Electronic devices

Abstract

To provide an electronic device capable of preventing dust accumulation and salt damage on an indoor circuit board stored inside a housing arranged on the indoor side with respect to a partition which separates outdoor and indoor.SOLUTION: With respect to a partition 1 which separates outdoor and indoor, a housing 2 arranged on the indoor side and an indoor circuit board 3 stored inside the housing 2 are provided. Between the inside and the outside of the housing 2, an outside air intrusion path is formed, through which the outdoor air is allowed to enter the inside of the housing 2 through a partition 1. The housing 2 has an exhaust port 15 opened to the indoor. An air passage 35 is provided inside the housing 2. The air passage 35 guides the air, which enters the inside of the housing 2 from the outside air intrusion path, to an exhaust port 15 and blocks aerosol particles in the air from the indoor circuit substrate 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device in which an indoor circuit board is housed inside a housing arranged on the indoor side with respect to a partition that separates the outdoors and the indoors.

Background Art

[0002] In doors such as those of houses and offices, normally, an electric lock that unlocks and locks using an electronic key and, in an emergency such as when the battery of the electronic key runs out, operates a cylinder lock using a mechanical key to unlock and lock has become widespread (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] On the other hand, the airtightness of buildings tends to be increased in order to save energy, keep the indoor temperature comfortable, and prevent a decrease in heat insulation performance. In the case of a highly airtight indoor environment, in order to discharge indoor water vapor, carbon dioxide, odor components, etc., there is a high need to operate a ventilation fan for 24 hours. In such a situation, after installing a plurality of air inlets dedicated to ventilation, the indoor air is discharged from the ventilation fan and the outside air is sucked in from the air inlets. Here, if the combination of the air inlets and the ventilation fan is not appropriate, outside air will be sucked into the indoor through even a slight gap such as a cylinder lock of a door.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, along roads, in factory areas, in areas with a lot of yellow sand and pollen, and in areas near the coast, the air contains aerosol particles such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen compounds, dust, yellow sand, pollen, and sea salt fine particles. Such aerosol particles also enter the indoor through gaps such as cylinder locks.

[0006] The electric lock described in Patent Document 1 prevents water and dust from entering the keyhole by providing a cover that covers the head of the outdoor cylinder lock. However, in situations where ventilation is necessary, sealing the keyhole of the cylinder lock with a cover makes the unlocking operation complicated in emergencies such as battery failure or power outages, as it requires opening the sealed cover and then resealing it after unlocking. Therefore, it cannot be adopted. Simply covering it with a non-sealed cover may block relatively large dust particles, but the suction velocity is high, so it cannot block fine particles such as PM2.5. As a result, fine particles drawn indoors adhere to the indoor circuit board and components of the electric lock, leading to problems such as salt damage, malfunctions, and failures. It is conceivable to apply special coatings to the indoor circuit board and connector parts to avoid dust accumulation and failures due to salt damage, but this presents problems in terms of cost and management.

[0007] In light of the above background, the problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an electronic device that can prevent dust accumulation and salt damage to an indoor circuit board housed inside an enclosure positioned on the indoor side of a partition separating the outdoors and indoors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides an electronic device comprising a housing positioned on the indoor side of a partition separating the outdoors and indoors, and an indoor circuit board housed inside the housing, wherein an outside air intrusion path is formed between the inside of the housing and the outdoors via the partition, allowing outdoor air to enter the inside of the housing, wherein the housing has an exhaust port that opens to the indoors, and A ventilation passage is provided inside the housing that guides air entering from the outside air entry path to the exhaust port, and the ventilation passage is configured to block aerosol particles in the air from reaching the indoor circuit board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above configuration, air that enters the inside of the enclosure from the outside air entry path is guided through the ventilation passage to the exhaust port and discharged indoors, preventing aerosol particles contained in that air from adhering to the indoor circuit board. Therefore, this invention makes it possible to prevent dust accumulation and salt damage on the indoor circuit board housed inside the enclosure, which is positioned on the indoor side of the partition separating the outdoors and indoors. As a result, there is no need to apply special coatings to the indoor circuit board or connector parts, and a low-cost electronic device can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing an overview of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this invention, mounted on a partition. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the disassembled state of the enclosure from the outside. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the disassembled state of the enclosure from the inside. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view showing an overview of the area around the retaining part in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, an electronic device embodying an example of this invention will be described based on the attached drawings.

[0012] The electronic device shown in Figure 1 comprises a housing 2 positioned on the indoor side of a partition 1 separating the outdoors and indoors, an indoor circuit board 3 housed inside the housing 2, and an electric motor 4, which serves as an electric actuator, also housed inside the housing 2. Note that the electric actuator is not limited to an electric motor; solenoids, plungers, etc., can be selected as appropriate.

[0013] Furthermore, the outdoor side is further equipped with an outdoor unit 26 that accepts operations from outside. The outdoor unit 26 has an outdoor case 27 fixed to the outdoor side of partition 1. Inside the outdoor case 27 is an outdoor circuit board 28 that communicates with an electronic key and communicates lock / unlock switching requests from the authenticated electronic key to the indoor circuit board 3.

[0014] Partition 1 is a door that opens and closes the entrance to the building. A mortise lock 7 is located in the interior space between the outdoor door panel 5 of partition 1 and the indoor door panel 6 that faces it.

[0015] Through holes 8 and 9 are formed in the outdoor door panel 5 and the indoor door panel 6, respectively. Through hole 8 in the outdoor door panel 5 is for transmitting the rotation of the cylinder lock 10 from the outdoor side to the mortise lock 7. Through hole 9 in the indoor door panel 6 is for transmitting the rotation of the electric motor 4 from the indoor side to the mortise lock 7.

[0016] The housing 2 is installed on the partition 1 so as to cover the through-hole 9 in the indoor door panel 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 2 has a bracket plate 11 that contacts the indoor door panel 6, a cover 12 that is coupled to the bracket plate 11, a partition 13 that is positioned inside the cover 12 so as to be between the bracket plate 11 and the cover 12, and a lid 14 that can be attached to and removed from the cover 12.

[0017] The bracket plate 11 is connected to the lock case of the mortise lock 7 shown in Figure 1 and installed in a predetermined position on the indoor side of the partition 1. The bracket plate 11 also has an outdoor circuit board 28 and A first wiring port 41 is provided for passing a cable 43 that electrically connects to the indoor circuit board 3.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cover 12 has upper, lower, left, and right side walls, and a front wall connecting the indoor sides of each of these side walls. An exhaust vent 15 is provided on the lower side wall of the cover 12, opening downwards into the room.

[0019] The indoor circuit board 3 controls the electric motor 4 in response to lock / unlock switching requests using an electronic key (not shown). The drive shaft 16, which outputs forward and reverse rotation of the electric motor 4, protrudes from the motor case 17. The drive shaft 16 is also configured to output forward and reverse rotation of the thumbturn 18 located on the outside of the cover 12.

[0020] As shown by the dashed line P1 in FIG. 1, the cable 43 passes through the through holes 8 and 9 of the partition 1 to connect the outdoor circuit board 28 and the indoor circuit board 3. As shown in FIG. 4 here, the cable 43 is passed indoors from the opening 46. Here, the opening 46 is an opening area formed by overlapping the first wiring port 41 provided on the bracket plate 11 and the through hole 9 of the indoor side door panel 6 in a state where the panel surface of the indoor side door panel 6, which is the housing mounting surface of the partition 1, is viewed from the front. Further, the cable 43 is laid along the panel plane of the indoor side door panel 6 and is connected to the connector 21 of the indoor circuit board 3. A first sealing material 36 is disposed so as to continuously cover a part of the cable 43 extending along the housing mounting surface from the opening 46. The first sealing material 36 is made of a porous material having elasticity and in the form of a sheet (the detailed shape of the first sealing material 36 will be described later). A middle partition the law of nature 13 is provided with Pressing part 45 so as to press the cable 43 and the upper sealing portion 39 of the first sealing material 36 toward the panel surface side of the indoor side door panel 6. By doing so, the intrusion of aerosol particles in the air is blocked at the opening 46 for passing the cable 43 from the outdoor side to the indoor side.

[0021] On the other hand, the indoor circuit board 3 and the electric motor 4 are arranged vertically side by side between the middle partition 13 and the cover 12 and are connected by a cable 44 as shown by the dashed line P2 in FIG. 1 (see also FIG. 4). The middle partition 13 is screwed inside the cover 12. After this screwing, the cover 12 is placed on the bracket plate 11 installed on the indoor side door panel 6 and is further screwed to the bracket plate 11. Thereby, the housing 2 is arranged at a predetermined position on the indoor side with respect to the partition 1. A second wiring port 42 penetrating the middle partition 13 is formed in the middle partition 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the second wiring port 42 is used to pass the cables 43 and 44 connected to the connectors 20 and 21 of the indoor circuit board 3.

[0022] Between the front wall of the cover 12 and the lid 14, the indoor circuit board 3, the outdoor circuit board 28, and the battery 22 that powers the electric motor 4 are housed.

[0023] The drive shaft 16 is inserted through a through hole 23 formed in the partition 13 and connected to the shaft 24. The bracket plate 11 has a shaft hole 25 for inserting the shaft 24. The shaft 24 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 16 to the mortise lock 7.

[0024] The outdoor case 27 has a cylindrical portion 29 inserted into a through hole 8 in the outdoor door panel 5. The cylinder lock 10 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 29. The rotor 30 of the cylinder lock 10 is connected to the shaft 24.

[0025] When locking or unlocking using an electronic key or thumbturn 18, the forward and reverse rotation of the drive shaft 16 by the electric motor 4 or thumbturn 18 is transmitted to the mortise lock 7 via shaft 24, and the transmitted force activates the mortise lock 7, switching between locking and unlocking. In emergencies such as battery failure of the electronic key, a mechanical key can be used. When locking or unlocking the cylinder lock 10 by operating it from the outside of the partition 1, the rotation of the rotor 30 is transmitted to the mortise lock 7 via the shaft 24, and the force transmitted causes the mortise lock 7 to operate, switching between locking and unlocking.

[0026] Normally, the unused cylinder lock 10 is concealed by a lock cover 31 that can be attached to the outdoor case 27. A small fitting gap 32 exists between the lock cover 31 and the outdoor case 27. A small fitting gap 33 also exists between the cylinder lock 10 and the cylindrical part 29. Furthermore, a gap 34 exists between the shaft 24 and the bracket plate 11. Note that these gaps 32-34 are exaggerated in Figure 1.

[0027] Between the inside of the enclosure 2 and the outside, an outside air intrusion path is formed that guides the outside air through the fitting gap 32, fitting gap 33, the internal space of partition 1, and gap 34 in that order, leading to the inside of the enclosure 2.

[0028] Inside the enclosure 2, there is a ventilation passage 35 that guides the air that has entered the inside of the enclosure 2 through the gap 34, which is the end of the outside air intrusion path, to the exhaust port 15.

[0029] The ventilation passage 35 is formed by a bracket plate 11, a partition 13, a first sealing material 36 that seals the space between the bracket plate 11 and the partition 13 from the indoor circuit board 3, a motor case 17, and a second sealing material 37 that seals the space between the partition 13 and the motor case 17 from the indoor circuit board 3.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first sealing material 36 is formed in a gate shape, having left and right sealing portions 38 extending vertically, and an upper sealing portion 39 connecting the upper parts of the left and right sealing portions 38. The upper sealing portion 39 passes around the shaft 24 and the drive shaft 16, at a position below the second wiring port 42 of the partition 13. The left and right sealing portions 38, 38 are continuous from the lower wall of the cover 12 to the upper sealing portion 39.

[0031] The second sealing material 37 is formed in a sheet-like shape that surrounds the drive shaft 16, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

[0032] The first sealing material 36 and the second sealing material 37 shown in Figure 1 are formed from an elastic, sponge-like porous material which is a mixture of rubber-based materials such as urethane rubber (U), nitrile rubber (NBR), silicone rubber (Si,Q), fluororubber (FKM), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), chloroprene rubber (CR), and butyl rubber (IIR). Note that these sealing materials 36 and 37 can each be formed from an appropriate material capable of blocking aerosol particles in the air, and are not limited to the materials mentioned above.

[0033] The shape of the ventilation passage 35 must be set considering the flow resistance (pressure loss) ΔP. For example, if the flow passage is a circular pipe with diameter d and length L, ΔP is proportional to L / d. In actual electronic devices, the shape is not necessarily limited to a circular pipe, and is often rectangular, but in that case, the shape can be evaluated using the equivalent diameter De, which is expressed by the following equation, instead of the diameter d. The equivalent diameter De is a representative length that indicates how equivalent the flow passage is to a set of circular pipes of a certain diameter from the perspective of flow, and is expressed by the following equation. De=4Af / Wp Here, Af is the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, and Wp is the length of the wetted edge (the length of the wall surface in the cross-section). Therefore, even if the cross-sectional area Af is large, if the wetted edge length Wp is large and the shape is flat and compressed, the equivalent diameter De will be small, and the flow resistance ΔP will be large, making it impossible to efficiently discharge the outside air mixed with aerosol particles that has entered through the exhaust port. In electronic devices in typical houses, the equivalent diameter De should be 5 mm or more, and the flow path length L (for example, in this embodiment) In this case, the distance from the drive shaft 16 to the exhaust port 15 should be 100 mm or less. More preferably, De should be 7 mm or more, and the flow path length L should be 70 mm or less.

[0034] Most of the air that enters the inside of the housing 2 through the gap 34 between the shaft 24 and the bracket plate 11 flows downward through the space enclosed by the first sealing material 36, the partition 13, and the bracket plate 11 in the ventilation passage 35, and flows out downward through the exhaust port 15. In addition, some of the invading air flows into the gap 40 between the through hole 23 of the partition 13 and the drive shaft 16 in the ventilation passage 35, but it hits the second sealing material 37 (see also Figure 3) and the motor case 17 of the electric motor 4 (see also Figure 2), so it is eventually returned to the space enclosed by the first sealing material 36, the partition 13, and the bracket plate 11, flows downward through this space, and flows out downward through the exhaust port 15. Aerosol particles such as sea salt particles and dust contained in the air flowing through the ventilation passage 35 cannot leak between the partition 13 and the bracket plate 11 or between the partition 13 and the motor case 17 due to the first sealing material 36 that is in close contact with the partition 13 and the bracket plate 11, and the second sealing material 37 that is in close contact with the partition 13 and the motor case 17. Furthermore, they cannot pass through the first sealing material 36 and the second sealing material 37 and therefore cannot reach the indoor circuit board 3. In this way, the ventilation passage 35 is provided to block aerosol particles in the air that have entered the inside of the housing 2 from reaching the indoor circuit board 3.

[0035] As described above, the electronic device shown in Figures 1-4 has an exhaust port 15 that opens to the inside of the building in the housing 2, and a ventilation passage 35 is provided inside the housing 2 that guides air entering from the outside air intrusion path to the exhaust port 15. The ventilation passage 35 is provided so as to block aerosol particles in the air from reaching the indoor circuit board 3. Therefore, air entering the inside of the housing 2 from the outside air intrusion path is guided through the ventilation passage 35 to the exhaust port 15 and discharged into the building, and aerosol particles contained in that air do not adhere to the indoor circuit board 3. Accordingly, the illustrated electronic device can prevent dust accumulation and salt damage on the indoor circuit board 3 housed inside the housing 2, which is located on the indoor side of the partition 1 separating the outdoors and indoors.

[0036] Furthermore, in the illustrated electronic device, since the exhaust port 15 of the housing 2 is open in a direction away from the indoor circuit board 3 within the housing, the probability of aerosol particles in the air flowing out from the exhaust port 15 re-entering the interior of the housing 2 through the gap in the cover 12 can be suppressed, and in particular, since it is open downwards, it can suppress the particles from becoming airborne indoors.

[0037] Furthermore, the illustrated electronic device consists of a partition 1 which is a door that can be locked and unlocked from the outside by a cylinder lock 10, an electric motor 4 for switching between locking and unlocking is housed inside the housing 2, a shaft 24 that transmits the output of the electric motor 4 is inserted inside the partition 1, an outside air intrusion path communicates with the inside of the housing 2 through a gap 34 between the housing 2 and the shaft 24, and a ventilation passage 35 communicates with the exhaust port 15 through a gap 34 between the housing 2 and the shaft 24. Therefore, even in environments where a 24-hour ventilation fan is running in a building such as a house, apartment, or hotel with high airtightness, it is possible to allow air to be drawn into the building through the ventilation passage 35 and exhaust port 15 from the outside air intrusion path associated with the installation of the cylinder lock 10 and electric motor 4, while eliminating the accumulation of dust and salt in the electrical circuits such as the indoor circuit board 3 and wiring connected to connectors 20 and 21 inside the housing 2, thereby preventing failure of the electronic device.

[0038] The illustrated electronic device is an example of an electric lock installed on a door, but this invention is not limited to electric locks and can be used in any electronic device that creates an outside air intrusion path that communicates with the inside of the enclosure through a partition from the outside, such as intercoms, door phones, and surveillance cameras.

[0039] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 partition 2 cabinets 3. Indoor circuit board 4. Electric motor (electric actuator) 5. Outdoor door panel 6. Indoor door panel 8,9 Through holes 10 Cylinder lock 11 Bracket plate 13. Partition 15 Exhaust vent 24 axes 32,33 Fitting gap 34 gaps 35 Ventilation channel 36 First sealant 37 Second sealant 41 1st wiring port 42 2nd wiring port

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: a partition (1) separating the outdoors and indoors; a housing (2) positioned on the indoor side of the partition (1); an outdoor case (27) fixed to the outdoor side of the partition (1); an indoor circuit board (3) housed inside the housing (2); an outdoor circuit board (28) housed inside the outdoor case (27); and a cable (43) passing through through holes (8, 9) in the partition (1) to connect the indoor circuit board (3) and the outdoor circuit board (28), The enclosure (1) is further provided with a sealing material (36) that covers the cable (43) at the indoor side, The electronic device is characterized in that the housing (2) has a pressing portion (45) that presses the cable (43) and the sealing material (36) toward the partition (1) side via the sealing material (36).

2. The cable (43) has a portion that runs along the partition (1), The sealing material (36) has a sealing portion (39) that covers the portion of the cable (43) that runs along it. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion (45) presses the routing portion of the cable (43) and the sealing portion (39) toward the partition (1).

3. The housing (2) includes a bracket plate (11) installed at a predetermined indoor position relative to the partition (1), a cover (12) coupled to the bracket plate (11), and an intermediate partition (13) positioned inside the cover (12) between the bracket plate (11) and the cover (12). The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the retaining portion (45) is provided on the partition (13).

4. The portion of the cable (43) that runs along the bracket plate (11) passes through the wiring port (41) provided in the bracket plate (11). The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the sealing material (36) is sandwiched between the bracket plate (11) and the intermediate partition (13) on the side opposite to the side on which the cable (43) runs along the partition (1) relative to the wiring opening (41).

5. The partition (1) consists of a door that can be locked and unlocked from the outside by a cylinder lock (10). An electric actuator (4) for switching between locking and unlocking is housed inside the aforementioned housing (2). The shaft (24) that transmits the output of the electric actuator (4) is inserted inside the partition (1). The bracket plate (11) has an axial hole (25) formed in it for inserting the shaft (24). An outside air intrusion path, through which outdoor air can enter the inside of the housing (2) via the partition (1), is communicated to the inside of the housing (2) from the gap (34) between the bracket plate (11) and the shaft (24). The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the shaft hole (25) is formed on the side opposite to the side on which the cable (43) runs along the partition (1) relative to the wiring port (41) and the sealing material (36).

Images