electronic machinery

Abstract

To suitably support a display part.SOLUTION: A scientific calculator 1 comprises: a liquid crystal display 2; and a protection panel 3 for supporting a back face of the liquid crystal display 2. The protection panel 3 comprises: a plurality of ribs 30 erected on a principal plane on the opposite side of the liquid crystal display 2; and a plurality of recesses 35 surrounded by the plurality of ribs 30. The plurality of recesses 35 include the ones with nonuniform size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an electronic device such as a scientific calculator, a protective panel for supporting the liquid crystal display may be disposed on the back surface thereof. As this type of protective panel, an aluminum one is also preferably used, but a resin one is more preferable for weight reduction.

[0003] In the case of a resin protective panel, ribs may be provided on the back surface for the purpose of improving the strength (rigidity) while reducing the weight. As such ribs, for example, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, those having a uniform pattern such as a honeycomb shape or a diamond shape are common.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, it is difficult to say that the ribs having a uniform pattern suitably cope with the load unevenly distributed on the protective panel. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to suitably protection support a display unit such as a liquid crystal display.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is an electronic device, a display unit, A protective member attached to the back of the display unit, Equipped with, The protective member has a plurality of ribs erected on the main surface opposite to the display portion, Of the aforementioned plurality of ribs, the ribs erected near the center in the longitudinal direction of the display section are distributed more coarsely than the ribs erected near both ends in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of ribs are erected such that they become coarser from both outer sides in the longitudinal direction of the display portion toward the vicinity of the center in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of ribs are characterized in that they include ribs that extend diagonally with respect to the short direction of the display portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the display unit can be suitably supported. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a scientific calculator according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a view of the upper half of the inside of a scientific calculator from the back, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) along line II-II. [Figure 3] This figure shows the results of the deformation behavior analysis of the protective panel. [Figure 4] This figure shows the design loads for topology analysis. [Figure 5] This figure shows the results of the topology analysis. [Figure 6] This figure shows the analytical model for deformation analysis. [Figure 7] This figure shows the results of the deformation analysis of a liquid crystal display. [Figure 8] This figure shows the results of the deformation analysis of the protective panel. [Figure 9] This is a rear view of the inside of a scientific calculator when the battery spring is placed on the protective panel. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] While referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described. In the embodiments described below, various technically preferable limitations are imposed for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the scientific calculator 1 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2(a) is a view of the upper half inside the scientific calculator 1 seen from the back side, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2(a). In the following description, the front, back, left, right, up, and down directions shall refer to the directions shown in each figure. That is, the front-back direction refers to the front-back direction (thickness direction) of the scientific calculator 1, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the scientific calculator 1, and the up-down direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the scientific calculator 1.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the scientific calculator 1 is an example of an electronic device according to the present invention and is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the up-down direction. The scientific calculator 1 includes a front case 11 that covers the front (front surface) and a back case 12 that covers the back (rear surface). On the front case 11, a liquid crystal display 2 for displaying various information and a plurality of operation buttons 13 for receiving user operations are arranged. The front case 11 and the back case 12 are engaged in the front-back direction to form the housing of the scientific calculator 1.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing defined by the front case 11 and the back case 12, the liquid crystal display 2 and its protection panel 3 are housed. The liquid crystal display 2 is an example of a display unit according to the present invention and is arranged above the center in the up-down direction of the scientific calculator 1. The liquid crystal display 2 has a liquid crystal main body 21 and a connector portion 22.

[0013] The liquid crystal main body 21 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction and short in the up-down direction, and the display surface on the front face is exposed in front of the scientific calculator 1 through the front case 11. The connector portion 22 is a terminal portion of the liquid crystal display 2 for electrically connecting the liquid crystal main body 21 to the printed circuit board 41 on which the control circuit is mounted, and is provided below the liquid crystal main body 21. The connector portion 22 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 41 disposed below the liquid crystal display 2 via the flexible printed board 42 connected to the left and right central portions thereof. Further, the connector portion 22 is positioned in front of the rear surface of the liquid crystal main body 21 and is separated from the protection panel 3.

[0014] The protection panel 3 is an example of the support member according to the present invention, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape slightly larger than the liquid crystal display 2. The protection panel 3 is disposed so as to cover substantially the entire rear surface (rear face) of the liquid crystal display 2, and is attached to the rear surface of the liquid crystal main body 21 by a double-sided tape (not shown) to support the liquid crystal display 2. Further, the protection panel 3 of the present embodiment is formed of resin (including resin).

[0015] A portion of the rear surface of the protection panel 3 corresponding to the liquid crystal display 2 is a reinforcing portion R with enhanced rigidity, and a plurality of ribs 30 for reinforcement are erected. The reinforcing portion R of the present embodiment is formed symmetrically left and right and asymmetrically up and down, and has a first reinforcing portion R1 corresponding to the position of the liquid crystal main body 21 and a second reinforcing portion R2 provided at the left and right center below the first reinforcing portion R1. Specifically, the plurality of ribs 30 include a plurality of first ribs 31 extending obliquely with respect to the vertical direction, a plurality of second ribs 32 parallel to the horizontal direction, and two third ribs 33 parallel to the vertical direction.

[0016] In the present embodiment, four of the plurality of first ribs 31 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the horizontal direction, that is, formed in a line-symmetric shape with respect to the left and right center line V of the liquid crystal main body 21. The plurality of first ribs 31 are closer to the left and right center line V, and the inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction is smaller, and they stand upright up and down. Furthermore, the multiple first ribs 31 are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the vertical direction. More specifically, each first rib 31 bends towards the horizontal center with a point on the vertical center line H of the LCD body 21 as the inflection point, and inclins to approach the horizontal center line V as it moves away from the vertical center line H. Although each first rib 31 extends above and below the inflection point at approximately the same inclination angle, the distance from the vertical center line H to the lower end is longer than the distance from the vertical center line H to the upper end. Therefore, each first rib 31 is asymmetrical vertically.

[0017] In this embodiment, six second ribs 32 are arranged vertically at approximately equal intervals. However, the length L3 of the lower second rib 32b is about one-third the length of the other second ribs 32a (L1, L2), and it is positioned in the center left and right, connecting the lower ends of the four first ribs 31. The two third ribs 33 are positioned at both the left and right ends of the first reinforcing section R1, connecting the left and right ends of the five second ribs 32a, respectively. However, the lower end of each third rib 33 is bent in a chamfered manner and connected to the second rib 32a. In addition, of the fifth second rib 32a from the top, slightly to the left and right of the intersection with the first ribs 31 on both sides, there are slightly shorter third ribs 33a extending downwards. Only this third rib 33a has one end (lower end) that is not connected to the other ribs 30. Of the reinforcing section R, the rectangular portion closed by the upper end and the fifth second rib 32a from the top and the two third ribs 33 on the left and right is the first reinforcing section R1, and the portion below that is the second reinforcing section R2.

[0018] As the multiple ribs 30 are arranged as described above, multiple recesses 35 surrounded by the multiple ribs 30 are formed on the rear surface of the protective panel 3. Specifically, the multiple recesses 35 are defined by multiple first ribs 31, multiple second ribs 32, and two third ribs 33. The multiple recesses 35 are formed with non-uniform sizes, and in this embodiment, the recesses further from the left-right center line V of the liquid crystal display 2 (liquid crystal body 21) are generally smaller in size. More specifically, among the multiple recesses 35, those located near the center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2 are distributed more loosely than those located near both ends in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the multiple recesses 35 are arranged to be more densely packed towards the left and right ends than towards the left-right center. Furthermore, the multiple recesses 35 may include those of non-uniform size (those of different sizes), or they may include those of the same size.

[0019] Multiple hooks 36 and extensions 37 are provided on both the left and right sides of the lower end of the protective panel 3 (on both the left and right sides of the second reinforcing portion R2). The multiple hooks 36 are for securing the lead wires (wires) 45. The lead wires 45 electrically connect the printed circuit board 41 to the solar panel 43, battery 44, etc., which are located above the protective panel 3, and are routed along or beside the ribs 30. Note that the hooks 36 only need to be provided on at least one side in the left-right direction of the part of the protective panel 3 that corresponds to the connector part 22. The extension portion 37 extends downward from the lower ends on both the left and right sides of the protective panel 3 and supports the printed circuit board 41.

[0020] Next, I will explain the analysis used to determine the shape of rib 30. In this analysis, we first examined the deformation behavior of the protective panel 3 when an external force is applied to the scientific calculator 1. Using a simple flat plate model without ribs 30 as the protective panel 3, we performed calculations when it was dropped from both the front and back sides while housed inside the scientific calculator 1. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show the main deformation behavior of the protective panel 3 (analysis model) (deformation magnification 50x). As shown in these figures, when the scientific calculator 1 is dropped, the protective panel 3 deforms so that the four corners on the top, bottom, left, and right lift up (Figure 3(a)), or so that the center of the bottom edge flexes (Figure 3(b)).

[0021] Next, the optimal shape of the protective panel 3 (rib 30) was determined by topology analysis. Here, loads were set to simulate the deformation behavior of the protective panel 3, as determined above. As shown in Figure 4, predetermined forward-facing loads were applied to both upper ends (Figure 4(a)), both lower ends (Figure 4(b)), and the center of the lower end (Figure 4(c)) of the protective panel 3. The optimal shape when the surface of the flat plate model to which these predetermined loads are applied is thinned down to a predetermined mass was determined by topology analysis. The analysis results are shown in Figure 5. Figures 5(a) and (b) show the areas where the target mass was reduced by 30% and 50%, respectively (lighter colored areas). As shown in these figures, the optimal shape obtained when the mass was reduced by 50% was a shape close to that of the protective panel 3 (rib 30) in this embodiment.

[0022] Next, we will explain the analysis used to evaluate the shape of the rib 30. In this analysis, the shape of the protective panel 3 (rib 30) and its deformation shape in this embodiment were evaluated based on the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3 itself and the liquid crystal display 2. The analysis model is shown in Figure 6. The analysis model consists of a protective panel 3, a liquid crystal display 2, a front case 11 (only around the protective panel 3), and double-sided tape (adhering the upper and lower ends of the liquid crystal body 21 to the protective panel 3). However, the protective panel 3 is a model in which the hooks 36 and extensions 37 are omitted. In addition, three analysis models were evaluated: one without the second reinforcement part R2 (Figure 6(a)), the one of this embodiment (with the second reinforcement part R2; Figure 6(b)), and one in which the second reinforcement part R2 is widened to the same width as the first reinforcement part R1 (Figure 6(c)). For each of these analysis models, the amount of deformation when a predetermined load is applied to the load point P at the lower center of the protective panel 3 was calculated.

[0023] Figure 7 shows the deformation of the liquid crystal display 2. As shown in this figure, the presence or absence of the second reinforcing portion R2 does not significantly affect the amount of deformation of the liquid crystal display 2. However, if the second reinforcing portion R2 is extended to the left and right (i.e., at least multiple second ribs 32 are shaped so that the portion corresponding to the connector portion 22 and the portion corresponding to the liquid crystal body 21 have the same length in the left-right direction), the amount of deformation of the liquid crystal display 2 can be further suppressed.

[0024] Figure 8 shows the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3. As shown in this figure, the presence or absence of the second reinforcing portion R2 does not significantly affect the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3. However, extending the second reinforcing portion R2 to the left and right can further suppress the amount of deformation of the protective panel 3, similar to the liquid crystal display 2.

[0025] As described above, according to this embodiment, the protective panel 3 supporting the liquid crystal display 2 has a plurality of ribs 30 erected on its rear surface and a plurality of recesses 35 surrounded by the plurality of ribs 30, and the plurality of recesses 35 include some of which are of non-uniform size. In other words, the density of the recesses 35 can be distributed between areas requiring greater strength (rigidity) and areas that do not. This makes it possible to reduce weight while maintaining appropriate rigidity for the protective panel 3, unlike in the conventional design where uniform patterned ribs were erected. Therefore, the liquid crystal display 2 can be suitably supported. In this context, the "size" of the recess 35 may include not only the area of ​​the recess 35 surrounded by the rib 30, but also the concept of volume that takes into account the height of the rib 30.

[0026] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, among the multiple recesses 35, those located near the center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2 are distributed more coarsely than those located near both ends in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the left and right sides of the protective panel 3, which are subjected to greater loads, while reducing the weight of the left and right central sections, which are subjected to less loads.

[0027] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, among the multiple second ribs 32, the second rib 32b corresponding to the connector portion 22 is shorter in the left-right direction than the second rib 32a corresponding to the LCD body 21. This allows a hook 36 for securing the lead wire 45 to be provided on the lower portion of the protective panel 3 corresponding to the connector portion 22. Consequently, the lead wire 45 does not get in the way during assembly work, improving the efficiency of assembly and other work compared to when the hook 36 is not present. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of manufacturing defects such as the lead wire 45 getting caught when closing the front case 11 and the rear case 12.

[0028] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the protective panel 3 is made of resin (or contains resin), there is no need for insulation treatment for metal battery springs extending from the battery box, for example. In other words, since metal battery springs do not have a coating, in the case of a metal protective panel, insulation treatment was required at least in the part that comes into contact with the battery spring. In this respect, with a resin (including resin) protective panel 3, as shown in Figure 9, for example, even when a battery box 47 housing a dry cell battery 46 is arranged there, the battery spring 48 extending from the battery box 47 can be passed over it without the need for insulation (coating) treatment. Also, in this case, since the battery spring 48 is routed instead of the lead wire 45 in this embodiment, the battery spring 48 can be suitably held in place by shortening the second rib 32b in the left-right direction and providing a hook 36, similar to the case of the lead wire 45. Furthermore, when using a dry cell battery 46, the reason for using a battery spring 48 instead of lead wire 45 for wiring is to enable soldering by automated machinery and to reduce the assembly time required for wiring. Because lead wire 45 is easily deformed, it takes time to wire it without assembly defects. In this respect, although the cost of the parts themselves is slightly higher when using a battery spring 48, the assembly time is shortened, so overall costs can be reduced.

[0029] It goes without saying that the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0030] For example, the specific shape (arrangement, position, number, etc.) of the multiple ribs 30 (recesses 35) is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and it is sufficient that the multiple recesses 35 include some of non-uniform sizes. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pattern of recesses 35 is made denser at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 2, mainly based on the results of topology analysis. However, depending on the liquid crystal to be protected and the housing, the pattern of recesses 35 may be made denser near the center.

[0031] Furthermore, the electronic device according to the present invention is not limited to scientific calculators (electronic desktop calculators), but can be broadly applied to all electronic devices equipped with a display unit, such as electronic dictionaries and smartphones. Furthermore, the display unit according to the present invention is not limited to that of a liquid crystal.

[0032] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. The invention described in the claims initially attached to the application for this patent is listed below. The claim numbers listed below are the same as those in the claims initially attached to the application for this patent. [Note] <Claim 1> Display unit and A support member that supports the back of the display unit, Equipped with, The support member has a plurality of ribs erected on the main surface opposite to the display portion, and a plurality of recesses surrounded by the plurality of ribs, The aforementioned plurality of recesses include those of non-uniform size, An electronic device characterized by the following features. <Claim 2> Of the aforementioned plurality of recesses, the plurality of recesses located near the center in the longitudinal direction of the display portion are distributed more coarsely than the plurality of recesses located near both ends in the longitudinal direction. The electronic device according to feature 1. <Claim 3> The plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs that extend diagonally with respect to a first direction corresponding to the short direction of the display portion, The plurality of first ribs are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first direction. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2. <Claim 4> The plurality of first ribs are arranged symmetrically with respect to a second direction that corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the display portion and is perpendicular to the short direction. The electronic device according to feature 3. <Claim 5> The plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to a second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the display portion which is perpendicular to the short direction, The plurality of recesses include those defined by the plurality of first ribs and the plurality of second ribs. The electronic device according to feature 3. <Claim 6> The support member contains resin. The electronic device according to feature 1. <Claim 7> The display unit has a connector portion on one side in the short direction and in the center in the longitudinal direction. The connector portion is spaced further away from the support member than the main body portion of the display unit. The plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to the second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction, The plurality of second ribs have portions corresponding to the connector portion and portions corresponding to the main body portion, and each portion has the same length in the longitudinal direction. The electronic device according to feature 6. <Claim 8> The display unit has a connector portion on one side in the short direction and in the center in the longitudinal direction. The connector portion is spaced further away from the support member than the main body portion of the display unit. The plurality of ribs include a plurality of second ribs parallel to the second direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction, Of the plurality of second ribs, the portion corresponding to the connector portion is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the portion corresponding to the main body portion. The electronic device according to feature 6. <Claim 9> The support member is provided with a hook for securing a wire on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of the portion corresponding to the connector portion. The electronic device according to feature 8. <Claim 10> Each of the aforementioned ribs is positioned based on the results of the topology analysis. The electronic device according to feature 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Scientific calculator (electronic device) 2. Liquid crystal display (display unit) 3. Protective panel (support member) 11 Front Case 12 Back Case 21 LCD unit (main body) 22 Connector section 30 Ribs 31. First Rib 32, 32a, 32b Second Rib 33, 33a Third Rib 35 recess 36 hooks 41 Printed circuit boards H Upper and lower center line V Left and right center line R reinforcement section R1 First Reinforcement Section R2 2nd reinforcement part

Claims

1. Display unit and A protective member attached to the back of the display unit, Equipped with, The protective member has a plurality of ribs erected on the main surface opposite to the display portion, Of the aforementioned plurality of ribs, the ribs erected near the center in the longitudinal direction of the display section are distributed more coarsely than the ribs erected near both ends in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of ribs are erected such that they become coarser from both outer sides in the longitudinal direction of the display portion toward the vicinity of the center in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of ribs include ribs that extend diagonally with respect to the short direction of the display portion. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. A display unit and, A protective member attached to the back of the display unit, Equipped with, The protective member has a plurality of ribs erected on the main surface opposite to the display portion, Of the aforementioned plurality of ribs, the ribs erected near the center in the longitudinal direction of the display section are distributed more coarsely than the ribs erected near both ends in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of ribs include ribs that extend diagonally with respect to the short direction of the display portion. The plurality of ribs are arranged in the longitudinal direction without intersecting each other, and of the plurality of ribs, the rib whose one end is located on the outside in the longitudinal direction has a larger angle of inclination with respect to the short direction compared to the rib whose one end is located on the central side in the longitudinal direction. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. Display unit and A protective member attached to the back of the display unit, Equipped with, The protective member has ribs erected on the main surface opposite to the display portion, The ribs are distributed more coarsely near the center of the longitudinal direction of the display section compared to the ribs located near both ends of the longitudinal direction. The display unit has a connector portion on one side in the short direction and in the center in the longitudinal direction, and the protective member has a hook for securing a wire on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of the portion corresponding to the connector portion. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. The protective member is provided such that the ribs are not provided in the location where the hooks are provided. The electronic device according to feature 3.

5. It also comes with a case for the main unit, The display unit and the protective member are housed in the main body case. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 3.

6. The protective member contains resin. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 3.

7. The display unit has a connector portion on one side in the short direction and in the center in the longitudinal direction. The protective member is provided with a hook for securing a wire on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of the portion corresponding to the connector. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, or claims 5 and 6, which refer to claim 1.

8. The protective member is provided such that the ribs are not provided in the location where the hooks are provided. The electronic device according to feature 7.

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