JP7556918B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic devices .

Traditionally, screws have been commonly used to fasten two or more components together.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device that includes a housing that houses an electronic module such as an SSD. The SSD is mounted on a board housed in the housing and is screwed to the housing.

JP 2010-73154 A

However, when two or more components are screwed together, problems can occur. For example, in the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, the housing and the SSD are firmly fastened together with screws. Therefore, if distortion occurs in the housing due to an external force or the like, the distortion is transmitted to the SSD through the screws. This can cause the SSD to deform, leading to damage to the SSD or to an unstable electrical connection between the SSD and the board.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a screw that can flexibly fasten two or more members, as well as an electronic device that uses the screw and a screwing tool for screwing the screw into a screw hole.

In order to solve the above problems, aspect 1 of the present invention is a screw having a generally cylindrical shape, a threaded portion having a thread groove formed on the outer peripheral surface, a head having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion, and a flexible portion that is more flexible than the threaded portion and is located between the threaded portion and the head in the axial direction along the central axis of the threaded portion.

According to aspect 1 of the present invention, two members can be flexibly fastened together using a screw.

In addition, the second aspect of the present invention is a screw according to the first aspect, in which the flexible portion has at least one columnar portion that extends helically in the axial direction.

According to aspect 2 of the present invention, it is easy to realize a flexible part that has flexibility.

In addition, aspect 3 of the present invention is a screw according to aspect 2, in which the flexible portion has a plurality of the columnar portions.

According to aspect 3 of the present invention, the strength of the flexible portion can be improved.

In addition, aspect 4 of the present invention is a screw according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, in which the threaded portion has a first engaged portion that engages with a first engaging portion provided on a screwing tool and rotates around the central axis.

According to aspect 4 of the present invention, the user can directly twist the threaded portion using the first engagement portion of the screwing tool. This allows the screw to be screwed in reliably.

In addition, the fifth aspect of the present invention is the screw of the fourth aspect, in which the head has a second engaged portion that engages with a second engaging portion provided on the screwing tool and rotates around the central axis.

According to aspect 5 of the present invention, when a screw is screwed in using a screwing tool, the threaded portion and the head can be twisted at the same time, allowing the screw to be screwed in more reliably.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a screw according to the fourth or fifth aspect, in which an insertion hole is formed that opens in the head, passes through the flexible portion in the axial direction, and extends to the first engaged portion.

According to aspect 6 of the present invention, it is easy to realize a configuration in which the first engaged portion and the second engaged portion of the screw and the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion of the screwing tool simultaneously engage with each other.

Furthermore, aspect 7 of the present invention is a screw according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, which is electrically conductive.

According to aspect 7 of the present invention, the two members fastened by the screw can be electrically connected.

Furthermore, aspect 8 of the present invention is an electronic device comprising a housing having a screw receiving portion, a board housed in the housing, and an electronic module mounted on the board, the electronic module being fixed to the screw receiving portion by any one of the screws of aspects 1 to 7.

According to aspect 8 of the present invention, distortion of the housing caused by external forces, etc. can be absorbed by the flexible portion. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the electronic module caused by distortion of the housing and to prevent the electrical connection between the electronic module and the board from becoming unstable.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a screwing tool for screwing a screw into a screw hole, the screwing tool comprising a handle, a first engagement portion that engages with the screw to rotate the screw around the central axis of the screw and the screwing tool, and a second engagement portion that engages with the screw to rotate the screw around the central axis, the handle, the second engagement portion, and the first engagement portion are arranged in this order in the axial direction along the central axis, and in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the distance between the end of the first engagement portion located on the outer side in the radial direction and the central axis is smaller than the distance between the end of the second engagement portion located on the outer side in the radial direction and the central axis.

According to aspect 9 of the present invention, a user can use a screwing tool to simultaneously twist the screw portion and the head. This improves the workability of the screwing operation.

Aspect 10 of the present invention is the screwing tool of aspect 9, further comprising a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion located between the handle and the small diameter portion in the axial direction and having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion, the second engagement portion being provided on the large diameter portion, and the first engagement portion being provided on the small diameter portion.

According to aspect 10 of the present invention, it is easy to realize a screwing tool that can twist the screw portion and the head at the same time.

Furthermore, aspect 11 of the present invention is a screwing tool according to aspect 10, in which the second engagement portion is a protrusion protruding from the end of the large diameter portion in the axial direction, and the first engagement portion is a protrusion protruding from the end of the small diameter portion in the axial direction.

According to aspect 11 of the present invention, it is easier to realize a screwing tool that can twist the screw portion and the head at the same time.

The above aspects of the present invention provide a screw that can flexibly fasten two members, as well as an electronic device that uses the screw and a screwing tool for screwing the screw into a screw hole.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cross section taken along line III-III shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a screwing tool and a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the screwing tool according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of use of a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a state following FIG. 8A.

(Screw)
Hereinafter, a screw according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a screw 10 according to this embodiment includes a threaded portion 11 , a head portion 12 , and a flexible portion 13 .

The threaded portion 11 has a generally cylindrical shape (see also FIG. 4). In this specification, the term "generally cylindrical" also includes cases where the shape can be considered cylindrical if manufacturing errors are removed. The threaded portion 11 is the part that is screwed into the screw hole, and a helical thread groove 11b is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the threaded portion 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the head 12, flexible portion 13, and threaded portion 11 are arranged in this order in the direction along the central axis O of the threaded portion 11 (the screwing direction).

Here, in this embodiment, the direction parallel to the central axis O of the threaded portion 11 is referred to as the Z direction or axial direction Z. The direction from the threaded portion 11 toward the head 12 along the axial direction Z is referred to as the +Z direction or upward. The direction opposite to the +Z direction is referred to as the -Z direction or downward. Viewing from the axial direction Z is referred to as a planar view. A cross section perpendicular to the axial direction Z is referred to as a transverse section. A direction perpendicular to the central axis O of the threaded portion 11 as viewed from the axial direction Z is referred to as a radial direction. A direction approaching the central axis O along the radial direction is referred to as the radial inner side, and a direction moving away from the central axis O is referred to as the radial outer side. A direction going around the central axis O as viewed from the axial direction Z is referred to as a circumferential direction.

The head 12 has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the head 12 according to this embodiment has a hexagonal outer shape in a plan view. However, the shape of the head 12 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the head 12 may have a circular outer shape in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible portion 13 is located between the threaded portion 11 and the head 12 in the axial direction Z. In other words, the flexible portion 13 connects the threaded portion 11 and the head 12. The flexible portion 13 is more flexible than the threaded portion 11. More specifically, the flexible portion 13 is elastically expandable and contractable in the axial direction Z, and elastically bendable in the radial direction.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the flexible portion 13 according to this embodiment has multiple columnar portions 13a. The multiple columnar portions 13a extend in a spiral shape in the axial direction Z. As shown in Fig. 3, in a cross-sectional view, the multiple columnar portions 13a are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The flexible portion 13 according to this embodiment exhibits the above-mentioned flexibility by having multiple spiral columnar portions 13a. Such a screw 10 having multiple columnar portions 13a can be manufactured, for example, by using a 3D printer or cutting processing.

The number of columnar portions 13a in the flexible portion 13 can be changed as appropriate as long as it is one or more. However, a configuration in which the flexible portion 13 has multiple columnar portions 13a is preferable in that it is easier to ensure the strength of the flexible portion 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head 12 according to this embodiment has a second engaged portion 12a. The second engaged portion 12a engages with a second engaging portion 22a provided on the screwing tool 20 described below. More specifically, in this embodiment, the second engaged portion 12a is a groove that opens on the upper surface of the head 12. Hereinafter, the second engaged portion 12a may be referred to as the "second engaging groove 12a." The second engaging groove 12a according to this embodiment has a linear shape that penetrates the head 12 in the radial direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the threaded portion 11 according to this embodiment has a first engaged portion 11a. The first engaged portion 11a engages with a first engaging portion 23a provided on a screwing tool 20 described below. More specifically, in this embodiment, the first engaged portion 11a is a groove that opens on the upper surface of the threaded portion 11. Hereinafter, the first engaged portion 11a may be referred to as the "first engaging groove 11a." The first engaging groove 11a according to this embodiment has a linear shape that extends in the radial direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the screw 10 according to this embodiment has an insertion hole H that opens to the top surface of the head 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the insertion hole H penetrates the flexible portion 13 in the axial direction Z and extends to the first engagement groove 11a. This makes the first engagement groove 11a accessible from the top surface of the head 12 through the insertion hole H.

(Screwing tool)
Next, the screwing tool 20 according to this embodiment will be described.
The screwing tool 20 is a tool for screwing the above-mentioned screw 10 into a screw hole. As shown in Fig. 6, the screwing tool 20 according to this embodiment includes a handle 21, a large diameter portion 22, and a small diameter portion 23. The handle 21, the large diameter portion 22, and the small diameter portion 23 have a common central axis O'.

In this embodiment, the direction parallel to the central axis O' of the screwing tool 20 is referred to as the Z' direction. When the screw 10 is screwed using the screwing tool 20, the central axis O of the screw 10 and the central axis O' of the screwing tool 20 approximately coincide. In other words, the Z direction and the Z' direction approximately coincide. For this reason, the Z' direction is also referred to as the "axial direction Z" in the same manner as the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the handle 21 according to this embodiment has a base 21a and a tapered portion 21b. The handle 21 is the portion that the user holds when using the screwing tool 20 to screw in the screw 10. The tapered portion 21b is located at the lower end of the base 21a. The outer diameter of the tapered portion 21b gradually decreases downward.

The large diameter portion 22 is located between the handle 21 and the small diameter portion 23 in the axial direction Z. In other words, the handle 21, the large diameter portion 22, and the small diameter portion 23 are arranged in this order in the axial direction Z. The large diameter portion 22 according to this embodiment extends downward from the lower end of the handle 21 (tapered portion 21b). Specifically, the large diameter portion 22 extends in the axial direction Z and has a first end E1 connected to the lower end of the handle 21 and a second end E2 located on the opposite side to the first end E1. Each of the first end E1 and the second end E2 is an end of the large diameter portion 22 in the axial direction Z. In other words, the first end E1 is the upper end of the large diameter portion 22, and the second end E2 is the lower end of the large diameter portion 22. The small diameter portion 23 extends downward from the lower end of the large diameter portion 22. Specifically, the small diameter portion 23 extends in the axial direction Z and has a third end E3 connected to the lower end of the large diameter portion 22 and a fourth end E4 located on the opposite side to the third end E3. Each of the third end E3 and the fourth end E4 is an end of the small diameter portion 23 in the axial direction Z. That is, the third end E3 is the upper end of the small diameter portion 23, and the fourth end E4 is the lower end of the small diameter portion 23. As shown in FIG. 7, the large diameter portion 22 and the small diameter portion 23 each have a substantially cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer diameter R2 of the large diameter portion 22 is larger than the outer diameter R1 of the small diameter portion 23. The small diameter portion 23 extends downward from the center of the large diameter portion 22 (second end E2) in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 7, the small diameter portion 23 is provided with a first engagement portion 23a. The first engagement portion 23a engages with the first engagement groove 11a of the screw 10. In this embodiment, the first engagement portion 23a is provided at the fourth end E4 of the small diameter portion 23. More specifically, the first engagement portion 23a according to this embodiment is a protrusion that protrudes downward from the fourth end E4 (lower surface) of the small diameter portion 23, and is inserted into the first engagement groove 11a (details will be described later). Hereinafter, the first engagement portion 23a may be referred to as the "first engagement protrusion 23a." The first engagement protrusion 23a according to this embodiment has a linear shape extending in the radial direction. The shape of the first engagement protrusion 23a corresponds to the shape of the first engagement groove 11a.

As shown in FIG. 7, the large diameter portion 22 is provided with a second engagement portion 22a. The second engagement portion 22a engages with the second engagement groove 12a of the screw 10. In this embodiment, the second engagement portion 22a is provided at the second end E2 of the large diameter portion 22. More specifically, the second engagement portion 22a according to this embodiment is a protrusion protruding downward from the second end E2 (lower surface) of the large diameter portion 22, and is inserted into the second engagement groove 12a (details will be described later). Hereinafter, the second engagement portion 22a may be referred to as the "second engagement protrusion 22a". The second engagement protrusion 22a according to this embodiment includes a pair of protrusions 22aA, 22aB. Each of the protrusions 22aA, 22aB has a linear shape extending in the radial direction. In addition, the pair of protrusions 22aA, 22aB sandwich the small diameter portion 23 in the radial direction. The shape of the second engagement protrusion 22a (protrusions 22aA, 22aB) corresponds to the shape of the second engagement groove 12a. The handle 21, the second engagement protrusion 22a, and the first engagement protrusion 23a are arranged in this order in the axial direction Z. In addition, in the radial direction, the distance L1 between the end of the first engagement protrusion 23a located on the radial outside and the central axis O is smaller than the distance L2 between the end of the second engagement protrusion 22a located on the radial outside and the central axis O.

When using the screwing tool 20 to screw the screw 10 into the screw hole, the user first brings the small diameter portion 23 of the screwing tool 20 close to the threaded portion 11 of the screw 10 while aligning the central axis O' of the screwing tool 20 with the central axis O of the screw 10, as shown in FIG. 6. Next, the small diameter portion 23 (first engagement protrusion 23a) is inserted into the insertion hole H, and the first engagement protrusion 23a is inserted into the first engagement groove 11a while the second engagement protrusion 22a is inserted into the second engagement groove 12a (see also FIGS. 5 and 7). Finally, the user, for example, grips the handle 21 and rotates the screwing tool 20 around the central axis O. As a result, the first engagement protrusion 23a rotates the first engagement groove 11a around the central axis O, and at the same time, the second engagement protrusion 22a rotates the second engagement groove 12a around the central axis O. In other words, the first engagement protrusion 23a acts as a flathead screwdriver on the first engagement groove 11a, and the second engagement protrusion 22a acts as a flathead screwdriver on the second engagement groove 12a. This causes the threaded portion 11 and head 12 to rotate, and the entire screw 10 is screwed into the screw hole.

The length of the small diameter portion 23 (dimension in the axial direction Z) and the length of the insertion hole H (dimension in the axial direction Z) may be adjusted so that the engagement grooves 11a, 12a and the engagement protrusions 23a, 22a simultaneously engage with each other as described above. Specifically, the length of the small diameter portion 23 and the length of the insertion hole H may be approximately equal. However, the term "approximately equal" also includes cases where the length of the small diameter portion 23 and the length of the insertion hole H are different to the extent that the engagement grooves 11a, 12a and the engagement protrusions 23a, 22a can each engage with each other.

Furthermore, if the first engagement protrusion 23a can be inserted into the first engagement groove 11a, the shape of the first engagement protrusion 23a and the shape of the first engagement groove 11a can be changed as appropriate. For example, the first engagement protrusion 23a and the first engagement groove 11a may extend in an X-shape in a plan view. In this case, the first engagement protrusion 23a acts on the first engagement groove 11a as a Phillips screwdriver. Similarly, if the second engagement protrusion 22a can be inserted into the second engagement groove 12a, the shape of the second engagement protrusion 22a and the shape of the second engagement groove 12a can be changed as appropriate. For example, the second engagement protrusion 22a and the second engagement groove 12a may extend in an X-shape in a plan view. In this case, the second engagement protrusion 22a acts on the second engagement groove 12a as a Phillips screwdriver.

(Example of use)
Next, an example of how the screw 10 is used will be described.

8A, the electronic device 30 includes a substrate 31, an electronic module 32, and a housing 34. The housing 34 houses the substrate 31 and the electronic module 32. The electronic module 32 is mounted on the substrate 31 via a terminal 33. The housing 34 has a screw receiving portion 35 that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the housing 34 and has a screw hole 35a formed therein. The electronic module 32 is screwed to the screw receiving portion 35 with a screw 10. More specifically, with the flexible portion 13 inserted through the through hole 32a of the electronic module 32, the screw groove 11b of the screw portion 11 is screwed into the screw hole 35a. As a result, the electronic module 32 is sandwiched and fixed between the screw receiving portion 35 and the head 12.

The electronic device 30 may be, for example, a so-called clamshell-type notebook computer. However, the type of the electronic device 30 is not limited to this. For example, the electronic device 30 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a game console, etc. The electronic module 32 may be, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) module. However, the type of the electronic module 32 is not limited to these and can be changed as appropriate as long as it is an electronic module mounted on the substrate 31.

By flexibly fastening the electronic module 32 to the screw receiving portion 35 using the screw 10 having the flexible portion 13, the following effect can be obtained. That is, even if distortion occurs in the housing 34 due to an external force or the like, the flexible portion 13 expands and contracts or bends as shown in FIG. 8B, making it difficult for the distortion to be transmitted to the electronic module 32. In other words, the distortion of the housing 34 can be absorbed by the flexible portion 13. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the electronic module 32 and instability of the electrical connection at the terminals 33 caused by distortion of the housing 34.

Even with conventional screws that do not have a flexible portion 13, it is possible to prevent distortion of the housing 34 from being transmitted to the electronic module 32 by screwing the electronic module 32 to the board 31 instead of the housing 34. However, in this case, it is necessary to provide a screw receiving portion on the board 31, which tends to increase the thickness of the housing 34. In contrast, with the screw 10 according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a screw receiving portion on the board 31, which makes it easier to achieve a thinner housing 34.

In addition, if the screw 10 is conductive, the housing 34 can be used as a frame GND for the electronic module 32. Here, since the screw 10 has a flexible portion 13, contact between the screw 10 (threaded portion 11) and the electronic module 32 can be ensured even if distortion occurs in the housing 34. This makes it possible to stabilize the GND of the electronic module 32. Note that the conductive screw 10 can be manufactured, for example, by cutting a metal material. Alternatively, a resin screw 10 manufactured by a 3D printer or the like can be coated with a conductive material such as metal.

As described above, the screw 10 according to this embodiment has a generally cylindrical shape and includes a threaded portion 11 having a thread groove 11b formed on the outer peripheral surface, a head 12 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 11, and a flexible portion 13 that is more flexible than the threaded portion 11 and is located between the threaded portion 11 and the head 12 in the axial direction Z.

This configuration allows the screw 10 to be used to flexibly fasten two components together.

Furthermore, the flexible portion 13 has at least one columnar portion 13a that extends spirally in the axial direction Z. This configuration makes it easy to realize a flexible portion 13 that has flexibility.

In addition, the flexible portion 13 has multiple columnar portions 13a. This configuration improves the strength of the flexible portion 13.

The screw portion 11 also has a first engagement groove 11a (first engaged portion) that engages with a first engagement protrusion 23a (first engagement portion) provided on the screwing tool 20 and rotates around the central axis O. If the screwing tool 20 engages only with the head 12 when screwing in the screw 10, all or part of the force with which the user twists the screwing tool 20 may be absorbed by the flexible portion 13, and the twisting force may not be sufficiently transmitted to the screw portion 11. By providing the first engagement groove 11a in the screw portion 11, the user can directly twist the screw portion 11 using the first engagement protrusion 23a of the screwing tool 20. This allows the screw 10 to be screwed in reliably.

The head 12 also has a second engagement groove 12a (second engaged portion) that engages with a second engagement protrusion 22a (second engaging portion) provided on the screwing tool 20 and rotates around the central axis O. With this configuration, when the screw 10 is screwed in using the screwing tool 20, the threaded portion 11 and the head 12 can be twisted simultaneously, allowing the screw 10 to be screwed in more reliably.

The screw 10 also has an insertion hole H that opens in the head 12, penetrates the flexible portion 13 in the axial direction Z, and extends to the first engagement groove 11a. This configuration makes it easy to simultaneously engage the engagement grooves 11a and 12a of the screw 10 with the engagement protrusions 23a and 22a of the screwing tool 20.

The screw 10 may also be conductive. In this case, the screw 10 can electrically connect two members (e.g., the housing 34 and the electronic module 32) that it fastens.

The electronic device 30 according to this embodiment includes a housing 34 having a screw receiving portion 35, a board 31 housed in the housing 34, and an electronic module 32 mounted on the board 31, and the electronic module 32 is fixed to the screw receiving portion 35 by a screw 10. This configuration can prevent damage to the electronic module 32 caused by distortion of the housing 34 and destabilization of the electrical connection between the electronic module 32 and the board 31.

In addition, the screwing tool 20 according to this embodiment is a screwing tool for screwing the screw 10 into a screw hole, and includes a handle 21, a first engagement portion 23a that engages with the screw 10 to rotate the screw 10 about the central axis O, and a second engagement portion 22a that engages with the screw 10 to rotate the screw 10 about the central axis O, the handle 21, the second engagement portion 22a, and the first engagement portion 23a are arranged in this order in the axial direction Z, and in the radial direction, the distance L1 between the end of the first engagement portion 23a located radially outward and the central axis O is smaller than the distance L2 between the end of the second engagement portion 22a located radially outward and the central axis O. More specifically, the screwing tool 20 according to this embodiment is a screwing tool for screwing a screw 10 into a screw hole, the screw 10 including a substantially cylindrical shape, a threaded portion 11 having a first engaged portion 11a formed therein and a thread groove 11b formed on the outer peripheral surface, a head 12 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 11 and having a second engaged portion 12a formed therein, and a flexible portion 13 having more flexibility than the threaded portion 11 and located between the threaded portion 11 and the head 12 in the axial direction Z. The second engaging portion 22a engages with the second engaged portion 12a to rotate the second engaged portion 12a around the central axis O. The first engaging portion 23a engages with the first engaged portion 11a to rotate the first engaged portion 11a around the central axis O.

If the screwing tool 20 does not have the first engagement portion 23a for twisting the threaded portion 11, and only has the second engagement portion 22a for twisting the head 12, all or part of the force with which the user twists the screwing tool 20 may be absorbed by the flexible portion 13, and the twisting force may not be sufficiently transmitted to the threaded portion 11. Because the screwing tool 20 has both the first engagement portion 23a and the second engagement portion 22a, the user can twist the threaded portion 11 and the head 12 at the same time. This makes it possible to further improve the workability of the screwing operation.

The screwing tool 20 according to this embodiment further includes a small diameter portion 23, and a large diameter portion 22 that is located between the handle 21 and the small diameter portion 23 in the axial direction Z and has an outer diameter R2 larger than the outer diameter R1 of the small diameter portion 23, and the second engagement portion 22a is provided on the large diameter portion 22, and the first engagement portion 23a is provided on the small diameter portion 23. This configuration makes it easy to realize a screwing tool 20 that can simultaneously twist the screw portion 11 and the head 12.

The second engagement portion 22a is a protrusion (second engagement protrusion 22a) protruding from the end (second end E2) of the large diameter portion 22 in the axial direction Z, and the first engagement portion 23a is a protrusion (first engagement protrusion 23a) protruding from the end (fourth end E4) of the small diameter portion 23 in the axial direction Z. This configuration makes it easier to realize a screwing tool 20 that can simultaneously twist the threaded portion 11 and the head 12.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the flexible portion 13 is described as having one or more columnar portions 13a, but the structure of the flexible portion 13 is not limited to this, and can be modified as appropriate as long as the flexible portion 13 can exhibit flexibility. For example, the flexible portion 13 may have a spring-like, pantograph-like, bellows-like, or other structure.

In the above embodiment, the second engaged portion 12a is a groove (second engaging groove 12a) and the second engaging portion 22a is a protrusion (second engaging protrusion 22a), but the configuration of the second engaged portion 12a and the second engaging portion 22a is not limited to this. As long as the second engaged portion 12a and the second engaging portion 22a engage with each other and the force of the user twisting the screwing tool 20 can be transmitted from the second engaging portion 22a to the second engaged portion 12a, these configurations can be changed as appropriate. For example, the second engaging portion 22a may be a hexagonal recess into which the outer circumferential surface of the head 12 is fitted. In this case, the entire head 12 can be regarded as the second engaged portion 12a. Similarly, as long as the first engaged portion 11a and the first engaging portion 23a engage with each other and the force of the user twisting the screwing tool 20 can be transmitted from the first engaging portion 23a to the first engaged portion 11a, these configurations can also be changed as appropriate.

In addition, in the above embodiment, cutting and processing using a 3D printer are given as examples of methods for manufacturing the screw 10, but the screw 10 may be manufactured by methods other than these. For example, the screw 10 may be manufactured by casting. Alternatively, the threaded portion 11, head portion 12, and flexible portion 13 may be manufactured separately and then joined together.

Furthermore, the use of the screw 10 is not limited to fixing the electronic module 32 in the electronic device 30. For example, the screw 10 may be used to fix furniture, etc. In this case, the size of the screw 10 may be changed as appropriate.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the large diameter portion 22 is directly connected to the handle 21, but a separate intermediate member may be provided between the large diameter portion 22 and the handle 21, and the large diameter portion 22 may be indirectly connected to the handle 21 via the intermediate member.

In addition, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-described embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Screw 11... Threaded part 11a... First engagement groove (first engaged part) 11b... Thread groove 12... Head 12a... Second engagement groove (second engaged part) 13... Flexible part 13a... Column shaped part 20... Screwing tool 21... Handle 22a... Second engaging protrusion (second engaging part) 23a... First engaging protrusion (first engaging part) 30... Electronic device 31... Board 32... Electronic module 34... Housing 35... Screw receiver Z... Axial direction

Claims (7)

A housing having a screw receiving portion;
A substrate accommodated in the housing;
an electronic module mounted on the substrate;
the electronic module is fixed to the screw receiving portion by a screw,
The screw is
A threaded portion having a generally cylindrical shape and a thread groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof;
a head portion having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the threaded portion;
An electronic device comprising: a flexible portion that is more flexible than the threaded portion and is positioned between the threaded portion and the head in an axial direction along the central axis of the threaded portion. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion has at least one columnar portion extending spirally in the axial direction. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible portion includes a plurality of the columnar portions. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the screw portion has a first engaged portion that engages with a first engaging portion provided in a screwing tool and rotates about the central axis. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the head portion has a second engaged portion that engages with a second engaging portion of the screwing tool and rotates about the central axis. The electronic device according to claim 4 , further comprising an insertion hole formed in the head portion, passing through the flexible portion in the axial direction, and extending to the first engaged portion. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the screw is electrically conductive.

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