JP2012125676A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus in which a moisture absorbent disposed in the electronic apparatus sealed as a waterproof level is efficiently dried, and can be regenerated without increasing the user burden.SOLUTION: A digital balance 1 includes: a housing sealed to a waterproof level; and a battery box 38 of a battery 39 to operate the digital balance 1. The battery box 38 includes: a balance power source connector to connect an electric circuit in the housing; a heater 12 to dry a moisture absorbent 14 to adsorb moisture in the housing; and a pin insert connector 17 which connects with an external power source to apply voltage to the battery 39 and the heater 12 accommodated when detached from the housing.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device whose casing is sealed at a waterproof level, and more particularly, to an electronic device having a moisture absorbent for drying the inside of the casing of the electronic device.

  Conventionally, various moisture absorbers have been used as a countermeasure against moisture. Examples of the hygroscopic device include those using a Peltier element and those using a hygroscopic agent. Examples of the hygroscopic agent that can be used include a substance that exhibits moisture adsorption (for example, silica gel), a substance that exhibits deliquescence (for example, calcium chloride), and the like.

  For example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 disclose a hygroscopic device (dehumidifying device) using a hygroscopic agent. More specifically, in Patent Document 1, a ventilator provided with a moisture adsorbent (hygroscopic agent), a fan that blows air to the ventilator, an electric heater that heats and regenerates the ventilator, and a charge that serves as a power source for the fan drive motor A dehumidifying device including a battery or the like is disclosed. In this dehumidifier, when the moisture adsorbent of the ventilator loses its adsorption capability, the moisture adsorbent can be dried and regenerated by blowing hot air heated and heated by the electric heater onto the ventilator.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a dehumidifying device including a hygroscopic agent, a blower that ventilates the hygroscopic agent, a heater that heats the hygroscopic agent, a storage battery that drives the blower, and a charging circuit that charges the storage battery. ing. In this dehumidifier, the moisture absorbent can be dried by connecting an AC power source to the charging circuit, the heater, and the blower.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a moisture absorber provided with a drying unit having a moisture absorbent cartridge and a heater, and a moisture absorption unit having a fan. In this moisture absorber, the moisture absorbent cartridge is removable in the drying unit, and moisture can be absorbed using this moisture absorbent cartridge. Further, when the moisture absorption capacity of the moisture absorbent cartridge becomes full, the cartridge can be attached to the drying unit and dried and regenerated.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-95531 JP-A-3-275115 Japanese Patent No. 3319765

  By the way, an electronic device generally includes a member that dislikes moisture. For this reason, when an electronic device is used in a place containing moisture, the electronic device is devised to take a waterproof measure to prevent water from entering from the outside. However, even an electronic device with such a waterproof measure may cause dew condensation inside due to a sudden temperature change in the outside surrounding the electronic device.

  That is, the internal pressure may increase due to heat generation of the electronic circuit accommodated in the electronic device, and the electronic device may malfunction. For this reason, the inside of the electronic device is hermetically sealed to such an extent that waterproofing from the outside can be prevented (waterproof level), but is not completely sealed so that outside air can enter to prevent an increase in pressure. Therefore, dew condensation may occur because air containing moisture enters the electronic device.

  Therefore, as a countermeasure against the above-described condensation, for example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, a configuration using a hygroscopic agent that does not consume electric power is conceivable.

  However, these prior arts are configured to regenerate a hygroscopic agent having a reduced moisture adsorbing power, but are not configured to be used in an electronic device sealed at a waterproof level. For this reason, when the prior art is used for the purpose of drying the sealed electronic device, a burden imposed on the user increases.

  More specifically, the devices of the invention disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are dehumidifiers, and the rechargeable battery provided as a component is provided as a power source for driving a motor of a fan. For this reason, when using the dehumidification apparatus of patent documents 1, 2 inside the electronic device sealed by the waterproof level, it is necessary to provide the mechanism which can attach a dehumidification apparatus inside an electronic device. In addition, since electric power is consumed for operating the electronic device and for driving the motor of the fan of the dehumidifying device, the charging frequency of the rechargeable battery increases and the burden on the user increases.

  The hygroscopic device of Patent Document 3 has a configuration in which a drying unit and a hygroscopic unit are provided separately, and when the hygroscopic agent is regenerated, the hygroscopic cartridge (hygroscopic agent) is removed from the hygroscopic unit and dried. It is a configuration. For this reason, when using the moisture absorber of patent document 3 inside the electronic device sealed at the waterproof level, the drying unit must be prepared separately from the electronic device main body, which increases the burden on the user. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently dry a hygroscopic agent disposed inside an electronic device sealed at a waterproof level without increasing a user burden. It is to realize an electronic device that can be played back.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a casing sealed at a predetermined waterproof level, and a battery container that houses a storage battery as a power source for operating the electronic device. The battery container is connected to an electrical circuit wired in the casing; a heater for drying a moisture absorbent for adsorbing moisture in the casing; and the casing A second connecting portion for connecting to an external power source in order to apply a voltage to the storage battery and the heater that are housed when the battery container is removed, and the battery container is removable from the outside Stored in the housing.

  Here, it is sealed to a predetermined waterproof level to such an extent that water leakage from the outside of the casing can be prevented so that the electronic components and electronic circuits accommodated in the casing do not cause malfunction due to moisture. It is sealed. In other words, the casing of this electrical device is not completely sealed.

  According to the configuration described above, the electronic device according to the present invention has the storage battery and the first connection portion. For this reason, an electronic device can be operated by using a storage battery as a power source. In the electronic device, the battery container that houses the storage battery includes a heater for drying the hygroscopic agent and the connection portion. For this reason, when charging a storage battery, a heater can be operated and a hygroscopic agent can also be dried.

  As described above, the electronic device according to the present invention can dry the moisture absorbent containing water during the charging time of the storage battery, and thus efficiently regenerates the moisture absorbent without burdening the user. be able to. Moreover, since the said storage battery is utilized only as a power supply for operation of an electronic device, compared with the structure utilized also as a power supply for operation of a heater, the frequency | count of charging of a storage battery can be reduced and a user is forced. The burden will not increase.

  Therefore, it is possible to efficiently dry and regenerate the hygroscopic agent disposed inside the electronic device sealed at the waterproof level without increasing the user burden.

  In addition, as a hygroscopic agent with which a battery container is equipped, the silica gel etc. which adsorb | suck a water | moisture content and discharge | release a water | moisture content by heating can be utilized, for example.

  Further, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the battery container includes a housing portion for housing the hygroscopic agent and the heater, and the heat generating surface of the heater is directed to the hygroscopic agent. A heater and the hygroscopic agent may be disposed in the housing portion.

  Since the housing portion is provided, the battery container can house the hygroscopic agent and the heater together. For this reason, it is not necessary to separately attach or remove the moisture absorbent and the heater each time the battery container is attached to or removed from the housing, and the burden on the user can be reduced.

  An electronic device according to the present invention is attached to the housing so as to be removable from the outside so as to accommodate the moisture absorbent and to adsorb moisture in the housing by the moisture absorbent to dry the inside of the housing. A drying unit may be further included, and the moisture absorbent in the drying unit may be housed in the housing portion and dried in a state where the battery container and the moisture absorbent are removed from the housing.

  Since the drying unit is provided according to the above configuration, the hygroscopic agent can be arranged at a desired position in the electronic device. In addition, in the state where the battery container and the hygroscopic agent are removed from the housing, the hygroscopic agent can be accommodated in the accommodating portion provided in the battery container, so that the moisture absorbed by the hygroscopic agent in the drying unit is absorbed. Can be dried.

  Further, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the battery container includes a thermostat for managing the heat generation temperature of the heater, and the thermostat has the heat generation temperature of the heater within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period. A heat detection unit that detects whether or not, and a switch unit that switches on and off of a circuit that connects the connection unit and the heater, and the heat detection unit is within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period. The switch unit may be configured to turn off the circuit when it is detected that there is a heat generation temperature.

  According to the configuration described above, since the battery container includes the thermostat having the detection unit and the switch unit, it is possible to manage the heating temperature of the heater so that it does not exceed the temperature necessary for drying the moisture absorbent. it can.

  In the electronic device according to the present invention, the hygroscopic agent may change in color according to the water content. Since the color of the hygroscopic agent changes depending on the water content, it can be visually confirmed whether or not the drying of the hygroscopic agent has been completed by heating with the heater.

  The present invention is configured as described above, and has an effect that a hygroscopic agent disposed inside an electronic apparatus sealed at a waterproof level can be efficiently dried and made recyclable.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure seen from diagonally forward of the digital balance which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the digital balance of FIG. It is a bottom view of the digital balance of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the battery box which accommodated the battery of the digital balance which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the wiring in the battery box of FIG. It is an exploded view of the drying unit of the digital balance concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the digital balance which shows the attachment position of the drying unit in FIG.

  Hereinafter, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a digital balance will be described as an example of an electronic apparatus, and description will be given with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention corresponds to this if it is an electronic device having a casing sealed to a waterproof level and having a hygroscopic agent for drying the inside of the casing of the electronic device. Hereinafter, a digital scale will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  The digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment corresponds to this if it is an electronic device that measures the weight of an article and digitizes and displays the measured value obtained by the measurement. The following is an example of a so-called digital upper plate automatic scale that measures the weight (weight) of an article placed on a weighing pan and digitally displays the measured value on a display unit. The digital balance 1 is configured to obtain the weight of an article using, for example, a strain gauge type load cell.

  By the way, when agricultural and fishery products, fresh foods and the like are used as articles, the seafood, vegetables and the like which are articles contain a lot of moisture, and the environment surrounding the digital balance 1 is high humidity. Further, in an environment where seafood and vegetables are handled, advanced food hygiene management is required. For this reason, it is necessary to wash | clean and disinfect the digital balance 1 frequently, and the waterproofness (or water resistance) which can respond to washing | cleaning is requested | required with respect to the digital balance 1. FIG.

  Therefore, the digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a seal member (for example, rubber packing or the like) at the joint 10 in the digital scale main body 3 so that it can be used in an environment where it is wetted by water, such as a food processing plant. ) 9 is disposed and attached to prevent flooding.

(Configuration of digital scale)
A more specific configuration of the digital balance 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a digital balance 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the digital balance 1 of FIG. In addition, in the digital balance 1, when the side provided with the display unit 34 is the front and the side opposite to the side provided with the display unit 34 is the rear, FIG. 2 shows the digital scale 1 along the rear from the front. The cross-sectional structure when cut vertically is shown. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the digital balance 1 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the digital balance 1 includes a weighing pan 2 and a digital balance body 3 in its external shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the weighing pan 2 is a tray for placing an article (an object to be weighed). The weighing pan 2 has an article placed on the upper surface side. Further, it is in contact with the tray receiver 31 on the lower side and is supported by the tray receiver 31. And it is comprised so that the load of the mounted article may be added to the tray receiver 31 supported on the lower side.

  The digital scale body 3 includes a housing 4 and a member housed or attached to the housing 4. The housing 4 is made of, for example, stainless steel, and members constituting the housing 4 are also made of stainless steel. The shape of the housing 4 is arbitrary.

  Below, the structure by which the housing | casing 4 is formed in the flat rectangular parallelepiped shape is illustrated. The housing 4 includes a bottom plate 5 and a cover member 6. For example, the bottom plate 5 is formed in a flat plate shape as a whole. The cover member 6 is formed, for example, in a hollow flat semi-open rectangular parallelepiped shape having a lower surface opened, a front surface inclined upward, and an opening 8 in the center of the upper surface. The lower edge portion of the cover member 6 is bent inward over the entire circumference to constitute an abutting portion 6a. The outer edge portion 5a of the bottom plate 5 comes into contact with the contact portion 6a, and the contact portion 6a and the outer edge portion 5a of the bottom plate 5 are joined by the screw 22. This joint portion constitutes a joint portion 10 between the bottom plate 5 and the cover member 6.

  In this way, a flat rectangular housing 4 is formed using the bottom plate 5 and the cover member 6. Between the contact part 6a of the cover member 6 and the outer edge part 5a of the bottom plate 5, a seal member (for example, rubber packing or the like) 9A is disposed, whereby the contact part 6a of the cover member 6 and the bottom plate 5 The space between the outer edge 5a is sealed to a predetermined waterproof level (waterproof specification).

  The casing 4 accommodates a lower portion of the tray receiver 31, a load cell 40, a control board 41, a battery box 38, electrical wiring (not shown), and the like. An opening 5 b is formed in a part of the bottom plate 5, and the battery box 38 can be accommodated in the digital scale main body 3 through the opening 5 b. The battery box 38 corresponds to the battery container of the present invention.

  The opening 5 b of the bottom plate 5 is closed by a plate-shaped bottom lid 7. The bottom lid 7 is detachably attached to the bottom plate 5 with screws 25. A sealing member (for example, rubber packing) 9B is disposed between the bottom lid 7 and the bottom plate 5 so that the gap between the bottom lid 7 and the bottom plate 5 is sealed to the predetermined waterproof level. Yes.

  The load cell 40 includes a strain body 29 and a strain gauge 30 attached to a predetermined part of the strain body 29. The tray receiver 31 includes a horizontally extending receiving portion 31a and a mounting portion 31b projecting downward from the central portion of the receiving portion 31a. The strain body 29 is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 5 in a cantilever manner so that one end thereof is supported. The other end portion of the strain generating body 29 supports the attachment portion 31 b of the tray receiver 31.

  The upper end portion of the mounting portion 31b of the tray receiver 31 protrudes upward from the opening 8 of the cover member 6, the receiving portion 31a is located at the upper end, and the weighing pan 2 is attached to the receiving portion 31a. Thereby, when an article is placed on the weighing pan 2, the load of the article is applied to the strain body 29 of the load cell 40 via the tray receiver 31, and the strain of the strain body 29 is detected by the strain gauge 30. Is done. In this way, the weight of the article placed on the weighing pan 2 is detected.

  Further, the diaphragm 11 is disposed between the peripheral edge portion 6 b of the opening 8 of the cover member 6 and the outer edge portion of the receiving portion 31 a of the tray receiver 31. Thereby, the space between the cover member 6 and the tray receiver 31 is sealed to the predetermined waterproof level. The both ends of the diaphragm 11 are attached to the peripheral edge 6b of the opening 8 of the cover member 6 and the outer edge of the receiving part 31a of the tray receiver 31 by screws 23, 24 and the like. Moreover, the diaphragm 11 is comprised with the material rich in the softness | flexibility, and when the tray receiver 31 moves to an up-down direction, it is comprised so that a reaction force may not be exerted on the said tray receiver 31 substantially. Thereby, the weight of the article placed on the weighing pan 2 can be accurately measured with the inside of the housing 4 sealed from the outside.

  Further, a display unit 34 is provided on the front surface of the cover member 6, and a control board 41 is attached to the inner surface of the cover member 6 so as to be positioned behind the display unit 34. The control board 41 is disposed in the vicinity of the battery box 38, for example.

  As described above, the lower part of the tray receiver 31, the load cell 40, the control board 41, and the battery box 38 are accommodated in the housing 4. Here, the weighing pan 2, the strain generating body 29, the strain gauge 30, the tray receiver 31, and the load cell 40 constitute a weighing mechanism. In addition, the battery box 38, the battery 39, the control board 41, and necessary electrical wiring (not shown) constitute electrical components.

  A power ON / OFF sheet key switch 32, an operation sheet key switch 33, and a height adjusting leg 35 are further provided on the outer surface of the housing 4 (the bottom plate 5 and the cover member 6).

  The power ON-OFF sheet key switch 32 switches the power of the digital balance 1 on and off, and the operation sheet key switch 33 is an input means for performing various settings. Various settings include settings for zero correction, taring, and the like.

  The display unit 34 displays information such as a measurement value, and can be realized by an LCD (Liquid crystal display) or the like.

  The height adjustment legs 35 are legs for supporting the digital scale body 3 and are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the housing 4 so that the digital scale body 3 can be supported in a horizontal position. The height of can be adjusted.

  As described above, the bottom lid 7 is for closing the opening 5b of the battery box 38 housed in the digital scale main body 3. That is, the bottom lid 7 can be attached to and detached from the digital scale body 3. When the bottom lid 7 is removed from the digital scale main body 3, the opening 5b of the battery box 38 is exposed to the outside. The battery box 38 containing the battery 39 can be taken out of the housing 4 from the opening 5b.

  In addition, the sealing member 9B is attached to the fitting portion of the bottom lid 7 as described above, so that water from the outside can be prevented. The battery 39 corresponds to the storage battery of the present invention.

  The load cell 40 obtains the weight of the article from the load applied from the article placed on the weighing pan 2. The load cell 40 includes a strain body 29 that deforms in proportion to a force and a strain gauge 30 that measures the amount of deformation (strain), and the strain body 29 due to a load applied to the strain body 29 from an article. The weight of the article is detected from the amount of deformation (strain).

  More specifically, in the load cell 40, for example, a Wheatstone bridge is configured by four strain gauges 30 whose electric resistance changes in proportion to the strain. From the Wheatstone bridge, a very small voltage signal proportional to the applied voltage and proportional to the distortion is output to the control board 41. The control board 41 amplifies this small voltage signal and controls the display unit 34 to display the weight of the article as a numerical value.

  The control board 41 performs various controls of the digital balance 1. The control board 41 is provided on the front side of the digital balance 1, that is, on the side where the display unit 34 is provided in the digital scale body 3. In the example of FIG. 2, the control board 41 is provided on the back side of the display unit 34.

  The battery box 38 provided inside the housing 4 accommodates the battery 39 as described above. The battery box 38 includes an electrode (not shown), and the electrode is connected to a power supply terminal (not shown) of the control board 41 via a wiring (not shown). Details of the configuration of the battery box 38 will be described later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of recesses from the bottom 20 toward the upper side of the digital balance 1 are provided on the bottom portion 20 of the housing 4 of the digital balance 1 in order to facilitate the carrying of the digital balance 1. A recess 28 is provided. Each side surface of the pair of recesses 28 is formed of a waterproof and moisture-permeable material 27.

  As described above, the digital balance 1 has the joint portion 10 and the like sealed with the seal members 9A and 9B and the space between the housing 4 and the tray receiver 31 is sealed with the diaphragm 11 in order to improve waterproofness. The structure is sealed from the outside.

  However, in order to increase the weighing accuracy of the digital balance 1, it is necessary to maintain a balance between the pressure inside and outside the digital balance body 3 (more specifically, the housing 4). Therefore, in the digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment, the atmospheric pressure can be adjusted by using the waterproof and moisture permeable material 27 on the side surface of the recess 28 of the bottom portion 20 where the possibility of being splashed with water is small.

  As the waterproof and moisture permeable material 27, a material made by combining a film obtained by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyurethane polymer, so-called Gore-Tex (registered trademark) can be used.

  Thus, since the digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment needs to keep the pressure inside and outside the digital balance main body 3 in balance, the waterproof / breathable material 27 is used in a part of the bottom portion 20. For this reason, air containing moisture enters the inside of the housing 4 through the waterproof and moisture-permeable material 27, and condensation is likely to occur due to a sudden temperature change in the external environment surrounding the digital scale 1. In addition, as a sudden temperature change of the external environment surrounding the digital balance 1, a case where the frozen processed product is weighed and then washed with hot water is assumed.

  Therefore, in the digital balance 1, the moisture absorbent 14 is added to the battery box 38 in order to prevent the generated condensation from adversely affecting the water-absorbing member such as the battery 39, the electronic circuit of the control board 41, and the strain gauge 30 of the load cell 40. It can accommodate in the accommodating part 54 with which it can be arrange | positioned in the housing | casing 4. FIG.

(Battery box configuration)
Hereinafter, the configuration of the battery box 38 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the battery box 38 that houses the battery 39 of the digital balance 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of wiring in the battery box 38 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the battery box 38 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an upper surface opened (that is, having an opening 5b). Inside the battery box 38, a partition 50 for arranging a plurality of batteries 39 (four batteries 39 in the example of FIG. 4) at predetermined positions, and the arranged batteries 39 are pressed and fixed in the battery box 38. A fixing portion 51 is provided.

  The battery 39 has a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. And when this battery 39 is accommodated in the battery box 38, the partition part 50 is formed in the central part of the side surfaces 52a, 52b of the battery box 38 that contacts the end part in the connecting direction of the two batteries 39 connected so as to be conductive. Is formed.

  The partition 50 has a plate shape protruding from the side surface 52 a or the side surface 52 b of the battery box 38 toward the inside of the battery box 38 and standing upward from the bottom surface 53 of the battery box 38. A plurality of batteries 39 can be stored at predetermined positions by the partition portion 50.

  Further, a side surface different from the side surfaces 52a and 52b of the battery box 38 provided with the partition portion 50, that is, an upper end portion of the side surfaces 52c and 52d provided in a direction in which the connected batteries 39 are installed in parallel is provided. A plate-shaped fixing portion 51 that is curved along the circumferential shape of the battery 39 is provided. The battery 39 can be fixed in the battery box 38 by being sandwiched between the fixing portion 51 and the bottom surface 53.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the battery box 38 has two batteries 39 that are connected so as to be conductive, arranged in two rows. For this reason, the fixing | fixed part 51 will be provided in the position according to the accommodation position of each battery 39 in each of the side surfaces 52c and 52d (2 places in each of the side surfaces 52c and 52d in the example of FIG. 4).

  As described above, in the battery box 38, the battery 39 can be arranged at a predetermined position by the partition part 50 and can be fixed in the battery box 38 by the fixing part 51. For this reason, even if the battery box 38 is detached from the housing 4 or attached to the housing 4, the battery 39 does not fall out of the battery box 38.

  In addition, an electrode (not shown) is provided at a position where each of the side surfaces 52a and 52b of the accommodating portion 54 contacts the battery 39, and the electrode is connected to a terminal (not shown). And it is comprised via this terminal so that it may be connected to the electric power supply terminal (not shown) of the control board 41 through wiring.

  More specifically, in this embodiment, the balance power connector 26 that can be realized by a snap terminal or the like is provided on the outer surface of the side surface 52 a of the battery box 38, and the battery box 38 is accommodated in the digital scale body 3. In this case, the battery box 38 and the power supply terminal of the control board 41 can be connected via the scale power connector 26. The balance power connector 26 corresponds to the first connection portion of the present invention.

  Furthermore, these electrodes are also connected to the pin insert connector 17 provided on the outer surface of the side surface 52b of the battery box 38. The pin insert connector 17 corresponds to the second connection portion of the present invention.

  The battery 39 housed in the housing portion 54 is a storage battery (secondary battery), and can be charged while the battery 39 is housed in the battery box 38. For this reason, the pin insert connector 17 is provided on the outer surface of the side surface 52b of the battery box 38 in order to connect to the AC adapter 19 connected to a power source (for example, a commercial power source or a household power source).

  That is, when charging the battery 39 accommodated in the battery box 38, the pin insert connector 17 and the socket insert connector 18 provided at the tip of the cable of the AC adapter 19 are fitted. Then, the AC adapter 19 changes the AC voltage from the power source into a DC voltage and applies the DC voltage to the battery 39 accommodated in the battery box 38.

  Furthermore, in addition to the pin insert connector 17 described above, an accommodating portion 54 is provided on the outer surface of the side surface 52b of the battery box 38.

  The accommodating part 54 accommodates the hygroscopic agent 14 and the heater 12 for drying the hygroscopic agent 14 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open upper surface. And it is joined with the side surface 52b of the battery box 38 by one of the long side surfaces in this rectangular parallelepiped shape (the side surface 61c in FIG. 4).

  The hygroscopic agent 14 accommodated in the accommodating part 54 is, for example, silica gel that adsorbs moisture and releases moisture by heating. Further, in order to show the state of water adsorption of silica gel, a moisture indicator such as cobalt chloride is added to the hygroscopic agent 14. For this reason, the presence or absence of moisture adsorption force of the moisture absorbent 14 can be recognized by the color change.

  Further, the hygroscopic agent 14 has a plate shape as shown in FIG. 4, and convex portions (not shown) are formed at the edges of both ends of the hygroscopic agent 14. Then, both ends of the hygroscopic agent 14 come into contact with the side surfaces 61 a and 61 b of the storage portion 54 when stored in the storage portion 54. On the other hand, concave portions (not shown) that fit into the convex portions are formed on the side surfaces 61 a and 61 b that come into contact with both end portions of the moisture absorbent 14 in the accommodating portion 54. And the convex part of the hygroscopic agent 14 can be engage | inserted and fixed to the recessed part formed in the side surfaces 61a and 61b. As a result, the hygroscopic agent 14 is disposed such that the end portion thereof abuts the side surfaces 61 a and 61 b of the housing portion 54 and stands on the bottom surface 53 of the housing portion 54.

  In the housing portion 54, the moisture absorbent 14 is disposed on the side contacting the side surface 52b of the battery box 38, that is, the side surface 61c side of the housing portion 54 in FIG. 4, and the heater 12 is attached to the side surface 61d side facing the side surface 61c. ing. Both are disposed close to each other so that the moisture absorbent 14 can be effectively dried by the heat generated by the heater 12, and the heat generating surface of the heater 12 faces the moisture absorbent 14.

  The heater 12 is connected to the pin insert connector 17, and a voltage applied to the battery 39 when the battery 39 is charged is also applied to the heater 12. For this reason, in the digital scale 1 according to the present embodiment, when the battery 39 accommodated in the battery box 38 is charged, the heater 12 can be operated to dry the moisture absorbent 14.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a DC voltage is applied to the battery 39 and the heater 12 via the pin insert connector 17. Thereby, the battery 39 can be charged and the heater 12 can be operated to dry the moisture absorbent 14. In the battery 39, the diode 21 is provided in the charging circuit so that the current does not return to the primary side.

  Moreover, the accommodating part 54 which the battery box 38 has is further provided with the thermostat 16 so that the heat_generation | fever temperature of the heater 12 may not rise above predetermined temperature. The thermostat 16 detects the heat generation temperature of the heater 12, and when the heat detection section 13 detects that the heat generation temperature of the heater 12 is within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period, the circuit is turned on and off. And a switch 15 for switching between. That is, in the thermostat 16, when the heat detector 13 detects that the heat generation temperature of the heater 12 is within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period, the switch 15 turns on the circuit that connects the heater 12 and the pin insert connector 17. Switch off.

  In the present embodiment, silica gel is used as the hygroscopic agent 14. It is known that when this silica gel is heated and maintained at a temperature of 100 ° C. to 200 ° C. for a certain period of time, moisture is released. For this reason, in the thermostat 16, when the heat detector 13 detects that the heating temperature of the heater 12 is in the range of 100 ° C. to 200 ° C. for a predetermined period, the switch 15 connects the heater 12 and the pin insert connector 17. Switch the circuit from on to off. Then, the voltage application to the heater 12 is stopped. In addition, the heat detection part 13 is realizable using the mechanical detection by a bimetal or a shape memory alloy, for example.

  As described above, in the digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment, the battery box 38 is detachable from the housing 4 of the digital balance 1. When charging the battery 39 accommodated in the battery box 38, the battery box 38 is detached from the housing 4 and connected to the power source through the AC adapter 19. Then, the battery 39 is charged with a voltage applied from the power source (more precisely, a voltage converted into a DC voltage by the AC adapter 19). Further, when the battery 39 is charged, a voltage is also applied to the heater 12 to operate it. Then, the moisture absorbent 14 that has adsorbed moisture by the heat generated by the heater 12 is dried, and the moisture adsorption force of the moisture absorbent 14 is recovered.

  As described above, when the battery box 36 and the hygroscopic agent 14 are detached from the housing 4, the charging and the drying of the hygroscopic agent 14 are performed at the same time, and the charging of the battery 39 and the drying of the hygroscopic agent 14 are completed. 19 is disconnected from the battery box 38. Then, the battery box 38 is attached to the housing 4 as shown in FIG. 1, the opening 5 b is closed by the bottom lid 7, and the battery box 38 is accommodated inside the housing 4.

  Next, the function and effect of the digital balance 1 configured as described above will be described.

  The digital balance 1 is used, for example, for weighing a frozen processed product. If it does so, the air containing moisture will penetrate | invade into the inside of the digital scale main-body part 3 through each of a pair of waterproof moisture-permeable material 27 at the time of measurement. When the metering is completed, for example, washing is performed with hot water. In this case, when no dew condensation measures are taken, moisture (moisture) inside the housing 4 of the digital scale main body 3 is likely to dew. However, in the digital balance 1 of the present embodiment, since the battery box 38 includes the hygroscopic agent 14, the moisture inside the housing 4 is adsorbed by the hygroscopic agent 14. For this reason, dew condensation inside the housing 4 can be prevented.

  Further, the battery box 38 including the hygroscopic agent 14 and the heater 12 is detachably attached from the outside of the housing 4. Then, the battery box 38 can be removed from the housing 4 and connected to a power source through the AC adapter 19 to charge the battery 39 accommodated in the battery box 38. Further, since the voltage from the power source is also applied to the heater 12 when the battery 39 is charged, simultaneously with the charging of the battery 39, the heater 12 provided in the battery box 38 is operated to operate the moisture absorbent. 13 can be dried.

  That is, since the weighing and cleaning of the digital balance 1 are repeated, the moisture content of the moisture absorbent 14 will eventually increase and the moisture adsorption capacity will be lost. However, when the battery 39 is charged, the moisture absorbent 14 can be dried simultaneously. it can. And the moisture adsorption capacity of the hygroscopic agent 14 can be recovered.

  Moreover, since the color of the hygroscopic agent 14 changes depending on the water content, it is possible to determine whether or not the moisture adsorbing capacity of the hygroscopic agent 14 has been restored, so that it is possible to accurately grasp the replacement timing of the hygroscopic agent 14. it can.

  Further, as described above, the heater 12 and the hygroscopic agent 14 are accommodated in the accommodating portion 54 and provided in the battery box 38. For this reason, in order to attach the battery box 38 in the digital scale main body 3, it is only necessary to secure a space that can accommodate the accommodating portion 54 in addition to the accommodating space of the conventional battery box. That is, in order to allow the battery box 38 to be accommodated in the digital scale body 3, it is not necessary to provide a new member or the like in the digital scale body 3, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, since the heater 12 is provided in the battery box 38, the heater 12 is also housed in the digital scale body 3 together with the battery box 38 when the digital balance 1 is in operation. For this reason, it is not necessary to prepare the heater 12 separately from the digital scale 1, and the burden on the user does not increase.

  In addition, since the battery 39 of the battery box 38 is used as a power source only for operating the digital scale 1, compared with a configuration in which the battery 39 is also used as an operating power source for the heater 12, power consumption is reduced. Speed can be reduced. For this reason, compared with the structure which uses the battery 39 as a power source for operating the digital balance 1 and a power source for operating the heater 12, the number of times of charging the battery 39 can be suppressed, and the burden on the user increases. There is no.

  In addition, although the digital balance 1 which concerns on this Embodiment is a scale which calculates | requires the weight of articles | goods (to-be-measured object) using a strain gauge type load cell, it is not limited to this. For example, it may be a scale such as an electronic balance that employs an electromagnetic force balance method (electromagnetic force compensation method, electromagnetic method) as a load sensor, or a scale that employs a capacitance method.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the digital balance 1 has been described as an example of an electronic device in which the casing is sealed at a waterproof level and waterproof measures are taken. However, it is not limited to the digital balance 1. Any electronic device may be used as long as it is hermetically sealed so as not to cause defects in electronic components and the like in the casing due to water immersion from the outside.

  In the above description, the battery box 38 is detachable from the digital scale main body 3. However, when the battery box 38 cannot be detached from the digital scale main body 3, the following configuration may be adopted. That is, a power source for operating the heater 12 is wired so as to be the battery 39, and a state change switch is provided to switch between a state in which the digital scale 1 is operated and a state in which the heater 12 is operated and the moisture absorbent 14 is dried. Further, silicon rubber is adopted as a seal member attached to the joint 10 in the digital scale main body 3. That is, since the silicon rubber has a property of increasing the permeability when the moisture is in the state of water vapor, the water which has been heated by the heater 12 and becomes the state of water vapor can be released to the outside. Further, the water vapor can be released to the outside through the waterproof and moisture-permeable material 27 described above.

  Below, the modification of this embodiment is demonstrated.

[Modification 1]
In the digital balance 1 according to the present embodiment, the hygroscopic agent 14 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 54 of the battery box 38 and disposed in the digital balance main body portion 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Absent. For example, the hygroscopic agent 14 is accommodated in a drying unit 36 as shown in FIG. 6, and as shown in FIG. It is good also as a structure which attaches.

  Then, when the battery 36 accommodated in the battery box 38 is charged, the hygroscopic agent 14 taken out from the drying unit 36 may be loaded into the accommodating portion 54 of the battery box 38 to dry the hygroscopic agent 14. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the drying unit 36 of the digital balance 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the digital balance 1 showing the attachment position of the drying unit 36 in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the drying unit 36 can be realized as a configuration including a drying unit main body 37 for housing the hygroscopic agent 14 and a cap 42. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the drying unit main body 37 has a columnar shape (so-called bolt shape) including a cylindrical shaft portion 60 and a polygonal head portion 61. The head portion 61 is formed at the base end portion of the drying unit main body portion 37, and the shaft portion 60 is formed at the entire portion except the head portion 61 of the drying unit main body portion 37.

  Here, the shaft portion 60 is configured to include a hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 60a, a thread groove 60b, and a rubber packing 60c.

  The hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 60 a is a hollow portion for accommodating the hygroscopic agent 14. The hollow portion is formed over substantially the entire length of the shaft portion 60, and an opening is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 60. That is, the hygroscopic agent 14 can be inserted from the opening and can be accommodated in the hygroscopic accommodating portion 60a. The wall surface of the shaft portion 60 is formed with a plurality of holes penetrating to the hygroscopic agent housing portion 60a, and air containing moisture can enter through the holes.

  The thread groove 60b is for inserting and screwing the drying unit 36 into a screw hole (opening, female thread) provided in the digital scale body 3. The thread groove 60 b is formed in a certain range on the head portion 61 side in the shaft portion 60.

  The rubber packing 60c is for preventing water from entering from the mounting position after the drying unit 36 is mounted on the digital scale body 3. The rubber packing 60 c is provided in the vicinity of the seating surface of the head 61 in the shaft portion 60.

  The cap 42 closes an opening provided at the distal end portion of the hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 60 so that the hygroscopic agent 14 accommodated in the hygroscopic agent accommodating portion 60 a does not fall out of the drying unit main body portion 37.

  The drying unit 36 described above is formed of a transparent synthetic resin, and is configured to be able to identify a change in the color of the moisture absorbent 14 accommodated in the drying unit 36.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the drying unit 36 having the above-described configuration is preferably attached so that the hygroscopic agent 14 is disposed in the vicinity of a member that dislikes moisture in the digital scale main body 3. Furthermore, it is preferable that the mounting position is less likely to be submerged from the outside, or the position where it is easy to confirm the state of moisture adsorption force of the moisture absorbent 14. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the drying unit 36 b is attached to the rear side of the digital scale body 3 and the drying unit 36 a is attached to the bottom on the front side of the digital scale body 3.

  More specifically, the position where the moisture absorbent is disposed in the vicinity of a member that dislikes moisture is, for example, between the control board 41 and the battery 39, in the vicinity of the load cell 40, etc., as shown in FIG. The attachment position where the hygroscopic agent 14 is located is mentioned. In addition, as a position where water from outside hardly occurs, a position where the screwing position between the drying unit 36 and the digital scale body 3 is the bottom 20 of the digital scale body 3 (in the example shown in FIG. 7, the position of the drying unit 36a). Position). Moreover, as a position where the moisture adsorbing force of the moisture absorbent 14 can be easily confirmed, the position where the screwing position between the drying unit 36 and the digital scale body 3 is the side surface of the digital scale body 3 (shown in FIG. 7). In the example, the position of the drying unit 36b is given.

  In the drying unit 36, it is only necessary that the moisture absorbent 14 is disposed in the vicinity of a member that dislikes moisture, and whether the screwing position between the drying unit 36 and the digital scale body 3 is the bottom 20 of the digital scale body 3, It is preferable that the side surface is appropriately determined according to the usage mode of the digital balance 1.

  From the foregoing description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The electronic device of the present invention is useful as an electronic device that is waterproof and can prevent condensation inside.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital scale 3 Digital scale main-body part 4 Case 5 Bottom plate 5a Outer edge part 5b Opening part 6 Cover member 6a Contact part 7 Bottom cover 8 Opening 9A Sealing member 9B Sealing member 10 Joining part 11 Diaphragm 12 Heater 13 Heat detection part 16 Thermostat DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Hygroscopic agent 17 Pin insert connector 18 Socket insert connector 19 AC adapter 20 Bottom part 21 Diode 22-25 Screw 26 Weighing power supply connector 29 Strain body 30 Strain gauge 36 Drying unit 36a Drying unit 36b Drying unit 37 Drying unit main-body part 38 Battery box 39 Battery 40 Load cell 41 Control board 50 Partition part 51 Fixing part 52a-52d Side surface 53 Bottom surface 54 Storage part
60 Shaft 60a Hygroscopic container 60b Screw groove 60c Rubber packing 61 Head 61a-61d Side

Claims (5)

A housing sealed to a predetermined waterproof level;
A battery container containing a storage battery as a power source for operating the electronic device,
The battery container is
A first connection for connecting to an electrical circuit wired in the housing;
A heater for drying a moisture absorbent for adsorbing moisture in the housing;
A second connection part for connecting to an external power source in order to apply a voltage to the storage battery and the heater housed when removed from the housing;
The said battery container is an electronic device stored in the said housing | casing so that removal from the exterior is possible. The battery container includes an accommodating portion for accommodating the hygroscopic agent and the heater,
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the heater and the hygroscopic agent are arranged in the housing portion such that a heat generation surface of the heater is positioned opposite to the hygroscopic agent. Further comprising a drying unit that is removably attached to the housing so as to accommodate the moisture absorbent and adsorb moisture in the housing by the moisture absorbent to dry the inside of the housing;
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the hygroscopic agent in the drying unit is accommodated in the housing unit and dried in a state where the battery container and the hygroscopic agent are detached from the housing. The battery container includes a thermostat for managing the heating temperature of the heater,
The thermostat detects whether or not the heating temperature of the heater is within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period; and
A switch unit for switching on and off of a circuit connecting the connection unit and the heater;
The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the heat detection unit detects that the heating temperature of the heater is within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined period, the switch unit turns off the circuit. .   The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hygroscopic agent changes in color according to a water content.