JP4522175B2 - Foldable portable radio - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable portable wireless device configured by connecting two housings so as to be freely opened and closed.

  In recent years, portable wireless devices such as mobile phone devices have been miniaturized, and it has become difficult to ensure the effective area of an antenna equivalent to the conventional size along with the miniaturization. For this reason, the effective area of the antenna arranged by size reduction becomes small, and the antenna performance may be deteriorated. Therefore, a portable radio that expands the ground conductor of the antenna and secures an effective area by providing a ground extension means made of a metal conductor that can be stretched outside the device and capacitively coupling it to the substrate ground inside the device. A machine has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in the conventional portable radio device described above, in order to improve the antenna performance, it is necessary to arrange the ground extension means in the longitudinal direction of the substrate so as not to overlap the substrate. May be significantly impaired.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2002-512463

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable wireless device capable of improving antenna performance without greatly changing the external shape.

A foldable portable wireless device of the present invention includes a first casing, a second casing, and a folding section that connects the first casing and the second casing so as to be openable and closable. A tatami-type portable wireless device, wherein the first substrate provided in the first housing, the second substrate provided in the second housing, the first housing, the second housing An antenna element provided in either the housing or the connecting portion and having the ground of the second substrate as an antenna ground, and an end portion on the opposite side of the second housing from the connecting portion or a position in the vicinity thereof A housing holding means for holding the closed state of the first housing and the second housing, and a position provided at the housing holding means and projecting from the second substrate. And a conductor electrically connected to the ground of the second substrate.
Thereby, the conductor provided in the housing holding means for holding the closed state of the first housing and the second housing can be used as the antenna ground, and the antenna ground can be expanded. . Therefore, the antenna performance can be improved without changing the external shape of the folding portable wireless device.

Further, as one aspect of the present invention, in the foldable portable wireless device, the connection unit includes a first state in which the first housing and the second housing are separated from each other, and A planar connection member that can be bent so as to be opened and closed in a second state in which the first casing and the second casing overlap is configured.
Thereby, in the structure which connects the 1st housing | casing and 2nd housing | casing so that opening and closing is possible by a planar connection member, it becomes possible to improve antenna performance, without changing an external appearance shape.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the foldable portable wireless device includes a cover that covers the first casing and the second casing, and the casing holding unit is attached to the cover. The belt-shaped fixing member is provided, and is provided with a fixing means for fixing the casings in a state where the first casing and the second casing are closed.
As a result, a fixing member for fixing the casings in a state of being closed to a cover covering the first casing and the second casing is provided, and the antenna ground is expanded by providing a conductor on the fixing member. Thus, the antenna performance can be improved without changing the external shape of the folding portable radio.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a foldable portable wireless device capable of improving antenna performance without greatly changing the external shape.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration example of a foldable portable radio device applied to a mobile phone device or the like is shown.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a foldable portable radio apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a main part configuration in a state in which the foldable portable radio apparatus according to the present embodiment is opened. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the main configuration of the folding portable wireless device according to the present embodiment in a closed state. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component which is common in each figure.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the foldable portable wireless device according to the present embodiment includes a first casing 11 and a second casing 12, and the first casing 11 and the second casing. 12 is connected by a connecting portion 13 that constitutes a planar connecting member that can be bent, and both housings can be opened and closed. The first housing 11 is provided with a display unit 15 including a liquid crystal display device, a receiver 14, and the like. The second housing 12 is provided with an operation unit 16 having a plurality of operation key buttons, a microphone 17 and the like, and includes a wireless circuit, a control circuit, an information processing circuit, and the like. Further, a cover 18 is provided to cover the outer surface of the other (back side) of the first casing 11 and the second casing 12.

  The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are made of an insulating resin, a polymer material such as polyurethane elastomer, or the like. The connecting portion 13 is made of a polymer material such as a polyurethane elastomer having flexibility, and as shown in FIG. 2, a holding connection made of a metal plate or the like having a holding function for holding the housing in an open state. The member 23 is provided by insert molding or the like, and has a structure provided with elasticity at the time of opening and closing and rigidity in the open state. In addition, a flexible connection line 24, an antenna portion 25, and the like are provided along the connecting portion 13. With such a bendable connecting portion 13, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are displaced in the direction P in FIG. A hinge function that can maintain a stable open / closed state without using it is realized. In addition, the 1st housing | casing 11, the 2nd housing | casing 12, and the connection part 13 may be shape | molded integrally, and the structure connected as a separate member may be sufficient, respectively. Further, the first casing 11 and the second casing 12 and the cover 18 may be configured integrally, or the cover 18 may also serve as a part of the connecting portion 13.

  The cover 18 is made of a flexible non-conductive material such as polyurethane elastomer or cloth. The cover 18 may be made of various non-conductive materials as long as it has durability when connecting and protecting the first casing 11 and the second casing 12. A belt-like fixing member 19, which is an example of a housing holding means, is provided so as to protrude from one end portion (here, the end portion on the second housing 12 side) of the cover 18. The fixing member 19 is provided with a fastener 19A. As shown in FIG. 2, the fastener 19A is fixed to the other end of the cover 18 (here, the end on the first housing 11 side). A fastener 19B is provided. The fasteners 19A and 19B are constituted by fixing means such as a fastening button and a surface adhesive tape. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 19 is wound around the ends of the first casing 11 and the second casing 12 in a folded state, and a fastener 19 </ b> A at the tip is provided on the cover 18. By fixing the fastener 19B, the closed state of the casing is maintained. The fixing member 19 prevents the first casing 11 and the second casing 12 from being opened unexpectedly by the restoring force of the connecting portion 13 while the foldable portable radio is being carried. When the fasteners 19A and 19B are removed, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are automatically opened using the restoring force of the connecting portion 13 so that the operation can be immediately performed. Can do.

  2 and 3 schematically show main components in the present embodiment, and the arrangement relationship between a circuit board, an antenna element, and the like is shown. A first circuit board 21 is housed in the first housing 11, and a second circuit board 22 is housed in the second housing 12. The first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are respectively housed in the first housing 11. Are electrically connected by a flexible connection line 24 provided in the connecting portion 13. Here, the first casing 11 and the second casing 12 have a size of, for example, a length of about 70 mm and a width of about 45 mm. The first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 are configured by, for example, a printed board having a thickness of 1 mm, and the dimensions thereof are, for example, a length of about 65 mm and a width of about 40 mm. In the folding portable wireless device of this embodiment, the frequency used for wireless communication is assumed to be around 900 MHz.

  As described above, the holding connection member 23 is used to prevent the open state from becoming unstable due to the flexibility of the cover 18 when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are open. In other words, a light material having a certain degree of rigidity, for example, a metal member such as a thin steel plate is used. Both ends of the holding connection member 23 are mechanically fixed by connection portions 23A and 23B provided in the first casing 11 and the second casing 12, respectively, and the open state of the casing is stably held. It is the composition to do. The connection line 24 is composed of, for example, a durable flexible printed cable having a thickness of 0.1 mm, and is arranged along the connecting portion 13 so as to overlap the holding connection member 23 or in the vicinity of the holding connection member 23.

  The antenna unit 25 includes a planar antenna element, and is disposed between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 along the connecting unit 13, and the ground of the second circuit board 22 is connected to the antenna unit 25. The antenna is a ground conductor (antenna ground), and power is fed from a feeding point 26 via a feeding line. The antenna unit 25 is a small built-in antenna that is made of a thin copper plate or the like having high conductivity and a certain degree of strength, and whose resonance frequency is set around 900 MHz. The antenna portion 25 has a total length of about 90 mm and a width of about 2 mm, and is formed in a crank shape or a meander structure to ensure a mounting range.

  As described above, the fixing member 19 is for suppressing the restoring force of the holding connection member 23 that holds the open state in a state where the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are closed. A fastener 19A is provided to be wound around the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 and fixed to the fastener 19B. In the present embodiment, the fixing member 19 is provided with a conductor 20 for expanding the ground conductor of the antenna.

  The conductor 20 is provided, for example, by being inserted into the fixing member 19 formed in a bag shape or embedded in the fixing member 19 by insert molding, and one end thereof is connected to the second circuit board 22 via the contact portion 30. Electrically connected. Thereby, the antenna ground of the antenna using the ground of the second circuit board 22 can be expanded.

  4A and 4B are diagrams schematically illustrating a configuration example of the contact portion 30 that connects the conductor 20, in which FIG. 4A is a front view and FIG. 4B is a side view. The contact portion 30 is configured to include an external connector 31 for conducting with the ground of the second circuit board 22 and a plate 32 for conducting with the conductor 20 provided on the fixing member 19.

  The external connector 31 includes contacts 31A and 31B at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the contacts 31A and 31B are arranged so as to be in contact with the ground surface of the second circuit board 22. The plate 32 is made of a highly conductive, substantially rectangular thin copper plate or the like, and one long side portion is in contact with the contacts 31A and 31B of the external connector 31 and the other long side portion is the end of the second circuit board 22. It arrange | positions so that it may protrude from a part. Then, the plate 32 is fastened together with the end portion of the second housing 12 by screws 33 in a state where the plate 32 is overlapped with the end portion of the conductor 20. With this configuration, the ground of the second circuit board 22 and the conductor 20 can be electrically connected via the contacts 31A and 31B and the plate 32 without providing a screw hole in the external connector 31. As a result, the antenna ground can be expanded, and the antenna characteristics can be improved.

  Next, the degree of improvement in antenna characteristics according to this embodiment will be described. The degree of improvement of the antenna characteristics depends on the width D of the conductor 20 and the protruding length h from the end of the second circuit board 22 shown in FIG. The larger the area of the conductor 20, the greater the contribution to the improvement of the antenna characteristics, and the longer the length h than the width D, the greater the effect.

  Further, the degree of improvement in the antenna characteristics is also related to the position of the contact portion 30 where the conductor 20 of the fixing member 19 and the second circuit board 22 are connected. Symbols A, B, and C in FIG. 4 represent relative positions of the antenna with respect to the feeding point 26, and are denoted as A, B, and C in order from the feeding point. In this case, the position of the contact portion 30 is more improved in antenna characteristics in the vicinity of both ends A and C than in the vicinity of the central portion of the second circuit board 22 and further farthest from the feeding point 26. The position of C is more effective.

  In the foldable portable wireless device of this embodiment, the antenna unit 25 is assumed to operate as a dipole antenna having a resonance frequency set near 900 MHz. The length of the antenna ground of an ideal half-wave dipole antenna in this use frequency band 900 MHz is about 83 mm. On the other hand, in the small foldable portable wireless device as in the above dimension example, the length of the second circuit board 22 that is the antenna ground is about 65 mm, which is insufficient for the ideal antenna ground length of 83 mm. is doing. Therefore, by making up for this shortage as much as possible by using the conductor 20, it is possible to approach the length of the ideal ground conductor of the dipole antenna, and the antenna characteristics can be improved. A configuration may be adopted in which a reactance element is provided between the conductor 20 and the second circuit board 22 and both are connected to obtain impedance matching.

  Further, when the conductor 20 that increases the effective area of the ground conductor of the antenna is connected to one end of the second circuit board 22 as in the present embodiment, the second circuit board 22 serving as the ground conductor The current distribution is concentrated near the edge of the second circuit board 22 from the feeding point 26. Therefore, the antenna efficiency can be greatly improved by electrically connecting the conductor 20 to the positions A and C near the both ends rather than the position B near the center at the end of the second circuit board 22. Further, when comparing the position A and the position C, the distance from the feeding point 26 is about 65 mm at the position A, whereas at the position C, it is about 75 mm on the diagonal of the board, and the electrical distance from the feeding point is Since it becomes longer and approaches the antenna ground length of the ideal dipole antenna of about 83 mm, the effect of improving the antenna efficiency is increased. For these reasons, the conductor 20 is more preferably connected near the position C at the end of the second circuit board 22.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the effect of the conductor 20 provided on the fixing member 19 in terms of the VSWR (power standing wave ratio) frequency characteristics of the antenna. FIG. 5A shows the case where the conductor 20 is not provided, and FIG. It is a characteristic view in case there exists the conductor 20. FIG. In FIG. 5, when comparing the bandwidth where VSWR is 4 or less, the bandwidth W2 when the conductor 20 is present is wider than the bandwidth W1 when the conductor 20 is absent. Thus, by providing the conductor 20, the frequency bandwidth that satisfies the predetermined antenna characteristics can be expanded, and the antenna characteristics in the used frequency band can be improved.

  As described above, in the foldable portable wireless device according to the present embodiment, when the first casing 11 and the second casing 12 are closed, the band-shaped fixing member 19 for holding the closed state of the casing. Is protruded from one end of the cover 18, a conductor 20 is extended inside the fixing member 19, and the conductor 20 is connected to the antenna ground of the second circuit board 22 via the contact portion 30. As a result, the antenna ground is expanded and the antenna characteristics can be improved.

  The conductor 20 provided on the fixing member 19 is not limited to a metal material, and has conductivity and has a small contact resistance at the contact portion 30 connected to the second circuit board 22. Even non-metallic materials such as cloth and cushioning materials can be used.

  Moreover, although the example of the foldable portable radio device applied to the mobile phone device has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can also be implemented in various small wireless devices such as a portable information terminal provided with a communication unit. In particular, in a cellular phone device, it is possible to expect an improvement in antenna performance, such as when waiting with the casing closed, and communication quality can be improved.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect of improving antenna performance without greatly changing the external shape, and is useful for a folding portable wireless device configured by connecting two housings so as to be freely opened and closed. is there.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the foldable portable radio | wireless machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the principal part structure in the state which opened the foldable portable radio | wireless machine which concerns on this embodiment The side view which shows the principal part structure in the state which closed the foldable portable radio | wireless machine which concerns on this embodiment The figure which shows typically the structural example of the contact part which connects the conductor which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the VSWR frequency characteristic of the antenna of the foldable portable radio | wireless machine which concerns on this embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 1st housing | casing 12 2nd housing | casing 13 Connection part 18 Cover 19 Fixing member 19A, 19B Fastener 20 Conductor 21 1st circuit board 22 2nd circuit board 23 Holding connection member 24 Connection line 25 Antenna part 26 Feeding point 30 Contact point

Claims (3)

A foldable portable wireless device comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a connecting portion that connects the first housing and the second housing so as to be openable and closable,
A first substrate provided in the first housing;
A second substrate provided in the second housing;
An antenna element provided in any one of the first casing, the second casing, and the connecting portion, wherein the ground of the second substrate is an antenna ground;
A housing that is provided at an end of the second housing opposite to the connecting portion or near the end, and holds the first housing and the second housing closed. Holding means;
A conductor provided in the housing holding means and disposed at a position protruding in a longitudinal direction from the second substrate; and a conductor electrically connected to a ground of the second substrate;
A foldable portable radio. The foldable portable wireless device according to claim 1,
The connecting portion includes a first state in which the first casing and the second casing are separated from each other, and a second state in which the first casing and the second casing overlap with each other. A foldable portable radio having a planar connecting member that can be bent so as to be opened and closed. The foldable portable wireless device according to claim 1,
A cover covering the first housing and the second housing;
The housing holding means is a belt-like fixing member provided on the cover and provided with a fixing means for fixing the housings in a state where the first housing and the second housing are closed. A foldable portable radio device.

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