JP2009010234A - Internal pressure regulating waterproof structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an internal pressure regulating waterproof structure capable of securing a waterproof structure maintaining breathability without causing an increase in cost, the enlargement of a case, an increase in the trouble of repairing when a sheet falls etc., in closing a vent that is formed in making the atmospheric pressure outside/inside the case of an electronic apparatus identical by an internal pressure regulating sheet. <P>SOLUTION: The structure includes: an electronic apparatus case 2 having a vent 3; an internal pressure regulating sheet 10 that is attached to the case surface in the periphery of the vent by an annular adhesive layer while the vent is closed and has both breathability and a waterproof property; and a protective cover 15 that is attached to the case surface in the state of being laminated on the surface of the internal pressure regulating sheet and has non-breathability and waterproof property. In the protective cover surface, at least one through hole 12 is formed at the position that does not face the vent and faces the internal pressure regulating sheet surface, and a ventilation path P is formed among the through hole, the inside of the wall thickness of the internal pressure regulating sheet, and the vent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in the mounting structure of an internal pressure adjusting sheet for closing a vent hole formed in a casing in order to eliminate a difference in internal and external pressures of portable radios such as handy transceivers, mobile phones, and audio equipment. .

Electronic devices used in various outdoor environments, such as portable radios such as handy transceivers, mobile phones, and audio equipment, to eliminate the pressure difference inside and outside the housing in response to changes in the outside air pressure Ventilation holes are formed at appropriate locations on the housing. This is because in a device provided with a unit having a diaphragm such as a speaker or a microphone, if the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing increases, the diaphragm may be damaged or the sound quality may deteriorate. On the other hand, since it is necessary to prevent rainwater from entering the inside of the housing from the ventilation hole, it is generally performed to close the ventilation hole with an internal pressure adjusting sheet having both air permeability and waterproofness (non-water permeability). (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-16371).
The internal pressure adjusting sheet is a porous sheet that does not allow liquid to pass through until a predetermined pressure is reached, but allows gas to pass therethrough, and makes the external pressure and the internal pressure of the device casing the same. .

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing an installation state of an internal pressure adjusting sheet for closing a vent hole provided in a handy transceiver case. (A) has shown the state which provided the ventilation hole 102 in the battery mounting part 101 of the transceiver main body 100, and connected the inside and outside of a case. The internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 has a configuration in which an annular adhesive layer 111 such as a double-sided tape is formed on a peripheral portion excluding the central portion 112 corresponding to the vent hole 102, and the annular adhesive layer 111 is a case around the vent hole 102. By adhering to the surface, the air hole is blocked by the sheet portion located at the center portion 112 of the annular adhesive layer. By mounting the battery 105 on the mounting portion 101 in a state where the vent hole 102 is closed by the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110, the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 is concealed by one surface of the battery. If the internal pressure adjustment sheet 110 is stuck to the outer surface of the case and is always exposed, it may be damaged by rainwater, dirt, oil, etc., or peeled off or damaged by the operator's hand. By concealing, it is possible to protect from external forces and the like.
However, when the battery 105 is used as a protection means, the internal pressure adjustment sheet 110 is easily damaged when the battery is not attached to the transceiver body 100. In addition, since the outside of the air hole is blocked by the battery surface via the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110, the air permeability is likely to deteriorate.

In FIG. 4B, the sheet 110 is protected by attaching a protective cover (rear panel) 106 as a separate part in a state where the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 is attached to the vent hole 102 provided at an appropriate position on the outer surface of the transceiver main body 100 in FIG. A configuration example is shown.
However, when the dedicated protective member 106 is used so that the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 is not damaged, there is a problem that not only the cost of the mold for molding the protective member is increased, but also the size of the device is increased. there were.
The above-mentioned problem is a problem that occurs not only in transceivers but also in mobile phones and mobile audio devices.

Next, FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are an exploded perspective view showing a waterproof structure of a vent hole provided in the microphone, a cross-sectional view of the main part, and a perspective view showing the structure of the holder.
The microphone 120 is closed by attaching the other case piece 125 to the one case piece 121 supporting the microphone unit 122 on the inner surface. A vent hole 126 is formed in the case piece 125, and the vent hole 126 is closed from the inside by the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110. In the case of a microphone, there is no room for using a separate member such as a battery or a protective member that can be used as a protection means, and thus it is necessary to attach the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 from the inner surface side of the case piece 125. In this case, if the hole length of the vent hole 126 is short (shallow), various external forces are likely to act on the internal pressure adjusting sheet from the outer surface side and are easily damaged. It was necessary to deepen the air vent so as to make it difficult to touch the sheet from the outside (provided with a boss portion 127 that protrudes greatly on the case inner wall). Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, a holder 128 made of a metal or a resin material is placed in the inner opening of the vent hole 126 so that the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 attached to the inner surface of the case does not peel off and fall off. The inner pressure adjustment sheet was pressed by fitting it. Specifically, a holder 128 that holds the sheet from the inside is required to prevent the internal pressure adjustment sheet from peeling off and dropping into the case due to the impact, vibration, temperature change, and deterioration due to aging of the microphone. is there.
The holder 128 has a configuration in which a plurality of protrusions 128b protruding in the outer diameter direction are provided on the outer periphery of the ring portion 128a, and the protrusions 128b are spring members that are curved in the thickness direction of the holder. The holder is elastically pressure-bonded and fixed to the inner wall of the inner opening of the vent hole using the spring property of the protrusion 128b.

However, when the internal pressure adjusting sheet 110 is adhered to the inner surface of the case, the vent hole 126 is deepened between the sheet and the outer opening of the vent hole in order to prevent the sheet from being damaged by an external force from the outside of the case. It is necessary to secure the distance. For this purpose, it is necessary to make the boss portion 127 protrude greatly, but the boss portion affects the layout of the storage components in the case, and is an obstacle to miniaturization and thinning. Also, with the structure where the internal pressure adjustment sheet is attached to the inner surface of the case, there is a problem that if the sheet is damaged, the microphone cannot be replaced unless the microphone is disassembled. there were. Further, when the holder 128 is used in combination, problems such as an increase in cost for manufacturing the holder and an increase in the number of assembling operations occur.
JP 2002-16371 A

  As described above, in the case of providing vents in the case in order to keep the internal pressure of the case equal to the external air pressure in the conventional electronic equipment and its accessory devices, the internal pressure is required to ensure waterproofness while maintaining the air permeability. Although it was necessary to close with an adjustment sheet, when an internal pressure adjustment sheet was provided on the outer surface, it was necessary to protect the internal pressure adjustment sheet with a special protective member, which caused an increase in cost and an increase in the size of the device. On the other hand, when an internal pressure adjusting sheet is provided on the inner surface of the case, it is necessary to make the boss part protrude greatly on the inner surface of the case in order to ensure a large depth of the vent hole, which is an obstacle to downsizing and thinning of the device. It was. Further, when the seat is dropped, it is necessary to repair after disassembling the case, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost, repair period, and the like. Further, when a dedicated holder for holding the sheet is used, there are further problems that the cost is increased and the number of assembling steps is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and in order to close the air hole formed in the case with the internal pressure adjustment sheet in order to eliminate the pressure difference inside and outside the case of the electronic device, the cost increases, the case increases in size, It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure that can ensure a waterproof structure that maintains air permeability without increasing the number of repairs when the seat is dropped.

In order to achieve the above object, an internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure according to the invention of claim 1 is an annular case with respect to a case surface of a peripheral portion of the vent hole in a state in which the vent hole is closed and the vent hole is closed. Internal pressure adjusting sheet having both air permeability and waterproof property bonded by an adhesive layer, and non-air-permeable and waterproof protection adhered to the case surface in a state of being laminated on the surface of the internal pressure adjusting sheet A protective cover surface, at least one through hole is formed at a position not facing the vent hole and facing the internal pressure adjusting sheet surface, the through hole and the cover A ventilation path is formed between the thickness inside the internal pressure adjusting sheet and the vent hole.
The inside of the through hole provided in the protective cover terminates at the inner pressure adjusting sheet surface, but communicates with the vent hole through the inner thickness of the inner pressure adjusting sheet. On the other hand, since the inner opening of the through hole is in a position avoiding the vent hole, even if the internal pressure adjusting sheet portion located in the through hole is damaged, the damaged portion is not directly connected to the vent hole, and the internal pressure adjusting sheet It is possible to ensure air permeability while waterproofing through the inner ventilation path.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a first recess for fitting the inner pressure adjusting sheet is formed on an outer peripheral edge of the vent hole provided in the case surface, and the first recess is formed outside the first recess. A second recess for fitting the protective cover is formed on the periphery, and the protective cover fitted into the second recess has a structure that does not protrude from the second recess. And
Since the protective cover does not protrude from the outer surface of the case, the protective cover is difficult to peel off and the appearance can be maintained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the protective cover is a flexible resin sheet or metal sheet.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the protective cover is formed in advance in a shape that matches the non-flat surface shape of the case surface around the vent hole. It is characterized by that.
A fifth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the internal pressure adjusting sheet is bonded to the outer side surface or the inner side surface of the case.
An electronic device according to a sixth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the electronic device is one of a radio device, a mobile phone, and an audio device.

According to the present invention, in order to make the air pressure inside and outside the case of an electronic device including a speaker unit and a microphone unit inside the case the air hole formed in the case is closed by the internal pressure adjusting sheet, the cost is increased. A waterproof structure that maintains air permeability can be secured without increasing the size, increasing the number of repairs when the sheet is dropped, and the like.
According to the present invention, a separate member such as a protective member for preventing breakage of the internal pressure adjusting sheet is not required, so that cost reduction and slimming can be achieved by reducing the number of parts.

  Conventionally, when an internal pressure adjusting sheet is pasted on the inner surface of the case, it has been necessary to form a vent hole deeply by projecting the boss portion on the inner surface of the case to prevent damage to the sheet due to external force from the outside. In the present invention, by sticking a sheet to the outer surface of the case, there is no protrusion to the inner surface of the case, and the entire device can be downsized. Further, the holder for preventing the sheet from falling off, which has been necessary when the internal pressure adjusting sheet has been pasted on the inner surface side of the case, is no longer necessary, and the cost can be reduced and the apparatus can be downsized. Furthermore, even if the internal pressure adjusting sheet attached to the outer surface of the case is damaged, the internal pressure adjusting sheet can be easily replaced without disassembling the device, and the maintenance can be simplified.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are a main part external perspective view and a main part sectional view showing a configuration example when the internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure (internal pressure adjusting sheet mounting structure) of the present invention is attached to a microphone case. .
A vent 2 is formed in the case 2 of the microphone 1 as an example of an electronic device. The vent 3 is bonded to the outer surface of the case at the periphery of the vent by an annular adhesive layer 10a and is waterproof. Is closed by the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10 having both. Further, a protective sheet 15 as a protective cover having air permeability and waterproofness is adhered to the outer surface of the case while covering the surface of the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10. An adhesive layer 15a is formed on the bottom surface of the protective sheet 15, and is adhered and fixed to the outer surface of the case by the adhesive layer 15a. A central portion of the adhesive layer 15a has a non-adhesive surface 15b.

At least one through hole 16 is formed at a position on the non-adhesive surface 15 b of the protective sheet (protective cover) 15 at a position that does not face the vent hole 3 and that faces the surface of the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10. A ventilation path P is formed between the through hole 16, the thickness inside the internal pressure adjusting sheet, and the ventilation hole 3.
A first recess 4 for fitting the internal pressure adjustment sheet 10 is formed in the case surface at the periphery of the vent hole 3 provided in the case surface so that the internal pressure adjustment sheet 10 and the protective sheet 15 do not protrude from the outer surface of the case. A second recess 5 into which the protective sheet 15 is fitted is formed on the case surface at the periphery of the first recess 4. The depths of the recesses 4 and 5 are set so as to include (do not protrude) the sheets 10 and 15 including the waterproof adhesive sheets (adhesive layers) 10a and 15a, respectively.

  In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), a double-sided tape 10a as an annular waterproof adhesive sheet having a hole in the center is pasted on one side of the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10, and the double-sided tape 10a Is attached to the periphery of the vent 3 on the outer surface of the microphone case. Furthermore, in order to prevent the loss of the waterproof function due to the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10 being peeled off, the protective sheet 15 having a larger area than the internal pressure adjusting sheet is laminated and pasted. The protective sheet 15 is made of a resin sheet, a metal sheet, or the like, and is bonded to the inner bottom surface of the second recess 5 with a double-sided tape 15a as a waterproof adhesive sheet.

The position of the through hole 16 formed in the protective sheet (protective cover) 15 is the outer peripheral side position of the vent hole 3 avoiding the vent hole 3, and the outer surface of the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10 is exposed in the vent hole 3. The position (in this example, the position facing the double-sided tape 10a) is set. Since the through hole 16 and the vent hole 3 communicate with each other through a vent path P formed inside the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10, a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the case can be eliminated.
Further, since the through hole 16 formed in the protective sheet 15 is located on the outer diameter side avoiding the vent hole 3, even if the internal pressure adjusting sheet portion 10A exposed in the through hole 16 is damaged, the damaged portion and the vent hole 3 is not directly connected, and as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the inside and outside of the case are ventilated while being waterproofed through a ventilation path P formed inside the thickness of the internal pressure adjusting sheet. The function can be maintained.

In the above embodiment, the case where the internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure (attaching structure of the internal pressure adjusting sheet) of the present invention is applied to a microphone is shown, but the present invention can be applied to all electronic devices provided with a vent hole. . Therefore, for example, the present invention can be applied to cases such as portable wireless devices, mobile phones, and portable audio devices.
As described above, according to the internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure of the present invention, a separate member such as a protective member for preventing the internal pressure adjusting sheet from being damaged is not required, so that cost reduction and slimming can be achieved by reducing the number of parts. Can be planned. In addition, problems caused by using the battery as a protective member can be solved.

Moreover, in the conventional microphone, since there was no room to add a part that protects the internal pressure adjustment sheet from space limitations, the sheet was attached to the inner surface of the case. It became possible to protect with a protective sheet while sticking to the outer surface of the case. In particular, when attaching an internal pressure adjustment sheet to the inner surface of the case, it was necessary to form a vent hole deeply by protruding the boss part on the inner surface of the case to prevent damage to the sheet due to external force from the outside. By sticking the sheet on the outer surface, there is no protrusion to the inner surface of the case, and the entire microphone can be miniaturized. Further, the holder for preventing the sheet from falling off, which has been required when the internal pressure adjusting sheet has been pasted on the inner surface of the case, is no longer necessary, and the cost can be reduced and the microphone can be downsized. Furthermore, even if the internal pressure adjusting sheet attached to the outer surface of the case is damaged, the internal pressure adjusting sheet can be easily replaced without disassembling the device, and the maintenance can be simplified.
In the present invention, the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10 and the protective sheet 15 are provided on the outer surface of the case, but may be provided on the inner surface of the case. In this case, even if a part of the internal pressure adjusting sheet 10 located in the vent hole is damaged, the waterproof property and the air permeability can be maintained as long as the protective sheet 15 adhered to the inner side is not damaged.

  Next, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure (protective sheet) according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the protective sheet (protective cover) 15 is made of a metal sheet such as aluminum. Thus, the strength of the protective sheet is increased. Or the structure of the protective sheet which laminated | stacked metal foil, such as aluminum foil, on the resin sheet may be sufficient. The protective sheet shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be brought into close contact with the surface shape of the case by being made of a material that is easily elastically deformed. The protective sheet 15 according to this embodiment has flexibility and is easily elastically deformed.

Next, FIGS. 3A and 3B are modifications of the present invention, and the protective cover 15 is made of a relatively hard resin or metal and is manufactured by injection molding. That is, the protective cover 15 shown in FIG. 3A is preliminarily formed into a shape that matches the surface shape when the case surface around the vent hole 3 is a curved surface, a convex surface, or other non-flat surface. As a result, assembly according to the non-flat surface shape can be performed, and the design can be improved.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, only the outer surface shape of the protective cover 15 may be formed into an arbitrary shape different from the vent hole peripheral shape for appearance decoration.
The protective cover 15 according to this embodiment can be applied to a vent hole provided in an arbitrary electronic device such as a wireless device, a mobile phone, or an audio device.

(A) And (b) is a principal part external appearance perspective view which shows the structural example at the time of attaching the internal pressure adjustment waterproof structure of this invention to a microphone case, and principal part sectional drawing. It is explanatory drawing of the internal pressure adjustment waterproof structure (protection sheet) which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing of the modification of this invention. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the installation state of the sheet | seat for internal pressure adjustment for closing the ventilation hole provided in the case of the handy transceiver. (A), (b) and (c) are an exploded perspective view showing a waterproof structure of a vent hole provided in a microphone, a cross-sectional view of main parts, and a perspective view showing a configuration of a holder.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Microphone, 2 ... Case, 3 ... Air vent, 4 ... Recessed, 5 ... Recessed, 10 ... Internal pressure adjusting sheet, 10A ... Internal pressure adjusting sheet part, 10a ... Cyclic adhesive layer, 10a ... Double-sided tape, 12 ... Through-hole, 15 ... protective cover (protective sheet), 15a ... adhesive layer, 15b ... non-adhesive surface, 16 ... through-hole.

Claims (6)

A case of an electronic device having a ventilation hole, and an internal pressure adjusting sheet having a gas permeability and a waterproof property, which is adhered to a case surface around the ventilation hole by an annular adhesive layer in a state where the ventilation hole is closed; A non-breathable and waterproof protective cover adhered to the case surface in a state of being laminated on the surface of the internal pressure adjusting sheet,
In the protective cover surface, at least one through hole is formed at a position not facing the vent hole and facing the internal pressure adjusting sheet surface, and the thickness of the through hole and the internal pressure adjusting sheet is A waterproof structure for adjusting internal pressure, wherein a ventilation path is formed between an interior and the ventilation hole.   A first recess for fitting the internal pressure adjusting sheet is formed in a case surface of the outer peripheral edge of the vent hole, and a second recess for fitting the protective cover on the outer peripheral edge of the first recess. 2. The internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover is formed so that the protective cover fitted into the second recess does not protrude from the second recess.   The internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover is a flexible resin sheet or metal sheet.   The internal pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protective cover is formed in advance in a shape that matches a non-flat surface shape of the case surface around the vent hole. Adjustable waterproof structure.   The internal pressure adjusting waterproof structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the internal pressure adjusting sheet is bonded to an outer side surface or an inner side surface of the case.   6. The internal pressure adjustment waterproof structure according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device provided with the internal pressure adjustment waterproof structure is any one of a wireless device, a mobile phone, and an acoustic device.

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