion 70c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device having a cover fixed with an adhesive along the edge of a housing, a removal screw for removing the cover from the housing of the electronic device, and a cover removal method for removing the cover from the housing of the electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Some electronic devices, such as notebook personal computers (notebook PCs) and tablet personal computers (tablet PCs), have housings that are covered on one side. Devices such as a motherboard are stored inside the housing, and the cover needs to be removed for maintenance. Generally, the cover is secured to the housing with multiple screws (Patent Document 1), and the cover can be removed from the housing by removing the screws. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-046022 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, having multiple screws in the cover is undesirable from a design perspective, so there are plans to fix the cover to the edge of the case with adhesive. However, a cover fixed with adhesive is difficult to remove.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an electronic device, a removal screw, and a cover removal method that achieves a favorable appearance and enables the cover to be properly removed from the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an electronic device comprising a housing, a cover fixed with an adhesive along an edge of the housing, a female threaded hole formed in a side wall of the housing, and a protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the cover, the protrusion being located on an extension of the female threaded hole and having an inclined surface whose protrusion amount increases in a direction away from the side wall.

[0007] Furthermore, a removal screw according to a second aspect of the present invention is a removal screw for removing a cover that is fixed to a housing of an electronic device with an adhesive, and has a head, a male threaded portion protruding from the head and screwing into the female threaded hole, a cylindrical portion having a smaller diameter than the male threaded portion and protruding further from the male threaded portion, and a spherical portion forming the tip of the cylindrical portion.

[0008] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present invention provides a cover removal method for removing a cover from a housing of an electronic device by using a screw, the cover being fixed to the housing with an adhesive material. a step of threading the screw into a female screw hole formed in a side wall of the housing; The method includes a step of further threading the screw against a protrusion located on an extension of the female screw hole and protruding from the inner surface of the cover, and lifting the cover by pushing up an inclined surface formed on the protrusion with a spherical portion formed at the tip of the screw. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the above aspect of the present invention, a protrusion is provided on the extension of the female screw hole, and the inclined surface of the protrusion increases in the direction away from the side wall, so that the cover can be properly removed from the housing by pressing the tip of the removal screw against the inclined surface. The cover can be adhesively fixed in place with an adhesive material, eliminating the need for screws and providing a good appearance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment in a closed state at a 0 degree position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic state of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 in an opened 180 degree position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective side view of the electronic device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the cover removal mechanism. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the inner surface of the cover. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protrusion and its surroundings. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the protrusion and its surroundings. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the removal screw. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method for applying a removal screw to a cover removal mechanism to remove a cover from a frame member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how the decorative screw is removed from the female screw hole. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing how the removal screw is attached to the female screw hole. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the tip of the removal screw has pushed up the inclined surface to cause the cover to float up. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing how the cover is further raised by the plate piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an electronic device 10, a removal screw 70, and a cover removal method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment in a closed state at a 0 degree position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 1 in a opened state at a 180 degree position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic device 10 includes a first housing 12A and a second housing 12B, a hinge device 14, and a display 16. The housings 12A and 12B are disposed adjacent to each other. Each housing 12A and 12B is appropriately equipped with various electronic components such as a motherboard with a CPU mounted thereon, a battery device, an antenna module, and a communication module.

[0013] The first housing 12A includes a frame member 17A and a cover 18A. The frame member 17A is a rectangular frame-shaped member having side walls 40a, 40b, and 40c formed on three sides other than the adjacent edge (one edge) 38A adjacent to the second housing 12B. The side walls 40a and 40b are walls on sides perpendicular to the adjacent edge 38A, and the side wall 40c is a wall on the opposite side to the adjacent edge 38A. The cover 18A is a plate-shaped member that closes the rear opening of the frame member 17A and covers almost the entire rear surface of the first housing 12A. Both ends of a side 18Aa of the cover 18A that is along the adjacent edge 38A are called an inner end (end of a side along one edge) 42a and an inner end 42b. The inner end 42a is on the side of the side wall 40a, and the inner end 42b is on the side of the side wall 40b. The inner ends 42a, 42b are positioned offset from the corners 43a, 43b (see FIG. 1) of the electronic device 10 in the 0 degree position by the width of the hinge device 14, etc. The inner ends 42a, 42b are close to the corners of the electronic device 10 in the 0 degree position, but are positioned approximately midway between the left and right in FIG. 2 in the 180 degree position.

[0014] The second housing 12B includes a frame member 17B having side walls 44a, 44b, and 44c formed on three sides other than the adjacent edge (one edge) 38B adjacent to the first housing 12A, and a cover 18B that closes the rear opening of the frame member 17B. The side walls 44a and 44b are walls on sides perpendicular to the adjacent edge 38B, and the side wall 44c is a wall on the opposite side to the adjacent edge 38B. The side wall 44a is a wall on the same side as the side wall 40a, and the side wall 44b is a wall on the same side as the side wall 40b. The cover 18A is a plate-shaped member that closes the rear opening of the frame member 17A, and covers almost the entire rear surface of the second housing 12B. Both ends of the side of the cover 18B along the adjacent edge 38B are called end 46a and end 46b. The end 46a is on the side of the side wall 44a, and the end 46b is on the side of the side wall 44b.

[0015] Each of the members 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B is made of, for example, a metal member such as stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum, or a fiber-reinforced resin plate containing reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers.

[0016] Regarding the angular orientation between the housings 12A and 12B, a state in which the housings 12A and 12B are stacked so as to overlap each other in the surface direction will be referred to as a 0 degree orientation (see FIG. 1), and a state in which the housings 12A and 12B are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction will be referred to as a 180 degree orientation (see FIG. 2). The hinge device 14 connects the housings 12A and 12B so that they can rotate relatively between the 0 degree orientation and the 180 degree orientation. The hinge device 14 also functions as a spine cover that hides the gap between the adjacent edges 38A and 38B formed in the 0 degree orientation shown in FIG. 1. The display 16 extends between the housings 12A and 12B.

[0017] In the 0 degree position shown in FIG. 1, the housings 12A and 12B are folded in half. The display 16 is a paper-like flexible display formed of organic EL. In the 0 degree position, the display 16 is arranged so that the area R1 on the first housing 12A side and the area R2 on the second housing 12B side shown in FIG. 2 face each other, and the folding area R3, which is the boundary area between the areas R1 and R2, is folded in an arc shape. In the 180 degree position shown in FIG. 2, the housings 12A and 12B are arranged side by side on the left and right. At this time, the display 16 has the areas R1 and R2 and the folding area R3 arranged side by side on a plane, and forms a single flat plate shape as a whole. The area R1 of the display 16 is fixed relatively to the first housing 12A, and the area R2 is fixed relatively to the second housing 12B. The folding area R3 of the display 16 is movable relative to the housings 12A and 12B.

[0018] Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the side of electronic device 10. As shown in Fig. 3, a cover removal mechanism 50 is provided near inner end 42a and near end 46a. Cover removal mechanism 50 and its surroundings in first housing 12A and second housing 12B have the same structure, and the following describes the mechanism provided near inner end 42a on the first housing 12A side.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the cover removal mechanism 50. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the cover removal mechanism 50 includes a female screw hole 52 formed in the side wall 40a near the inner end 42a, and a protrusion 54 protruding from the inner surface 18Ac of the cover 18A. The female screw hole 52 is closed by a decorative screw 56 being screwed into it.

[0020] A two-stage countersink 52a is formed at the external opening of the female screw hole 52. The decorative screw 56 has a head 56a and a male screw portion 56b. The head 56a is adapted to abut against the deeper seat of the two-stage countersink 52a, and is slightly recessed so that it is not noticeable from an external standpoint. The head 56a is the same color as the side wall 40a and has a spin cut formed thereon to provide a good external appearance. The male screw portion 56b is relatively short, and does not reach the protrusion 54.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the inner surface 18Ac of the cover 18A. As shown in FIG. 5, the side edge of the cover 18A is defined as side 18Ab. Side 18Ab is the edge along the side wall 44a. In addition, the protrusion 54 on the opposite side of the inner end 42a on side 18Ab is a trigger for removing the cover, so it was necessary to reduce the area of ​​adhesive tape around the protrusion 54 to make it easier to remove. However, the area near the corners of the system was not reduced because it is more susceptible to impact. Therefore, by arranging the protrusion 54 near the end 42a, which is less susceptible to impact, and reducing the adhesive tape around it as much as possible, we were able to achieve both easy removal and impact resistance.

[0022] The protruding portion 54 is provided near the inner end portion 42a. An adhesive tape (adhesive material) 58 is provided along the edge of the inner surface 18Ac. The adhesive tape 58 is also provided in an area not shown in FIG. 5. The portion of the adhesive tape 58 having the adhesive is shown in dots, and the portion without the adhesive retardant is shown in white. In other words, the portion of the adhesive tape 58a along the side 18Aa marked with the reference numeral 58aa has the adhesive, and the rest is a peeling portion without the adhesive. The adhesive tape 58a and the portion marked with the reference numeral 58aa having the adhesive are provided in a position that avoids the periphery of the protruding portion 54 and the inner end portion 42a.

[0023] The adhesive tape 58b extends from approximately the middle of the side 18Ab toward the inner end 42a, but does not reach the protrusion 54 or the periphery of the inner end 42a. The adhesive tape 58c extends from approximately the middle of the side 18Ab toward the outer end 42c, and is provided so as to include the outer end 42c.

[0024] Incidentally, when the electronic device 10 falls, the outer end 42c or the corner 43a (see FIG. 1) often hits the floor and is susceptible to impact. Since the outer end 42c is susceptible to impact, the cover 18A and the frame member 17A are adhered to each other at the outer end 42c by arranging an adhesive tape 58c at the outer end 42c. Therefore, the cover 18A is less likely to come off at the outer end 42c.

[0025] On the other hand, the inner end 42a is somewhat distant from the corner 43a by the width of the hinge device 14, etc., and is therefore less susceptible to impact than the outer end 42c. In addition, the inner end 42a is located approximately in the middle in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 in the 180-degree position, so it is not subject to strong impact. For this reason, no adhesive tape 58 is provided around the inner end 42a, making it relatively easy to remove the cover 18A from the frame member 17A. In other words, the protrusion 54 is a trigger for removing the cover, and it is preferable to reduce the area of ​​the adhesive tape 58 around it so that it can be easily removed. However, since the outer end 42c is susceptible to impact, it is not desirable to reduce the adhesive tape 58. Therefore, the protrusion 54 is located near the inner end 42a, which is less susceptible to impact, and the adhesive tape 58 around it is reduced as much as possible, thereby achieving both easy removal and impact resistance.

[0026] 4, a tape application base 60 is provided around the frame member 17A. The cover 18A is adhesively fixed to the tape application base 60 by an adhesive tape 58. The tape application base 60 is not present where the protruding portion 54 protrudes.

[0027] A low small wall 62 is provided to protrude from the edge of the tape application stand 60 of the frame member 17A (see also FIG. 3). The small wall 62 covers the periphery of the cover 18A, and the edge of the cover 18A is not exposed, resulting in a preferable appearance. Furthermore, since the small wall 62 is provided, a flathead screwdriver or the like cannot be inserted between the tape application stand 60 and the cover 18A, and the cover 18A cannot be removed inadvertently. Reference numeral 64 in FIG. 4 denotes a bezel member that covers the gap between the display 16 and the frame member 17A.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protruding portion 54 and its periphery. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the protruding portion 54 and its periphery with the resin piece 66 disassembled. The protruding portion 54 is located slightly away from the two sides 18Aa, 18Ab. The protruding portion 54 is substantially square in plan view (see FIG. 5), and the two side surfaces 54a are substantially right-angled isosceles triangles, forming an inclined surface 54b. An inclined support 54c slightly smaller than the side surface 54a is provided inside the protruding portion 54. The protruding portion 54 forms the inclined surface 54b by adhesively fixing the resin piece 66 to the inclined support 54c with an adhesive tape. The resin piece 66 is fitted between the two side surfaces 54a and is stable. The portion of the protruding portion 54 other than the resin piece 66 is made of metal and is molded integrally with the cover 18A. However, the cover 18A may be made of a composite material in which at least the inner end portion 42a, the protruding portion 54, and its periphery are made of metal, and a resin material is used in a part of the cover 18A. Furthermore, when the entire cover 18A is to be made of a resin material due to design conditions, the inclined surface 54b may be molded integrally with the other portions of the protruding portion 54.

[0029] Returning to Fig. 4, the protrusion 54 and the inclined surface 54b are located on an extension of the female screw hole 52, at a position sufficiently close to the inner opening of the female screw hole 52. Reference symbol C in Fig. 4 is the center line of the female screw hole 52. The inclined surface 54b is formed on the side of the side wall 40a. The inclined surface 54b of the protrusion 54 protrudes more in the direction away from the side wall 40a (to the right in Fig. 4). The top 54d of the protrusion 54 is at approximately the same height as the edge 52b on the side beyond the center line C of the female screw hole 52.

[0030] FIG. 8 is a side view of the removal screw 70. The removal screw 70 is used in the cover removal mechanism 50 to remove the cover 18A from the frame member 17A. The removal screw 70 is usually carried by a maintenance worker. The removal screw 70 has a head 70a, a male threaded portion 70b that protrudes from the head 70a and screws into the female threaded hole 52, a cylindrical portion 70c that is smaller in diameter than the male thread and protrudes further from the male threaded portion 70b, and a spherical portion 70d that forms the tip of the cylindrical portion 70c. The head 70a has the same shape as the head 56a of the cosmetic screw 56. The male threaded portion 70b has the same nominal diameter as the male threaded portion 56b of the cosmetic screw 56, but is slightly longer than the male threaded portion 56b. The cylindrical portion 70c is shorter than the male threaded portion 56b and has a smooth cylindrical surface. The spherical portion 70d is a hemispherical shape that continues from the cylindrical portion 70c and has a smooth surface.

[0031] Fig. 9 is a flowchart of a cover removal method for removing cover 18A from frame member 17A by applying removal screw 70 to cover removal mechanism 50. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing how decorative screw 56 is removed from female screw hole 52. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing how removal screw 70 is attached to female screw hole 52. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which inclined surface 54b is pushed up by the tip of removal screw 70 to lift cover 18A. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing how cover 18A is further lifted by plate piece 72.

[0032] First, in step S1 of Fig. 9, the decorative screw 56 is removed from the female screw hole 52 as shown in Fig. 10. In step S2, the removal screw 70 is attached to the female screw hole 52 and screwed into the female screw hole 52 as shown in Fig. 11.

[0033] In step S3, as shown in Fig. 12, the removal screw 70 is further screwed into the female screw hole 52. Then, the male screw portion 70b is screwed into the female screw hole 52 until the head 70a abuts against the countersink 52a, and the spherical portion 70d and the cylindrical portion 70c at the tip push up the inclined surface 54b, thereby lifting up the cover 18A. The top portion 54d of the protrusion 54 rides up on the cylindrical portion 70c. The location where the top portion 54d rides up by pushing up the inclined surface 54b may be any location from the spherical portion 70d to the cylindrical portion 70c.

[0034] When the spherical portion 70d pushes up the inclined surface 54b, a relatively strong reaction force is generated to peel off the adhesive tape 58, but since the spherical portion 70d has a curved shape and a smooth surface, the inclined surface 54b is hardly damaged. Even if a small amount of chips are generated by the sliding of the inclined surface 54b with the spherical portion 70d, the chips will not short-circuit other electronic elements because the inclined surface 54b is composed of the resin piece 66. In addition, the male screw portion 70b is not in contact with the inclined surface 54b at this time, and the male screw portion 70b will not damage the inclined surface 54b. If scratches or the like are generated on the surface of the resin piece 66, it is recommended to replace the resin piece 66.

[0035] 13, plate piece 72 is inserted into gap G generated between cover 18A and small wall 62 and pushed down as shown by the arrow, causing cover 18A to be further lifted by plate piece 72. This causes cover 18A to be removed from frame member 17 of first housing 12A.

[0036] Thus, in electronic device 10, removal screw 70 and cover removal method applied to cover removal mechanism 50 of electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment, protrusion 54 is provided on an extension of female screw hole 52, and inclined surface 54b of protrusion 54 increases in the amount of protrusion in the direction away from side wall 40a, and cover 18A can be appropriately removed from frame member 17A of housing 12A by pressing the tip of removal screw 70 against inclined surface 54b. Because cover removal mechanism 50 is provided, cover 18A can be adhesively fixed with adhesive tape 58, eliminating the need for screws and providing a favorable appearance.

[0037] The removal screw 70 generates a moderately large force to be threaded into the female screw hole 52 using a screwdriver, and the adhesive tape 58 can be peeled off. The work of threading the removal screw 70 into the female screw hole 52 is easy, and the cover 18A can be appropriately removed regardless of the worker's skill. When the cover 18A is in a moderately raised state (see FIG. 12), the head 70a of the removal screw 70 abuts against the countersunk hole 52a, so the worker can recognize the timing of the completion of the threading work of the removal screw 70. The worker is prevented from threading the removal screw 70 excessively, the male screw portion 70b does not abut against the inclined surface 54b, and the spherical portion 70d at the tip does not interfere with other components inside the housing. The removal screw 70 can be easily removed from the female screw hole 52 by turning it in the reverse direction. The removal screw 70 may be colored (e.g., red) so as to be easily distinguished from the decorative screw 56.

[0038] The cover removal mechanism 50 is located near the inner end 42a of the hinge device 14, which is in a preferred location for removing the cover 18A because less adhesive tape 58 is required at the inner end 42a compared to the opposite outer end 42c (see Figure 5).

[0039] The electronic device 10 described above is configured such that the first housing 12A and the second housing 12B are foldable by the hinge device 14, and the display 16 is provided across the first housing 12A and the second housing 12B, but the present invention can also be applied to notebook PCs, desktop PCs, smartphones, portable game consoles, and the like. In a notebook PC, the main body housing with a keyboard and the display housing with a display are configured to be rotatable by the hinge device, but the present invention can be applied to removing the back cover of the main body housing and removing the back cover of the display housing. The cover removal mechanism 50 is not limited to the removal screw 70, and other screws of the same length may be used depending on the situation.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Electronic equipment 12A Housing 14 Hinge device 16 Display 17A Frame member 18A Cover 18Ac Inner surface 38A Adjacent Edge 40a Sidewall 42a, 42b Inner end (end of side along one edge) 42c outer end 50 Cover removal mechanism 52 Female thread hole 52a Countersink 54 Protrusion 54a Side 54b Slope 54c inclined column 54d top 56 Decorative screw 58 Adhesive tape (adhesive material) 60 Tape application stand 62 Small fence 66 Resin piece 70 Removal screw 70a Head 70b Male thread part 70c Cylinder 70d spherical part 72 Plate piece C center line

Claims

1. An electronic device, A housing and a cover fixed along an edge of the housing with an adhesive; A female screw hole formed in a side wall of the housing; a protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the cover; Equipped with The protruding portion is located on an extension of the female screw hole, the protruding amount increases in a direction away from the side wall, and has an inclined surface that is pushed up by a screw that is screwed into the female screw hole.

1. An electronic device comprising:

2. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The protruding portion is made of metal, and a resin piece is provided on the inclined surface.

1. An electronic device comprising:

3. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The female screw hole is closed with a decorative screw whose length does not reach the protruding portion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

4. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The housing is a flat, generally rectangular shape, and one edge of the housing is rotatably connected to another housing by a hinge. The cover covers substantially the entire surface of one side of the housing, The female screw hole and the protrusion are provided near an end of a side along the one edge of the cover.

1. An electronic device comprising:

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, the adhesive material is provided along at least two intersecting edges of the housing and the cover; The protrusions are provided at positions on the extensions of the adhesive material on the two edges.

1. An electronic device comprising:

6. A screw for removing a cover from a housing of an electronic device, the screw comprising: a housing; a cover fixed along an edge of the housing with an adhesive; a female screw hole formed in a side wall of the housing; and a protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the cover, Head and a male screw portion protruding from the head and screwed into a female screw hole formed in a side wall of the housing; a cylindrical portion having a smaller diameter than the male thread portion and protruding further from the male thread portion; A spherical portion forming a tip of the cylindrical portion; having The spherical portion has a length capable of pushing up the protruding portion by being screwed into the female screw hole. A removable screw.

7. A method for removing a cover fixed to a housing of an electronic device with an adhesive by using a screw. a step of threading the screw into a female screw hole formed in a side wall of the housing; a step of further threading the screw against a protruding portion located on an extension of the female screw hole and protruding from an inner surface of the cover, and lifting the cover by pushing up an inclined surface formed on the protruding portion with a spherical portion formed at the tip of the screw; A cover removal method comprising the steps of:

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