JP2011075792A - Casing for portable equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small waterproof case optimal for portable equipment. <P>SOLUTION: The waterproof case includes a front cover 12 having a front frame part 22 and a back cover having a back frame part. The front cover 12 and the back cover are pressure bonded by thread fastening in the state that the front frame part 22 and the back frame part face each other with a waterproof packing 16 in between. In the front frame part 22, a groove 32 for disposing waterproof packing 16 and an insertion part 42 for passing through a thread for the pressure bonding of the front cover 12 and the back cover are formed. The insertion part 42 is formed by cutting a part of the sidewall of the groove 32. Thus, cutting the sidewall of the groove and forming the insertion part allow the thread to be close to the groove 32, thereby reducing the size of the waterproof case. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an exterior body for a portable device that prevents water from entering inside.

  A waterproof case configured to prevent water from entering inside is widely known. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a groove is formed over the entire circumference of the opening provided in the waterproof case body, a waterproof packing is disposed in the groove, and a screw hole is formed in an outer portion than the groove, An example in which a cover that is one size larger than that is screwed to the case body is described. Further, in Patent Document 2 below, the inner portion of the groove where the waterproof packing is disposed is cut out, a knob formed integrally with the waterproof packing is exposed from here, and the waterproof packing can be easily removed by pulling up the knob. An example of this is described.

JP 2007-101850 A JP 2006-064796 A

  However, the conventional waterproof case does not give consideration to downsizing, and there is a problem in that it increases in size. For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the screw is passed through the position away from the waterproof packing, the space efficiency is poor and the size is increased. Moreover, in the said patent document 2, it is necessary to ensure the space for arrange | positioning the knob of a waterproof packing in a waterproof case, and will enlarge.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background, and an object thereof is to provide a small-sized exterior body that is optimal for a portable device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an exterior body for a mobile device according to the present invention includes a first cover having one end opened, a second cover covering the opening of the first cover, and the first cover so as to surround the opening. A first frame portion provided on an outer periphery of one cover; and a second frame portion formed in a shape corresponding to the first frame portion and provided to surround the outer periphery of the second cover; 1. In the exterior body for a portable device in which the first and second covers are pressure-bonded by screwing in a state where the second frame portions face each other, the second frame portion of the first frame portions. A continuous groove over the entire circumference of the opening is formed on the surface opposite to the surface, and a waterproof packing is disposed in the groove, and a part of the side wall of the groove is cut away, so that the first and second An insertion part for inserting a screw for crimping the cover is formed.

  The insertion portion may be formed on either the inside or the outside of the waterproof packing. Moreover, you may provide two types of insertion parts, the insertion part formed inside the waterproof packing, and the insertion part formed outside the waterproof packing. In addition, when providing an insertion part inside a waterproof packing, it is preferable to provide a sealing material so that water may not penetrate | invade along the screw penetrated to this insertion part.

  Preferably, the first and second frame portions are formed in a rectangular shape, and the first and second covers are crimped by screwing the four corners of the first and second frame portions.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that a protrusion corresponding to the groove is provided on the surface of the second frame portion that faces the first frame portion, and the waterproof packing is pressed by the groove and the protrusion.

  Moreover, it is preferable to form the bottom face of the insertion part flush with the bottom face of the groove.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the insertion part is formed so that the width parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove increases as it approaches the groove.

  Further, it is preferable that the screw shaft is brought close to the waterproof packing, and the movement of the waterproof packing to the insertion portion side is regulated by the screw shaft.

  Further, it is preferable that a portion of the screw shaft adjacent to the waterproof packing has a smooth surface that does not form a screw thread.

  Further, it is preferable that the width of the groove is formed to be substantially equal to the width of the waterproof packing, and the movement of the waterproof packing is restricted by the inner and outer wall surfaces of the groove.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the insertion portion is provided so as to extend the side wall of the groove as long as it does not penetrate the side wall of the groove.

  According to the portable device exterior body of the present invention, a part of the groove in which the waterproof packing is disposed is cut out, and a screw for crimping the two covers is passed through the notched portion, so that the size reduction can be achieved. Is possible.

It is an exploded view which shows a mode that the front cover and the rear cover were divided | segmented. It is an exploded view which shows a mode that the front cover and the rear cover were divided | segmented. It is an enlarged view of the corner part of a front cover. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is an enlarged view of the corner part of a front cover. It is an enlarged view of the corner part of a front cover. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is an enlarged view of the corner part of a front cover. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case. It is sectional drawing of the corner part of a waterproof case.

  Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is applied to an exterior body (waterproof case) of a digital camera will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the waterproof case 10 constitutes an exterior of the digital camera and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The waterproof case 10 is made of a material such as resin, for example. The waterproof case 10 is a front and rear split type, and includes a front cover 12 having a rear end opened and a rear cover 14 covering the opening of the front cover 12. A waterproof packing 16 is disposed between the front cover 12 and the rear cover 14.

  The front cover 12 is provided with an opening 12a for exposing the photographing lens and an opening 12b for exposing the light emitting surface of the flash. The rear cover 14 is provided with an opening 14a for exposing the liquid crystal display and an opening 14b for exposing the operation unit. It has been. Between each opening and each portion arranged in each opening, for example, a gap is closed by inserting rubber or the like, or sealing material is sealed, so that the water does not enter the waterproof case 10. .

  The front cover 12 is provided with a front frame portion 22, and the rear cover 14 is provided with a rear frame portion 24. The front frame portion 22 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the rear end portion of the front cover 12, and the rear frame portion 24 is formed in a shape corresponding to the front frame portion 22 so as to surround the outer periphery of the front end portion of the rear cover 14. Is provided. In the front frame portion 22, a continuous groove 32 extending over the entire circumference of the front frame portion 22 is formed on the surface facing the rear frame portion 24, and the waterproof packing 16 is disposed in the groove 32. On the rear frame portion 24, a protrusion 34 for suppressing the waterproof packing 16 is formed on the surface facing the front frame portion 22.

  The front cover 12 and the rear cover 14 face the front frame portion 22 and the rear frame portion 24 through the waterproof packing 16, and in this state, four corners (corner portions) are screwed with screws 36 and are crimped. A through hole 38 through which the screw 36 is passed is formed in the corner portion of the rear cover 14, and a screw hole 40 that is screwed with the screw 36 is formed in the corner portion of the front cover 12. Then, the front cover 12 and the rear cover 14 are screwed from the rear cover 14 side and are crimped. When the front cover 12 and the rear cover 14 are pressure-bonded, the gap between the groove 32 and the protrusion 34 is closed by the waterproof packing 16. As a result, water intrusion into the waterproof case 10 is prevented.

  As described above, the corner portions of the front cover 12 and the rear cover 14 are screwed together, and the present invention realizes miniaturization by devising the configuration of the corner portions. Hereinafter, the configuration of the corner portion will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 showing a cross section of the index Aa in FIG. Although there are four corner portions, since all the four corner portions have the same configuration in the present embodiment, in the following description, one corner portion will be described on behalf of the four corner portions.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the corner portion of the front cover 12, an insertion portion 42 for inserting a screw 36 is formed in addition to the groove 32 and the screw hole 40 described above. The groove 32 is formed to have substantially the same width as the waterproof packing 16, and the waterproof packing 16 is sandwiched from both sides by the groove 32, and movement to the inside and outside of the waterproof case 10 is restricted. The insertion portion 42 is formed by cutting out the side wall of the groove 32 toward the outside of the waterproof case 10, and is provided so as to expand the width of the groove 32 in a range that does not penetrate the side wall of the groove 32. Further, the width W of the insertion portion 42 that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove 32 is increased as it approaches the groove 32.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the insertion portion 42 is formed so that the bottom surface is flush with the bottom surface of the groove 32, and a screw hole 40 is provided on the bottom surface of the insertion portion 42. . A self-tap screw is used as the screw 36. The inner wall of the screw hole 40 is a smooth surface until the screw 36 is screwed in, and as shown in FIG. To do. The screw hole 40 is formed so that the shaft of the screw 36 is disposed in the vicinity of the waterproof packing 16 when the front cover 12 and the rear cover 14 are screwed together. Further, the screw 36 has a thread formed only at the tip portion of the shaft, and a portion close to the waterproof packing 16 has a smooth surface 36a.

  Thus, by cutting out the side wall of the groove to form the insertion portion, the screw can be brought close to the groove and the waterproof case can be downsized. In addition, the corner portion of the waterproof case tends to be a dead space where no parts are arranged. Since the corner portion is screwed (the present invention is applied to the corner portion), the corner portion is screwed between the corner portions. Compared with the case where the present invention is applied between the corner portion and the corner portion, the space efficiency is better and the size can be further reduced.

  Moreover, since the waterproof packing is sandwiched between the inner side and the outer side of the waterproof case by the wall surface of the groove, the waterproof packing can be prevented from being displaced, and water intrusion into the waterproof case can be reliably prevented. Furthermore, since the insertion part is provided so as to extend the width of the groove in a range that does not penetrate the side wall of the groove, the strength is higher than in the case of forming the insertion part so as to penetrate the side wall of the groove, and damage or deformation Can be prevented. In addition, since the bottom surface of the groove and the bottom surface of the insertion portion are flush with each other, it is easy to form the groove and the insertion portion as compared with the case where the heights are different.

  Further, since the self-tapping screw is used as the screw, it is not necessary to previously form a screw groove in the screw hole, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Further, since the insertion portion is formed so that the width becomes wider as it approaches the groove, a space is created around the screw shaft and the screw hole, and this space functions as a refuge for shaving of the screw groove. As a result, there is a problem that occurs when there is no escape place for the shavings of the thread groove (see FIGS. 5 and 6), that is, the shavings may damage the waterproof packing, and the shavings may be damaged by the front cover and the rear cover. It is possible to prevent the waterproof property from being lowered.

  Furthermore, damage to the groove or the insertion portion can be prevented by forming the insertion portion so that the width becomes wider as approaching the groove. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the width W of the insertion portion 50 becomes narrower as it approaches the groove 52, the strength of the boundary portion 54 between the insertion portion 50 and the groove 52 is insufficient, and the boundary portion 54 is damaged. There is a risk. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, when the distance between the insertion portion 60 and the groove 62 is increased, the strength of the boundary portion 64 increases, but the size increases. On the other hand, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the groove and the insertion portion while reducing the size. In FIG. 5 and subsequent drawings, members similar to those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  Further, since the screw is placed close to the groove and the screw shaft is disposed in the vicinity of the waterproof packing, the waterproof packing is prevented from being displaced and water can be reliably prevented from entering the waterproof case (FIG. 4B). )reference). In addition, since the portion of the screw shaft that is close to the waterproof packing is a smooth surface that is not provided with a thread, damage to the waterproof packing by the screw can be reduced (see FIG. 4B). In addition, since the waterproof packing is sandwiched between the protrusion and the groove, not only can the water in the waterproof case be reliably prevented, but the front cover and the rear cover can be easily engaged by engaging the protrusion and the groove. Therefore, the workability during assembly can be improved.

  In the present invention, since the insertion portion through which the screw for crimping the case is passed by notching a part of the groove where the waterproof packing is disposed may be formed, the detailed configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be changed as appropriate. it can.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the rear cover 70 may be provided with a groove 72 and an insertion portion 74, and the front cover 76 may be provided with a protrusion 78. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a through hole 82 is provided in the front cover 80, a screw hole 86 is provided in the rear cover 84, and the front cover 80 is screwed from the front cover 80 side. And the rear cover 84 may be pressure-bonded. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the depth of the groove 90 is formed lower (shallow) than the height of the waterproof packing 16, and the end surface of the rear frame portion 92 on the front frame portion 94 side is formed. 96 may be formed flat (projections may be eliminated).

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the corner portion (screwing the corner portion). However, the present invention is applied between the corner portion and the corner portion (between the corner portion and the corner portion). You may screw between). Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which applies this invention to all the parts screwed (it cuts a groove | channel and forms an insertion part) was demonstrated, this invention is applied only to a part of screwed part. May be applied.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the insertion portion is formed outside the groove has been described. However, as illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 </ b> A, and 11 </ b> B, the insertion portion 100 is formed in the groove 102. You may form inside. In FIG. 10, the insertion part 100 is formed by notching the side wall of the groove | channel 102 toward the inner side of a waterproof case. Further, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, in this example, the head and the rear of the screw 36 are prevented so as not to be immersed in the waterproof case from the gap between the screw 36 and the rear cover 104. A ring-shaped sealing material (packing) 106 surrounding the axis of the screw 36 is provided between the cover 104 and the cover 104. In addition, one of the four corner portions is provided with an insertion portion inside the groove as in this example, and the remaining corner portion is provided with an insertion portion outside the groove as in the above-described embodiment. An insertion part may be provided.

  In the above embodiment, the screw shaft is arranged in the vicinity of the waterproof packing and the waterproof shaft is prevented from being displaced by the screw shaft. However, the waterproof packing is sandwiched from both sides by the groove so that the displacement is not caused. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, a gap may be formed between the shaft of the screw 120 and the waterproof packing 16. In this case, the waterproof packing 16 cannot be suppressed by the shaft of the screw 120, but the thread may damage the waterproof packing 16 without providing a smooth surface as in the above-described embodiment on the shaft of the screw 120. Can be prevented.

  Of course, as shown in FIG. 13, a screw 120 (see FIG. 12) that is not provided with a smooth surface is used, the shaft of this screw 120 is arranged in the vicinity of the waterproof packing 16, and the waterproof packing 16 is dropped by the shaft of the screw 120. May be prevented. In this case, the waterproof packing 16 may be damaged by the shaft of the screw 120, but the cost can be reduced as compared with the case of using a special screw having a smooth surface. Further, the size of the screw 120 can be reduced by bringing the shaft of the screw 120 closer to the waterproof packing 16. Furthermore, since the waterproof packing 16 can be prevented from falling off by the shaft of the screw 120, it can be waterproofed more reliably.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the inner wall of the screw hole is a smooth surface, and the screw groove is formed on the inner wall of the screw hole by screwing the screw (self-tapping screw). The invention is not limited to this. A screw groove may be formed in advance on the inner wall of the screw hole, and the front cover and the rear cover may be screwed using a screw corresponding to the screw groove.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which applies this invention to a rectangular parallelepiped exterior body (waterproof case), you may apply this invention to the waterproof case formed in the shape of other than this. Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which applies this invention to the waterproof case divided | segmented before and after, you may apply this invention to the waterproof case divided | segmented up and down or right and left.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the exterior body (waterproof case) of a digital camera has been described. However, known portable devices other than the digital camera (digital video camera, mobile phone, notebook computer, PDA) The present invention may be applied to a waterproof case.

10 Waterproof case 12, 76, 80 Front cover 14, 70, 84, 104 Rear cover 16 Waterproof packing 22, 94 Front frame part 24, 92 Rear frame part 32, 52, 62, 72, 90, 102 Groove 34, 78 Projection 36, 120 Screw 36a Smooth surface 38, 82 Through hole 40, 86 Screw hole 42, 50, 60, 74, 100 Insertion part 54, 64 Boundary part 106 Sealing material

Claims (13)

A first cover having one end opened; a second cover covering the opening of the first cover; a first frame provided on an outer periphery of the first cover so as to surround the opening; and the first A second frame portion formed in a shape corresponding to the frame portion and provided so as to surround an outer periphery of the second cover, and screwed in a state where the first and second frame portions face each other. In the exterior body for a portable device for crimping the first and second covers,
Forming a continuous groove over the entire circumference of the opening on the surface of the first frame facing the second frame, and disposing a waterproof packing in the groove,
An exterior body for a portable device, wherein a part of a side wall of the groove is cut out to form an insertion part for inserting a screw for crimping the first and second covers.   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is formed outside the waterproof packing.   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is formed inside the waterproof packing.   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the insertion portions are provided, at least one is formed outside the waterproof packing, and at least one is formed inside the waterproof packing.   The sealing material for preventing that water penetrate | invades into the said exterior body for said portable devices through the screw penetrated by the insertion part formed inside the said waterproof packing, or provided with the above-mentioned. The exterior body for portable devices according to 4.   The first and second frame portions are formed in a rectangular shape, and the first and second covers are pressure-bonded by screwing four corners of the first and second frame portions. The exterior body for portable devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   7. A projection corresponding to the groove is provided on a surface of the second frame portion facing the first frame portion, and the waterproof packing is pressed by the groove and the projection. The exterior body for portable devices as described in any one.   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the insertion portion is formed flush with a bottom surface of the groove.   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is formed such that a width parallel to a longitudinal direction of the groove is widened toward the groove.   The exterior body for a portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a shaft of the screw is brought close to the waterproof packing, and movement of the waterproof packing to the insertion portion side is regulated by the shaft of the screw. .   The exterior body for a portable device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the screw shaft adjacent to the waterproof packing is a smooth surface that does not form a screw thread. The width of the groove is formed substantially equal to the width of the waterproof packing,
The exterior body for a portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein movement of the waterproof packing is restricted by inner and outer wall surfaces of the groove.   The portable device exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the insertion portion is provided so as to extend the side wall of the groove within a range not penetrating the side wall of the groove.

Images