JP2010211092A - Portable electronic equipment configured to leave trace of dropping - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide portable electronic equipment configured to leave traces of dropping without using a large-scale device or an expensive device. <P>SOLUTION: In a digital camera 10, a body unit 11 to which a functional component such as a photographic lens 20 is attached is covered with a front case 12 and a back case 13 from front and from back. On a top surface of a camera body 18, an external decorative plate 23 is attached to notched parts 16c and 17c, which are formed by partially notching top plates of the front case 12 and the back case 13, after the body unit 11 is covered with the front case 12 and the back case 13. One end of a positional deviation detecting member 26 is fixed to the external decorative plate 23, and an engaging section 27 to be engaged with an engaging hole 28 provided on the body unit 11 is formed at the other end of the positional deviation detecting member 26. When the external decorative plate 23 is attached to the notched parts 16c and 17c, the engaging section 27 is engaged with the engaging hole 28. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device that is damaged or deformed when dropped and leaves a trace of the fact of the fall.

  In recent years, electronic devices that are carried and used have become lighter, smaller, and thinner, so there have been many accidents that can cause them to fall during handling, and many of the faulty products that are brought into manufacturers have dropped. Most of what seems to be the cause. However, due to improvements in materials and surface coating technology, even if an electronic device is dropped, there is often no trace of the fall on the appearance, and if the user does not recognize the fall, the cause of the failure can be identified. There is a problem that is very difficult. Examples of electronic devices include photographing devices such as digital still cameras and video cameras, portable audio devices such as portable CD players and minidisc players, and portable communication devices such as mobile phones.

  On the other hand, camera shake correction functions are becoming mainstream. The camera shake correction function detects the direction and magnitude of vibration and impact applied to the camera by an acceleration sensor built in the camera, and corrects the position of the image formed by the taking lens based on the detected direction and magnitude. . An apparatus and method for detecting and recording that a drop impact has been applied to a camera using the camera shake correction function by the acceleration sensor is described in Patent Document 1 below. Further, in Patent Document 2 below, an electronic apparatus is provided with an impact detection device including a mass body having a predetermined mass and a support body that supports the mass body so as to be displaceable. A configuration of an impact detection device is shown in which when the predetermined impact force is applied, the support is permanently deformed and mechanically memorized that a strong impact force is applied.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-181180 JP 2006-208649 A

  However, according to the method described in Patent Document 1, an acceleration sensor or the like must be newly provided depending on the device, and it is too expensive in terms of cost and space to be installed only for drop detection. In addition, the method described in Patent Document 2 installs a weight having an appropriate weight, and thus goes against the weight reduction of the portable device, and with sufficient care so that the support body does not deform during assembly. Must be handled and workability is poor. Furthermore, since it operates by inertial force, there is a possibility that it malfunctions depending on the posture of the portable device when there is a sudden brake while riding in an automobile or train.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a portable electronic device in which a dropped trace remains without using a large-scale device or an expensive device.

  The portable electronic device according to the present invention is, for example, a digital camera in which a trace of dropping remains, and a front case having a functional unit mounted thereon and a front case that covers the main body unit from the front and back and has at least one side wall. And the rear case, the exterior decorative plate sandwiched between the front case and the rear case where the side wall or the side wall is cut, and one end fixed to the exterior decorative plate and the other end A misalignment detecting member that has an engaging portion that engages with the main body unit and that is damaged or deformed when misalignment occurs between the exterior decorative plate and the main body unit is provided.

  Alternatively, it is formed on the main body unit on which the functional parts are mounted, the front unit and the rear case that cover the main body unit from the front and the rear and each have one or more side walls, and the side walls of the front case or the rear case. The front case or the rear case and the main body unit are provided with an engagement portion that is inserted through the formed mounting hole and formed at the tip thereof and engages with the main body unit and is fixed to the mounting hole. When the positional deviation occurs between the two, the positional deviation detecting member is damaged or deformed. The displacement detection member is visible from a confirmation window provided in either the front case or the rear case.

  Alternatively, the main body unit, the front case and the rear case, and a piece of paper or a thin plate-like resin piece attached between any two members of the main unit, the front case, and the rear case. It may be provided that the paper piece or the thin plate-like resin piece is damaged by a drop impact. The paper piece or the thin plate-like resin piece may be visible from a confirmation window provided on an exterior decorative board sandwiched between the front case and the rear case.

  Alternatively, the main body unit, the front case and the rear case, and a thread-like member stretched with a predetermined tension between any two members of the main body unit, the front case, and the rear case. The thread-like member may be damaged by a drop impact. One end side of the thread-like member is fixed to a screw provided on at least one of the two members, and the length of the thread-like member wound around the screw is changed to be stretched between the two members with a predetermined tension. The thread-like member may be visible from a confirmation window provided on an exterior decorative plate sandwiched between the front case and the rear case.

  Alternatively, the inside of the hollow thin resin sphere disposed between at least two members of the main unit, the front case and the rear case, and the main unit, the front case, and the rear case, and is damaged by a drop impact. And a paintball filled with a liquid paint. The paintball may be visible from a confirmation window provided in the front case or the rear case.

  Or substantially surrounded by the main unit, the front case and the rear case, an exterior decorative plate sandwiched between the front case and the rear case, and the main unit, the front case, the rear case, and the external decorative plate. It is preferable to include a paint ball that is disposed in a space and is filled with a liquid paint inside a hollow thin resin sphere that is damaged by a drop impact. The exterior decorative board may be provided with a confirmation window for visually recognizing the state of the paintball.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to leave a trace of dropping an electronic device without malfunctioning by merely making a slight effort on the inside of the exterior part of the portable electronic device.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a digital camera according to the present invention as viewed from the front. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance which looked at the digital camera from the back side. It is a schematic diagram which shows the cross section of a digital camera. It is a schematic diagram which shows the partial cross section of another digital camera. It is a schematic diagram which shows the partial cross section of the digital camera which shows 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the partial cross section of the digital camera which shows 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the partial cross section of the digital camera which shows 5th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the partial cross section of the digital camera which shows 6th Embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a digital camera (portable electronic device) 10 according to the present invention, a main unit 11 is covered with a front case 12 and a rear case 13 from the front and rear. The front case 12 and the rear case 13 are each composed of a substantially rectangular front plate 14 and rear plate 15 and side walls 16 and 17 erected on each of the four sides. A camera body 18 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed. The front plate 14 is provided with a photographic lens 20, a strobe light emitting unit 21, and a viewfinder objective window 22 exposed. Part of upper side walls (hereinafter referred to as top plates) 16a and 17a of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are cut out on the upper surface of the camera body 18, and the exterior cosmetics are provided in the cut portions 16c and 17c. A plate 23 is attached, and a power button 24 and a shutter button 25 are provided to be operable. One end of a displacement detection member 26 is fixed to the exterior decorative plate 23, and an engaging portion 27 formed at the other end is engaged with an engaging hole 28 provided in the main body unit 11. On the back of the camera body 18, a confirmation window 30 for confirming the engagement state of the engagement portion 27 and the engagement hole 28 from the outside, an LCD panel 32 for displaying an image, a viewfinder eyepiece window 33, a photographing A shooting / playback switching button 34 for switching between the mode and the playback mode is provided. In addition, various operation buttons 35 for performing shooting preparation such as zooming or operations related to the playback screen are provided, but the description thereof is omitted. The bottom surface of the camera body 18 is provided with a slot (not shown) in which a memory card 36 in which image data is stored is detachably loaded, and the captured image data is written and stored in the memory card 36. Is done.

  Next, the operation of the digital camera 10 will be described. Since the digital camera 10 is the same as a normal digital camera except for the apparatus related to the displacement detection member 26, a detailed description of the photographing function is omitted. The front case 12 is placed on and fixed to the main unit 11 on which functional parts such as the photographing lens 20 are mounted. A plug (not shown) to which an electrical cord such as the LCD panel 32 provided on the rear case 13 is connected is inserted into a socket (not shown) provided on the main unit 11 to which the front case 12 is fixed. Thus, the electrical components provided in the main unit 11 and the rear case 13 are connected, and then the rear case 13 is fitted and fixed to the front case 12. At this time, left and right side walls and lower side walls (hereinafter referred to as bottom plates) 16b and 17b of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are firmly fixed by, for example, a set screw 38. 16a and 17a have operation buttons such as a power button 24 and a shutter button 25, and the set screws cannot be exposed because they are conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, the number of set screws is reduced as much as possible, or the aesthetic appearance is maintained by covering with the exterior decorative plate 23 after devising such as engaging with a claw, but the fixed strength compared to other parts Is weak, and the distortion caused by the impact when the camera body 18 is dropped is the largest. The exterior decorative plate 23 is attached so as to be sandwiched between the front case 12 and the rear case 13, and by this attachment operation, the engagement formed on the tip of the misalignment detection member 26 provided on the exterior decorative plate 23. The joint portion 27 is pushed into and engaged with an engagement hole 28 provided in the main unit 11. The engaged state can be visually recognized from the confirmation window 30 provided in the rear case 13 without disassembling the front case 12 or the rear case 13.

  When the digital camera 10 is dropped on the floor or the ground, a large impact force is applied to the front case 12 or the rear case 13 that directly collides. On the other hand, since the main unit 11 is heavier than the front case 12 and the rear case 13, the inertial force is large, and each of the main unit 11 has a unique motion. The exterior decorative plate 23 sandwiched between the front case 12 and the rear case 13 receives the greatest distortion due to the impact force, and the displacement detection member 26 fixed to the external decorative plate 23 engages with the main unit 11. The engaged portions 27 are distorted due to the mutual displacement of the members, and the engagement with the engagement holes 28 is disengaged, or the displacement detection member 26 is deformed or broken. This state can be seen from the confirmation window 30 without disassembling the front case 12 or the rear case 13, so that the user can confirm that the digital camera 10 has been dropped.

  Next, another embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 4, the digital camera (portable electronic device) 40 is mounted on the top plate 43 a of the rear case 43 after covering the main unit 11 with a front case 42 and a rear case 43 from the front and rear. A displacement detection member 45 is inserted from the hole 44. A flange portion 47 formed on the base side of the misalignment detecting member 45 after the engaging portion 46 formed at the tip of the misalignment detecting member 45 is aligned with the engaging hole 28 provided in the main body unit 11. Is fitted into the mounting hole 44 and press-fitted and fixed. By this attaching operation, the engaging portion 46 is pushed into the engaging hole 28 and engaged therewith. The engaged state can be visually recognized from the confirmation window 30 provided in the rear case 43.

  When the digital camera 40 is dropped on the floor or the ground, different impact forces are applied to the main unit 11, the front case 42 and the rear case 43. The front case 42 is attached to the main body unit 11 relatively firmly, but since the attachment strength of the rear case 43 is weaker than that, the difference in distortion between the main body unit 11 and the rear case 43 is large. The engagement between the engagement portion 46 and the engagement hole 28 is released, or the displacement detection member 45 is deformed or broken. This state can be viewed from the confirmation window 30 provided in the rear case 43 without disassembling the front case 42 or the rear case 43. Therefore, the user can confirm whether or not the digital camera 40 has been dropped on the floor or the ground. As described above, when the front case 42 is relatively firmly fixed to the main body unit 11, it is preferable to attach the displacement detection member 45 to the top plate 43a of the rear case 43. When the rear case 43 is more firmly fixed to the main body unit 11 than the front case 42, it is preferable to attach the displacement detection member 45 to the top plate 42a of the front case 42. In other words, it is preferable that the positional deviation detection member 45 is provided between two parts that make up the largest distortion due to the drop impact of the camera among the parts constituting the camera body.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described, but the description of the same components as those of the above embodiment will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 5, a digital camera (portable electronic device) 50 includes a front case 52 and a rear case 53 that are put on a main body unit 51 from the front and rear, and top plates 52 a and 53 a of the front case 52 and the rear case 53. An opening 54 for attaching the exterior decorative board 55 is formed in the mating portion. The rear case 53 is provided with a paper piece pasting portion 56 at a position exposed from the opening 54, and is disposed close to the main unit 51. A rectangular paper piece 57 is pasted across the paper piece pasting portion 56 and the main unit 51. After the paper piece 57 is pasted, the exterior decorative board 55 is fitted into the opening 54 and attached so as to be sandwiched between the front case 52 and the rear case 53. The paper piece 57 is marked with characters such as a drop notice and can be seen from a confirmation window 58 provided on the exterior decorative board 55. The paper piece pasting portion 56 may be provided in both the front case 52 and the rear case 53, and the paper piece 57 may be stuck between them.

  When the digital camera 50 is dropped on the floor or the ground, the main body unit 51 and the rear case 53 move differently due to the impact, so that the piece of paper 57 is torn. Since the state of the paper piece 57 can be visually recognized from the confirmation window 58 without disassembling the front case 52 or the rear case 53, the user can confirm that the paper piece 57 is torn. Note that the paper piece 57 is not limited to paper, but can be attached to the rear case 53 and the main unit 51. Such a thin plate-like resin piece may be used. In this case, the shape is not particularly limited as long as it is an extremely thin plate.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a digital camera (portable electronic device) 60 includes a front case 62 and a rear case 63 that are placed on the main body unit 61 from the front and rear, and a top plate 62 a of the front case 62 and a top plate of the rear case 63. Recesses 64a and 64b for attaching the exterior decorative board 65 are formed at the mating part of 63a. A screw 66 is provided in the recess 64a, and a screw 67 is provided in the recess 64b. One end of a thread (thread-like member) 68 is wound around each of the screws 66 and 67, and the thread 68 is rotated by a predetermined tension. And 67. The tension of the thread 68 is adjusted by turning one of the screws 66 and 67. When the tension of the thread 68 is adjusted, the exterior decorative board 65 is fitted into the recesses 64a and 64b and attached so as to be sandwiched between the front case 62 and the rear case 63. The thread 68 can be viewed through a confirmation window 69 provided on the exterior decorative board 65.

  When the digital camera 60 is dropped on the floor or the ground, the front case 62 and the rear case 63 move differently due to the impact, so that a shift occurs between the concave portion 64a and the concave portion 64b, and the screw 66 and 67 is widened and the thread 68 is cut. Since the state of the thread 68 can be viewed from the confirmation window 69 without disassembling the front case 62 or the rear case 63, the user confirms whether or not the thread 68 is broken. be able to. One of the screws 66 and 67 around which the thread 68 is wound may be provided on the main body unit 71.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, on the upper surface of the main unit 71 of the digital camera (portable electronic device) 70, a support frame 76 that supports a paint ball 75 filled with a liquid paint in a hollow thin resin sphere that is damaged by an impact. And the paint ball 75 is placed on the support frame 76. The main unit 71 is covered with a front case 72 and a rear case 73 from the front and rear. An opening 74 is formed on the paintball 75 between the top plate 72a of the front case 72 and the top plate 73a of the rear case 73, and a transparent or translucent plastic confirmation window 77 is fitted therein. The paintball 75 is visible from the outside through a confirmation window 77. The opening 74 is not necessarily provided between the front case 72 and the rear case 73, and may be provided in either one. Alternatively, the support frame 76 may be provided between the front case 72 and the rear case 73. The opening 74 and the confirmation window 77 may not be provided, and may be provided so as to be sandwiched between any two or more of the main unit 71, the front case 72, and the rear case 73.

  When the digital camera 70 is dropped on the floor or the ground, the gap between the main unit 71 and the front case 72 and the rear case 73 is narrowed by the impact, and the pressure between the main unit 71 and the front case 72 and the rear case 73 is reduced. The paintball 75 is damaged. When the hollow thin resin sphere is broken, the paint ball 75 adheres to the surrounding liquid paint and also adheres to the confirmation window 77. If the paint ball 75 is damaged, the camera can be disassembled. Although it is surely understood, if the confirmation window 77 is provided, the confirmation window 77 can be clearly recognized even from the outside, and the user can also confirm it.

  Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, a digital camera (portable electronic device) 80 includes a main unit 81 covered with a front case 82 and a rear case 83 from the front and rear, and a top plate 82 a of the front case 82 and a top plate of the rear case 83. A concave portion 84 for attaching the exterior decorative board 85 is formed at the mating portion of 83a. A hole 86 is provided in a joint portion of the concave portion 84 between the front case 82 and the rear case 83. The paint ball 75 is inserted into the hole 86, and the paint ball 75 is placed on the main body unit 81. A transparent or translucent plastic confirmation window 87 is fitted in the recess 84 in which the paintball 75 is inserted, and the paintball 75 can be visually recognized through the confirmation window 87 from the outside. The paintball 75 is sandwiched between the confirmation window 87 and the main unit 81 on the top and bottom, and is sandwiched between the front case 82 and the rear case 83 on the front and back.

  When the digital camera 80 is dropped on the floor or the ground, the impact between the body unit 81, the front case 82, and the rear case 83 narrows, and the paint ball 75 is damaged by the pressure. When the hollow thin resin sphere is broken, the paint ball 75 scatters and adheres to the surroundings, and also adheres to the confirmation window 87, so that the paint ball 75 is damaged from the outside. It becomes clear at a glance.

  The exterior decorative plates 23, 55, 65, and 85 may be entirely transparent or translucent, and the displacement detection members 26 and 45, the paper piece 57, the thread 68, or the paintball. The position where 75 is provided is not limited to the upper surface of the camera body 18, but may be provided on the bottom plate or the left and right side wall surfaces.

  In the above-described embodiment, the digital camera is described as the portable electronic device. However, the present invention is not limited to the digital camera and the video camera, and is not limited to a portable audio device such as a portable CD player or a minidisc player, or a mobile phone. It can also be used in portable communication devices.

10, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 Digital camera (portable electronic device)
11, 51, 61, 71, 81 Main unit 12, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82 Front case 13, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83 Rear case 14 Front plate 15 Rear plate 16, 17 Side wall 16a, 17a, 42a, 43a, 52a, 53a, 62a, 63a, 72a, 73a, 82a, 83a Top plate (side wall)
16b, 17b Bottom plate (side wall)
16c, 17c Notched portion 18 Camera body 23, 55, 65, 85 Exterior decorative plate 26, 45 Position shift detection member 27, 46 Engagement portion 30, 58, 69, 77, 87 Confirmation window 44 Mounting hole 54, 74 Opening 56 Paper piece pasting part 57 Paper piece (thin plate-like resin piece)
64a, 64b, 84 Recess 66, 67 Screw 68 Thread (thread-like member)
75 Paintball 76 Support frame

Claims (13)

A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case that cover the main body unit from the front and the rear and each have one or more side walls;
An exterior decorative board sandwiched between the side wall or the side wall of each of the front case and the rear case, and
One end is fixed to the exterior decorative board, and the other end has an engaging portion that engages with the main body unit, and is damaged or deformed when a displacement occurs between the exterior decorative board and the main body unit. A displacement detection member that
A portable electronic device in which a trace of dropping remains. A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case that cover the main body unit from the front and the rear and each have one or more side walls;
A misalignment detection member inserted through an attachment hole formed in the side wall of the front case or the rear case, and an engagement portion formed at a tip engages with the main body unit and is fixed to the attachment hole; ,
With
A portable electronic device in which a trace of a drop remains, wherein the displacement detection member is damaged or deformed when a displacement occurs between the front case or the rear case and the main unit.   3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the displacement detection member is visible from a confirmation window provided in either the front case or the rear case. A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case covering the main body unit from the front and rear;
A piece of paper or a thin plate-like resin piece attached between any two members of the main unit and the front case and the rear case;
With
A portable electronic device in which a trace of dropping remains, wherein the paper piece or the thin plate-like resin piece is damaged by a drop impact.   5. The mobile phone in which the trace of dropping remains according to claim 4, wherein the piece of paper or the thin plate-like resin piece is visible from a confirmation window provided on an exterior decorative board sandwiched between the front case and the rear case. Electronic equipment. A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case covering the main body unit from the front and rear;
A thread-like member stretched with a predetermined tension between any two members of the main unit, the front case, and the rear case;
With
A portable electronic device in which a trace of a drop remains, wherein the thread-like member is damaged by a drop impact.   The thread-like member is tensioned with a predetermined tension between the two members by fixing one end side to a screw provided on at least one of the two members and changing a length wound around the screw. The portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein a trace of dropping remains.   8. The portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the thread-like member is visible from a confirmation window provided on an exterior decorative plate sandwiched between the front case and the rear case. machine. A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case covering the main body unit from the front and rear;
A paintball that is disposed between at least two members of the main unit and the front case and the rear case, and is filled with a liquid paint inside a hollow thin resin sphere that is damaged by a drop impact;
A portable electronic device in which a trace of dropping remains.   10. The portable electronic device with traces of dropping according to claim 9, wherein the paintball is visible from a confirmation window provided in the front case or the rear case. A main unit with functional parts installed,
A front case and a rear case covering the main body unit from the front and rear;
An exterior decorative board sandwiched between the front case and the rear case;
A paint ball that is disposed in a space substantially surrounded by the main unit, the front case, the rear case, and the exterior decorative plate, and is filled with a liquid paint inside a hollow thin resin sphere that is damaged by a drop impact;
A portable electronic device in which a trace of dropping remains.   12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the exterior decorative board is provided with a confirmation window through which the state of the paintball can be visually recognized.   The portable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the portable electronic device is a digital camera.

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