JPH074525A - Waterproof structure for small-size equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the waterproof structure of small equipment where a sufficient waterproof effect can be realized, even in the small equipment wherein thick thickness can not be provided. CONSTITUTION:A groove 32, where a sealing member 31 is disposed, is formed at a mating surface 13a of one member 13, and a first projection 33 is formed at the bottom of the groove 32 along the longitudinal direction of the groove 32. A second projection 34 is formed at a mating surface 24a of another member 24 in such a manner as to be opposed to the projection 33 formed on the member 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a device, and more particularly to a waterproof structure suitable for a small device such as a mobile phone having a small sealing surface area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a case for a small device such as a mobile phone is provided, for example, by covering a lower case and an upper case which form a case body, or a battery mounting opening formed in either of these cases. It is configured by combining a plurality of parts such as a battery lid.

By the way, in the device having such a structure, assuming that it is used outdoors in rainy weather or around water, for example, the abutting portions of the upper and lower cases,
By making the abutting portions of the case body and the battery lid waterproof, it is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the device through these abutting portions, thereby protecting the interior parts.

The structure shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is generally employed as an example of such waterproofing.

This example is applied to the abutting portion between the case body 1 and the battery lid 2, and as shown in FIG.
An annular groove 4 is formed along the opening 1a of the battery housing portion 3 of the case body 1 along the opening 1a, and the groove 4 has an oval cross section. In addition, an annular sealing member 5 having a thickness in the free state that is thicker than the depth of the groove 4 is attached, and the battery lid 2 is attached to the opening 1a of the case body 1 as shown in FIG. At the time of stopping, the sealing member 5 is elastically deformed by the abutting surface 2a of the battery lid 2, so that the sealing member 5 is attached to the bottom surface 4a or both side surfaces 4b of the groove 4 of the case body 1 and the battery. By making pressure contact with the abutting surface 2a of the lid 2, the abutting portion between the case body 1 and the battery lid 2 is sealed in a watertight manner.

Then, the battery lid 2 is engaged with the case body 1 via a hook (not shown) or the like, so that both are held in a state where the sealing member 5 is elastically deformed. The sealed state described above is maintained.

[0007]

By the way, the above-mentioned conventional waterproof structure has the following points to be improved. That is, with the above-described conventional waterproof structure, the contact position (sealing position) with the sealing member 5 is the groove 4 when the battery cover 2 is attached to the case body 1.
The bottom surface 4a and both side surfaces 4b of the battery cover 4 and the abutting surface 2a of the battery cover 2 are provided at four positions. However, due to variations in the molding dimensions of the hooks that lock the case body 1 and the battery cover 2,
This is because the contact pressure among the case body 1, the battery lid 2, and the sealing member 5 varies, and the waterproof effect is reduced.

In particular, since the battery lid 2 and the sealing member 5 have only one contact point, the above-mentioned problems are likely to occur.
Further, in a small device such as a mobile phone, since the thickness of the case body 1 cannot be large, the cross-sectional shape of the sealing member 5 that can be mounted is necessarily limited to a small size.
The fact that the contact area with the case body 1 and the battery lid 2 cannot be made large also causes the above-mentioned problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a waterproof structure for a small-sized device that can obtain a sufficient waterproofing effect even for a small-sized device that does not have a large wall thickness. With the goal.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the waterproof structure for a small device according to claim 1 of the present invention has an annular sealing member interposed between a pair of butted members. , A waterproof structure of a small device configured to seal between the abutting surfaces of both members by sandwiching the sealing member by the pair of members, wherein the abutting surface of one member is A groove into which the sealing member is mounted is formed, and a first protrusion is formed at the bottom of the groove along the length direction of the groove, and the first member is formed on the abutting surface of the other member on the one member. It is characterized in that a second protrusion is formed so as to be opposed to the protruding protrusion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof structure for a small-sized device, wherein the heights of both of the protrusions are substantially equal to each other, and a gap is formed between the two protrusions when the members are abutted to each other. It is characterized in that it is formed at a height.

According to a third aspect of the waterproof structure for a small device, the sealing member according to the first aspect has a substantially H-shaped cross section, and a first engaging groove into which the first protrusion is fitted. , Second
And a second engaging groove into which the ridge is inserted.

Further, in the waterproof structure for a small device according to a fourth aspect, the depth of the first engagement groove in the third aspect is deeper than the height of the first protrusion, and the second engagement groove. The depth of the second
It is characterized in that it is formed below the height of the ridge.

According to a fifth aspect of the waterproof structure for small equipment, the depth of the first engagement groove in the third aspect is deeper than the depth of the second engagement groove. To do.

[0015]

According to the waterproof structure for a small device according to claim 1 of the present invention, when the sealing member is sandwiched between the abutting surfaces of the pair of members, the sealing member is provided in the groove provided in one member. The first ridge bites into the groove, and the sealing member is brought into pressure contact with the tip of the first ridge, and the sealing member is expanded in the width direction of the groove by the first ridge, The sealing member is pressed against both sides, and the sealing member is pressed toward the one member by the other member, so that the sealing member is pressed against the bottom portion of the groove. Therefore, at least five contact points with the sealing member are formed in this groove.

Similarly, the second protrusion provided on the other member also bites into the sealing member in the same manner, and the sealing member is pressed by the one member toward the other member, The end of the second protrusion and the abutting surface of the other member are in contact with the sealing member at portions located on both sides of the second protrusion. Therefore, on the other member side, the contact point with the sealing member is at least 3
It is formed in the place.

According to the waterproof structure for a small device of the second aspect, the gap between the two members is regulated and the over-compression of the sealing member is prevented when the sealing member is sandwiched between the both members.

According to the waterproof structure for a small device of the third aspect, the sealing member is positioned so as to surround each of the protrusions in a state where each of the protrusions is fitted in each of the engaging grooves of the sealing member. As a result, it becomes easy to secure the contact point in claim 1.

According to the waterproof structure for a small device according to the fourth aspect, the contact between the second ridge and the sealing member is made prior to the first ridge, and both walls of the second engaging groove are formed. The portion is deformed toward the second ridge, and both wall portions of the first engagement groove are deformed toward the inner wall of the groove formed in one member.

According to the waterproof structure for a small-sized device of the fifth aspect, the length of both wall portions of the first engaging groove is longer than the length of both wall portions of the second engaging groove. When the sealing member is deformed by the second protrusion, the deformation of both wall portions of the first engagement groove toward the groove and the second protrusion of both wall portions of the second engagement groove. Deformation toward is smoothly performed. Therefore, the contact pressure between the sealing member and the groove or ridge is increased.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Here, first, the outline of the mobile phone 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, this mobile phone 10 has
An upper case 12 that constitutes the case body 11 and a lower case 13 that is attached to the upper case 12 and forms an outer shell of the case body 11 together with the upper case 12 are provided.

A speaker 14 is provided inside one end side (upper side in FIG. 2) of the case body 11, and a microphone 15 is provided inside the other end side.
Further, a circuit board 16 for performing various controls is arranged near the speaker 14.

On the other hand, on the surface of the upper case 11, a plurality of slits 17 and through holes 1 are provided at positions facing the speaker 14 and the microphone 15, respectively.
8 is formed, a display panel 19 is mounted near the slit 17, and a dial button 20 and a function key 21 are provided in a portion located between the display panel 19 and the through hole 18. Alternatively, the power key 22 or the like is attached.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower case 13 is formed with a battery housing portion 23 which is open to the side opposite to the upper case 12, and the battery housing portion 2 is formed.
As shown in FIGS. 2, 7, and 8, the lid body 24 is detachably attached so as to cover the opening 23a of the No. 3 cover.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, hooks 25 that are inserted into the battery housing portion 23 are integrally provided on both sides of the lid body 24, so that the battery housing of the lower case 13 is housed. Engagement holes 26 into which the hooks 25 are engaged are formed in the bottom portion of the portion 23 as shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, and the engagement between the hooks 25 and the engagement holes 26 is formed. As a result, the lid 24 is attached to the lower case 13, and the elasticity of both hooks 25 is used to allow the lid 24 and the lower case 13 to be separated from each other. .

Then, in the battery housing portion 23, as shown in FIG.
And as shown in FIG. 7, the battery pack 27 is mounted,
The battery pack 27 is electrically connected to a connector terminal 28 fixed inside the upper case 12 via a cord 29 and a connector 30 connected to the tip of the cord 29.

At the abutting portion between the lower case 13 and the lid 24, an annular sealing member 31 is provided along the opening 23a of the battery housing portion 23, as shown in FIGS.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, it is interposed, and the waterproof structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to this butting portion.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, the abutment surface 13a formed around the opening 23a of the battery housing portion 23 of the lower case 13 has the opening 23a. A groove 32 is formed over the entire circumference of the groove 32, and a first protrusion 33 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed continuously at the bottom of the groove 32 in the widthwise central portion over the entire length of the groove 32 in the lengthwise direction. Is formed.

On the other hand, the abutment surface 24a of the lid body 24 with the lower case 13 is opposed to the first ridge 33 at a distance when the lid body 24 is attached to the lower case 13. The second ridge 34 is formed in an annular shape, and the second ridge 34 is formed at substantially the same height as the first ridge 33 and has a cross-sectional shape of the first ridge 34. The trapezoidal shape is almost the same as the strip 33.

If the angle formed by both side surfaces of the first ridge 33 is α and the angle formed by both side surfaces of the second ridge 34 is β, these angles are It is set to have a relationship of. α ≧ β

Then, in the groove 32 of the lower case 13,
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, an annular sealing member 31 is provided which is interposed between the lower case 13 and the lid 24 and seals the space between them in a watertight state. There is.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the sealing member 31 has a substantially H-shaped cross section, and the first engaging groove 36 into which the first protrusion 33 is fitted. Is formed over the entire length, and, on the other hand, is located substantially on the same plane as the first engaging groove 36,
The second engaging groove 37 into which the ridge 34 is fitted is formed.

The depth of the first engaging groove 36 of the sealing member 31 is a, the depth of the second engaging groove 37 is b, and the height of the first protrusion 33 is A. Further, when the height of the second protrusion 34 is B, these dimensional relationships are set under the following conditions. a ≧ b, a> A, b <B

Next, the operation of this embodiment thus constructed will be described. First, the lid 24 is removed to leave the battery housing 23 open, and the battery pack 27 is inserted into the battery housing 23 through the opening 23a, and then the connector 30 of the battery pack 27 is connected to the connector terminal 28.
The battery pack 27 is attached to the case body 11 by connecting to the.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, after the sealing member 31 is aligned with the groove 32 formed in the abutting surface 13a of the lower case 13, the groove 32 is formed.
The sealing member 31 is mounted inside.

Then, the lid body 24 is covered so as to cover the opening 23a, and the hook 25 formed on the lid body 24 is elastically deformed and inserted into the battery housing portion 23. Locking hole 26 formed inside
To engage

By this operation, the lid 24 is moved to the lower case 13.
Is attached so as to cover the opening 23a of the battery housing portion 23.

When mounting the lid 24 as described above,
The height B of the second ridge 34 is equal to or higher than the height A of the first ridge 33, and the depth a of the first engaging groove 36 of the sealing member 31 is a. And the depth b of the second engaging groove 37 are a ≧ b, and the relationship between the depth a of the first engaging groove 36 and the height A of the first protrusion 33 is a> A, the depth b of the second engaging groove 37 and the second protrusion 3
Since the relationship with the height B of 4 is such that b <B, the second protrusion 34 of the lid body 24 is set to the second engaging groove 3 first.
7 is brought into contact with the bottom portion of the groove 7, and at this time, a slight gap is formed between the first protrusion 33 and the upper portion of the first engagement groove 36.

When the lid 24 is further moved toward the lower case 13 from this, the bottom of the second engaging groove 37, that is, the central portion of the sealing member 31, is moved to the first position by the tip of the second protrusion 34. It is pushed and moved toward the first ridge 33.

By the action of such an external force, both wall portions of the second engagement groove 37 of the sealing member 31 are deformed so as to be narrowed as shown by an arrow (a) in FIG. To be As a result, the inner wall surface of the second engagement groove 37 is brought into pressure contact with both side surfaces of the second protrusion 34, and at this point, the tip end portion and both side portions of the second protrusion 34 are separated from each other. Of 3
A contact portion with the sealing member 31 is formed at the location.

Further, when the lid body 24 is continuously moved, the abutting surfaces 24a of the lid pair 24 are brought into pressure contact with the tips of both walls of the second engaging groove 37, and the sealing member 31 is entirely moved. As a result, the groove 32 is elastically deformed in the depth direction. At this time, the number of contact portions between the lid body 24 and the sealing member 31 is increased by two places, and a total of five places are contacted between them.

When the sealing member 31 is entirely deformed, the first engagement groove 36 is accompanied by the deformation.
Both wall portions of the first engaging groove 36 are deformed so as to be opened by the first protrusion 33 as shown by an arrow (b) in FIG. The side is pressed against both side surfaces of the groove 32, the inner surface side is pressed against both side surfaces of the first protrusion 33, and the upper side of the first engaging groove 36, that is, the center of the sealing member 31. The portion is pressed against the tip surface of the first protrusion 33 inside the first engagement groove 36, and the tip ends of both wall portions of the first engagement groove 36 are in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 32. It is pressed.

In such a state, the first protrusion 33
On the side, the lower case 13 and the sealing member 31 are brought into contact with each other at a total of seven locations.

As described above, in the waterproof structure of this embodiment, five contact points are formed on the lid 24 side and seven contact points are formed on the lower case 13 side, so that a reliable waterproof effect can be obtained. . Further, the sealing surface between the sealing member 31 and the lower case 13 and the lid 24 is formed into a bent shape, and the area of the sealing surface is greatly expanded, and the labyrinth shape is formed. Also effective. Therefore, due to these synergistic effects, an effective waterproofing effect can be obtained even in a small-sized device whose wall thickness is not sufficient.

The shapes and dimensions of the constituent members shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and can be variously changed based on the type of equipment to be applied and design requirements.

For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which the cross-sectional shape of the sealing member 31 is H-shaped is shown, but it may be elliptical or perfect circular. However, when using these shapes, both ridges 3
Although it is assumed that the deformation of the sealing member due to 3.34 is not performed smoothly as compared with the above-mentioned embodiment, the conventional sealing method is improved by increasing the area of the sealing surface and the waterproof effect by the mechanical sealing effect. The waterproof effect is much higher than the waterproof structure. Therefore, the shape of the sealing member may be set according to the usage environment of the small device.

[0048]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention.
In the waterproof structure for a small device described above, in particular, a groove in which a sealing member is mounted is formed on the abutting surface of one member, and a first protrusion is provided at the bottom of the groove along the length direction of the groove. And a second protrusion that is opposed to the protrusion formed on the one member is formed on the abutting surface of the other member. Produce the effect.

By making the first and second ridges bite into the sealing member, both side walls of these ridges, both side walls and bottom surfaces of the grooves formed in one member, and further, It is possible to secure a wide sealing surface up to the abutting surface of the other member, and thereby a reliable watertight structure can be realized and the waterproof effect can be remarkably improved.

Further, by bending the sealing surface into a labyrinth shape, the effect of the mechanical seal is produced, and from this point also, the waterproof effect can be further improved. Therefore, even when it is applied to a small device having a small wall thickness and a sufficient sealing surface is difficult to be obtained, a sufficient prevention effect can be obtained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure for preventing small-sized equipment, the heights of both of the ridges are substantially equal to each other, and a space is formed between the ridges when the two members are abutted to each other. It is characterized in that it is formed to a height, and in addition to the operational effect achieved by claim 1,
It is possible to prevent over-compression of the sealing member, thereby suppressing deterioration of the waterproof effect due to abnormal deformation of the sealing member and suppressing deterioration of the sealing member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof structure for a small device, wherein the sealing member has a substantially H-shaped cross section, a first engaging groove into which the first protrusion is fitted, and a first engaging groove. A second engaging groove into which the two ridges are fitted is formed, and in addition to the function and effect obtained by the first aspect, the ridges of the respective ridges to the sealing member are formed. Make it easier to bite,
It facilitates the close contact of the sealing member to each ridge, and
The waterproof effect can be improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the waterproof structure for a small device, the depth of the first engagement groove in the third aspect is deeper than the height of the first protrusion, and the second engagement groove. Is formed to be less than or equal to the height of the second protrusion, and in addition to the function and effect achieved by claim 3,
By making contact between the ridge and the sealing member prior to the first ridge, both wall portions of the second engaging groove are deformed toward the second ridge, and at the same time, the first ridge is deformed. By deforming both wall portions of the engaging groove toward the inner wall of the groove formed in one member, it is possible to make these contacts stronger.

Furthermore, the waterproof structure for a small device according to claim 5 is characterized in that the depth of the first engaging groove in claim 3 is formed deeper than the depth of the second engaging groove. Therefore, when the length of both wall portions of the first engaging groove is longer than the length of both wall portions of the second engaging groove, when the sealing member is deformed by the second protrusion, The deformation of both wall portions of the first engagement groove toward the groove and the deformation of both wall portions of the second engagement groove toward the second protrusion can be smoothly performed. The contact pressure between the sealing member and the groove or ridge can be further increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a rear view showing a part of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a lid that closes a battery housing of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a lid that closes a battery housing of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing an internal structure of a battery housing portion of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a battery housing of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a mobile phone to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the battery storage portion is disassembled in FIG.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing an enlarged main part of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a main part of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an outline diagram showing a dimensional relationship between a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present invention and a member to which the sealing member is attached.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a main part showing an example of a conventional waterproof structure.

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing an example of a conventional waterproof structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Mobile Phone (Small Device) 13 Lower Case (One Member) 13a Butt Face 24 Lid (Other Member) 24a Butt Face 31 Sealing Member 32 Groove 33 First Protrusion 34 Second Protrusion 36 First Engagement groove of 37 Second engagement groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A ring-shaped sealing member is interposed between a pair of members to be butted together, and the sealing member is clamped by the pair of members to seal the abutting surfaces of both members in a watertight state. A waterproof structure for a small device which is designed to be stopped, wherein a groove in which the sealing member is mounted is formed on the abutting surface of one member, and a first protrusion is provided at the bottom of this groove. A waterproof structure for small equipment, characterized in that it is formed along the vertical direction, and a second protrusion is formed on the abutting surface of the other member so as to face the protrusion formed on the one member. Construction. 2. The protrusions are formed to be substantially equal in height, and are formed to have a height that forms a gap between the protrusions when the members are abutted to each other. Item 1. A waterproof structure for a small device according to item 1. 3. The sealing member has a substantially H-shaped cross section,
The first engagement groove into which the first protrusion is fitted, and the second engagement groove into which the second protrusion is fitted are formed. Waterproof structure of equipment. 4. The depth of the first engaging groove is deeper than the height of the first protrusion, and the depth of the second engaging groove is less than or equal to the height of the second protrusion. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein
Waterproof structure for the listed small devices. 5. The waterproof structure for a small device according to claim 3, wherein the depth of the first engaging groove is formed deeper than the depth of the second engaging groove.