JPH0730263A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a low-cost, space-saving lock mechanism of an electronic apparatus which can improve the assembling property of lock structure which prevents a unit mounted rotatably or detachably on the body of an electronic apparatus from rotating or falling off. CONSTITUTION:A lock member 8, which engages the body and an unit with each other, is made by molding a spring member 13, which keeps the lock member in the position of engaging the body with the unit, a release button 9, which shifts them in the direction of releasing the engagement between the body and the unit, a hook member 8a, and a lock member 16 integrally out of elastic resin.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lock structure for a unit mounted on an electronic device such as a notebook computer, a laptop type personal computer and a word processor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In notebooks, laptop type personal computers, etc., a unit equipped with a display panel is rotatable with respect to the main body.
By the standing rotation, the display panel and the keyboard are exposed and become operable. On the other hand, when not in use, it is necessary to fold the unit to the main body side in order to conceal them, and therefore a unit locking mechanism is provided.

Further, in order to give flexibility to the operation of the computer, a unit accommodating a battery for supplying power or a unit accommodating a circuit board having an expanded function can be detachably mounted in the accommodating portion of the main body. A structure is provided. Also in this case, a lock structure is provided to prevent the unit from falling off.

13 and 14 show a lock structure of a conventional electronic device, showing a lock mechanism of a unit equipped with a display panel rotatably attached to a main body. FIG.
Is a disassembled perspective view showing the structure of this lock structure, and FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing the internal structure.

The unit 102 is a hinge member (not shown).
Is urged to rotate from the main body 101 in a standing direction. The unit 102 is composed of a front case 103 and a rear case 104, and a lock member 105 is arranged on the unit 102. This lock member 10
5 is inserted into the engagement hole 106 formed in the main body 101, and the hook portion 107 at the tip engages with the main body 101, whereby the unit 102 is locked in the closed state. A locking hole 108 is formed in the center of the lock member 105, and an elastic locking member 110 is formed on the release button 109.
Are formed. An opening 111 is formed in the side wall of the rear case 104, and the locking member 110 of the release button 109 is penetrated through the opening 111 from the outside of the unit 102 and is a lock member arranged inside the unit 102. It is locked in the locking hole 108 of 105. That is, the lock member 105 and the release button 109 are locked so as to sandwich the side wall of the rear case 104. Therefore, the lock member 105 also moves when the user operates the release button 109, and the lock by the lock member 105 is released by this movement. Further, the first spring locking portion 112 is formed on the end surface portion of the lock member 105, and the second spring locking portion 113 is formed on the side wall of the rear case 104. 2 spring locking part 1
A tension coil spring 114 is stretched between the tension coils 13.
As a result, the lock member 105 is prevented from being accidentally moved, and the lock state of the lock member 105 can be maintained.

As described above, in the conventional lock structure, the lock member 105 and the release button 109 are locked together, and
The lock member 105 and the tension coil spring 114 must also be locked, and therefore, it is necessary to form a locking portion on each component.

[0007]

As described above, in the conventional lock structure, the lock member 105 and the release button 109 are provided.
In addition to locking and, the pulling coil spring 114 must also be locked to the lock member 105, resulting in poor assembly and high cost. In addition, since the locking portion has to be formed in each component, the shape is complicated and a large mounting space is required. Further, when the tension coil spring 114 is stretched, it is excessively stretched and plastic deformation occurs, so that it is not possible to obtain a predetermined force and stable quality cannot be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is to provide a lock structure for high-quality electronic equipment which is inexpensive and has excellent assemblability, does not require a large mounting space. Has an aim.

[0009]

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention is a unit rotatably attached to a main body and opened and closed.
Alternatively, in an electronic device having a unit detachably accommodated in the main body, a lock member that engages the main body and the unit, and a spring that acts on the lock member and maintains the position where the main body and the unit are engaged with each other. Members,
It is characterized in that the main body and a release member for moving the lock member in a direction for releasing the engagement of the unit are integrally formed of a resin material having elasticity.

Further, the spring member is formed so as to project like a whisker from the lock member, and is thicker toward the root portion than near the tip portion.

Further, the lock member is characterized in that a first restricting member for restricting excessive deformation of the spring member is integrally formed.

Further, in an electronic device having a unit rotatably attached to the main body and opening / closing operation, or a unit detachably accommodated in the main body, a lock member for engaging the main body with the unit, A release button for moving the lock member in a direction for releasing the engagement between the main body and the unit, and an elastic lock for slidably locking the protrusion-shaped holding member provided on the mounting portion of the lock member. The member and the member are integrally formed.

Further, the lock member is characterized in that a second restriction member for restricting excessive deformation of the locking member is integrally formed.

[0014]

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram in which the present invention is applied to a portable personal computer. In this personal computer, a unit 2 having a liquid crystal display 5 is rotatably attached to a main body 1.
The unit 2 is composed of a front panel 3 and a rear panel 4, and is rotatable about a hinge portion 6. The standing rotation of the unit 2 exposes a keyboard 7 so that a key operation can be performed while viewing the liquid crystal display 5. Has become.

In order to maintain the closed state of the unit 2, "L" -shaped lock members 8 which are inserted into the openings 12 of the main body 1 and engage with the main body 1 are attached to both sides of the unit 2. Reference numeral 9 is a release button for releasing the engagement of the lock member 8.

The main body 1 has a built-in main circuit board for controlling the operation of the entire personal computer, and is equipped with a battery pack for supplying power to the main circuit board. A floppy disk drive 1 into / from which a floppy disk is inserted / removed as an external storage device
0 and 11 are stored.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the unit 2 having the liquid crystal display 5 is rotated and folded into the main body 1. As shown in the figure, the unit 2 is a lid-shaped unit for covering the keyboard 7. Reference numeral 21 is a battery pack that supplies power to the main circuit board and is detachably housed in the main body.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the lock structure, and FIG. 4 is a view showing the internal structure of the lock structure.
(A) is a cross-sectional view at a lock member position, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing an inner surface structure of the lock structure, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the lock structure, and (a) is locked. The state, (b) shows the state where the lock is released, and (c) shows the state where the unit is rotated upright. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an attaching process of the lock member.

The lower end of the lock member 8 is formed with an "L" -shaped hook portion 8a. On the other hand, an engagement hole 12 is formed in a predetermined portion of the main body 1 corresponding to the lock member 8,
When the hook portion 8a of the lock member 8 is inserted into the engagement hole 12, the hook portion 8a engages with the main body 1 to lock the unit 2. The lock member 8 is molded by using nylon resin as a material, and an elastically deformable beard-shaped spring member 13 is integrally formed on the end surface of the lock member 8 so as to project therefrom. The spring member 13 is shaped so that it becomes thicker as it approaches the root than in the vicinity of the tip. The tip of the spring member 13 is pressed against the spring receiving member 14 formed on the rear case 4, so that the repulsive force of the spring member 13 (the force that causes the spring member 13 to elastically return) causes the lock member 8 to move. It will be pressed in the direction of locking with 1. That is, the lock member 8 is prevented from being inadvertently moved, and the lock state of the lock member 8 can be maintained.

Further, a release button 9 is integrally formed at the central portion of the lock member 8, and an opening 15 is formed in the side wall of the rear case 4. The release button 9 penetrates the opening 15 and is exposed to the outside. Is projected to. The opening 15 is formed to be horizontally long with respect to the release button 9,
The upper and lower walls 15a and 15b of the opening 15 are used as guides to move. Therefore, the user operates the release button 9 to move the lock member 8, and this movement disengages the lock member 8 from the main body 1 to release the lock (see FIG. 5 (b)). It becomes possible to rotate and stand up against. When the release button 9 is released after the rotation is erected, the repulsive force of the spring member 13 causes the lock member 8 to move in the direction of locking the main body 1 (direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 5C). When the is folded into the main body, the inclined surface 8b provided on the hook portion 8a abuts the end surface 12a of the opening 12, and the lock member 8 is unlocked from the main body 1 in the direction (arrow shown in FIG. 5 (c)). When the hook portion 8a passes through the engaging hole 12, the hook portion 8a moves again in the direction of arrow A to engage with the main body 1 and locking is performed.

By the way, the locking member 8 is integrally formed with a locking member 16 which is elastically deformable in a direction intersecting with the mounting direction of the locking member 8 to the rear case 4. Further, the rear case 4 is formed with a projecting holding member 17 so as to prevent passage of the locking member 16 in the mounting process of the lock member 8, and the holding member 17 is provided with a guide slope 17a. . That is, the lock member 8 is attached to the rear case 4
When the lock member 8 is attached to the guide slope 17a, the lock member 8 contacts the guide slope 17a. When the lock member 8 is further pushed in the mount direction, the lock member 16 elastically deforms along the guide slope 17a and the holding member 17 is removed. The shape is restored after getting over (see FIG. 6). Thus, the locking member 16 is thick in the mounting direction so that it can be elastically deformed only in the direction intersecting the mounting direction (the direction in which the locking member 16 is deformed in FIG. 6).
Since it is made thin in the direction intersecting with it, the lock member 8 can be easily and surely attached to the rear case 4 with a simple structure. Further, since the release button 9 and the spring member 13 are integrally formed in the lock member 8, the number of parts can be reduced, the cost can be significantly reduced, and the number of assembling steps can be reduced. Further, as in the conventional lock structure, the lock member 105 and the release button 109, and the lock member 105.
Since it is not necessary to form a locking member or the like for locking the tension coil spring 114, the shape is simple and the mounting space can be extremely small. In addition, 18 is a locking member 16
Is a second restricting member for restricting excessive deformation of the spring member 13, and 19 is a first restricting member for restricting excessive deformation of the spring member 13. The worker unintentionally attaches the locking member 16 and the spring member 13 during assembly. It prevents deformation beyond the elastic limit.

It has been described above that the spring member 13 has a shape that becomes thicker from the vicinity of the tip portion toward the root portion.
The shape of the spring member may have a uniform thickness from the tip to the root, but when a spring member with such a uniform thickness is deformed, the stress increases as it approaches the root compared to the tip. Will end up. Therefore, the stress can be made more uniform by forming the spring member so that the spring member becomes thicker toward the root portion than near the tip portion. That is, when the same actuating force is applied and the deformation amount of the tip is made the same, a spring member with a uniform thickness from the tip to the root should be thin near the tip and thicker toward the root. This is because a spring member having the following shape can reduce stress and improve durability.

(Embodiment 2) FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same elements as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the lock structure, FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the locked state of the lock structure, (a) is in a locked state, (b) is in a unlocked state Is shown.

In this embodiment, the locking member 8 is integrally formed with a locking member 16 which is elastically deformable in a direction intersecting the mounting direction of the locking member 8 to the rear case 4.
Further, an umbrella-shaped holding member 17 is provided on the rear case so as to prevent passage of the locking member 16 in the process of mounting the lock member 8.
Are formed. When the lock member 8 is attached to the rear case 4, the locking member 16 of the lock member 8 contacts the slope of the umbrella-shaped holding member 17, but when the lock member 8 is further pushed in the mounting direction, the locking member 16 is held. Member 17
After being elastically deformed along the slope of and overcoming the holding member 17, the shape is restored. With such a structure, the lock member 8 is rotatably supported by the holding member 17. Further, a whisker-shaped spring member 13 capable of elastic deformation is integrally formed on the end surface of the lock member 8 so as to project. The tip of the spring member 13 is pressed against the inner wall 20 of the rear case 4, and therefore the repulsive force of the spring member 13 causes the lock member 8 to rotate in the engagement direction with the main body 1 to lock the lock member 8. Can be maintained.

Further, a release button 9 is integrally formed in the central portion of the lock member 8, and an opening 15 is formed in the side wall of the rear case 4. The release button 9 penetrates the opening 15 and is exposed to the outside. Is projected to. The opening 15 is formed in a vertically long fan shape on the left side as shown in the figure with respect to the release button 9, and the release button 9 moves in the space of the opening 15. Therefore, the user presses the release button 9
The lock member 8 is rotated by moving the key, and this rotation releases the engagement with the main body 1 to release the lock.

As described above, the lock member 8 is formed by integrally forming the release button 9 and the spring member 13, and the locking member 16 is also formed integrally, so that the number of parts is reduced, the cost is reduced, and the number of assembling steps is also reduced. Also, the mounting space can be reduced. Further, by providing the second restriction member 18 for restricting the excessive deformation of the locking member 16 and the first restriction member 19 for restricting the excessive deformation of the spring member 13, the locking member 16 and the spring member 13 are provided. It prevents deformation beyond the elastic limit of. Further, by making the spring member 13 thicker as it approaches the root portion than near the tip portion, it is possible to suppress the stress generated in the spring member 13 and improve the durability.

(Embodiment 3) FIGS. 9 to 12 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the same elements as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, a lock structure of a battery pack 21 detachably housed in the main body 1 will be described.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the entire structure, FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the lock structure, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lock structure, and FIG. 12 is a locked state of the lock structure. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a state where (a) is locked and (b) is released.

A battery pack 21 is provided on the rear surface of the main body 1.
Is provided with a pair of guide rails 23 that are parallel to each other. Guide grooves 24 are provided on both side surfaces of the battery pack 21. With such a structure, the battery pack 21 can be mounted by being guided by the guide rails 23 from the back side of the main body 1. However, if left as it is, the battery pack 21 may fall off from the main body 1. Therefore, a lock structure for locking the main body 1 and the battery pack 21 by using the lock member 8 is required.

The locking member 8 is integrally formed with a locking member 16 which is elastically deformable in a direction intersecting with the mounting direction of the locking member 8 to the main body 1. Further, a protrusion-shaped holding member 17 is formed on the main body 1 so as to prevent passage of the locking member 16 in the process of mounting the lock member 8,
The holding member 17 is provided with a guide slope 17a. That is, when the lock member 8 is attached to the main body 1, the locking member 16 of the lock member 8 comes into contact with the guide slope 17a, but when the lock member 8 is further pushed in the mounting direction, the lock member 16 moves along the guide slope 17a. By elastically deforming, overcoming the holding member 17, and returning to its shape, the attachment of the lock member 8 to the main body 1 is completed. Further, a whisker-shaped spring member 13 capable of elastic deformation is integrally formed on the end surface of the lock member 8 so as to project. The tip portion of the spring member 13 is pressed against the inner wall 20 of the main body 1, so that the repulsive force of the spring member 13 presses the hook portion 8a of the lock member 8 toward the storage portion of the battery pack 21 and the battery pack 21. The hook portion 8a of the lock member 8 is fitted into the concave engaging portion 25 formed on the side wall of the battery, and the battery pack 21 is locked so as not to drop from the housing portion 22 of the main body 1. Further, a release button 9 is integrally formed at the central portion of the lock member 8 so that the opening 1 is provided at the side wall of the main body 1.
5 is formed, and the release button 9 penetrates through the opening 15 and is projected to the outside. Note that the opening 15 is formed to be horizontally long with respect to the release button 9, and the release button 9 has the opening 1
5, the upper and lower walls 15a and 15b are used as guides to move. Therefore, the lock member 8 moves when the user operates the release button 9, and this movement causes the lock member 8 to move from the concave engaging portion 25 of the battery pack 21.
The hook portion 8a is detached and the lock is released, and the battery pack 21 can be detached from the main body 1.

Also in this embodiment, since the lock member 8, the release button 9, the spring member 13, and the locking member 16 are integrally formed, the number of parts is reduced, the cost is low, and the assembling is rationalized. Moreover, since the mounting space can be reduced, the size of the information device can be further reduced. Further, by providing the second restriction member 18 for restricting the excessive deformation of the locking member 16 and the first restriction member 19 for restricting the excessive deformation of the spring member 13, the locking member 16 and the spring member 13 are provided. Quality deterioration due to deformation beyond the elastic limit of is prevented. Further, if the spring member 13 has a shape that becomes thicker from the vicinity of the tip end portion toward the root portion, the stress generated in the spring member can be reduced and the quality can be improved.

Although the lock member 8 is formed by using nylon resin as a material in these embodiments, other resin material may be used, and polyacetal resin, ABS resin or the like may be used.

Further, the spring member 13 is formed in a beard-like shape so as to integrally project with the lock member 8. However, the shape of the spring member is limited to the beard-like shape as long as the force capable of elastically restoring can be utilized. is not. Furthermore, by appropriately changing the beard-shaped R, it is possible to set the reaction force to be close to the stroke (the amount of movement of the lock member 8), and to improve the operational feeling.

Although the lock structure of the unit having the display panel and the battery pack has been described, an electronic device such as an IC card which can be mounted on the main body 1, a CD-ROM drive, an HD drive, and a unit having an expansion board incorporated therein. Good.

Further, if the structure having the spring function portion and the operating portion are integrated as in the present invention, a member that requires position restoration, such as the parallel or vertical member shown in the first embodiment, is used. Members that require restoration after movement (push button switches, slide switches, etc.), members shown in Example 2 that require restoration after movement (rotating doors, seesaw switches, etc.)
It goes without saying that all of the above can obtain the same effect as that of the present application.

[0036]

As described above, in the embodiment of the lock structure for the electronic equipment of the present invention, the lock member, the spring member for keeping the lock member in the position for engaging the main body and the unit, and the lock member are provided. By integrally forming the release button for releasing the lock with the elastic resin member, the number of parts can be reduced, the cost can be significantly reduced, and the number of assembling steps can be reduced. Further, unlike the conventional lock structure, it is not necessary to form a lock portion for locking the lock member and the release button, and a locking portion for locking the lock member and the tension coil spring, so that the shape is simple and the mounting space is extremely small. Complete.

Further, by making the spring member thicker as it approaches the root portion than near the tip portion, the stress generated in the spring member can be reduced and the durability can be improved.

Further, since the locking member is integrally formed with the locking member that slidably locks to the protruding holding member, the locking member can be mounted easily and surely.

Further, the lock member is integrally formed with the first restricting member for restricting the excessive deformation of the spring member or the second restricting member for restricting the excessive deformation of the locking member, so that the lock member is assembled at the time of assembly. It is possible to prevent the worker from unintentionally deforming the spring member or the locking member beyond the elastic limit,
The quality can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a folded state.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a lock structure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the lock structure.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a locked state of the lock structure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a process of attaching the lock member.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a lock structure according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a locked state of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an electronic device according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the lock structure according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lock structure of the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the lock structure according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing an internal structure of a lock structure of a conventional example.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a conventional lock structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Main body 2: Unit 8: Lock member 9: Release button 13: Spring member 21: Battery pack

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device having a unit that is rotatably attached to a main body and that opens and closes, or a unit that is detachably accommodated in the main body. A resin having elasticity of a spring member that acts on a member and maintains the main body and the unit in a position to be engaged with each other, and a release button that moves the lock member in a direction in which the main body and the unit are disengaged from each other. An electronic device characterized by being integrally formed of a material. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the spring member is formed to protrude like a whisker from the lock member, and is thicker toward a root portion than near a tip portion. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is integrally formed with a first restricting member that restricts excessive deformation of the spring member. 4. An electronic device having a unit that is rotatably attached to a main body and that opens and closes, or a unit that is detachably accommodated in the main body, wherein a lock member that engages the main body with the unit, and the main body. And a release button for moving the lock member in a direction for releasing the engagement of the unit, and a locking member having elasticity for slidably locking the projection-shaped holding member provided on the mounting portion of the lock member. , Which are integrally formed with each other. 5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the lock member is integrally formed with a second restriction member that restricts excessive deformation of the locking member.