CN111180238A

CN111180238A - Waterproof sealing structure of switch and terminal equipment

Info

Publication number: CN111180238A
Application number: CN201811333921.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 程彦荣
Original assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-09
Filing date: 2018-11-09
Publication date: 2020-05-19

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a waterproof sealing structure of switch and terminal equipment, and the waterproof sealing structure of this switch includes: a housing, the interior of which forms a cavity, the housing being provided with an opening that extends through a wall of the housing to communicate the cavity with the exterior of the housing; the FPC is arranged in the cavity; a switch connected to the FPC and positioned opposite to the opening; a key for operating the switch; and the membrane is arranged between the key and the switch, and covers or interrupts the opening and seals the opening. By sealing the switch and the FPC in the cavity of the housing using the diaphragm, the waterproof reliability is improved, and the cost of the waterproof sealing structure is reduced.

Description

Waterproof sealing structure of switch and terminal equipment

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a waterproof sealing structure of a switch and a terminal device.

Background

For example, some terminal devices of a mobile phone have a waterproof function, the waterproof function of a key is an important link for waterproofing the mobile phone, and a hole of the mobile phone, such as a power key, is usually formed in the side of the mobile phone, and is waterproofed by arranging a waterproof structure. As shown in fig. 1, the switch waterproof structure in the related art includes: the touch screen includes a housing 10, a switch 20, a conductive base 30(TPU rubber), an FPC 40(Flexible Printed Circuit board), and a key 60. The switch 20 and the FPC 40 are both arranged in the shell 10, the switch 20 is connected with the FPC 40, the shell 10 is provided with an opening, the position of the switch 20 is opposite to the position of the opening, the key 60 is arranged in the opening, and the switch 20 can be operated by pressing the key 60. The conductive base 30 is arranged between the key 60 and the switch 20, the waterproof glue 50 is coated at the position connected with the FPC 40 around the switch 20, and the waterproof glue 50 can prevent the short circuit of the connection contact of the switch 20 and the FPC 40. A sealing ring is further arranged in the casing 10, and the sealing ring is positioned on one side of the FPC 40 far away from the switch 20, and can prevent water from further entering the inside of the casing 10.

The process of applying the waterproof glue 50 around the switch 20 requires high precision and is complicated, resulting in low yield and high cost, and the waterproof glue 50 needs to wait for curing after being applied. Although the FPC 40 may be in contact with water, the FPC 40 is exposed to the outside of the seal ring, and may be in contact with water for a long time, which may cause corrosion.

Disclosure of Invention

To overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a waterproof sealing structure of a switch, which aims to improve the reliability of waterproofing and reduce the cost of the waterproof sealing structure.

According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a waterproof sealing structure of a switch, including:

a housing, the interior of which forms a cavity, the housing being provided with an opening that extends through a wall of the housing to communicate the cavity with the exterior of the housing;

the FPC is arranged in the cavity;

a switch connected to the FPC and positioned opposite to the opening;

a key for operating the switch; and

and the membrane is arranged between the key and the switch, covers or interrupts the opening and seals the opening.

Preferably, the opening hole is a stepped hole including a large-diameter hole and a small-diameter hole, the housing includes an opposite extension defining a step of the stepped hole, and the diaphragm is adhered to the opposite extension.

Preferably, the membrane is bonded to the opposing extensions by a waterproof glue.

Preferably, the waterproof sealing structure of the switch further includes a button decoration mounted to the large-diameter hole, the button being mounted to the button decoration so as to prevent the button from being separated from the housing.

Preferably, the key extends at least partially into the aperture.

Preferably, the switch is provided with a first projection projecting in the direction of the opening, and the key is provided with a second projection projecting toward the first projection, and the second projection can press the first projection via the diaphragm by pressing the key.

Preferably, the size of the opening is larger than the size of the switch.

Preferably, the membrane is made of a water-impermeable plastic material.

Preferably, the membrane is made of PET.

According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a terminal device including the waterproof sealing structure of the switch according to any one of the aspects of the present disclosure.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can obtain the following beneficial effects: by sealing the switch and the FPC in the cavity of the housing using the diaphragm, the waterproof reliability is improved, and the cost of the waterproof sealing structure is reduced.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 shows a waterproof structure of a switch in the related art.

Fig. 2 is a waterproof and sealed structure of a switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

10 casing 20 switch 30 conductive base 40 FPC 50 waterproof glue 60 key

1

shell

11, 111 small-diameter hole 112 large-diameter hole 12 cavity 2 diaphragm 3 foam cotton 4 switch 41 first convex part 5 FPC 6 key 61 second convex part 62 fastening part 7 key decoration 71 mounting hole

X width direction and Y height direction.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, like numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

Unless otherwise specified, in the following description, the X direction indicates the width direction of the terminal device, the Y direction indicates the height direction of the terminal device, and a direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction indicates the length direction of the terminal device.

As shown in fig. 2, the present disclosure provides a waterproof sealing structure of a switch, which includes a housing 1, a diaphragm 2, a switch 4, an FPC 5(Flexible Printed Circuit), a key 6, and a key decoration 7. The inside of the housing 1 forms a cavity 12, the switch 4 and the FPC 5 are disposed in the cavity 12 inside the housing 1, and the switch 4 is connected to the FPC 5.

The housing 1 is provided with an opening 11, the opening 11 penetrating a wall portion of the housing 1 so as to communicate the cavity 12 with the outside of the housing 1. The switch 4 is located opposite to the opening 11, the switch 4 is provided with a first protrusion 41 protruding towards the opening 11, the first protrusion 41 is at least partially located in the opening 11, thereby facilitating the membrane 3 to be able to contact the switch 4.

The diaphragm 2 covers (blocks) the opening 11, and the switch 4 can be operated through the diaphragm 2 in the opening 11. The opening 11 and the switch 4 may have a similar shape, for example, both rectangular, as viewed in the width direction X. The size of the opening 11 is larger than the size of the switch 4, and the contour edge of the opening 11 extends at least 0.2mm further away from the switch 4 than the contour edge of the switch 4. That is, the contour edge of the opening 11 is at least 0.2mm from the contour edge of the switch 4. This allows at least a partial area of the switch 4 including the first protrusion 41 to be located within the opening 11, thereby facilitating access to the switch 4 by the membrane 3.

Specifically, the shape of the switch 4 and the shape of the opening 11 may both be rectangular as viewed in the width direction X, the size of the opening 11 being larger than the size of the switch 4. Specifically, the height of the opening 11 is greater than the height of the switch 4, and the length of the opening 11 is greater than the length of the switch 4. The centre of the opening 11 and the centre of the switch 4 coincide and the contour edge of the opening 11 is at least 0.2mm, for example 0.2mm, from the contour edge of the switch 4 in the height direction of the opening 11. The contour edge of the opening 11 is at least 0.2mm, for example 0.2mm to 0.5mm, from the contour edge of the switch 4 in the length direction of the opening 11. That is, the center position of the opening 11 coincides with the center position of the switch 4, but the distances of the respective edges of the opening 11 from the corresponding respective edges of the switch 4 may be different.

It will be appreciated that the shape of the opening 11 and the shape of the switch 4 may also be other than rectangular, for example circular.

The opening hole 11 may be a stepped hole including a small-diameter hole 111 and a large-diameter hole 112, and the housing 1 includes an opposite extension defining a step of the stepped hole, the opposite extension being toward the outside of the housing 1. The membrane 2 may be inserted into the large-diameter hole 112, and the membrane 2 may be adhered to the opposite extension by waterproof glue to seal the open hole 11. The waterproof glue may be for example foam 3.

It will be appreciated that by inserting the diaphragm 2 into the large-diameter hole 112, it is possible to facilitate quick, accurate, and easy positioning of the mounting position of the diaphragm 2 in the assembly.

Further, the surface of the diaphragm 2 is closer to the inside of the housing 1 than the outer wall surface of the housing 1, so that the diaphragm 2 is more reliably connected, and the diaphragm 2 is less likely to be displaced or fall off due to an external force. That is, the thickness of the foam 3 plus the thickness of the membrane sheet 2 is smaller than the depth of the large-diameter hole 112 in the width direction X. For example, the thickness of the foam rubber 3 is 0.25mm, the thickness of the diaphragm 2 is 0.2mm, and the depth of the large-diameter hole 112 is more than 0.45 mm.

The side of the housing 1 having the opening 11 is provided with the key decoration 7, for example, at least a part of the key decoration 7 may be disposed in the large-diameter hole 112, and the key decoration 7 and the housing 1 are connected, for example, bonded or clamped. The button garnish 7 is provided with a mounting hole 71, the mounting hole 71 is a stepped hole, and the button 6 is mounted to the housing 1 by mounting the button 6 in the mounting hole 71, whereby the button 6 can move in the axial direction (width direction X) of the mounting hole 71.

The button 6 is provided with joint portion 62, and joint portion 62 is protruding along the axial direction of perpendicular to mounting hole 71, and joint portion 62 and button decoration 7's mounting hole 71's ladder portion cooperation to install button 6 in casing 1, prevent that button 6 from breaking away from casing 1. The push button 6 is provided with a second projection 61, the second projection 61 projecting toward the switch 4.

In a terminal device having a waterproof and sealed structure of the switch of the present disclosure, the push button 6 is at least partially inserted into the opening 11, and the switch 4 can be operated by pressing the diaphragm 2 through the push button 6. Specifically, the button 6 protrudes from the outer surface of the button trim 7, and when the button 6 is pressed, the second convex portion 61 presses the first convex portion 41 via the diaphragm 2, thereby operating the switch 4. It is understood that the diaphragm 2 is made of a material having elasticity and water-tightness so that the switch 4 can be operated by pressing the diaphragm 2 and sealing is performed using the diaphragm 2 against water. In particular, the membrane 2 can be made using a plastic material, such as PET.

If water infiltrates into the terminal device from the gap around the key 6 and the key decoration 7, the membrane 2 covers (blocks) the opening 11 to seal the housing 1 to prevent water from infiltrating into the housing 1, the housing 1 can protect the parts in the cavity 12, and the FPC 5 and the switch 4 are both located in the inner cavity 12 of the housing 1. Therefore, compared with the waterproof glue coating in the related art, the waterproof glue coating process has the advantages that the waterproof glue coating process is not needed, the process cost is high, the process difficulty is simplified, and the cost is reduced. In addition, according to the technical scheme, the sealing ring is omitted, the material cost is saved, the step of assembling the sealing ring is omitted, and the labor cost is reduced.

It is understood that the waterproof sealing structure of the switch of the present disclosure may be used for a key position having a switch on various terminal devices, and in particular, may be used for a key position having a switch such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, and the like. The keys may be power keys, volume control keys, and other function keys. The terminal device may be a mobile phone, and the housing 1 may not be integrally formed, for example, the two sides in the height direction Y may be a screen and a rear cover, respectively, and the screen and the rear cover may be connected with a frame to form the housing 1.

In the related art, the waterproof adhesive 50 is applied to have a width extending at least 0.8mm from the edge of the switch 20 so as to ensure the waterproof effect, the waterproof adhesive 50 is applied to the FPC 40 around the switch 20, and the width of the FPC 40 is increased in order to apply the waterproof adhesive 50. In the terminal device using this waterproof structure, the width direction of the FPC 40 is the height direction Y of the terminal device, and therefore this waterproof structure is disadvantageous for making the thickness of the terminal device thin. Especially in terminal equipment such as mobile phones, the keys such as power keys and volume control keys are usually arranged on the side edges of the terminal equipment, namely the left and right frame portions in the width direction X of the terminal equipment, but the side edges of the terminal equipment often need to be designed with radians, so that the terminal equipment can be more beautiful to hold and is light and thin in body, and the thickness of the terminal equipment may be adversely affected by a waterproof structure in the related art. It can be understood that the waterproof sealing structure of the switch of the present disclosure does not need to coat waterproof glue on the FPC, and thus the width of the FPC in the height direction Y can be reduced, thereby facilitating the thinning of the body.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A waterproof and sealing structure of a switch is characterized by comprising:

the FPC is arranged in the cavity;

a switch connected to the FPC and positioned opposite to the opening;

a key for operating the switch; and

2. The waterproof sealing structure of a switch according to claim 1, wherein said opening hole is a stepped hole including a large-diameter hole and a small-diameter hole, said housing includes opposing extensions defining a step of said stepped hole, and said diaphragm is bonded to said opposing extensions.

3. The waterproof sealing structure of a switch of claim 2, wherein said diaphragm is bonded to said opposing extensions by waterproof glue.

4. The waterproof sealing structure of a switch according to claim 2, further comprising a button decoration mounted to the large-diameter hole, the button being mounted to the button decoration so as to prevent the button from coming off the housing.

5. A water tight seal of a switch according to claim 1, wherein said key extends at least partially into said opening.

6. The waterproof and sealing structure of a switch according to claim 1, wherein said switch is provided with a first projection projecting in the direction of said opening, and said push button is provided with a second projection projecting toward said first projection, said second projection being capable of pressing said first projection via said diaphragm by pressing said push button.

7. The waterproof sealing structure of a switch according to claim 1, wherein the size of said opening is larger than the size of said switch.

8. The waterproof and sealing structure of a switch according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said membrane is made of a water-impermeable plastic material.

9. The waterproof and sealing structure of a switch according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said diaphragm is made of PET.

10. A terminal device, characterized in that it comprises a watertight sealing structure of a switch according to any one of claims 1-9.