Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic device configured to accurately detect a pressing force of a user pressing a cover panel.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes: an operation plate; a sensor which outputs a detection signal for detecting deformation of the operation plate; a display panel located below the operation plate and overlapping the operation plate when seen in a vertical direction; an enclosure located below the operation plate; and an adhesive member for fixing a part of a lower main surface of the operation plate to the enclosure. The adhesive member has a frame shape surrounding the display panel when seen in the vertical direction, and has a rectangular shape having a front side section, a rear side section, a left side section, and a right side section. A width of the front side section is larger than a width of the left side section and a width of the right side section. The front side section is provided with a cutout depressed forward from an inner edge of the front side section. The cutout is separated from a corner where the inner edge of the front side section intersects with an inner edge of the left side section, and a corner where the inner edge of the front side section intersects with an inner edge of the right side section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a sensor that detects deformation of an operation panel. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of an invention relating to a conventional electronic device, a mobile terminal described in Patent Document 1 is known. Such a mobile terminal includes a cover panel, a display, double-sided tape, and a cabinet. The cabinet is a box with an opening on the top. The cover panel is a plate that covers the opening of the cabinet. The double-sided tape fixes the cover panel to the cabinet. Such a mobile terminal includes a touch panel. A user operates the mobile terminal by touching the cover panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-099709 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in the mobile terminal described in Patent Document 1, there is a demand for accurate detection of the force with which the user presses the cover panel.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can accurately detect the force with which a user presses a cover panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: An operation plate having an upper main surface and a lower main surface aligned in a vertical direction, and a part of a user's body or an operation member comes into contact with the upper main surface; A sensor that detects a deformation of the operation plate and outputs a detection signal; a display panel located below the operation plate and overlapping with the operation plate when viewed in the up-down direction; A housing located below the operation plate; an adhesive member that fixes a portion of a lower main surface of the operation plate to the housing; It is equipped with the adhesive member has a frame shape surrounding the display panel when viewed in a vertical direction, and has a rectangular shape having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side when viewed in a vertical direction, The adhesive member has a frame shape, and thus has an outer edge and an inner edge when viewed in a vertical direction, When viewed in the up-down direction, the width of the front side portion is larger than the width of the left side portion and the width of the right side portion, The front edge portion is provided with a notch recessed forward from an inner edge of the front edge portion, The notch is away from a corner where the inner edge of the front side portion intersects with an inner edge of the left side portion and a corner where the inner edge of the front side portion intersects with an inner edge of the right side portion.

[0007] In this specification, an axis or member extending in the front-rear direction does not necessarily refer only to an axis or member that is parallel to the front-rear direction. An axis or member extending in the front-rear direction refers to an axis or member that is inclined within a range of ±45° with respect to the front-rear direction. Similarly, an axis or member extending in the up-down direction refers to an axis or member that is inclined within a range of ±45° with respect to the up-down direction. An axis or member extending in the left-right direction refers to an axis or member that is inclined within a range of ±45° with respect to the left-right direction.

[0008] In the following, the first member, the second member, and the third member are structures that an electronic device has. In this specification, the term "the first member is supported by the second member" includes both the case where the first member is attached to the second member (i.e., fixed or held) so as to be immovable relative to the second member, and the case where the first member is attached to the second member so as to be movable relative to the second member. In addition, the term "the first member is supported by the second member" includes both the case where the first member is directly attached to the second member, and the case where the first member is attached to the second member via the third member.

[0009] In this specification, the first member and the second member aligned in the front-rear direction refer to the following state. When the first member and the second member are viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, both the first member and the second member are arranged on an arbitrary straight line indicating the front-rear direction. In this specification, the first member and the second member aligned in the front-rear direction when viewed in the up-down direction refer to the following state. When the first member and the second member are viewed in the up-down direction, both the first member and the second member are arranged on an arbitrary straight line indicating the front-rear direction. In this case, when the first member and the second member are viewed from a left-right direction different from the up-down direction, either one of the first member and the second member may not be arranged on an arbitrary straight line indicating the front-rear direction. Note that the first member and the second member may be in contact with each other. The first member and the second member may be separated from each other. A third member may be present between the first member and the second member. This definition is also applied to directions other than the front-rear direction.

[0010] In this specification, the first member being disposed in front of the second member refers to the following state. A part of the first member is disposed within an area through which the second member passes when it translates forward. Thus, the first member may be contained within an area through which the second member passes when it translates forward, or may protrude from an area through which the second member passes when it translates forward. In this case, the first member and the second member are aligned in the front-rear direction. This definition also applies to directions other than the front-rear direction.

[0011] In this specification, a first member being disposed in front of a second member when viewed in the left-right direction refers to the following state: when viewed in the left-right direction, the first member and the second member are aligned in the front-to-rear direction, and when viewed in the left-to-right direction, a portion of the first member that faces the second member is disposed in front of the second member. In this definition, the first member and the second member do not have to be aligned in the front-to-rear direction in three dimensions. This definition also applies to directions other than the front-to-rear direction.

[0012] In this specification, the term "the first member is disposed in front of the second member" refers to the following state: the first member is disposed in front of a plane that passes through the front end of the second member and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In this case, the first member and the second member may or may not be aligned in the front-rear direction. This definition also applies to directions other than the front-rear direction.

[0013] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, each part of the first member is defined as follows. The front part of the first member means the front half of the first member. The rear part of the first member means the rear half of the first member. The left part of the first member means the left half of the first member. The right part of the first member means the right half of the first member. The upper part of the first member means the upper half of the first member. The lower part of the first member means the lower half of the first member. The front end of the first member means the front end of the first member. The rear end of the first member means the rear end of the first member. The left end of the first member means the left end of the first member. The right end of the first member means the right end of the first member. The upper end of the first member means the upper end of the first member. The lower end of the first member means the lower end of the first member. The front end of the first member means the front end of the first member and its vicinity. The rear end of the first member means the rear end of the first member and its vicinity. The left end of the first member means the left end of the first member and its vicinity. The right end of the first member means the right end of the first member and its vicinity. The upper end of the first member means the upper end of the first member and its vicinity. The lower end of the first member means the lower end of the first member and its vicinity.

[0014] In this specification, the term "the first member and the second member are electrically connected" includes the following two meanings. The first meaning is that the first member and the second member are physically in contact with each other, so that a direct current can flow between the first member and the second member. The second meaning is that the first member and the third member are physically in contact with each other, and the third member and the second member are physically in contact with each other, so that a direct current can flow between the first member and the second member. In the second meaning, the first member and the second member may or may not be in physical contact with each other. In the second meaning, the third member may be a single member or may include multiple members. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the force with which the user presses the cover panel can be detected with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device 1. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1 taken along line AA. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sensor 6 and a cross-sectional view at BB. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the electronic device 100. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressed position on the operation plate 2 and the charge generated by the sensor. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the adhesive member of pattern 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the adhesive member of pattern 2. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of the adhesive member of pattern 3. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the experimental results. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the amount of deformation of operation plate 2 when a user presses point 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the notch C. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the experimental results. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the experimental results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, a configuration of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1 taken along line AA. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a sensor 6 and a cross-sectional view taken along line BB.

[0018] In addition, in this specification, directions are defined as follows. In the electronic device 1, the direction in which the upper and lower main surfaces of the operation plate 2 are aligned is defined as the up-down direction. In addition, the direction in which the long side of the operation plate 2 of the electronic device 1 extends when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as the front-rear direction. In addition, the direction in which the short side of the operation plate 2 of the electronic device 1 extends when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction. The up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are mutually perpendicular. Note that the definitions of directions in this specification are merely examples. Therefore, the directions in the actual use of the electronic device 1 do not need to match the directions in this specification. In addition, the up-down direction may be reversed in FIG. 1. Similarly, the left-right direction may be reversed in FIG. 1. The front-rear direction may be reversed in FIG. 1.

[0019] The electronic device 1 is a portable electronic terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electronic device 1 includes an operation plate 2, a housing 3, a display panel 4, an adhesive member 5, a sensor 6, a circuit board 7, and a wiring member 8.

[0020] The operation plate 2 has upper and lower main surfaces aligned in the up-down direction. The operation plate 2 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the up-down direction. The long sides of the operation plate 2 extend in the front-to-rear direction. The short sides of the operation plate 2 extend in the left-to-right direction. A part of the user's body or an operating member comes into contact with the upper main surface of the operation plate 2. The operation plate 2 is, for example, a glass plate. The operation plate 2 may also include a touch panel for detecting the position where the user touches the operation plate 2.

[0021] The display panel 4 is located below the operation plate 2. The display panel 4 overlaps with the operation plate 2 when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the display panel 4 does not extend beyond the outer edge of the operation plate 2 when viewed in the vertical direction. The display panel 4 has a rectangular shape having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side when viewed in the vertical direction. The long sides (left side and right side) of the display panel 4 extend in the front-rear direction. The short sides (front side and rear side) of the display panel 4 extend in the left-right direction. The display panel 4 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display. The display panel 4 may also include a touch panel for detecting the position where the user touches the operation plate 2. The display panel 4 as described above is fixed to the lower main surface of the operation plate 2.

[0022] The housing 3 is located below the operation plate 2. The housing 3 is a box. The housing 3 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction. The long sides of the housing 3 extend in the front-to-rear direction. The short sides of the housing 3 extend in the left-to-right direction. The outer edge of the housing 3 when viewed in the vertical direction coincides with the outer edge of the operation plate 2 when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the top surface of the housing 3 is open. The opening Op of the housing 3 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0023] The adhesive member 5 fixes a part of the lower main surface of the operation plate 2 to the housing 3. More specifically, the adhesive member 5 fixes the periphery of the opening Op of the housing 3 and the vicinity of the outer edge of the operation plate 2. Therefore, the adhesive member 5 has a frame shape surrounding the display panel 4 when viewed in the vertical direction. Therefore, the adhesive member 5 does not overlap with the display panel 4 when viewed in the vertical direction. Also, the adhesive member 5 has a rectangular shape having a front side portion 5F, a rear side portion 5B, a left side portion 5L, and a right side portion 5R when viewed in the vertical direction. The front side portion 5F and the rear side portion 5B extend in the left-right direction. The left side portion 5L and the right side portion 5R extend in the front-rear direction. And, when viewed in the vertical direction, the width WF of the front side portion 5F is larger than the width WL of the left side portion 5L and the width WR of the right side portion 5R. The width WF of the front side portion 5F is the size in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the front side portion 5F extends when viewed in the vertical direction. In addition, when viewed in the up-down direction, the width WB of the rear side portion 5B is larger than the width WL of the left side portion 5L and the width WR of the right side portion 5R. The definitions of the width WB of the rear side portion 5B, the width WL of the left side portion 5L, and the width WR of the right side portion 5R are the same as the definition of the width WF of the front side portion 5F.

[0024] In addition, the adhesive member 5 has a frame shape, and thus has an outer edge 5O and an inner edge 5I when viewed in the vertical direction. The outer edge 5O and the inner edge 5I have a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction. The adhesive member 5 as described above has waterproof properties.

[0025] The circuit board 7 is located inside the housing 3, as shown in FIG. 2. The circuit board 7 is located below the display panel 4. The circuit board 7 overlaps with the display panel 4 when viewed in the up-down direction. The wiring member 8 electrically connects the circuit board 7 and the display panel 4. The wiring member 8 is connected to the rear edge, left edge, or right edge of the display panel 4. In this embodiment, the wiring member 8 is connected to the rear edge of the display panel 4.

[0026] The sensor 6 outputs a detection signal that detects the deformation of the operation plate 2. More specifically, the sensor 6 outputs a detection signal for detecting that the user has pressed the operation plate 2. That is, the sensor 6 outputs a detection signal according to the deformation caused in the operation plate 2 by the user pressing the operation plate 2. The sensor 6 is provided on the lower main surface of the display panel 4 as shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, the sensor 6 has a rectangular shape with long sides extending in the left-right direction when viewed in the up-down direction. The sensor 6 extends in the left-right direction at the center of the front-rear direction of the display panel 4 when viewed in the up-down direction. The sensor 6 will be described below in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0027] The sensor 6 includes a piezoelectric film 14, an upper electrode 15a, a lower electrode 15b, a substrate 16, and adhesive layers 18 and 20. The piezoelectric film 14 has a sheet shape. Therefore, the piezoelectric film 14 has an upper main surface and a lower main surface. The length of the piezoelectric film 14 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the piezoelectric film 14 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric film 14 has a rectangular shape with long sides extending in the left-right direction when viewed in the up-down direction. The piezoelectric film 14 generates a charge according to the deformation amount of the piezoelectric film 14. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric film 14 is a PLA film. The piezoelectric film 14 will be described in more detail below.

[0028] The piezoelectric film 14 has a characteristic that the polarity of the electric charge generated when the piezoelectric film 14 is stretched in the left-right direction is opposite to the polarity of the electric charge generated when the piezoelectric film 14 is stretched in the front-back direction. Specifically, the piezoelectric film 14 is a film formed from a chiral polymer. The chiral polymer is, for example, polylactic acid (PLA), particularly L-type polylactic acid (PLLA). PLLA made of a chiral polymer has a helical structure of the main chain. PLLA has a piezoelectricity in which the molecules are oriented by uniaxial stretching. The piezoelectric film 14 has a piezoelectric constant of d14. The uniaxial stretching direction (orientation direction) of the piezoelectric film 14 forms an angle of 45 degrees with respect to each of the front-back direction and the left-right direction. This 45 degrees includes, for example, an angle including about 45 degrees ±10 degrees. As a result, the piezoelectric film 14 generates an electric charge when the piezoelectric film 14 is stretched in the left-right direction or compressed in the left-right direction. For example, the piezoelectric film 14 generates a positive electric charge when stretched in the left-right direction. For example, when the piezoelectric film 14 is compressed in the left-right direction, it generates a negative charge. The magnitude of the charge depends on the amount of deformation of the piezoelectric film 14 due to expansion or compression. More precisely, the magnitude of the charge is proportional to the differential value of the amount of deformation of the piezoelectric film 14 due to expansion or compression.

[0029] The upper electrode 15a is a signal electrode. A detection signal is output from the upper electrode 15a. The upper electrode 15a is provided on the upper main surface of the piezoelectric film 14. The material of the upper electrode 15a is, for example, a conductive polymer such as PEDOT.

[0030] The lower electrode 15b is a ground electrode. The lower electrode 15b is connected to the ground. The lower electrode 15b is provided on the lower main surface of the piezoelectric film 14. The material of the lower electrode 15b is, for example, a conductive tape or a conductive polymer such as PEDOT.

[0031] The substrate 16 is provided on the upper electrode 15a, and holds the piezoelectric film 14, the upper electrode 15a, and the lower electrode 15b, thereby deforming together with the piezoelectric film 14. The substrate 16 has a sheet shape. The substrate 16 has an upper main surface and a lower main surface. The length of the substrate 16 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the substrate 16 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the substrate 16 has a rectangular shape having long sides extending in the left-right direction when viewed in the up-down direction. The long sides of the substrate 16 are longer than the long sides of the piezoelectric film 14, the long sides of the upper electrode 15a, and the long sides of the lower electrode 15b. The short sides of the substrate 16 are longer than the short sides of the piezoelectric film 14, the short sides of the upper electrode 15a, and the short sides of the lower electrode 15b. The piezoelectric film 14, the upper electrode 15a, and the lower electrode 15b are arranged within a region surrounded by the outer edge of the substrate 16 when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0032] The material of the base material 16 is, for example, polyurethane or PET. It may also be formed of a flexible substrate or a printed wiring board.

[0033] The adhesive layer 18 fixes the piezoelectric film 14, the upper electrode 15a, and the lower electrode 15b to the substrate 16. More specifically, the adhesive layer 18 is provided on the lower main surface of the substrate 16. The adhesive layer 18 covers a part of the lower main surface of the substrate 16. The adhesive layer 18 also covers the entire upper main surface of the upper electrode 15a. The outer edge of the adhesive layer 18 is surrounded by the outer edge of the substrate 16 when viewed in the up-down direction. The adhesive layer 18 bonds the upper electrode 15a and the substrate 16. As a result, the deformation of the substrate 16 is transmitted to the piezoelectric film 14. The material of the adhesive layer 18 is, for example, a double-sided tape, a thermosetting adhesive, or a thermoplastic adhesive.

[0034] The adhesive layer 20 is provided on the upper main surface of the base material 16. The adhesive layer 20 fixes the base material 16 to the display panel 4. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 20 fixes the base material 16 to the lower main surface of the display panel 4. The material of the adhesive layer 20 is, for example, a double-sided tape, a thermosetting adhesive, or a thermoplastic adhesive.

[0035] Incidentally, in electronic devices, it is desirable to reduce the variation in the detection accuracy of the force applied by the user at all positions on the operation plate 2. However, in electronic devices, there is a problem that the detection accuracy of the force applied by the user to the vicinity of the four corners of the operation plate 2 is low. In other words, in electronic devices, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the force applied by the user to the vicinity of the four corners of the operation plate 2. This problem will be described below with reference to the drawings. Specifically, an experiment was performed using the electronic device 100. The electronic device 100 differs from the electronic device 1 in that the notch C of the adhesive member 5 is not present. The notch C will be described later.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a top view of the electronic device 100. Points 1 to 25 in Fig. 4 indicate positions on the upper main surface of the operation plate 2. Fig. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressed position on the operation plate 2 and the charge generated by the sensor. The inventor of the present application pressed points 1 to 25 with a force of 1 N.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4, the vicinity of the four corners of the operation plate 2 corresponds to points 1, 5, 21, and 25. As shown in Fig. 5, it can be seen that the charge generated by the sensor at points 1, 5, 21, and 25 is smaller than the charge generated by the sensor at points other than points 1, 5, 21, and 25. That is, it can be seen that it is difficult for the electronic device 100 to accurately detect the force with which the user presses the vicinity of the four corners of the operation plate 2. The inventor of the present application considered the cause of this as follows.

[0038] 1, when viewed in the vertical direction, the width WF of the front side portion 5F is larger than the width WL of the left side portion 5L and the width WR of the right side portion 5R. Also, when viewed in the vertical direction, the width WB of the rear side portion 5B is larger than the width WL of the left side portion 5L and the width WR of the right side portion 5R. In this way, by making the front side portion 5F and the rear side portion 5B larger, the waterproofness of the electronic device 100 is improved.

[0039] However, the operation plate 2 is firmly fixed to the housing 3 by the front edge portion 5F at the front edge of the operation plate 2. The operation plate 2 is firmly fixed to the housing 3 by the rear edge portion 5B at the rear edge of the operation plate 2. Therefore, the vicinity of the front edge and the vicinity of the rear edge of the operation plate 2 are less likely to deform. In particular, the front left corner of the operation plate 2 is fixed from two directions by the front edge portion 5F and the left edge portion 5L of the adhesive member 5. The front right corner of the operation plate 2 is fixed from two directions by the front edge portion 5F and the right edge portion 5R of the adhesive member 5. The rear left corner of the operation plate 2 is fixed from two directions by the rear edge portion 5B and the left edge portion 5L of the adhesive member 5. The rear right corner of the operation plate 2 is fixed from two directions by the rear edge portion 5B and the right edge portion 5R of the adhesive member 5. Therefore, the operation plate 2 is particularly less likely to deform near the four corners (points 1, 5, 21, 25) of the operation plate 2. The inventors of the present application have discovered that, due to the above reasons, it is difficult for electronic device 100 to accurately detect the force with which the user presses the vicinity of the four corners of operation plate 2.

[0040] Therefore, the inventor of the present application thought that it would be sufficient if the front edge 5F had a notch C recessed forward from the inner edge 5I of the front edge 5F, as shown in FIG. 1. The notch C is away from the corner Ca where the inner edge 5I of the front edge 5F intersects with the inner edge 5I of the left edge 5L, and the corner Cb where the inner edge 5I of the front edge 5F intersects with the inner edge 5I of the right edge 5R. As a result, in the electronic device 1, the vicinity of the left front and right front corners of the operation plate 2 is weakly fixed to the housing 3. Therefore, the vicinity of the left front and right front corners of the operation plate 2 is easily deformed. As a result, the electronic device 1 can accurately detect the force with which the user presses the vicinity of the left front and right front corners of the operation plate 2.

[0041] The inventors of the present application conducted the experiments described below. Fig. 6 is a top view of an adhesive member of pattern 1. Fig. 7 is a top view of an adhesive member of pattern 2. Fig. 8 is a top view of an adhesive member of pattern 3. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the results of the experiment. The vertical axis indicates the charge output by the sensor.

[0042] The present inventors prepared adhesive members having shapes of patterns 1 to 3 shown in Figs. 6 to 8. Pattern 1 is an adhesive member having a structure in which no notch C exists. Pattern 2 is an adhesive member having a structure in which no notch C exists and in which the width of the front edge and the width of the rear edge are small. Pattern 3 is an adhesive member having a structure in which two notches C are provided in the front edge. The present inventors compared the electric charges generated by the sensors of electronic devices in which adhesive members of patterns 1 to 3 were used.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9, the sensor output the largest charge in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of Pattern 2 was used. This is because, in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of Pattern 2 was used, the areas near the four corners of the operation plate 2 were most weakly fixed to the housing. However, in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of Pattern 2 was used, the width of the front edge and the width of the rear edge of the adhesive member were small. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain high waterproofing in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of Pattern 2 was used.

[0044] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9, the sensor also output a sufficiently large charge in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of pattern 3 was used. Moreover, in the electronic device in which the adhesive member of pattern 3 was used, only a small notch C was provided in the front edge portion, so the deterioration of the waterproofness of the electronic device was small. In this way, the electronic device in which the adhesive member of pattern 3 was used can accurately detect the force with which the user presses the vicinity of the four corners of the operation plate 2, and can obtain high waterproofness.

[0045] Next, the inventors of the present application have studied the position and shape of the cutout C. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the amount of deformation of operation plate 2 when a user presses point 1. Fig. 10 shows the results of a simulation.

[0046] The inventor of the present application used a computer to simulate the amount of deformation of the operation plate 2 when point 1, which is circled in FIG. 10, is pressed. The pressing force is 1N. As a result, the amount of deformation of the operation plate 2 was maximum at a position shifted rear and to the right from point 1. Therefore, the inventor of the present application found that it is preferable for the notch C to be slightly away from the corner of the operation plate 2. In this way, the distance from the position where the deformation of the operation plate 2 is maximum to the adhesive member 5 can be increased by the notch C, so that the adhesive member 5 is less likely to impede the deformation of the operation plate 2.

[0047] Therefore, the inventors of the present application conducted an experiment on the position of the notch C. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the notch C. FIG. 12 is a graph showing the experimental results. The vertical axis of FIG. 12 shows the charge output by the sensor 6. The horizontal axis shows the notch position. The notch position is the distance D1 from the corner Ca where the inner edge 5I of the front side portion 5F and the inner edge 5I of the left side portion 5L intersect to the notch C. Furthermore, the width D2 is the width of the notch C in the left-right direction. The depth D3 is the depth of the notch C in the up-down direction. The experimental conditions are explained below.

[0048] D2: 10mm D3: 2mm Length of operation panel 2 in the left-right direction: 50 mm 12, it can be seen that the charge output by the sensor 6 increases as the notch C moves away from the corner Ca. When the distance D1 is 6 mm or more, the increase in the charge output by the sensor 6 stops. Therefore, when the distance D1 is 6 mm or more, the sensor 6 can output a sufficient charge.

[0049] The electronic device 1 has a symmetrical structure. Therefore, the notch position may be a distance D2 from the corner Cb where the inner edge 5I of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the right side 5R intersect to the notch C. In this case, it is possible to perform an experiment without the need for the distance D2 being 6 mm or more, so that the sensor 6 can output a sufficient charge. From the above, it is sufficient that the notch C is 6 mm or more away from the corner Ca where the inner edge 5I of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the left side 5L intersect, and is 6 mm or more away from the corner Cb where the inner edge of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the right side 5R intersect. This allows the electronic device 1 to accurately detect the force of the user pressing the operation plate 2 at all positions.

[0050] The width of the operation plate 2 used in the experiment in the left-right direction is 50 mm. The inventor of the present application has experimentally shown that good results are obtained when the distance D1 is 12 mm. Since the width D2 is 10 mm, when the distance D1 is 12 mm, the notch C is 22 mm away from the corner Ca where the inner edge 5I of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the right side 5R intersect. Therefore, the notch C is located near the center in the left-right direction of the operation plate 2. Therefore, even if the notch C is located near the center in the left-right direction of the operation plate 2, the sensor 6 can output a sufficient charge. In other words, in order for the sensor 6 to output a sufficient charge, the notch C should be 6 mm or more away from the corner Ca where the inner edge 5I of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the left side 5L intersect, and 6 mm or more away from the corner Cb where the inner edge of the front side 5F and the inner edge 5I of the right side 5R intersect.

[0051] Furthermore, experimental results show that notch C may be located 6 mm to 12 mm away from corner Ca where inner edge 5I of front side 5F intersects with inner edge 5I of left side 5L. Also, notch C may be located 6 mm to 12 mm away from corner Cb where inner edge 5I of front side 5F intersects with inner edge 5I of right side 5R.

[0052] Next, the inventors conducted an experiment on the width D2 and depth D3 of the cutout C. Fig. 13 is a graph showing the experimental results. The vertical axis of Fig. 13 indicates the charge output by the sensor 6. The horizontal axis indicates the width D2 of the cutout C. The inventors changed the width D2 and depth D3 of the cutout C. The experimental conditions are described below.

[0053] D1: 2.5mm Length of operation panel 2 in the left-right direction: 50 mm It is preferable that the distance between the pressing position and the notch C is small. Therefore, it is preferable that the width D2 of the notch C is large. This is also clear from the graph of FIG. 13, in which the charge output by the sensor 6 increases as the width D2 increases. The inventors of the present application have determined that the notch C is effective when the charge output by the sensor 6 increases by 5% or more compared to when the notch C is not provided. Based on the graph of FIG. 13, the inventors of the present application have determined that the width D2 of the notch C is effective if it is 8 mm or more. It is sufficient that the width D2 of the notch C is 16 mm or less. This indicates that the width D2 of the notch C may be between one-sixth and one-third of the width of the operation plate 2.

[0054] Furthermore, the present inventors have considered that the depth D3 of the notch C should be greater than 0 mm and equal to or less than 6 mm for the following reasons. Specifically, from the viewpoint of waterproofing of the electronic device 1, it is preferable that the depth D3 is small. On the other hand, according to FIG. 13, when the depth D3 is greater than 6 mm, the increase in the charge generated by the sensor 6 is small. Therefore, the present inventors have considered that the depth D3 of the notch C should be greater than 0 mm and equal to or less than 6 mm.

[0055] Moreover, the wiring member 8 is connected to the rear edge of the display panel 4. In this case, the distance between the rear edge of the display panel 4 and the rear edge portion 5B of the adhesive member 5 is greater than the distance between the front edge of the display panel 4 and the front edge portion 5F of the adhesive member 5. Therefore, the vicinity of the front edge of the display panel 4 is less likely to deform than the vicinity of the high edge of the display panel 4. Therefore, the notch C is provided in the front edge portion 5F. This allows the electronic device 1 to accurately detect the force with which the user presses the cover panel.

[0056] (Other embodiments) The electronic device 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the electronic device 1, and can be modified within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0057] In the electronic device 1, the piezoelectric film 14 may be a PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) film.

[0058] It should be noted that in the electronic device 1, the circuit board 7 and the wiring member 8 are not essential components.

[0059] In the electronic device 1, one notch C may be provided in the front edge portion 5F, or multiple notches C may be provided in the front edge portion 5F.

[0060] In the electronic device 1, the cutout C may be provided in the rear side portion 5B.

[0061] In addition, when viewed in the up-down direction, the width WB of the rear side portion 5B does not have to be larger than the width WL of the left side portion 5L and the width WR of the right side portion 5R.

[0062] The adhesive member 5 does not necessarily have to be waterproof.

[0063] The depth D3 of the notch C may be greater than 6 mm.

[0064] The sensor 6 only needs to output a detection signal that detects the deformation of the operation plate 2. Therefore, the sensor 6 may be fixed to the operation plate 2, or may be fixed to a member fixed to the operation plate 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1:Electronic equipment 2: Operation board 3: Housing 4: Display panel 5: Adhesive material 5B: Posterior part 5F: Front part 5I: Inner border 5L: Left side 5O: Outer edge 5R: Right side 6: Sensor 7: Circuit board 8: Wiring materials 14: Piezoelectric film 15a: Upper electrode 15b: Lower electrode 16: Base material 18,20: Adhesive layer C: Cutout Ca: corner Cb: corner Op: Opening

Claims

1. An operation plate having an upper main surface and a lower main surface aligned in a vertical direction, and a part of a user's body or an operation member comes into contact with the upper main surface; A sensor that detects a deformation of the operation plate and outputs a detection signal; a display panel located below the operation plate and overlapping with the operation plate when viewed in the up-down direction; A housing located below the operation plate; an adhesive member that fixes a portion of a lower main surface of the operation plate to the housing; It is equipped with the adhesive member has a frame shape surrounding the display panel when viewed in a vertical direction, and has a rectangular shape having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side when viewed in a vertical direction, The adhesive member has a frame shape, and thus has an outer edge and an inner edge when viewed in a vertical direction, When viewed in the up-down direction, the width of the front side portion is larger than the width of the left side portion and the width of the right side portion, The front edge portion is provided with a notch recessed forward from an inner edge of the front edge portion, The notch is away from a corner where an inner edge of the front side portion intersects with an inner edge of the left side portion and a corner where an inner edge of the front side portion intersects with an inner edge of the right side portion. electronic equipment.

2. The notch is 6 mm or more away from a corner where the inner edge of the front side portion intersects with the inner edge of the left side portion, and is 6 mm or more away from a corner where the inner edge of the front side portion intersects with the inner edge of the right side portion.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The width of the notch in the left-right direction is equal to or greater than one-sixth and equal to or less than one-third of the size of the operation plate in the left-right direction.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The width of the cutout in the left-right direction is 8 mm or more and 16 mm or less.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1.

5. The adhesive member is waterproof.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1.

6. The depth of the notch in the front-rear direction is 6 mm or less.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1.

7. The electronic device includes: A circuit board located within the housing; a wiring member that electrically connects the circuit board and the display panel; It is equipped with the display panel has a rectangular shape having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side when viewed in a vertical direction, The wiring member is connected to a rear side, a left side, or a right side of the display panel.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1.

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