JP7360072B1 - Electronics - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can have a narrower frame. An electronic device includes a casing including a first cover and a second cover attached to the first cover, and a display surface capable of displaying an image; a display device, the display surface of which is exposed to the outside of the housing through an opening provided in a first cover or the second cover; the first inner surface, a first circumferential wall protruding from the first inner surface and surrounding the first inner surface, and a claw protruding from the first circumferential wall toward the inside of the casing; a first groove is provided in the second cover, and the second cover has a second inner surface facing the first inner surface, protrudes from the second inner surface, surrounds the second inner surface, and is at least partially surrounded by the first peripheral wall. It has a second circumferential wall and a protrusion that projects from the second circumferential wall and fits into the first groove, and the second circumferential wall is provided with a second groove that can fit with the claw portion. [Selection diagram] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to electronic equipment.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electronic devices such as laptop personal computers (PCs) have a display section rotatably attached to a main body via a hinge. For example, the casing of the display unit is formed by combining a front cover and a back cover.

The front cover is provided with a bezel that holds a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), housed in the housing. In conventional electronic devices, a front cover and a back cover are attached to each other by claw fitting.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-108187

When the front cover and the back cover are fitted using claw fitting, a backup rib is provided on either the front cover or the back cover to prevent the claw from coming off. Therefore, the width of the bezel is increased by at least the thickness of the backup rib. This makes it difficult to narrow the frame of the casing.

An example of the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can have a narrower frame.

An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a housing including a first cover and a second cover attached to the first cover, and a display surface capable of displaying an image, and a display device housed in the housing, the display surface being exposed to the outside of the housing through an opening provided in the first cover or the second cover, the first cover a first inner surface facing inward; a first circumferential wall protruding from the first inner surface and surrounding the first inner surface; and a claw protruding from the first circumferential wall toward the interior of the casing; A first groove is provided on the first inner surface, and the second cover has a second inner surface facing the first inner surface, and the second cover protrudes from the second inner surface to surround the second inner surface and at least partially connects the first inner surface. a second circumferential wall surrounded by a circumferential wall; and a protrusion that protrudes from a tip of the second circumferential wall in the thickness direction of the casing and fits into the first groove; A second groove that can fit into the claw portion is provided.

In the electronic device, the first peripheral wall has a first wall extending in a first direction along the display surface, and the claw portion protrudes from the first wall toward the inside of the casing, and The second peripheral wall has a second wall that extends in the first direction, is at least partially covered by the first wall, and is provided with the second groove, and the protrusion has a second wall that extends in the first direction and is provided with the second groove. and protrudes from the second wall at a different position.

In the electronic device, the first cover has a frame having the first inner surface and the opening, and the frame includes an outer frame portion having the first groove and the outer frame. and an inner frame portion that is located between the inner frame portion and the opening portion and is thinner than the outer frame portion.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an electronic device whose frame can be made narrower.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the notebook PC of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the display section of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front cover of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the display section of this embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back cover of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the display section of this embodiment taken along line BB in FIG.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a notebook PC 1 according to an embodiment will be described based on the drawings. The configuration of the embodiment described below, and the actions and results (effects) brought about by the configuration are merely examples, and are not limited to the contents described below. Note that in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish parts and members, and do not indicate order or priority.

<This embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a notebook PC 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the notebook PC 1 includes a base portion 2, a hinge 3, and a display portion 4. Note that the notebook PC 1 is an example of an electronic device.

In each of the following figures, three mutually orthogonal directions are defined for convenience. The X direction is a direction along the lateral direction of the base portion 2, and may also be referred to as the front-rear direction. The Y direction is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 2, and may also be referred to as the left-right direction. The Z direction is a direction along the thickness direction of the base portion 2, and may also be referred to as an up-down direction. Note that the expressions indicating directions such as front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom in this embodiment are names for convenience, and do not limit the position, posture, and usage mode of the notebook PC 1.

Furthermore, in FIG. 1, for convenience, the lateral direction of the display section 4 is defined as Dw. The longitudinal direction of the display section 4 is defined as Dl. The lateral direction Dw changes depending on the inclination (opening angle) of the display section 4 with respect to the base section 2. Note that the lateral direction Dw and the longitudinal direction Dl are examples of the first direction.

The base portion 2 has an upper surface 21 . The upper surface 21 is a substantially flat surface facing substantially upward (+Z direction). The upper surface 21 extends along a direction (XY plane) orthogonal to the up-down direction (Z direction). Note that the upper surface 21 is not limited to this example, and may have irregularities.

The base part 2 accommodates, for example, a board, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage such as an HDD or an SSD, a battery, an antenna, and various other components. A plurality of keys 22 and a touch pad 23 serving as input means are provided on the upper surface 21 of the base portion 2 .

The hinge 3 rotatably connects the base portion 2 and the display portion 4 to each other. The hinge 3 is provided at a rear end portion 2a that is an end portion of the base portion 2 in the rear direction (−X direction). The hinge 3 connects the rear end portion 2a of the base portion 2 and the lower end portion 4a, which is the end portion of the display portion 4 in the lower direction in the lateral direction Dw.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the display unit 4 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 4 includes a display device 41 and a housing 42. The display unit 4 may further include other components housed in the housing 42, for example.

The display device 41 is, for example, a device capable of displaying images, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL display. The display device 41 has a display surface 411. The display surface 411 is formed substantially flat and can display images. For example, a touch panel may be provided on the display surface 411. In that case, the user can operate the notebook PC 1 by touching the display surface 411.

The display surface 411 extends along the lateral direction Dw and the longitudinal direction Dl. In other words, the lateral direction Dw and the longitudinal direction Dl are directions along the display surface 411.

The housing 42 is rotatably attached to the hinge 3. In this embodiment, the housing 42 attached to the hinge 3 can rotate with respect to the base portion 2 and the hinge 3. The housing 42 is made of metal, for example, and is formed in the shape of a thin, substantially rectangular parallelepiped box. The display device 41 and various components are housed in the space inside the housing 42 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 42 includes a front cover 43 and a back cover 44. Note that the front cover 43 is an example of a first cover, and the back cover 44 is an example of a second cover.

The housing 42 is formed by combining a front cover 43 and a back cover 44 with each other in the thickness direction of the housing 42 . Therefore, the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are attached to each other in a separable manner.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front cover 43 of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the display section 4 of this embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the front cover 43 includes a bezel 431, a first peripheral wall 432, and a plurality of claws 433. Note that the bezel 431 is an example of a frame. As shown in FIG. 4, the bezel 431 surrounds the display surface 411 of the display device 41.

Bezel 431 has a front surface 434 and a first inner surface 435. The front surface 434 is the outer surface of the bezel 431 that faces approximately forward (+X direction) when the notebook PC 1 is opened as shown in FIG. The front surface 434 extends along a direction (YZ plane) orthogonal to the direction in which the front surface 434 faces (+X direction).

A first inner surface 435 is located opposite the front surface 434. The first inner surface 435 is a substantially flat surface facing inside the housing 42 . Note that the first inner surface 435 may be provided with unevenness or a curved surface. The first inner surface 435 supports the display device 41 .

Bezel 431 further includes an outer frame portion 436 and an inner frame portion 437. The outer frame portion 436 is formed into a substantially rectangular (square) frame shape. The inner frame portion 437 is provided inside the outer frame portion 436 and is formed into a substantially rectangular (square) frame shape. That is, the outer frame portion 436 is located outside the inner frame portion 437 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl. Further, the thickness of the outer frame portion 436 is set to be thicker than the thickness of the inner frame portion 437. The outer frame portion 436 and the inner frame portion 437 each have a portion of the front surface 434 and a portion of the first inner surface 435.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first peripheral wall 432 is a frame-shaped wall that protrudes from the edge of the first inner surface 435 of the outer frame portion 436 in the thickness direction of the housing 42, and surrounds the first inner surface 435. The first peripheral wall 432 has two first walls 432a and two first walls 432b.

The two first walls 432a are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction Dl and extend in the lateral direction Dw. The two first walls 432b are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction Dw and extend in the longitudinal direction Dl. The two first walls 432b are connected to the ends of the two first walls 432a in the transverse direction Dw.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of claw portions 433 protrude from the first walls 432a, 432b of the first peripheral wall 432 toward the inside of the casing 42. The claw portion 433 is spaced apart from the first inner surface 435.

Further, the front cover 43 is provided with an opening 438 and a plurality of first grooves 439. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 438 is provided in the bezel 431 and opens to the front surface 434 and the first inner surface 435. The opening 438 exposes the display surface 411 of the display device 41 to the outside of the housing 42 . That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the display surface 411 faces toward the front (+X direction) of the housing 42 through the opening 438.

As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 438 opens inside the inner frame 437 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl. In other words, the inner frame portion 437 is located between the outer frame portion 436 and the opening 438 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl.

The plurality of first grooves 439 are recessed from the first inner surface 435 of the outer frame portion 436. As shown in FIG. 3, the first groove 439 is located between each of the claws 433 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl, and extends between each of the claws 433. That is, the first groove 439 is provided at a different position from the claw portion 433 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back cover 44 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the back cover 44 includes a rear wall 441, a second peripheral wall 442, and a plurality of backup ribs 443. Note that the backup rib 443 is an example of a protrusion.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the rear wall 441 covers a rear surface 412 of the display device 41 located on the opposite side of the display surface 411 . The rear wall 441 has a second inner surface 444 . The second inner surface 444 is a substantially flat surface facing the back surface 412 of the display device 41 . The second inner surface 444 faces the first inner surface 435 through at least the display device 41 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the second peripheral wall 442 is a frame-shaped wall that protrudes from the second inner surface 444 in the thickness direction of the housing 42. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, second peripheral wall 442 surrounds second inner surface 444 and is at least partially surrounded by first peripheral wall 432. As shown in FIG.

The second peripheral wall 442 has an end surface 442a and an outer surface 442b. The end surface 442a is provided at the tip of the second peripheral wall 442 in the thickness direction of the housing 42. The outer surface 442b faces the outside of the housing 42 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl. At least a portion of the outer surface 442b is covered by the first peripheral wall 432 from the outside of the housing 42.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second peripheral wall 442 further includes two second walls 442c and two second walls 442d. The two second walls 442c are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction Dl and extend in the lateral direction Dw. The two second walls 442d are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction Dw and extend in the longitudinal direction Dl. The two second walls 442d are connected to the ends of the two second walls 442c in the transverse direction Dw.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second wall 442c of the second peripheral wall 442 is at least partially covered by the first wall 432a of the first peripheral wall 432 from the outside of the housing 42. The second wall 442d of the second peripheral wall 442 is at least partially covered by the first wall 432b of the first peripheral wall 432 from the outside of the housing 42. Each of the second walls 442c and 442d has a portion of an end surface 442a and a portion of an outer surface 442b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of backup ribs 443 protrude from the end surfaces 442a of the second walls 442c, 442d of the second peripheral wall 442 in the thickness direction of the housing 42. Therefore, the backup rib 443 is arranged at a position farther from the second inner surface 444 than the second peripheral wall 442 is. In other words, the backup rib 443 extends from the tip of the second peripheral wall 442 in the thickness direction of the housing 42 further in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are combined, the backup rib 443 fits into the first groove 439. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the backup rib 443 protruding from the second wall 442c and the first groove 439 into which the backup rib 443 fits extend in the lateral direction Dw. The backup rib 443 protruding from the second wall 442d and the first groove 439 into which the backup rib 443 fits extend in the longitudinal direction Dl.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip 443a of the backup rib 443 that fits into the first groove 439 is buried in the bezel 431. Therefore, the backup rib 443 is provided at substantially the same position as the first groove 439 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl.

The length of the backup rib 443 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl is approximately the same as the length of the first groove 439 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the length of the backup rib 443 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl may be a length that fits at least a part of the first groove 439.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of second grooves 445 are provided in the second walls 442c and 442d of the second peripheral wall 442. The second groove 445 is recessed from the outer surface 442b of the second peripheral wall 442. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the display section 4 of this embodiment along the line BB in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are combined, the second groove 445 fits into the claw portion 433. Therefore, the second groove 445 is provided at substantially the same position as the claw portion 433 in the transverse direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl.

In this embodiment, the housing 42 is formed by fitting the claw portion 433 and the second groove 445. In other words, the housing 42 is formed by combining the first peripheral wall 432 and the second peripheral wall 442 with claw fitting.

The backup ribs 443 that protrude from the second wall 442c of the second peripheral wall 442 protrude from the second wall 442c at positions different from the claw portions 433 that fit into the second grooves 445 of the second wall 442c in the transverse direction Dw. ing. The backup ribs 443 that protrude from the second wall 442d of the second peripheral wall 442 protrude from the second wall 442d at positions different from the claw portions 433 that fit into the second grooves 445 of the second wall 442d in the longitudinal direction Dl. There is.

In the notebook PC 1 of this embodiment described above, the housing 42 of the display section 4 is formed by combining the front cover 43 and the back cover 44. In this embodiment, the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are fixed to each other by the claw portions 433 fitting into the second grooves 445.

In a display section of a conventional electronic device, for example, a front cover is provided with a backup rib located inside a circumferential wall of a back cover provided with a groove in a lateral direction or a longitudinal direction of the display section. The front cover and the back cover are fixed to each other such that the peripheral wall provided with the claw portion of the front cover and the backup rib sandwich the peripheral wall of the back cover. Due to this configuration, the width of the front cover becomes thicker by at least the width of the backup rib.

On the other hand, in the display section 4 of this embodiment, the backup rib 443 fits into the first groove 439 when the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are combined. The backup rib 443 fitted into the first groove 439 restricts movement of the second peripheral wall 442 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl.

The backup rib 443 and the second groove 445 are provided in the second peripheral wall 442. Therefore, the movement of the second groove 445 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl is also restricted by the backup rib 443. In other words, the backup ribs 443 and the first grooves 439 restrict movement of the second peripheral wall 442 such that the claw portions 433 come off the second grooves 445. This makes it difficult for the front cover 43 to come off from the back cover 44.

That is, the second peripheral wall 442 attaches the front cover 43 to the back cover 44 and restricts the movement of the second groove 445. Therefore, even if the front cover 43 is not provided with a conventional backup rib, it is possible to prevent the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 from disengaging from each other. Thereby, the front cover 43 can reduce the space required to provide the conventional backup rib. Therefore, in the notebook PC 1 of this embodiment, the frame of the front cover 43 can be made narrower.

As described above, the notebook PC 1 of this embodiment includes the display device 41 and the housing 42. The housing 42 includes a front cover 43 and a back cover 44 attached to the front cover 43. The display device 41 has a display surface 411 that can display images, and is housed in a housing 42 . The display device 41 exposes the display surface 411 to the outside of the housing 42 through an opening 438 provided in the front cover 43 . The front cover 43 has a first inner surface 435 facing toward the inside of the housing 42 and a first peripheral wall 432 that protrudes from the first inner surface 435 and surrounds the first inner surface 435. Furthermore, a first groove 439 is provided in the first inner surface 435 of the front cover 43 . The back cover 44 includes a second inner surface 444 facing the first inner surface 435, a second circumferential wall 442 that protrudes from the second inner surface 444 and surrounds the second inner surface 444, and is at least partially surrounded by the first circumferential wall 432; It has a backup rib 443 that protrudes from the second peripheral wall 442 and fits into the first groove 439 . Furthermore, the back cover 44 is provided with a second groove 445 in the second peripheral wall 442 that can fit into the claw portion 433 .

The housing 42 according to the present embodiment is formed by combining a front cover 43 and a back cover 44 with claw fitting. In a state where the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are combined, the second groove 445 fits into the claw portion 433, and the backup rib 443 fits into the first groove 439. By fitting the backup ribs 443 provided on the second peripheral wall 442 into the first grooves 439, movement of the second peripheral wall 442 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl is regulated, for example. That is, the backup ribs 443 and the first grooves 439 can restrict movement of the second peripheral wall 442 such that the claw portions 433 come off the second grooves 445. Therefore, the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 can be fitted with claws without providing a backup rib that supports the second peripheral wall 442, and the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 are provided with an opening 438. The cover 43 can have a narrow frame.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first peripheral wall 432 has first walls 432a and 432b extending in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl along the display surface 411. The claw portions 433 protrude toward the inside of the housing 42 from the first walls 432a, 432b. The second peripheral wall 442 has second walls 442c and 442d that extend in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl, are at least partially covered by the first walls 432a and 432b, and are provided with a second groove 445. The backup rib 443 protrudes from the second walls 442c, 442d at a different position from the claw portion 433 in the lateral direction Dw or the longitudinal direction Dl. Thereby, the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 can prevent the backup ribs 443 and the first grooves 439 from interfering with the deflection of the portion of the first peripheral wall 432 where the second grooves 445 are provided, and the front cover 43 and the back cover 44 can be easily attached to each other. Attaches with claw fitting.

Further, in this embodiment, the front cover 43 includes a bezel 431 having a first inner surface 435 and an opening 438. The bezel 431 includes an outer frame portion 436 provided with a first groove 439 and an inner frame portion 437 located between the outer frame portion 436 and the opening 438 and thinner than the outer frame portion 436. That is, the first groove 439 is provided in the outer frame portion 436 which is thicker than the inner frame portion 437. As a result, in the notebook PC 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to partially reduce the thickness of the bezel 431 and improve the design.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, specifications such as each configuration, shape, etc. (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) may be changed as appropriate. It can be implemented by

1 Notebook PC (electronic device)
41 Display device 411 Display surface 42 Housing 43 Front cover (first cover)
431 Bezel (frame)
432 First peripheral wall 432a, 432b First wall 433 Claw portion 435 First inner surface 436 Outer frame portion 437 Inner frame portion 438 Opening portion 439 First groove 44 Back cover (second cover)
442 Second peripheral wall 442c, 442d Second wall 443 Backup rib (protrusion)
444 Second inner surface 445 Second groove

Claims (3)

a casing having a first cover and a second cover attached to the first cover;
A display device having a display surface capable of displaying an image, housed in the housing, and exposing the display surface to the outside of the housing through an opening provided in the first cover or the second cover. and,
Equipped with
The first cover includes a first inner surface facing toward the inside of the casing, a first circumferential wall protruding from the first inner surface and surrounding the first inner surface, and a first circumferential wall extending toward the inside of the casing from the first circumferential wall. a protruding claw portion, and a first groove is provided on the first inner surface,
The second cover includes a second inner surface facing the first inner surface, a second peripheral wall that protrudes from the second inner surface and surrounds the second inner surface and is at least partially surrounded by the first peripheral wall, and a second peripheral wall that is at least partially surrounded by the first peripheral wall. a protrusion that protrudes from the tip of the peripheral wall in the thickness direction of the casing and that fits into the first groove, and the second peripheral wall has a second groove that can fit with the claw part. be able to,
Electronics. The first peripheral wall has a first wall extending in a first direction along the display surface,
The claw protrudes from the first wall toward the inside of the casing,
The second peripheral wall has a second wall that extends in the first direction, is at least partially covered by the first wall, and is provided with the second groove,
The protrusion protrudes from the second wall at a position different from the claw portion in the first direction.
The electronic device according to claim 1. The first cover has a frame having the first inner surface and the opening,
The frame has an outer frame portion provided with the first groove, and an inner frame portion located between the outer frame portion and the opening and thinner than the outer frame portion.
The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images