JP2002374340A - Portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable electronic device by which the recognition and response operation of a user can be quick also with respect to informing and function selection of call-incoming, etc., by providing falling preventing structure, using simple constitution which will not hinder the user. SOLUTION: The compact and easy-to-carry portable electronic device is constituted by arranging a clip-type engaging structure for engaging or insert- holding with a site, except the component of the appliance on the outer surface of the device casing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable electronic device such as a portable telephone or the like, and more particularly, to a portable electronic device provided with a device for preventing the device from falling and having a clear incoming call notification function. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A portable telephone will be described as an example of a conventional portable electronic device. In order to prevent the portable telephone from dropping, conventionally, there has been a fall prevention measure using a strap attached to a tip of a strap connected to the apparatus or a strap which can be hung on a neck. In a normal portable telephone, a notification lamp for notifying an incoming call or the like is provided on an upper side of a telephone housing (main body), and there are accessories attached to a tip of an antenna or a strap. Various operation buttons are arranged on the operation surface of the apparatus. The buttons arranged in addition to the operation surface include a jog dial and a sound quality adjustment button on the side, and a call button on the back of the main body.

[0003]

However, conventional portable electronic devices such as portable telephones have the following problems. If the strap is provided with a fall prevention measure, the strap is inevitably bulky and loses the inherent advantage of the portable electronic device that a small and lightweight device can be carried at any time. -When a conventional portable electronic device is carried in a pocket, the device may be caught in the pocket and often panic during an unexpected operation.・ Information of incoming call, etc. is often not noticed when there is an incoming call etc. in a place with a lot of surrounding noise and the ring tone is ON (vibration OFF). The lamp was not visually recognizable. -There were no buttons on the device other than the operation surface that played a role other than the operation function.

A portable electronic device according to the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has an effective fall prevention structure with a simple structure that does not hinder a user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic device that enables a user to quickly recognize and react to a notification of an incoming call or the like and that can easily execute various functions.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems and achieve a desired object, a portable electronic device according to the present invention is configured as follows. (1) A portable electronic device that is small, lightweight, and easy to carry, having a clip-type engagement structure that can be locked or pinched with a portion other than the device components on the outer surface of the device housing. Portable electronic device. (2) In the portable electronic device according to (1), the clip-type engagement structure includes a clip member that performs a seesaw-shaped rotational opening / closing operation around a fulcrum shaft provided in the device housing. You. (3) In the portable electronic device of (2), the clip member has a portion engaging portion on one side around a fulcrum axis,
The other side is provided with an engagement urging portion. (4) In the portable electronic device according to any one of (1) to (3), the clip-type engagement structure includes a button interlocking structure interlocking with a function button provided in the device housing. (5) In the portable electronic device of (4), the button interlocking structure is provided with a protruding pressing portion on the device housing side of the engagement urging portion. (6) In the portable electronic device according to any one of (1) to (5), the clip-type engagement structure includes a notification unit. (7) In the portable electronic device according to any one of (1) to (6), the clip-type engagement structure has many or all of
It is configured not to protrude from the device housing.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a portable electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view showing a portable telephone as one embodiment of the portable electronic device of the present invention, and FIG. 1A is a front external view of the device. FIG. 1B is an enlarged configuration diagram of a main part in a cross section, and FIG.
Is the clip-type engagement structure 20 in a closed state, and (b2) is the clip-type engagement structure 2 in a state where the clip member 22 is open.
0 is indicated.

As shown in FIG. 1A, an apparatus housing 10 of a portable telephone has one surface side set as an operation surface 11,
Various operation buttons (operation keys) 12 and a display unit 15 are arranged. In the portable electronic device of the present invention, a clip-type engagement structure 20 is provided on the outer surface of the device housing 10 so that the clip-type engagement structure 20 can be locked or pinched with a portion other than the device components. In the portable telephone shown in FIG.
The clip-type engagement structure 20 is disposed on the right side of the bracket 0 and is incorporated in the apparatus.

The clip-type engaging structure 20 includes a clip member 22 having a structure in which a ballpoint pen or the like is hooked and fixed in a pocket. This clip member 22
The apparatus rotates in a seesaw motion around a fulcrum shaft 21 provided on the outer surface side of the apparatus housing 10 to perform an opening / closing operation for locking or pinching. And this clip member 22
Are on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the member with the fulcrum shaft 21 as the center,
The lower part of the figure is provided with a part engaging portion 22a, and the other upper part of the figure is provided with an engaging urging part 22b.

The part engaging portion 22a is a main component of the present invention which can be locked or pinched with a part other than the apparatus constituent members. For example, the apparatus is put in a pocket or a bag and placed. In this case, the clip structure of the part engaging portion 22a is used to lock or pinch the other part such as the edge of the pocket or bag.
It is possible to prevent the device from moving out of position or from falling from a pocket or bag. Further, the part engaging portion 22a can stabilize and enhance the locking or pinching force by adding an engagement assisting portion 22c such as a protrusion or a frictional substance to the inner surface of the device housing 10 side. it can.

The one engagement urging portion 22b has a structure for urging by interposing an elastic material such as a spring, so that the turning moment of the clip member 22 is increased. The locking or pinching force can be increased. With this structure, a portable electronic device such as a portable telephone, which is much larger and heavier than a ball-point pen or a mechanical pen, can be securely locked / nipped and engaged, so that the device can be effectively dropped. A prevention structure can be realized. The elastic material in FIG. 1B is shown as the elastic body 13 formed by a helical spring, but is not limited thereto, and an elastic material such as plastic or rubber may be used.
Various springs may be used as appropriate. In addition, it is arranged so that a spring is wound around the fulcrum shaft 21,
The clip type engagement structure 20 may be a structure like a clothespin.

The region engaging portion 22 of the clip member 22 will now be described.
a and the engagement urging portion 22b are compared in the longitudinal dimension of the member. According to the structure shown in FIG.
The portion occupied by the portion engaging portion 22a below the portion 1 is considerably long, and the portion engaging portion 22a has a structure that can secure a large and wide holding surface of a long body. It is up to the designer to determine the distribution of the part engaging portion 22a and the engaging urging portion 22b, but the shape and weight of the electronic device, the setting location of the clip-type engaging structure,
It is preferable that the setting is appropriately made in consideration of the elastic material to be interposed, the material and the shape of the clip member 22, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the clip-type engagement structure 20 is disposed on the right side of the apparatus housing 10 so that a considerable portion is buried. When a normal state where the clip is not used is viewed from the front of the apparatus, there are not many places where the clip-type engagement structure 20 appears. That is, although the clip member 22 and a part of the fulcrum shaft portion 21 protrude from the outer surface of the side surface, the clip member 22 and the fulcrum shaft portion 21 are inconspicuous as viewed from the entire apparatus, so that they are not obstructed even when not using the clip. Good. The engagement urging portion 22b on the upper side of the clip member 22 has a structure that is depressed (pressed) by the user at the time of use, so only this portion is projected, and many other portions are embedded inside. Thus, the structure is preferably set.

Further, the position where the clip-type engaging structure 20 is disposed is the side surface of the device housing 10 in FIG. 1, but is not limited to this, and may be on the rear surface, the front surface, or the upper surface side. Depending on the case, it may be arranged on the lower surface side. There are various types of portable electronic devices themselves, such as integrated devices and foldable devices. To determine the location of clips corresponding to these, the type, operability, portability, design, In consideration of various aspects such as preferences, it is possible to set an arrangement position suitable for the device.

In using the clip structure, the engagement urging portion 22 on the upper side of the clip member 22 in FIG.
The user first presses (presses) b. Then, the elastic body 13 is compressed and contracted, and the part engaging portion 22a on the lower side protrudes based on the principle of a seesaw or lever around the fulcrum shaft portion 21. The region engaging portion 22a sandwiches a region of an object such as an edge of a pocket between the side surface of the device housing 10 and performs clamping or locking by a clip mechanism. The part engaging portion 22a may be provided with an engagement assisting portion 22c having a projection shape or the like in order to improve the gripping force of the clip, and the gripping assisting portion 22c may be configured as, for example, an uneven anti-slip surface. .

Now, in the portable electronic device of the present invention,
In order to notify the incoming call etc. to the clip type engagement structure 20,
It is preferable to provide a notification unit 23 such as a notification lamp. The notification unit 23 is preferably set at a position where the user can easily see it, and is installed without being buried from the outer surface. Even when the portable telephone is hooked in a pocket or the like and engaged with the clip, if the notifying section 23 is provided at a prominent portion of the clip-type engaging structure 20, an incoming call or the like can be received even when there is noise around. It can be recognized at a glance. The notification unit 23 includes an upper engagement urging unit 22b.
-It may be provided in any of the fulcrum shaft portion 21 and the lower portion engaging portion 22a, and a plurality of pieces may be provided respectively. The side surfaces of the engagement urging portion 22b and the fulcrum shaft portion 21 are suitable as a place where they are arranged because they are easy to protrude and do not interfere. Further, the notification unit 23 does not necessarily need to be provided on the clip-type engagement structure 20, and can be disposed at any position on the apparatus housing.

Further, in the portable electronic device according to the present invention, a button interlocking function can be added to the operation of the clip member 22 by effectively utilizing the clip type engagement structure 20. This is a button interlocking structure that interlocks with the button unit 14 provided in the device housing 10.
(b) shows a button press type structure as an example of a button interlocking structure. In this structure, a projection-like pressing portion 24 is provided on the device housing 10 side of the engagement urging portion 22b.
Has a structure in which the button is pressed in accordance with the position of the button portion 14 provided on the outer surface side. Here, the operation in which the user clicks or presses the engagement urging portion 22b of the clip-type engagement structure 20 is configured to cooperate with the operation of pressing the function button on the device housing side. I have. In FIG. 1, since the elastic body 13 such as a columnar spring is disposed between the engagement urging portion 22b and the device housing 10, the engagement urging portion 22b is always located on the outside. Receives the pressing force. In FIG. 1B, the column-shaped or prism-shaped protruding pressing portion 24 is set to be accommodated in the elastic body 13 by utilizing the space inside the elastic body 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. The body 13 and the protruding pressing portion 24 may be provided separately and independently.

The protruding pressing portion 24 is normally urged by a spring by the elastic body 13 in a direction away from the apparatus housing 10, but when the engaging urging portion 22b is pressed by the user. Is brought close to the device housing 10 and comes into contact with the button portion 14 to press it. In forming such a button press type structure, the button unit 14 of the main body housing 10 may be erroneously pressed when the apparatus is hooked on a pocket or the like as another member and engaged with the clip. It is preferable that the play between the engagement urging portion 22b and the device housing 10 be set so that the play is sufficient.

For example, in the case of a portable telephone, the following functions are assigned to buttons on the housing that are linked to the button-linked structure of the clip-type engaging structure 20 provided in the portable electronic device of the present invention. It may be assumed. 1) Incoming call ・ Answer answer ・ Switching answering machine ・ Alarm stop (at alarm) 2) Standby ・ Time announcement “Current time is ○ h △ min” ・ In-range / out-of-range announcement “Now in-range / out of range” ( When ringing tone is OFF, do not play announcements.) 3) During a call ・ Volume / tone quality adjustment ・ Recording ・ Hold / line disconnection / call waiting (switch by mistake,
・ Do not be rude to the other party. ・ Take off the sound of the prank call (make sure to press and hold for a few seconds to avoid accidental pressing) ・ Announce the talk time, remaining battery level, etc. 4) Others-Make use of the location and shape of the clip button to create a stopwatch. -The antenna is extended.-For a flip phone, the phone opens. Note that a plurality of functions may be selected by setting.

According to the configuration of the portable electronic device of the present invention,
It has the following advantages: -Since the portable electronic device has the clip-type engagement structure, it is possible to reliably prevent the device from dropping. -Since the clip-type engagement structure of the portable electronic device has a notification unit such as an incoming call lamp, it is possible to provide a notification that is easily noticeable to users. Since the clip-type engagement structure of the portable electronic device has a button interlocking structure that interlocks with the device housing, many functions of the device can be easily executed only by pressing the clip.

As described above, according to the portable electronic device of the present invention, the following excellent features can be obtained. -It is possible to prevent the drop of devices such as portable telephones without processing the accompanying straps and without substantially changing the original shape, and to reduce the risk of damage to portable electronic devices that are becoming smaller and more precise. Can be avoided. -The device does not get caught in the pocket and is difficult to remove, and the vibration of the vibrator is easily transmitted to the user by being attached to the pocket of clothes or a bag. -By attaching the notification lamp that notifies the incoming call, etc., the clip portion is exposed to the outside when the device is hooked in a pocket or the like, so that the incoming call and the like can be seen at a glance even in a noise environment. -By adding the function of pressing (pressing) a button to the clip, the upper part of the clip is inevitably pressed when removing the device from the pocket etc., so it responds naturally to sudden movements such as incoming calls etc. It is possible to minimize annoying surroundings in public places. Also, even if this clip button is hooked in a pocket etc.,
Since the mobile phone can be pressed even if it is in contact with the ear during a call, there is no need to check the display unit or the operation surface each time.

[0021]

According to the portable electronic device of the present invention, an effective device drop prevention measure can be provided by a simple clip structure which does not disturb the user, and the notification of an incoming call or the like can be provided. This also enables the user to quickly recognize and react, and the portable electronic device can easily perform many device functions by a simple pressing operation by interlocking the clip structure with the device body. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory view showing a portable telephone as one embodiment of a portable electronic device according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a front external view of the device, and FIG. In the drawings, (b1) shows the clip-type engagement structure 20 with the clip member 22 closed, and (b2) shows the clip-type engagement structure 20 with the clip member 22 open.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Device housing 11 Operation surface 12 Operation button (operation key) 13 Elastic body 14 Function button part 15 Display part 20 Clip type engagement structure 21 Support shaft part 22 Clip member 22a Site engagement part 22b Engagement urging part 22c Auxiliary part 23 Notification part 24 Protruding pressing part

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A portable electronic device which is small, light and easy to carry, wherein a clip-type engaging structure is provided on an outer surface of the device housing so as to be able to be locked or pinched with a portion other than a component of the device. A portable electronic device characterized by comprising: 2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the clip-type engagement structure includes a clip member that performs a seesaw-shaped rotational opening / closing operation around a fulcrum shaft provided in the device housing. A portable electronic device comprising: 3. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the clip member has a portion engaging portion on one side and an engaging biasing portion on the other side with respect to a fulcrum shaft. A portable electronic device comprising: 4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the clip-type engagement structure includes a button interlocking structure that interlocks with a function button included in the device housing. A portable electronic device characterized by the following. 5. The portable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the button interlocking structure is provided with a protruding pressing portion on the device housing side of the engagement urging portion. Type electronic device. 6. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the clip-type engagement structure includes a notification unit. 7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the clip-type engagement structure is configured so that many or all of the clip-type engagement structure does not protrude from the device housing. A portable electronic device characterized by the following.