JP2013045850A - Protection cover and electronic apparatus equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a protection cover of an electronic apparatus, which has a high shock-absorbing property, a good feeling property, and waterproofness and decreases thickness and a cost of the protection cover.SOLUTION: A protection cover 2 for protecting an electronic apparatus body includes a tray-shaped cover 10 attached to one surface of the electronic apparatus body, and an elastic portion 20 continuously covering from an outer surface to an inner surface of the cover 10. On the inner surface of the cover 10 has a closed loop-shaped waterproof portion 13 integrally formed with the cover 10 so as to project out or be recessed from the inner surface, and one or multiple through-holes 14 penetrating in the thickness direction of the cover 10. The elastic portion 20 is made from more flexible material than the cover 10. The elastic portion 20 covers a part or the whole of the outer surface of the cover 10, and communicates to the inner surface from the through-holes 14 to cover a part or the whole of a surface of the waterproof portion 13.

Description

  The present invention relates to a protective cover for protecting an electronic device main body and an electronic device including the same.

  With the development of wireless communication in recent years, an increasing number of people use electronic devices that can easily communicate on the go. As a result, there are increasing opportunities for electronic devices to fall on the floor or road surface, or to hit a wall or vehicle. Since electronic devices are precision machines, they are vulnerable to shocks, and the higher the cost, the greater the loss. For this reason, many people use a protective cover that is attached to the outside of the electronic device to protect the electronic device from impact. As the protective cover, for example, a cover made of a relatively hard resin or metal, or a flexible elastomer is known. Among these, a protective cover made of a hard resin that is excellent in the mounting property to an electronic device and the shock relaxation property to the electronic device is often used.

  On the other hand, recent electronic devices are required to have a waterproof property that can be used even in rainy weather or in a bathroom and does not break down when dropped in water. There are many places to prevent water from entering the inside of the electronic device, such as around the operation keys and the battery housing. As an example of a waterproof electronic device, a groove is formed around the battery housing portion of the electronic device in order to improve the waterproof property while maintaining the thinness of the electronic device itself, and is formed on the side surface of the annular protrusion inserted into the groove. 2. Description of the Related Art An electronic device including a lid to which an elastomer is fixed is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such an electronic device, since the lid and the annular projecting portion are integrally formed, the electronic device can be made thinner as compared with the case where the lid and the projecting portion are separately manufactured and bonded. Has merit.

Japanese Patent No. 4424445

  Protective cover made only of hard materials such as hard resin, the problem that the protective cover itself is damaged when the electronic device equipped with it is dropped, or the problem that the impact on the electronic device is still not enough There is. In addition, there is room for improvement in the feel of the protective cover. In order to solve this problem, the present inventor has considered forming an elastomer layer on at least the outer surface of the protective cover.

  On the other hand, when the protective cover is provided separately from the waterproof lid, there arises a problem that the total thickness of the electronic device with the protective cover attached increases. For this reason, a protective cover that also serves as a waterproof lid is preferable. However, when an elastomer layer is formed on the outer surface side of the protective cover and a waterproof elastomer member is formed on the inner surface side in a separate process, there is a problem that the manufacturing process increases and the cost of the protective cover is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above demands and problems, and realizes high impact resistance, good touch, waterproofness, thinning of electronic devices, and cost reduction. An object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover that can be used and an electronic device including the same.

  One form of the present invention for achieving the above object is a protective cover for protecting an electronic device main body, a tray-shaped cover attached to one side of the electronic device main body, and an elastic covering the inner surface continuously from the outer surface of the cover The cover has a closed loop-shaped waterproof part integrally formed with the cover so as to protrude or dent from the inner surface, and one or more through holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the cover. And the elastic part is made of a material richer in flexibility than the cover, and the elastic part covers a part or all of the outer surface of the cover and covers the whole or part of the surface of the waterproof part from the through hole to the inner surface. It is.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is a protective cover in which two or more through holes are arranged along the waterproof portion.

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, the through hole is further opened to the inner surface side of the cover and communicated with a recessed portion having an opening area larger than the opening area of the through hole, and the recessed portion is connected to the recessed portion and the waterproof portion. The protective cover is formed in the vicinity of the waterproof part at a position where the shortest distance is equal to or less than the thickness of the elastic part covering the waterproof part.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is a protective cover in which the elastic portion covers the end face of the opening end of the cover.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is a protective cover that seals a battery housing portion in which a waterproof portion and an elastic portion covering the waterproof portion are formed in the electronic device main body.

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there are further provided two or more sets of waterproof parts, elastic parts covering the waterproof parts, and through-holes, and each set is concentrically superimposed on the inner surface of the cover or disposed independently. It is.

  One embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device including any of the protective covers described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the high impact resistance of an electronic device, favorable touch property, waterproofness, thickness reduction, and cost reduction of a protective cover can be achieved.

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the side facing the electronic device main body. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cover constituting the protective cover shown in FIG. 4 shows an AA cross-sectional perspective view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of a part (B, C, D) thereof. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view seen from the inner surface side of the cover shown in FIG. 3, an enlarged view of a part (E) thereof, and an enlarged view of a state where the elastic part is covered on the part (E). 6 shows a perspective view of a first modification of the protective cover shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second modification of the protective cover shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a third modification of the protective cover shown in FIG.

  Next, preferred embodiments of a protective cover according to the present invention and an electronic apparatus including the protective cover will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a portable communication terminal will be described as an example of an electronic device. However, the electronic device is not limited thereto, and may be a portable music playback device, a small television receiver, or the like.

1. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The electronic device 1 according to this embodiment includes a protective cover 2 and an electronic device main body 3. The protective cover 2 is configured to be attachable to the back surface of the electronic device main body 3. The electronic device main body 3 includes a substantially circular camera 4 that protrudes outward from the back surface thereof, and a battery storage unit 5. The battery housing portion 5 is formed by opening the back surface of the electronic device main body 3 so that the battery 6 can be attached and detached. The electronic device main body 3 includes a groove 7 that is recessed in the inner direction of the electronic device main body 3 in a closed loop shape on the outer periphery of the battery storage unit 5. Moreover, the electronic device main body 3 includes a step end surface 8 that is recessed inward from the back surface on the outer periphery thereof. The step end face 8 is configured in a position and shape that faces the end face of the opening end of the protective cover 2.

  The protective cover 2 includes a cover 10 attached to the back surface of the electronic device main body 3 and an elastic portion 20 that covers at least the entire outer surface of the cover 10, that is, the surface opposite to the electronic device main body 3. In FIG. 1 and the subsequent drawings, a portion decorated with dots is an elastic portion 20. In addition, the cover 10 preferably includes a substantially circular penetrating region 11 at a position and size where the camera 4 of the electronic device body 3 is exposed.

  The cover 10 can be suitably manufactured from resin, metal, ceramics or glass. When the cover 10 is manufactured from resin, polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene copolymer (ABS) resin, etc. are suitable as the resin. Can be used. An inorganic filler or an organic filler may be dispersed in the cover 10. The elastic portion 20 is made of a material that is more flexible than the cover 10. The elastic portion 20 can be preferably manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermosetting elastomer, natural rubber, or the like, and is particularly a kind of a thermosetting elastomer, and a silicone elastomer represented by silicone rubber can be preferably used. . Moreover, when manufacturing the elastic part 20 with a thermoplastic elastomer, a styrene-type elastomer, an olefin-type elastomer, and a urethane-type elastomer can be used suitably, for example. An inorganic filler or an organic filler may be dispersed in the elastic portion 20.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the side facing the electronic device main body. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cover constituting the protective cover shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 10 has a tray shape having at least one side surface. In this embodiment, the cover 10 includes a rectangular bottom surface and side surfaces 12 connected in the four directions. However, the cover 10 may have a shape including the side surface 3 in the 1-3 directions. Further, when the cover 10 includes a circular, triangular, or pentagonal or more polygonal bottom surface, the side surface 12 can be provided in a part or all of the sides.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the protective cover 2 is integrally formed with a square annular waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface thereof. The waterproof part 13 is a closed-loop protruding part that protrudes toward the electronic device body 3 at a position and size that can be inserted into the groove 7 of the electronic device body 3. The cover 10 includes a total of 18 through holes 14 that penetrate in the thickness direction of the cover 10. The eighteen through holes 14 are arranged along the inner periphery of the waterproof part 13. The elastic portion 20 covers the inner surface, end surface, and outer surface of the waterproof portion 13 through the through hole 14 from the outer surface of the cover 10. For this reason, in the state where the elastic part 20 is formed in the cover 10, the through hole 14 is closed by the elastic part 20. The elastic portion 20 covers a region extending slightly from the inner peripheral surface of the penetrating region 11 to the inner surface of the cover 10. For this reason, it is possible to effectively prevent water from entering through the gap at the boundary between the camera 4 and the electronic device main body 3. Moreover, it is preferable that the diameter of the through hole 14 is equal to or less than the thickness of the elastic portion 20 that covers the cover 10. Here, the “diameter” means the diameter when converted into a circle having the same area when the cross section parallel to the bottom surface of the through-hole 14 has a shape other than a circle. If the diameter of the through hole 14 is larger than the thickness of the elastic part 20 covering the cover 10, the outer surface above the through hole 14 is likely to be dented in the process of forming the elastic part 20, and the appearance of the protective cover 2 may be impaired. Because it becomes high. For example, when the diameter of the through hole 14 is set to φ0.3 to 1.5 mm, the thickness of the elastic portion 20 is set to 0.5 to 2.0 mm on the assumption that the thickness of the elastic part 20 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the through hole 14. preferable. In that case, the thickness of the cover 10 is preferably 0.5 to 2.5 mm.

  4 shows an AA cross-sectional perspective view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of a part (B, C, D) thereof. A region B in FIG. 4 is a cross section at a position crossing the through hole 14, and a region C in FIG. 4 is a cross section at a position crossing a portion other than the through hole 14. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view seen from the inner surface side of the cover shown in FIG. 3, an enlarged view of a part (E) thereof, and an enlarged view of a state where the elastic part is covered on the part (E).

  As shown in the enlarged view of the region B in FIG. 4 and the enlarged view of the region E in FIG. 5, the through hole 14 opens to the inner surface side of the cover 10 and has an opening area larger than the opening area of the through hole 14. It communicates with the recess 15. The recess 15 is formed close to the waterproof part 13 at a position where the shortest distance between the recess 15 and the waterproof part 13 is equal to or less than the thickness of the elastic part 20 covering the waterproof part 13. In this embodiment, the side surface of the recess 15 and the side surface of the waterproof portion 13 are substantially flush. That is, the shortest distance is almost zero. By forming the concave portion 15, when the liquid composition for forming the elastic portion 20 covers the surface of the waterproof portion 13 from the outer surface side of the cover 10 through the through hole 14, there is a risk that the liquid composition is clogged in the middle. Can be reduced. In addition, since the distance between the recess 15 and the waterproof part 13 is shorter than the thickness of the elastic part 20 that covers the waterproof part 13, the liquid composition easily flows smoothly from the recess 15 to the waterproof part 13. The shorter the distance from the recess 15 to the waterproof part 13, the lower the risk that the liquid composition will be interrupted. The elastic part 20 covering the waterproof part 13 preferably has a rib 21 protruding outward at a position outside the waterproof part 13. For this reason, it is possible to reliably prevent flooding on the outer surface of the groove 7, and to further improve the waterproof property of the battery storage unit 5.

  As shown in the enlarged view of the region D in FIG. 4, the elastic portion 20 covers the end surface 16 at the opening end of the cover 10. For this reason, in a state in which the protective cover 2 is attached to the electronic device main body 3, the battery housing part 5 can be waterproofed at the two positions of the end face 16 and the waterproof part 13.

2. Manufacturing method of a protective cover The above-mentioned protective cover 2 can be manufactured in the following manner, for example. Hereinafter, an example in which PC resin is used as the material of the cover 10 and silicone rubber is used as the material of the elastic portion 20 will be described. First, the cover 10 integrally formed with the waterproof part 13 is molded from PC resin. As the molding method, since the PC resin is a thermoplastic resin, injection molding in which a molten PC resin is injected into a mold and molded can be suitably used. As another molding method, a thin plate made of a PC resin in a softened state may be set in a mold, and vacuum molding, pressure molding, or vacuum / pressure molding may be performed. After the cover 10 is molded, the cover 10 is set in another mold, and an unvulcanized silicone rubber composition is poured from the outer surface side of the cover 10. The silicone rubber composition may flow from the inside of the through region 11 or from the position outside the cover 10. The silicone rubber composition flows from the outer surface of the cover 10 through the through hole 14 to the surface of the waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface of the cover 10 so as to fill the gap between the mold and the cover 10. Conversely, the silicone rubber composition may flow from the waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface of the cover 10 to the outer surface of the cover 10 through the through hole 14. Thereafter, the mold is heated to cure the silicone rubber composition. Next, the mold is opened and the protective cover 2 is taken out.

  Thus, since the elastic part 20 can be formed on the outer surface and the inner surface of the cover 10 in a single step after the cover 10 is manufactured, the protective cover 2 can be manufactured at a lower cost. In addition, since the outer surface of the cover 10 and the waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface are covered with a single elastic portion 20, the number of components can be reduced and the handling can be facilitated accordingly. Moreover, since the cover 10 is integrally formed with the waterproof part 13, the total thickness of the electronic device 1 can be reduced and the thickness can be reduced. The elastic portion 20 that covers the outer surface of the cover 10 improves the impact resistance, scratch resistance, and anti-slip performance of the protective cover 10, and further contributes to enhancing the feel. In addition, the elastic portion 20 that covers the waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface of the cover 10 can effectively prevent water from entering the battery storage portion 5.

3. Other Embodiments The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in the form exemplified below. is there.

  6 shows a perspective view of a first modification of the protective cover shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second modification of the protective cover shown in FIG.

  The protective cover 2a according to the first modification includes another waterproof portion 33 inside the waterproof portion 13 on the inner surface thereof. A through-hole 34 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the cover 10 is provided along the waterproof portion 33 on the inner periphery of the waterproof portion 33. The waterproof part 33 includes an elastic part 20 connected to the surface of the waterproof part 33 from the outer surface of the cover 10 through the through hole 34. Thus, by providing the two waterproof parts 13 and 33 and the elastic part 20 which covers the surfaces concentrically, a multiple waterproof wall to the battery storage part 5 can be formed.

  Further, the protective cover 2 b according to the second modification includes a waterproof part 43 independently of the waterproof part 13. A through-hole 44 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the cover 10 is provided along the waterproof portion 43 on the inner periphery of the waterproof portion 43. The waterproof part 43 includes an elastic part 20 connected to the surface of the waterproof part 43 from the outer surface of the cover 10 through the through hole 44. Thus, when there exists an area | region which needs waterproofing other than the battery accommodating part 5, the waterproof part 43 can be formed so that the area | region may be enclosed, and the surface can also be covered with the elastic part 20. FIG.

  FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a third modification of the protective cover shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the elastic portion 20 of the protective cover 2 c may cover only a part of the outer surface, not the entire outer surface of the cover 10.

  The waterproof portions 13, 33, and 43 all protrude from the inner surface of the cover 10 toward the electronic device main body 3 side, but may have a shape that is recessed toward the inside of the cover 10. In that case, it is preferable to cover the elastic part 20 on the concave surface of the waterproof part and to form an annular protruding part protruding toward the protective cover 2 at the position of the groove 7 shown in FIG. Moreover, the elastic part 20 is a part of the surface of the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43, such as not only the entire surface of the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43 but only the front end surface and only the side surfaces of the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43. May be covered. Further, the through holes 14, 34, 44 may be provided on the outer periphery of the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43. Further, the through holes 14, 34, 44 are not necessarily provided along the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43. Moreover, the recessed part 15 is not necessarily required. In the case where the recess 15 is provided, the distance between the recess 15 and the waterproof part 13 may be longer than the thickness of the elastic part 20 covering the waterproof part 13 depending on the ease of flow of the material constituting the elastic part 20. . Further, the elastic portion 20 does not necessarily need to cover the end surface 16 at the opening end of the cover 10. The waterproof part 13 and the elastic part 20 covering the waterproof part 13 do not necessarily have to seal the battery storage part 5. For example, the waterproof part 13 and the elastic part 20 covering the waterproof part 13 may be a means for waterproofing a recording disk, a CPU or the like instead of a battery.

  A plurality of configurations included in each of the above-described embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other. For example, (a) the configuration in which the through holes 14, 34, 44 are arranged along the waterproof portions 13, 33, 43, respectively, (b) the through holes 14, 34, 44 are opened to the inner surface side of the cover 10 and penetrated. It communicates with the recess 15 having an opening area larger than the opening area of the holes 14, 34, 44, and covers the recess 15 with the shortest distance between the recess 15 and the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43 covering the waterproof parts 13, 33, 43. A configuration that is formed close to the waterproof portions 13, 33, and 43 at a position equal to or less than the thickness of the elastic portion 20, (c) a configuration that covers the end surface 16 of the opening end of the cover 10 with the elastic portion 20, and (d). The waterproof part 13, 33, 43 and the elastic part 20 covering it seal the battery housing part 5 formed in the electronic device main body 3, the waterproof part 13, 33, 43, the elastic part 20 covering it, and the through hole 14 , 34, 44 are provided in two or more sets, Set to the inner surface of the cover 10, of the structure be arranged in overlaid or independently concentrically, in any combination of at least one or more, may be produced an electronic device comprising the protective cover and it.

  The present invention can be used for, for example, a waterproof electronic device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device 2 Protective cover 3 Electronic device main body 5 Battery storage part 10 Cover 13,33,43 Waterproof part 14,34,44 Through-hole 15 Recessed part 16 End surface 20 Elastic part

Claims (7)

A protective cover for protecting the electronic device body,
A tray-shaped cover attached to one side of the electronic device body,
An elastic part continuously covering the inner surface from the outer surface of the cover;
With
The above cover
On the inner surface, a closed loop-shaped waterproof part integrally formed with the cover so as to protrude or dent from the inner surface,
One or more through holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the cover;
Have
The elastic part is
A protection made of a material more flexible than the cover, covering part or all of the outer surface of the cover and covering part or all of the surface of the waterproof part connected to the inner surface from the through hole. cover.   The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein two or more through holes are arranged along the waterproof portion. The through hole is open to the inner surface side of the cover and communicates with a recess having an opening area larger than the opening area of the through hole,
The concave portion is formed close to the waterproof portion at a position where a shortest distance between the concave portion and the waterproof portion is equal to or less than a thickness of the elastic portion covering the waterproof portion. Item 3. The protective cover according to item 1 or 2.   The said elastic part further covers the end surface of the opening end of the said cover, The protective cover of any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   5. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the waterproof part and the elastic part covering the waterproof part seal a battery storage part formed in the electronic device main body.   The waterproof portion, the elastic portion covering the waterproof portion, and the through-holes are provided in two or more sets, and each set is concentrically stacked on the inner surface of the cover or arranged independently. The protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   An electronic device comprising the protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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