JP2008252801A - Portable terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable terminal device which freely controls a slide load required for sliding a rolling type slide structure including a slide structure of rolling type, in a simple structure by changing the diameter of a rolling ball, and makes compatible a light slide feeling and a high-class heavy slide feeling. <P>SOLUTION: A slide mechanism comprises: a ball-and-retainer, in which a plurality of balls are integrated, disposed on left and right sides of a case in a length direction; an M guide 210 fixed on a case frame of a lower case for guiding balls; and an R guide 220 fixed on a case frame of an upper case for guiding balls from an opposite direction of the M guide 210. The upper case and the lower case are bonded and the relevant cases are slid mutually along the length directions of the cases. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal device, and more particularly to a portable terminal device characterized by a slide structure.

  In recent years, portable communication terminal devices having a slide mechanism are attracting attention from the viewpoints of both operability and design.

  Conventionally, a mobile communication terminal device having such a slide mechanism is composed of an upper housing having a display surface such as a liquid crystal display unit and a lower housing having an operation surface such as a numeric keypad or a keyboard. A device having a slide mechanism that, when moved (slid), causes the front surface of the lower housing, that is, the operation surface to appear to be operable from the back surface of the upper housing is known.

  For example, such a mobile communication terminal device has a structure in which each slide groove provided in the upper and lower housings is engaged with a slide connection member, and a spring member inserted into the guide body and a joint of the slide connection member It has a sliding force relaxation means through the section, and enables sliding movement (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, in the above-mentioned slide structure, a certain clearance or more is required between the slide connecting member and the housing in order to ensure smooth sliding. is there. Further, since this slide structure has a sliding structure, there is a concern about the occurrence of wear due to sliding.

Therefore, by having a rolling slide structure that uses guide rails, balls, and ball holders, the fitting gap between the upper and lower housings is made as small as possible to achieve both a smooth sliding feeling and a feeling of rigidity without rattling. There is a way to realize. In addition, by bending the guide rail to a desired curvature, visibility and operability can be improved by providing a certain angle between the display surface and the operation surface in the open state.
JP 2006-246353 A

  However, in the rolling slide structure, the operation feeling when sliding (hereinafter also referred to as “slide feeling”) is constant, and it is difficult to change the feel felt by the user in accordance with the slide state.

  On the other hand, in the slide structure described in Patent Document 1, although the slide texture is changed by transmitting the slide force from the rack and pinion to the damper mechanism, the feeling of operation changes before and after the slide starts and ends. The damper effect occurs equally in the entire slide area, so that it always has the same texture regardless of the slide position.

  Also, there is a method of reducing the impact of the slide by arranging a damper material such as rubber at the beginning and end of the slide, but it is also difficult to change the feel of the user during the slide.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rolling slide structure having a rolling slide structure using a guide rail, a ball, and a ball holder. By changing the diameter of the ball, the load required for sliding with a simple structure (hereinafter referred to as “slide load”) can be controlled freely, and it has a light slide feeling and high-class feeling. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal device that can achieve both a good sliding feeling.

  In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a slide mechanism that connects the upper housing and the lower housing and slides in one direction, A plurality of rolling balls that roll when the slide mechanism slides and have different diameter types, a holding member that holds each rolling ball in a freely rollable manner, and the upper housing. An upper housing guide member fixed to guide rolling of the rolling ball, and a lower housing guide member fixed to the lower housing to guide rolling of the rolling ball The rolling balls are sandwiched between the upper housing guide member and the lower housing guide member.

  With this configuration, the invention according to claim 1 can change the ball diameter uniquely determined at any slide position, so that at least one guide member that holds the rolling ball is the original. The restoring force indicating the state, that is, the force to return to the shape before the rolling ball is held can be changed, and the pressure on the rolling ball in the guide member can be changed.

  Usually, the slide load used as one of the indexes that the user feels when sliding the housing is the load applied to the contact point between each rolling ball and each guide member, that is, the pressure applied to the rolling ball ( Hereinafter, it is also referred to as “pressurization”) and the rolling resistance determined by the diameter of the rolling ball. Further, since the rolling ball rolls when the upper housing is slid with respect to the lower housing, the ball position at any sliding position is determined on a one-to-one basis with respect to each guide member.

  Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, if the diameter of the rolling ball is increased, the pressure applied to the rolling ball can be increased and the sliding load can be increased. Conversely, the diameter of the rolling ball can be decreased. If this is done, the slide load can be reduced. For example, if the diameter of the rolling ball is gradually changed from large to small and gradually changed from small to small along the slide direction, it is heavy when the slide starts. It is possible to provide the user with a feeling of sliding that gradually becomes lighter as the slide progresses, and gradually becomes heavier again after passing near the center.

  As a result, the invention according to claim 1 can freely control the slide load at an arbitrary slide position with a simple structure without adding a special structure by changing the diameter of the rolling ball. Along with this, it is possible to achieve both a light slide feeling and a high-class heavy slide feeling.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism is movable in the same direction as a direction in which each housing slides. It has the structure further provided with the support member which has a rotary body which supports any one guide member.

  With this configuration, the invention according to claim 2 can disperse the load applied to the rolling ball during sliding by using the rolling ball and the rotating body, and originally has a function of controlling the sliding load. Since the slide mechanism that was not used can have a slide load control function, it is possible to freely and continuously control the slide load at any slide position with a simple structure without adding a special structure. It becomes.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the portable terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the support member further includes an elastic body that supports the rotating body.

  With this configuration, for example, the invention according to claim 3 can be achieved by using a spring (coil spring, leaf spring, etc.) as the elastic body, its spring coefficient, and if using an elastomer as the elastic body, its thickness and hardness. Since the pressurization of the rolling ball can be controlled based on the (elastic modulus) and area, the pressurization can be controlled more easily than when the pressurization is controlled only by the guide member.

  According to the portable terminal device of the present invention, the slide load at an arbitrary slide position can be freely controlled with a simple structure without adding a special structure by changing the diameter of the rolling ball. At the same time, it is possible to achieve both a light slide feeling and a high-class heavy slide feeling.

  Next, preferred embodiments of the portable terminal device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention includes the range which has the technical feature, and is not limited to drawing shown below.

  Embodiment described below is embodiment at the time of applying this invention with respect to a portable terminal device.

[First Embodiment]
First, a first embodiment of a portable terminal device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the external configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 1 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide storage state of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide unfolded state of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a display unit 111 and a casing 110 (hereinafter referred to as an “upper casing”) that is an upper part with respect to the front surface. , A casing (hereinafter referred to as a “lower casing”) 120 that has an operation unit 121 and is lower than the front surface, and an upper casing 110 and a lower casing 120 are joined to each other. And a slide mechanism 200 that slides the respective housings along the direction.

  The upper housing 110 is provided with a display unit 111 that performs necessary display at the time of operation, communication, or activation of a predetermined program at the upper center of the front surface, and the lower housing 120 is provided on the back surface of the upper housing 110. Regardless of the slide state of the stored state (hereinafter referred to as “slide retracted state”) and the state in which the lower housing 120 is slid and exposed (hereinafter referred to as “slide unfolded state”), The display unit 111 is provided on the front face.

  In the upper casing 110 of the present embodiment, a speaker that amplifies a phone call or sound may be provided between the upper end of the display unit 111 and the upper end of the upper casing 110, or the display unit 111 Between the lower end portion of the upper housing 110 and the lower end portion of the upper housing 110, an operation portion 121 that functions differently from the operation portion 121 provided in the lower housing 120 may be provided.

  The lower housing 120 is entirely stored on the back surface of the upper housing 110 in the slide storage state, and is exposed except for a part of the upper portion of the lower housing 120 in the slide unfolded state. have. In particular, the lower housing 120 includes an operation unit 121 that is disposed so as to be operable by a user when the slide is unfolded.

  In the lower casing 120 of the present embodiment, a microphone unit used for a telephone or the like may be provided between the lower end of the lower casing 120 and the lower end of the operation unit 121. An operation lever that is slid and operated when the portable terminal device 100 is in a slide unfolded state, a shutter button for a camera function, and the like may be provided on the right side surface portion of the housing portion 120.

  The slide mechanism 200 is provided on each of the case frames of the upper case 110 and the lower case 120 so that the display unit 111 and the operation unit 121 are at a predetermined angle in the slide unfolded state (preferably about 168 °) slide track. Further, the slide mechanism 200 has a structure in which the respective housings can be slid relative to each other while the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are joined.

  In addition, by having such a slide mechanism 200, the display part 111 becomes easy to see in the operation | work which sees a display, operating in a slide expansion | deployment state, and it can improve visibility and operativity.

  Next, the slide mechanism 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration including each housing of the slide mechanism 200 in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a slide mechanism in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only 200. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view in a direction orthogonal to the slide direction of the slide mechanism 200 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view of the slide mechanism 200 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment is fixed to a ball and retainer 230 in which a plurality of balls are incorporated and arranged on the left and right in the longitudinal direction, and a housing frame of the lower housing 120. And an M guide 210 for guiding the ball and an R guide 220 fixed to the housing frame of the upper housing 110 and for guiding each ball from the opposite direction of the M guide 210.

  The ball and retainer 230 is provided while being curved along the longitudinal direction in the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 facing each other on the left and right sides of the housing. The ball and retainer 230 is provided with a plurality of holes in a thin sheet metal in the short side direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “short side direction”) of the housing, and a plurality of claws (not shown) around the holes. The retainer 231 is a provided ball holder, and a plurality of steel ball balls (hereinafter referred to as “rolling balls”) 232 having a diameter of about 1.6 mm to 1.7 mm, for example.

  Further, the ball and retainer 230 has a structure that is longer than the M guide 210 and shorter than the R guide 220, and is freely rotatable so as not to be pulled out by a claw at each hole (that is, fitted into each hole). The rolling ball 232 is held so as to be able to roll.

  Each rolling ball 232 is in contact with each of the grooves (M guide groove and R guide groove described later) provided at each guide at one or more points, and is aligned in the sliding direction (that is, along the guide groove). ) Disposed. A clearance is provided between the claw and the hole and the ball so that the ball is free to roll.

  The M guide 210 is shorter than the R guide 220, has a total length of, for example, about 20 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The M guide 210 is perpendicular to the front axis and is opened outward in the short side direction of the housing, and each rolling ball 232 can roll on a single track (hereinafter, “ M guide groove ”) 211.

  5 and 6, the M guide 210 is fixed to the lower housing 120 and is integrally formed with the lower housing 120 by insert molding. In particular, the M guide groove 211 hangs on the region of the R housing and is fitted with the R guide 220 (that is, an R guide groove 221 described later) via a ball so as to connect the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120. It has become.

  The R guide 220 is longer than the M guide 210 and has a total length of, for example, about 80 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The R guide 220 is perpendicular to the front axis and is opened inward in the short side direction of the housing, so that each rolling ball 232 can roll on a single track (hereinafter, “ "R guide groove") 221.

  5 and 6, the R guide 220 is fixed to the upper casing 110, and is integrally formed with the lower casing 120 by insert molding, for example. In particular, the R guide groove 221 is provided inside the upper housing 110 and is fitted with the M guide 210 (that is, the M guide groove 211) via a ball to connect the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120. It is supposed to let you.

  As will be described later, the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 are configured to bend the slide track with such a configuration. By changing the curvature, the track can be changed to a straight line, a curve, or a straight line and a curve. It is possible to change freely.

  Next, the positional relationship between the ball and retainer 230, the M guide 210, and the R guide 220 in the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment and the effects thereof will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship between the ball and retainer 230, the M guide 210, and the R guide 220 depending on the slide position, and FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the present embodiment. is there.

  In the slide unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 7A, one end of the M guide 210, the R guide 220, and the ball and retainer 230 is at the same position. In the slide storage state, as shown in FIG. 7D, the other ends of the M guide 210, the R guide 220, and the ball and retainer 230 are in the same position.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, when moving from the slide unfolded state to the slide retracted state, the movement amount of the ball and retainer 230 with respect to the M guide 210 is the amount of movement of the R guide 220 with respect to the M guide 210. Half the amount of movement. The positional relationship between the ball and the M guide 210 and R guide 220 is as long as no slip occurs between the rolling ball 232 and the M guide 210 and R guide 220 (that is, the rolling ball 232 is above the M guide 210 and R guide 220). As long as you roll).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment has a one-to-one relationship between the position of the ball and the M guide 210 according to the slide position. When the diameter of the ball sandwiched between the guides 220 is increased, the deformation 300 occurs due to the M guide 210 being bent. The restoring force 301 generated by the deformation 300 increases the pressure applied to the ball at a desired slide position, and the slide load correlates with the rolling resistance determined by the pressure and the diameter of the rolling ball 232 that rolls. The slide load in the state increases.

  Specifically, the relationship between the rolling resistance P, the pressurization N, and the rolling ball 232 radius r is expressed by a general formula (Equation 1), and the radius r of the rolling ball 232 is assumed to be 1.6 mm. If the pressurizing pressure N is changed from 2 kgf to 3 kgf when the pressure is changed to 1.62 mm, the slide load is about 1.5 times. The pressure N is determined by the bending rigidity and the bending amount of the M guide 210 and the R guide 220.

  P = fN / r (where f represents a rolling friction coefficient) (Equation 1)

  Therefore, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment can freely apply a slide load at an arbitrary slide position with a simple structure without adding a special structure by using the balls constituting the slide mechanism 200 as described above. Can be controlled.

  As described above, the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment changes at least one of the rolling balls 232 by changing the diameter of the rolling ball whose position is uniquely determined at an arbitrary slide position. It is possible to change the restoring force 301 indicating the force of the guide member to return to the original state, that is, the force before the rolling ball 232 is held, to change the pressure on the rolling ball 232 in the guide member. it can.

  Normally, the slide load used as one of the indices felt by the user when the casing is slid is a load applied to the contact point between each rolling ball 232 and each guide member, that is, given by the rolling ball 232. It correlates with the rolling resistance determined by the pressure and the diameter of the rolling ball 232. Further, since the rolling ball 232 rolls when the upper housing 110 is slid with respect to the lower housing 120, the ball position at any sliding position is determined on a one-to-one basis for each guide member. .

  Therefore, the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment can increase the pressure applied to the rolling ball 232 by increasing the diameter of the rolling ball 232 and increase the slide load, and conversely the rolling ball. Since the slide load can be reduced by reducing the diameter of 232, when the slide is started by gradually changing the diameter of the rolling ball 232 from the large to the small and gradually from the small along the slide direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a slide feeling that the weight is gradually lighter as the slide progresses and becomes heavier again after passing near the center.

  As a result, the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment freely controls the slide load at an arbitrary slide position with a simple structure without adding a special structure by changing the diameter of the rolling ball 232. It is possible to achieve both a light slide feeling and a high-class heavy slide feeling.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the portable terminal device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 17.

  The portable terminal device of the present embodiment is characterized in that it has a slide mechanism having a structure for concealing the ball and retainer instead of the slide mechanism of the first embodiment, and the other configuration is the first embodiment. It is the same as the form. In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the display unit provided in the upper housing is configured on the entire surface.

  First, the external configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device 100 in the slide storage state of the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device 100 in the slide unfolded state of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a display unit 111, an upper casing 110 that is an upper portion with respect to the front surface, and an operation unit 121. And a slide mechanism 200 that joins the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 and slides the respective housings along the longitudinal direction of each housing. ing.

  The upper casing 110 is provided with a display unit 111 that performs necessary display at the time of operation, communication, or activation of a predetermined program on the entire surface, and the lower casing 120 is stored in the rear portion of the upper casing 110. The display unit 111 is always provided on the front front surface regardless of the slide state of the slide storage state and the slide unfolded state in which the lower housing 120 is slid and exposed.

  Further, the upper casing 110 of this embodiment includes an upper casing front 112 that constitutes a front casing, and an upper casing that constitutes a casing on the lower casing 120 on the surface opposite to the front casing. And rear body 113 (see FIG. 14 described later).

  The lower casing 120 is entirely stored in the back surface portion of the upper casing 110 in the slide storage state, and is exposed except for a part of the upper portion of the lower casing 120 in the slide unfolded state. It has a structure. In particular, the lower housing 120 includes an operation unit 121 that is disposed so as to be operable by a user when the slide is unfolded.

  Further, the lower casing 120 of the present embodiment includes a lower casing front 122 that constitutes a casing on the upper casing 110 side, and a lower casing rear 123 that constitutes a casing on the surface opposite to the front casing. (See FIG. 14 described later).

  In the lower casing 120 of the present embodiment, a microphone unit used for a telephone or the like may be provided between the lower end of the lower casing 120 and the lower end of the operation unit 121. An operation lever that is slid and operated when the portable terminal device 100 is in a slide unfolded state, a shutter button for a camera function, and the like may be provided on the right side surface portion of the housing portion 120.

  The slide mechanism 200 is provided inside the case frame of the upper case 110 and the case frame of the lower case 120 so that the display unit 111 and the operation unit 121 are at a predetermined angle in the slide unfolded state (desirably. Has a slide trajectory. Further, the slide mechanism 200 has a structure in which the respective housings can be slid relative to each other while the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are joined.

  In addition, by having such a slide mechanism 200, the display part 111 can be easily seen while operating with the operation part 121 in a slide expansion | deployment state, and visibility and operativity can be improved.

  Next, the slide mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration including each housing of the slide mechanism 200 in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a slide mechanism in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only 200. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view in a direction orthogonal to the slide direction of the slide mechanism 200 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view of the slide mechanism 200 shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 15 is a development view of the roller mechanism 240 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a comparison diagram of the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment with the portable terminal device 100 of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the slide mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is fixed to a ball and retainer 230 in which a plurality of balls are incorporated and disposed in the longitudinal direction, and a housing frame of the lower housing 120. An M guide 210 for guiding the ball, an R guide 220 fixed to the housing frame of the upper housing 110 and guiding each ball from the opposite direction of the M guide 210, and a roller mechanism for supporting the R guide 220 240.

  The ball and retainer 230 is provided while being curved along the longitudinal direction in the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 facing each other on the left and right sides of the housing. The ball and retainer 230 is provided with a plurality of holes in a thin sheet metal in the short side direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “short side direction”) of the housing, and a plurality of claws (not shown) around the holes. The retainer 231 is a provided ball holder, and a plurality of rolling balls 232 having a diameter of about 1.6 mm to 1.7 mm, for example.

  Further, the ball and retainer 230 has a structure that is longer than the M guide 210 and shorter than the R guide 220, and is freely rotatable so as not to be pulled out by a claw at each hole (that is, fitted into each hole). The rolling ball 232 is held so as to be able to roll.

  Each rolling ball 232 is in contact with each of the grooves (M guide groove and R guide groove described later) provided at each guide at one or more points, and is aligned in the sliding direction (that is, along the guide groove). ) Disposed. A clearance is provided between the claw and the hole and the ball so that the ball is free to roll.

  The M guide 210 is shorter than the R guide 220, has a total length of, for example, about 20 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The M guide 210 has an M guide groove 211 that is open toward the back surface and allows each rolling ball 232 to roll on one track.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the M guide 210 is fixed to the lower casing 120, and is integrally formed with the lower casing rear 123 by insert molding. In particular, the M guide groove 211 hangs on the region of the R housing and is fitted with the R guide 220 (that is, an R guide groove 221 described later) via a ball so as to connect the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120. It has become.

  In particular, the M guide groove 211 of the present embodiment is sandwiched between the lower housing rear 123 and a roller bracket 243 described later, and is screwed (not shown) at a predetermined mounting position (hereinafter referred to as “lower housing mounting position”). ) It is supposed to be fixed. The M guide groove 211 is engaged with the R guide 220 (that is, the R guide groove 221) via the rolling ball 232 so as to connect the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120.

  The R guide 220 is longer than the M guide 210 and has a total length of, for example, about 80 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The R guide 220 has an R guide groove 221 that opens in the front direction and allows each rolling ball 232 to roll on a single track.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the R guide 220 is fixed to the upper housing 110, and is integrally formed with the upper housing rear 113 by insert molding, for example. Further, the R guide groove 221 is provided inside the upper housing 110 and is disposed so as to face the display unit 111, and the M guide 210 (that is, the M guide groove 211) via the rolling ball 232. Thus, the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are connected.

  In particular, the R guide 220 of the present embodiment is supported by the roller mechanism 240 from the opposite side to the R guide groove 221 in order to hold the position of the R guide 220 in the front direction, that is, from the lower housing 120 side. Has a structure.

  As will be described later, the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 are configured to bend the slide track with such a configuration. By changing the curvature, the track can be changed to a straight line, a curve, or a straight line and a curve. It is possible to change freely.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the roller mechanism 240 is a plate that is in contact with the R guide 220 and has a roller 241 that rotates so that it can roll, a roller shaft 242 that serves as a rotation shaft of the roller 241, and a groove in which the roller 241 rolls. 246 and a roller bracket 243 that holds the roller 241.

  The roller 241 has a cylindrical shape formed of metal or resin, and a hole for inserting the roller shaft 242 is formed coaxially with the cylinder. In particular, the hole is formed in such a size that the roller can smoothly rotate without rattling when the roller shaft is inserted. In order to obtain smoother rotation, a small-diameter ball bearing may be used for the roller 241.

  The roller shaft 242 is supported by a plate 246, and its position is determined by a groove in the roller bracket 243 in a direction orthogonal to the support direction.

  The plate 246 is made of metal (aluminum, SUS, magnesium, etc.). As shown in FIG. 14, when the roller bracket 243 is fastened to the mounting position of the lower housing rear 123, the M rear and the roller bracket 243 are disposed. It is provided between.

  Further, the thickness of the plate 246 is determined so that the roller 241 contacts the R guide 220. A space is provided in the plate 246 so that the roller 241 does not contact any part other than the R guide 220 and the roller shaft 242.

  The roller bracket 243 is formed of metal (aluminum, SUS, magnesium, or the like), like the plate 246, and has a surface for fitting the roller 241 and the lower casing rear 123 to be attached to the lower casing rear 123. It has a two-stage structure with a surface having a groove opened on the side. In particular, the roller bracket 243 includes a plurality of holes having a predetermined shape for fitting the roller 241 and supporting the roller shaft 242.

  In this embodiment, by having such a slide structure, as shown in FIG. 16A, in the first embodiment, in the first embodiment, the ball and retainer 230 is a gap in the back surface of the upper housing 110 in the slide unfolded state. In contrast, the rolling ball 232 and the retainer 230 can be concealed by the R guide 220 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the effect in the slide mechanism 200 of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the present embodiment.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the positional relationship between the position of the rolling ball 232 and the M guide 210 is determined on a one-to-one basis by the slide position, so the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 at the desired slide position When the diameter of the sandwiched rolling ball 232 is increased, the deformation 300 occurs due to the M guide 210 being bent (that is, sandwiched). Further, the restoring force 301 generated by the deformation 300 increases the pressure applied to the rolling ball 232 at a desired slide position, and the slide load is approximately equal to the rolling resistance determined by the pressure and the diameter of the rolling ball 232. The slide load will increase.

  As described above, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment originally controls the slide load by using the ball and the roller mechanism 240 constituting the slide mechanism 200. Since the slide mechanism 200 that did not have the function to perform the slide load control function can be provided, the slide load at any slide position can be freely and continuously provided with a simple structure without adding a special structure. It becomes possible to control.

  Further, in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment, each guide is disposed so that each guide groove is in the front direction or the back direction (the guide groove is opposed to the display surface or the operation surface). Since the ball and retainer 230 can be concealed by the R guide 220, a user's intentional access accident can be prevented.

  In other words, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment can be restrained without the roller mechanism 240 because the rolling ball 232 is present in the direction in which the rolling ball 232 is sandwiched, but the guide is not provided in the direction away from the rolling ball 232. Therefore, the rolling balls 232 are concealed by adding a roller mechanism that holds the guides in the direction in which each guide is separated from the rolling balls 232.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the portable terminal device 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The present embodiment is characterized in that it has a structure in which the roller mechanism of the slide mechanism of the second embodiment is supported by an elastic body, and other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

  First, the external configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device 100 in the slide storage state of the present embodiment, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the portable terminal device 100 in the slide unfolded state of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment is fixed to a ball and retainer 230 in which a plurality of balls are incorporated and disposed in the longitudinal direction, and a housing frame of the lower housing 120. An M guide 210 for guiding the ball, an R guide 220 fixed to the housing frame of the upper housing 110, and for guiding each ball from the opposite direction of the M guide 210, and supporting the R guide 220. And a roller mechanism 240.

  The upper casing 110 is provided with a display unit 111 that performs necessary display at the time of operation, communication, or activation of a predetermined program on the entire surface, and the lower casing 120 is stored in the rear portion of the upper casing 110. The display unit 111 is always provided on the front front surface regardless of the slide state of the slide storage state and the slide unfolded state in which the lower housing 120 is slid and exposed.

  Further, the upper casing 110 of this embodiment includes an upper casing front 112 that constitutes a front casing, and an upper casing that constitutes a casing on the lower casing 120 on the surface opposite to the front casing. And rear body 113 (see FIG. 23 described later).

  The lower casing 120 is entirely stored in the back surface portion of the upper casing 110 in the slide storage state, and is exposed except for a part of the upper portion of the lower casing 120 in the slide unfolded state. It has a structure. In particular, the lower housing 120 includes an operation unit 121 that is disposed so as to be operable by a user when the slide is unfolded.

  Further, the lower casing 120 of the present embodiment includes a lower casing front 122 that constitutes a casing on the upper casing 110 side, and a lower casing rear 123 that constitutes a casing on the surface opposite to the front casing. (See FIG. 23 described later).

  The slide mechanism 200 is provided inside the case frame of the upper case 110 and the case frame of the lower case 120 so that the display unit 111 and the operation unit 121 are at a predetermined angle in the slide unfolded state (desirably. Has a slide trajectory. Further, the slide mechanism 200 has a structure in which the respective housings can be slid relative to each other while the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are joined.

  Next, the slide mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a configuration including each housing of the slide mechanism 200 in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 21 is a slide mechanism in the portable terminal device 100 of the present embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only 200. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view in a direction orthogonal to the slide direction of the slide mechanism 200 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view of the slide mechanism 200 shown in FIG. Furthermore, FIG. 24 is a development view of the roller mechanism 240 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment is fixed to a ball and retainer 230 in which a plurality of balls are incorporated and disposed in the longitudinal direction, and a housing frame of the lower housing 120, An M guide 210 for guiding the ball, an R guide 220 fixed to the housing frame of the upper housing 110 and guiding each ball from the opposite direction of the M guide 210, and a roller mechanism for supporting the R guide 220 240.

  The ball and retainer 230 is provided while being curved along the longitudinal direction in the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 facing each other on the left and right sides of the housing. The ball and retainer 230 is provided with a plurality of holes in a thin sheet metal in the short side direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “short side direction”) of the housing, and a plurality of claws (not shown) around the holes. The retainer 231 is a provided ball holder, and a plurality of steel ball balls (hereinafter referred to as “rolling balls”) 232 having a diameter of about 1.6 mm to 1.7 mm, for example.

  Further, the ball and retainer 230 has a structure that is longer than the M guide 210 and shorter than the R guide 220, and is freely rotatable so as not to be pulled out by a claw at each hole (that is, fitted into each hole). The rolling ball 232 is held so as to be able to roll.

  Each rolling ball 232 is in contact with each of the grooves (M guide groove and R guide groove described later) provided at each guide at one or more points, and is aligned in the sliding direction (that is, along the guide groove). ) Disposed. A clearance is provided between the claw and the hole and the ball so that the ball is free to roll.

The M guide 210 is shorter than the R guide 220, has a total length of, for example, about 20 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The M guide 210 has an M guide groove 211 that is open toward the back surface and allows each rolling ball 232 to roll on one track.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the M guide 210 is fixed to the lower casing 120, and is integrally formed with the lower casing rear 123 by insert molding. In particular, the M guide groove 211 hangs in the region of the R housing and is fitted with the R guide 220 (that is, an R guide groove 221 described later) via the rolling ball 232, so that the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are connected. It is designed to be connected.

  In particular, the M guide groove 211 of the present embodiment is sandwiched between the lower housing rear 123 and a roller bracket 243 described later, and is fixed with a screw (not shown) at the lower housing mounting position. The M guide groove 211 is engaged with the R guide 220 (that is, the R guide groove 221) via a ball to connect the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 together.

  The R guide 220 is longer than the M guide 210 and has a total length of, for example, about 80 mm, is made of a metal sheet metal (SUS or the like), and is formed by bending and drawing with a predetermined curvature. The R guide 220 has an R guide groove 221 that opens in the front direction and allows each rolling ball 232 to roll on a single track.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the R guide 220 is fixed to the upper casing 110, and is integrally formed with the upper casing rear 113 by insert molding, for example. Further, the R guide groove 221 is provided inside the upper housing 110 and is disposed so as to face the display unit 111, and the M guide 210 (that is, the M guide groove 211) via the rolling ball 232. Thus, the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are connected.

  In particular, the R guide 220 of the present embodiment is supported by the roller mechanism 240 from the opposite side to the R guide groove 221 in order to hold the position of the R guide 220 in the front direction, that is, from the lower housing 120 side. Has a structure.

  As will be described later, the M guide 210 and the R guide 220 are configured to bend the slide track with such a configuration. By changing the curvature, the track can be changed to a straight line, a curve, or a straight line and a curve. It is possible to change freely.

  As shown in FIG. 24, the roller mechanism 240 is a plate that is in contact with the R guide 220 and has a roller 241 that rotates so as to be able to roll, a roller shaft 242 that serves as a rotation shaft of the roller 241, and a groove in which the roller 241 rolls. 246, an elastic body 244 that supports the plate 246, a stopper plate 245 for stopping the movement of the roller 241, and a roller bracket 243 that holds the roller 241.

  The roller 241 has a cylindrical shape formed of metal or resin, and a hole for inserting the roller shaft 242 is formed coaxially with the cylinder. In particular, the hole is formed in such a size that the roller can smoothly rotate without rattling when the roller shaft is inserted. In order to obtain smoother rotation, a small-diameter ball bearing may be used for the roller 241.

  The roller shaft 242 is supported by three layers including a plate 246, an elastic body 244, and a stopper plate 245, and its position is determined by a groove in the roller bracket 243 in a direction perpendicular to the support direction. The roller shaft 242 is supported so as to be freely movable in the direction supported by the three layers.

  The plate 246 is made of metal (aluminum, SUS, magnesium, etc.). As shown in FIG. 23, when the roller bracket 243 is fastened to the M rear mounting position, the plate 246 is positioned between the roller bracket 243 and the elastic body 244. Is provided.

  The elastic body 244 is formed of, for example, an elastomer such as a rubber sheet, and has a thickness so that a repulsive load of about 1 kgf is generated by compression 248 by fastening. The elastic body 244 is provided between the plate 246 and the stopper plate 245 when the roller bracket 243 is fastened to the M rear mounting position.

  In addition, the elastic body 244 of this embodiment may be formed by various elastic members, such as a coil spring or a leaf | plate spring, for example.

  The roller bracket 243 is formed of metal (aluminum, SUS, magnesium, or the like), like the plate 246, and has a surface for fitting the roller 241 and the lower casing rear 123 to be attached to the lower casing rear 123. It has a two-stage structure with a surface having a groove opened on the side. In particular, the roller bracket 243 includes a plurality of holes having a predetermined shape for fitting the roller 241 and supporting the roller shaft 242.

  The stopper plate 245 is made of metal (aluminum, SUS, magnesium, etc.). As shown in FIG. 23, when the roller bracket 243 is fastened to the M rear mounting position, the lower casing rear 123 and the elastic body 244.

  The three layers of the plate 246, the elastic body 244, and the stopper plate 245 are located between the lower housing rear 123 and the roller bracket 243 when the roller bracket 243 is fastened to the lower housing rear 123, and the plate 246 and the stopper plate. Between 245, the space where the elastic body 244 does not intervene is provided 0.1 mm or more. For this reason, when an excessive deformation 300 due to an external load is about to occur in the elastic body 244, the plate 246 abuts against the stopper plate 245 and suppresses the deformation 300 of the elastic body 244 more than necessary. Even in this case, the roller 241 is provided with a space so as not to come into contact with anything other than the R guide 220 and the roller shaft 242.

  Next, the positional relationship among the ball and retainer 230, the M guide 210, and the R guide 220 in the slide mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment and the effects of the slide mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

  25 is a diagram showing a cross-section on the side surface in the longitudinal direction of the portable terminal device 100 in FIG. 19, and FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the mechanism section in FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram in which the mechanism unit of FIG. 25 is extracted, and each of FIGS. 28, 29, and 30 is an enlarged view of the slide mechanism 200 in each of FIGS. FIG. 31 is an enlarged view of the slide mechanism 200 in the slide retracted state.

  In the following description, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the diameter of each rolling ball 232 is gradually reduced from about 1.7 mm to 1.6 mm in steps of 0.02 mm from the left and right sides of the drawing toward the center. In addition, a description will be given on the assumption that the center rolling ball 232 has a configuration in which the diameter of the rolling ball 232 is the smallest. That is, the diameter (for example, diameter) D of each rolling ball 232 gradually decreases from the left and right as shown in (Formula 2), and the rolling ball 232a, the rolling ball 232b, the rolling ball 232c, Rolling ball 232d, Rolling ball 232e, Rolling ball 232f, Rolling ball 232f, Rolling ball 232f, Rolling ball 232f, Rolling ball 232e, Rolling ball 232d, Rolling ball 232c, Rolling ball 232b, Rolling ball 232b The description will be made assuming that the moving balls 232a are arranged in a line in the left and right order.

    Da> Db> Dc> Dd> De> Df (Formula 2)

  Da represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232a, and Db represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232b. Similarly, Dc represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232a, and Dd represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232d. Similarly, De represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232e, and Df represents the diameter of the rolling ball 232f.

  In the slide unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 27A, the rolling ball 232a, the rolling ball 232b, the rolling ball 232c, the rolling ball 232d, the rolling ball 232e, and the rolling ball 232f are connected to the M guide 210. The R guide 220 is fitted.

  Therefore, in this slide unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 28, the pressure applied to each rolling ball 232 is the largest, and the slide load is the largest due to the correlation between the pressure and the slide load. That is, since the diameter of the rolling ball 232 sandwiched between the M guide groove 2111211 and the R guide grooves 221 and 221 is large, the position of the roller 241 changes, and the amount of compression 248a and compression 248b of the elastic body 244 increases. This is because the restoring force 301 due to the compression 248a (or the compression 248b) increases and the pressurization increases.

  For example, the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment is configured such that the amount of compression 248a is increased by 0.1 mm at the maximum and the pressurization is about 1.5 kgf, compared to the smallest state (FIG. 30) described later. The In this case, when the pressure in the smallest state (FIG. 30) in this embodiment is about 1 kgf, the pressure in the slide unfolded state is about 1.5 times.

  On the other hand, in the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27B, for example, at the initial stage when the slide deployment state is shifted to the slide storage state, each rolling ball 232 is attached to the upper casing. Since rolling is performed according to 110 slides, the position of each rolling ball 232 is determined one-to-one with respect to each guide.

  For this reason, since the R guide 220 is longer than the retainer 231, all the balls are always in contact therewith, but since the M guide 210 is shorter than the retainer 231, only the balls uniquely determined by the slide position are in contact.

  In the initial stage of transition from the slide unfolded state to the slide retracted state, as shown in FIG. 29, the maximum diameter rolling ball 232 sandwiched between the M guide groove 211 and the R guide groove 221 is the rolling ball 232c. Become.

  For example, in the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment, the amount of compression is increased by a maximum of 0.06 mm compared to the smallest state (FIG. 30) described later, and the pressure is about 1.3 kgf. It is comprised so that. In this case, the initial pressure applied from the slide unfolded state to the slide retracted state is about 1.3 times that in the smallest state (FIG. 30).

  On the other hand, when the position of the slide mechanism 200 becomes the center when shifting from the slide unfolded state to the slide retracted state, as shown in FIG. The load becomes small.

  That is, since the R guide 220 is longer than the retainer 231, all the balls are always in contact with each other. However, since the M guide 210 is shorter than the retainer 231, only the rolling balls 232 uniquely determined by the slide position are in contact with each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 30, the rolling ball 232 e and the rolling ball 232 f are engaged with the M guide 210 and the R guide 220. For this reason, when the rolling ball 232 is interposed between the M guide groove 211 and the R guide groove 221, the position of the roller 241 is changed and the elastic body 244 is compressed 248, so that the restoring force 301 is obtained by the compression 248. This is because the pressure is increased and the pressure applied to the rolling ball 232 is the smallest.

  For example, the slide mechanism 200 of the present embodiment is configured to generate a pressurization of about 1 kgf based on the amount of compression 248.

  In this slide storage state, as in the slide unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 31, the pressure applied to the rolling ball 232 is the largest, and the slide load is the largest due to the correlation between the pressure applied and the slide load. It becomes a state.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the diameter of the rolling ball 232 that is pinched as the position of the slide mechanism 200 changes depending on various slide states such as the slide unfolded state, the slide retracted state, and the transition state thereof. Because of the change, the amount of compression 248 of the elastic body 244 changes, and the slide load is changed to a predetermined amount at a predetermined position.

  That is, in the present embodiment, by changing the diameter of the rolling ball 232 sandwiched between the M guide 210 and the R guide groove 221 from large to small and from raw to large, in the sliding feeling, in the slide unfolded state. The slide mechanism 200 is gradually moved to an intermediate position to make it lighter at one end, and gradually heavier again as the slide mechanism 200 moves from the intermediate position to the slide retracted state. The balance of feeling is realized.

  In this embodiment, when a spring for assisting the slide state is added, the slide operation speed is changed slowly by moving slowly at the beginning of opening, early in the middle, and slowly again at the end of opening. In this case, the effect of absorbing / releasing the impact can also be obtained.

  As described above, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of originally controlling the slide load by using the ball and the roller mechanism 240 constituting the slide mechanism 200, as in the second embodiment. Since the slide mechanism 200 that did not have the slide load can be provided with a slide load control function, the slide load at any slide position can be controlled freely and continuously with a simple structure without adding a special structure. It becomes possible.

  In addition, the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment has a spring coefficient when a spring (coil spring, leaf spring, etc.) is used as the elastic body 244, and a thickness when an elastomer is used as the elastic body 244. Since the pressurization in the rolling ball 232 can be controlled based on the hardness (elastic modulus) and the area, the pressurization can be easily controlled as compared with the case where the pressurization is controlled only by the guide member. .

  That is, in the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment, when the applied pressure is controlled only by the bending amount of each guide of the R guide 220 and the M guide 210, the elastic modulus of the metal guide is large (large with small bending). Since a restoring force is generated) and an elastic region is narrow (plastic deformation is caused by a large deflection), a strict dimensional system is required for the guide in order to control the pressurization. However, since the portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment can control the pressurization by the elastic body 244, the pressurization can be easily controlled as compared with the case where the pressurization is controlled only by the guide member. .

It is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide storage state of 1st Embodiment concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of a portable terminal device in a slide deployment state of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure including each housing | casing of the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the direction orthogonal to the slide direction of the slide mechanism in 1st Embodiment. It is an enlarged view in sectional drawing of the slide mechanism shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed typically the positional relationship of the ball and retainer, M guide, and R guide by a slide position. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide storage state of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide deployment state of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure including each housing | casing of the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding mechanism in 2nd Embodiment. It is an enlarged view in sectional drawing of the slide mechanism shown in FIG. It is an expanded view of the roller mechanism of 2nd Embodiment. It is a comparison figure with the portable terminal device of 1st Embodiment in the portable terminal device of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide storage state of 3rd Embodiment concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of the portable terminal device in the slide deployment state of a 3rd embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure including each housing | casing of the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 3rd Embodiment. It is the figure which extracted only the slide mechanism in the portable terminal device of 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding mechanism in 3rd Embodiment. It is an enlarged view in sectional drawing of the slide mechanism shown in FIG. It is an expanded view of the roller mechanism of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section in the longitudinal direction side surface of the portable terminal device in FIG. It is the figure which expanded the mechanism part cross section in FIG. It is the schematic which extracted the mechanism part of FIG. It is the enlarged view (I) which each expanded the slide mechanism of each figure of FIG. It is the enlarged view (II) which each expanded the slide mechanism of each figure of FIG. It is the enlarged view (III) which each expanded the slide mechanism of each figure of FIG. It is the enlarged view to which the slide mechanism of the slide storage state in 3rd Embodiment was expanded.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Portable terminal device 110 ... Upper housing | casing 111 ... Display part 112 ... Upper housing front 113 ... Upper housing rear 120 ... Lower housing 121 ... Operation part 122 ... Lower housing front 123 ... Lower housing rear 124 ... Mounting position 200 ... Slide mechanism 210 ... M guide 211 ... M guide groove 220 ... R guide 221 ... R guide groove 230 ... Ball and retainer 231 ... Retainer 232 ... Ball 240 ... Roller mechanism 241 ... Roller 242 ... Roller shaft 243 ... Plate 244 ... elastic body 245 ... stopper plate 246 ... roller bracket 247 ... space 248 ... compression 249 ... kerf 300 ... deformation / displacement 301 ... restoring force

Claims (3)

An upper housing,
A lower housing,
A slide mechanism that connects the upper housing and the lower housing and slides in one direction,
The slide mechanism is
A plurality of rolling balls that roll when sliding and have different diameter types;
A holding member for holding the rolling balls in a freely rolling manner;
An upper casing guide member fixed to the upper casing for guiding rolling of the rolling ball;
A lower case guide member fixed to the lower case for guiding the rolling of the rolling ball;
Each of the rolling balls is held between the upper housing guide member and the lower housing guide member. The portable terminal device according to claim 1,
The portable terminal device further comprising a support member having a rotating body that is movable in the same direction as the slide mechanism when the respective housings slide, and that supports any one of the guide members. . The portable terminal device according to claim 2,
The portable terminal device, wherein the support member further includes an elastic body that supports the rotating body.

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