JPS6267660A - Compact electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the man-hours of forming by connecting a lower cover, an upper cover, and a protection cover which covers the upper cover by connection parts which can be bent, and forming in one body. CONSTITUTION:A circuit board unit 6 is put in the frame part 12 of the lower cover 3, which is bent by the connection part 18 which can be bent to cover the circuit board unit with the upper cover 4; and the frame part 12 of the cover 3 is fitted in the groove 24 of the cover 4 to join the covers 4 and 3 together. Then, the cover 2 is bent by a bendable connection part 26 to cover the cover 4 with the protection cover 5 and the covers 5 and 4 are fixed together with the engaging piece of the cover 4. Consequently, the lower cover 3, upper cover 4, and protection cover 5 are formed and worked in one body and the parts connecting those covers are bent to assemble equipment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a small electronic device in which electronic components are housed within a cover.

[Prior art and its problems]

A small electronic device, such as a small electronic calculator, has a structure in which electronic components such as ICs and displays are housed in upper and lower covers, and are protected by a protective cover that covers the upper cover. It is known that it is in a form that is convenient for carrying. Conventionally, the lower cover, the upper cover, and the protective cover were each molded separately, and then joined together to form the entire cover. In this case, there is another problem in that a large number of molding steps are required to individually mold the lower cover, upper cover, and protective cover.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a small electronic device that can reduce the number of molding steps for performing molding processing and save molding costs.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention connects a lower cover housing electronic components such as ICs and display bodies, an upper cover, and a protective cover covering the upper cover with a bendable connecting part and integrally molds the lower cover and the upper cover. Formed.

This is a small electronic device that can reduce molding man-hours and save molding costs.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described using a small electronic calculator as an example.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a small electronic calculator 1 according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view with the cover fully open, and Fig. 3 explains the assembly of the small electronic calculator 1 of this embodiment. 2 is a perspective view of the cover seen from the back side and a perspective view showing the circuit board unit, and FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view showing the protective cover 5 in an open state.

The small electronic calculator 1 of this embodiment stores a solar cell 8 and a liquid crystal display 9 in a storage section composed of a lower cover 3 and an upper cover 4, as shown in FIG.

In addition, a protective cover 5 is provided on the upper surface of the upper cover 4 in order to protect internal electronic components.

Above lower cover 3. The upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5 are integrally molded and can be assembled by bending the parts connecting each cover.

To explain the details of each part below, one circuit board unit 6 includes a rectangular circuit board 7 made of a flexible material, and a solar cell 8 disposed on the upper surface side along one short side of this circuit board 7.
and a liquid crystal display 9 disposed across the upper and lower surfaces (not shown) of the circuit board 7 through a hole (not shown) in the circuit board 7 provided near the solar cell 8;
An LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) 10 fixed to the lower surface of one long side of the circuit board 7 near the circuit board 7, a plurality of split movable contacts 11 arranged on the lower surface of the circuit board 7, and pattern wiring (not shown) configured. The upper surfaces of the solar cell 8 and the liquid crystal display 9 are at the road surface.

The lower cover 3 is made of hard synthetic resin such as styrene or ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene).
There is a frame part 12 that is raised one step around the upper part. The side surface of this frame portion 12 forms a stepped portion 12a and protrudes slightly. The lower cover 3 is located inside the frame part 12 and has a lower part 13 along one short side of the upper surface of the lower cover 3, which houses the solar cell 8, and is arranged side by side near the other short side. A plurality of circular recesses 14 are provided.The circular recess 14 has a bottom portion 14a.
A small circular low protrusion 14b with a flat upper surface protrudes from the
is formed. The height of this protrusion 14b is the height of the circular recess 1
4, and a fixed contact 15 is provided on the top surface by hot stamping using carbon. Further, the lower cover 3 has a substantially square deeper recess 16 for storing the LSI 10 on the upper surface near the one long side, which is approximately in the center between both short sides, and a recess 16 that is approximately square and deeper than the battery receiver 13. It also has a recess 17 formed one step deeper. This recess 17 is for accommodating the liquid crystal display 9. Furthermore, the lower cover 3 is connected to a bendable connection 18 between the outer surface of the side part 3a and the side part 4a of the upper cover 4.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the upper cover 4.

The upper cover 4 has a key display and has transparent windows 20a and 20'b in a recess 19 for housing the solar cell 8 and liquid crystal display 9 of the two circuit board units 6, and is entirely made of transparent rubber such as urethane elastomer. The upper cover body 21. The upper cover consists of a decoration N23 formed on the main body 21 and a transparent protective layer 22 that protects the decoration layer 23. Of course, the transparent window part 20a
, 20b has no decorative layer. The upper cover main body 21 has a groove 24 along the inner periphery of the side portion 4a, corresponding to the frame portion 12 of the lower cover 3, into which the frame portion 12 is fitted, and one side of the outer surface of the side portion 4a. It is provided with engaging pieces 25 (Fig. 2) that are integrally formed and protrude from two places. The upper cover 4 is connected to the lower cover 3 via a bendable connecting portion 18 below the engagement piece 25 on one side 4a.

- It is connected to the protective cover 5 via a bendable connecting part 26 at the other side part 4b opposite to the side part 4a. The upper cover 4 has a plurality of key button parts 27 protruding upward from the upper surface.
are integrally formed and arranged in correspondence with the fixed contacts 15 provided on the lower cover 3. These key button parts 27 are supported by trapezoidal legs 27a, have protruding parts 27b on the inner surface of the two heads, and have ÷, x, +,
...and 1. 2. Key display 27c such as 3...
is formed by printing.

When the protective cover 5 is closed, the side portion 5a faces downward, and an inverted T-shaped engagement piece 28 is provided on one long side of the side portion 5a at a position corresponding to the engagement piece 25 of the upper cover 4. is integrally molded to protrude downward, and the inner surface has a reinforcing part 5b parallel to the long side near the long side and a reinforcing part 5C parallel to the short side approximately in the center between the two short sides. is provided by integral molding.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the connecting portion 18 between the lower cover 3 and the upper cover 4. As shown in FIG. The lower cover 3 has a connecting piece 18a that is integrally molded and protrudes along the outer surface of the side portion 3a, and a plurality of through holes 18b are provided in the connecting piece 18a.

This through hole 18b is formed by a pin set in the mold during molding. The upper cover main body 21 has a connecting piece 18c made of a transparent rubber material and integrally molded and extended along one outer surface of the side portion 4a. The connecting piece 18G has a bifurcated portion 18d that fits into the through hole 18b of the connecting piece 18a of the lower cover 3 and a bottle-shaped piece 18e inside the bifurcated portion 18d. Formed during molding. Furthermore, the connecting piece 18b has a thin wall portion 1 approximately at the center in the width direction due to the stepped portion 18f along the longitudinal direction.
It has a weight of 8g and is bendable.

The connecting portions 26 between the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5 are provided separately at two long sides of both covers as shown in FIGS. Similarly to the connecting portion 18, a thin portion 26a is formed so that it can be bent.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the engaging portion 29 between the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5.

The engaging pieces 25 of the 2i [IJ] protruding from the side 4a of the upper cover 4 form a square shape and are arranged at predetermined intervals. This forms an inclined surface 25a.

An inverted T-shaped engagement piece 28 provided on the side 5a of the protective cover 5
The width of the main body portion 28a is slightly smaller than the inner dimension between the two engaging pieces 25 of the upper cover 4, and the vertical dimension of the engaging portion 28b is smaller than the lower surface of the engaging piece 25 of the upper cover 4 and its lower side. The inner corner of the lower end is cut off diagonally.

When the protective cover 5 is changed from the open state to the closed state, when the engaging piece 28 is pushed down, the tip of the engaging part 28b hits the inclined surface 25a of the engaging piece 25 and is guided by this, and the engaging part 28b The inner side is in contact with the outer side of the engagement piece 25 and receives an outward force, causing bending deformation. Furthermore, the engaging portion 28b
When the upper end surface of the engaging piece 25 is lower than the lower end surface of the engaging piece 25, the engaging piece 2
8 returns inward by the restoring force, the engaging portion 28b enters below the engaging piece 25, and the 1 main body portion 28a enters between the two engaging pieces 25. Thus, the retaining piece 2 of the upper cover 4
5 and the engagement piece 28 of the protective cover 5 engage with each other. To release the engagement, the engagement piece 28 may be bent outward and lifted.

In the small electronic calculator 1 having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the circuit board unit 6 is housed in the frame part 12 of the lower cover 3, and the circuit board unit 6 is folded by bending the cover 2 at the bendable connecting part 18. Cover with the upper cover 4, fit the frame 12 of the lower cover 3 into the groove 24 of the upper cover 4 to join the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 3, and if necessary, further connect the lower cover 3 and the upper part with screws (not shown). The cover 4 is fixed integrally with the cover 4, and then the cover 2 is bent at the bendable connecting portion 26 to cover the upper cover 4 with the protective cover 5, and the engagement piece 25 of the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5 are engaged. The protective cover 5 can be fixed to the upper cover 4 by the piece 28 and can be made into a conveniently portable form as shown in FIG.

When using the small electronic calculator 1, the engaging portion 29 is disengaged and the protective cover 5 is opened. Desired key button part 2
Press 7 from above with your fingertips.

The leg portion 27a of the key button portion 27 is deformed and lowered,
The lower surface of the protrusion 27b presses the circuit board 7. The pressed portion of the circuit board 7 bends downward.

The split movable contact 11 contacts the corresponding fixed contact 15 and becomes electrically conductive. When the key button part 27 is released, the deformation of the one leg part 27a disappears and it rises, and the pressure by the protruding part 27b is released, and the circuit board Fi,7 is no longer bent (as the split type movable contact 11 becomes the fixed contact 15 The electrical connection is broken.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining an example of the method of manufacturing the cover 2 according to the present invention, but details are omitted for easy understanding.

The mold used in the mold consists of a lower mold 30 and an upper mold 31, and the lower mold 30 is a rotary mold that can rotate along a horizontal plane. The secondary molding cavity 41 is larger than the primary molding cavity 40 by the thickness of the transparent protective layer 22.

FIG. 9 is a dark blue sectional view showing an example of the thermal transfer sheet 32 used when forming the decorative layer 23 on the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5. FIG. The base sheet 32a is made of polyester film and has a thickness of about 25 μm. A decorative layer 32c with a thickness of 20 μm to 30 am is provided on the lower surface of the base sheet 32a with a release layer 32b having a thickness of several μm interposed therebetween. A key display 27c is printed in advance on the upper surface of this decorative layer 32c, and a heat-melting adhesive layer 32d is coated on the lower surface.

This thermal transfer sheet 32 has an adhesive layer 32d attached to the upper cover 4, etc.
When heated while in contact with each other, the adhesive layer 32d melts due to the heat, and after the decorative layer 32c is adhered, the base sheet is peeled off (13).
2b to decorate the upper cover 4, etc.

The manufacturing method for forming the cover 2 by integral molding is carried out by employing a two-color molding method in the order described below.

(2) Place the lower cover 3, which was molded using a separate mold, into a rotary injection mold. In this case, the lower cover 3 is formed by placing a bottle in a mold in accordance with the position of the communication hole 18b of the connecting piece 18a, and then forming the bottle at a predetermined position in the mold with two through holes 18b provided. It can be paid to

■Place the thermal transfer sheet 32 in the cavity 40.

The lower mold 30 and upper mold 31 are combined. At this time, the thermal transfer sheet 32 is flat.

(2) A transparent rubber material such as urethane elastomer is injected into the mold through the injection hole 33, and primary molding is performed to form the upper cover main body 21 and the transparent rubber layer 21 of the protective cover 5.

■ Separate the lower mold 30 from the upper mold 31.

(2) Peel off the base sheet 32a of the thermal transfer sheet 32.

Decorative layers 23 of the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5 are formed.

■ Rotate the lower mold 30 and align it with the upper mold 31 on the secondary molding side.

(2) A transparent resin such as hard styrene is poured onto the decorative layer 23 through the injection hole 34 provided in the upper mold 31.

ABS, polypropylene, soft vinyl chloride.

A transparent protective layer 2 made of urethane elastomer or the like is injected into a mold and has a thickness of 0.1 m or more, preferably 0.3 m or more.
2, and the lower cover 3, upper cover 4, and protective cover 5 are integrally molded.

At this time, the above-mentioned secondary forming and secondary forming are performed simultaneously.

According to the above embodiment of the present invention, since the transparent protective layer 22 with a thickness of 0.1 m or more is formed on the decorative layer 23 of the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5, the key display 27 of the upper cover 4
Since the decorative layer 23 including the layer c is sufficiently protected, and the thickness of the transparent protective layer 22 can be 0.311 or more, it not only protects the decorative layer 23 but also has a luster that can be called crystal-like. It can give a sense of luxury. Upper cover 4
Since the decoration layer 23 is formed using the thermal transfer sheet 32.

The decorative layer 2 can be reliably applied to uneven surfaces without being affected by the presence or absence of unevenness on the upper cover 4, etc., or the elasticity of the material.
3, the frame part 1 of the lower cover 3 is inserted into the groove 24 formed along the inner peripheral surface of the side part 4a of the upper cover 4.
2 is inserted to join the upper cover 4 and lower cover 3, which is convenient and looks good.

The lower cover 3 has a protrusion 14b that protrudes from the bottom of the circular recess 14, and the fixed contact 15 formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 14b is located below the upper surface of the frame 12 and is attached to the lower cover 3.
Since the fixed contact 15 itself is provided, there is also the advantage that there is no need to separately provide a spacer between the movable contact 11 and the fixed contact 15.

In addition, since the cover 2 is integrally molded using a rotary mold, the secondary molding and secondary molding can be performed at the same time, making manufacturing efficient. Since the engaging pieces 25 and 28 of the engaging portion 29 are also formed by integral molding, manufacturing is efficient and economical, and the cover 2
Since it is formed by a two-color molding method, it can be diversified.

In the above embodiment, the upper cover 4 and the protective cover 5 are made of the same material, and only the lower cover 3 is made of a different material, but instead of this, the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 3 are made of the same material, Only the protective cover 5 may be made of a different material, or the upper cover 4. The lower cover 3 and the protective cover 5 may all be made of the same material, and if they are all made of the same material, the manufacturing process can be further simplified. Also.

The upper cover 4 and the lower cover 3 may be joined together by screwing only instead of fitting the frame 12 of the lower cover 3 into the groove 24 of the upper cover 4.

The upper cover may have a flat shape with no unevenness, and the key button portion 27 may be formed separately from the upper cover 4 instead of being integrally formed with the upper cover 4. Furthermore, the decorative layer 23 of the upper cover 4 may be formed not by the thermal transfer sheet 32 but as a gold-a-N adhesion layer or by a metal foil laminate.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the lower cover, the upper cover, and the protective cover that covers the upper cover are connected at a bendable connection part and formed by integral molding, thereby reducing the number of molding steps required for the molding process. Therefore, it is possible to provide a compact electronic calculator that can reduce molding costs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings all relate to embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a small electronic calculator to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above with the cover completely open. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the entire device including the entire cover viewed from below. FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view showing the state in which the protective cover is opened. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper cover. Figure 6 (al is the lower cover before connection, Figure 6 (bl is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the connecting part between the lower cover and the upper cover after connection). Figure 7 is the relationship between the upper cover and the protective cover. A partially enlarged perspective view showing the joining part. Fig. 8 is a south view showing the method of manufacturing the cover. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a thermal transfer sheet for forming a decorative layer. 1... Small electronic type Calculator. 2... Cover. 3... Lower cover. 4... Upper cover. 5... Protective cover. 6... Circuit board unit. 8... Solar cell. 9... Liquid crystal display Body. 11... Movable contact. 15... Fixed contact. 16. 17... Recessed part. 18... Connection part 5 20a, 20b --- Transparent window part. 21... Upper cover one body. 22... Transparent protective layer. 23... Decorative layer. 25... Engaging piece. 26... Connecting part. 27... Key button part. 28... Engaging piece. 29... Engagement part. Patent Applicant: Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Figure 1 is a flash of processing surface) Old Figure 4 Figure 5 (Direct hit cover 1 hard surface view) Figure 6 (Shosuke Enlarged Figure 1) Figure 7 (fi'-mediated strabismus)

Claims (1)

[Claims] What is claimed is: 1. A small electronic device, characterized in that a lower cover for storing electronic components including a display body, an upper cover, and a protective cover covering the upper cover are connected by a bendable connection part and formed by integral molding.