JP2000284712A - Small-sized portable terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the assembly by fitting internal mounted components in a small housing of palm size surely with good operability. SOLUTION: A lower cover 16 is provided with a printed circuit board 19 and a member for supporting and positioning an LCD unit 18 and a guide pin which is inserted into the corresponding hole of the printed circuit board 19. An upper cover 15 is provided with a guide which supports the LCD unit 18 on its flank and a rib which is tapered together with the guide and support the printed circuit board on its top and flank. The LCD unit 18 is provided with elastomer 38 in the four corners of its reverse surface and then Z-axial tolerance can be absorbed when the device is assembled by being sandwiched between the upper cover 15 and lower cover 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a palm-sized portable terminal device, and more particularly to a mounting structure for mounting a printed circuit board and an LCD unit in the terminal device housing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The present applicant has developed and commercialized a palm-sized network computer. This network computer is a portable information tool that incorporates a high-performance CPU and integrates display, input, voice processing, and wireless communication functions into a shape and size that can be operated with one hand. It is possible to provide a palm-sized network computer system that takes advantage of the feature that the application size can be reduced by an abundant standard library and a mechanism of componentization, as well as an efficient and flexible development environment.

[0003] Although this network computer is "palm-sized," it differs from conventional portable information devices and personal information terminals in that it is used to extend a network or computer in various scenes of daily life, such as an extension of one's hand. To operate. It is a small, high-performance network computer that belongs to a category completely different from conventional products that emphasizes low price and high maintenance efficiency.

[0004] The shape of the housing has a shape and a size that can be operated with one hand in the palm, and is based on a curve. In such a small case, it is necessary to securely mount a high-performance internally mounted product with good assemblability.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention solves such a problem and improves the assemblability by securely mounting an internally mounted product in a small palm-sized housing with good workability. It is intended to be.

[0006]

According to the present invention, at least a printed circuit board and an LCD are provided in a housing divided into an upper cover and a lower cover.
The unit 18 is mounted. At a plurality of places (four places) of the lower cover 16, the printed circuit board 19 and the Ls electrically connected to the printed circuit board 19 via connectors.
Provided are members 32-35 for supporting and positioning the CD unit 18, and guide pins 36, 37 inserted into holes of the corresponding printed circuit board 19 in at least two of the members 32-35. ing. A guide 39 for supporting the LCD unit 18 from the side at a plurality of locations (four places) of the upper cover, and a rib 40 formed integrally with the guide 39 in a tapered shape to support the printed circuit board from above and from the side. Is provided. LCD unit 1
8, the elastomer 38 is provided at the four corners of the lower surface, so that when the printed circuit board 19 and the LCD unit 18 are assembled by being sandwiched between the upper cover 15 and the lower cover 16, Can be absorbed. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably and efficiently mount the internally mounted product and improve the assemblability.

[0007]

1 and 2 are views illustrating the appearance of a small portable terminal device of the present invention which can be held in the palm of a hand. FIG. 1 shows a front side (a liquid crystal display side). In this small portable terminal device, components such as switches are arranged so that the lower left side in the figure is closer to the hand, regardless of whether the device is held with the right hand or the left hand. FIG. 2 illustrates the back side (palm side) with the hand side as the lower left side in the drawing. Small portable terminal device 30
Includes a plurality of switches to which any of a plurality of predetermined functions can be assigned, that is, a right switch 3, a left switch 4, a backlight switch 5, a power switch 6, and a reset switch 7. .

[0008] The illustrated small portable terminal device 30 can be held and operated with one hand, and can execute various functions by various loaded programs. The user holds the small portable terminal device 30 with one hand,
For example, the liquid crystal display 1 is placed in the right hand, and the liquid crystal display 1 is observed while being operated with one hand holding it, that is, the right hand. The user uses the right thumb to switch the backlight switch 5,
It is possible to depress the directional key 2 and the right switch 3, the power switch 6 (see FIG. 2) with the index finger or the middle finger, and the left switch 4 with the ring finger or the little finger, respectively. Similarly,
The liquid crystal display 1 may be placed in the left hand so as to be observed, and the small portable terminal device 30 may be operated only with the left hand. Further, instead of pressing the switch, a touch panel on the liquid crystal display 1 may be touched. A function prepared in advance is assigned to each of the switches.

Loading of information in the small portable terminal device 30 is performed by a loading processing unit provided in the data processing unit. The loading processing unit includes a plurality of wireless communication means, performs wireless communication with a station (another computer) or another portable information terminal, loads information (programs and data) (initials), and stores the information in a memory. To store. The small portable terminal device 30 starts a program included in the information and performs various processes. The connector 11 is provided at the center of the arc-shaped portion of the housing. Connector 11
Includes an information terminal for transferring information, and a charging terminal for charging a rechargeable battery serving as a power supply for the small portable terminal device 30.

The small portable terminal device 30 has the microphone 9. The microphone 9 is provided around the surface on which the liquid crystal display 1 is provided, and on the upper side thereof (the hand side when gripped by the palm). In addition, the small portable terminal device 30
Includes a speaker 8 provided on a surface on which the liquid crystal display 1 is provided. The loudspeaker 8 is provided on the lower side of the surface on which the liquid crystal display 1 is provided (the side closer to the hand when gripped by the palm). The infrared communication port 10 provided in the small portable terminal device 30 is provided around the surface on which the liquid crystal display 1 is provided and below it for wireless communication.

In the drawings, reference numerals 21 and 22 denote elastomer components which are located on both side surfaces of the housing and are sandwiched and fixed between the upper cover 15 and the lower cover 16, respectively. The details will be described later.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the small portable terminal device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The housing made of, for example, a synthetic resin of the small portable terminal device 30 is provided with an upper cover 15.
And a lower cover 16. LC composed by attaching a touch panel to a liquid crystal display
The D unit 18 is mounted on a printed circuit board 19, and an input cable of a touch panel and a liquid crystal display is connected to the printed circuit board 19 via a connector. The printed circuit board 19 and the LCD unit 18 mounted in this manner are fixed so as to be sandwiched between the lower cover 16 and the upper cover 15.

At this time, for the purpose of preventing slippage and impact resistance, the right elastomer part 21 and the left elastomer part 22 made of an elastic member such as rubber are also formed by the lower cover 16 and the upper cover 15 of the present apparatus. It is fixed so as to be sandwiched on both sides.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower cover 16 shown in FIG. The printed circuit board 19 is supported by support and positioning members 32-35 at four locations of the lower cover, and at two diagonal locations thereof, further includes guide pins 36 and 37 having a diameter of about 1 mm. , Thereby positioning. That is, this guide pin 3
Positioning by 6, 37 is performed by inserting into a hole of the printed circuit board 19 provided at a corresponding position as shown in FIG.

An input cable from the LCD unit 18 is connected to a corresponding connector on the printed circuit board 19. The LCD unit 18 electrically connected to the printed circuit board 19 is supported from below by the support and positioning members 32 to 35 provided on the lower cover 16 and is positioned from the side. The support and positioning members 32 to 35 are mounted on the printed circuit board 19.
Extend upward through the notches provided at the four positions, and support and position the LCD unit 18 located thereon. In mounting the LCD unit 18, the LCD unit 1 is used to absorb the tolerance in the Z-axis direction.
Elastomers 38 made of an elastic member such as rubber are adhered to the four corners on the back surface of 8 (see FIG. 3).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show this printed circuit board 19.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for further describing the mounting of the LCD unit 18. As shown in FIG.
9 is supported by a support and positioning member (for example, 35) provided on the lower cover in a state where guide pins 37 provided on the member are inserted into corresponding holes of the printed circuit board 19,
And are positioned. The support and positioning member 35 has a two-stage structure, and supports and positions the LCD unit 18 to which the touch panel is attached on the upper stage. At the time of assembly, the upper cover 15 is
The unit 18 is supported so as to be pressed down from above, and the elastomer 38 is used to absorb the tolerance in the Z-axis direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, positioning guides 39 for the LCD unit 18 and the printed circuit board 19 are provided near the four corners of the side surface of the upper cover.
This guide 39 is, as shown in FIGS.
The unit 18 is supported from the side and the support side is tapered. The guide is provided with a tapered rib 40 integrally therewith, thereby supporting the printed circuit board 19 from the side and above. Finally, the assembly is completed by fitting the upper cover 15 to the lower cover 16, but the guide 39 and the ribs 40 are tapered, so that the upper cover 15 can be easily fitted.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the lower cover is provided with members for supporting and positioning the printed circuit board and the LCD unit, and guide pins inserted into the corresponding holes of the printed circuit board. A guide for supporting the LCD unit from the side and ribs for supporting the printed circuit board from above and from the side are provided. The LCD unit is provided with elastomers at four corners on its lower surface, so that the printed circuit board and the LCD are provided. When the unit is assembled so as to be sandwiched between the upper cover and the lower cover, the tolerance in the Z-axis direction is absorbed, and when the touch panel surface is pressed, LC
The stress applied to the D unit is relieved, and the internally mounted product is securely placed in a small palm-sized housing.
In addition, it is possible to improve the assemblability by attaching the work with good workability.

Also, since the printed circuit board and the LCD unit are all mounted on the lower cover side, the assemblability is improved, and parts such as an inner casing inserted between the board and the LCD unit are provided. It becomes unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a small portable terminal device of the present invention from the front side.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the small portable terminal device of the present invention from the back side.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the small portable terminal device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower cover shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for further explaining the mounting of the printed circuit board and the LCD unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing that a printed circuit board and an LCD unit are supported by a guide provided on an upper cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid crystal display (with a touch panel) 2 Directional keys 3 Right switch 4 Left switch 5 Backlight switch 6 Power switch 7 Reset switch 8 Speaker 9 Microphone 10 Infrared communication port 11 Connector 15 Upper cover 16 Lower cover 18 LCD unit 19 Printed circuit board 21 Right elastomer part 22 Left elastomer part 30 Small portable terminal device 32-35 Supporting and positioning member 36, 37 Guide pin 38 Elastomer 39 Guide 40 Rib

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H05K 7/14 H05K 7/14 C G06F 1/00 312G F term (Reference) 4E353 AA07 AA16 AA25 BB02 CC01 CC16 CC36 DD02 DD08 DD11 DR02 DR08 DR36 DR45 DR46 DR52 DR57 GG09 GG13 GG20 GG22 4E360 AA02 AB12 CA02 CA08 EC16 ED03 ED23 ED28 ED30 EE02 GA53 GB26 GB46 5E348 AA03 AA09 AA11 AA31 AA37 5G435 AA17 EE13 LL12 LL12

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A small portable terminal device in which at least a printed circuit board and an LCD unit are mounted inside a housing, wherein the housing is divided into an upper cover and a lower cover, and a plurality of portions of the lower cover are provided. A member for supporting and positioning the printed circuit board and an LCD unit electrically connected to the printed circuit board via a connector, and a corresponding printed circuit board in at least two of the members. A guide pin to be inserted into a hole of the upper cover, a guide for supporting the LCD unit from a side surface at a plurality of locations of the upper cover, and a tapered shape integrally formed with the guide to move the printed circuit board upward and sideways. The LCD unit is provided with elastomers at four corners on the lower surface of the LCD unit, and the printed circuit board and the LC are provided. A small portable terminal device, wherein a tolerance in the Z-axis direction is absorbed when the D unit is assembled so as to be sandwiched between an upper cover and a lower cover.