JP2018136908A - Cover and portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable information terminal and a cover to be attached to the body of the portable information terminal, the cover having one flat surface over an entire surface side opposite a display side of the terminal while serving as a stand.SOLUTION: A cover 4, which is a flat plate set up on one surface side opposite the other surface side with a display part of a body 2 of a tablet terminal 1, comprises: a movable plate 5 that, when being in contact with the body 2, covers a part of the one surface, and is rotatable with respect to the body 2; a planar stationary plate 6 that is fixed on the one surface side of the body 2; a hinge 7 that is connected to the stationary plate 6 and the movable plate 5, and causes the stationary plate 6 to support the movable plate 5; and a front surface member 8 that is provided as a top surface on the movable plate 5, the stationary plate 6 and the hinge 7, and has a smooth front surface without a gap over an entire surface of the one surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 22

Description

  The present invention relates to a cover and a portable information terminal.

  A portable information terminal such as a tablet terminal (tablet computer) is provided with a touch panel in a housing in which a circuit board such as a CPU or a memory is incorporated, and a user can input to the terminal by touching the screen. As a method of using a tablet terminal, the user may view or enter the display contents while holding it by hand, but it is standing on a mounting surface such as a desk or table using a stand. Sometimes used in.

  In the following Patent Document 1, a technique for eliminating the influence of magnetic force on a device mounted on an electronic device and improving the stability of the electronic device in a standing posture is disclosed.

JP, 2006-201062, A

  Some stands for standing the tablet terminal on the mounting surface are always attached to the back surface of the casing of the terminal and have a configuration that can be opened and closed via a hinge. When the user holds the tablet terminal by hand, the stand is closed to the housing side, and when the tablet terminal is stood on a mounting surface such as a desk, the stand is opened away from the housing. The shape of the stand is, for example, a flat plate that occupies the lower half of the back surface of the housing, or a U-shape, and two parallel vertical members and the bottom ends of the two vertical members. Some of them are composed of a single horizontal member connected to the section. In any case, the stand is connected to the rear surface of the casing in the vicinity of the central portion in the height direction of the casing.

  The conventional stand described above is always attached to the back surface of the housing, but since it is a separate member from the housing, the case and the end of the stand are still on the back side of the tablet terminal even when the stand is closed. A gap is linearly formed at the boundary between the two. Therefore, dust may enter the rotating part. Further, since the casing and the stand are separate members, it is difficult to manufacture the case so that there is no step on the back side and the surface is flush with the stand closed. Furthermore, compared to a tablet terminal without a stand attached, the appearance on the back side is not integrated, and a sophisticated design cannot be achieved.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is provided on the housing and has the function of a stand, and has the whole surface on the other side opposite to the display portion so as to be integrated. It is an object to provide a cover and a portable information terminal that can be used.

  The cover according to the first aspect of the present invention is a flat plate material installed on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side in the case of the portable information terminal provided with the display unit on the one surface side, A movable portion that covers a part of the other surface and is rotatable with respect to the housing when in contact with the housing; and a planar fixing portion that is fixed to the other surface of the housing; A hinge part that is connected to the fixed part and the movable part and supports the movable part on the fixed part, and is provided on the surface side of the movable part, the fixed part, and the hinge part, and covers the entire other surface. And a surface member having a smooth surface without a gap.

  The cover according to the second aspect of the present invention is a flat plate material installed on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side in the case of the portable information terminal provided with the display unit on the one surface side, When in contact with the housing, the movable portion covers a part of the other surface and is rotatable with respect to the housing, is connected to the housing and the movable portion, and the movable portion is connected to the housing. A hinge part to be supported; and a surface member provided on a surface side of the movable part and the hinge part and having a smooth surface with no gap over the entire other surface.

  A portable information terminal according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a display unit provided on one surface side and the cover of the first or second aspect provided on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side. Prepare.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide integrity over the entire other surface opposite to the display unit while being provided in the housing and having the function of a stand.

It is a front view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a rear view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a right view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a left view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front, and has shown the state where the cover was closed. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the back, and has shown the state where the cover was closed. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front, and has shown the state where the cover was opened. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the back, and has shown the state where the cover was opened. It is a rear view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the cover in the light ink. It is a top view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the cover in light ink. It is a bottom view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the cover in the light ink. It is a right view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the cover in light ink. It is a left view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the cover in the light ink. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front, shows the state where the cover was closed, and shows the cover with light ink. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the back, shows the state where the cover was closed, and shows the cover with light ink. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front, shows the state where the cover was opened, and shows the cover with light ink. It is the perspective view which looked at the tablet terminal concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the back, the state where the cover was opened is shown, and the cover is shown with light ink. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state which closed the cover. It is a rear view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the movable plate and fixed plate of the state from which the surface member was removed. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state which opened the cover. It is a side view which shows an example of the hinge applied to the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows an example of the hinge applied to the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state which closed the cover. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state which opened the cover. It is sectional drawing which showed the tablet terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a tablet terminal 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The tablet terminal 1 is an example of a portable information terminal. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10, the tablet terminal 1 includes a panel-shaped casing 2, and the casing 2 is provided with a display module 3. The housing 2 accommodates a circuit board on which a CPU and a memory are mounted, a power supply unit such as a battery, and the like. The tablet terminal 1 includes a control unit realized by the above-described CPU or the like.

  The display module 3 provided on the one surface side of the housing 2 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays an image on the liquid crystal display. The display module 3 for displaying an image is not limited to a case where a liquid crystal display is provided, and may be an organic EL display or the like. The display module 3 includes a touch panel, and can perform input by detecting contact from the outside such as a finger touched on the display surface.

  In the housing 2 of the tablet terminal 1, a cover 4 is installed on the other surface (back surface) side opposite to the one surface (front surface) side of the housing 2 in which the display module 3 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 19, the cover 4 is provided so as to cover the entire back side of the housing 2. In FIGS. 11 to 19, the cover 4 is shown with light ink.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the cover 4 includes, for example, a movable plate 5 having a stand function in an opened state, a fixed plate 6 attached to the housing 2, the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6. A hinge 7 to be connected, a surface member 8 having a smooth surface, and the like are provided. The movable plate 5, the fixed plate 6, and the hinge 7 are examples of the movable portion, the fixed portion, and the hinge portion, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 21, each of the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 is, for example, one metal flat plate member. The movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 have a rectangular shape and are disposed adjacent to each other. The combined shape of the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 is almost the same as the back surface of the housing 2.

  The position where the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 are adjacent is located in the vicinity of the central portion in the short side direction of the housing 2. The long side of the movable plate 5 and the long side of the fixed plate 6 are substantially the same length as the long side of the housing 2, and the long side outside the movable plate 5 and the long side outside the fixed plate 6 are It is provided along the end of the long side of the body 2.

  The movable plate 5 has a length that is approximately half or less than half the short side of the housing 2, and the short side of the fixed plate 6 is the length of the short side of the housing 2 together with the short side of the movable plate 5. Is the length. Two opposing short sides of the movable plate 5 and two opposing short sides of the fixed plate 6 are provided along the short side of the housing 2.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, the movable plate 5 can be rotated so as to be opened and closed with respect to the housing 2 by a hinge 7. The movable plate 5 rotates around the vicinity of the end of the long side adjacent to the fixed plate 6. As shown in FIG. 20, the movable plate 5 covers a part of the back surface of the housing 2 when in contact with the housing 2, that is, in a closed state. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the tablet terminal 1 in a state where the cover 4 is closed.
As shown in FIG. 22, the movable plate 5 can be used as a stand (leg part) that supports the tablet terminal 1 when it is separated from the housing 2, that is, in an open state. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the tablet terminal 1 with the cover 4 opened.

  The fixed plate 6 is fixed to the back side of the housing 2. The fixing plate 6 and the housing 2 are fixed to each other by, for example, screwing or bonding.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, the hinge 7 has one side connected to the movable plate 5 and the other side connected to the fixed plate 6. The movable plate 5 is supported by the fixed plate 6 by the hinge 7. Since the fixed plate 6 is fixed to the housing 2, the movable plate 5 is supported by the housing 2 via the hinge 7 and the fixed plate 6.

  The hinge 7 may be a single rotation shaft, or may be a multi-axis hinge in which a plurality of rotation shafts 10A, 10B, and 10C are provided in parallel as shown in FIGS. Good. When a hinge having a single pivot is used, when the movable plate 5 is rotated, since the distance from the fixed plate 6 to the movable plate 5 is short, the curvature radius of the bent portion is small, and the surface member 8 is Suddenly broken. On the other hand, when a multi-axis hinge as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 is used as the hinge 7, when the movable plate 5 is rotated, the movable plate 5 can be separated from the fixed plate 6. Compared with the case where one hinge is used, the surface member 8 can be gently curved (see FIG. 22). Thereby, even if the opening and closing of the movable plate 5 is repeated, the surface member 8 is difficult to be plastically deformed, and the possibility that a broken line or the like is generated is reduced.

  The hinge 7 as a multi-axis hinge includes, for example, connecting portions 9A and 9B, rotating shafts 10A, 10B, and 10C, and connecting plates 11A and 11B. The connecting portion 9A is connected to the fixed plate 6, for example, and the connecting portion 9B is connected to the movable plate 5, for example. The rotating shaft 10A is provided so as to penetrate the connecting portion 9A and the connecting plate 11A, the rotating shaft 10B is provided so as to penetrate the connecting plate 11A and the connecting plate 11B, and the rotating shaft 10C is The connecting plate 11B and the connecting portion 9B are provided to penetrate. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the connecting portion 9B and the connecting plate 11A are meshed with each other by gears 12 and 13 formed on the side end surfaces. Although not shown, the connecting portion 9A and the connecting plate 11B are engaged with each other by a gear formed on the side end face, as in the relationship between the connecting portion 9B and the connecting plate 11A.

  When the movable plate 5 is rotated with respect to the fixed plate 6, the connecting portion 9A and the coupling plate 11A are relatively rotated about the rotation shaft 10A, and the connection plate 11A is centered on the rotation shaft 10B. The connection plate 11B rotates relatively, and the connection plate 11B and the connection portion 9B rotate relatively about the rotation shaft 10C. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 22, the bent portion of the surface member 8 between the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 has a gently curved shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, the surface member 8 is provided on the surface side of the movable plate 5, the fixed plate 6 and the hinge 7, and as shown in FIGS. It has a smooth surface without gaps. The surface member 8 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, rubber, leather, or cloth. The surface member 8 is provided so as to cover the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6, and is bonded to the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 with an adhesive.

  The surface member 8 closes a gap formed at a boundary portion between the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 and makes it difficult for dust to enter the rotating portion. Since the surface member 8 has a certain thickness, it can absorb the step between the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6, and can be manufactured so that there is no step on the back side of the housing 2 and is flush. Thereby, when the back surface of the housing | casing 2 is mounted on mounting surfaces, such as a desk, without opening the movable plate 5, the tablet terminal 1 can be mounted stably.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8, in the same manner as a tablet terminal to which no stand is attached, the appearance on the back side of the housing 2 can be integrated, and a sophisticated design can be achieved. Further, when the surface member 8 is made of a non-slip material or the surface member 8 is subjected to a non-slip surface treatment, the tablet terminal 1 is placed when the back surface of the housing 2 is placed on a placement surface such as a desk. It can prevent slipping on the surface.

  The surface member 8 is preferably a stretchable material. Thereby, the surface member 8 can expand and contract following the movement of the movable plate 5. For example, the surface member 8 contracts when the movable plate 5 is opened away from the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 20, and expands when the movable plate 5 is brought into contact with the housing 2 as shown in FIG. To do. When the surface member 8 is not stretchable, when the movable plate 5 is opened away from the housing 2, the surface member 8 cannot contract and easily wrinkles. It becomes difficult to occur.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, the surface member 8 may be attached so as to cover the side end portions of the movable plate 5 and the fixed plate 6 at the end portions. For example, in the vicinity of the end portion of the surface member 8, the surface member 8 has an R surface. Thereby, the surface member 8 becomes difficult to peel off from the movable plate 5 or the fixed plate 6, and the anti-slip function can be exerted against the slip in the contact between the side end surface of the tablet terminal 1 and another surface. .

  When manufacturing the above-described cover 4, first, the movable plate 5, the fixed plate 6, the hinge 7 and the surface member 8 are combined to form one assembly (assembly). Then, after manufacturing the cover 4 as one assembly, the fixing plate 6 of the cover 4 is attached to the housing 2. Therefore, since the cover 4 can be handled as an assembly, the back side member having the stand function of the tablet terminal 1 can be easily formed and assembled.

  In the present invention, the cover 4 does not necessarily include the fixed plate 6. As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, one side of the hinge 7 is directly fixed to the housing 2 ′, and the movable plate 5 is connected to the hinge 7. It may be supported by the housing 2 ′ via In this case, the back surface side of the housing 2 ′ has a shape that is an alternative to the fixing plate 6 shown in FIGS. 20 and 22. As shown in FIG. 25, the housing 2 ′ is formed so that the back surface of the housing 2 ′ and the movable plate 5 are flush with each other when the movable plate 5 is closed. The surface member 8 is provided on the surface side of the housing 2 ′, the movable plate 5, and the hinge 7, and has a smooth surface with no gap over the entire rear surface of the housing 2 ′. The surface member 8 is provided so as to cover the movable plate 5 and the housing 2 ′. Also in this case, the surface member 8 closes the gap formed at the boundary portion between the movable plate 5 and the housing 2 ′, so that dust does not easily enter the rotating portion.

  In this modification, after the movable plate 5 and the hinge 7 are attached to the back surface of the housing 2 ′, the surface member 8 is joined to the back surface and the movable plate 5 of the housing 2 ′ with an adhesive or the like. The back side member having the stand function of the tablet terminal 1 is formed and assembled.

  As mentioned above, according to this embodiment, about the back side member which has the stand function of the tablet terminal 1, it can be set as the external appearance design which is integrated like a tablet terminal without a stand. In addition, since the gap between the housing 2 and the movable plate 5 is blocked by the surface member 8, it is difficult for dust to enter the movable portion, and the rotation of the movable plate 5 is difficult to be prevented.

  FIG. 27 shows an example of a cross section of the tablet terminal 1 and shows that the surface member 8 is composed of a plurality of layers. As shown in the drawing, the surface member 8 is composed of an elastomer layer 8a made of silicon rubber (elastomer material) and a metal layer 8b made of stainless steel (metal). The elastomer layer 8 a is a plate-like body that forms the outer shape of the surface member 8. The elastomer layer 8a is provided so as to cover the entire surface side (upper side in the figure) of the metal layer 8b. The elastomer layer 8 a is provided so as to cover the peripheral portions of the metal layer 8 b, the movable plate 5, and the fixed plate 6. In the figure, the hinge 7 shown in FIG. 20 and the like is omitted.

  The thickness of the elastomer layer 8a is, for example, not less than 200 μm and not more than 300 μm. The thickness of the metal layer 8b is, for example, 30 μm or more and 50 μm or less.

Thus, by adopting the metal layer 8b, when the movable plate 5 is rotated with respect to the fixed plate 6, strength can be given to bending generated in the bent portion 8c. Thereby, the thickness of the elastomer layer 8a covering the metal layer 8b can be reduced, and wrinkles generated on the surface of the elastomer layer 8a when the surface member 8 is bent are reduced as much as possible (preferably eliminated). Can do.
As the material of the elastomer layer 8a, other elastomer material may be used instead of silicon rubber. As the material of the metal layer 8b, other metal materials may be used instead of stainless steel.
In addition, the metal layer 8b is provided over the entire surface member 8, but may be provided partially as long as it is provided in a region including at least the bent portion 8c.

1: Tablet terminal 2, 2 ': Case 3: Display module 4: Cover 5: Movable plate 6: Fixed plate 7: Hinge 8: Surface member 8a: Elastomer layer 8b: Metal layer 8c: Bending portions 9A, 9B: Connection portions 10A, 10B, 10C: rotating shafts 11A, 11B: connecting plates 12, 13: gears

Claims (6)

In the case of a portable information terminal provided with a display unit on one surface side, a flat plate material installed on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side, when the other surface is in contact with the housing A movable part that covers a part of the housing and is rotatable with respect to the housing;
A planar fixing portion fixed to the other surface side of the housing;
A hinge part connected to the fixed part and the movable part and supporting the movable part on the fixed part;
A surface member provided on the surface side of the movable part, the fixed part and the hinge part, and having a smooth surface without a gap over the entire surface of the other surface;
Cover with. In the case of a portable information terminal provided with a display unit on one surface side, a flat plate material installed on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side, when the other surface is in contact with the housing A movable part that covers a part of the housing and is rotatable with respect to the housing;
A hinge part connected to the casing and the movable part, and supporting the movable part on the casing;
A surface member provided on the surface side of the movable portion and the hinge portion, and having a smooth surface without a gap over the entire other surface;
Cover with.   The cover according to claim 1, wherein the surface member is a stretchable material.   The cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hinge portion is a multi-axis hinge having a plurality of rotating shafts arranged in parallel to each other.   The said surface member is provided in the surface side, and is provided with the elastomer layer used as the elastomer material, and the metal layer provided in the back surface side and used as the metal material in any one of Claim 1 to 4 Cover of description. A display unit provided on one side,
The cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, provided on the other surface side opposite to the one surface side,
A portable information terminal comprising:

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