Circuit boards and electronic devices

Abstract

A circuit board capable of improving the ease of attaching and detaching an electronic module, and an electronic device including the circuit board are provided. [Solution] The circuit board is mounted with a connector that connects one end of an electronic module and a support that supports the other end of the electronic module, and the support comprises a stud member having a flange fixed to the surface of the circuit board and a protrusion that stands up from the flange, a locking member that is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the protrusion and is switchable between a locked position in which the other end of the electronic module is pressed and an unlocked position in which the other end is not pressed, and a torque generating unit that imparts rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit board and an electronic device including the circuit board. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Electronic devices such as notebook PCs are used by connecting electronic modules such as SSDs to a connector of a circuit board (motherboard) on which a CPU is mounted (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-057737 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, one end of an electronic module is usually connected to a connector mounted on a circuit board, and the other end is supported on the circuit board by a screw. Incidentally, electronic modules are sometimes installed by workers at a factory or the like, and sometimes replaced by users themselves. In such cases, the screws may fall into the housing, which may require time and effort to retrieve, or may be lost, reducing the ease of installing and removing the electronic module.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a circuit board that can improve the ease of installing and removing an electronic module, and an electronic device equipped with such a circuit board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A circuit board according to a first aspect of the present invention is a circuit board equipped with a connector for connecting one end of an electronic module and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module, the support comprising: a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion standing from the flange; a locking member supported for relative rotation relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the other end of the electronic module is pressed and an unlocked position in which the other end is not pressed; and a torque generating unit for applying a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member.

[0007] An electronic device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a circuit board having a connector mounted thereon, an electronic module having one end connected to the connector, and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module on the circuit board, the support comprising a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion standing from the flange, a locking member supported for relative rotation relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the other end of the electronic module is pressed and an unlocked position in which the other end is not pressed, and a torque generating unit for applying a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above aspects of the present invention, the workability of attaching and detaching the electronic module can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a schematic internal structure of the housing. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the support. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the support seen from the back side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the support. [Figure 5A]FIG. 5A is a plan view of the support in the unlocked position. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a plan view of the support shown in FIG. 5A in a locked position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic module supported by a support. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a support according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic module supported by the support shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the support shown in FIG. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a support and a positioning member according to a second modified example. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the support shown in FIG. 10A from a different angle. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a plan view of the support shown in FIG. 10A in an unlocked position. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a plan view of the support shown in FIG. 11A in a locked position. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic module supported by the support shown in FIG. 10A. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic module supported by a support according to a third modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a support and a positioning member according to the fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device and a circuit board according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 is a top view of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a cover 11 and a housing 12 connected by a hinge 14 so that they can rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 is a notebook PC, but the electronic device may be other than a notebook PC, such as a desktop PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game console.

[0012] The cover 11 has a thin, flat box-shaped housing. The cover 11 is equipped with a display 16. The display 16 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display.

[0013] The housing 12 is a thin, flat box. A keyboard device 18 and a touch pad 19 face the upper surface (surface 12a) of the housing 12. Hereinafter, the housing 12 and each component mounted thereon will be described with reference to the posture of an operator operating the keyboard device 18, with the width direction (left and right) of the housing 12 referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front and back) of the housing 12 referred to as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (up and down) of the housing 12 referred to as the Z1 and Z2 directions. The X1 and X2 directions may be collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1, Y2 directions and the Z1, Z2 directions may be similarly referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction. These directions are determined for the sake of convenience, and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation posture of the electronic device 10.

[0014] The housing 12 is formed by stacking a first cover material 20 and a second cover material 21 in the thickness direction and removably connecting them to each other. The first cover material 20 forms, for example, the top surface and four circumferential side surfaces of the housing 12 and has a substantially bathtub shape. The second cover material 21 forms, for example, the bottom surface of the housing 12 and has a substantially flat plate shape. The hinge 14 is installed in a concave hinge arrangement groove 12b formed in the rear edge of the housing 12, and connects the housing 12 and the lid 11.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a plan view that shows a schematic internal structure of the housing 12. Fig. 2 shows the inside of the first cover material 20 as viewed from the bottom side with the second cover material 21 removed.

[0016] 2, a circuit board 24, a cooling module 25, and a battery device 26 are housed inside the housing 12. Inside the housing 12, various electronic components, mechanical components, and the like are also provided.

[0017] The circuit board 24 is a printed circuit board that serves as a motherboard of the electronic device 10. The circuit board 24 is disposed toward the Y2 side of the housing 12 and extends in the X direction. The circuit board 24 is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 28 and a pair of connectors 30, 30. The CPU 28 is a processing device that performs calculations related to the main control and processing of the electronic device 10. The connector 30 complies with a predetermined connection standard, which in this embodiment is the M.2 (M.2) standard. Electronic modules 32, 33 are connected to each connector 30. The specific configurations of the circuit board 24, the electronic modules 32, 33, and their peripheral parts will be described later. Various electronic components such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and memory can also be mounted on the circuit board 24. For example, the Z1 side surface (first surface 24a) of the circuit board 24 serves as a mounting surface for the first cover material 20, and the Z2 side surface (second surface 24b) serves as a mounting surface for the CPU 28 and the connector 30. It goes without saying that the shape, arrangement, and mounted electronic components of the circuit board 24 are not limited to those described above.

[0018] The cooling module 25 can absorb heat generated by the CPU 28 and expel it to the outside of the housing 12. The cooling module 25 includes a heat pipe 34, a pair of heat sinks 35, 35, and a pair of fans 36, 36. The cooling module 25 can transport heat from the CPU 28 to each heat sink 35 via the heat pipe 34, and promote heat dissipation from each heat sink 35 by blowing air from each fan 36.

[0019] The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that serves as a power source for the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is disposed toward the Y1 side of the circuit board 24, and extends in the X direction.

[0020] Next, a specific example of the configuration of the circuit board 24 and the electronic modules 32 and 33 will be described.

[0021] First, the circuit board 24 is a printed circuit board having a predetermined conductive pattern formed on the second surface 24b of an insulating plate material. The circuit board 24 may have a configuration in which the conductive pattern is formed on both surfaces 24a, 24b.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, the circuit board 24 includes a pair of connectors 30, 30 and a pair of supports 40, 40, and each connector 30 and each support 40 supports electronic modules 32, 33. A pair of ground pads 41, 41 used to fix each support 40 is provided on the second surface 24b of the circuit board 24 (see also Fig. 6). The ground pad 41 is formed of, for example, a circular metal pattern. The metal pattern is, for example, copper foil printed by silk screen printing. The circuit board 24 has, for example, a through hole 24c, and the ground pad 41 is formed on the periphery of the second surface 24b side.

[0023] The connector 30 is mounted on the second surface 24b. The mounting type of the connector 30 is not limited, but for example, a drop-in mounting type (Pcie Gen3: PCI Express 3.0) or an on-board mounting type (Pcie Gen4: PCI Express 4.0) can be used.

[0024] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the support 40. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the support 40 as seen from the back side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the support 40. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the support 40 in the unlocked position. FIG. 5B is a plan view of the support 40 shown in FIG. 5A in the locked position. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the electronic module 32 (33) supported by the support 40. Here, a configuration in which one electronic module 32 is supported by the support 40 will be representatively described. The configuration in which the other electronic module 33 is supported by the support 40 can be the same or similar to that of the electronic module 32, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0025] 3A to 6, the support 40 includes a stud member 42, a locking member 44, and a resistance member 46. The support 40 is a locking component that can be switched between a locked position (closed position) capable of supporting the electronic module 32 and an unlocked position (open position) by rotating the cam-shaped locking member 44 180 degrees. The rotation angle required to switch the locking member 44 between the locked position and the unlocked position may be other than 180 degrees, for example, 90 degrees.

[0026] The stud member 42 is a metal part having a flange 42a and a protrusion 42b.

[0027] The flange 42a is a metal disk. The protruding portion 42b is formed integrally with the flange 42a and is a cylinder that stands up from the center of the flange 42a in the Z direction. The protruding portion 42b is provided with a hole 42c that is axially centered along the protruding direction. The hole 42c penetrates the stud member 42 in the axial direction (Z direction). The hole 42c is, for example, a stepped hole whose inner diameter changes in two steps. The hole 42c has a larger diameter in the axial direction from the Z2 side opening to the inside of the flange 42a than the portion from the Z1 side opening to the flange 42a (see FIG. 6). As a result, a flange-like edge 42c1 with a reduced inner diameter is formed at the Z1 side end of the hole 42c.

[0028] The lock member 44 is a metal part having a shaft portion 44a and a plate portion 44b. The stud member 42 and the lock member 44 may be made of, for example, stainless steel, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, or the like.

[0029] The shaft portion 44a is a rotating shaft inserted into the hole portion 42c from the Z2 side opening. The shaft portion 44a is inserted into the hole portion 42c without rattling and relatively rotatable. The shaft portion 44a protrudes from the Z2 side surface of the plate portion 44b. The shaft portion 44a is formed with a screw hole 44a1 along the axial direction (Z direction). The screw hole 44a1 has a female thread formed on the inner peripheral surface. The screw hole 44a1 opens at the tip surface (Z1 side end surface) of the shaft portion 44a. The outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a is formed with an annular groove portion 44a2 along the circumferential direction. The groove portion 44a2 has a shape in which the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 44a is cut in an arc shape, forming a groove having a substantially doughnut shape. The groove portion 44a2 is formed at the base portion of the shaft portion 44a relative to the plate portion 44b.

[0030] The plate portion 44b is integrally formed at the base end of the shaft portion 44a. The plate portion 44b can rotate around the axis of the protruding portion 42b together with the shaft portion 44a. The plate portion 44b has a shape, for example, of two semicircular metal plates (semicircular plates 44b1, 44b2) with different outer diameters. As a result, the plate portion 44b has a substantially cam shape or a substantially mushroom shape in a plan view. The shaft portion 44a is formed so as to protrude from the small-diameter semicircular plate 44b1 to the Z1 side. An operation hole 45b3 is formed at the center of the semicircular plate 44b1. The operation hole 44b3 is a cross hole used when a tool such as a Phillips screwdriver is fitted into the operation hole 44b3 and the lock member 44 is rotated. The large-diameter semicircular plate 44b2 is provided so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 44a in a plan view. As a result, when the lock member 44 is rotated relative to the stud member 42, the large-diameter semicircular plate 44b2 pivots about the axis of the shaft portion 44a (see FIGS. 5A and 5B).

[0031] The locking member 44 has a screw 48 fastened to a screw hole 44a1 of a shaft portion 44a inserted into a hole portion 42c of the stud member 42. The screw 48 is passed through the hole portion 42c from the back side of the flange 42a. The head 48a of the screw 48 sandwiches an edge portion 42c1 between itself and the tip surface of the shaft portion 44a. The plate thickness of the edge portion 42c1 is slightly shorter than the distance between the head 48a of the screw 48 fastened to the screw hole 44a1 and the tip surface (Z1 side end surface) of the shaft portion 44a. As a result, the locking member 44 is supported relative to the stud member 42 without rattling and without coming off.

[0032] The resistance member 46 constitutes a torque generating portion that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member 44. The resistance member 46 is, for example, an O-ring. The resistance member 46 is fitted into the groove portion 44a2 of the shaft portion 44a and attached to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 44a. The resistance member 46 is sandwiched between the Z1 side surface of the plate portion 44b and the Z2 side end face of the protruding portion 42b, and is in close contact with both. This allows the resistance member 46 to generate rotational resistance due to friction between the locking member 44 and the protruding portion 42b.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the resistance member 46 adheres to the inner circumferential surface of the groove portion 44a2 and the Z1 side surface of the plate portion 44b with respect to the locking member 44. The resistance member 46 adheres to only the tip surface of the protrusion 42b with respect to the stud member 42. Therefore, the contact area of ​​the resistance member 46 with respect to the locking member 44 is much larger than the contact area with respect to the stud member 42. In other words, the frictional resistance between the resistance member 46 and the locking member 44 is larger than the frictional resistance between the resistance member 46 and the stud member 42. Therefore, when the locking member 44 rotates with respect to the stud member 42, the resistance member 46 adheres to the locking member 44 and rotates integrally therewith, and its Z1 side surface slides on the tip surface of the protrusion 42b. This prevents the resistance member 46 from sliding against both the locking member 44 and the protrusion 42b and generating substantially no frictional resistance. As a result, the support 40 can generate a rotational torque more reliably between the locking member 44 and the protrusion 42b.

[0034] Next, the electronic modules 32 and 33 are card-type module components that can be connected to the connector 30 that complies with the M.2 standard as described above.

[0035] The electronic module 32 is, for example, a storage device. The electronic module 32 of this embodiment is an SSD (Solid State Drive). As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic module 32 has a module substrate 32a, a terminal 32b formed on one end 32a1 of the module substrate 32a, and a semiconductor chip 32c mounted on the module substrate 32a. With the terminal 32b connected to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 of the module substrate 32a of the electronic module 32 is pressed in the Z direction by the support 40. This allows the electronic module 32 to be attached to the circuit substrate 24. A semicircular notch 32d in which the protrusion 42b of the stud member 42 can be placed is formed at the center of the other end 32a2 in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 4).

[0036] Ground portions 32e and 32f are provided on one surface 32a3 and the other surface 32a4 of the module substrate 32a, respectively (see FIG. 6). The ground portions 32e and 32f are metal patterns provided on the periphery of the cutout 32d, and are, for example, copper foil printed by silk screen printing.

[0037] The electronic module 33 is, for example, a communication module. The electronic module 33 of this embodiment is compatible with WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network). The communication standard compatible with the electronic module 33 may be, for example, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic module 33 has a module board 33a, a terminal 33b formed on one end 33a1 of the module board 33a, and a semiconductor chip 33c mounted on the module board 33a. With the terminal 33b connected to the connector 30, the other end 33a2 of the module board 33a of the electronic module 33 is pressed in the Z direction by the support 40. This allows the electronic module 33 to be attached to the circuit board 24. A cable 51 from an antenna element 50 installed at each location of the housing 12 or the cover 11 is appropriately connected to the other end 33a2 of the electronic module 33.

[0038] The electronic module 33 differs from the electronic module 32 in function, size, etc., but can have the same or similar mounting structure on the circuit board 24. Therefore, a notch similar to the notch 32d of the electronic module 32 is provided at the other end 33a2 of the electronic module 33. In addition, ground portions similar to the ground portions 32e, 32f of the module board 32a are provided on one and the other sides of the module board 33a, respectively.

[0039] Next, a method for assembling the support 40 and a method for supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 using the support 40 will be described. Again, a method for supporting one electronic module 32 will be representatively described, but the method for supporting the other electronic module 33 can be the same or similar.

[0040] 2 and 6, the support 40 is fixed to the ground pad 41. For example, the bottom of the stud member 42 of the support 40 is inserted into the through-hole 24c, and the flange 42a is placed on the ground pad 41, and a reflow soldering process is performed. As a result, the stud member 42 is fixed to the ground pad 41, and mounted on the circuit board 24. The fixing of the stud member 42 can be performed simultaneously with the process of mounting the connector 30 and other mounted components on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering, for example.

[0041] Next, a gasket 54, which is a conductive member, is passed over the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 42b. The gasket 54 is, for example, a cushioning material having conductivity. The gasket 54 has, for example, a predetermined thickness and is formed in a substantially C-shape. The gasket 54 is placed on the Z2 side of the flange 42a so as to grip the protruding portion 42b.

[0042] Next, the shaft portion 44a of the locking member 44 with the resistance member 46 fitted in the groove portion 44a2 is inserted into the hole portion 42c of the protruding portion 42b. The screw 48 is tightened into the screw hole 44a1 to prevent the locking member 44 from coming off the stud member 42. In this way, the support 40 is attached to the circuit board 24.

[0043] The O-ring constituting the resistance member 46 may be made of a heat-resistant material that can withstand the temperature of the reflow soldering process. In this case, the support 40 can be mounted on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering with the lock member 44 already connected to the stud member 42 by the screw 48. This improves the manufacturing efficiency of the circuit board 24. The gasket 54 may be installed after the support 40 is mounted on the circuit board 24.

[0044] When the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24 of this embodiment, the locking member 44 of the support 40 is placed in the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 5A. In the unlocked position, the large-diameter semicircular plate 44b2 of the locking member 44 faces the opposite side (X2 side) from the electronic module 32 side (X1 side). At this time, the locking member 44 receives a rotational torque from the resistance member 46, so that it can be reliably held in the unlocked position. Then, after the terminal 32b is connected to the connector 30, the other end 32a2 is placed immediately beside the support 40 in the unlocked position. Then, the notch 32d is arranged to surround half of the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 42b, and at the same time, the gasket 54 is sandwiched between the ground portion 32f of the other surface 32a4 and the flange 42a.

[0045] Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the locking member 44 is rotated to the locked position by using a predetermined tool or the like. In the locked position, the large-diameter semicircular plate 44b2 of the locking member 44 faces the electronic module 32 (X1 side). At this time, the locking member 44 receives a rotational torque from the resistance member 46. Therefore, the locking member 44 can be smoothly rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position with an appropriate rotational torque, and a high operability can be obtained. As a result, the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24 with one end 32a1 connected to the connector 30 and the other end 32a2 supported by the support 40. In this case, the locking member 44 receives the rotational torque from the resistance member 46, and can be reliably held in the locked position. In this way, the circuit board 24 can easily support the electronic module 32 using the support 40, and high work efficiency can be obtained.

[0046] 6, when the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24, the plate portion 44b of the locking member 44 contacts and is electrically connected to the ground portion 32e on one surface 32a3. The ground portion 32f on the other surface 32a4 of the electronic module 32 is electrically connected to the flange 42a via the gasket 54. This allows the support 40 to reliably connect electrically between the ground portions 32e, 32f and the ground pad 41 of the circuit board 24. The electronic module 32 may have a one-sided ground structure that does not have the ground portion 32f on the other surface 32a4. In this case, the gasket 54 may be omitted.

[0047] When removing the electronic module 32 from the circuit board 24, the locking member 44 is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 5A. Then, the electronic module 32 is released from the pressure applied by the locking member 44. As a result, the electronic module 32 receives the biasing force at the connection between the connector 30 and the terminal 32b and the repulsive force of the gasket 54, and the other end 32a2 rises to the Z2 side with the one end 32a1 as the pivot point. This allows the electronic module 32 to be easily removed from the circuit board 24.

[0048] As described above, the circuit board 24 of this embodiment is mounted with the support 40 that supports the other end 32a2 (33a2) of the electronic module 32 (33) on the side opposite to the connector 30. The support 40 includes a stud member 42 having a flange 42a fixed to the circuit board 24 and a protrusion 42b standing up from the flange 42a. The support 40 further includes a locking member 44 that is supported rotatably relative to the protrusion 42b and is switchable between a locked position in which the other end 32a2 (33a2) of the electronic module 32 (33) is pressed and an unlocked position in which the other end 32a2 (33a2) is not pressed, and a resistance member 46 that constitutes a torque generating portion that imparts a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member 44.

[0049] Therefore, the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 equipped with it do not require screws for supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 on the circuit board 24, improving the workability of attaching and detaching the electronic modules 32, 33. In particular, with the electronic device 10 such as a notebook PC, the electronic modules 32, 33 may be replaced by the user himself or herself, not just during work in a factory, etc. In this case, too, the electronic device 10 can reduce the risk of screws falling off or becoming lost, further improving maintainability and expandability.

[0050] Moreover, in the support 40, a rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the locking member 44. Therefore, the locking member 44 can be stably held in either of the rotational positions, the locked position and the unlocked position. Holding the locking member 44 in the locked position, the support 40 further improves the ease of installation and removal of the electronic modules 32, 33. Holding the locking member 44 in the unlocked position, the support 40 can support the electronic modules 32, 33 more stably. This is because, for example, even if the circuit board 24 receives an impact due to the electronic device 10 being dropped, the locking member 44 is prevented from erroneously rotating to the unlocked position.

[0051] In the support 40, the locking member 44 is prevented from coming off the stud member 42 by fastening the screw 48 from the back side of the flange 42a to the tip of the shaft portion 44a inserted into the hole portion 42c. As described above, the electronic modules 32, 33 may be attached and detached by the user himself. For this reason, the support 40 may have a defect such as, for example, the operation hole 44b3 of the locking member 44 being damaged by a tool, or the resistance member 46, which is an O-ring, being cut. In this case, the support 40 can easily attach and detach the locking member 44 from the stud member 42 by operating the screw 48. For this reason, the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 do not need to replace the entire circuit board 24 on which the stud member 42 is mounted when a defect occurs in the support 40 as described above. Therefore, the circuit board 24 and the electronic device 10 are easy to maintain and have low maintenance costs.

[0052] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a support 40A according to a first modified example. Fig. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the support 40A shown in Fig. 7 supporting an electronic module 32 (33). Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the support 40A shown in Fig. 7. In Figs. 7 to 9, the same reference symbols as those shown in Figs. 1 to 6 indicate the same or similar configurations, and therefore detailed descriptions are omitted as they have the same or similar functions and effects, and the same applies to the subsequent Figs. 10A to 14.

[0053] A support 40A shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 includes a stud member 42A, a locking member 44A and a resistance member 46A which have different configurations from the stud member 42, the locking member 44 and the resistance member 46 of the support 40 shown in FIGS. 3A to 6.

[0054] The stud member 42A has a protrusion 60 and a hole 61. The protrusion 60 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the protrusion 42b. The groove 44a2 is not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 60. The hole 61 has a shape different from that of the hole 42c. The hole 61 has a recessed portion 61a in which the inner diameter of the portion opening to the Z1 side surface is larger than the other portions.

[0055] The locking member 44A has a shaft portion 62 having an outer diameter smaller than that of the shaft portion 44a. The shaft portion 62 has a cylindrical shape, and a screw hole 44a1 is not formed. As shown in FIG. 9, before the locking member 44A is connected to the stud member 42A, a standing wall 62a is formed at the tip portion (Z2 side end portion) of the shaft portion 62. The standing wall 62a is a cylindrical wall portion having a shallow recess formed in the center. As shown in FIG. 8, the standing wall 62a is deformed by crimping after the shaft portion 62 is inserted into the hole portion 61, and becomes the crimped portion 62a. The crimped portion 62a is a substitute for the screw 48. That is, the crimped portion 62a prevents the locking member 44A from coming off while being rotatable relative to the stud member 42A. The locking member 44A has a stopper protrusion 63 on the back surface (Z1 side surface) of the semicircular plate 44b2 of the plate portion 44b. The stopper protrusion 63 is, for example, an arc-shaped standing wall.

[0056] The resistance member 46A constitutes a torque generating portion that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the lock member 44A. The resistance member 46A is a leaf spring formed from a metal plate into a C-ring shape, unlike the resistance member 46 formed from an O-ring. The resistance member 46A has an opening 65 and a stopper recess 66.

[0057] The opening 65 corresponds to the opening of the C. The inner diameter of the resistance member 46A is smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 62. The resistance member 46A can be fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 62 by elastically deforming so as to open the C through the opening 65. In this way, the resistance member 46A is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 62 so as to be rotatable relative to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 62 with a predetermined rotational torque.

[0058] The stopper recess 66 is a notched recess formed in the Z2 side end face of the resistance member 46A. The stopper recess 66 is on the opposite side to the opening 65 in the diameter direction of the resistance member 46A. The stopper protrusion 63 of the locking member 44A fits into the stopper recess 66. This allows the locking member 44A to rotate integrally with the resistance member 46A relative to the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 60 of the stud member 42A.

[0059] Next, a method for attaching the support 40A and a method for supporting the electronic modules 32 and 33 by the support 40A will be described.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 8, the method of fixing the stud members 42A to the ground pads 41 and mounting the support 40A on the circuit board 24 can be performed in the same manner as in the case of the support 40 described above.

[0061] First, the resistance member 46A of the support 40A is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 60 of the stud member 42A. Next, the shaft portion 62 of the locking member 44A is inserted into the hole portion 61. At this time, the stopper protrusion 63 is fitted into the stopper recess 66. Next, the vertical wall 62a at the tip of the shaft portion 62 that has passed through the hole portion 61 is crimped to form the crimped portion 62a. This prevents the locking member 44A from coming off the stud member 42A, and the assembly of the support 40A is completed. The entire support 40A is made of metal members. Therefore, the support 40A can be easily mounted on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering after the locking member 44A is assembled to the stud member 42A.

[0062] The method of supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 with the support 40A can be performed in the same manner as the method of supporting the electronic modules 32, 33 with the support 40 shown in Figures 5A and 5B, so detailed description will be omitted. That is, in the case of the support 40A, the lock member 44A can be rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position while receiving a rotational torque from the resistance member 46A. Therefore, in the circuit board 24 and electronic device 10 equipped with the support 40A, the workability of attaching and detaching the electronic modules 32, 33 is improved and stable support is possible.

[0063] In support 40A, screws 48 can be used instead of crimped portion 62a. Also, in support 40 described above and supports 40B to 40D described below, crimped portion 62a can be used instead of screws 48. A configuration using screws 48 allows locking member 44 and the like to be easily replaced even if crimped portion 62a is damaged.

[0064] Fig. 10A is a perspective view of a support 40B and a positioning member 70 according to a second modified example. Fig. 10B is a perspective view of the support 40B shown in Fig. 10A from another angle. Fig. 11A is a plan view of the support 40B shown in Fig. 10A in the unlocked position. Fig. 11B is a plan view of the support 40B shown in Fig. 11A in the locked position. Fig. 12 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the electronic module 32 (33) supported by the support 40B shown in Fig. 10A.

[0065] 10A to 12 includes a locking member 44B having a different configuration from the locking member 44 of the support 40 shown in Figures 3A to 6. The support 40B is used together with a positioning member .

[0066] The locking member 44B has a shaft portion 72 having a different configuration from the shaft portion 44a. The shaft portion 72 is a stepped shaft having a large diameter portion 72a on the Z2 side and a small diameter portion 72b on the Z1 side. The large diameter portion 72a is formed to have the same diameter as the semicircular plate 44b1 of the plate portion 44b, and protrudes in the Z1 direction so as to be continuous with the semicircular plate 44b1. The small diameter portion 72b has the same diameter as the shaft portion 44a, and is the portion that is inserted into the hole portion 42c of the stud member 42.

[0067] The groove portion 44a2 is not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72. The shaft portion 72 has a pair of recesses 74a, 74b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 72a. The recesses 74a, 74b are vertical grooves extending in the axial direction (Z direction) of the large diameter portion 72a. The recesses 74a, 74b are disposed 180 degrees opposite each other on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 72. With respect to the diameter direction of the large diameter portion 72a as a reference, the recess 74a is disposed on the side of the small diameter semicircular plate 44b1, and the recess 74b is disposed on the side of the large diameter semicircular plate 44b2.

[0068] The positioning member 70 is a sheet metal part formed in a substantially L-shape in side view. The positioning member 70 is mounted on the second surface 24b of the circuit board 24, and selectively positions the locking member 44B between a locked position and an unlocked position by abutting against the locking member 44B. The positioning member 70 has a fixed portion 70a, a spring portion 70b, and a convex portion 70c. The positioning member 70 can be made of, for example, stainless steel, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, or the like.

[0069] The fixing portion 70a is a plate formed in a substantially U-shape in a plan view. The fixing portion 70a is fixed to the ground pad 41 at a position close to the stud member 42 (see FIG. 12). In other words, the positioning member 70 can be mounted on the circuit board 24 at the same time as the process of mounting the stud member 42, the connector 30, etc. on the circuit board 24 by reflow soldering. The positioning member 70 is disposed on the opposite side (X2 side) of the stud member 42 from the electronic modules 32, 33 side (X1 side).

[0070] The spring portion 70b is bent toward the Z2 side from the fixed portion 70a and stands up. The spring portion 70b is formed, for example, in a generally arch shape. The spring portion 70b is a leaf spring that extends along the Y direction and is elastically deformable at least in the X direction.

[0071] The protrusion 70c is a small dome-shaped projection provided at the center of the spring portion 70b in the longitudinal direction and protruding toward the support 40B. The tip of the protrusion 70c is subjected to the biasing force of the spring portion 70b and is constantly pressed toward and in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 72a. When the locking member 44B rotates, the protrusion 70c can selectively engage with one of the recesses 74a, 74b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 72.

[0072] Next, a method for attaching the support 40B and a method for supporting the electronic modules 32 and 33 by the support 40A will be described. Again, the method for supporting one electronic module 32 will be described as a representative, but the method for supporting the other electronic module 33 can be the same or similar.

[0073] 12, in support 40B, the method of fixing stud member 42 to ground pad 41 and mounting it on circuit board 24 can be performed in the same manner as in the above-described support 40. Except that support 40B does not have resistance member 46, which is an O-ring, the method of assembling lock member 44B to stud member 42 can also be performed in the same manner as in the above-described support 40.

[0074] When mounting the electronic module 32 on the circuit board 24 using the support 40B, the locking member 44B of the support 40B is set in the unlocked position as shown in Fig. 11A. At this time, the locking member 44B has the protruding portion 70c of the positioning member 70 engaged with one of the recessed portions 74b of the shaft portion 72. Therefore, although the support 40B does not have the resistance member 46 like the support 40 described above, it can be reliably held in the unlocked position.

[0075] Next, the terminal 32b is connected to the connector 30, and the other end 32a2 is placed right next to the support 40B in the unlocked position, and then the locking member 44B is rotated. That is, as shown in FIG. 11B, the locking member 44B is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the locked position. At this time, the protruding portion 70c slides on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 72a after being released from the recessed portion 74b by the elastic deformation of the spring portion 70b. When the locking member 44B is rotated 180 degrees, the protruding portion 70c then engages with the other recessed portion 74a, generating a clicking sensation. Therefore, the support 40B can reliably position and hold the locking member 44B in the locked position while providing an appropriate clicking sensation. As a result, the electronic module 32 is attached to the circuit board 24 with one end 32a1 connected to the connector 30 and the other end 32a2 supported by the support 40B.

[0076] When removing the electronic module 32 from the circuit board 24, the locking member 44B is rotated with a predetermined tool or the like to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 11A. In this case, too, the protrusion 70c disengages from the recess 74a due to the elastic deformation of the spring portion 70b, and then re-engages with the recess 74b, producing an appropriate clicking sensation. As a result, the electronic module 32 can be easily removed from the circuit board 24.

[0077] Therefore, even in such a support 40B, the locking member 44B can be rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position and can be held in each position. Therefore, even in the circuit board 24 and electronic device 10 equipped with the support 40B, the workability of attaching and detaching the electronic modules 32, 33 is improved and the electronic modules can be stably supported.

[0078] When the protrusion 70c of the support 40B moves between the recesses 74a and 74b, it receives the biasing force of the spring portion 70b and slides on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 72. Therefore, even in the case of the support 40B, a rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the locking member 44B, although it is small. However, since the protrusion 70c and the shaft portion 72 are both metal members and tend to slide against each other, the rotational torque is extremely small. Therefore, the positioning structure of the locking member 44B using the positioning member 70 may be configured to obtain sufficient rotational torque by using it together with the supports 40C and 40D described below.

[0079] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic module 32 (33) supported by a support 40C according to a third modified example.

[0080] 10A to 12 in that a resistance member 46 is attached to a shaft portion 72. The shaft portion 72 of the support 40C has a groove portion 44a2 on the outer circumferential surface of a base portion of a small diameter portion 72b relative to a large diameter portion 72a. The resistance member 46, which is an O-ring, is fitted in the groove portion 44a2.

[0081] In the support 40C, the lock member 44B can also be positioned at the locked position and the unlocked position by the positioning member 70, and an appropriate clicking sensation can be obtained during the rotation operation. Furthermore, in the support 40C, sufficient rotational torque is applied to the rotation of the lock member 44B by the resistance member 46. Therefore, compared to the support 40B, the support 40C has improved operability during the rotation operation of the lock member 44B and also has improved holding stability at the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0082] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a support 40D and a positioning member 70 according to the fourth modified example.

[0083] A support 40D shown in Fig. 14 differs from support 40B shown in Figs. 10A to 12 in that it has a resistance portion 76 on the outer peripheral surface of large diameter portion 72a of shaft portion 72. The stud member 42 is not shown in Fig. 14. The resistance portion 76 is an uneven shape or a spline groove formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of large diameter portion 72a. The groove of resistance portion 76 is shallower and narrower than recesses 74a, 74b, and is shaped so that it cannot be fully engaged with projections 70c.

[0084] In the support 40D, when the locking member 44B rotates, the convex portion 70c of the positioning member 70 continuously contacts the concaves and convexes of the resistance portion 76, so that the locking member 44B is given a rotational resistance and a rotational operation feeling. In other words, the resistance portion 76 and the convex portion 70c function as a torque generating portion that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member 44B. Therefore, the support 40D further improves the operability of the locking member 44B during the rotation operation compared to the support 40B. The resistance portion 76 can be configured by providing, for example, a rubber sheet or surface treatment that applies frictional resistance to the convex portion 70c on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 72. The resistance portion 76 can also be used simultaneously with the resistance member 46 shown in FIG. 13.

[0085] It should be noted that 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]

[0086] 10 Electronic equipment 12. Chassis 24 Circuit Board 30 Connectors 32,33 Electronic Module 40,40A~40D Support 42,42A Stud material 42a flange 42b,60 Protrusion 42c,61 Hole 44, 44A, 44B Locking member 44a, 62, 72 Shaft section 44a1 screw hole 44a2 Groove 44b Plate section 46, 46A Resistance material 48 Screw 70 Positioning member 70b Spring part 70c convex part 74a, 74b Recess 76 Resistance section

Claims

1. A circuit board on which a connector for connecting one end of an electronic module and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module are mounted, The support includes: a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion extending from the flange; a locking member supported so as to be rotatable relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the locking member presses the other end of the electronic module and an unlocked position in which the locking member does not press the other end; a torque generating unit that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member; Equipped with the torque generating portion includes a resistance member that generates a rotational resistance between the locking member and the protrusion, The protruding portion has a hole extending along a protruding direction, The locking member is a plate portion capable of supporting the electronic module by rotating between the locked position and the unlocked position; a shaft portion protruding from a surface of the plate portion and inserted into the hole portion so as to be capable of rotating relative to the hole; having The resistance member is disposed in an annular recessed space formed by the surface of the plate portion, the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, and the tip surface of the protrusion, and is in contact with these surfaces, the outer circumferential surface, and the tip surface, respectively. A circuit board comprising:

2. 2. The circuit board according to claim 1, The resistance member is an O-ring that is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion and is sandwiched between the plate portion and the tip surface of the protrusion. A circuit board comprising:

3. 3. The circuit board according to claim 2, An annular groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, The O-ring is fitted in the groove. A circuit board comprising:

4. 4. The circuit board according to claim 2, The shaft portion is prevented from coming off the stud member by a screw fastened to the tip end portion inserted into the hole from the back side of the flange. A circuit board comprising:

5. A circuit board on which a connector for connecting one end of an electronic module and a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module are mounted, The support includes: a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion extending from the flange; a locking member supported so as to be rotatable relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the locking member presses the other end of the electronic module and an unlocked position in which the locking member does not press the other end; a torque generating unit that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member; Equipped with a positioning member that is mounted on a surface of the circuit board and that is capable of selectively positioning the locking member between the locked position and the unlocked position by contacting the locking member; A circuit board comprising:

6. 6. The circuit board according to claim 5, The protrusion has a hole extending along an axial direction, The locking member is a shaft portion inserted into the hole portion so as to be capable of rotating relative to the hole; a plate portion provided at one end of the shaft portion and capable of supporting the electronic module by rotating between the locked position and the unlocked position; having A pair of recesses is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, the recesses being disposed 180 degrees apart from each other. The positioning member is a protrusion that is selectively engageable with one of the pair of recesses when the locking member is rotated; a spring portion that presses the protrusion against an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion; have A circuit board comprising:

7. 7. The circuit board according to claim 6, The torque generating portion includes a resistance portion that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion and that applies rotational resistance to the locking member by coming into contact with the protrusion when the locking member is rotated. A circuit board comprising:

8. An electronic device, A circuit board on which a connector is mounted; an electronic module having one end connected to the connector; a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module on the circuit board; Equipped with The support includes: a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion extending from the flange; a locking member supported so as to be rotatable relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the locking member presses the other end of the electronic module and an unlocked position in which the locking member does not press the other end; a torque generating unit that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member; Equipped with the torque generating portion includes a resistance member that generates a rotational resistance between the locking member and the protrusion, The protruding portion has a hole extending along a protruding direction, The locking member is a plate portion capable of supporting the electronic module by rotating between the locked position and the unlocked position; a shaft portion protruding from a surface of the plate portion and inserted into the hole portion so as to be capable of rotating relative to the hole; having The resistance member is disposed in an annular recessed space formed by the surface of the plate portion, the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, and the tip surface of the protrusion, and is in contact with these surfaces, the outer circumferential surface, and the tip surface, respectively.

1. An electronic device comprising:

9. 9. The electronic device according to claim 8, The resistance member is an O-ring that is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion and is sandwiched between the plate portion and the tip surface of the protrusion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

10. An electronic device, A circuit board on which a connector is mounted; an electronic module having one end connected to the connector; a support for supporting the other end of the electronic module on the circuit board; Equipped with The support includes: a stud member having a flange fixed to a surface of the circuit board and a protrusion extending from the flange; a locking member supported so as to be rotatable relative to the protrusion and switchable between a locked position in which the locking member presses the other end of the electronic module and an unlocked position in which the locking member does not press the other end; a torque generating unit that applies a rotational torque to the rotation of the locking member; Equipped with a positioning member that is mounted on a surface of the circuit board and that can selectively position the locking member between the locked position and the unlocked position by contacting the locking member; 1. An electronic device comprising:

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