JP2002261899A - Portable telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a portable telephone capable of forming a rugged shape snugly to each user even when individual users' hand sizes or shapes are different and having good holding properties. SOLUTION: The portable telephone comprises a skin layer 7 made of a resin material plastically deformable at the ambient temperature and covering a part of a surface of a housing 1. The skin layer preferably has a 2-layer structure having a body layer 10 made of the resin material plastically deformable at the ambient temperature, and a front layer made of an elastomer capable of following to the deformation of the body layer and covering the body layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable telephone, a PH
The mobile phone used for the S and the like has an improved gripping property (holding property).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A part or all of the side surface of a housing of a portable telephone is made of a shock absorbing material such as an elastomer to absorb a shock due to a fall or the like, and the outer surface of the shock absorbing material is formed into a wavy shape to improve grip. A device devised so as to increase the level has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-9448).

[0003] However, in the case where the outer surface of the shock absorbing material according to the prior invention is formed in a wavy shape, the shape and size of the hands differ depending on the age, gender, physique, etc. of the user.
There are cases where the corrugations do not exactly fit the individual user's hand shapes. For this reason, a problem remains as a means for improving the holdability of the mobile phone.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to form a concave and convex shape which is perfect for each user even if the size and shape of each user's hand is different, and the holding property is extremely good. To obtain a suitable mobile phone.

[0005]

This problem can be solved by a portable telephone in which a part of the surface of the housing is covered with a skin layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature. The skin layer preferably has a two-layer structure of a main body layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature, and a surface layer made of an elastomer that covers the main body layer and can follow the plastic deformation of the main body layer.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail.
1 to 5 show an example of a mobile phone according to the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing of the mobile phone. The housing 1 is made of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polystyrene resin, or a glass fiber reinforced plastic, or a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy. The microphone 3 is provided at the lower part of the front surface, which is a transmitting unit.

A liquid crystal display unit 4 for displaying characters and the like is provided below the speaker 2 of the housing 1, and an operation unit on which operation keys such as numeric keys are arranged is provided below the liquid crystal display unit 4. 5 are provided. Further, an antenna 6 for transmitting and receiving radio waves is provided on an upper portion of the housing 1. Further, an internal mechanism such as a power supply battery and an electronic circuit is incorporated in the housing 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, skin layers 7 indicated by oblique lines are formed on the back, both sides, and both ends of the front of the housing 1. This skin layer 7
Is a portion where the palm and the finger touch when the mobile phone is gripped, and is formed on the surface of the housing 1 as shown in FIG.

The skin layer 7 is a layer having a thickness of 2 to 3 mm made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature. In the present invention, a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature is defined as a resin material having a temperature of 15 ° C.
In a temperature range of ３０30 ° C., a resin material having such a property that it is easily deformed by lightly pressing the resin with a finger or the like, and this deformation is not restored naturally.

Specific examples of the resin material which can be plastically deformed at room temperature include a vinyl acetate content of 70 to 90 wt%.
Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, silicone resin putty, atactic polypropylene, highly plasticized polyvinyl chloride, and the like. Such formation of the skin layer 7 can be performed by a simultaneous injection molding method with the housing 1 or a method of injection molding the skin layer 7 again after the injection molding of the housing 1.

In such a portable telephone, as shown in FIG. 6, when the user grasps the portable telephone, the palm and the finger are pressed against the skin layer 7 by slightly squeezing the palm, and the like. As shown in the figure, the skin layer 7 is plastically deformed,
The uneven shape of the palm and the finger is transferred and formed on the skin layer 7,
The unevenness 8 as shown in FIG. 7 remains on the skin layer 7.

The unevenness 8 remaining on the skin layer 7 has a shape that exactly matches the shape of the user's palm and fingers, so that it is easy to grasp and hard to get tired even when using this mobile phone for a long time. Become. The unevenness 8 remaining on the skin layer 7 is maintained as long as a new force is not applied. However, when a new force is applied, new unevenness 8 corresponding to the manner in which the force is applied is re-formed. Therefore, even when the shape of the hand changes due to the change of the user, or when the form of holding is changed, such as when using the telephone and when using the e-mail, the holding property is good.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the skin layer in the present invention. The skin layer 9 in this example is composed of the main body layer 1
0 and a surface layer 11 that covers the entire body layer 10 and is joined to the body layer 10. The main body layer 10 is a layer made of the resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature in the above example. The surface layer 11 is a thin elastomer layer that deforms following the plastic deformation of the main body layer 10 and does not recover elasticity. The surface layer 11 has a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm, such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber, or styrene-based rubber. Thermoplastic elastomer,
It is made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer and an ester-based thermoplastic elastomer.

In the portable telephone of this embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the previous embodiment can be obtained. In addition, each of the above-mentioned resin materials specifically exemplified as resin materials that can be plastically deformed at room temperature has some tackiness, has a poor touch, and has a problem that dirt and the like easily adhere. However, in this example, since it is covered with the surface layer 11 made of a thermoplastic elastomer or the like, there is no such a problem, and the practicality is excellent.

FIG. 9 shows another example of the covering form of the skin layer in the present invention. In this example, the skin layer 9
Is covered with a part of the inside of the phone, and the skin layer 9 is formed in the recessed part. The surface of the skin layer 9 and the part of the case 1 where the skin layer 9 does not exist. Is the same plane (Turaichi). In this case, there is no partial surface swelling due to the provision of the skin layer 9 on the housing 1, and the appearance is clean and the design is beautiful.

In the present invention, the portion on which the skin layer is provided is not limited to the above example.
May be provided on both sides and the front side.
Further, since both skin layers also have a shock absorbing property at the same time, it is possible to prevent breakage and failure of the housing 1 and the electronic components and the like in the case of dropping.

[0017]

As described above, the mobile phone of the present invention has a part of its housing covered with a skin layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature. Irregularities conforming to the shape of the hand are formed on the skin layer, and the holdability becomes extremely good. In addition, since the unevenness formed on the skin layer can be repeatedly formed again, even if the user changes or the gripping shape changes, the unevenness becomes the unevenness, so that the holding property is always good. Becomes

Further, in the case where the skin layer has a two-layer structure of a main body layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature, and a surface layer made of an elastomer that covers the main body layer and can follow the plastic deformation of the main body layer, Excellent effects such as excellent usability and no adhesion of dirt or dust are obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing an example of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a skin layer in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a usage mode of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a usage mode of the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view showing another example of the skin layer in the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an attachment form of a skin layer in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Housing | casing, 7, 9 ... Skin layer, 10 ... Body layer, 11 ... Surface layer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A portable telephone characterized in that a part of the surface of a housing is covered with a skin layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature. 2. A skin layer comprising: a main body layer made of a resin material that can be plastically deformed at room temperature; and a surface layer made of an elastomer that covers the main body layer and can follow plastic deformation of the main body layer. The mobile phone according to claim 1.