JP2000236172A - Lid opening/closing structure used for electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a lid opening/closing structure which is capable of smoothly opening or closing a lid, even on rugged surface area. SOLUTION: An opening 2 is provided in the flat surface 4 of a case 1, a lid member 8 which stops up the opening 2 is made freely swingable through the intermediary of hinges 9, the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 is made rugged, and a flat 7a is provided to a part of the outer surface 8a which confronts hinges 9. Furthermore, a cover 11 which is made rugged and continuously joined to the lid member 8 is provided in the flat 4 of the case 1 so as to cover the peripheral edge of he lid member 8. With this setup, the outer surface of the case 1 can be made rugged as required by outer surfaces 8a and 11a. Moreover, since the lid member 8 is swung by the rectilinear hinges 9, the opening 2 can be opened or closed smoothly by the lid member 8, and the rugged outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 allows a movement accompanying the swing of the lid member 8 with the flat 7, so that the lid member 8 is prevented from being opening or closing action.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for opening and closing a lid provided on a housing of an electronic device or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a lid opening / closing structure used for a portable electronic device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an electronic apparatus employs an opening / closing structure in which connectors and switches are hidden by a cover and the cover is used when necessary. This type of opening / closing structure is considered to be useful as protection against impact on connectors and switches, dust proofing and drip proofing, particularly in portable electronic devices, and is also suitable for improving the design of the housing. ing.

Conventionally, a thin hinge portion is formed between an opening edge of an opening provided on a housing side and a lid so as to be flexible, and the lid can be opened and closed by bending the hinge. Is known. As described above, the opening / closing structure that opens / closes by bending the thin hinge portion is often adopted as a configuration that is inexpensive and can be easily obtained.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional opening / closing structure, when the portion forming the opening in the housing is formed flat, the hinge portion is linear, so that the opening / closing is smooth. Operation is obtained. However,
As illustrated in FIG. 3, when a curved concave or convex shape is adopted for an electronic device to improve the design and the feeling of holding a handheld device, the following configuration is provided. That is, the housing of the electronic device is
It has an operation panel on the front side, is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and has an opening on the side surface. In this case, cushioning members made of an elastic material or the like are provided on both side surfaces to protect the housing from external impact. The cushioning member includes a pair of upper and lower convex portions formed with a predetermined thickness protruding outwardly of the housing, and a concave portion formed between the pair of convex portions so as to be curved toward the housing and concave. .

[0005] Therefore, the shape of the cushioning member at the portion corresponding to the opening / closing portion of the housing becomes a concave or convex shape such that the hinge portion is bent, and smooth opening / closing cannot be obtained. That is, it is difficult to implement the conventional lid opening / closing structure. In addition, in order to obtain a structure that smoothly opens and closes a concave or convex portion, a hinge having a complicated configuration is required, which increases the cost.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a lid opening / closing structure for an electronic device, which can obtain a structure for smoothly opening and closing even in a concave or convex portion with a simple and inexpensive structure. It is intended to be.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus according to the present invention, wherein a lid opening / closing structure is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and operation panels 21 and 22 are provided on the front side thereof. And a resilient material or the like capable of protecting the casing 1 against external impact, provided on both side faces of the casing 1 and connected to the both side faces and the both side faces. And a cushioning member fixed so as to cover both the ridges with the respective surfaces of the housing 1.
A pair of projections 12 formed at a predetermined thickness in the outer direction of the housing 1 corresponding to the positions of the ridges between the side surface and the flat surface and the bottom surface connected to the side surface; A concave portion 1 formed so as to be curved and concave toward the housing 1
3 and a lid opening / closing structure for use in an electronic device including a lid member 8 provided in the recess 13, wherein the buffer member is located at a position corresponding to the opening 2 formed in the housing 1. A cover 1 having a flat surface 4 formed in a part of the recess 13
1 and the opening 2, which can be swung via a hinge portion 9, which has a flat portion 7 a on the outer surface and is made thin linearly, so that the lid member 8 can be freely opened and closed, and And a lid 3 forming the recess 13 on the outer surface 8a of the member 8.

Further, in addition to the first aspect, in the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic device of the present invention, the fixing member 7 which is made of an elastic member or the like and whose outer surface forms a flat portion 7a, and which is linear with respect to the fixing member 7 A lid 3 integrally rotatable via a thin hinge portion 9 and having a concave or convex lid 8 on an outer surface 8a, and the fixing member 7 in the lid 3 are fixed. And the lid member 8 swinging with respect to the fixing member 7
Flat surface 4 having an opening 2 that can be opened and closed
And it can also be characterized by having.

In the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic device of the present invention, the flat surface 4 surrounds the periphery of the lid member 8.
And a cover 11 having a concave or convex outer surface 11a that is continuous with the concave or convex shape of the lid member 8 can be provided.

Further, in the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic device of the present invention, the cover 11 can be integrally formed with the lid member 8 which can swing through the hinge portion 9.

Further, in the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic device of the present invention, the flat surface 4 is integrally formed so as to surround the periphery of the lid member 8 so as to form a concave or convex shape of the lid member 8. It may have a continuous concave or convex outer surface 11a.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a lid opening / closing structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the lid opening / closing structure.

The opening and closing structure of the lid according to this embodiment is as follows.
For example, it has a lid 3 that allows an opening 2 provided in a housing 1 having an outer shape such as an electronic device to be opened and closed.

First, the opening 2 is provided on a flat surface 4 having a flat outer surface in a housing 1 made of a hard synthetic resin material or a light metal (aluminum alloy). The opening 2 has a substantially rectangular shape as shown in FIG. A rib piece 5 protruding outward from the housing 1 is provided on an opening edge 2 a of the opening 2. In the flat surface 4, a support portion 6 for fixing the lid 3 is provided in a portion close to the opening 2. This support 6 is
A plurality of (four in FIG. 1) locking holes 6a are juxtaposed along one long side of the opening 2.

Next, the lid 3 is made of a soft flexible resin material or the like as an elastic material, and has a fixing member 7 fixed to a support portion 6 provided on the flat surface 4 of the housing 1, and an opening. A lid member 8 that can open and close the part 2 is integrally provided.

The fixing member 7 is formed in the shape of a long flat plate along the opening edge 2a of the opening 2 and has locking projections 7b which can be inserted and locked into the locking holes 6a formed by the support portion 6. I have. The protruding end of the locking projection 7b is formed so as to prevent removal after being inserted into the locking hole 6a. When the fixing member 7 is fixed to the flat surface 4 with the support portion 6, the fixing member 7 is arranged along one long side of the opening 2, and its outer surface forms a flat portion 7 a. The configuration for fixing the fixing member 7 to the support portion 6 is as follows.
Not only by the locking hole 6a and the locking projection 7b, but also by fitting,
A configuration such as insertion, bonding, or screwing may be used.

The cover member 8 has a plate shape so as to cover the opening 2 in the flat surface 4. The lid member 8 is integrated with the fixing member 7 via a hinge portion 9 which is thinned substantially uniformly along the longitudinal direction of the fixing member 7. The hinge portion 9 is made thin by a linear groove formed on the inner surface side of the boundary between the fixing member 7 and the lid member 8 so that the lid member 8 can swing outward with respect to the fixing member 7. Further, the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 has a concave or convex shape protruding from the flat portion 7a of the fixing member 7. In the present embodiment, the concave or convex shape forms a concave portion 13 which is mainly curved in a concave shape.

When the fixing member 7 is fixed to the housing 1, the lid member 8 swings via the hinge 9 so that the opening 2 on the flat surface 4 can be opened and closed. On the inner surface of the cover member 8 facing the opening 2, a concave groove 10 is formed so as to receive the rib piece 5 on the opening edge 2 a of the opening 2. With this structure, the cover 11 is covered by the lid 3. In addition, since the rib pieces 5 protrude outside the housing 1, water droplets and the like do not enter the inside of the housing 1.

On the other hand, on the side of the flat surface 4 forming the opening 2, a cover 11 is disposed. The cover 11 is made of a soft flexible resin material or the like as an elastic material similar to the lid 3.
It is opened so as to remove the lid 3 and surrounds the periphery of the lid 3. The outer surface 11a of the cover 11 has a concave shape that is curved so as to be continuous with the concave shape formed on the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8.

The swinging edge of the lid member 8 and / or the covering 11 are provided with respective edge portions which are boundaries.
Notches 8b and 11b into which fingers are inserted are formed to open the closed lid member 8.

When the cover member 8 is opened, fingers are inserted into the notches 8b and 11b to lift the open / close end of the cover member 8. When the thinned portion of the hinge portion 9 bends, the lid member 8 swings outward to open the opening 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the concave shape of the outer surface 8 a tilts and moves toward the hinge 9 (toward the fixing member 7) as the lid member 8 swings. Since it has a flat portion 7a,
The concave shape does not interfere with the fixing member 7 side and does not hinder the swing of the lid member 8.

Therefore, in the lid opening / closing structure configured as described above, the opening 2 is provided in the flat surface 4 of the housing 1, and the lid member 8 that closes the opening 2 is formed into a thin linear shape. It is swingable through the hinge 9, and the outer surface 8 a of the lid member 8 has a concave shape, and a flat portion 7 a is provided on the outer surface of the hinge 9.

As a result, a concave shape is obtained on the outer surface side of the housing 1 by the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8.
Moreover, since the lid member 8 is swung by the linear hinge portion 9, the opening 2 can be smoothly opened and closed.
In addition, the concave shape of the outer surface 8a of the cover member 8 allows the movement of the cover member 8 due to the swing of the flat portion 7a, so that the smooth opening and closing operation of the cover member 8 is not hindered.

Further, a cover member 8 is provided on the flat surface 4 of the housing 1.
Is covered with a covering 11 surrounding the periphery of
The outer surface 11a has a concave shape continuous with the concave shape of the lid member 8. Thereby, the outer surface 8 of the lid member 8
a and the outer surface 11a of the covering member 11,
It is possible to represent a desired concave shape with respect to the outer surface of the substrate.

Further, since the housing 1 has a configuration in which the opening 2 is formed in the flat surface 4, it can be easily formed and can be obtained at a low cost because a complicated forming die is not required. Also,
Since the configurations of the lid 3 and the cover 11 are also separately configured, they can be easily obtained.

As described above, in the lid opening / closing structure according to the present embodiment, the outer surface of the housing 1 is provided with a desired concave shape, and the concave portion is provided with the lid member 8 which can be smoothly opened and closed. These configurations can be implemented easily at low cost.

Here, an example of an electronic device employing the above-described lid opening / closing structure will be described. 3 is a front view of an electronic device employing the above-described lid opening / closing structure, FIG. 4 is a side view of the electronic device, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

The electronic apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 shows a portable measuring instrument 20 as an example. The measuring device 20 receives, for example, an optical pulse signal into an optical fiber connected to a connector, detects reflected pulse light and backscattered light returning from the traveling direction of the optical pulse to the incident direction, and detects a failure point of the optical fiber and The connection position, loss of the optical fiber, and the like are measured, and the measurement results are displayed. For this reason, the display unit 21 and the operation unit 22 (the encoder 22) are displayed on the outer surface on the front side of the substantially rectangular casing 1 of the measuring device 20.
a, each push button 22b, a multi-directional switch 22c, etc.) are required to form an operation panel, and the housing 1 has an internal area for housing electronic components (substrates) having various functions. Is required, and the entire thickness of the housing 1 is at least about 5 cm and a size of B5 to A4 size (about 4 liters in volume) is required.

The opening and closing structure of the lid according to the present embodiment is arranged on both left and right sides of the measuring device 20. Specifically, the left and right side surfaces of the housing 1 form flat surfaces 4, and have openings 2 at these portions. The opening 2 is openable and closable with a lid 3. Parts 23 such as connectors and switches are arranged inside the housing 1 over the opening 2 as shown by a dashed line in FIG. Each ridge (corner) with the left and right side surfaces of the housing 1 and other surfaces (flat surface, bottom surface, front surface, back surface) connected to both side surfaces is covered with a cover 11 so as to surround the periphery of the lid 3. Have been. The outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 and the outer surface 11a of the cover 11 form a curved surface so as to form a continuous concave shape. The cover 11 has a pair of upper and lower protrusions 12 projecting outward from the housing 1 at portions covering the side surfaces of the housing 1 and the ridges of the flat surface and the bottom surface connected to the side surface. ing. In other words, at the portions (the outer surface 8a and the outer surface 11a) covering the side surfaces between the pair of upper and lower convex portions 12, the thickness is formed to be thin, the outer shape is gently curved, and the curved surface is concave toward the housing 1 side. (Recess 13).

Therefore, the curved surfaces of the outer surfaces 8a and 11a of the lid member 8 and the cover 11 are used when the left and right sides of the housing 1 of the measuring device 20 having the above-mentioned size are supported by both hands. To improve the feeling of holding by hand. Further, since the lid member 8 and the cover 11 are made of a soft flexible resin material or the like as an elastic material, the cover member 8 also has an anti-slip function to stabilize the holding force of the hand-held device. A shock-absorbing member that can protect against impact from the vehicle. Further, also in terms of design, the curved surfaces of the lid member 8 and the cover 11 allow a soft texture to be felt to improve the appearance.

In the above-mentioned opening / closing structure, the hinge portion 9 is made thin with a linear groove so that the lid member 8 can swing outward with respect to the fixing member 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 6, the fixing member 7 (flat portion 7a
Part) is thinned to form a hinge part 9, and the lid member 8
May be swingable.

In the above-described opening / closing structure, the flat surface 4, the lid 3, and the cover 11 of the housing 1 are formed independently of each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the following configuration can be considered. .

First, in FIG. 7A, the cover 3 and the cover 11 provided on the flat surface 4 forming the opening 2 are integrally formed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7A, a portion forming a flat portion 7a that should avoid interference with the uneven shape on the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 is provided in a portion forming the hinge portion 9. Also, the hinge portion 9 shown in FIG.
Has a thin structure with grooves, but the fixing member 7
It is also possible to reduce the thickness of the flat portion 7a corresponding to.

Next, in FIG. 7B, a flat surface 4 on which the lid 3 is to be provided is formed for the housing 1 forming the opening 2, and the cover 11 should be formed integrally with the housing 1. It has an uneven shape. Further, although the hinge portion 9 shown in FIG. 7B is made thin with a groove, the flat portion 7a corresponding to the fixing member 7 may be made thin.

Next, in FIG. 7 (c), a lid member 8 is integrally formed on one side edge of the opening 2 provided on the flat surface 4 via a hinge portion 9, and the flat surface 4 is covered with a lid. A cover 11 is provided so as to surround the member 8. In this case, the flat surface 4 has the shape shown in FIG.
As shown in (c), a part is provided which forms a flat part 7a to avoid interference with the uneven shape on the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8.

Next, FIG. 7D shows a structure in which the cover member 8 and the cover 11 are integrated corresponding to the opening 2 provided in the housing 1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7 (d), the outer surface 8a
A portion that forms a flat portion 7a that should be prevented from interfering with the concavo-convex shape is provided.

As described above, even in the configuration shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D, a desired uneven shape is formed on the outer surface of the housing 1, and the opening 2 is smoothly formed in the uneven portion. It is possible to provide a lid member 8 that opens and closes.

In the opening / closing structure having all the above-described structures, the uneven shape formed by the outer surface 8a of the lid member 8 and the outer surface 1
The outer surface of the housing 1 has a desired irregular shape in a continuous shape with the irregular shape formed by the outer surface 8 a of the lid member 8.
A desired uneven shape may be formed on the outer surface of the housing 1 only by the uneven shape formed.

The shape of the opening 2 provided in the flat surface 4 is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape, but may be any shape. Further, the shape of the lid member 8 is the same.

[0040]

As described above, in the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic device according to the first aspect of the present invention, a desired concave or convex shape is obtained by forming a concave or convex shape formed on the outer surface of the lid member. . This lid member can open and close the opening smoothly by the hinge portion which is made thin linearly. Further, the flat portion provided on the outer surface of the hinge portion can prevent interference with the opening / closing operation due to the concave or convex shape formed on the outer surface. Therefore, even if it is a concave or convex part,
A structure that can be smoothly opened and closed can be obtained. Further, since the hinge portion is configured to open and close the lid member by a thinly formed flexure, it can be easily obtained at low cost.

Further, in addition to the first aspect, the lid opening / closing structure used in the electronic apparatus of the present invention has a lid member which can swing through a hinge portion with respect to a flat surface having an opening. Since the lid is provided separately and the outer surface of the lid member is formed to have a concave or convex shape, the same effect as in the first aspect can be obtained. With this configuration, since the flat surface and the lid are provided separately, the respective moldings can be obtained easily and at low cost.

A cover having a concave or convex outer surface continuous with the concave or convex shape of the lid member may be provided on the flat surface so as to surround the periphery of the lid member. According to this, a desired concave or convex shape is configured together with the lid,
The design can be improved. Further, the flat surface can be protected by covering the flat surface with the coating.

Further, the cover and the cover member may be integrally formed. Even with this configuration, the above effects can be obtained as appropriate. In addition, with this configuration, the number of components can be reduced, so that molding can be facilitated.

Further, a concave or convex outer surface continuous with the concave or convex shape of the lid member may be integrally protruded from the flat surface so as to surround the periphery of the lid member. Even with this configuration, the above effects can be obtained as appropriate. In addition, with this configuration, the number of components can be reduced, so that molding can be facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an opening / closing structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the opening / closing structure.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary front view of an electronic device employing the opening / closing structure.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the electronic device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the opening / closing structure.

FIGS. 7A to 7D are cross-sectional views showing another embodiment of the opening / closing structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... opening, 3 ... lid, 4 ... flat surface, 7 ... fixing member, 7
a: flat portion, 7b: locking projection, 8: lid member, 8a: outer surface, 9: hinge portion, 11: cover, 11a: outer surface.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 4E360 AA02 AB12 AB31 BA04 BA06 BA12 BB02 BB13 BB17 BB23 BC05 BD03 CA03 CA08 EA16 EB04 EC11 ED03 ED23 ED28 EE03 FA07 GA02 GA07 GA08 GA12 GA29 GA51 GA53 GC08 GC14

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A housing (1) formed in a substantially rectangular shape and having operation panels (21, 22) on the front side thereof, and an elastic material capable of protecting the housing against an external impact. A cushioning member provided on each of both side surfaces of the housing, and fixed to cover both the side surfaces and the ridges of the other surfaces connected to the both side surfaces, and a cushioning member. A pair of protrusions (12) formed at a predetermined thickness in the outer direction of the housing, corresponding to the side surface of the housing and a position of a ridge between a flat surface and a bottom surface connected to the side surface; A lid opening / closing structure for use in an electronic device, comprising a concave portion (13) formed between the pair of convex portions so as to be curved and concave toward the housing, and a lid member (8) provided in the concave portion. The cushioning member is located at a position corresponding to an opening (2) formed in the housing.
A cover (1) having a flat surface (4) formed in a part of the concave portion
1) and the opening can be pivoted through a hinge portion (9), which has a flat portion (7a) on the outer surface and is linearly thinned, so that the lid member can be freely opened and closed. And a lid (3) forming the recess on the outer surface (8a) of the lid member.