Electronic pen

Abstract

Provided is an electronic pen that is provided with a waterproof function and is suitable for use with foldable terminals. A space between a first sealing member (22) and a second sealing member (26) of an electronic pen body part (2) is sealed by an inner body (1) closely adhering to the first sealing member (22) and the second sealing member (26), and as result thereof, a waterproof function is realized in said portion. Further, the electronic pen body part (2) and the inner body (1) are integrated and can be moved together. Due to this configuration, foldable terminal counter-measures can be easily and sufficiently taken.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic pen that enables input of information by indicating coordinates to a position detection device mounted on an electronic device such as a tablet PC (Personal Computer).

Background Art

[0002] For example, in electronic devices such as high - performance mobile phone terminals called tablet PCs (Personal Computers) and smartphones, there are some that enable input by an electronic pen through a mounted position detection device for finer drawing input. In view of the usage modes in tablet PCs and high - performance phone terminals that are often carried and used, it has been considered to make the electronic pen thinner and more suitable for carrying.

[0003] In addition, electronic devices such as tablet PCs and high - performance phone terminals and electronic pens are increasingly being used in environments that are easily affected by water, such as outdoors during rain, by the water's edge of the sea, river, lake, marsh, pool, etc. For this reason, the need for waterproof measures for the electronic pen has become increasingly important along with the electronic device. Waterproof measures for the electronic pen are disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3 described later.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of performing overall sealing that shields the entire important parts of an electronic pen such as a coil and a circuit board. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of adding a waterproof function by filling a hollow portion inside an internal housing in which components for realizing the electronic pen function are housed with resin. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique of providing waterproof elastic members (cap members and sealing members) at the pen tip side and the circuit board connection portion inside the housing to prevent intrusion of water from the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 122280 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 149879 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018 - 18149 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] The technologies disclosed in the above - mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3 are useful as technologies for adding a waterproof function to an electronic pen. However, there is a demand for making the electronic pen more suitable not only for the waterproof function but also for use with a foldable portable terminal such as a foldable terminal. Since a foldable terminal is foldable, it is impossible to provide a hard protective layer such as tempered glass on the display screen like a conventional portable terminal.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to take measures so that the core of the electronic pen does not damage the display screen of the foldable terminal and does not apply excessive writing pressure to the display screen of the foldable terminal. In this case, in the case of the waterproof countermeasure technologies described in the above - mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3, although the core can move slightly in sliding according to the writing pressure, the parts that realize functions other than the core of the electronic pen are fixed in the housing. For this reason, countermeasures for a foldable terminal cannot be easily and sufficiently implemented.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic pen having a waterproof function and being suitable for use with a foldable terminal. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0009] To solve the above problems, an electronic pen main body portion including a first sealing member that covers the periphery of the tip side and a second sealing member provided along the outer edge at a position away from the tip to the rear end side, A cylindrical body, an inner body in which the first sealing member and the second sealing member are in close contact with the inner wall surface when the tip side of the electronic pen main body is inserted An elastomer holder having an elastomer at the tip side, an electronic pen body holder that houses a predetermined portion from the rear end to the front end direction of the electronic pen body, and the rear end face is in contact with the elastomer and is slidably connected to the elastomer holder in the axial direction To provide an electronic pen provided with

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For example, an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen includes a resonance circuit configured by connecting a coil and a capacitor, and performs position indication and pen pressure notification by transmitting and receiving a magnetic field with a position detection device. Therefore, in the case of an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen, a coil is provided on the pen tip side. However, if this coil portion gets wet with water or the like, the electrical characteristics will change, so it is necessary to take waterproof measures for the coil portion.

[0013] In addition, in the case of an active capacitance type electronic pen, a coil for battery charging may be mounted, and it is necessary to take waterproof measures for the coil portion. Thus, there are various types of electronic pens, and in each of them, the need for taking waterproof measures is increasing. This invention is applicable to various electronic pens that require waterproof measures. In the following, for simplicity of explanation, the case where this invention is applied to an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen will be described as an example.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the internal configuration of the electronic pen according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic pen according to this embodiment mainly includes four parts: an inner body 1, an electronic pen main body portion 2, a main body holder 3, and an elastic body holder 4. The inner body 1 is a cylindrical body with a tapered tip as shown in FIG. 1(A). Its interior is hollow, with a tip opening 11 provided at the tip and a rear end opening 12 provided at the rear end. The upper and lower surfaces of the inner body 1 are formed flat, and a fitting protrusion 13a is provided on the rear end side of the upper surface. Although not visible in FIG. 1(A), a fitting protrusion 13b is also provided at a position facing the fitting protrusion 13a on the rear end side of the lower surface.

[0015] The electronic pen main body portion 2 is the part that realizes the electronic pen function. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the appearance of the electronic pen main body portion 2 includes a core body 21, a first sealing member 22, a coil 24, a pen pressure detection portion 25, a second sealing member 26, a substrate holder 27, a circuit board 28, and a battery 29. The core body 21 is rod-shaped and consists of a pen tip portion with a rounded tip and a shaft portion extending from the pen tip portion to the rear end side.

[0016] The first sealing member 22 is, for example, a cup-shaped member having a thickness formed of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber. The rear end face is open, and an opening is also provided on the front end face so that the core 21 can be inserted and removed. The first sealing member 22 is mounted on the tip side of the electronic pen main body 2 and is in close contact with the electronic pen main body 2 so as to cover the periphery of the tip side. The coil 24 is formed by winding an insulated conducting wire around the side surface of a ferrite core 23 that is not visible in FIG. 1. Both ends of the insulated conducting wire constituting the coil 24 are stretched to the rear end side and connected to a capacitor provided on a circuit board 28 described later, so that a resonant circuit is formed by the coil 24 and the capacitor.

[0017] The pen pressure detection unit 25 is configured to include a variable capacitance capacitor inside whose capacitance changes in response to the pressing of the core 21. This variable capacitance capacitor is connected in parallel to the resonant circuit formed by the coil 24 and the capacitor. Thereby, information indicating the pen pressure applied to the core 21 can also be transmitted included in the magnetic field (signal) transmitted from the resonant circuit. The second sealing member 26 is, for example, a linear body having a certain thickness formed of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber and formed in a ring shape, and is provided in close contact along the outer edge of a substrate holding portion 27 formed in a cylindrical shape located at the rear stage of the pen pressure detection unit 25.

[0018] The substrate holding portion 27 is provided at the rear stage of the second sealing member 26 so as to be connected to the pen pressure detection unit 25, and is in a half-pipe shape with an open upper surface side except for the connection portion with the pen pressure detection unit 25. The substrate holding portion 27 includes a substrate area and a battery area. As shown in FIG. 1(B), a circuit board 28 is mounted in the substrate area of the substrate holding portion 27, and a battery 29 is mounted in the battery area.

[0019] The circuit board 28 has an electronic circuit formed by various circuit components such as a capacitor for a resonance circuit connected in parallel to the coil 24, a control IC (Integrated Circuit), and a push switch (button switch) SW. Note that the push switch SW is provided on the side surface of the electronic pen and is used to realize a so-called side switch that is operated by the user. That is, different magnetic fields (signals) can be transmitted when the push switch SW is pressed and when it is not pressed.

[0020] Note that the electronic pen of this embodiment is of the electromagnetic induction type as described above, and since a current is generated in the coil by the action of a magnetic field and it operates, basically a battery for supplying a driving power source is not necessary. However, since the electronic pen of this embodiment has circuit parts that require a supply of a driving power source, such as a communication circuit of the Bluetooth (registered trademark) type, a battery 29 for supplying a driving power source to these circuit parts is mounted. The communication circuit is used, for example, to notify information regarding the electronic pen to the terminal side equipped with a position detection device.

[0021] The inner body 1 has the electronic pen main body 2 inserted from the pen tip side through the rear end opening 12 and is attached to the tip side of the electronic pen main body 2. In this case, the outer shape of the first sealing member 22 is the same as the corresponding inner part of the inner body 1, but its size is slightly larger than the corresponding inner part of the inner body 1 for the first sealing member 22. Similarly, the outer shape of the second sealing member 26 is the same as the corresponding inner part of the inner body 1, but its size is slightly larger than the corresponding inner part of the inner body 1 for the second sealing member 26.

[0022] As described above, both the first sealing member 22 and the second sealing member 26 are formed of an elastic material. For this reason, when the electronic pen main body 2 is inserted from the pen tip side into the rear end opening 12 of the inner body 1 and pushed in to a fixed position, each of the first sealing member 22 and the second sealing member 26 comes into close contact with the inner wall of the corresponding position of the inner body 1. As a result, the space between the first sealing member 22 and the second sealing member 26 of the electronic pen main body 2 is sealed by the inner body 1 coming into close contact with the first sealing member 22 and the second sealing member 26, and the intrusion of water or the like can be prevented. That is, a waterproof function can be added to the portion covered by the inner body 1 of the electronic pen main body 2.

[0023] Also, it is necessary to take waterproof measures for the circuit board 28 portion. However, when the inner body 1 is extended to the rear end side, the pressing operation of the push switch SW becomes impossible. Therefore, in this embodiment, by covering the circuit board 28 with resin, a waterproof function is also added to the circuit board 28 portion. Specifically, as will be described later, a liquid plastic (UV bond) that cures with ultraviolet rays is used to cover the circuit board 28 and fill the inside of the board holding portion 27, and then ultraviolet rays are irradiated to cure it, thereby adding a waterproof function to the entire circuit board area of the board holding portion 27. In this case, the thickness of the liquid plastic is made thinner in this portion so that the operation of the push switch SW is possible.

[0024] The main body holder 3 holds the electronic pen main body 2 and includes connection plates 31a, 31b, a circuit board holding portion 32, a battery holding portion 33, a support portion 34, a pusher portion 35, and connection arms 36a, 36b. The electronic pen main body 2 with the inner body 1 attached is inserted into the main body holder 3 from the rear end side from the side of the connection plates 31a, 31b so that the rear end face 2T of the electronic pen main body 2 abuts against the bottom face 33T of the battery holding portion 33. The connection plates 31a, 31b hold the electronic pen main body 2 by sandwiching the rear end portion of the inner body 1 from above and below.

[0025] Note that, as shown in Fig. 1(C), the connection plate 31a is provided with a fitting hole 31ah, and although not shown in the figure, the connection plate 31b is provided with a fitting hole 31bh at a position facing the fitting hole 31ah of the connection plate 31a. Therefore, the fitting protrusion 13a on the upper surface of the inner body 1 fits into the fitting hole 31ah of the connection plate 31a, and the fitting protrusion 13b on the lower surface of the inner body 1 fits into the fitting hole 31bh of the connection plate 31b. As a result, the electronic pen main body 2 with the inner body 1 attached is not easily detached from the main body holder 3.

[0026] The part between the circuit board holding part 32 and the battery holding part 33 has a half-pipe shape with an open upper surface side. The support part 34 is a part formed in an arch shape at the boundary between the circuit board holding part 32 and the battery holding part 33. Therefore, the battery area of the board holding part 27 of the electronic pen main body 2 passes under the support part 34 and reaches the battery holding part 33 on the rear side of the support part 34. In this case, the board area of the board holding part 27 of the electronic pen main body 2 is located in the circuit board holding part 32 on the front side of the support part 34.

[0027] The pusher part 35 extends from the support part 34 with a hollow towards the pen tip side and passes directly above the push switch SW of the circuit board 28 of the electronic pen main body 2. The pusher part 35 is an elongated plate-like member composed of a shaft part 35a and a pressing part 35b, as shown in Fig. 1(C). As described above, since both the upper surface of the board holding part 27 of the electronic pen main body 2 and the upper surface of the circuit board holding part 32 of the main body holder 3 are open, the push switch SW of the circuit board 28 can be pressed through the pressing part 35b of the pusher part 35.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1(C), the rear end of the pusher portion 35 is fixed to the support portion 34. Therefore, the pusher portion 35 acts as a leaf spring with the support portion 34 as a fulcrum. Accordingly, when the upper surface of the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35 is pressed, the pressing portion 35b moves downward to press the push switch SW of the circuit board 28. When the pressing on the upper surface of the pressing portion 35b is released, the pusher portion 35 acts as a leaf spring, the pressing portion 35b returns to its original position, and the pressing of the push switch SW is released. Thus, the pusher portion 35 is a member for constituting the side switch.

[0029] The connection arms 36a and 36b are portions that enable connection to the elastic body holder 4, and connect the main body holder 3 to the elastic body holder 4 by sandwiching the holding portion 41 of the elastic body holder 4 to be described later from the left and right. Accordingly, the electronic pen main body 2 with the inner body 1 attached is held by the main body holder 3, and this main body holder 3 is connected to the elastic body holder 4.

[0030] The elastic body holder 4 includes a holding portion 41 and an extending portion 42. As shown in FIG. 1(C), a coil spring 43 as an elastic body is held in the holding portion 41. The extending portion 42 is a portion extending from the rear end surface of the holding portion 41 toward the rear end side, and is for making the internal structure (the portion composed of the inner body 1, the electronic pen main body 2, the main body holder 3, and the elastic body holder 4) of the electronic pen in this embodiment have a predetermined length. Groove portions are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the holding portion 41, and the connection arms 36a and 36b of the main body holder 3 described above are fitted into these left and right groove portions, whereby the main body holder 3 is connected to the elastic body holder 4.

[0031] The rear ends of the connecting arms 36a and 36b are provided with convex portions that protrude inward and engage with the front ends of the left and right side groove portions of the holding portion 41. Thereby, the main body holder 3 is prevented from being easily detached from the elastic body holder 4, and the main body holder 3 can be pushed in or pulled back in the axial direction with respect to the elastic body holder 4, that is, it can slide. In a state where the main body holder 3 is connected to the elastic body holder 4, as shown in FIG. 1(C), the coil spring 43 is sandwiched between the outer bottom surface 36T of the main body holder 3 and the inner bottom surface 41T of the holding portion 41 of the elastic body holder 4. The coil spring 43 acts to separate the main body holder 3 and the elastic body holder 4.

[0032] However, assume that a predetermined pen pressure, for example, a pen pressure of 300 g (grams) or more, is applied to the core 21 of the electronic pen main body 2 attached to the main body holder 3 while the rear end surface 4T of the elastic body holder 4 is fixed. In this case, the main body holder 3 is pushed toward the elastic body holder 4 side, the coil spring 43 contracts, and the distance between the outer bottom surface 36T of the main body holder 3 and the inner bottom surface 41T of the holding portion 41 of the elastic body holder 4 decreases. Also, when the pen pressure of 300 g or more is no longer applied, the coil spring 43 extends and the distance between the outer bottom surface 36T of the main body holder 3 and the inner bottom surface 41T of the holding portion 41 of the elastic body holder 4 returns to the original distance.

[0033] In this way, by interposing the coil spring 43 between the main body holder 3 and the elastic body holder 4, according to the pen pressure applied to the core 21, the main body holder 3 that houses the electronic pen main body 2 is pushed in or pulled back in the axial direction. In this embodiment, if the pen pressure applied to the core 21 of the electronic pen main body 2 is less than the predetermined pen pressure (for example, less than 300 g), the coil spring 43 does not contract. However, when the pen pressure applied to the core 21 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined pen pressure (300 g or more), the coil spring 43 contracts and causes an action of retracting the core 21 in the axial direction.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the electronic pen according to the embodiment. FIG. 2(A) shows the internal structure of the electronic pen in a state where each part of the inner body 1, the electronic pen main body 2, the main body holder 3, and the elastic body holder 4 described with reference to FIG. 1 are connected. That is, FIG. 2(A) shows a state where the electronic pen main body 2 with the inner body 1 attached is attached to the main body holder 3, and further, the main body holder 3 is connected to the elastic body holder 4.

[0035] FIG. 2(B) shows the appearance of the electronic pen in a mode in which the internal structure of the electronic pen shown in FIG. 2(A) is housed in the outer housing 5 and used by the user (end user). The outer housing 5 is a cylindrical body with a tapered shape at the pen tip side, and a tip opening is provided at the tip of the pen tip side, and a rear end opening is provided at the rear end side. The internal structure of the electronic pen shown in FIG. 2(A) is inserted from the rear end opening of the outer housing 5 so that the core body 21 protrudes from the tip opening. In this state, the tip portion of the inner body 1 is in contact with the inner tip portion of the outer housing 5.

[0036] Furthermore, a columnar rear end cap 7 is fitted into the rear end opening of the outer housing 5. The rear end cap 7 is composed of a fitting portion fitted into the outer housing 5 and an exposed portion exposed to the outside. The rear end cap 7 has an outer diameter of the fitting portion slightly longer than the inner diameter of the outer housing 5, and is made not to come off easily by pushing the whole into the outer housing 5. The outer diameter of the exposed portion of the rear end cap 7 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the outer housing 5.

[0037] When the rear end cap 7 is properly fitted to the outer housing 5, the front end face of the fitting portion of the rear end cap 7 comes into contact with the rear end face 4T of the extending portion 42 of the elastic body holder 4 of the internal structure shown in FIG. 2(A). Thereby, the internal structure shown in FIG. 2(A) is sandwiched between the inner tip portion of the outer housing 5 and the fitting portion of the rear end cap 7 in the outer housing 5, and its position is regulated in the outer housing 5.

[0038] In this way, the internal structure shown in Fig. 2(A) is attached to the outer housing 5 and used as an electronic pen. In this case, when a pen pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the core body 21 protruding from the tip opening of the outer housing 5, the coil spring 43 is contracted, and the main body holder 3 slides rearward, so that the core body 21 is 5 housed in the outer housing. This prevents the core body 21 from applying a pen pressure equal to or greater than the predetermined value to the operation surface. When the pen pressure applied to the core body 21 becomes less than the predetermined value, the coil spring 43 extends, and the core body 21 returns to the state of protruding from the tip opening of the outer housing 5.

[0039] Also, a side surface opening 5h is provided on the side surface of the outer housing 5. The side surface opening 5h is provided at a position corresponding to the push switch SW provided on the circuit board 28 of the electronic pen main body 2, and this position corresponds to the position of the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35. The operation portion 6 is fitted into the side surface opening 5h. Thereby, when the user presses the operation portion 6, the push switch SW on the circuit board 28 can be pressed via the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35. When the pressing operation on the operation portion 6 is released, the pressing portion 35b returns to its original position due to the leaf spring action of the pusher portion 35, and accordingly, the operation portion 6 also returns to its original state.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration on the pen tip side of the electronic pen according to the embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view when the electronic pen is cut in the longitudinal direction so that the operation portion 6 is on the upper side and divided into the rear side and the front side, and the front side is removed. In the electronic pen according to this embodiment, in the state where the internal structure shown in Fig. 2(A) is attached to the outer housing 5, the pen tip portion of the core body 21 of the electronic pen main body 2 protrudes from the tip opening of the outer housing 5 as shown in Figs. 2(B) and 3. from The shaft portion of the core body 21 passes through the through hole of the ferrite core 23 which is a cylindrical body and reaches the pen pressure detection portion 25. A coil 24 is formed by winding an insulated wire around the side surface of the ferrite core 23. is made.On the front end side of the coil 24, a first sealing member 22 is provided so as to cover the front end side of the ferrite core 23.

[0041] The pen pressure detection unit 25 is composed of a pressing member 251, a first electrode 252, a dielectric 253, and a second electrode 254. The rear end side of the shaft portion of the core body 21 is inserted into the pressing member 251. A gap is provided between the first electrode 252 and one surface of the dielectric 253 facing it. In response to the pen pressure applied to the pen tip portion of the core body 21, the first electrode 252 approaches or separates from the dielectric 253 via the pressing member 251. On the other surface of the dielectric 253, the second electrode 254 is provided. Therefore, based on the capacitance between the first electrode 252 and the second electrode 254 that changes according to the pen pressure, the pen pressure can be detected.

[0042] A connection member 2CN is provided at the rear stage of the second electrode 254. The connection member 2CN connects the pen pressure detection unit 25 and the substrate holding unit 27. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the pen pressure detection unit 25 is connected to the front stage of the connection member 2CN, and the tip end portion on the pen tip side of the substrate holding unit 27 is fitted to the rear stage of the connection member 2CN, so that the pen pressure detection unit 25 and the substrate holding unit 27 are connected via the connection member 2CN. The pen tip side of the substrate holding unit 27 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a ring-shaped second sealing member is provided in close contact with the periphery (outer edge) of the side surface around the side surface. 26 is provided. Also, as described above, the inner body 1 is attached to the pen tip side of the electronic pen main body 2.

[0043] In this case, as also described above and as shown in FIG. 3, on the pen tip side inside the inner body 1, the first sealing member 22 is in close contact, and on the rear end side inside the inner body 1, the second sealing member 26 is in close contact. Thereby, the portion composed of the coil 24 and the pen pressure detection unit 25 inside the inner body 1 is sealed with respect to the inner body 1 by the close contact of the first sealing member 22 and the second sealing member 26, and a waterproof function is realized.

[0044] A circuit board 28 and a battery 29 are mounted on the substrate holding portion 27. The upper surface side of the circuit board 28 is filled with UV bond and cured in a state of being in close contact with the inner wall of the circuit board 28 and the substrate holding portion 27 by irradiating ultraviolet rays, thereby forming a protective layer 28B. As described above, a waterproof function is realized for the circuit board 28 portion. The circuit board 28 is a double-sided board configured with circuit components arranged on both sides. By filling the inside of the substrate holding portion 27 with UV bond, it is possible to prevent liquid such as water from entering the lower surface side of the circuit board 28.

[0045] A push switch SW is provided on the upper surface of the circuit board 28. The push switch SW portion is made operable. UV bond The protective layer 28B formed by the above is made to have a reduced thickness. In the main body holder 3, the upper surface side of at least the portion where the circuit board 28 of the electronic pen main body 2 is located is an opening, and this portion has a half-pipe shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body holder 3 includes a pusher portion 35 which is an elongated plate-like body having a hollow extending from the support portion 34 toward the pen tip side.

[0046] The pusher portion 35 is composed of a shaft portion 35a and a pressing portion 35b. The pressing portion 35b is positioned at a position where it can press the push switch SW provided on the circuit board 28. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing portion 35b has a convex portion on the lower side. By pressing the operation portion 6 provided in the side opening portion 5h of the outer housing 5, the push switch SW can be pressed through the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35.

[0047] When the pressing applied to the operation portion 6 is released, the pusher portion 35 acts as a leaf spring. For this reason, when the pressing applied to the operation portion 6 is released, the pusher portion 35 acts so as to return to its original state with the support portion 34 as a fulcrum. Thereby, the pressing of the push switch SW is released, and the operation portion 6 is also pushed up to return to the original state. In this way, in the case of the electronic pen of this embodiment, a side switch that can surely switch between the pressed / non-pressed states with a simple configuration is realized.

[0048] Further, the operation unit 6 is provided with a front-end protruding portion that slightly protrudes toward the pen tip at the front end, and a rear-end protruding portion that slightly protrudes toward the rear side at the rear end. Therefore, the operation unit 6 is made to not easily come off from the side opening of the outer housing 5. That is, the operation unit 6 is only engaged with the inner wall of the outer housing 5 by the front-end protruding portion and the rear-end protruding portion, and only rides on the upper surface of the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35.

[0049] Therefore, as described above, even when the main body holder 3 to which the electronic pen main body 2 is attached is pushed backward by applying a pen pressure of a predetermined value or more to the pen tip portion of the core body 21, the operation unit 6 does not interfere with the sliding movement of the main body holder 3. When the operation unit 6 is attached to the side opening of the outer housing 5, it can be attached by pushing it in. Also, when removing the operation unit 6 from the outer housing 5, the operation unit 6 can be easily removed from the inside of the outer housing 5 by removing the internal component shown in Fig. 2(A) from the outer housing 5.

[0050] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the state before and after excessive pen pressure is applied to the electronic pen of the embodiment. The side where the operation unit 6 is located is the upper side, and the opposite side is the lower side. It is a cross-sectional view when the upper side is removed after cutting vertically in the longitudinal direction. In Fig. 4, Fig. 4(A) shows the state where no pen pressure is applied to the pen tip portion of the core body 21 (pen pressure = 0 g), and Fig. 4(B) shows the state where a pen pressure of 300 g or more is applied to the pen tip portion of the core body 21.

[0051] In the case of the electronic pen of this embodiment, if the pen pressure applied to the pen tip of the core body 21 is within the range of 0 g or more and less than 300 g, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the state where the pen tip of the core body 21 protrudes from the tip opening of the outer housing 5 is maintained. Therefore, when the electronic pen of this embodiment is used on the operation surface of a foldable terminal, if the pen pressure is less than 300 g, it can function normally as an electronic pen. However, when the pen pressure applied to the pen tip of the core body 21 reaches 300 g or more, the coil spring 43 starts to contract, and the main body holder 3 to which the electronic pen main body 2 is attached gradually moves toward the rear end side, and the pen tip of the core body 21 enters the inside of the outer housing 5.

[0052] By such an operation, the pen tip of the core body 21 is prevented from applying a pen pressure of 300 g or more to the operation surface. When the pen pressure applied to the pen tip of the core body 21 reaches a predetermined value of 300 g or more, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the pen tip of the core body 21 is housed inside the outer housing 5 and does not protrude from the tip opening of the outer housing 5. In this case, it is possible to prevent the pen tip of the core body 21 from applying a pen pressure of 300 g or more to a very narrow range of the operation surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the operation surface of a foldable terminal that cannot be provided with a strong protective layer such as tempered glass due to excessive pen pressure applied through the pen tip of the core body 21. Further, when the pen pressure applied to the pen tip of the core body 21 becomes less than 300 g, the coil spring 43 extends and can return to the state shown in FIG. 4(A).

[0053] In the case of the electronic pen of this embodiment, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 4, the internal structure composed of the inner body 1, the electronic pen main body 2, the main body holder 3, and the elastic body holder 4 can be slid and moved rearward by a distance α within the outer housing 5. In this way, even if the main body holder 3 to which the electronic pen main body 2 is attached slides and moves in response to the pen pressure applied to the pen tip portion of the core 21, no physical change occurs in the portion of the inner body 1 attached to the electronic pen main body 2 or the protective layer 28B on the circuit board 28. Therefore, even if the internal structure slides and moves, the waterproof function of the inner body 1 portion or the waterproof function provided by the protective layer 28B provided on the circuit board 28 does not deteriorate or is lost.

[0054] [Effects of the Embodiment] In the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, the waterproof function can be realized for the coil 24 and the pen pressure detection unit 25 by the inner body 1, the first sealing member 22, and the second sealing member 26. Also, for the circuit board 28 portion, the waterproof function can be realized by providing the protective layer 28B by UV bonding. These waterproof functions are not affected even if the main body holder 3 to which the electronic pen main body 2 is attached slides and moves in response to the pen pressure applied to the pen tip portion of the core 21, and the waterproof function of the relevant portion does not deteriorate or is lost. Therefore, an electronic pen suitable for use with a foldable terminal can be realized while adding a waterproof function.

[0055] [Modification Example] In the case of the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, by providing the protective layer 28B on the circuit board 28, the connection portion with the battery 29 is also covered For this reason, no waterproof measure was taken for the battery 29 portion, but it may be taken. Also, in the above-described embodiment of In the electronic pen, for the circuit board 28 portion, the waterproof function was added using UV bonding, but it is not limited to this. It is also possible to add the waterproof function using various resin materials.

[0056] Also, in the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, the elastic body holder 4 is provided with the extension portion 42, but the present invention is not limited to this. The function of the extension portion 42 can be achieved by increasing the length of the fitting portion of the rear end cap 7 or by dividing the outer housing 5 into two parts: a front portion for housing the internal structure and a rear portion for pressing from the rear end side. internal structure It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the outer housing 5 is divided into two parts: a front portion for housing the internal structure and a rear portion for pressing from the rear end side.

[0057] Also, in the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, the elastic body located between the main body holder 3 and the elastic body holder 4 uses the coil spring 43, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, various elastic bodies that can function similarly to the coil spring 43 such as synthetic rubber and sponge can be used.

[0058] Also, in the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, the operation unit 6 has overhanging portions that protrude forward and backward and engage with the inner walls in front of and behind the side opening 5h of the outer housing 5 so as not to come off the outer housing 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. A slit having a portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the axial direction (the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen), for example, in an inverted T-shape, is provided along the axial direction (the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen) in the pressing portion 35b of the pusher portion 35. On the other hand, an engaging portion (protrusion) having a portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the axial direction is provided below the operation unit 6 corresponding to the slit of the pressing portion 35b.

[0059] In this case, when mounting the internal structure shown in Figure 2(A) on the outer housing 5, when the connection plate 31a passes through the side opening 5h, the operation unit 6 is fitted into the side opening 5h, and the internal structure is pushed into the pen tip side. As a result, the engaging portion of the operation unit 6 is fitted into the slit of the pressing portion 35b, and the operation unit 6 can be attached to the pressing portion 35b. Since the engaging portion of the operation unit 6 is fitted into the axial slit of the pressing portion 35b, even if the internal structure slides and moves in the axial direction, the movement is not hindered. Also, the operation unit 6 does not come off the pressing portion 35b.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0060] 1... Inner body, 11... Tip opening, 12... Rear end opening, 13a, 13b... Fitting protrusions, 2... Electronic pen main body, 21... Core, 22... First sealing member, 23... Ferrite core, 24... Coil, 25... Pen pressure detection unit, 26... Second sealing member, 27... Substrate holding part, 28... Circuit board, 29... Battery, SW... Push switch, 2T... Rear end face of the electronic pen main body, 3... Main body holder, 31a, 31b... Connection plates, 31ah, 31bh... Fitting holes, 32... Circuit board holding part, 33... Battery holding part, 33T... Bottom surface of the battery holding part, 34... Support part, 35... Pusher part, 35a... Shaft part, 35b... Pressing part, 36a, 36b... Connection arms, 36T... Outer bottom surface, 4... Elastic body holder, 41... Holding part, 41T... Inner bottom surface, 42... Extension part, 4T... Rear end face of the elastic body holder, 43... Coil spring, 5... Outer housing, 5h... Side opening, 6... Operation part

Claims

1. An electronic pen main body portion including a first sealing member that covers the periphery of the tip end side, and a second sealing member provided along the outer edge at a position away from the tip end toward the rear end side; A cylindrical body, an inner body in which the first sealing member and the second sealing member are in close contact with the inner wall surface when the tip end side of the electronic pen main body portion is inserted; An elastic body holder having an elastic body on the tip end side; An electronic pen main body portion holder that houses a predetermined portion from the rear end to the front end direction of the electronic pen main body portion, has a rear end surface in contact with the elastic body, and is connected to the elastic body holder slidably in the axial direction; An electronic pen characterized by comprising the above.

2. The electronic pen according to Claim 1, further comprising an outer housing that houses a portion composed of the inner body, the electronic pen main body portion, the electronic pen main body portion holder, and the elastic body holder. An electronic pen characterized by comprising the above.

3. The electronic pen according to Claim 1, wherein a circuit board and a substrate holding portion in a half-pipe shape with an open upper surface for housing the circuit board are connected to a rear stage of the second sealing member of the electronic pen main body portion, and the upper surface of the circuit board is covered with resin. An electronic pen characterized by comprising the above.

4. The electronic pen according to Claim 1, wherein a coil is formed between the first sealing member and the second sealing member of the electronic pen main body portion. An electronic pen characterized by comprising the above.

5. The electronic pen according to Claim 1, further comprising an outer housing that houses a portion composed of the inner body, the electronic pen main body portion, the electronic pen main body portion holder, and the elastic body holder, wherein a circuit board equipped with a push switch is connected to a rear stage of the second sealing member of the electronic pen main body portion, a rod-shaped pusher portion with a hollow extending toward the pen tip is provided in the electronic pen main body portion holder so as to pass through the upper portion of the push switch from a fixing portion on the rear end side, an opening is provided at a position on the side surface of the outer housing corresponding to the push switch of the circuit board, and an operation portion is provided in the opening, and the push switch of the circuit board is operated via the operation portion and the pusher portion. An electronic pen characterized by comprising the above. ​

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