Electronic device

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that can make the connecting portion between a first housing and a second housing compact. [Solution] In the electronic device 10, a main body housing 12 and a display housing 14 are connected to each other by a hinge 16 at their connecting edges, and the electronic device 10 is configured to be rotatable around a hinge axis 16b of the hinge 16, and includes a first cylinder 32 that rotates integrally with the main body housing 12 on the same axis as the hinge axis 16b, a second cylinder 34 that rotates integrally with the display housing 14 on the same axis as the hinge axis 16b and is adjacent to the first cylinder 32, and a cable group 36 made up of a plurality of coaxial lines 36a that pass through the insides of the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 and are provided between the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14. The first cylinder 32 is formed by combining a first semicircular body 38 that constitutes one semicircular portion and a second semicircular body 40 that constitutes the other semicircular portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An electronic device such as a notebook PC has a first housing placed on a placement surface, and a second housing equipped with a display and rotatably connected to the first housing by a hinge, as shown in Patent Document 1. In the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, a cable connecting the first housing and the second housing is routed along the hinge axis, and a cylindrical cover is provided around the cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0002] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6698144 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In the above electronic device, the cables are routed along the hinge axis, so the cylindrical cover has a large diameter, which poses problems in terms of design and layout.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an electronic device in which the connecting portion between the first housing and the second housing can be made compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device in which a first housing and a second housing are connected to each other by a hinge at their connecting edges, and the electronic device is configured to be rotatable around the hinge axis of the hinge, and has a first cylindrical body that rotates integrally with the first housing coaxially with the hinge axis, a second cylindrical body that rotates integrally with the second housing coaxially with the hinge axis and adjacent to the first cylindrical body, and a cable that passes through the insides of the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body and is arranged between the first housing and the second housing, and the first cylindrical body is configured by combining a first semicircular body that constitutes one semicircular portion and a second semicircular body that constitutes the other semicircular portion. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the above aspect of the present invention, since the first and second cylinders through which the cables pass do not have hinge shafts, the connection portion between the first housing and the second housing can be made compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment viewed from above. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connection portion between a main body housing and a display housing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the hinge, hinge extension cover, and cable group in an assembled state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the display housing including the hinge extension cover. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional front view of the hinge extension cover and cable grouping. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the first cylindrical body and its surrounding area. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge extension cover and cables. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the hinge extension cover and the cables and their surroundings. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the boundary between the right side of the first cylindrical body and the left side of the second cylindrical body. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the boundary between the left side of the first cylindrical body and the right side of the second cylindrical body. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the assembly process of a hinge extension cover and its surrounding parts in an electronic device, where (a) is a diagram showing the first stage, (b) is a diagram showing the second stage, and (c) is a diagram showing the third stage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment, as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a connection between a main body housing 12 and a display housing 14. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a state in which a hinge 16, a hinge extension cover 30, and a cable group 36 are assembled.

[0010] 1, electronic device 10 is a clamshell-type notebook PC in which a main body housing (first housing) 12 and a display housing (second housing) 14 are connected by a hinge 16 so as to be relatively rotatable. Electronic devices according to the present invention include devices other than notebook PCs, such as tablet PCs and foldable smartphones.

[0011] The display housing 14 is a flat box that is thinner than the main body housing 12. The display housing 14 has a configuration in which a display 18 is mounted on a rear cover 17. The display 18 is made of, for example, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) or liquid crystal. An electronic device 19 such as a camera and a microphone is provided on the upper part of the display housing 14.

[0012] In the following, the main body housing 12 and each of the components mounted thereon will be described with reference to the posture in which the housings 12, 14 are opened at a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 1 and the display 18 is viewed, with the front side being referred to as the front, the back side being referred to as the rear, the width direction being the left and right, and the thickness direction being the top and bottom.

[0013] The main body housing 12 is a flat box. The main body housing 12 is configured in a box shape with an upper cover member 20 forming the top surface 12a and a lower cover member 22 forming the bottom surface 12b and the four side surfaces 12c. The cover members 20, 22 are stacked in the thickness direction and detachably connected to each other. The lower lower cover member 22 has a substantially bathtub shape with an open top surface. The upper upper cover member 20 has a substantially flat plate shape and serves as a lid that closes the top opening of the lower cover member 22. A keyboard 24 and a touch pad 26 are provided on the top surface 12a of the main body housing 12.

[0014] The hinge 16 connects a rear edge (connecting edge) 12d of the main body housing 12 to one edge (connecting edge) 14a of the adjacent display housing 14 so as to be relatively rotatable. There are basically two hinges 16, which are configured symmetrically at both the left and right ends of the electronic device 10. If the state in which the housings 12, 14 are stacked and the clamshell is closed is called 0 degrees, the range of angles through which the hinge 16 can rotate between the housings 12, 14 is, for example, from 0 degrees to 135 degrees. The rotation angle between the housings 12, 14 may be greater or less than 135 degrees.

[0015] When the display housing 14 is stacked on the main housing 12, the top surface 12a of the main housing 12 facing the display housing 14 corresponds to the front plate, and the bottom surface 12b on the opposite side corresponds to the back plate. A motherboard 28 and various electronic and mechanical components are provided inside the main housing 12. The motherboard 28 is the main board of the electronic device 10. The motherboard 28 is disposed toward the rear of the main housing 12. The motherboard 28 is a printed circuit board on which a CPU is mounted.

[0016] Relatively short end side surfaces 12ca are formed on both sides of the rear of the main body housing 12. The rear surface of the end side surfaces 12ca is semicircular (see FIG. 2). A step portion 12cb is formed between the two end side surfaces 12ca.

[0017] The two hinges 16 each have a hinge body 16a and a hinge shaft 16b protruding from the hinge body 16a on the side approaching each other. The hinge body 16a is located in a portion constituting the end side surface 12ca, and is fixed to the main body housing 12 by a bracket. The hinge shaft 16b protrudes from the end side surface 12ca, and is fixed to a fixing piece 14b protruding from the display housing 14 to the step portion 12cb by serration connection or the like. The hinge body 16a is provided with a torque applying mechanism for the hinge shaft 16b.

[0018] In the step portion 12cb, a hinge extension cover 30 is provided in a wide area between the fixed pieces 14b at both ends, and is configured in a so-called one-bar shape. The fixed pieces 14b and the hinge extension cover 30 are cylindrical and are coaxial with the hinge shaft 16b, and have a continuous appearance in the left-right direction, which is suitable from the design point of view. The hinge shaft 16b is inserted and fixed into the fixed pieces 14b, but does not reach the hinge extension cover 30.

[0019] The hinge extension cover 30 is divided into a first cylinder 32L, 32R that rotates integrally with the main body housing 12, and a second cylinder 34L, 34C, 34R that rotates integrally with the display housing 14. The second cylinder 34L and the second cylinder 34R are located at both the left and right ends of the hinge extension cover 30, the second cylinder 34C is located in the center, the first cylinder 32L is adjacent to the second cylinder 34L and the second cylinder 34C, and the first cylinder 32R is adjacent to the second cylinder 34R and the second cylinder 34C. The first cylinders 32L, 32R have the same length, and are hereinafter representatively referred to as the first cylinder 32. The second cylinders 34L, 34R have the same length, and are hereinafter representatively referred to as the second cylinder 34. Naturally, the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 do not have a hinge shaft 16b. The first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 are part of the hinge extension cover 30, and therefore have the same outer diameter. In this embodiment, based on the left-right width of the main body housing 12, the first cylinder 32 is about 1 / 10, the second cylinder 34 is about 1 / 5, and the second cylinder 34C is about 1 / 20.

[0020] The main body housing 12 and the display housing 14 are connected by two cable groups 36L and 36R in appearance. The cable groups 36L and 36R are also typically referred to as the cable group 36. The cable group 36L passes from the main body housing 12 through the inside of the first cylinder 32L and the second cylinder 34L and enters the display housing 14. The cable group 36R passes from the main body housing 12 through the inside of the first cylinder 32R and the second cylinder 34R and enters the display housing 14. In other words, the cable group 36 is provided between the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14 through the inside of the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34, and connects the motherboard 28 to the display 18 and the electronic device 19.

[0021] Each of the cable groups 36L and 36R is composed of a number (three or more) of coaxial lines (cables) 36a, but appears and is handled as one. The cable group 36 is formed by gathering coaxial lines 36a with a diameter of about 2.7 mm at a converging portion 36aa, for example. The many coaxial lines 36a are bundled at a portion indicated by reference numeral 36aa (hereinafter also referred to as the converging portion 36aa) inside the first and second cylinders, and are parallel and thin at a portion indicated by reference numeral 36ab (hereinafter also referred to as the parallel portion 36ab) inside the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14. The converging portion 36aa has an appropriate length and will not be damaged even if twisted. The converging portion 36aa may be wrapped with tape or twisted as necessary. Both ends of the cable group 36 are connected to a flat connector 36b. One end of the cable group 36 is connected to the motherboard 28 via the connector 36b inside the main body housing 12. The cable groups 36L and 36R are arranged symmetrically, but may differ in details such as the number of coaxial wires 36a, which are elemental wires. The form of the cable group 36 and the coaxial wires 36a connecting the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a flat cable.

[0022] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower part of the display housing 14 including the hinge extension cover 30. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional front view of the hinge extension cover 30 and the cable group 36. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the first cylinder body 32 and its surroundings. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge extension cover 30 and the cable group 36. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the hinge extension cover 30 and the cable group 36 and its surroundings.

[0023] The first cylinder 32 is formed by combining a first semicircular body 38 constituting one semicircular portion and a second semicircular body 40 constituting the other semicircular portion. The first semicircular body 38 and the second semicircular body 40 are adapted to abut against each other at a point P1 (see FIG. 8) closest to the rear end of the upper surface 12a and a point P2 180 degrees opposite thereto. That is, the first semicircular body 38 forms an oblique region extending from the upper side (front plate side) to the front side (second housing side) with the center of the first cylinder as a reference, and the second semicircular body 40 similarly forms an oblique region extending from the lower side (back plate side) to the front side (first housing side). This makes it possible to prevent the connection point P2 between the first semicircular body 38 and the second semicircular body 40 from being visually recognized by the user even when the display housing 14 is opened (see FIG. 8), which is preferable in terms of design.

[0024] The first semicircular body 38 is a part of an upper guide 42, and the second semicircular body 40 is a part of a lower guide 44. The upper guide 42 and the lower guide 44 are adapted to lightly engage with each other when combined to form a guide 46.

[0025] The upper guide 42 includes a first semicircular body 38 and a guide piece 42a. The guide piece 42a extends forward from the front upper end of the first semicircular body 38 while abutting against the inner surface of the upper cover member 20, and has a shape in which the front end is bent downward. A rectangular hole 42b and a plurality of positioning holes 42c are formed in the upper part of the guide piece 42a. The rectangular hole 42b forms a space for bringing the cable group 36 closer to the upper cover member 20. Screw seats 42d are provided on both ends of the guide piece 42a. There is a small step 42e between the guide piece 42a and the first semicircular body 38.

[0026] The lower guide 44 includes a second semicircular body 40 and a guide piece 44a. The guide piece 44a extends forward in a crank shape from the front upper end of the second semicircular body 40. The guide piece 44a is formed with a plurality of positioning projections 44b that fit into the positioning holes 42c. The guide piece 44a is provided at both ends with a screw seat 44c and a regulating piece 44d. The two regulating pieces 44d overlap with the screw seats 42d, 44c that hold the left and right sides of the guide piece 42a, and are fastened together to a boss 50 (see FIG. 11(c)) of the main body housing 12 by a screw 48 (see FIG. 7). The boss 50 is provided perpendicularly on the inner surface of the upper cover member 20, and the guide 46 is configured to be detachable in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface of the main body housing 12, which makes it easy to assemble. In other words, the lower guide 44 is detachable from the upper guide 42 at a constant rate, which makes it easy to handle. The upper guide 42 and the lower guide 44 may be fixed to the main body housing 12 separately.

[0027] Between the guide pieces 42a and 44a, a gap 46a through which the cable group 36 passes is formed, and further between the respective tip ends, an entrance 46b for the cable group 36 is formed. The width and height of the entrance 46b are adjusted to match the converging portion 36aa.

[0028] 4 and 5, a one-bar cover 54 is combined with a lower edge member 52 formed on the lower part of the display housing 14. The second cylinder 34 is primarily constituted by the one-bar cover 54, and the lower edge member 52 is a secondary constituent.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 8, the lower edge member 52 has a lower end 52a that supports the rear cover 17 and the display 18, and a jaw portion 52b that protrudes from the lower end 52a. A flat portion 52c is formed in the jaw portion 52b adjacent to the display 18, and a part of the one-bar cover 54 is placed on the flat portion 52c. Reference numeral 58 in Fig. 8 denotes a display board.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the jaw portion 52b has a different thickness and shape in the left-right direction. A central portion 52ba corresponding to the second cylinder 34C in the center is relatively thick. Of the portion corresponding to the second cylinders 34L and 34R, both end portions 52bb, which are approximately half of the portions near both ends, are as thick as the central portion 52ba. Of the portion corresponding to the second cylinders 34L and 34R, approximately half of the portions near the center form an arc surface portion 52bc. The cylinder support portion 52bd (see also FIG. 8) corresponding to the first cylinders 32L and 32R has an arc shape that supports the rotation of the first cylinder 32 by sliding contact.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, the one-bar cover 54 has a base 54a extending in the left-right direction, and the second cylinders 34L, 34R, and 34C are connected to the base 54a. The second cylinders 34L to 34C are spaced apart enough to allow the first cylinder 32L to be placed therebetween. The second cylinders 34R to 34C are spaced apart enough to allow the first cylinder 32R to be placed therebetween. The hollow arc portion 54b of the second cylinders 34L and 34R, which is approximately half of the cylinders near the center, forms the inner circumferential surface of the second cylinders 34L and 34R together with the arc surface portion 52bc. The lower surface 54c of the one-bar cover 54 is almost flat, but the lower surface of the second cylinders 34L and 34R, including the base 54a, has a shallow step surface 54d. The step surface 54d is located at a position including the center of the second cylinder bodies 34L, 34R, and has a left-right width that is approximately half that of the second cylinder bodies 34L, 34R, and a depth that is approximately the thickness of the parallel portion 36ab.

[0032] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the boundary between the first cylinder 32L and the second cylinder 34C. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the boundary between the first cylinder 32L and the second cylinder 34L. As shown in FIG. 9, a coaxial circular recess 34a is provided at the left end of the second cylinder 34C. The circular recess 34a is formed by the lower edge member 52 and the one-bar cover 54. The portion of the second cylinder 34C other than the circular recess 34a has a solid structure. An inner fitting portion 32a is provided at the right end of the first cylinder 32L, which fits into the circular recess 34a on the inner periphery side of the second cylinder 34C. The inner fitting portion 32a is formed by a part of the first semicircular body 38 and a part of the second semicircular body 40, and has a cylinder portion 32aa slightly smaller in diameter than the circular recess 34a and a flange protrusion 32ab at the tip. The inner fitting portion 32a is inserted appropriately deep into the circular recess 34a, so that the flange projection 32ab comes into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 34a.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the assembly process of the hinge extension cover 30 and its surrounding parts in the electronic device 10, where (a) is a diagram showing the first stage, (b) is a diagram showing the second stage, and (c) is a diagram showing the third stage.

[0034] As described above, the hinge extension cover 30 is composed of the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34. The first cylinder 32 is composed of the first semicircular body 38 of the upper guide 42 and the second semicircular body 40 of the lower guide 44, and is assembled as shown in FIG. 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the portion extending from one of the two parallel parts 36ab (left side of FIG. 11(a)) to the converging part 36aa is sandwiched between the first semicircular body 38 of the upper guide 42 and the second semicircular body 40 of the lower guide 44 from above and below. The upper guide 42 and the lower guide 44 are combined to form the guide 46. The entire width of one of the parallel parts 36ab is supported by the guide 46. The half of the converging part 36aa close to the one of the parallel parts 36ab is supported by the guide 46. The other parallel part 36ab (right side of FIG. 11(a)) is assembled to the display housing 14. The process shown in FIG. 11(a) is carried out similarly for the two first cylindrical bodies 32.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 11(b), the one-bar cover 54 is attached to the lower edge member 52. This forms the hinge extension cover 30. The one-bar cover 54 may be fixed with, for example, an adhesive tape. The first cylinder 32 has an inner fitting portion 32a, and the circular recess 34a of the second cylinder 34 fits the inner fitting portion 32a from the outside, making assembly efficient.

[0036] 11(c), the guide 46 is attached to the boss 50 of the upper cover member 20 by screws 48 through the screw seats 42d, 44c. The hinges 16, motherboard 28, etc. are separately attached to the upper cover member 20, and then the lower surface is covered with the lower cover member 22.

[0037] In the electronic device 10 configured in this manner, the cable group 36 is provided between the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14 through the inside of the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 without running along the hinge shaft 16b. Therefore, the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 can have a small diameter, and the connection part between the main body housing 12 and the display housing 14 can be made compact, which is preferable in terms of design. In addition, if the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 have a small diameter, it is also preferable in terms of layout, and for example, the gap 56 (see FIG. 8) between the hinge extension cover 30 and the lower cover member 22 can be secured widely, thereby reducing the ventilation resistance of the exhaust heat.

[0038] Since the first cylinder 32 is composed of the first semicircular body 38 and the second semicircular body 40, the cables 36 can be clamped and held in the inner space of the first cylinder 32 (see FIG. 11(a)), making assembly easy. The hinge extension cover 30 has the same outer diameters for the first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 34 (see FIG. 2), resulting in a suitable, integrated and continuous design.

[0039] The upper guide 42 and the lower guide 44 are combined to form a guide 46, which is preferable because it is easy to handle in the step of Fig. 11(c), but the upper guide 42 may be configured as one piece with the upper cover member 20. In other words, of the first semicircular body 38 and the second semicircular body 40, at least the second semicircular body 40 should be configured to be detachable from the main body housing 12. In that case, it is sufficient to fix only the lower guide 44 to the boss 50 with the screw 48 in the step of Fig. 11(c).

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

[0041] 10 Electronic equipment 12 Main unit (first unit) 14 Display case (second case) 16 Hinge 16b Hinge axis 28 Motherboard 30 Hinge extension cover 32,32L,32R 1st cylinder 32a Inner fitting part 34,34L,34C,34R 2nd cylinder 34a Circular recess 36, 36L, 36R cable group 36a Cable 36aa focusing section 36ab parallel section 38 First Semicircular Body 40 Second Semicircular Body 42 Upper Guide 44 Lower Guide 46 Guide 52 Lower edge member 54 One bar cover

Claims

1. An electronic device in which a first housing and a second housing are connected to each other at their connecting edges by a hinge and are configured to be rotatable about a hinge axis of the hinge, a first cylinder body that rotates integrally with the first housing on an extension of the same axis as the hinge shaft; a second cylinder body that rotates integrally with the second housing on an extension of the same axis as the hinge shaft and is adjacent to the first cylinder body; a cable extending between the first housing and the second housing and passing through the inside of the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body; having The first cylindrical body is formed by combining a first semicircular body constituting one semicircular portion and a second semicircular body constituting the other semicircular portion, The cable is made up of three or more cables, which are bundled and clamped inside the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body, and which are arranged in parallel inside the first housing and the second housing.

1. An electronic device comprising:

2. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, the first housing has a front plate that faces the second housing when the second housing is stacked, and a back plate on the opposite side; The first cylindrical body is provided on the front plate at the connecting edge, the first semicircular body defines an oblique region extending from the front panel side to the second housing side with respect to a center of the first cylinder body; The second semicircular body forms an oblique region extending from the back plate side to the first housing side with the center of the first cylinder as a reference.

1. An electronic device comprising:

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, Of the first semicircular body and the second semicircular body, at least the second semicircular body is configured to be detachable from the first housing.

1. An electronic device comprising:

4. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first cylindrical body has an inner fitting portion that fits into the inner peripheral side of the end portion of the second cylindrical body.

1. An electronic device comprising:

5. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body have the same outer diameter.

1. An electronic device comprising:

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