JP2006042072A - Housing for electronic apparatus, method for manufacturing housing for electronic apparatus, and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a housing for an electronic apparatus that can be easily assembled because of the small number of components and can output natural and high quality sound filled with presence, and to provide a method for manufacturing the housing for the electronic apparatus and the electronic apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The housing comprises a housing member for storing at least a part of an electronic member included in the electronic apparatus with a sound output function, a diaphragm for propagating a sound signal to the external as air vibration and a coupling member of coupling at least a part of the outer periphery of the diaphragm to the housing member. The diaphragm and the coupling member are formed integrally with the housing member and the thickness of both the members is made thinner than that of the housing member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device casing formed by compressing wood for exterior packaging of a portable small electronic device having an audio output function, a method for manufacturing the electronic device casing, and the electronic device The present invention relates to an electronic device using a housing for an automobile.

  In the case of forming a casing that encloses a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone or a digital camera, synthetic resin (ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.) or light metal (aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, etc.) is used as the material. Such a synthetic resin or light metal is suitable for mass production industrially and has no problem with its strength, but has no individual difference for each product and is unique. Synthetic resins and light metals may cause scratches and discoloration due to long-term use, but the scratches and discoloration merely impair the aesthetic appearance.

  In contrast, it is conceivable to apply wood, which is a natural material, to the casing of a portable electronic device. In this case, since wood has various grain, individual differences occur depending on the location of the raw wood, which is the raw wood, and the individuality of each product. In addition, scratches and changes in color caused by long-term use may also have a unique texture and may be familiar to the user.

  However, when forming a housing by cutting wood three-dimensionally, the thickness of the wood must be increased in order to obtain the same strength as a housing made of synthetic resin or light metal. However, it has been an obstacle to be applied to small portable electronic devices.

  Conventionally, a technique for compressing wood is known as a technique that can solve this problem and simultaneously achieve downsizing and high strength of a housing using wood (for example, Patent Document 1). reference). This technology compresses water-absorbed and softened wood, cuts the wood substantially parallel to the compression direction to obtain a plate-like primary fixed product, and then heats and absorbs the primary fixed product into a predetermined three-dimensional shape. It is to be molded. In addition, as another three-dimensional processing method for wood, a method is also known in which wood compressed in a softened state is temporarily fixed with a predetermined mold, and this wood is restored in a mold and molded ( For example, see Patent Document 2).

  By using these wood compression processing techniques, it is possible to form a small casing such as a casing of a portable electronic device from wood.

Japanese Patent No. 3078452 JP-A-11-77619

  Considering the case where a casing made of compressed wood as described above is applied to an electronic device equipped with an audio output function, it is possible to make use of the fact that the casing is made of wood, which makes it natural and realistic. It would be even better if it could output quality audio.

  As one measure for this purpose, a method of using a wooden diaphragm as a part of a speaker that outputs sound can be considered. However, when such a wooden diaphragm is separately formed, there is a problem that the number of parts of the wood increases. Further, when assembling the electronic device, it is necessary to position the diaphragm inside the casing with high accuracy, and therefore it may take time to assemble.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has a small number of parts, is easy to assemble, and is capable of high-quality audio output that is natural and full of realism. An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a body and an electronic device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an invention according to claim 1 is an electronic device casing formed by compressing predetermined wood to cover an electronic device having a sound output function. A casing member that houses at least a part of the electronic member of the electronic device, a diaphragm that propagates an audio signal as air vibrations to the outside, and at least a part of an outer periphery of the diaphragm in the casing member. A connecting member to be connected, wherein the diaphragm and the connecting member are formed integrally with the casing member and are thinner than the casing member.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the housing member extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion from a main plate portion having a substantially rectangular surface and an outer edge portion of the main plate portion. A first cover member having a side plate portion to be taken out, a second cover member having substantially the same shape as the first cover member and constituting the housing member in combination with the first cover member; The connecting member is connected to one of the side plate portions of the first and second cover members.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the diaphragm is rotated by a predetermined angle about an axis passing through the connecting member, so that the first and second cover members are It is arranged at a predetermined position in a columnar region having an outer edge portion of a cover member connecting the connecting members as one section.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the housing member extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion from a main plate portion having a substantially rectangular surface and an outer edge portion of the main plate portion. A first cover member having a side plate portion to be taken out, a second cover member having substantially the same shape as the first cover member and constituting the housing member in combination with the first cover member; And the outer periphery of the diaphragm forms part of the surface of the main plate portion of one of the first and second cover members.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the diaphragm has a substantially frustum side shape.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the connecting member has substantially the same thickness as the diaphragm.

  The invention according to claim 7 is a method of manufacturing a casing for an electronic device that manufactures a casing for mounting the electronic device using predetermined wood, and accommodates at least a part of the electronic member of the electronic device. A housing member, a diaphragm that propagates an audio signal as air vibrations to the outside, and a connecting member that connects at least a part of the outer periphery of the diaphragm to the housing member. The diaphragm and the connecting member are It has the process of carrying out integral compression molding so that it may become thinner than a housing member.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 7, further comprising the step of accommodating the diaphragm in the housing member by reversing the connecting member as a center.

  A ninth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the seventh or eighth aspect of the invention, the diaphragm has a substantially frustoconical side shape.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, the connecting member has substantially the same thickness as the diaphragm.

  An electronic device according to an eleventh aspect of the invention is housed in the electronic device casing according to any one of the first to sixth aspects and the electronic device casing, and the electronic device casing And vibration generating means for generating vibration based on an audio signal output to the outside and propagating the generated vibration to the diaphragm.

  According to the present invention, a housing member that houses at least a part of an electronic member included in an electronic device with an audio output function, a diaphragm that propagates an audio signal to the outside as air vibration, and at least one of the outer circumferences of the diaphragm A connecting member for connecting a portion to the housing member, and forming the diaphragm and the connecting member integrally with the housing member so that the number of parts is smaller than that of the housing member. It is possible to provide an electronic device casing, a method for manufacturing the electronic device casing, and an electronic device that are easy to assemble and enable high-quality sound output that is natural and full of realism.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an electronic apparatus using the electronic apparatus casing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. The electronic device 1 shown in these drawings is an IC recorder that is a portable recording device, and various electronic members are housed inside a substantially rectangular housing member 100 and on the surface of the housing member 100. Also, various members are exposed or formed.

  The casing member 100 is formed using wood reinforced by compression, and the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 combine to form an electronic device casing (hereinafter simply referred to as a casing). . Each of the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 rises in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portions 101a and 102a from the main plate portions 101a and 102a having a substantially rectangular surface and the outer edge portions of the main plate portions 101a and 102a. Side plate portions 101b and 102b extending. Accordingly, one of the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 is a first cover member, and the other is a second cover member.

  On the main plate 101a of the front cover 101, various operations such as recording and playback are performed on the display unit 11 realized by a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display or the like to display image information and character information. Openings that respectively display the input unit 12 composed of a plurality of buttons are provided according to the shapes of the display unit 11 and the input unit 12, and a speaker installed inside the housing member 100 is generated. A sound output hole 13 is formed by a plurality of small holes for outputting sound to the outside.

  On one of the side plates 102b on the short side of the back cover 102, a diaphragm 31 having a substantially truncated cone side shape with its apex portion cut off in parallel with the bottom surface is integrated with the back cover 102 via a connecting member 32. When the electronic apparatus 1 is assembled, it is arranged at a predetermined position inside the housing member 100 as shown in FIG. The diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 32 are thinner than the main plate 102a and the side plates 102b. From the other short side of the side plate portion 102b, a microphone portion 14 that collects sound from the outside and converts it into an electric signal is exposed. In this sense, the electronic device 1 has a voice input function in addition to the voice output function.

  Next, the internal configuration of the housing member 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, at least a part of electronic members that realize electronic functions including a voice input / output function, more specifically, drive control of the electronic device 1 is provided inside the housing member 100. The control part 20 to perform and the speaker part 30 which outputs an audio | voice to the exterior are accommodated.

  Among these, the control unit 20 controls the display contents of the display unit 11, drive control based on the signal input from the input unit 12, processing such as recording of the audio signal input from the microphone unit 14, and output from the speaker unit 30. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) having a calculation and control function, and a flash memory for storing various information such as a program for starting a predetermined OS (Operation System) and voice data Etc.

  The speaker unit 30 includes, in addition to the diaphragm 31, a coil 33 disposed at the lower center of the diaphragm 31 when the electronic device 1 is assembled, a hollow cylindrical magnet 34 provided on the outer periphery of the coil 33, and the coil 33 and the magnet 34. Is provided. On the outer periphery of the circle forming the upper end portion of the diaphragm 31, a plurality of tapered support members 36 whose diameter increases toward the bottom are provided in the main plate so as to abut the outer periphery and lock and support the upper end portion. It is erected inside the portion 102a.

  When the speaker unit 30 having the above configuration receives an audio signal from the control unit 20, the audio signal is transmitted to the coil 33, the magnetic field generated by the surrounding magnet 34 changes, electromagnetic induction occurs, and the coil 33 vibrates. . This vibration propagates to the diaphragm 31 and the diaphragm 31 vibrates, so that the surrounding air vibrates and is output to the outside as sound.

  The electronic device 1 includes a connection terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) that can be connected to an external personal computer, a mounting device for mounting an external storage medium such as an xD picture card or smart media, an earphone, a microphone, Alternatively, various interfaces such as an insertion jack for a power source or the like may be displayed. These interfaces are provided so as to be exposed from an appropriate surface of the casing member 100, and a lid or the like is attached to the exposed portion as necessary. Therefore, the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 are appropriately provided with openings for exposing these various interfaces in the same manner as the openings for exposing the display unit 11 and the input unit 12.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a state where the wood forming the back cover 102 is formed from a solid material in an uncompressed state. As shown in the figure, the timber 41 cut out from the solid material 40 is a single piece having a shape that becomes the back cover 102 after processing. More specifically, a main plate portion 102a, a side plate portion 102b that is curved and connected to the periphery of the main plate portion 102a with a smooth curved surface, and rises substantially perpendicular to the main plate portion 102a, and a short of the side plate portions 102b. There is provided a diaphragm 31 which is connected to one side in the hand direction through a connecting member 32 having a step shape and has a side shape of a substantially truncated cone. Here, the diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 32 are shaped so as to be thinner than the main plate portion 102a and the side plate portion 102b.

  The timber 41 is shaped in a form in which a volume reduced by compression is added in advance, and when the timber 41 is cut out from the solid material 40, the longitudinal direction of the timber to be cut is along the fiber direction L of the solid material 40. Sharpen out. The wood 41 cut out from the solid material 40 in this way has a grain surface 40G having a layer substantially parallel to the surface of the main plate portion 102a within the thickness of the main plate portion 102a, and a substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 102a. Makes the grain surface. In addition, the solid material 40 used in this embodiment is a camellia, a camellia leaf, a paulownia, a teak, a mahogany, a cedar, a pine, or a cherry tree. These solid materials can be applied to all the embodiments of the present invention.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of shaping wood as a prototype of the back cover 102, and corresponds to the plan view seen from the upper surface of FIG. As shown in the figure, wood 42, wood 43, and the like can be cited in addition to the above-described wood 41, as the longitudinal direction of the wood is cut along the fiber direction L of the solid material 40. Of these, the wood 42 has a wood grain 40G layered in an oblique direction with respect to the surface of the main plate portion 102a within the thickness of the main plate portion 102a, and the substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 102a forms a memorial surface. In the wood 43, the grain 40G forms a layer substantially perpendicular to the surface of the main plate portion 102a within the thickness of the main plate portion 102a, and the substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 102a forms a grid surface. As shown in these examples, by cutting out so that the longitudinal direction of the wood is parallel to the fiber direction L of the solid material 40, it is possible to give strength after compression to the longitudinal direction in which the strength decreases. Become. In addition, the method of shaping the wood including these examples can be appropriately determined after satisfying the strength and considering the mass productivity.

  Next, a specific process of compression processing of the wood 41 will be described. First, the wood 41 is left in a high-temperature and high-pressure steam atmosphere for a predetermined time. Thereby, the wood 41 absorbs moisture excessively and softens. Thereafter, the wood 41 is placed in a predetermined position between the two mold frames shown in FIG. 5, that is, the upper mold frame 51 and the lower mold frame 61, in the same steam atmosphere as when softened. A predetermined compressive force is applied by sandwiching the wood 41.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5, the upper mold frame 51 that applies a compressive force to the wood 41 from above the wood 41 during compression is And a conical recess 513 into which the outer surface of the diaphragm 31 is fitted. . If the radius of curvature of the curved surface 102c that curves from the main plate portion 102a to the side plate portion 102b of the inner surface of the wood 41 is RI, and the radius of curvature of the curved surface that contacts the curved surface 102c of the convex portion 511 is RA, these two radii of curvature are assumed. Has a relationship of RI> RA.

  On the other hand, the lower mold frame 61 that applies a compressive force to the wood 41 from below the wood 41 during compression is a recess 611 that fits the curved outer surface rising from the main plate portion 102a of the wood 41 to the side plate portion 102b, It has a horizontal portion 612 that contacts the connecting member 32, and a conical convex portion 613 that contacts the inner surface of the diaphragm 31. The curvature radius of the curved surface 102d that curves from the main plate portion 102a to the side plate portion 102b in the outer surface of the wood 41 is RO, and the curvature radius of the curved surface that contacts the curved surface 102d in the recess 611 is RB. There is a relationship of RO> RB between them.

  FIG. 7 shows that after placing the softened wood 41 at a predetermined position, the wood 41 is placed between the two by fitting two formwork so that at least one of the formwork is brought close to the other formwork. It is a figure which shows the state clamped and compressed, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which has the same cut surface as FIG. In this state, a compressive force is applied to the main plate portion 102a of the wood 41 in the direction in which the grain 40G overlaps, that is, the direction substantially perpendicular to the fiber direction L. In addition, a compressive force is applied to the side plate portion 102b in the direction in which the grain 40G overlaps, that is, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the fiber direction L, and also in the direction along the grain 40G. A compressive force is applied obliquely upward on the outer surface of the curved portion between the main plate portion 102a and the side plate portion 102b, while a compressive force is applied obliquely downward on the inner surface.

  After leaving in the state shown in FIG. 7 for a predetermined time, the upper mold 51 and the lower mold 61 are separated to release the compression, thereby completing the original pattern of the back cover 102. The thickness of the compressed wood 41 is about 1/2 to 1/3 compared to the thickness before compression of the solid wood 40. Therefore, the fiber density of the wood 41 after compression processing is increased, and high strength is imparted.

  By the way, since the diaphragm 31 vibrates the surrounding air by its own elastic deformation and generates sound, it is necessary to generate an appropriate elastic deformation. Further, as will be described later, since the vibration plate 31 is rotated toward the back cover 102 around the axis passing through the connection member 32, the position within the housing member 100 is determined. Similar to 31, it must be elastically deformable. For these reasons, the compression ratio of the diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 32 in the compression step described above (ratio of the thickness change due to compression to the thickness before compression) is compared with the compression ratio of the main plate portion 102a and the side plate portion 102b. Thus, the upper mold 51 and the lower mold 61 are designed so as to be smaller.

  FIG. 8 shows an outline of the process of forming the shape of the back cover 102 during assembly by rotating the diaphragm 31 and bending the connecting member 32 to the back cover 102 side of the wood 41 compressed by the above processes. It is a figure explaining typically. Since the connecting member 32 is thin and can be elastically deformed by adjusting the compression rate, the short side plate 102b of the thin portion (part of the connecting member 32) extending in the substantially vertical direction from the side plate 102b. The diaphragm 31 is rotated about 90 degrees with a boundary portion 32a substantially parallel to the hand direction as a rotation axis. Thereafter, the rotation about the boundary portion 32a is brought into contact with the inner peripheral portion of the side plate portion 102b, and the bent portion 32b (part of the connecting member 32) substantially parallel to the lateral direction of the side plate portion 102b is used as the rotation axis. A three-dimensional columnar shape in which the end of the diaphragm 31 having a smaller diameter approaches the inner side surface of the main plate portion 102a and the outer edge portion of the main plate portion 102a having a substantially rectangular shape as one section. The diaphragm 31 is rotated about 90 degrees so as to reach a predetermined position in the region. Eventually, the direction of the diaphragm 31 is reversed around the connecting member 32 by the above-described steps.

  In order to fix the position of the diaphragm 31 that is rotated and positioned in this manner, a plurality of support members 36 are provided on the main plate portion 102a, and the end portions of the diaphragm 31 are locked to the support members 36. By doing so, the diaphragm 31 is positioned. The support member 36 may be formed integrally with the back cover 102 or may be attached to the main plate portion 102a using another material. The positioning of the diaphragm 31 is performed as a process of assembly by arranging other components (the coil 33, the magnet 34, and the substrate section 35) of the speaker unit 30 in the lower center of the diaphragm 31 in advance. May be. Thereby, the electronic device 1 can be assembled quickly.

  FIG. 9 is a top view showing a state in which the back cover 102 is formed and the diaphragm 31 is fixed by the support member 36 as a result of the positioning step by the rotation of the diaphragm 31 described above. In the figure, the case where three support members 36 are provided is shown, but more support members 36 may be provided.

  Next, the process for forming the front cover 101 will be described. The front cover 101 is not provided with the diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 32 unlike the back cover 102. For this reason, it is not necessary to position the diaphragm 31, and the front cover 101 is completed when the cutting and the compression process from the solid material 40 are performed.

  The front cover 101 and the back cover 102 have openings (including the audio output holes 13) for exposing various members and various interfaces. These openings are used when cutting the wood 41 from the solid material 40. It may be formed in accordance with the above, or may be formed by cutting or the like after the wood 41 is cut out. Further, it may be formed by cutting, drilling or the like after the compression step. This also applies to the case where the top of the diaphragm 31 is cut off to form a circular end.

  When the electronic device 1 is assembled using the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 formed by the above-described steps, the display unit 11, the microphone unit 14, the control unit 20, and the inner surface of the main plate unit 102a of the back cover 102 are provided. While accommodating various electronic members including the speaker unit 30 excluding the diaphragm 31, buttons and the like forming the input unit 12 are attached to the front cover 101, and the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 are combined. In this combination, an appropriate adhesive may be applied to the contact location of both covers, or the contact location, that is, the outer periphery of the boundary portion may be sealed using a predetermined member.

  The specific values of the thickness of the casing member 100 are that the thickness of the front cover 101 and the back cover 102 is about 1.6 to 2.0 mm, whereas the thickness of the diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 32 is as follows. , Approximately 0.3 to 0.5 mm. Of course, this is only an example. For example, from the viewpoint of strength, the thickness of the connecting member 32 may be a value slightly larger than the thickness of the diaphragm 31. Further, when importance is attached to vibration, the thickness of the connecting member 32 may be slightly smaller than the thickness of the diaphragm 31.

  According to the electronic device casing and the electronic apparatus using the casing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention described above, the diaphragm of the back cover that forms the casing member is thinner than the back cover. Is integrally formed through a connecting member whose longitudinal section forms a step shape, and positioning of the diaphragm is performed by rotating the diaphragm using the connecting member, so the number of parts can be reduced. Assembly is also easy.

  Further, according to this embodiment, since the diaphragm is formed of the same wood as the exterior member, the grain of the diaphragm has a function of preventing resonance caused by a standing wave generated by vibration, and is provided in the interior. As in a concert hall constructed using wood, it is possible to provide an electronic device casing and an electronic device that are excellent in acoustic effect and enable high-quality sound output that is natural and full of realism.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of an electronic apparatus according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 2 shown in the figure is an IC recorder having the same function as the electronic device 1 and has the same appearance as the electronic device 1 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, FIG. 10 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

  In the electronic apparatus 2 according to this modification, the diaphragm 31 is provided on the side plate portion 201 b of the front cover 201 via the connecting member 37. That is, when the wood used as the prototype of the front cover 201 is formed from the solid material 40, the diaphragm 31 and the connecting member 37 are integrated into the side plate portion 201b and cut out. Thereafter, the machined wood is left in a high-temperature and high-pressure steam atmosphere, and compressed between an upper mold frame and a lower mold frame formed so as to have the shape of the front cover 201 having a longitudinal section shown in FIG. Processing. This compression processing is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the shapes of the upper and lower molds are different.

11 shows that the front cover 201 and the diaphragm 31 are integrally compression-molded via the connecting member 37, and then the connecting member 37 is bent toward the front cover 201 while the diaphragm 31 is rotated. It is a figure which illustrates the outline | summary of the process until it will be in the state which can be assembled. Since the connecting member 37 is thin and can be elastically deformed by adjusting the compression rate, the short side plate 201b of the thin portion (part of the connecting member 37) extending in the substantially vertical direction from the side plate 201b. The diaphragm 31 is rotated about 90 degrees about a boundary 37a substantially parallel to the hand direction as a rotation axis. Thereafter, the rotation around the boundary portion 37a is brought into contact with the inner peripheral portion of the side plate portion 201b, and the bent portion 37b (part of the connecting member 37) substantially parallel to the short side direction of the side plate portion 201b is used as the rotation axis. A three-dimensional columnar shape in which the end of the diaphragm 31 having a smaller diameter approaches the inner side surface of the main plate 201a and the outer edge of the main plate 201a has a substantially rectangular cross section. The diaphragm 31 is rotated about 90 degrees so as to reach a predetermined position in the region.
The diaphragm 31 thus rotated is positioned by engaging the ends of the diaphragm 31 with a plurality of support members 38 projecting downward from the inner surface of the main plate portion 201a. The support member 38 has a tapered shape with a diameter that increases toward the main plate portion 201a.

  Through the above steps, the electronic device casing constituting the electronic device 2 is completed. Also in the electronic device casing and the electronic apparatus using the casing according to this modified example, the same effects as those of the first embodiment, that is, the number of parts is small, the assembly is easy, and the natural and realistic feeling is achieved. It is possible to output high-quality audio that overflows.

  In the above-described first embodiment of the present invention and its modifications, the connecting member that connects the front cover or the back cover and the diaphragm has a stepwise shape in the longitudinal section (FIGS. 8 and 11). The shape of the connecting member is not limited to this shape. That is, the shape of the connecting member may be any shape as long as the diaphragm can be connected to the front cover or the back cover and the diaphragm can be positioned with high accuracy. In this sense, if the positioning of the diaphragm is completed, the connecting member itself may be broken.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an electronic device using the electronic device casing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. The electronic device 3 shown in these drawings is an IC recorder that is a portable recording device, and various electronic members are housed inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing member 300, and on the surface of the housing member 300. Also, various members are exposed or formed.

  The casing member 300 is formed using wood reinforced by compressing, and forms a casing by combining the front cover 301 and the rear cover 302. Each of the front cover 301 and the back cover 302 rises in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portions 301a and 302a from the main plate portions 301a and 302a having a substantially rectangular surface and the outer edge portions of the main plate portions 301a and 302a. Side plate portions 301b and 302b. Therefore, one of the front cover 301 and the back cover 302 is a first cover member, and the other is a second cover member.

  The main plate portion 301a of the front cover 301 has a display unit 11 realized by a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, or the like for displaying image information and character information, and performs various operations such as recording and reproduction. Openings for displaying the input unit 12 composed of various buttons are provided in accordance with the shapes of the display unit 11 and the input unit 12, and have a substantially truncated cone side shape with the vicinity of the apex cut off in parallel to the bottom surface. The diaphragm 303 is integrally formed on the main plate portion 301a via a plurality of connecting members 304.

  A cover member 15 for protecting the diaphragm 303 is attached to the surface of the diaphragm 303. The cover member 15 can propagate air vibrations generated by the vibration of the diaphragm 303 to the outside, and water, foreign matter, and the like can enter the housing member 300 from a gap generated between the diaphragm 303 and the main plate portion 301a. A material that can be prevented from entering is preferred.

  The connecting member 304 that connects a part of the diaphragm 303 and the main plate portion 301a to support the diaphragm 303 has a number and a position in consideration of the direction of the grain of the main plate portion 301a, the type of wood, the compressibility, and the like. Determined. In the case illustrated in FIG. 12, in consideration of the main plate portion 301 a having a plate surface, the connecting member 304 has a straight line that is parallel to the substantially rectangular longitudinal direction of the main plate portion 301 a and passes through the center of the diaphragm 303 as a symmetry axis. Four positions are provided at positions that are line symmetric. This is merely an example, and the number and arrangement of the connecting members 304 can be optimized according to various conditions such as the type of wood constituting the housing member 300 and the compression rate.

  The thickness of the diaphragm 303 and the connecting member 304 is substantially the same as the thickness of the main plate portion 301a and the side plate portion 301b. Of these, the connecting member 304 has a corrugated longitudinal section as shown in FIG. As a result, vibration due to elastic deformation of the vibration plate 303 is assisted to easily generate vibration, while durability of the connection member 304 itself as a support connection means of the vibration plate 303 can be improved.

  On the side plate portion 302b of the back cover 302 combined with the front cover 301 having the above-described configuration, the microphone portion 14 that collects sound from the outside and converts it into an electrical signal is exposed. In this sense, the electronic device 3 has a voice input function in addition to the voice output function.

  Next, the internal configuration of the casing member 300 of the electronic device 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, inside the casing member 300, vibration is generated based on the control unit 20 that performs drive control of the electronic device 3, and an audio signal that is output to the outside. Is provided with a vibration generating unit 39 (vibration generating means). Among these, since the control part 20 has the same structure as the control part 20 provided in the housing member 100 in the said Embodiment 1, it attaches | subjects the same code | symbol with respect to the site | part provided with the same function, respectively.

  The vibration generating unit 39 includes a coil 33 disposed at the lower center of the diaphragm 303, a hollow cylindrical magnet 34 provided on the outer periphery of the coil 33, and a substrate unit 35 on which the coil 33 and the magnet 34 are placed. Therefore, a speaker unit is formed by the vibration generating unit 39 and the diaphragm 303.

  In forming the casing for packaging the electronic device 3 having the above-described configuration, the process of cutting wood from a solid material is the same as that in the first embodiment. That is, also in this embodiment, the wood 44 that is the prototype of the front cover 301 (and the back cover 302) is cut out so that the longitudinal direction is along the fiber direction L of the solid material 40. The gap between the main plate portion 301a and the connecting member 304 and the end portion of the diaphragm 303 may be formed by cutting or the like after being cut out from the solid material 40.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of the compression process of the timber 44 to be the front cover 301 according to this embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 14 shows the vibration in the cross section taken along the line CC in FIG. 12 shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of the compression process which forms the board 303 vicinity. Also in this embodiment, the wood is first softened in a high-temperature and high-pressure steam atmosphere. After that, after the softened wood 44 is disposed at a predetermined position between the two mold frames (the upper mold frame 71 and the lower mold frame 81), at least one of the mold frames is brought close to the other mold frame. By fitting the two molds together, the wood 44 is sandwiched and compressed between them.

  Of these, the upper mold 71 that applies a compressive force to the wood 44 from above the wood 44 during compression is a conical convex portion 711 that abuts against the inner surface of the diaphragm 303 and the thin horizontal of the wood 44 that becomes the connecting member 304. It has a corrugated part 712 that abuts on the upper surface of the part 441 and forms a corrugated shape of the connecting member 304 by sandwiching and compressing it with a lower mold frame 81 to be described later. A portion of the upper mold 71 (not shown) has a concave portion into which the side plate portion 301b rises from the main plate portion 301a of the timber 44 and fits into the curved outer surface. The curvature radius of the abutting curved surface is smaller than the curvature radius of the curved outer surface.

  On the other hand, the lower mold frame 81 that applies a compressive force to the wood 44 from below the wood 44 at the time of compression is a conical recess 811 into which the outer surface of the diaphragm 303 is fitted, and a thin horizontal portion 441 of the wood 44 that becomes the connecting member 304. The corrugated portion 812 forms the corrugated shape of the connecting member 304 by sandwiching and compressing the thin horizontal portion 441 between the corrugated portion 712 and the corrugated portion 712 described above. A portion (not shown) of the lower mold frame 81 has a convex portion that has a shape that fits to the curved inner surface of the timber 44 from which the side plate portion 301b rises from the main plate portion 301a. The radius of curvature of the curved surface that contacts the curved inner surface is smaller than the radius of curvature of the curved inner surface.

  Since the installation location of the connecting member 304 is arbitrary as long as it is the outer edge portion of the diaphragm 303, the corrugation 712 of the upper mold 71 and the corrugation of the lower mold 81 are provided to enable the compression process in any case. The portions 812 are formed in an annular shape along the outer peripheries of the conical convex portion 711 and the conical concave portion 811, respectively.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper mold frame 71 and the lower mold frame 81 having the above configuration sandwich and compress the softened wood 44 in a steam atmosphere, and have the same cutting line as FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. After the state shown in FIG. 15 is maintained and a predetermined time has elapsed, the upper mold 71 and the lower mold 81 are separated to release the compression. As a result of the compressive force being applied in a direction substantially orthogonal to the fiber direction, the thickness of the compressed wood 44 is about 1/2 to 1/3 of the thickness before compression. It becomes. Accordingly, the fiber 44 after compression processing has an increased fiber density, and high strength is imparted to the whole. The diaphragm 303 and the connecting member 304 have a structure that is thinner than the main plate portion 301a and the side plate portion 301b. Also in this embodiment, when importance is attached to the strength, the thickness of the connecting member 304 may be slightly larger than the thickness of the diaphragm 303. In addition, when importance is attached to vibration, the thickness of the connecting member 304 may be slightly smaller than the thickness of the diaphragm 303. Note that the compression processing method of the back cover 302 is the same as that of the front cover 301.

  By the way, since the diaphragm 303 vibrates the surrounding air by its own elastic deformation and generates sound, it is necessary to generate an appropriate elastic deformation. Further, the connecting member 304 has a function of assisting the elastic deformation of the diaphragm 303, and needs to generate an appropriate elastic deformation like the diaphragm 303. Therefore, so that the diaphragm 303 and the connecting member 304 can be elastically deformed, the upper mold 71 and the upper mold 71 and the compression ratio of the main plate portion 301a and the side plate portion 301b that are simultaneously compressed are reduced. The lower mold 81 is designed.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above is obtained by integrally forming the diaphragm with the front cover with a thin connecting member interposed in the front cover, that is, It is possible to provide an electronic device casing and an electronic device using the casing that can output a high-quality sound that is easy to assemble with a small number of parts and that is natural and realistic.

  In particular, according to this embodiment, since the positioning of the diaphragm has already been completed when the compression process is completed, the assembly of the casing is further facilitated.

  As a modification of this embodiment, the diaphragm may be integrally formed on the back cover side. In this case, the board portion of the audio signal output unit is disposed on the front cover side, and the upper and lower sides of the audio signal output unit are reversed from those in FIG.

  So far, two preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but the present invention is not limited only to these embodiments. For example, you may bake the surface of the wood which gave compression processing. By firing the surface of the wood in this way, irregularities are generated in the grain portion of the surface, so that the effects of hygroscopicity and anti-slip can be obtained from the beginning of use. In addition, since the carbonized layer obtained by firing becomes a conductor and becomes an electromagnetic shield material that is much lighter than metal, it is suitable as a portable electronic device casing.

  Moreover, after compressing wood, the wood may be impregnated with a synthetic resin. By doing in this way, the intensity | strength of the wood as a housing | casing for electronic devices can be raised further, without impairing the gentle texture appealing to the outstanding hygroscopic property as a natural material of wood, and human sensitivity.

  Furthermore, a center cap that covers the vicinity of the end of the diaphragm that is in contact with the coil may be formed of the same wood. In this case, it is more preferable to homogenize the material if the center cap portion is also cut out together with the case portion from the solid material. The shape of the diaphragm itself is not limited to the surface shape of a substantially truncated cone, and may be, for example, a dome shape or a planar shape. Further, the outer shape of the diaphragm is not limited to a circle, and may be a square, for example.

  In addition, as a vibration receiving means in a dynamic microphone or the like that converts sound air vibration into an electric signal and inputs sound, a diaphragm similar to the above two embodiments may be formed integrally with the casing member. Is possible.

  The present invention can be applied to various electronic devices having an audio output function. As such an electronic device, a portable communication terminal such as a mobile phone or PHS or PDA, a portable audio device that outputs a sound by mounting a voice recording medium such as MD, CD, or cassette tape, a portable television, a portable type Examples include radios, remote controls for various home appliances, digital cameras, and digital videos.

  Thus, the present invention can include various embodiments and the like not described herein, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea specified by the claims. It is possible to apply.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the electronic device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the shaping of wood. It is a top view which shows the shaping of wood. It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the compression process of the timber in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline | summary of the compression process of the timber in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state at the time of the wood compression in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the positioning process of the diaphragm in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the diaphragm in the predetermined position in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the electronic device which concerns on the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the positioning process of the diaphragm in the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the electronic device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline | summary of the compression process of the timber in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section which shows the state at the time of the wood compression in Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3 Electronic device 11 Display unit 12 Input unit 13 Audio output hole unit 14 Microphone unit 15 Cover member 20 Control unit 30 Speaker unit 31, 303 Diaphragm 32, 38, 304 Connecting member 32a, 37a Boundary portion 32b, 37b Bending portion 33 Coil 34 Magnet 35 Substrate portion 36, 38 Support member 39 Vibration generating portion 40 Solid material 41, 42, 43, 44 Wood 40G Wood 51, 71 Upper mold frame 61, 81 Lower mold frame 100, 300 Housing member 101 , 201, 301 Front cover 101a, 102a, 201a, 202a, 301a, 302a Main plate portion 101b, 102b, 201b, 202b, 301b, 302b Side plate portion 102, 202, 302 Back cover 441 Thin horizontal portion 511 Protruding portion 512 Staircase portion 513 , 811 Conical recess 611 recess 612 Flat portions 613,711 conical convex portions 712, 812 Corrugated portion

Claims (11)

A casing for an electronic device formed by compressing a predetermined wood to cover an electronic device having an audio output function,
A housing member that houses at least a part of an electronic member of the electronic device;
A diaphragm that propagates audio signals to the outside as air vibrations;
A connecting member that connects at least a part of the outer periphery of the diaphragm to the housing member;
With
The housing for electronic equipment, wherein the diaphragm and the connecting member are formed integrally with the housing member and are thinner than the housing member. The housing member is
A first cover member having a main plate portion having a substantially rectangular surface, and a side plate portion extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion from an outer edge portion of the main plate portion;
A second cover member having substantially the same shape as the first cover member, and constituting the casing member in combination with the first cover member;
With
2. The electronic device casing according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is connected to any one of the first and second cover members. The diaphragm is
By rotating a predetermined angle around an axis passing through the connecting member, a predetermined area in a columnar region having an outer edge portion of the cover member connecting the connecting member as one cross section among the first and second cover members. The electronic device casing according to claim 2, wherein the electronic device casing is disposed at a position. The housing member is
A first cover member having a main plate portion having a substantially rectangular surface, and a side plate portion extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion from an outer edge portion of the main plate portion;
A second cover member having substantially the same shape as the first cover member, and constituting the casing member in combination with the first cover member;
With
2. The electronic device casing according to claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the diaphragm forms part of a surface of a main plate portion of one of the first and second cover members.   The casing for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the diaphragm has a substantially frustum side shape.   6. The electronic device casing according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member has substantially the same thickness as the diaphragm. A method of manufacturing a casing for an electronic device that manufactures a casing for packaging an electronic device using predetermined wood,
A casing member that houses at least a part of an electronic member included in the electronic device, a diaphragm that propagates an audio signal as air vibration to the outside, and at least a part of an outer periphery of the diaphragm are coupled to the casing member. A method for manufacturing a casing for electronic equipment, comprising: a step of integrally compressing a connecting member so that the diaphragm and the connecting member are thinner than the casing member.   8. The method of manufacturing a casing for an electronic device according to claim 7, further comprising a step of accommodating the diaphragm in the casing member by inverting the diaphragm around the connecting member.   The method for manufacturing a casing for an electronic device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the diaphragm has a substantially truncated conical shape.   The method for manufacturing a casing for an electronic device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the connecting member has substantially the same thickness as the diaphragm. The housing for electronic devices according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Vibration generating means that is housed in the electronic device casing and generates vibrations based on an audio signal output to the outside of the electronic device casing, and propagates the generated vibrations to the diaphragm;
An electronic device characterized by comprising:

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