JP2000294072A - Waterproofing structure of electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waterproofing structure of electronic apparatus manufacturable at a low cost, capable of certainly waterproofing an accommodation space for electronic components, and of reducing the rate of occurrence of electrostatic breakdown, and suppressing static damage. SOLUTION: A battery holder 17 is installed in an accommodation space 14 in a case 11 of such a structure that a front case member 12 and a rear case member 13 are joined together and has an outside shape of a size approx. equal to the section of the accommodation space 14, wherein the peripheral edge 17c is made is the form of a flat plate and the accommodation space 14 is partitioned into the front case side and rear case side. The case members 12 and 13 are furnished on their inner surfaces with waterproofing members 18 and 19 consisting of body parts 18a and 19a formed in single piece with operational buttons 15 and 16 inserted in the holes 12e and 13e provided in the inner surfaces and covering the whole inner surfaces of the case members 12 and 13 and flanges 18b and 19b formed at the forefront parts of the bodies over the whole circumference of the peripheral edge 17c of the battery holder 17, wherein the flanges 18b and 19b are arranged so that the peripheral edges 17b of the battery holder 17 is pinched by the two surfaces.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a transmitter for remotely controlling an electronic device, for example, an electric component mounted on an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional transmitter for an automobile has, for example, an elongated rectangular parallelepiped housing by joining two front and back case parts 31, 32 as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c) and FIG. A device having a case 33 that is assembled by forming a space 34 is known.

That is, in the transmitter 30, a front case part (hereinafter, referred to as a front case) 31 and a rear case part (hereinafter, referred to as a rear case) 32 are each formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section. . Therefore, inside the case 33,
An inner space of the front case 31 and an inner space of the back case 32 are partitioned to form an accommodation space 34 isolated from the outside. Also, the front case 31 and the back case 32 have notched end faces 31a and 32a, respectively, so as to be joined in a jagged form, and are provided with holes 31b and 32b for operation buttons, respectively. I have.

[0004] A rubber operation button 35 is inserted into a hole 31b of the front case 31, and the entire inner surface of the front case 31 is provided with the operation button 3
5 is covered with a rubber waterproof body 37 integrally formed. The waterproof body 37 further extends to the joint end face 31a of the front case 31, and is formed over the entire inner periphery of the joint end face 31a. Therefore, in a state where the front case 31 and the back case 32 are joined, a part of the joining end face 32a of the back case 32 abuts on the waterproof body 37, thereby sealing the joined portion and simultaneously operating with the hole 31b. Button 3
Water and moisture are prevented from entering the storage space 34 through the gap with the space 5.

[0005] On the other hand, a rubber operation button 36 is also arranged in a hole 32b of the back case 32 in a state of being inserted. A hole 32b is formed in the accommodation space 34 side of the operation button 36. An extension 36a is provided to cover the inner surface of the back case 32 around the hole 32b. The extension 36a is located closer to the accommodation space 34 than the extension 36a.
A fixing part 38 covering the hole 32b and preventing intrusion of water and moisture from a gap between the hole 32b and the operation button 36 is attached using an adhesive or the like or by welding.

[0006] In the transmitter 30 in which the accommodation space 34 has a waterproof structure as described above, the printed wiring board 39 is disposed above the front case 31 of the accommodation space 34. A switch 40 is formed on the printed wiring board 39 at a position facing the operation buttons 35 and 36, and outputs a signal corresponding to the button operation. Further, on the side of the back case 32 from the printed wiring board 39 of the accommodation space 34,
The battery holder 42 holding the battery 41 is the printed wiring board 3
9 is provided so as to cover a part of it.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional waterproof structure of the transmitter, a dedicated fixing part 38 is used to waterproof the vicinity of the hole 32b of the back case 32. Such components are often manufactured using molds that are expensive and require regular maintenance. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, since a process of fixing the fixing part 38 using an adhesive or the like is required, there is a problem that the manufacturing efficiency is low and a running cost is required.

As a solution to the above problem, it is conceivable to integrally form the back case 32 and the fixed part 38 with rubber or elastomer, for example. However, it is not advisable to integrally mold them, since an expensive mold is newly required.

Further, in the above waterproof structure of the conventional transmitter, only a part of the printed wiring board 39 is covered by the battery holder 42, and when the battery 41 is replaced, a large part of the printed wiring board 39 is required. Is exposed to the outside. For this reason, there is also an inconvenience that a circuit or the like formed on the printed wiring board 39 is likely to be destroyed by static electricity invading from a person or the outside when replacing the battery. Furthermore, since the inner surface of the back case 32 is not protected at all, it has a drawback that it is vulnerable to an impact when dropped on a paved road or the like and the electronic device is easily broken.

Therefore, it is expected to develop a waterproof structure for electronic equipment which can be manufactured at low cost, can reliably waterproof the space for accommodating electronic components, can reduce the rate of occurrence of electrostatic breakdown, and is resistant to impact. I have.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a waterproof structure of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention has a housing isolated from the outside by joining two case parts. A case in which a space is formed therein, an operation button hole is formed in each of the case parts, an operation button inserted into the hole of each of the case parts, and a battery holder disposed in the accommodation space Wherein the battery holder has an outer shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the housing space obtained by disassembling the case into the two case parts, and has a peripheral portion. The housing space is disposed in the housing space so as to partition the housing space into the case parts, and the battery holder is provided on the inner surface of each case part from the housing space side of the operation button. A waterproof body comprising a main body extending to a peripheral portion and covering the entire inner surface of each of the case parts, and a flange extending from the distal end of the main body to the entire peripheral portion of the battery holder is provided. And wherein the flange of each of the waterproof bodies is disposed so as to sandwich the peripheral portion of the battery holder from both sides thereof.

In the above-described waterproof structure for electronic equipment according to the present invention, the battery holder has an outer shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the housing space obtained by disassembling the case into the two case parts, and has a peripheral portion. The case is disposed in the housing space so as to partition the housing space into the respective case parts. Therefore, the side opposite to the side exposed to the outside of the battery holder in a state where the case is disassembled into two case parts. If the printed wiring board is arranged in the accommodation space, most of the printed wiring board is covered with the battery holder and is not exposed to the outside even when the electronic device is disassembled.

The main body of the waterproof body of each case part is
From the accommodation space side of the operation button to the periphery of the battery holder,
Since it is extended so as to cover the entire inner surface of the case parts and is integrally formed with the operation buttons, water and water from the gap between the operation button holes of each case part and the operation buttons inserted into the holes are formed. Moisture infiltration is prevented. Further, since the operation button and the waterproof body are formed integrally, there is no need for a dedicated fixing part for waterproofing the vicinity of the operation button hole of the case part as in the related art. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a process of fixing the fixed parts using an adhesive or the like in the manufacture. Further, since the entire inner surface of the case is protected by the waterproof body, the case is resistant to impacts such as dropping.

Further, the peripheral portion of the battery holder is formed in a thin flat plate shape, and the flange of the waterproof body formed over the entire periphery of the peripheral portion of the battery holder is arranged so as to sandwich the peripheral portion of the battery holder from both sides thereof. Therefore, the vicinity of the periphery of the battery holder is securely sealed. Therefore, even if water intrudes from the part where the two case parts are joined, intrusion of water and moisture into the housing space is reliably prevented.

[0015]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waterproof structure of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a waterproof structure of the transmitter according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the waterproof structure of the transmitter shown in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a transmitter. The transmitter 10 includes, for example, a case 11 having an elongated and substantially hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape, operation buttons 15 and 16, and a battery holder 17.
, Waterproof bodies 18 and 19, and a printed wiring board 20.

The case 11 is made of, for example, plastic, and is assembled and constructed by joining two case parts 12 and 13 on the front and back. Case parts of this table (hereinafter referred to as table cases) 1
2. The back case parts (hereinafter referred to as the back case) 13 are flat plate portions 12a and 13a,
a, rising portion 12 rising from the periphery of 13a
b and 13b are formed in a substantially U-shape in cross section. Therefore, inside the case 11, the front case 12 and the back case 1
3 form an elongated substantially rectangular parallelepiped accommodation space 14 which is separated from the outside.

The front ends of the rising portions 12b, 13b of the front case 12 and the rear case 13, that is, the joint end surfaces 12c, 13c are respectively connected so that the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are joined in a staggered manner. It has a partially cut-out shape. Further, the rising portions 1 of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 respectively
2b, 13b, flanges 18b, 1 described later of the waterproof bodies 18, 19 are adjacent to the joint end faces 12c, 13c.
Steps 12d and 13d that engage with 9b are formed.
Further, holes 12e, 13 for operation buttons are formed in the flat plate portions 12a, 13a of the front case 12 and the back case 13, respectively.
e is provided.

The operation buttons 15 and 16 are formed of an insulating elastic member, for example, rubber.
2e, it is held in a state of being inserted into the hole 13e of the back case 13. As will be described later, the operation buttons 15 and 16 are formed integrally with the waterproof bodies 18 and 19, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, which is a perspective view of the front case 12 when the case 11 is disassembled, a housing space 14 obtained by disassembling the case 11 into a front case 12 and a back case 13 is provided. Has an outer shape approximately the same size as the cross section of FIG. This battery holder 17
Has a concave holding portion 17a for holding the battery.
Is formed, and a through hole 17 is formed at a position substantially coincident with the operation button 16 inserted into the hole 13 e of the back case 13.
b is formed. Also, the peripheral portion 17 of the battery holder 17
c is formed in a thin plate shape.

The battery holder 17 is disposed in the housing space 14 so as to partition the housing space 14 into the front case 12 and the back case 13. In the present embodiment, for example, both surfaces of the thin plate-shaped peripheral portion 17c are arranged substantially parallel to the flat plate portions 12a, 13a of the front case 12 and the back case 13.

The waterproof bodies 18 and 19 are respectively attached to the front case 1
2 and the inner surface of the back case 13. One waterproof body 18 extends from the housing space 14 side of the operation button 15 to the peripheral edge 17 c of the battery holder 17, and covers a whole inner surface of the front case 12 in a state of being in close contact with the inner surface of the front case 12; A flange 18b extends outward from the distal end of 18a over the entire periphery of the peripheral portion 17c of the battery holder 17 and engages with the step 12d of the front case 12. In addition, the main body 18a of the waterproof body 18 has a larger front case 12 than the flange 18b.
The printed wiring board 20 is brought into contact with the periphery of one side of the printed wiring board 20 on the side of
2. A step 18c is formed for supporting the rear case 13 in a state substantially parallel to the flat portions 12a, 13a. Thus, the waterproof body 18 is formed integrally with the operation button 15,
It is made of the same material as the operation button 15, for example, rubber, which is an elastic member having insulation properties.

The other waterproof body 19 is the same as the waterproof body 18,
A main body 19a extending from the housing space 14 side of the operation button 16 to the peripheral edge of the battery holder 17 and covering the entire inner surface of the back case 13 in close contact with the inner surface of the back case 13, and a battery holder 17 extending from the tip of the main body 19a. And a flange 19b extending outwardly over the entire periphery of the peripheral edge portion 17c and engaging with the step portion 13d of the back case 13. Thus, the waterproof body 19 is also formed integrally with the operation button 16,
It is made of the same material as the operation button 16, for example, rubber, which is an elastic member having insulation properties.

The battery holder 17 is provided in the housing space 1.
4, the back case 13 is smaller than the printed circuit board 20.
On the side, it is arranged substantially parallel to the printed wiring board 20. As described above, the battery holder 17 has an outer shape having substantially the same size as the outer shape of the cross section of the housing space 14. Therefore, the surface of the printed wiring board 20 on the back case 13 side is substantially covered with the battery holder 17, and when the case 11 is disassembled into the front case 12 and the back case 13,
The surface of the printed wiring board 20 on the back case 13 side is hardly exposed. The printed wiring board 20
A switch 21 is formed on each of the two surfaces of the device opposite to the operation buttons 15 and 16 so as to output a signal corresponding to the button operation.

When stored in the front case 12 and the back case 13, the flanges 18 of the waterproof bodies 18 and 19 are provided.
b and 19b are battery holders 1 as indicated by arrows in FIG.
7 is arranged so as to sandwich the peripheral portion 17c from both sides thereof. Therefore, the vicinity of the peripheral portion 17c of the battery holder 17 is securely sealed.

In the waterproof structure of the transmitter 10 configured as described above, the waterproof body 18 on the front case 12 and the back case 13
The main body portions 18a, 19a of the waterproof body 19 on the side
Since it is arranged so as to cover the entire inner surfaces of the front case 12 and the back case 13 and is formed integrally with the operation buttons 15 and 16, the holes 12 e and 13 e provided in the front case 12 and the back case 13 are provided. And the operation buttons 15 and 16 inserted in the holes 12e and 13e.
Water and moisture can be reliably prevented from entering.

The flat peripheral portion 1 of the battery holder 17 is also provided.
The flanges 18b and 19b of the waterproof bodies 18 and 19 formed over the entire periphery of the battery holder 17
c is sandwiched from both sides thereof, so that the vicinity of the peripheral portion 17c of the battery holder 17 is securely sealed. Even if invading, the accommodation space 14
Water and moisture can be prevented from penetrating into the apparatus.

Further, the operation buttons 15 and 16 and the waterproof body 1
8 and 19 are integrally formed, so that there is no need for a dedicated fixing part for waterproofing the vicinity of the hole 13e of the back case 13 unlike the conventional case, and the operation buttons 15, 16 and the waterproof bodies 18, 19 are not required. Can be formed by one mold. In addition, since no fixing part is required, it is not necessary to perform a process of fixing the fixing part with an adhesive or the like. Therefore,
Since the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing efficiency can be improved, the overall manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the printed wiring board 2
0 is almost covered with the battery holder 17 so that the printed circuit board 20 is exposed to the outside even when the case 11 is disassembled into the front case 12 and the back case 13. The number of parts is very small, and the possibility that a circuit or the like formed on the printed wiring board 20 is destroyed by external static electricity at the time of battery replacement can be greatly reduced.

Further, a waterproof body 18 covering the entire inner surface of the front case 12 and a waterproof body 19 covering the entire inner surface of the back case 13 are provided.
Thus, since the entire inner surface of the case 11 is protected, the printed wiring board 20 can be protected from an impact such as when it is dropped on a paved road. Moreover, the waterproof members 18 and 19 are made of insulating rubber, and the entire inner surface of the case 11 is insulated.
It is also possible to obtain an effect that it is difficult for noise to enter a circuit such as 0. Although the above embodiment has been described by taking a transmitter as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention is applied to a portable electronic alarm or an electronic game machine having buttons on both sides. can do.

[0030]

As described above, in the waterproof structure of the electronic device according to the present invention, when the case is disassembled, the battery holder is arranged in the accommodation space so as to partition the accommodation space into the respective case parts. If the printed wiring board is placed in the housing space on the side opposite to the side exposed to the outside of the battery holder, most of the printed wiring board will be covered by the battery holder and will not be exposed to the outside. The probability that a circuit or the like formed on a printed wiring board is destroyed by static electricity can be greatly reduced. In addition, since the waterproof body of each case part is formed integrally with the operation button and covers the entire inner surface of the case part, the space between the operation button hole of each case part and the operation button can be Water and moisture can be prevented from entering, and it is resistant to impacts such as dropping. Further, since the flange of the waterproof body formed over the entire periphery of the battery holder is provided so as to sandwich the periphery of the battery holder from both sides thereof, the vicinity of the periphery of the battery holder can be reliably sealed. In addition, since the operation button and the waterproof body are integrally formed, the number of components can be reduced and the running cost can be reduced, so that the electronic device can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a waterproof structure of a transmitter according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of a waterproof structure of the transmitter shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a front case side when the transmitter case shown in FIG. 1 is disassembled.

4A and 4B are views for explaining a waterproof structure of a conventional transmitter, where FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a front case side when a case is disassembled, and FIG. 4B is a rear case when the case is disassembled. FIG. 7C is an exploded perspective view showing the side, and FIG. 7C is a perspective view showing the front case.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a waterproof structure of a conventional transmitter.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... transmitter, 11 ... case, 12 ... front case, 12
e, 13e: hole, 13: back case, 14: accommodation space, 1
5, 16 ... operation buttons, 17 ... battery holder, 17c ... peripheral part, 18, 19 ... waterproof body, 18a, 19a ... body part,
18b, 19b ... flange

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A housing space, which is isolated from the outside by joining two case parts, is formed therein.
Waterproofing of an electronic device comprising: a case in which a hole for an operation button is formed in each of the case parts; an operation button inserted into the hole of the case part; and a battery holder disposed in the housing space. Wherein the battery holder has an outer shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the housing space obtained by disassembling the case into the two case parts and has a peripheral portion, and the housing space is formed by each case part. The operation buttons are disposed on the inner surface of the case part so as to extend to the periphery of the battery holder from the side of the storage space of the operation buttons. And a flange extending from the distal end of the main body to the entire periphery of the battery holder. Waterproof structure of an electronic device, characterized in that it is arranged in a state sandwiched between the peripheral edge portion of the pond holder from both sides.