JP4080863B2 - Mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistants).
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a kind of mobile terminal device, there is a foldable mobile terminal device in which a first housing having an operation key and a second housing having a display device are connected by a hinge portion so as to be opened and closed. In this portable terminal device, in order to electrically connect the circuit boards built in each housing, a flexible wiring board is arranged through a hollow portion provided in the hinge portion. In such a portable terminal device, a flexible wiring board is spirally wound in a hollow portion to absorb fluctuations in wiring distance accompanying opening and closing of the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
Further, the hollow portion of the hinge portion is formed in a single cylindrical shape as a whole by alternately arranging arcuate plate-like curved surface portions provided at the ends of both housings in the width direction of the housing. . Since the adjacent curved surface portions are relatively moved according to the opening and closing of the housing, they are arranged with a small gap. For this reason, moisture may enter the housing from the gap. When moisture enters the hinge portion, the moisture may reach the circuit board built in the housing through the flexible wiring board disposed inside the hinge portion.
[0004]
In such a case, proper operation of the circuits and electronic components on the substrate is also hindered. In order to solve this problem, conventionally, the flexible wiring board is sandwiched between the hinge members provided at the top and bottom of the casing case inside the hinge, and the space inside the casing and the space inside the hinge section are blocked. Thus, there is known one that prevents moisture from entering from the space in the hinge portion into the space in which the substrate is built.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-314659 A (paragraph 0004)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the foldable portable terminal device, tension acts on the flexible wiring board in accordance with opening and closing of the housing. Therefore, if the coil is simply wound spirally in the hollow portion as in the prior art, when local stress is concentrated on the flexible wiring board for some reason, the soundness may be impaired such as bending of the flexible wiring board.
Further, in the configuration as described above, since the water permeation itself into the hollow portion is allowed, it is insufficient for preventing the water from entering the inside of the housing.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and improves the durability in the hinge portion of the flexible wiring board and can maintain the soundness of the flexible wiring board and the circuit board. The purpose is to provide.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, two casings each incorporating a circuit board are rotatably connected by a hinge portion, and the two wiring boards are arranged by passing through a hollow portion formed in the hinge portion. In the mobile terminal device in which circuit boards in a casing are electrically connected to each other, the flexible wiring board is bent in the hollow portion, an elastic body is disposed inside the bent flexible wiring board, and the elastic body The cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion and the cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion are substantially circular, and the diameter of the elastic body is equal to or greater than the diameter of the hollow portion .
[0009]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when tension is applied to the flexible wiring board as the casing is opened and closed, the radius of the curved portion of the flexible wiring board changes. By enlarging and contracting the elastic body disposed on the flexible substrate, the curved portion of the flexible wiring board is supported from the inside by the elastic body. As a result, the bending stress applied to the flexible wiring board is evenly distributed over the entire periphery, thereby preventing problems such as local bending.
Furthermore, since the curved flexible wiring board can be arranged along the inner surface of the hinge portion, the elastic body can be well accommodated in the hollow portion, and there is an effect of causing problems such as local bending. Can be prevented.
[0010]
The invention according to claim 2 is the portable terminal device according to claim 1, characterized in that a waterproof material is provided to cover the outside of the curved flexible wiring board and the outside of the elastic body. According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the clearance gap between the hinge parts from the inside of a cavity part is block | closed with a waterproof material. This prevents moisture from entering the casing and prevents dust from entering.
The invention according to claim 3 is the portable terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the waterproof material is a substantially cylindrical body having a C-shaped cross section, and an inner diameter of the substantially cylindrical body is set to be equal to that of the elastic body. It is characterized by being equal to or less than the diameter. According to the invention of claim 3, in the assembly process, when the flexible wiring board is wound around the elastic body and accommodated in the cavity, the flexible wiring board can be pressed against the elastic body by a waterproof material and unitized. The handling at the time of accommodation in a hollow part becomes easy.
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the portable terminal device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the shape of the flexible wiring board includes a crank portion bent at an intermediate position in the length direction. It is characterized by being a band shape or a U-shaped shape in a flat state.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a foldable mobile phone in which two casings 2a and 2b are connected to each other by a hinge portion 4 so as to be relatively rotatable as shown in FIG. Each housing 2a, 2b is composed of main body portions 6a, 6b and hinge constituent portions 7, 8. An operation key 9 is provided on the main body 6a, and a display 10 such as an LCD is provided on the main body 6b, and circuit boards 15a and 15b for controlling these are housed inside. Moreover, each hinge structure part 7 and 8 is provided in the end of the length direction of each main-body part 6a, 6b, and the hinge part 4 is comprised by combining them. The hinge component 7 of one housing 2a has three cylindrical portions 7a, 7b, and 7c that are spaced apart in the axial direction on a common central axis that is arranged along the width direction of the housing 2a. Consists of. Similarly, the hinge constituent portion 8 of the other housing 2b is also provided with two cylindrical portions 8a and 8b that are arranged at intervals in the axial direction on a common central axis line arranged along the width direction of the housing 2b. Consists of.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge part 4 is configured by alternately arranging cylindrical parts 7c, 8b, 7b, 8a, 7a in the width direction of the casings 2a, 2b and accommodating a hinge shaft (not shown) therein. Two housings 2a and 2b are connected. The cylindrical portions 7b and 8a in the center in the width direction of the housings 2a and 2b constituting the hinge portion 4 are respectively provided in the hollow portion 16 and the main body portions 6a and 6b provided inside the cylindrical portions 7b and 8a. Communication holes 19 a and 19 b are formed to communicate with the provided hollow portion 17. The communication holes 19a and 19b are elongated in the width direction of the housings 2a and 2b.
[0015]
The circuit boards 15 a and 15 b inside the main body portions 6 a and 6 b are electrically connected to each other by the flexible wiring board 22. As shown in FIG. 3A, the flexible wiring board 22 is formed in a band shape and includes a crank portion 20 bent in the width direction at an intermediate position in the length direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the flexible wiring board 22 is accommodated in the hollow portion 16 in a state where the loop portion 21 is formed at an intermediate position by winding the crank portion 20 in the length direction. It has become so. That is, the flexible wiring board 22 is accommodated with the loop portion 21 along the inner peripheral surface of the cavity portion 16, and the extending portions 28 and 29 extending in two directions from the loop portion 21 are connected to the communication holes 19 a and 19 b, respectively. And are connected to the circuit boards 15a and 15b inside the main body portions 6a and 6b by connectors at both ends thereof.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment has a cylindrical elastic body 23 inside the loop portion 21 accommodated in the cavity 16 and a sheet outside the loop portion 21. A waterproof material 24 is provided.
[0017]
The elastic body 23 is made of, for example, a sponge body, and has a length dimension substantially equal to the width dimension of the loop portion 21. The elastic body 23 has a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the cavity 16 in a free state where pressure is not applied. Therefore, in a state where the elastic body 23 is accommodated in the cavity 16, the elastic body 23 is contracted in accordance with the inner diameter of the cavity 16.
[0018]
The sheet-like waterproof material 24 is constituted by, for example, a rectangular rubber sheet. The length of one side is slightly shorter than the length in the width direction of the casings 2a and 2b including the cylindrical portions 7b and 8a, and the length of the other side is the length of the inner circumference of the cavity portion 16. It is formed shorter than the length. The sheet-like waterproof material 24 is inserted into the cavity portion 16 while being wound in one direction, and is disposed so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cavity portion 16 when released in the cavity portion 16. It has become so. In this state, the circumferential length of the sheet-like waterproof material 24 is shorter than the length of the inner circumference of the cavity 16, so that it is formed in a C shape with a gap.
[0019]
The elastic body 23, the sheet-like waterproof material 24, and the flexible wiring board 22 are assembled in the cavity 16 of the housings 2a and 2b as shown in FIGS. That is, the sheet-like waterproof material 24 is disposed so that the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity portion 16 are in close contact with each other, and the loop portion 21 of the flexible wiring board 22 is formed inside the sheet-like waterproof material 24. Be placed. Further, a cylindrical elastic body 23 is accommodated inside the loop portion 21.
[0020]
The operation of the cellular phone 1 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described below.
First, when attempting to make a call using the mobile phone 1, the two casings 2 a and 2 b are rotated relative to each other in the direction in which the hinges 4 open each other. Thereby, the operation key 9 of the housing | casing 2a and the display part 10 of the housing | casing 2b are exposed, and a user can operate the operation key 9 while confirming the display content of the display part 10. FIG. .
In this state, the casings 2a and 2b are arranged at a relative angle of about 150 ° as shown in FIG. 4, and flexible wiring for connecting the circuit boards 15a and 15b inside the casings 2a and 2b. The loop portion 21 of the substrate 22 is arranged in a state in which a cylindrical elastic body 23 is wound approximately 1.5 times.
[0021]
Next, when the cellular phone 1 is folded, the two casings 2a and 2b are rotated relative to each other in the direction in which the two casings 2a and 2b are closed with each other. Thereby, the operation key 9 of the housing 2a and the display unit 10 of the housing 2b are arranged and hidden on the mating surfaces of the housings 2a and 2b that are overlapped with each other, and the operation key 9 is pressed or the display unit 10 It will be in a state suitable for carrying without being damaged.
At this time, the loop portion 21 of the flexible wiring board 22 inside the housings 2a and 2b increases the winding angle around the elastic body 23 with relative rotation of the housings 2a and 2b. Since the length of the flexible wiring board 22 is fixed, the diameter dimension of the loop portion 21 is reduced in order not to increase the wiring path even if the winding angle is increased.
[0022]
In this case, in the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment, since the cylindrical elastic body 23 is disposed inside the loop portion 21, when the loop portion 21 contracts, the elastic body 23 is moved from the loop portion 21 in the radial direction. Receives inward pressure. As a result, the elastic body 23 is also contracted to reduce its diameter. That is, since an elastic restoring force is generated in the elastic body 23 in the radially outward direction, the loop portion 21 reduces the radial dimension against the elastic restoring force of the elastic body 23.
[0023]
On the contrary, when the casings 2a and 2b are rotated relative to each other in the opening direction, the loop portion 21 expands, so that the pressure inward in the radial direction applied to the elastic body 23 is relaxed, and the elastic body 23, the diameter of the loop portion 21 is increased in accordance with the expansion of the loop portion 21.
Since the elastic body 23 has an outer diameter that is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cavity portion 16, the loop portion 21 is always directed radially outward by the elastic body 23 when accommodated in the cavity portion 16. Will be energized. That is, the loop portion 21 is always supported from the inside by the elastic body 23. Moreover, since the elastic body 23 is formed in a columnar shape, the loop portion 21 is supported from the inside in the radial direction over the entire circumference. Therefore, the bending stress generated in the flexible wiring board 22 is supported by the elastic body 23 from the inside when the diameter dimension of the loop portion 21 is reduced or enlarged when the two casings 2a and 2b are opened and closed. Are uniformly distributed over the entire circumference of the film, and inconveniences such as local bending are prevented.
[0024]
Further, according to the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment, since the sheet-like waterproof material 24 is disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the cavity 16, the sheet-like waterproof material 24 constitutes the cavity 16. The gap between the cylindrical portions 7b, 8a can be closed from the inside. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent moisture and dust from entering the hollow portion 16 of the hinge portion 4.
[0025]
In particular, since the sheet-like waterproof material 24 is made of a waterproof material, moisture that tends to enter the cavity portion 16 from the gap between the cylindrical portions 7b and 8a is contained inside the sheet-like waterproof material 24. Reaching the flexible wiring board 22 and the elastic body 23 can be prevented. Therefore, especially when the elastic body 23 is made of a hygroscopic material, it is possible to prevent moisture from being absorbed into the elastic body 23. In other words, it is effective in that it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as moisture once absorbed by the elastic body 23 into water vapor and entering the body portions 6a and 6b of the housings 2a and 2b.
[0026]
In addition, although the elastic body 23 was made into the sponge body, it is not restricted to this, For example, elastic resin, rubber | gum, etc., such as a urethane resin, an acrylic resin, and a thermoplastic polyamide resin, may be sufficient.
The diameter of the elastic body 23 is larger than the inner diameter of the cavity 16 in a free state where no pressure is applied. However, the diameter is not limited to this and may be the same as or smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity 16. However, in order to effectively prevent local bending in the loop portion 21, it is preferable that the diameter of the cavity portion 16 is the same as or larger than the diameter of the cavity portion 16.
[0027]
Moreover, although the sheet-like member is the sheet-like waterproof material 24, it may be replaced by a substantially cylindrical body having a C-shaped cross section. If comprised in this way, before the flexible wiring board 22 is assembled | attached in the hinge part 4, the elastic body 23 by which the flexible wiring board 22 was wound is inserted inside the said substantially cylindrical body, The loop portion 21 of the flexible wiring board 22 is held in a state of being wound along the outer peripheral surface of the elastic body 23 by the substantially cylindrical body. Therefore, when the flexible wiring board 22 is assembled into the hinge portion 4, it is not necessary to hold the loop portion 21 with a finger or the like in order to maintain the shape of the loop, so that the assembling workability can be greatly improved.
[0028]
Furthermore, although the flexible wiring board 22 is provided with the crank portion 20, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. It may have a character shape or the like, and the extended portions 28 and 29 may be arranged in the same direction. If comprised in this way, while being able to reduce the waste at the time of cutting out the flexible wiring board 22 from the original plate of the flexible wiring board 22, it was arrange | positioned in two housing | casing 2a, 2b connected so that folding was possible The length necessary for electrically connecting the circuit boards 15a and 15b can be shortened.
[0029]
In the present embodiment, a foldable mobile phone has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone, and it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to other mobile terminal devices such as a PDA.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in the hollow portion formed in the hinge portion, it is possible to prevent local bending of the flexible wiring board, disconnection caused by the local bending, and the like. The effect which improves the folding durability of a body and the reliability of the electrical connection state of circuit boards can be show | played.
Further, the gap between the hinge portions is closed from the inside of the hollow portion by the waterproof sheet-like member disposed outside the flexible wiring board. As a result, it is possible to prevent moisture and dust from entering the housing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of a mobile terminal device according to the present invention, in which two housings are opened from each other.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the flexible wiring board is assembled in the embodiment.
3A is a schematic plan view of the flexible wiring board in the embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the flexible wiring board of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge portion of the mobile phone according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which a flexible wiring board and a sheet-like waterproof material are wound around the elastic body in the same embodiment.
6A is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the flexible wiring board in the embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view in which one extending portion of the flexible wiring board of FIG. is there.
[Explanation of symbols]
2a Case 2b Case 4 Hinge part 15a Circuit board 15b Circuit board 16 Cavity part 21 Loop part (curved part)
22 Flexible wiring board 23 Elastic body 24 Sheet-like waterproof material

Claims (4)

Two casings each incorporating a circuit board are rotatably connected by a hinge part, and the circuit boards in the two casings are connected to each other by a flexible wiring board disposed through a hollow part formed in the hinge part. In portable terminal devices that are electrically connected to each other,
The flexible wiring board is curved in the cavity, and an elastic body is disposed inside the curved flexible wiring board,
A portable terminal device, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the elastic body and a cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion are substantially circular, and a diameter of the elastic body is equal to or greater than a diameter of the hollow portion.   The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a waterproof material that covers an outer side of the curved flexible wiring board and an outer side of the elastic body.   The portable terminal according to claim 2, wherein the waterproof material has a substantially cylindrical body having a C-shaped cross section, and an inner diameter of the substantially cylindrical body is equal to or less than a diameter of the elastic body. apparatus. The shape of the flexible wiring board is a belt-like shape provided with a crank portion bent at an intermediate position in the length direction or a U-shaped shape in a state of being flattened. 4. The mobile terminal device according to any one of 3 to 3 .

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