JP4560793B2 - Portable information terminal - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable information terminal, and more particularly to a waterproof structure in a foldable portable information terminal in which a display unit casing and an operation unit casing are supported by a hinge unit.

  In recent years, a foldable portable information terminal in which a display unit housing on which a liquid crystal screen or the like is disposed and an operation unit housing on which an operation key is disposed is supported by a hinge portion so as to be opened and closed is widely used. In this structure, since it is necessary to transmit the control signal input from the key operation unit of the operation unit case to the liquid crystal screen of the display unit case, the display unit case and the operation unit case are inside the hinge unit. Connected with a flexible cable that penetrates through. In addition, in order to prevent a load from being applied to the flexible cable with respect to various movements of the display unit casing and the operation unit casing, the connecting portion of the display unit casing and the hinge unit, or the operation unit casing and the hinge unit The connecting portion is provided with an opening having a size larger than that of the flexible cable.

  For this reason, water or the like is likely to enter the casing through the flexible cable from the cut between the hinge section and the operation section casing or the display section casing. Cause problems such as short circuiting and corrosion of internal parts. Therefore, the occurrence of the above problem is usually avoided by providing various waterproof structures in the flexible cable insertion portion of the housing.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a peripheral packing that surrounds a printed circuit board, a first flexible portion packing that is connected to the peripheral packing, and a first flexible portion packing that is sandwiched between the flexible printed circuit board. A foldable portable terminal including a case packing having a second flexible portion packing is disclosed. Patent Document 2 below discloses a portable electronic device in which a first cap and a second cap are provided with a waterproof cap that partitions a hinge portion and a case portion and through which a wiring body is inserted.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-32752 (page 5-9, FIG. 2) JP 2004-214927 A (page 3-6, FIG. 4)

  However, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, since waterproofing is realized by using a number of parts such as the surrounding packing, the first flexible portion packing, and the second flexible portion packing, the waterproof structure becomes complicated and the cost is reduced. Will increase. In addition, since the first flexible portion packing and the second flexible portion packing are sandwiched between the front case and the rear case inside each case, the first flexible portion packing and the second flexible portion packing are provided in each case. A space for arranging the flexible part packing must be provided, resulting in an increase in size. In this structure, the peripheral packing and the first flexible portion packing are attached to the front case, and then the flexible printed circuit board is arranged on the uneven surface of the first flexible portion packing, and the second flexible portion packing is attached. In order to cover the rear case and fix the front case and the rear case using fixing means such as screws, the flexible printed circuit board is removed from the uneven surface of the first flexible portion packing at the stage of fixing the front case and the rear case. The first flexible part packing or the second flexible part packing may be displaced from the groove of the front case or the rear case, and the first flexible part packing and the second flexible part packing are fixed. Since it cannot be visually confirmed, there is a problem that the workability of the assembly is poor.

  In the structure described in Patent Document 2, since the flexible wiring board is embedded in the waterproof cap by insert molding or the like, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the structure described in Patent Document 1. Since the board is integrally formed, the versatility is low, and when only one part of the waterproof cap or the flexible wiring board is to be replaced, the other part is wasted and the cost is increased. Moreover, since the waterproof cap is structured to be sandwiched between the lid and the case inside each casing, a space for arranging the waterproof cap must be provided in each casing, resulting in an increase in size. End up. Also, in this structure, after engaging the waterproof cap with the protruding portion provided on the inner wall of the case portion, the waterproof cap is engaged with the protruding portion provided on the inner wall of the lid portion, and the lid portion is fixed to the case portion. When the lid and case are fixed, the waterproof cap may be displaced from the lid or the protruding part of the case, and the fixed state of the waterproof cap cannot be visually confirmed. There is also the problem of being bad.

  In any of the above structures, both the display unit casing and the operation unit casing are provided with a waterproof structure. However, the display unit casing is less required to be waterproof than the operation unit casing, and is excessively waterproof. There is also a problem that the cost increases because of the structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main purpose is to suppress an increase in cost and size and improve the workability of assembly while passing through a flexible cable into the housing. An object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof structure for a portable information terminal capable of effectively avoiding problems such as internal circuit short-circuits and corrosion of internal components caused by invading water.

In order to achieve the above object, in the portable information terminal of the present invention, the first casing and the second casing are connected to each other by a hinge portion so as to be opened and closed, and the first information is transmitted by the flexible cable passing through the hinge portion. In a foldable portable information terminal in which a part inside the casing and a part inside the second casing are connected, a connecting portion with the hinge portion of the first casing through which the flexible cable is inserted Further, a waterproof means comprising at least an engaging portion having protrusions and recesses that are engaged with at least a part of a protrusion or a recess provided in advance in the first housing, and a cable holding portion having a notch for sandwiching the flexible cable. engaging but is arranged, the waterproof means and the key sheet is formed integrally, the unevenness of the waterproof means to at least a portion of the projection or the recess of the first housing By, in which the waterproof means is substantially fixed to the first housing while covering the connecting portion.

  In the present invention, the cable holding portion of the waterproof means includes a slit insertion portion that is connected to each side of the cut and is inserted into a slit provided in advance in the first housing. By pushing the slit insertion portion, the cut width of the cable holding portion is narrowed, and the flexible cable can be substantially fixed to the cable holding portion.

  In the present invention, the unevenness of the engaging portion is formed in both the connecting surface direction of the first casing and the hinge portion and the direction substantially orthogonal to the connecting surface direction. It can also be configured.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the first casing is a casing in which at least an operation unit is disposed, and the second casing is a casing in which at least a display unit is disposed.

  As described above, in the present invention, at least a part of the convex portion or the concave portion of the first casing is connected to the connecting portion with the hinge portion of the first casing (preferably the operating section casing) through which the flexible cable is inserted. And a cable holding part having a notch for holding the flexible cable. The cable holding part is connected to each side of the notch and is formed in the slit of the first housing. Since the waterproof means having the slit insertion portion to be inserted is provided, the number of parts is reduced to suppress the cost increase, and the space provided in the first housing is effectively used to suppress the increase in size, and the waterproof means By making it possible to visually confirm the fixed state, it is possible to improve the workability of assembly and avoid problems such as short-circuiting of internal circuits and corrosion of internal parts due to the intrusion of water or the like.

  The portable information terminal of the present invention has the following effects.

  The first effect of the present invention is to suppress an increase in cost and size, and to prevent the occurrence of problems due to water entering the operation unit casing through the flexible cable.

  The reason for this is that the connecting portion with the hinge portion of the operating portion housing through which the flexible cable is inserted has an engaging portion that has projections or depressions that are preliminarily provided in the operating portion housing or engage with at least a part of the recessed portion. And a cable holding part having a notch for sandwiching the flexible cable, and the cable holding part is connected to each side of the notch and is inserted into a slit provided in advance in the operation unit housing. By providing a slit insertion part and pushing the slit insertion part into the slit, the cable clamping part can be narrowed and the flexible cable can be securely fixed, reducing the number of parts and providing it on the operation unit case The water that enters the operation unit casing through the flexible cable can be reliably blocked while effectively using the space provided. A.

  In addition, the second effect of the present invention is that it is possible to realize an effective waterproof structure by preventing the occurrence of problems and improving the workability of assembly.

  The reason is that the waterproof means of the present invention is not fixed by being sandwiched between the operation unit casing and the cover of the casing, but by engaging the projections and depressions of the engagement unit with the projections and depressions of the operation unit casing. Since it is substantially fixed to the operation unit casing in a state of covering the connecting portion, visually confirm that the waterproof means is fixed to the operation unit casing in an appropriate state before covering the operation unit casing with the cover. Because it can.

  As shown in the prior art, in the conventional foldable portable information terminal, water or the like easily enters the casing through the flexible cable, causing problems such as short-circuiting of internal circuits and corrosion of internal components. It was.

  In order to deal with this problem, a method of making the entire housing waterproof can be considered. In this case, however, the waterproof structure becomes complicated and the number of parts increases, leading to an increase in the cost of the portable information terminal. In addition, a structure in which a waterproof structure is provided in the inside of the housing instead of a connection portion between the hinge portion and the housing is also conceivable. In other words, the size increases. In general, the waterproof structure is sandwiched between the case body and the cover. In this case, the waterproof structure cannot be confirmed with the cover attached to the case body. In some cases, the waterproof structure is fixed in an inappropriate state and a load is applied or a gap is generated, resulting in incomplete waterproofing. In addition, the casing in which the display unit is disposed is less necessary to be waterproof than the casing in which the operation unit is disposed, and providing both the casings with a waterproof structure causes an increase in cost.

  Thus, various forms can be considered as the waterproof structure, but in order to suppress the increase in cost and size and improve the workability of the assembly, it can be waterproofed effectively while being a simple structure, and It is necessary to propose a structure capable of mounting waterproof means while visually confirming. Therefore, in the present invention, in order to most effectively prevent the intrusion of water, the operation unit housing is provided in advance in a connection portion with the hinge portion of the operation unit housing through which the flexible cable is inserted. Connected to each side of the notch and the notch that sandwich the flexible cable with the engaging part having the unevenness (the unevenness in both the connecting surface direction and the direction orthogonal to the connecting surface) that engages at least a part of the convex part or the concave part A waterproof part constituted by a cable holding part having a slit insertion part inserted into a slit provided in advance in the operation part housing is attached.

  With the above waterproof parts, water entering the operation unit housing through the flexible cable can be surely cut off, and the structure of the waterproof structure itself can be simplified to prevent an increase in cost. Is attached to the connecting part of the operation unit casing with the hinge part, the space inside the operation unit casing can be effectively used to prevent an increase in size, and a waterproof part can be used alone. Since the waterproof part can be visually confirmed at the mounting stage, the assembling workability can be remarkably improved.

  In order to describe the above-described embodiment of the present invention in more detail, a portable information terminal according to a first example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the portable information terminal of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of its main components. 3 is a three-sided view showing the structure of the waterproof component, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the portable information terminal in a state where the waterproof component is mounted. 5 and 6 are enlarged views showing the mounting location of the waterproof component in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable information terminal of the present embodiment includes a display unit housing 2 (with an internal structure) in which display means such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device is arranged. For the sake of clarity, the cover is removed.) And an operation unit housing 1 in which key operation units such as numeric keys and special keys, circuit boards such as control circuits and communication circuits are arranged (similarly 2 shows a state in which the cover is removed for easy understanding of the internal structure.), A hinge portion 5 that connects the display portion housing 2 and the operation portion housing 1 so as to be openable and closable, and a display portion housing. Wiring for electrically connecting a component arranged in the body 2 and a component arranged in the operation unit housing 1 (hereinafter, the flexible wiring is collectively referred to as a flexible cable 3). And the waterproof part 4 which is a characteristic part of the present invention as main components And are waterproof the connecting portion between the operation unit housing 1 and the hinge portion 5 to which the flexible cable 3 passes part 4 is disposed.

  In the present embodiment, the display unit is arranged in the display unit case 2 and the operation unit is arranged in the operation unit case 1. However, the components arranged in each case are arbitrary, For example, it is possible to change such as disposing a display unit including an operation unit such as a touch panel on both housings, or providing other components (for example, a digital camera unit). Further, the flexible cable 3 may have any shape as long as both ends thereof can be connected to the parts disposed in the display unit housing 2 and the operation unit housing 1 and the central portion can pass through the hinge unit 5. The shape, material, etc. are arbitrary. Moreover, the waterproof component 4 should just be provided with a certain amount of softness | flexibility and a stretching property, for example, can be formed with rubber | gum etc.

  FIG. 3 is a three-sided view showing the detailed structure of the waterproof component 4, and the structure is simplified for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 3, the waterproof component 4 of the present embodiment includes one or a plurality of projections and depressions 4d (preferably an operation unit casing) that engage with at least a part of a projection or recess provided in the operation unit casing 1 in advance. A cable holding portion 4b having a notch 4e for holding the flexible cable 3 therebetween, and an engaging portion 4a having projections or depressions protruding or recessed in both the connecting surface direction of the body 1 and the hinge portion 5 and the direction substantially perpendicular to the connecting surface direction. The cable holding portion 4b is further provided with a slit insertion portion 4c that is connected to each side of the cut 4e and is inserted into a slit provided in advance in the operation portion housing 1. And the flexible cable 3 passes the slit part of the operation part housing | casing 1 with respect to the operation part housing | casing 1 and the display part housing | casing 2 assembled in the state which can be opened and closed by the hinge part 5, and the waterproof component 4 is the operation part. It is mounted so as to sandwich the flexible cable 3 while covering and concealing the slit of the partial housing 1.

  Note that the waterproof component 4 in FIG. 3 is also an example, and can be fixed to a connecting portion between the operation unit housing 1 and the hinge portion 5. The flexible cable 3 can be sandwiched between the connecting portion and the flexible cable 3. As long as the shape can be inserted into the slit of the operation unit housing 1 in a state of sandwiching the shape, the shape and arrangement of the unevenness 4d of the engagement portion 4a can be changed according to the unevenness of the operation unit housing 1, The width and shape of the notch 4e of the cable holding portion 4b can be changed according to the width, thickness, and bending condition of the flexible cable 3, and the shape and arrangement of the slit insertion portion 4c can be changed according to the slit of the operation unit housing 1. Can be changed.

  Next, the mounting structure of the waterproof component 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the portable information terminal after mounting the waterproof component 4 as viewed from the hinge axis direction, and shows a cross section taken along line X-X ′ of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, a hinge ring 5 a for opening and closing the display unit housing 2 and the operation unit housing 1 is fitted in the hinge unit 5, and the hinge ring 5 a extends from the display unit housing 2. The flexible cable 3 going to the operation unit housing 1 via the cable is sandwiched between the cable holding unit 4b and the slit insertion unit 4c, and the slit insertion unit 4c is pushed into the slit 1b provided in the operation unit housing 1. With the above-described structure, when the portable information terminal is opened and closed, the flexible cable 3 is gently twisted with a portion sandwiched between the waterproof parts 4 as a fulcrum. Moreover, since the width | variety of the notch 4e of the cable clamping part 4b is narrowed by pushing the slit insertion part 4c into the slit 1b, while being able to fix the flexible cable 3 reliably, it is along the flexible cable 3 and an operation part housing | casing It is possible to reliably shut off the water that enters the inside 1, and problems such as internal circuit short-circuiting and internal component corrosion can be avoided.

  5 and 6 are enlarged views showing the structure in the vicinity of the connecting portion with the hinge portion 5 of the operation unit housing 1. FIG. 5 shows a state before the waterproof component 4 is mounted, and FIG. The state after mounting is shown. As shown in FIG. 5, various irregularities 1 a are formed in advance in the vicinity of the connecting portion of the operation unit casing 1 to hold each component member. As shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit casing 1 The waterproof component 4 is disposed so that the unevenness 4d of the engaging portion 4a is engaged with the unevenness 1a. Therefore, it is possible to substantially fix the waterproof component 4 to the operation unit casing 1 and to visually check whether the waterproof component 4 is securely mounted before the operation unit casing 1 is covered with the cover. This makes it possible to improve the assembly workability and prevent the occurrence of defects.

  Thus, in the portable information terminal of the present embodiment, the waterproof component 4 is arranged at the connection portion with the hinge portion 5 of the operation unit terminal 1 through which the flexible cable 3 is inserted, and the waterproof component 4 is connected to the operation unit casing. 1 is connected to each side of the engagement portion 4a having the unevenness 4d that engages at least a part of the unevenness 1a provided in advance 1 and the cut 4e that sandwiches the flexible cable 3, and the operation portion housing 1 in advance. Since it comprises the cable holding part 4b which has the slit insertion part 4c inserted in the provided slit, it can interrupt | block the water which penetrates the operation part housing | casing 1 through the flexible cable 3 reliably. The structure of the waterproof part 4 itself can be simplified to suppress an increase in cost, and the space inside the operation unit housing 1 can be effectively used to suppress an increase in size. It is also possible to improve the workability of assembly by allowing check the fixed state of the waterproof components 4 visually in mounting stage.

  Next, a portable information terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of the portable information terminal of this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an exploded view of its main components.

  In the first embodiment described above, the waterproof component 4 is formed as a single unit. However, a component that is close to the waterproof component 4 and is formed of the same material as the waterproof component 4 is integrated with the waterproof component 4. Can be formed. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the key sheet disposed inside the operation unit housing 1 is formed of rubber or the like, the waterproof part 4 is integrated with the key sheet and the key sheet integrated waterproof It can also be a component 6.

  In this way, by integrating the waterproof part 4 and other parts, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost of the portable information terminal can be reduced. The mounting process can be simplified as compared with the case where mounting is performed.

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where the waterproof structure of the present invention is applied to a portable information terminal having a uniaxial hinge that supports the operation unit casing 1 and the display unit casing 2 so as to be opened and closed is shown. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but for a portable information terminal having a hinge structure on two axes that supports the operation unit housing 1 and the display unit housing 2 so as to be openable and closable. Can be applied similarly.

  The present invention is not limited to a mobile phone, and may be applied to any portable device in which a plurality of casings are movably connected by a hinge, such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), a game machine, and an electronic book. it can.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the portable information terminal which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is an exploded view which shows the structure of the portable information terminal which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a three-plane figure which shows the structure of the waterproofing part which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the mounting structure of the waterproof component which concerns on 1st Example of this invention seen from the hinge-axis direction, and has shown the cross section in the X-X 'line | wire of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows the detailed structure before waterproofing component mounting | wearing of the connection part of the operation part housing | casing in the portable information terminal which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is an enlarged view which shows the detailed structure after waterproof parts mounting | wearing of the connection part of the operation part housing | casing in the portable information terminal which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the portable information terminal which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention. It is an exploded view which shows the structure of the portable information terminal which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part housing | casing 1a Concavity and convexity 1b Slit 2 Display part housing | casing 3 Flexible cable 4 Waterproof part 4a Engagement part 4b Cable clamping part 4c Slit insertion part 4d Concavity and convexity 4e Cutting 5 Hinge part 5a Hinge ring 6 Key sheet integrated waterproof part

Claims (4)

A first housing and a second housing are connected to each other by a hinge portion so as to be opened and closed, and a component inside the first housing and a portion inside the second housing are connected by a flexible cable passing through the inside of the hinge portion. In a foldable portable information terminal in which components are connected,
Engagement that has at least a part of a convex part or a concave part provided in advance in the first casing at a connecting portion with the hinge part of the first casing through which the flexible cable is inserted. Waterproof means comprising at least a joint part and a cable holding part having a notch for holding the flexible cable is disposed;
The waterproof means and the key sheet are integrally formed,
By engaging the concave and convex portions of the waterproof means with at least a part of the convex portion or the concave portion of the first casing, the waterproof means covers the connecting portion in the first casing. A portable information terminal characterized by being substantially fixed.   The cable holding portion of the waterproof means includes a slit insertion portion that is connected to each side of the cut and is inserted into a slit provided in advance in the first housing, and the slit insertion portion is provided in the slit. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein by pushing, the cut width of the cable holding portion is narrowed, and the flexible cable is substantially fixed to the cable holding portion. The unevenness of the engaging portion is formed with respect to both a connecting surface direction of the first casing and the hinge portion and a direction substantially orthogonal to the connecting surface direction. The portable information terminal according to 1 or 2. The first housing is a housing in which at least an operation unit is disposed, and the second housing is a housing in which at least a display unit is disposed . The portable information terminal as described in any one.

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