JP2006211336A - Portable electronics device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve strength and endurance of a holder that is formed in a housing and holds a shaft in a portable electronics device in which two housings lapped together in their thickness direction are coupled by the shaft, in an openable and closeable manner with a rotation-axis-line direction, perpendicular to the thickness direction of the housings, defined as a center. <P>SOLUTION: There is provided the portable electronics device equipped with: a protrusion that is arranged in one end of a first housing and protrudes from its opposed face to the thickness direction; a concave cut-out that is formed in one end 3a of a second housing 3 and is provided with a protrusion; a shaft that couples rotatably the protrusion inside the cut-out and besides is arranged from a pair of convex portions 13 for making up both sides of the cut-out to the protrusion, two case members 15, 17 unitable in the thickness direction of the second housing 3; a holder 31 in which the convex portions 13 protrude from an inside surface 15a of one case member 15 opposed to the other case member 17 in the thickness direction; and a fixing means for making the holder 31 engage with the other case member 17 to fix the holder 31 integrally to the case member 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) in which two casings are connected to each other so as to be foldable.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and PDAs have a folding type in which two casings are swingably connected to each other by a hinge portion disposed at the ends of the two casings. There are portable electronic devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the portable electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 1, for the purpose of downsizing, three or more ring portions (holding portions) projecting in the thickness direction of the housing from the front case and the rear case constituting each housing. Are formed, and a shaft is inserted through these ring portions to constitute a hinge portion.
JP 2002-314661 A

However, in the above-described conventional portable electronic device, the ring portion protrudes from the front case or the rear case in the thickness direction of the housing, so that the relative swing of the two housings around the rotation axis is 2 or the like. There is a problem that a load is applied to the ring portion via the shaft body based on the relative movement of the two casings, and improvement in rigidity of the ring portion with respect to the front case and the rear case is required.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable electronic device that can improve the strength and durability of the holding portion.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes the following means.
A portable electronic device according to the present invention is arranged in a first casing and a second casing that can be opposed to each other in the thickness direction, and at one end of the first casing, and from the facing surface in the thickness direction. A projecting portion projecting into the first housing, a concave notch portion formed at one end portion of the second housing and arranging the projecting portion, and a rotation axis intersecting the thickness direction within the notch portion. A projecting portion rotatably connected, and at least one of a pair of convex portions constituting both side portions of the notch and a shaft body arranged in the rotational axis direction across the projecting portion, and the second The housing includes two case members that can be coupled in the thickness direction, and the convex portion projects in the thickness direction from the inner surface of the other case member facing the one case member, and the shaft body A holding portion for holding the holding portion, and the holding portion is engaged with the one case member. By, characterized in that it comprises a fixing means for integrally fixed.
Note that the facing surface indicates a surface of each housing facing each other in a state where the two housings are overlapped and closed.

The portable electronic device according to the present invention is characterized in that the fixing means includes movement restriction means for restricting movement of the holding portion in a direction intersecting the thickness direction.
Further, in the portable electronic device according to the present invention, the convex portion protrudes toward the one end portion of the one case member and extends toward the other case member to cover the holding portion. And the fixing means includes engaging means for engaging the distal end in the extending direction of the outer shell wall portion with the holding portion.

Further, in the portable electronic device according to the present invention, the holding portion has a substantially arc-shaped outer peripheral surface, and the outer shell wall portion is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to contact the outer peripheral surface. It is characterized by.
Furthermore, the portable electronic device according to the present invention is characterized in that an extending direction of a tip of the outer shell wall portion is a direction extending toward the one end portion or the thickness direction.

  According to the present invention, the holding portion that protrudes from the other case member is integrally fixed to the one case member by the fixing means. For this reason, the rigidity of the holding | maintenance part with respect to one case member can be improved, and the durability can also be improved. That is, even if a load is applied to the holding portion via the shaft body based on relative swinging of the two housings around the rotation axis, the holding portion can withstand this load.

1 to 4 show one embodiment according to the present invention, and the embodiment described here is a case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone.
As shown in FIG. 1, a mobile phone (portable electronic device) 1 can be overlapped with a first housing 2 formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, in the thickness direction of the first housing 2. A second casing 3 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is rotatable about a rotation axis L located at one end 2a, 3a in the longitudinal direction of each casing 2, 3, and is foldably connected. It is configured. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis L extends in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the casings 2 and 3.

  A display unit 5 such as a liquid crystal display or an organic display for displaying various types of information is provided inside the first housing 2, and the display unit 5 superimposes two housings 2 and 3 on each other. In the closed state, the second housing 3 is exposed to the outside from the facing surface 2b of the first housing 2 facing the second housing 3. A projecting portion 7 that projects from the facing surface 2 b is integrally formed on the facing surface 2 b of the first housing 2. The projecting portion 7 is disposed at one end 2 a of the first housing 2 that is located at a connection portion with the second housing 3. Furthermore, an opening 2d of a speaker for calling is formed in the facing surface 2b located at the other end 2c in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 2.

  The second housing 3 has an operation unit 9 for inputting various types of information, and has a substantially U-shaped notch 11 in plan view that accommodates the protruding portion 7 of the first housing 2. The operation unit 9 is disposed on the facing surface 3b of the second casing 3 facing the first casing 2 in a state where the two casings 2 and 3 are overlapped and closed, and a call key, It is composed of a plurality of various pressable operation keys such as an end call key. Further, the notch 11 is formed at the center of the one end 3 a of the second housing 3 that is located at the connecting portion with the first housing 2. Therefore, a pair of convex portions 13 constituting the cutout portion 11 is formed on both side portions of the one end portion 3a of the second housing 3. In addition, an opening 3d of a microphone for calling is formed in the facing surface 3b located at the other end 3c in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 3.

The second housing 3 includes a front case (the other case member) 15 constituting the facing surface 3b side of the second housing 3, and a second housing located on the opposite side of the facing surface 3b. A rear case (one case member) 17 constituting the outer surface 3e side of the body 3 is provided. The front case 15 and the rear case 17 can be coupled to each other in the thickness direction of the second housing 3.
Shaft bodies 19 and 21 are inserted between the protrusions 7 of the first housing 2 and the convex portions 13 of the second housing 3, respectively. The shaft bodies 19 and 21 are arranged on the rotation axis L and are not exposed to the outside. Thereby, the connection means 23 which connects the two housings 2 and 3 is configured so that the protruding portion 7 can rotate within the cutout portion 11 around the rotation axis L.

Each convex part 13 which comprises the notch part 11 of the 2nd housing | casing 3 is the holding | maintenance part 31 which protrudes from the inner surface 15a of the front case 15 located in the other side of the opposing surface 3b, as shown to FIGS. And an outer shell wall portion 33 formed in the rear case 17.
The holding portion 31 is formed with a hole 31a penetrating in the direction of the rotation axis L, and one end of the shaft bodies 19 and 21 is inserted into the hole 31a. In addition, the holding portion 31 is formed with a concave portion 35 that is recessed in the thickness direction of the rear case 17 from the leading end side in the protruding direction.
The holding portion 31 has a substantially arc-shaped outer peripheral surface 31b that extends from the tip of the holding portion 31 toward the one end 3a of the second housing 3, and a terminal portion of the outer peripheral surface 31b that is positioned on the one end 3a. Is provided with an engaging recess 37 formed to be recessed from the outer peripheral surface 31b.

The outer shell wall portion 33 protrudes toward the one end portion 3 a of the second casing 3 in the rear case 17 and extends toward the front case 15, and is configured to cover the holding portion 31. The outer shell wall portion 33 is formed in a substantially arc shape in a sectional view, and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 31b of the holding portion 31 described above.
The tip 33a of the outer shell wall 33 extending toward the front case 15 is beyond the tip of the rear case 17 on the one end 3a side, and is opposite to the protruding direction of the outer shell wall 33 toward the one end 3a. The rear case 17 is located closest to the one end 3 a side of the second housing 3. That is, the extending direction of the tip 33 a of the outer shell wall portion 33 is a direction toward the front case 15 in the thickness direction of the second housing 3. Thereby, in a state where the front case 15 and the rear case 17 are coupled to each other, the tip 33a of the outer shell wall portion 33 does not go around the holding portion 33 and is sandwiched in the thickness direction of the second casing 3. . An engaging claw 39 that engages with the engaging recess 37 of the holding portion 31 is formed at the tip 33 a of the outer shell wall portion 33.
The engaging recess 41 of the holding portion 31 and the engaging claw 39 of the outer shell wall portion 33 constitute engaging means 41 for engaging the tip of the outer shell wall portion 33 with the holding portion 31.

Further, a projection 43 is formed to protrude from the inner surface 17a side of the rear case 17 located on the opposite side of the outer surface 3e in the outer shell wall portion 33, and the front case 15 and the rear case 17 are coupled to each other. In the state, the projection 43 is fitted in the recess 35 of the holding portion 31 described above.
In this fitted state, the protrusions 43 are sandwiched in the direction of the rotation axis L by the pair of side wall portions 35a and 35b that are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis L and that constitute the recess 35, so The inner surface 17a is prevented from being bent in the direction of the rotation axis L. The recess 35 of the rear case 17 and the protrusion 43 of the front case 15 constitute a movement restricting means 45 that restricts the movement of the holding part 31 in the direction of the rotation axis L.
Further, the engaging means 41 and the movement restricting means 45 constitute a fixing means for engaging the holding portion 31 with the rear case 17 and fixing them integrally.

According to the mobile phone 1 configured as described above, the movement restricting means 45 restricts the movement of the holding portion 31 in the direction of the rotation axis L, so that the holding portion 31 is in contact with the inner surface 17a of the rear case 17. It can prevent bending.
Further, since the front end 33a of the outer shell wall portion 33 is engaged with the holding portion 31 by the engaging means 41, the front end 33a of the outer shell wall portion 33 can be prevented from being separated from the holding portion 31.

That is, the holding portion 31 of the front case 15 is integrally fixed to the rear case 17 by the engagement means 41 and the movement restriction means 45. And the rigidity of the holding | maintenance part 31 with respect to the rear case 17 can be improved, and the durability can also be improved. Therefore, based on the relative movement of the two casings 2, 3, such as relative swinging of the two casings 2, 3 about the rotation axis L, the holding portion is interposed via the shaft bodies 19, 21. Even if a load is applied to 31, the holding unit 31 can withstand this load.
Further, by bringing the arc-shaped outer shell wall portion 33 into contact with the outer peripheral surface 31b of the holding portion 31, the outer shell wall portion 33 causes the holding portion to move in the thickness direction of the second casing 3 or in a direction intersecting with the second casing 3. Since 31 can be pressed down, the holding part 31 and the outer shell wall part 33 can be further fixed integrally.

In addition, since the outer shell wall portion 33 is configured to cover the holding portion 31, it is possible to prevent the holding portion 31 from being exposed to the outside of the second housing 3. It is possible to form a clean and excellent external shape without emphasizing the connecting portion. Further, since the outer shell wall portion 33 is formed in an arc shape so as to contact the outer peripheral surface 31b of the holding portion 31, it is exposed to the outside without increasing the thickness dimension of the outer shell wall portion 33. A good design can be formed by forming the surface of the outer shell wall portion into a curved surface.
From the above, the mobile phone 1 having a good appearance design can be provided.

Further, when the front case 15 and the rear case 17 are coupled to each other, the outer shell wall portion 33 does not go around the holding portion 33 and is sandwiched in the thickness direction of the second housing 3. When the 15 and the rear case 17 are removed in the thickness direction, the tip 33 a of the outer shell wall portion 33 is not caught by the holding portion 31.
That is, when the front case 15 and the rear case 17 are coupled to each other, the front case 15 and the rear case 17 are not moved relative to each other in the thickness direction of the second housing 3. The protrusions 43 of the outer shell wall portion 33 can be fitted into the recesses 35 of the holding portion 31 and the engaging claws 39 of the outer shell wall portion 33 can be held only by coupling 17 to each other from the thickness direction. It can be engaged with the engaging recess 37 of the part 31. Therefore, the assembly work of the front case 15 and the rear case 17 can be easily performed.

In the above embodiment, the extending direction of the tip 33a of the outer shell wall portion 33 is the direction toward the front case 15 in the thickness direction of the second casing 3, but is not limited thereto. Instead, it may include a directional component extending toward the one end 3a side of the rear case 17.
Further, although the engaging means 41 is configured by the engaging recess 37 of the holding portion 31 and the engaging claw 39 of the outer shell wall portion 33, at least the tip 33 a of the outer shell wall portion 33 is engaged with the holding portion 31. It only has to match. Therefore, for example, an engaging claw may be formed on the outer peripheral surface 31 b of the holding portion 31, and an engaging concave portion that engages with the engaging claw may be formed on the tip 33 a of the outer shell wall portion 33.

Furthermore, although the movement restricting means 45 restricts the movement of the holding portion 31 in the direction of the rotation axis L, the movement restricting means 45 is not limited to this, and at least in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the second housing 3. What is necessary is just to be able to regulate movement.
In the above embodiment, the mobile phone 1 has been described. However, the mobile phone 1 only needs to have a configuration in which at least two housings are foldably connected. For example, the mobile phone 1 may be another mobile electronic device such as a PDA or a digital camera. It doesn't matter.
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the concrete structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened two housing | casings which comprise the mobile telephone which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention mutually. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state where a second housing is divided into a front case and a rear case in the mobile phone of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing one end portion of a second housing in the mobile phone of FIG. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Mobile phone (mobile electronic device)
2 1st housing | casing 2a, 3a One end part 2b Opposite surface 3 2nd housing | casing 7 Protrusion part 11 Notch part 13 Protrusion part 15 Front case (other case member)
15a Inner surface 17 Rear case (one case member)
19, 21 Shaft body 31 Holding part 31b Outer peripheral surface 33 Outer shell wall part 33a Tip 41 Engaging means 45 Movement restricting means L Rotating axis

Claims (5)

A first housing and a second housing that can be opposed to each other in a thickness direction; a projecting portion that is disposed at one end of the first housing and projects from the facing surface in the thickness direction; A recess-shaped notch formed at one end of the housing and having the protrusion disposed therein, and the protrusion being rotatably connected within the notch with a rotation axis intersecting the thickness direction as a center. A shaft body arranged in the rotational axis direction across at least one of a pair of convex portions constituting both side portions of the cutout portion and the protruding portion,
The second housing includes two case members that can be coupled in the thickness direction,
The convex portion protrudes from the inner surface of the other case member facing the one case member in the thickness direction, and includes a holding portion that holds the shaft body.
A portable electronic device comprising fixing means for engaging the holding portion with the one case member to fix them integrally.   The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit includes a movement regulating unit that regulates movement of the holding unit in a direction intersecting the thickness direction. The convex portion includes an outer shell wall portion that protrudes toward the one end portion of the one case member and extends toward the other case member to cover the holding portion,
3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit includes an engaging unit that engages a distal end of the outer shell wall portion in the extending direction with the holding unit. The holding portion has a substantially arc-shaped outer peripheral surface,
The portable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the outer shell wall portion is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to abut on the outer peripheral surface. 5. The portable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein an extending direction of a tip of the outer shell wall portion is a direction extending toward the one end portion or the thickness direction.

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