JP2005123917A - Portable equipment antenna device and portable equipment provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an antenna device for portable equipment and the portable equipment provided with the same to avoid heavy loads on an antenna. <P>SOLUTION: The portable equipment 1 comprises a casing 2 for housing a substrate mounted with a plurality of circuits; a rod antenna 3 which is provided on one of the surfaces of the casing 2 and transmits and receives radio waves; and a turning mechanism 4 which is provided on the base end side of the antenna 3 and makes the antenna 3 turnable with respect to the case body 2. The turning mechanism 4 has a first turning axis which is provided on the base end side of the antenna 3 and makes the antenna 3 turnable around the vertical axis to one surface and a second turning axis for making the antenna 3 turnable around the vertical axis to the first turning axis. The center axis 25A of the antenna 3 is provided at a position away from the first turning axis. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an antenna device for a portable device that performs wireless communication with the outside and a portable device including the same.

Conventionally, it is provided in a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication such as a PC card with an antenna unit used in a notebook personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a notebook PC), a mobile phone, and an information terminal device (PDA). 2. Description of the Related Art An antenna device for a portable device having a rotation mechanism that enables an antenna to rotate with respect to a body is known.
As such a portable device antenna device, for example, a PC card with an antenna unit has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the PC card 100 includes a main body 101 in which a board such as a communication control circuit for controlling communication operations is housed, a rod-shaped antenna 102 for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and an antenna 102. A rotation mechanism 103 that rotates in two directions around the X axis and the Y axis shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8B, the antenna 102 can be rotated 360 ° freely around the axis of the X axis and can be rotated 180 ° around the axis of the Y axis.

Since the antenna 102 can be rotated in a wide range by the rotation mechanism 103, good reception sensitivity can be obtained by appropriately rotating the antenna 102 with respect to the main body 101 via the rotation mechanism 103. Since the antenna 102 can be directed in the direction to be transmitted, the wireless communication state is improved.
JP 2002-374111 A (FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional antenna device for portable devices, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the antenna 102 is rotated 90 ° around the Y axis from the storage position, and then the direction of the arrow A shown in FIG. When a force is applied to the antenna 102, the antenna 102 cannot be rotated in the direction of the arrow A, so that there is a possibility that a great burden is applied to the base end side of the antenna 102.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable device antenna device that avoids a great load on the antenna.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. That is, an antenna device for a mobile device according to the present invention includes a rod-shaped antenna that is provided on one surface of a housing that constitutes the mobile device and that transmits and receives radio waves, and a base antenna that is provided on the base end side of the antenna. An antenna device for a portable device that is rotatable with respect to the first surface, wherein the rotation mechanism is capable of rotating the antenna about an axis perpendicular to the one surface. A rotation axis; and a second rotation axis that enables the antenna to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis. The central axis of the antenna is the first rotation axis. It is arrange | positioned in the position spaced apart from.

  In the present invention, when the antenna is rotated by the rotation mechanism so as to be perpendicular to one surface, the central axis of the antenna and the first rotation axis become parallel. When a force in a direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the first rotation axis and the central axis of the antenna is applied to the antenna in this state, the result is as follows.

  That is, since the antenna is provided so that the center axis of the antenna and the first rotation axis are parallel, the moment arm length that is the distance between the force point of the applied force and the center axis of the first rotation axis Exists. For this reason, the antenna can be rotated around the axis of the first rotation axis. Here, if the force is further applied, the antenna can be rotated around the second rotation axis.

Therefore, since the antenna can always rotate around the axis of the first rotation axis or the second rotation axis within the rotatable range of the antenna, the antenna can be rotated even if an external force is applied to the antenna. The applied force can be relaxed. Therefore, a great load on the antenna can be avoided.
In the portable device antenna apparatus according to the present invention, the rotation mechanism adds resistance when rotating the antenna around the second rotation axis, and reduces resistance at a certain rotation angle. It is preferable that a rotation resistance adding mechanism is provided, and the fixed rotation angle is an angle larger than 90 °. However, the rotation angle is a side including the second rotation axis among angles formed by the one surface and the center axis of the antenna in a plane including the center axis of the first rotation axis and the center axis of the antenna. The angle of

  According to the present invention, when the antenna is rotated around the axis of the second rotation axis and a certain rotation angle greater than 90 ° is obtained such that the central axis of the antenna is perpendicular to one surface. The rotation resistance is lowered by the rotation adding mechanism. That is, the antenna is easily fixed at a rotation angle larger than 90 ° with respect to one surface. In this state, when a force perpendicular to the plane formed by the first rotation axis and the central axis of the antenna is applied to the antenna in the same manner as described above, the moment arm length is 90 ° when the rotation angle is 90 °. Therefore, the rotation around the first rotation axis becomes easier.

Furthermore, when the antenna is rotated, the rotation resistance is increased or decreased, so that a so-called click feeling can be obtained at a constant rotation angle, so that the operator can obtain a clear operation feeling.
The portable device according to the present invention includes a circuit board on which an electronic circuit is mounted, a housing for housing the circuit board, and the above-described antenna device for portable devices connected to the circuit board. Features.

  According to the present invention, a great load on the antenna can be avoided, and as a result, a portable device that can avoid a great load on the antenna mounting portion of the portable device body can be provided.

According to the mobile device antenna device of the present invention, the central axis of the antenna is provided at a position away from the first rotation axis, and therefore when the central axis of the antenna is perpendicular to the one surface. Even if a force is applied to the antenna, the antenna easily rotates, so that the force applied to the antenna is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a great load on the antenna.
In addition, according to the portable device of the present invention, it is possible to avoid applying a great load to the antenna and the portable device body, so that it is possible to avoid damage to the portable device due to the load on the antenna.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a mobile device provided with an antenna device for a mobile device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the portable device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a PC card (hereinafter referred to as a PC card) with an antenna device 5 that is used by being inserted into a PC card slot provided for function expansion of a so-called notebook PC. (Omitted). The portable device 1 includes a card-type housing 2 and an antenna device 5, and the antenna device 5 includes a rotating mechanism 4 and a rod-shaped antenna 3 that rotates in two directions with respect to the housing 2 via the rotating mechanism 4. It has.

The housing 2 includes an upper cover 11, a lower cover 12, and a substrate 13 provided between the upper cover 11 and the lower cover 12.
The upper cover 11 and the lower cover 12 are made of a resin material, and the antenna 11 is attached to the one surface 11A that is an end surface of the upper cover 11 exposed when the housing 2 is inserted into the PC card slot. An antenna mounting hole 11B which is a through hole is provided. Further, slits 11D serving as guides when the portable device antenna device 1 is inserted into the PC card slot are provided on both sides of the surface 11C of the upper cover 11.

  On the substrate 13, a communication control circuit 14 that controls communication operation, a contact 15 that is electrically connected by contact with the antenna 3, and a connector that is inserted into an expansion slot (not shown) of the notebook PC. 16 are provided.

  Here, reference numeral 17A indicates an O-ring, reference numeral 17B indicates a first washer, reference numeral 17C indicates a second washer, and reference numeral 17D indicates an E-ring.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism 4 includes a first rotation shaft 21 that allows the antenna 3 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the one surface 11 </ b> A of the upper cover 11, and a first rotation shaft 21. A second rotation shaft 22 is provided that allows the antenna 3 to rotate about a vertical axis.
The antenna 3 includes a metal antenna main body 25 and an antenna outer shell 26 that covers the antenna main body 25 from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first rotation shaft 21 is a rotation shaft that rotates the antenna 3 around the axis of the X axis, and a columnar shaft portion 31 that is inserted into the housing 2, and a shaft And a disc portion 32 provided on the base end side of the portion 31 and provided with a through hole 32A in the center.
The shaft portion 31 includes a flange portion 31A having a diameter larger than that of the antenna mounting hole 11B, a large diameter shaft portion 31B having substantially the same diameter as the antenna mounting hole 11B and inserted through the antenna mounting hole 11B, and a large diameter shaft portion 31B. And a small-diameter shaft portion 31 </ b> C that comes into contact with the contact 15 provided on the substrate 13.

The shaft portion 31 is inserted into the antenna mounting hole 11B provided in the upper cover 11 via the O-ring 17A and the first washer 17B, and is firstly connected to the housing 2 by the second washer 17C and the E-ring 17D. The moving shaft 21 is fixed so as to be freely rotatable 360 ° around the X axis. At this time, the small diameter shaft portion 31 </ b> C is electrically connected to the communication control circuit 14 by contacting the contact 15 provided on the substrate 13.
In addition, the disc portion 32 is provided with a pair of recesses (rotation resistance adding mechanism) 35 on a circumference centered on the second rotation shaft 22 and at a position separated from the X axis.

  The second rotating shaft 22 is configured by a pin and has a shaft portion 22A having the same diameter as the through hole 32A. The antenna 3 is rotated with respect to the first rotating shaft 21 by being inserted into the through hole 32A. It is fixed to the antenna outer shell 26 so as to be movable. The first rotation shaft 21 and the second rotation shaft 22 enable the antenna 3 to rotate about the Y axis perpendicular to the X axis.

As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna body 25 includes an antenna conductor 41 provided so that the central axis 25 </ b> A is separated from the X axis that is the rotation axis of the first rotation axis 21, and the first rotation axis 21. The ring part 42 arrange | positioned on the circumference used as the center is provided with a pair of leaf | plate spring 43 which has the spring property with respect to the 1st rotation shaft 21, and contacts.
The ring portion 42 is electrically connected to the antenna conductor 41 and is fixed to the inner surface 26 </ b> A of the antenna outer shell 26.
The pair of leaf springs 43 are arranged so as to protrude from the ring portion 42 toward the Y axis that is the rotation axis of the second rotation shaft 22, and are electrically contacted with the disk portion 32 to be electrically connected. Connected. An antenna convex portion (rotation resistance adding mechanism) 44 is provided on the second rotation shaft 22 side of the leaf spring 43.

The antenna convex portion 44 is provided so as to engage with the concave portion 35 of the disc portion 32 by appropriately rotating the antenna 3 about the Y axis.
The leaf spring 43 and the disc portion 32 are provided with a rotation resistance due to friction when the antenna 3 is rotated around the axis of the Y-axis, but a constant rotation in which the antenna convex portion 44 and the concave portion 35 are engaged. The rotation resistance is lowered at an angle, and when the antenna is further rotated, the rotation resistance is applied again when the antenna convex portion 44 is detached from the concave portion 35. Here, the rotation angle is an angle on the side including the Y axis among the angles formed by the one surface 11A and the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 on the plane including the X axis and the central axis 25A of the antenna 3.

  Next, how to use the mobile device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the portable device 1 is inserted into the PC card slot, and the antenna 3 is appropriately rotated around the X axis and the Y axis by the rotation mechanism 4, so that the antenna 3 is directed in a direction in which good transmission / reception sensitivity is obtained. A reception signal received as a radio wave by the antenna 3 is transmitted to the communication control circuit 14 via the contact 15. A transmission signal formed by the communication control circuit 14 is transmitted as a radio wave from the antenna 3.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, the antenna 3 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 4 so that the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 is parallel to the X axis, and the X axis and the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 are thus detected. When a force in the direction of arrow A is applied to the antenna 3 so as to be perpendicular to the plane formed by
That is, in the mobile device 1 according to the present embodiment, the antenna 3 is provided at a position where the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 and the X axis are separated from each other, so that the force applied to the X axis and the antenna 3 can be increased. Since a moment arm length which is a distance is generated, a moment acts on the antenna 3. This moment allows the antenna 3 to rotate about the X axis, and the antenna 3 rotates about the X axis as shown in FIG.

Further, when a force in the direction of arrow A is applied to the antenna 3, this time the antenna 3 can be rotated about the Y axis, so that the antenna 3 is rotated about the Y axis as shown in FIG. To turn. Thus, the force applied to the antenna 3 is alleviated by the rotation of the antenna 3 about the X axis or the Y axis.
Further, when the antenna 3 is rotated around the Y-axis, a rotational resistance is applied due to friction between the leaf spring 43 and the disc portion 32. However, as shown in FIG. When the concave portion 35 of the disc portion 32 and the antenna convex portion 44 are elastically engaged with each other, the rotational resistance is lowered, and when the antenna convex portion 44 is detached from the concave portion 35 when further rotated. Again, rotational resistance is applied. At this time, a so-called click feeling is obtained. For this reason, the antenna 3 is easily fixed to the rotation angle lever. In this state, when a force in the direction of arrow A is applied to the antenna 3 in the same manner as described above, the moment arm length becomes larger than when the rotation angle is 90 °, so that the antenna 3 rotates about the X axis. Makes it easier to rotate.

According to the above configuration, when the force in the Y-axis direction is applied to the antenna 3 by rotating the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 so as to be perpendicular to the one surface 11A, the X-axis and the central axis of the antenna 3 are applied. Since 25A is parallel, a moment acts on the antenna 3. Therefore, it can be avoided that the force applied by the rotation of the antenna 3 around the axis of the X axis is alleviated and a great load is applied to the antenna 3.
Further, it is possible to avoid applying a great load to the antenna mounting portion of the portable device.
Further, since the concave portion 35 of the disc portion 32 and the antenna convex portion 44 are engaged at a rotation angle larger than 90 °, the antenna 3 is rotated 90 ° around the Y axis. Since the fixed angle is fixed as described above, it is possible to avoid applying an excessive load to the antenna 3.
Further, since the concave portion 35 and the antenna convex portion 44 are elastically engaged with each other, a click feeling can be obtained with respect to the rotation about the Y axis, so that the operability of the antenna 3 is improved.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the components described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the portable device 50 in the present embodiment is a so-called personal digital assistant (PDA) incorporating a portable device antenna device.

This portable device 50 is provided with a portable device main body 51 having a substrate formed in a rectangular shape in plan view and having a communication control circuit and the like mounted therein, and an antenna 3 provided on one surface 51A that is an end surface of the portable device main body 51. It has been. The antenna 3 is attached to the one surface 51 </ b> A via the rotation mechanism 4.
In addition, a display unit 52 and operation units 55 such as various function keys 53 and a scroll key 54 are provided on the upper surface 51 </ b> B of the mobile device body 50.
The display unit 52 is a liquid crystal touch panel, for example, and can display information and operate the portable device 50 by pressing a predetermined position.
Similarly to the first embodiment described above, the antenna 3 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 4 so that the central axis 25A of the antenna 3 is parallel to the X axis as shown in FIG. 7B. The center axis 25A of the antenna 3 and the X axis are provided so as to be separated from each other.

According to said structure, it can be set as the portable apparatus provided with the antenna apparatus which can avoid that a great load is applied to an antenna and a portable apparatus main body similarly to the above-mentioned.
In addition, the structure of this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

For example, in the antenna device for portable devices described above, only one pair of recesses is provided, but the recesses may be provided at a position where the rotation angle is greater than 90 °, and may be provided at a plurality of locations. By doing so, a click feeling can be obtained at a finer rotation angle, so that the operability of rotation around the Y axis is improved.
Moreover, although the portable device mentioned above was a portable information terminal, not only this but a mobile telephone, an information communication device, etc. may be sufficient.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the portable apparatus which has the antenna device for portable apparatuses concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The antenna concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. The 1st rotating shaft concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is an axial sectional view. The antenna main body concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is an axial sectional view. It is a perspective view which shows the rotation state of the antenna in the portable apparatus concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other rotation state of the antenna in the portable apparatus concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The portable apparatus concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a perspective view which shows the rotation state of an antenna. The conventional antenna apparatus for portable devices is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a perspective view which shows the rotation state of an antenna. It is a perspective view which shows the one rotation state of the antenna in the conventional portable device antenna apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable apparatus 2 Housing | casing 3 Antenna 4 Rotation mechanism 5 Antenna apparatus 11A, 51B for portable apparatuses One surface 21 1st rotation axis 22 2nd rotation axis 25A Center axis 35 Recessed part (rotation resistance addition mechanism)
44 Antenna convex part (rotating resistance adding mechanism)
50 Mobile devices

Claims (3)

A rod-shaped antenna that is provided on one surface of a housing constituting a mobile device and transmits and receives radio waves;
A portable device antenna device provided with a rotation mechanism provided on a base end side of the antenna and capable of rotating the antenna with respect to the housing;
The rotation mechanism includes a first rotation shaft that allows the antenna to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the one surface;
A second rotation axis that enables the antenna to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis;
The antenna device for portable devices, wherein a central axis of the antenna is arranged at a position away from the first rotation shaft. The rotation mechanism includes a rotation resistance adding mechanism that adds resistance when rotating the antenna around the second rotation axis and reduces resistance at a certain rotation angle;
The portable device antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed rotation angle is an angle larger than 90 °.
However, the rotation angle is a side including the second rotation axis among angles formed by the one surface and the center axis of the antenna in a plane including the center axis of the first rotation axis and the center axis of the antenna. The angle of A circuit board on which an electronic circuit is mounted;
A housing for housing the circuit board;
A portable device comprising the antenna device for a portable device according to claim 1 or 2 connected to the circuit board.

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