Structure for retaining internal electronic components in a cast housing

Abstract

To stably fix an internal electronic device in a case which is cast and has an inclined inner surface without taking time and effort, and to efficiently release heat generated by heat generating parts of the internal electronic device to the outside of the case. [Solution] A housing is cast in a box shape with one of its six sides open, and has an inner surface that is inclined in a direction so that the area of ​​the opening is wider than the opposite side of the opening. On the reverse side of the top wall that is located on the upper side when in use, a protrusion is provided, the protrusion having an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclined in the same direction as the reverse side of the top wall, and a part of a board of an internal electronic device unit that is fixed to a base having a contact surface with the bottom wall that is located on the lower side when the housing is in use and is arranged inside the housing in a horizontal orientation when in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member arranged between the protrusion and the board, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member that contacts the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device unit and has elasticity in the direction of moving towards and away from the board is in close contact with the reverse side of the top wall of the housing.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for holding an internal electronic device section constructed in a cast housing, which comprises electronic components mounted on a board, internal connection terminals, and external connection terminals, and a base that supports the board. [Background technology]

[0002] The housings of small electronic devices must provide the required functions within a limited range of dimensions, and therefore various proposals have been made regarding the housings of small electronic devices.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-259908 discloses a method for integrally molding a bottom plate made of CFRP in which a woven carbon fiber cloth is impregnated with epoxy resin and the cloth is sealed in epoxy resin, in order to produce an electronic device housing that is lightweight, highly rigid, has a good appearance, and has high dimensional accuracy, and the side walls are cast products of a magnesium alloy formed by thixomolding.

[0004] Furthermore, JP 2014-13467 A discloses that the lower housing of a notebook personal computer has a first housing part made of a cast metal part and a second housing part made of a pressed metal part, thereby achieving both light weight and rigidity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-259908 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-13467 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When a small electronic device is installed in a fixed location in a factory, the weight limit is lower, but the requirement for rigidity tends to be higher. Therefore, in consideration of manufacturing efficiency and cost, it is preferable to cast the entire housing of a small electronic device to be installed in a fixed location.

[0007] However, the housing formed by casting has a shape with an opening required when removing the core used in the manufacturing process, i.e., a box shape with one of six faces open, and the inner surface is inclined at about 1 to 2 degrees, called a "draft gradient," in a direction in which the area of ​​the opening is wider than the surface opposite the opening (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "rear surface"). Therefore, the internal electronic device to be placed inside must be inserted through the opening and stably fixed to the inclined surface, which poses the problem of the labor and time required for the placement work.

[0008] In addition, although a through hole can be provided in the portion (hereinafter referred to as the "rear wall") located opposite the opening in the cast housing, it is not possible to provide through holes in the portion (hereinafter referred to as the "top wall") that is located on the upper side when in use, the portion (hereinafter referred to as the "bottom wall") that is located on the lower side when in use, and the two portions (hereinafter referred to as the "side walls") that are located perpendicular to the top and bottom walls when in use. As a result, the heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device cannot be efficiently discharged, causing the internal electronic device to become too hot.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an internal electronic device holding structure in a cast-molded housing, which can stably fix the internal electronic device within a cast-molded housing with a sloped inner surface without requiring much time and effort, and which can efficiently dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device to the outside of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In the board holding structure of the present invention, a cast box-shaped housing with one of its six sides open and an inner surface inclined in a direction such that the area of ​​the opening is wider than the opposite side of the opening is provided on the reverse side of the top wall of the housing which is located on the upper side when in use, with a protrusion having an inclined surface extending from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclining in the same direction as the reverse side of the top wall, and a part of a board of an internal electronic device unit which is fixed to a base having a contact surface with a bottom wall which is located on the lower side when the housing is in use and is arranged inside the housing in an orientation which is horizontal when in use is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member arranged between the protrusion and the board, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member which contacts the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device unit and has elasticity in the direction of moving towards and away from the board is in close contact with the reverse side of the top wall of the housing.

[0011] The substrate of the internal electronic device may be composed of a first substrate member and a second substrate member, and a conductive member spanning the first substrate member and the second substrate member may be pressed against the first substrate member and the second substrate member by the pressing member, so that the first substrate member and the second substrate member are electrically connected via the conductive member. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a protrusion having an inclined surface extending from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclining in the same direction as the back side of the top wall is provided on the back side of the top wall of the housing, which is located on the upper side when in use, and a part of the board of the internal electronic device unit, which is fixed to a base having a contact surface with the bottom wall of the housing and is arranged inside the housing in a horizontal orientation when in use, is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member arranged between the protrusion and the board, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member that contacts the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device unit and has elasticity in the direction of approaching and moving away from the board is closely attached to the back side of the top wall of the housing, so that the internal electronic device unit is pressed against the bottom wall at two points, and the internal electronic device unit can be fixed in a stably state inside a housing having a sloping inner surface without spending time and effort.

[0013] In addition, by closely adhering the top surface of the heat dissipation member, which is in contact with the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device and has elasticity in the direction of moving toward and away from the substrate, to the back surface of the top wall of the housing, the heat generated by the heat-generating components of the internal electronic device can be efficiently dissipated outside the housing via the top wall of the housing.

[0014] Furthermore, in the case where the substrate of the internal electronic device is composed of a first substrate member and a second substrate member, the conductive member spanning the first substrate member and the second substrate member can be pressed against the first substrate member and the second substrate member by a pressing member, thereby achieving electrical conductivity between the first substrate member and the second substrate member, and fixing the internal electronic device in a stable state within a housing having a sloped inner surface without wasting time and effort. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a small computer in which an internal electronic device holding structure according to the present invention is adopted; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the housing as viewed from the opening side. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal electronics section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An embodiment of an internal electronic device holding structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The small computer of this embodiment comprises a housing 1, an internal electronic device section 2, a front panel 3 that covers an opening 11 in the housing 1, and a back panel 4 that covers a small opening 13 formed in a rear wall 12 located opposite the opening 11 in the housing 1.

[0017] The housing 1 is formed by casting, and has a box shape with one of six sides being open, and a small rectangular opening 13 is provided in a back wall 12 located opposite the opening 11. In this embodiment, the direction along the long side of the opening 11 is defined as the width direction, the direction along the short side of the opening 11 is defined as the height direction, and the direction perpendicular to the back wall 12 is defined as the depth direction. In addition, with respect to each of the wall members forming the housing 1, the surface that becomes the inner surface of the housing 1 is defined as the back side.

[0018] The inner surface of the housing 1 is inclined in a direction such that the opening area is larger than the rear surface, i.e., the back surface of the rear wall 12. Furthermore, the inner surface of the housing 1 is formed with a plurality of ridges 14 extending from the rear surface to the opening 11, and the end surface of the ridges 14 on the opening 11 side is provided with a screw hole 15 used for attaching the front panel 3.

[0019] The top surface of protrusion 14 is parallel to the inner surface of housing 1 and is inclined in the same direction as the inner surface of housing 1. Furthermore, the width of protrusion 14 provided at the center in the width direction of the surface that is positioned on the lower side when in use, i.e., the back surface of bottom wall 18 that is positioned on the lower side when in use, gradually becomes smaller from the back surface toward opening 11.

[0020] Furthermore, on the inner surface of the housing 1, the surface that is positioned on the upper side when in use, i.e., the back surface of the top wall 16 that is positioned on the upper side when in use, a protrusion 17 is provided at a position from the center in the width direction toward the side where the expansion module described later is positioned, the protrusion 17 having an inclined surface that extends from the opposite side to the opening 11 toward the opening 11 and inclines in the same direction as the inner surface.

[0021] The internal electronic device section 2 is constructed by electronic components, internal connection terminals, and external connection terminals mounted on a board composed of a first board member 21 and a second board member 22, and a base 5 supporting the board. The first board member 21 and the electronic components, internal connection terminals, and external connection terminals mounted on the first board member 21 form a basic system module, and the first board member 21 and the electronic components, internal connection terminals, and external connection terminals mounted on the first board member 21 form an extension module. Note that only electronic components necessary for explaining this embodiment are shown in Figures 1 and 3, and illustration of other electronic components is omitted.

[0022] The basic system module has a CPU, which corresponds to the heat generating component of the present invention, and a heat dissipation member 23, which is in contact with the CPU and has elasticity in the direction of approaching and retracting from the first board member 21, is disposed on the upper side of the first board member 21. The first board member 21 and the second board member 22 are fixed onto the base 5 with their edges in close contact with each other, and the edges of the first board member 21 and the second board member 22 are disposed inside the housing 1 at positions closer to the second board member 22 than the center in the width direction.

[0023] A conductive member 24 is disposed across the upper side of the close-contact edge of the first board member 21 and the second board member 22, and a pressing member 25 is disposed on top of the conductive member 24.

[0024] A part of the conductive paths of the first board member 21 and the second board member 22 extends to the edge. A conductive path is formed on the surface of the conductive member 24 that is disposed on the board side. The conductive paths extending to the edge of each of the first board member 21 and the second board member 22 are overlapped with the conductive paths formed on the surface of the conductive member 24 that is disposed on the board side, and the conductive member 24 is pressed against the first board member 21 and the second board member 22, thereby making the first board member 21 and the second board member 22 conductive.

[0025] The conductive member 24 is a rectangular prism-shaped member made of silicone rubber with a plurality of gold fibers arranged at intervals on one surface thereof. The surface on which the gold fibers are arranged is pressed against the first board member 21 and the second board member 22, so that the gold fibers function as a conductive path. If the internal electronic device section 2 is made up of a single board and there is no need to conduct electricity between different boards, the surface opposite to the surface on which the gold fibers are arranged can be pressed against the board to stably fix the internal electronic device section 2 in place while preventing the board circuit from being accidentally conducted.

[0026] The pressing member 25 has a top surface that is inclined in the same direction as the back surface of the top wall 16 of the housing 1. When the device main body 2 is inserted into the housing 1, the pressing member 25 cooperates with the protruding portion 17 of the housing 1 to press the conductive member 24 against the first board member 21 and the second board member 22, and presses the first board member 21 and the second board member 22 against the bottom wall 18 via the base 5.

[0027] The heat dissipation member 23 is a rectangular prism made of metal, and a heat transfer member 26 is disposed below the bottom surface of the heat dissipation member 23, which contacts the bottom surface of the heat dissipation member 23 and the CPU, which is a heat generating member, when the internal electronic device unit 2 is disposed inside the housing 1. In this embodiment, the CPU is attached to a board separate from the first board member 21, and is fixed to the first board member 21 with the back surface of the CPU facing the heat dissipation member 23. The heat transfer member 26 contacts the back surface of the CPU.

[0028] The heat dissipation member 23 also has legs extending from the four corners on the bottom side, and is fixed to the board by screws inserted into screw insertion holes provided in the legs. Furthermore, an elastic member 27 is disposed between the rear surface of the legs and the front surface of the board. The elastic member 27 also has screw insertion holes through which screws for fixing the heat dissipation member 23 to the board are inserted. When fixing the heat dissipation member 23 to the board, by leaving room for the elastic member 27 to contract in the axial direction of the screw, i.e., in the direction toward and away from the first board member 21, an elastic force in the direction toward and away from the board of the internal electronic device unit 2 is applied to the heat dissipation member 23.

[0029] The base 5 is formed of a metal plate material, and is provided with a through hole 51 for avoiding interference with tall components mounted on the first board member 21 and the second board member 22, or for enabling operation of electronic components, for example, for enabling insertion of a card into a slot. Also, a recessed portion 52 is provided for restricting the widthwise movement of the internal electronic device unit 2 relative to the bottom wall 18 in cooperation with a protrusion 14 provided in the center of the widthwise direction on the back surface of the bottom wall 18 of the housing 1. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the base 5 is an inclined surface parallel to the back surface of the bottom wall 18 of the housing 1, and serves as a contact surface with the bottom wall 18.

[0030] The front panel 3 has a through hole 31 for exposing the external connection terminal 28 of the internal electronic device section 2 to the outside of the housing 1, and an external connection terminal 32 that is connected to the internal electronic device section 2. The front panel 3 is fixed to the opening 11 of the housing 1 with a screw.

[0031] The rear panel 4 is fixed to the rear wall 12 of the housing 1 with screws using screw holes formed in the rear wall 12 at a position overlapping with a small opening 13 formed in the rear wall 12. The small opening 13 is used to expose the SIM card slot, micro SD card slot, and USB port for connecting to an external computing device provided in the internal electronic device unit 2 as needed, and is closed by the rear panel 4 when not in use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 Case 2 Internal electronics section 3 Front plate 4 Back plate 5 Base 11 Opening 12 Back wall 13 Small opening 14 protrusion 15 Screw holes 16 Top Wall 17 Protrusion 18 Bottom wall 21 First substrate member 22 Second substrate member 23 Heat dissipation materials 24 Conductive materials 25 Pressing member 26 Heat transfer materials 27 Elastic Members 28, 32 External connection terminal 31, 51 Through holes 52 Depression

Claims

1. an internal electronic device holding structure, characterized in that a housing is cast in a box shape with one of six sides open, and has an inner surface that is inclined in a direction such that the area of ​​the opening is wider than that of the opposite side of the opening, and on the reverse side of the top wall that is located on the upper side when the opening faces the front, a protrusion is provided having a sloped surface that extends from the opposite side of the opening toward the opening and inclined in the same direction as the reverse side of the top wall, and a part of a substrate of an internal electronic device is fixed to a base having a contact surface with a bottom wall that is located on the lower side in the usage state and is located inside the housing in a horizontal orientation in the usage state, and is pressed against the bottom wall via the base by a pressing member arranged between the protrusion and the substrate, and the top surface of a heat dissipation member that contacts a heat-generating component of the internal electronic device and has elasticity in a direction toward and away from the substrate is in close contact with the reverse side of the top wall of the housing.

2. The internal electronic device holding structure described in claim 1, wherein the substrate of the internal electronic device is composed of a first substrate member and a second substrate member, and a conductive member spanning the first substrate member and the second substrate member is pressed against the first substrate member and the second substrate member by the pressing member, and the first substrate member and the second substrate member are electrically connected via the conductive member.

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