JP2000101263A - Cover of portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the thickness and weight as well as the material cost in the cover of a portable electronic device and improve the realiability of a product. SOLUTION: A cover 17 which is journaled rotatably on a main body 10 in the opening direction is formed as inflated outward in a manner that there is a clearance between the main body and cover. Due to the curved surface of the cover, the bending rigidity of the cover increases and less deformation is generated even if an external pressure is given, and the operation keys 5 and 6 are not depressed unintentionally.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cover for a portable electronic device such as a portable telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Portable electronic devices are often carried in clothes pockets or bags. Therefore, some portable telephones or electronic notebooks having an operation key have an openable / closable cover to prevent erroneous operation or protect keys. For example, in a mobile phone, there is a type in which a cover for covering a dial key or the like is foldable, and the cover is opened to a main body during a call.

A cover of a conventional foldable portable telephone will be described with reference to FIG.

The foldable portable telephone has a main body 2 including a function key 5, a dial key 6, a transmitter 7, a receiver (not shown), and a cover for covering the function key 5 and the dial key 6. And 1. The cover 1 has support holes 4, 4 that can be fitted to support shafts 3, 3 provided in the main body 2.
The support shafts 3, 3 are fitted in the support holes 4, 4 so that the support shafts 3, 3 can be rotated in the developing direction around the support shafts 3, 3.

[0005]

Generally, the cover 1 is formed so as to be able to cover in parallel with the surface 8 on which the function keys 5 and the dial keys 6 are provided. The thickness of the cover 1 itself varies depending on the product. For example, when the cover 1 has a small thickness, if the cover 1 is closed and a strong pressure is applied from outside, elastic deformation occurs, and there is a problem that the function keys 5 and the like are pressed. . When the cover 1 has a large thickness, the elastic deformation as described above is unlikely to occur. However, it is difficult to reduce the thickness and weight as compared with the case where the cover 1 is thin, and the material cost and the number of parts increase. Had become.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a cover used for a portable electronic device such as a foldable portable telephone, which is capable of reducing material costs, reducing thickness and weight, and preventing erroneous operation of keys. It is intended to improve.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a cover rotatably supported in a developing direction with respect to a main body has a convex surface bulging outward so as to form a gap between the main body and the cover. The present invention relates to a cover for a portable electronic device formed as described above, and also relates to a cover for a portable electronic device in which the cover is partially bulged outward and a step portion is formed at a substantially central portion.

[0008] By bending the cover, the bending rigidity of the cover is increased. Further, by forming a step portion, the rigidity is further increased. Even when an external pressure is applied to the cover, deformation is reduced.
The operation key is not pressed.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cover of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a foldable portable telephone will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3, the same components as those shown in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First, the outline of the portable telephone shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be described. The mobile phone includes a receiver 11 and a display unit 1.
2, a main body 10 provided with a switch 13, a function key 5, a dial key 6, and the like. A transmitter 7 is provided on the shaft support portion 14, and a pair of left and right support shafts 3, 3 protrude from both left and right end surfaces.

The cover 17 has a notch 15 formed at the lower end thereof so as to be fitted to the shaft support 14, and a support hole 4 is formed at a position corresponding to the support shafts 3 on a surface in contact with the cut 15. , 4 are formed. By fitting the support shafts 3 and 3 into the support shaft holes 4 and 4, the cover 17 is connected to the main body 1 via the support shafts 3 and 3.
1 is rotatably supported in the unfolded state shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cover 17 is not attached to the main body 10 for convenience.

The entire cover 17 is formed so as to have a convex surface with a bulge outward so as to increase the second moment of area. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a part is swelled outward, and a step 18 is provided substantially at the center. By forming the step 18 as a cross-sectional shape of the cover 17, the second moment of area is further increased, and the bending rigidity is increased. Furthermore, since the cover 17 itself is formed in a convex shape, the distance between the inner surface of the cover 17 and the function keys 5 and the dial keys 6 is increased in a closed state, so that a margin for the deformation of the cover 17 is increased. And the cover 17
Even if an external pressure is applied, elasticity hardly increases due to an increase in rigidity, so that the function key 5 and the dial key 6 are hard to be pressed or contacted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover 17 can be provided with a ridge 20 for increasing rigidity and holding a gap as a spacer.

A ridge 20 extending in the width direction is provided inside the cover 17. The positions where the ridges 20 are provided are the function keys 5 and the dial keys 6 with the cover 17 closed.
, For example, a position corresponding to between the key rows. By providing the ridge 20, the cover 17 is provided.
Even when the rigidity of the cover itself is increased and an external pressure is applied in a state where the cover 17 is closed, the tip of the ridge 20 is attached to the key of the surface 8 of the main body 10 on which the function key 5 and the dial key 6 are arranged. The function key 5 and the dial key 6 are not pressed down because they abut between the rows and serve as spacers.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 17 may be provided with protrusions 21 at the four inside corners of the cover 17 instead of providing the protrusions 20. The projection 21 is provided with the function key 5 of the main body 10 when the cover 17 is closed.
Since the gap between the cover 17 and the surface 8 is maintained by contacting the dial 8 with a place other than the key on the surface 8 on which the dial key 6 is provided, pressing is prevented even when the cover 17 is deformed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusions 20 and the protrusions 21 may be combined, and it is needless to say that the key pressing can be more effectively prevented by combining them. The direction in which the steps 18 and the ridges 20 are provided may be a direction orthogonal to the directions shown in FIGS.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the pressing of the key due to the deformation is prevented by increasing the rigidity of the cover, so that the cover can be made thinner and lighter, the material cost can be reduced and the key can be reduced. The function for preventing erroneous operations is improved, and the reliability of the product is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a mobile phone embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a cover according to the embodiment is expanded.

FIG. 3 is a view as viewed in the direction of arrows AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a case in which a ridge is added to the cover according to the present invention, and is a view corresponding to an arrow AA in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a case where a projection is added to the cover according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective view showing a case where a ridge and a projection are added to the cover according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory perspective view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Function Key 6 Dial Key 8 Surface 10 Main Body 17 Cover 18 Step

Claims (2)

[Claims] A cover rotatably supported in a developing direction with respect to a main body is formed so as to have a convex surface bulging outward so as to form a gap between the main body and the cover. Portable electronics covers. 2. The cover for a portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is partially bulged outward and a step portion is formed at a substantially central portion.