US20190302852A1 - Coupled structure and electronic device - Google Patents
Coupled structure and electronic device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190302852A1 US20190302852A1 US16/022,674 US201816022674A US2019302852A1 US 20190302852 A1 US20190302852 A1 US 20190302852A1 US 201816022674 A US201816022674 A US 201816022674A US 2019302852 A1 US2019302852 A1 US 2019302852A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- face
- keyboard unit
- main body
- elastic part
- locking
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
- G06F3/0202—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1662—Details related to the integrated keyboard
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
- G06F3/0202—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
- G06F3/021—Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
- G06F3/0213—Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
- G06F3/0202—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
- G06F3/0221—Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
- H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
- H01H13/86—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1616—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2223/00—Casings
- H01H2223/01—Mounting on appliance
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2223/00—Casings
- H01H2223/01—Mounting on appliance
- H01H2223/024—Screw
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2223/00—Casings
- H01H2223/01—Mounting on appliance
- H01H2223/026—Hook and loop
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a coupled structure including two coupled members and an electronic device including such a coupled structure.
- An electronic device such as a laptop personal computer (laptop PC), typically includes a keyboard unit attached to an upper face of the chassis (hereinafter called a main body chassis) of its main body.
- a main body chassis a chassis having a recess at the upper face of the main body chassis so as to store a keyboard unit in this recess.
- This keyboard unit has a hook protruding from its lower face, and the keyboard unit is fixed to the main body chassis by engaging the hook with an engagement hole at the bottom face of the recess.
- Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-265251
- Patent Document 1 For coupling a keyboard unit with a main body chassis via a hook mechanism, however, may cause displacement of the keyboard unit during the manufacturing or operation of the electronic device. This may lead to disengagement of the hook, and further may lead to deterioration of its appearance because the keyboard unit has a gap between its edge and the inner wall of the recess of the main body chassis.
- Patent Document 1 is configured to, after engaging with the hook, fill a gap between the keyboard unit and the recess with a lock member. This requires the cost for the lock member and degrades the appearance of the electronic device because such a lock member is disposed at only one of the edges of the keyboard unit.
- the present invention aims to provide a coupled structure capable of keeping the coupled state between the coupled members without degrading the appearance, and an electronic device including such a coupled structure.
- a coupled structure includes a first member coupled with a second member.
- the coupled structure includes a hook mechanism which engages the first member with the second member when the first member moves in one direction relative to the second member; a locking part at the second member; and an elastic part at the first member, the elastic part biasing the first member engaged with the second member in the one direction relative to the second member when the locking part locks the elastic part.
- the locking part locks the elastic part, and so the first member always receives a biasing force in the engagement direction (the one direction) of the hook mechanism.
- This can prevent the displacement of the first member relative to the second member during the manufacturing and operation, and so prevent the canceling of the engagement state of the hook mechanism, and the first and second members can keep their coupled state.
- the first member is always biased in the one direction relative to the second member, and so a minimum gap is defined at the end toward the other direction, the gap corresponding to the engagement length of the hook mechanism. This gap does not change over time, and a gap at the end toward the one direction can be kept at substantially zero.
- This coupled structure therefore can suppress the deterioration in appearance as low as possible.
- the hook mechanism may include an engagement hole at one face of the first member and a hook at one face of the second member or a hook at the one face of the first member and an engagement hole at the one face of the second member. After placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member and inserting the hook into the engagement hole, and moving the first member in the one direction relative to the second member, the hook engages with the engagement hole.
- the elastic member may be disposed at the one face of the first member, and the locking part may be disposed at the one face of the second member, and have a locking face directed to the one direction to lock the elastic part. This means that, since the locking face of the locking part locks the elastic part, a biasing force to the first member from the elastic part can be generated reliably.
- the locking face may have an inclined face that is inclined gradually in the one direction and toward a direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. Therefore, when the user engages the hook mechanism and concurrently presses the first member against the second member, such an operation allows the elastic part to be deformed elastically and locked at the locking face of the locking part without a gap. This can prevent a gap between the elastic part and the locking part, and can generate a biasing force from the elastic part to the first member more reliably.
- the coupled structure may include a screw that fastens the first member to the second member in the direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. This can make the coupling state between the first member and the second member more stable due to the fastening action by the screw in addition to the engagement action of the hook mechanism.
- the screw is fastened in the direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. This means that the fastening of the screw enables deeper engagement of the elastic part with the locking face of the locking part, and so can generate a biasing force from the elastic part to the first member more reliably.
- the one face of the first member may have a recess having a first hole at a center, the first hole being for insertion of the screw, and the one face of the second member may have a second hole at a center, the second hole being for insertion of the screw, and have a projection that can fit to the recess of the first member.
- This configuration can prevent the displacement of the first member with the second member due to the fitting of the recess and the projection even when the screw is loosened due to a change over time or impact, for example.
- An electronic device includes the above-stated coupled structure.
- the first member is a keyboard unit
- the second member is a chassis having an upper face on which the keyboard unit is mounted.
- the one direction is a direction toward an end of the keyboard unit closer to a user of the electronic device.
- a biasing force from the elastic part then can reduce the gap between the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user and the chassis, and so the appearance of the electronic device can be improved.
- the elastic part may be disposed at a position close to the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user. This can prevent lowering or loss of the biasing force from the elastic part because of a dimensional tolerance and elongation of the keyboard unit. This can reduce the gap between the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user and the chassis more reliably.
- the keyboard unit may include a metal base plate and a resin housing plate stacked on an upper face of the base plate, the elastic part may include a first plate spring disposed at the base plate and a second plate spring disposed at the housing plate, the second plate spring being overlapped on the first plate spring, and the second plate spring may come in contact with the locking part.
- a metal first plate spring can improve the elasticity and the strength of the elastic part.
- the resin second plate spring comes in contact with the locking part. This can suppress breakage or wearing of the locking part, which would occur if the locking part collides with the metal first plate spring, and can reduce impact noise generated at the contacting part between the elastic part and the locking part.
- the above-described aspects of the present invention can keep the coupled state between the coupled members without degrading the appearance.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device including a coupled structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the coupled structure includes a keyboard unit coupled with a main body chassis via a coupling structure;
- FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing the attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis via the coupling structure
- FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the keyboard unit attached to the main body chassis via the coupling structure
- FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the cross-sectional structure of one of the engagement holes and its surroundings just before attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis;
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view, showing the hook engaging with the engagement hole shown in FIG. 3A ;
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the button supporting part of the coupled structure and its surroundings;
- FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button supporting part in FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5B is a plan view of the button supporting part in FIG. 5A .
- FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the major part of the button supporting part when the keyboard unit is not attached to the main body chassis;
- FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button storage recess when the keyboard unit is not attached to the main body chassis;
- FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure just before attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis;
- FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure after attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis from the state of FIG. 8A ;
- FIG. 9A is a schematic plan view to describe a method to use a tool-receiving piece, a tool-receiving base and a tool-locking base to remove the keyboard unit from the main body chassis; and.
- FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB in FIG. 9A .
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device 18 including a coupled structure 16 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- This coupled structure includes a keyboard unit 12 coupled with a main body chassis 14 via a coupling structure 10 .
- the forward and the back are called front and rear, respectively, the thickness direction is called vertically (up and down), and the width direction is called left and right.
- the electronic device 18 is a laptop PC, including the main body chassis 14 having the keyboard unit 12 and a display chassis 20 having a display unit 20 a , such as a liquid crystal display.
- the display chassis 20 openably/closably couples with the main body chassis 14 via a pair of left and right hinges 22 , 22 .
- the main body chassis 14 internally stores various electronic components, such as a board, an arithmetic unit, a hard disk device and a memory, which are not illustrated.
- the keyboard unit 12 On the upper face 14 a of the main body chassis 14 , the keyboard unit 12 , push buttons 23 , 24 , 25 and a touchpad 26 are disposed in this order from the rear to the front.
- the keyboard unit 12 has a pointing stick 27 at its substantially center part.
- the keyboard unit 12 is an isolation type having a plurality of keys 28 that are isolated with a frame 29 surrounding the keys 28 . That is, the frame 29 has a plurality of holes, into which keytops of the keys 28 are inserted to be movable vertically.
- the touchpad 26 and the pointing stick 27 are to control a cursor (mouse point) displayed on the display unit 20 a , and are alternative input means to a mouse.
- the push buttons 23 to 25 link with the touch pad 26 or the pointing stick 27 to control the cursor. For instance, the push buttons 23 to 25 correspond to a left button, a center button and a right button, respectively, of a typical mouse.
- FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing the attachment of the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 via the coupling structure 10 .
- FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the keyboard unit 12 attached to the main body chassis 14 via the coupling structure 10 .
- the main body chassis 14 has a thin box shape including an upper cover 30 and a lower cover 32 .
- the upper cover 30 has a storage recess 30 a for storage of the keyboard unit at the upper face 14 a , and the recess has a shallow bathtub-like shape corresponding to the outer shape of the keyboard unit 12 .
- the storage recess 30 a has a plurality of hooks 34 at appropriate positions of the bottom face (one face, upper face) 30 b , and the hooks protrude from the bottom face.
- the upper cover has a button storage recess 30 c and a pad storage recess 30 d .
- the button storage recess 30 c is the place to attach the push buttons 23 to 25
- the pad storage recess 30 d is the place to attach the touch pad 26 .
- the keyboard unit 12 has a top-mount structure, i.e., the keyboard unit is mounted on the storage recess 30 a by placing it from the above. For the attachment, a part or all of the hooks 34 protruding from the bottom face 30 b are allowed to engage with engagement holes 36 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B ) at the lower face of the frame 29 of the keyboard unit 12 , whereby the keyboard unit 12 can be attached to the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the cross-sectional structure of one of the engagement holes 36 and its surroundings just before attachment of the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view, showing the hook 34 engaging with the engagement hole 36 shown in FIG. 3A .
- the keyboard unit 12 includes a base plate 40 , a membrane sheet 42 and a backlight sheet 44 .
- the base plate 40 is a plate to attach the keys 28 .
- the base plate 40 is a metal plate member, such as a stainless steel plate or an aluminum plate, having a thickness of 0.3 mm, for example, to which processing, such as cutting and raising or punching, is performed.
- the keys 28 are supported so that their keytops are vertically movable on the upper face of the base plate 40 using a guide mechanism or a rubber dome, which are not illustrated.
- the guide mechanism may be a pantograph mechanism to couple the lower face of the keytops and the upper face of the base plate 40 , for example.
- the rubber dome may be a dome-shaped member made of an elastic material having flexibility, such as silicone rubber. The rubber dome is disposed between the membrane sheet 42 and the keytops.
- the base plate 40 has a button plate 45 at a center of the front part, and the button plate protrudes forward.
- a housing plate 46 made of resin is mounted on the upper face of the button plate 45 .
- Button plate 45 and housing plate 46 make up a button supporting part 47 to support the push buttons 23 to 25 .
- the button supporting part 47 is stored and disposed in the button storage recess 30 c of the main body chassis 14 .
- the membrane sheet 42 is stacked on the upper face of the base plate 40 .
- the membrane sheet 42 is a switch sheet having a three-layered structure configured to close a contact when the membrane sheet is pressed. For instance, when the membrane sheet 42 is pressed so that its fixed contact and movable contact are overlapped, the contact of the membrane sheet is closed because the fixed contact and the movable contact are brought into a close contact.
- the membrane sheet 42 may be stacked on the lower face of the base plate 40 .
- the rubber dome as seated above presses the membrane sheet 42 when the user presses the keys 28 down, and returns the keys 28 to their original positions when the pressing-down operation of the keys 28 is released.
- the backlight sheet 44 is stacked on the lower face of the base plate 40 .
- the backlight sheet 44 includes an optical guide plate, for example, made of translucent resin, such as PET, polycarbonate, or acrylic, and includes a light source, such as a LED device, at a center of the left and right ends of the optical guide plate or a left or right end of the optical guide plate.
- the backlight sheet 44 guides light emitted from the light source in the left-right direction and reflects the light at the reflecting face to irradiate the keytops of the keys 28 with the light from their back faces.
- a waterproof sheet made of rubber or resin may be used.
- the frame 29 has a plurality of engagement holes 36 at appropriate positions of the lower face.
- the frame 29 is fixed to the base plate 40 via an engagement structure including through holes bored at appropriate positions of the membrane sheet 42 or via a screw structure.
- the engagement hole 36 has a shape so that the hook 34 can move in the engagement direction (rearward).
- the engagement hole 36 has a plate-like engagement part 36 a at its rear part in the engagement direction with the hook 34 , and this engagement part engages with a claw 34 a of the hook 34 .
- the hook 34 protrudes upward from the bottom face 30 b of the storage recess 30 a , and its claw 34 a protrudes rearward.
- These hooks 34 and engagement holes 36 make up a hook mechanism 48 to couple the keyboard unit 12 with the main body chassis 14 .
- the hook mechanism 48 may include the hooks 34 at the keyboard unit 12 and the engagement holes 36 at the main body chassis 14 .
- the keyboard unit 12 has through holes 12 a at the positions below the engagement holes 36 so as to overlap with the engagement holes, and the hooks 34 can be inserted into the through holes 12 a .
- Each through hole 12 a penetrates through the membrane sheet 42 , the base plate 40 , and the backlight sheet 44 from above to below.
- the keyboard unit 12 is inclined while keeping the rear part lower than the front part, and pressing the rear end face 12 b against the rear inner wall 30 e of the storage recess 30 a (see FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A ). Subsequently, the keyboard unit 12 is placed in the storage recess 30 a so that the lower face 12 c is mounted on the bottom face 30 b of the storage recess 30 a . Thereby, the hooks 34 are inserted into the engagement holes 36 through the through holes 12 a . Then, the keyboard unit 12 is slid forward in the storage recess 30 a , whereby the hooks 34 engage with the engagement holes 36 (see FIG. 3B ).
- the keyboard unit 12 is fixed to the main body chassis 14 , whereby the coupled structure 16 can be configured.
- the engagement holes 36 are formed on the lower face (one face) 12 c of the keyboard unit 12 , and the hook 34 can be engaged to the engagement holes 36 via the through holes 12 a .
- the engagement holes 36 may be formed at the base plate 40 itself.
- the coupling structure 10 has a structure to always bias the keyboard unit 12 in the engagement direction (forward) of the hooks 34 with the engagement holes 36 .
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the button supporting part 47 of the coupled structure 16 and its surroundings.
- FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button supporting part 47 in FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 5B is a plan view of the button supporting part 47 in FIG. 5A .
- FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the major part of the button supporting part 47 when the keyboard unit 12 is not attached to the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button storage recess 30 c when the keyboard unit 12 is not attached to the main body chassis 14 .
- the coupling structure 10 of the coupled structure 16 includes elastic parts 50 at the button supporting part 47 and locking parts 52 at the main body chassis 14 .
- the elastic parts 50 are disposed close to the front edge of the button supporting part 47 and close to both left and right ends of the button supporting part 47 .
- Each elastic part 50 has a first plate spring 50 a and a second plate spring 50 b .
- the button supporting part 47 has a gap 47 a in front of the elastic part 50 and a through hole 47 b in the thickness direction behind the elastic part 50 .
- the first plate spring 50 a is a thin-plate part prepared by cutting and raising the metal button plate 45 that is integrally formed with the base plate 40 .
- the first plate spring 50 a is a thin plate rising vertically so that the thickness is directed in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction.
- the second plate spring 50 b is a thin-plate part formed at the resin housing plate 46 .
- the second plate spring 50 b is stacked on the rear face of the first plate spring 50 a .
- the second plate spring 50 b is a thin plate rising vertically so that the thickness is directed in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction. Configured this way, the first plate spring 50 a and second plate spring 50 b function as the elastic part 50 like a plate spring that can be deformed integrally and elastically in the front-rear direction.
- the gap 47 a is defined between the front face of the first plate spring 50 a of the elastic part 50 and the front edge of the housing plate 46 disposed in front of the first plate spring. This gap 47 a extends along the left-right width direction of the elastic part 50 , and is a space to allow forward elastic deformation of the elastic part 50 .
- the through hole 47 b is defined between the rear face of the second plate spring 50 b of the elastic part 50 and the housing plate 46 or the base plate 40 disposed behind the second plate spring.
- This through hole 47 b extends along the left-right width direction of the elastic part 50 and has a recess 47 c dented rearward at a center part, and so is a hole having a substantially T-letter shape in a plan view (see FIG. 5B ).
- the locking part 52 is a protrusion like a block that protrudes upward from the bottom face 30 f of the button storage recess 30 c at the main body chassis 14 .
- This locking part 52 is inserted into the recess 47 c of the through hole 47 b when the button supporting part 47 is stored in the button storage recess 30 c .
- a locking face 52 a as the front face of the locking part 52 locks the rear face of the elastic part 50 (the second plate spring 50 b ).
- the locking face 52 a is an inclined face that is inclined forward gradually in the direction of mounting the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 (downward).
- the inclination angle of the locking face 52 a is set at from the vertical direction to 5 degrees, for example.
- the second plate spring 50 b has a pair of left and right protrusions 50 c , 50 c at the rear face. This pair of protrusions 50 c , 50 c sandwiches the locking part 52 therebetween, and functions to position the locking part 52 relative to elastic part 50 or prevent the displacement of them.
- the button supporting part 47 further includes a ring-shaped recess 54 that is an opening at the lower face 12 c and tool-receiving pieces 56 prepared by cutting and raising the button plate 45 .
- a ring-shaped recess 54 that is an opening at the lower face 12 c and tool-receiving pieces 56 prepared by cutting and raising the button plate 45 .
- the elastic part 50 and the locking part 52 there is a pair of left and right recesses 54 and tool-receiving pieces 56 at the button supporting part 47 .
- Each recess 54 includes a ring-shaped first recess 54 a that is formed at the lower face of the housing plate 46 so as to bulge upward, and a ring-shaped second recess 54 b that is formed at the lower face of the button plate 45 so as to bulge upward, and the second recess is overlapped on the first recess from the lower side.
- the second recess 54 b is open at the lower face 12 c of the button supporting part 47 .
- a through hole 54 c is formed for insertion of a screw 58 (see FIG. 8A ).
- the tool-receiving pieces 56 are prepared by cutting and raising the button plate 45 at the lower layer of the button supporting part 47 so as to rise diagonally forward. A pair of the left and right tool-receiving pieces 56 is formed, and faces the opening 46 a of the housing plate 46 at the upper face.
- the bottom face 30 f of the button storage recess 30 c further includes a ring-shaped projection 60 , a tool-receiving base 62 , and a tool-locking base 63 .
- the elastic part 50 and the locking part 52 there is a pair of left and right projections 60 , tool-receiving bases 62 and tool-locking bases 63 at the button supporting part 47 .
- Each projection 60 has a truncated conical shape so as to bulge upward from the bottom face 30 f , and has a screw hole (hole) 60 a at the center for fastening of the screw 58 .
- This projection 60 fits the recess 54 from below when the button supporting part 47 is stored in the button storage recess 30 c .
- the tool-receiving base 62 is a triangular projection that protrudes upward from the bottom face 30 f , and the vertex of the triangle is directed rearward.
- the tool-locking base 63 is a rectangular projection that protrudes upward from the bottom face 30 f , and is opposed to the vertex of the triangle of the tool-receiving base 62 .
- tool-receiving base 62 and tool-locking base 63 are inserted into the opening 46 a of the housing plate 46 when the button supporting part 47 is stored in the button storage recess 30 c . At this time, the tool-receiving base 62 is opposed to the tool-receiving piece 56 , and the tool-locking base 63 is disposed between the left and right tool-receiving pieces 56 , 56 .
- FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure 10 just before attachment of the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure 10 after attachment of the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 from the state of FIG. 8A .
- FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views collectively showing the cross-sectional view of the locking part 52 taken along a line in the front-rear direction, and the cross-sectional view of the center of the recess 54 taken along a line in the front-rear direction.
- the keyboard unit 12 is firstly inclined while keeping the rear part lower than the front part, and pressing the rear end face 12 b against the rear inner wall 30 e of the storage recess 30 a (see FIG. 2A and FIG. 3A ) as stated above. Subsequently, the front end of the keyboard unit 12 is lowered so that the lower face 12 c is mounted on the bottom face 30 b , so that the keyboard unit 12 is placed in the storage recess 30 a.
- the elastic part 50 is mounted on the upper face 52 b of the locking part 52 .
- the keyboard unit 12 is slid forward in the storage recess 30 a , whereby the hooks 34 engage with the engagement holes 36 (see FIG. 3B ).
- the elastic part 50 slides along the upper face 52 b until a part thereof is locked at the locking face 52 a .
- the recess 54 overlies the projection 60 .
- the upper face 52 b of the locking part 52 has to have a length along the front-end direction (e.g., about 3 mm) that is at least longer than the engagement length of the hook 34 with the engagement hole 36 (e.g., about 2.3 mm). This prevents a failure that the elastic part 50 cannot be mounted on the upper face 52 b of the locking part 52 and is caught at the rear part thereof, unlike the state of the elastic part 50 indicated with the dashed-two dotted line in FIG. 8A .
- the screw 58 is passed through the through hole 54 c of the recess 54 from the above to be threadably mounted on the screw hole 60 a of the main body chassis 14 , so as to fasten the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 (see FIG. 8B ).
- the fastening force of the screw 58 brings the keyboard unit 12 toward the main body chassis 14 while letting the elastic part 50 slide along the locking face 52 a until the elastic part is completely locked at the locking face 52 a (see FIG. 8B ).
- the elastic part 50 always biases the keyboard unit 12 in the engagement direction (forward) of the hooks 34 with the engagement holes 36 relative to the main body chassis 14 by the elastic force F.
- the projection 60 of the main body chassis 14 fits into the recess 54 of the keyboard unit 12 , whereby the keyboard unit 12 is positioned and fixed relative to the main body chassis 14 .
- this coupled structure 16 includes the hook mechanism 48 to enable the movement of the keyboard unit 12 relative to the main body chassis 14 in one direction (forward) for engagement, the locking part 52 formed at the main body chassis 14 , and the elastic part 50 formed at the keyboard unit 12 , and the elastic part is locked at the locking part 52 when the keyboard unit 12 is coupled with the main body chassis 14 , and so generates a biasing force in the direction of moving the keyboard unit 12 forward relative to the main body chassis 14 .
- this coupled structure 16 is configured so that the locking part 52 locks the elastic part 50 , and so the keyboard unit 12 always receives a biasing force in the engagement direction (forward) of the hook mechanism 48 .
- This can prevent the displacement of the keyboard unit 12 relative to the main body chassis 14 during the manufacturing and the operation, and so prevent the cancelling of the engagement state of the hook mechanism 48 , and can keep them in a coupled state.
- the keyboard unit 12 is always biased forward relative to the main body chassis 14 , and so a minimum gap is defined at the rear end between the keyboard unit 12 and the main body chassis 14 , the gap corresponding to the engagement length of the hook mechanism 48 . This gap does not change over time, and a gap at the front end can be kept at substantially zero.
- the coupled structure 16 therefore can suppress the deterioration in appearance as low as possible. Especially when viewed from a user of the electronic device 18 including such a coupled structure 16 , such a gap between the front end face 12 d of the keyboard unit 12 closer to the viewer and the front inner wall 30 g of the storage recess 30 a is conspicuous for the user. Since the coupled structure 16 can reduce this gap, this coupled structure can improve the appearance of the electronic device 18 .
- the present embodiment shows the configuration of the button supporting part 47 that protrudes at the front end face 12 d of the keyboard unit 12 .
- the elastic part 50 may be provided close to the front end face 12 d .
- the elastic part 50 is preferably formed close to the front end face 12 d of the keyboard unit 12 .
- the keyboard unit 12 has a certain dimensional tolerance in the front-rear direction, or may be elongated in such a direction.
- the elastic part 50 may be provided close to the rear end face 12 b or at a center in the front-rear direction.
- the elastic part 50 includes the resin second plate spring 50 b on the rear face of the metal first plate spring 50 a , and this second plate spring 50 b comes in contact with the locking part 52 .
- a metal first plate spring 50 a can improve the elasticity and the strength of the elastic part 50 .
- the resin second plate spring 50 b comes in contact with the resin locking part 52 of the resin main body chassis 14 . This can suppress breakage or wearing of the locking part 52 , which might occur if the locking part collides with the metal first plate spring 50 a , and can reduce impact noise generated at the contacting part between the elastic part 50 and the locking part 52 .
- the elastic part 50 may include any one of the resin second plate spring 50 b and the metal first plate spring 50 a.
- the locking face 52 a of the locking part 52 has an inclined face that is inclined gradually in the engagement direction (forward) of the hook mechanism 48 toward the downward direction that is the direction of mounting the keyboard unit 12 on the main body chassis 14 . Therefore, when the user engages the hook mechanism 48 and concurrently presses the keyboard unit 12 against the main body chassis 14 , such an operation allows the elastic part 50 of this coupled structure 16 to be deformed elastically and be locked at the locking face 52 a of the locking part 52 without a gap. This can prevent a gap between the elastic part 50 and the locking part 52 , and can generate a biasing force from the elastic part 50 to the keyboard unit 12 reliably.
- Such a coupled structure 16 has the screw 58 to fasten the keyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 .
- This can make the coupling state between the keyboard unit 12 and the main body chassis 14 more stable due to the fastening action by the screw 58 in addition to the engagement action of the hook mechanism 48 .
- this screw 58 is fastened in the direction of the mounting of the lower face 12 c of the keyboard unit 12 on the bottom face 30 f of the main body chassis 14 . This means that the fastening of the screw 58 enables deeper engagement of the elastic part 50 with the locking face 52 a of the locking part 52 , and so can generate a biasing force from the elastic part 50 to the keyboard unit 12 more reliably.
- this coupled structure 16 After engagement of the hook mechanism 48 , the posture of the coupled structure 16 may have to be changed before fastening with the screw 58 .
- this coupled structure 16 can temporarily fix the elastic part 50 that is locked at the locking part 52 after the engagement of the hook mechanism 48 , this can suppress the displacement of the keyboard unit 12 during such an operation to change the posture.
- the screw 58 since the screw 58 can be fastened along the direction of mounting the keyboard unit 12 on the main body chassis 14 , such an operation to change the posture is substantially unnecessary, and the electronic device can be manufactured efficiently. Needless to say, depending on the specifications of the electronic device 18 that includes such a coupled structure 16 , the screw 58 may be fastened from the below.
- the coupled structure 16 of the present embodiment is configured so that the locking part 52 locks the elastic part 50 , and so the keyboard unit 12 is always biased in the engagement direction of the hook mechanism 48 . This can suppress a relative movement between the keyboard unit 12 and the main body chassis 14 in the direction to cancel the engagement of the hook mechanism 48 , without a need of the screw 58 .
- the arrangement of the locking part 52 and the inclination angle of the locking face 58 a may be designed appropriately so that the locking part 52 completely locks the elastic part 50 after the engagement of the hook mechanism 48 .
- the coupled structure 16 is configured so that the lower face 12 c of the keyboard unit 12 has the recess 54 having the hole 54 c at the center for insertion of the screw 58 , and the bottom face 30 f of the main body chassis 14 has the screw hole 60 a at the center for insertion of the screw 58 and has the projection 60 to be fitted to the recess 54 .
- This configuration can prevent the displacement of the keyboard unit 12 with the main body chassis 14 due to the fitting of the recess 54 and the projection 60 even when the screw 58 is loosened due to a change over time or impact, for example.
- Such a fitting structure of the recess 54 to the projection 60 may include the hook mechanism 48 only, and may not have the screw 58 .
- Such a coupling structure 10 between the keyboard unit 12 and the main body chassis 14 holds the engagement state of the hooks 34 with the engagement holes 36 at the hook mechanism 48 due to the elastic locking structure of the elastic part 50 with the locking part 52 .
- the coupling structure 10 has a structure of facilitating the disassembly of the keyboard unit 12 from the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 9A is a schematic plan view to describe how to use the tool-receiving pieces 56 , the tool-receiving base 62 and the tool-locking base 63 to remove the keyboard unit 12 from the main body chassis 14 .
- FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB in FIG. 9A .
- the push buttons 23 to 25 are removed from the button supporting part 47 , and then the screw 58 is unfastened. Then as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the tool-receiving pieces 56 , the tool-receiving base 62 and the tool-locking base 63 are exposed at the upper face of the button supporting part 47 . Then, a thin-plate like tool T, such as a wide flathead screwdriver, is inserted between the tool-receiving base 62 and the tool-receiving pieces 56 so as to press the tip end of the tool T against the corner between the bottom face 30 f of the button storage recess 30 c and the tool-locking base 63 .
- a thin-plate like tool T such as a wide flathead screwdriver
- the tool T is rotated rearward by supporting the tool T at the tip end coming in contact with the corner between the bottom face 30 f and the tool-locking base 63 .
- the tool T presses the tool-receiving piece 56 rearward and upward due to the principle of leverage, and so this can move the keyboard unit 12 easily rearward and upward.
- the elastic part 50 is removed upward from the locking face 52 a of the locking part 52 , so that the hooks 34 are disengaged from the engagement holes 36 .
- the user can remove the keyboard unit 12 from the main body chassis 14 easily.
- the keyboard unit 12 and the main body chassis 14 are shown as one example of the two members to be coupled with the coupling structure 10 , and the coupling structure 10 may be used for coupling of other members.
- the upper cover 30 and the lower cover 32 of the main body chassis 14 of the electronic device 18 may be coupled with the coupling structure, or other electronic components in the main body chassis 14 may be fixed with the coupling structure.
- This coupled structure 16 may be used for an electronic device other than a laptop PC, a mechanical chassis other than electronic devices, or mechanical devices.
Abstract
A coupled structure capable of keeping the coupled state between coupled members without degrading the appearance, and an electronic device including such a coupled structure are disclosed. A coupled structure includes a keyboard unit coupled with a main body chassis. The coupled structure includes a hook mechanism which engages the keyboard unit with the main body chassis when the keyboard unit moves in one direction relative to the main body chassis, a locking part formed at the main body chassis, and an elastic part formed at the keyboard unit, and the elastic part biases the keyboard unit engaged with main body chassis in the one direction relative to the main body chassis when the locking part locks the elastic part.
Description
- The present invention relates to a coupled structure including two coupled members and an electronic device including such a coupled structure.
- An electronic device, such as a laptop personal computer (laptop PC), typically includes a keyboard unit attached to an upper face of the chassis (hereinafter called a main body chassis) of its main body. Patent Document 1, for example, discloses the structure having a recess at the upper face of the main body chassis so as to store a keyboard unit in this recess. This keyboard unit has a hook protruding from its lower face, and the keyboard unit is fixed to the main body chassis by engaging the hook with an engagement hole at the bottom face of the recess.
- [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-265251
- Such a structure as in Patent Document 1, for coupling a keyboard unit with a main body chassis via a hook mechanism, however, may cause displacement of the keyboard unit during the manufacturing or operation of the electronic device. This may lead to disengagement of the hook, and further may lead to deterioration of its appearance because the keyboard unit has a gap between its edge and the inner wall of the recess of the main body chassis. To avoid these problems, Patent Document 1 is configured to, after engaging with the hook, fill a gap between the keyboard unit and the recess with a lock member. This requires the cost for the lock member and degrades the appearance of the electronic device because such a lock member is disposed at only one of the edges of the keyboard unit.
- In view of the problems of the conventional techniques, the present invention aims to provide a coupled structure capable of keeping the coupled state between the coupled members without degrading the appearance, and an electronic device including such a coupled structure.
- A coupled structure according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a first member coupled with a second member. The coupled structure includes a hook mechanism which engages the first member with the second member when the first member moves in one direction relative to the second member; a locking part at the second member; and an elastic part at the first member, the elastic part biasing the first member engaged with the second member in the one direction relative to the second member when the locking part locks the elastic part.
- With this configuration, the locking part locks the elastic part, and so the first member always receives a biasing force in the engagement direction (the one direction) of the hook mechanism. This can prevent the displacement of the first member relative to the second member during the manufacturing and operation, and so prevent the canceling of the engagement state of the hook mechanism, and the first and second members can keep their coupled state. Additionally, the first member is always biased in the one direction relative to the second member, and so a minimum gap is defined at the end toward the other direction, the gap corresponding to the engagement length of the hook mechanism. This gap does not change over time, and a gap at the end toward the one direction can be kept at substantially zero. This coupled structure therefore can suppress the deterioration in appearance as low as possible.
- The hook mechanism may include an engagement hole at one face of the first member and a hook at one face of the second member or a hook at the one face of the first member and an engagement hole at the one face of the second member. After placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member and inserting the hook into the engagement hole, and moving the first member in the one direction relative to the second member, the hook engages with the engagement hole. The elastic member may be disposed at the one face of the first member, and the locking part may be disposed at the one face of the second member, and have a locking face directed to the one direction to lock the elastic part. This means that, since the locking face of the locking part locks the elastic part, a biasing force to the first member from the elastic part can be generated reliably.
- The locking face may have an inclined face that is inclined gradually in the one direction and toward a direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. Therefore, when the user engages the hook mechanism and concurrently presses the first member against the second member, such an operation allows the elastic part to be deformed elastically and locked at the locking face of the locking part without a gap. This can prevent a gap between the elastic part and the locking part, and can generate a biasing force from the elastic part to the first member more reliably.
- The coupled structure may include a screw that fastens the first member to the second member in the direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. This can make the coupling state between the first member and the second member more stable due to the fastening action by the screw in addition to the engagement action of the hook mechanism. The screw is fastened in the direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member. This means that the fastening of the screw enables deeper engagement of the elastic part with the locking face of the locking part, and so can generate a biasing force from the elastic part to the first member more reliably.
- The one face of the first member may have a recess having a first hole at a center, the first hole being for insertion of the screw, and the one face of the second member may have a second hole at a center, the second hole being for insertion of the screw, and have a projection that can fit to the recess of the first member. This configuration can prevent the displacement of the first member with the second member due to the fitting of the recess and the projection even when the screw is loosened due to a change over time or impact, for example.
- The locking part may extend in the one direction and have an upper face continuous to the locking face, and the upper face of the locking part may have a length in the one direction that is longer than an engagement length of the hook with the engagement hole. This prevents the elastic part from being mounted on the upper face of the locking part before the engagement by the hook mechanism and getting caught at the end toward the other direction during the coupling of the first member with the second member, so that the first member cannot slide in the engagement direction.
- An electronic device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes the above-stated coupled structure. The first member is a keyboard unit, and the second member is a chassis having an upper face on which the keyboard unit is mounted. With this configuration, the keyboard unit can be easily and reliably coupled with the upper face of the chassis of the electronic device, and their coupling state can be kept.
- Preferably the one direction is a direction toward an end of the keyboard unit closer to a user of the electronic device. A biasing force from the elastic part then can reduce the gap between the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user and the chassis, and so the appearance of the electronic device can be improved.
- The elastic part may be disposed at a position close to the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user. This can prevent lowering or loss of the biasing force from the elastic part because of a dimensional tolerance and elongation of the keyboard unit. This can reduce the gap between the end of the keyboard unit closer to the user and the chassis more reliably.
- The keyboard unit may include a metal base plate and a resin housing plate stacked on an upper face of the base plate, the elastic part may include a first plate spring disposed at the base plate and a second plate spring disposed at the housing plate, the second plate spring being overlapped on the first plate spring, and the second plate spring may come in contact with the locking part. Such a metal first plate spring can improve the elasticity and the strength of the elastic part. Additionally, the resin second plate spring comes in contact with the locking part. This can suppress breakage or wearing of the locking part, which would occur if the locking part collides with the metal first plate spring, and can reduce impact noise generated at the contacting part between the elastic part and the locking part.
- The above-described aspects of the present invention can keep the coupled state between the coupled members without degrading the appearance.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device including a coupled structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the coupled structure includes a keyboard unit coupled with a main body chassis via a coupling structure; -
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing the attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis via the coupling structure; -
FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the keyboard unit attached to the main body chassis via the coupling structure; -
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the cross-sectional structure of one of the engagement holes and its surroundings just before attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis; -
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view, showing the hook engaging with the engagement hole shown inFIG. 3A ; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the button supporting part of the coupled structure and its surroundings; -
FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button supporting part inFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 5B is a plan view of the button supporting part inFIG. 5A . -
FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the major part of the button supporting part when the keyboard unit is not attached to the main body chassis; -
FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of the button storage recess when the keyboard unit is not attached to the main body chassis; -
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure just before attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis; -
FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the coupling structure after attachment of the keyboard unit to the main body chassis from the state ofFIG. 8A ; -
FIG. 9A is a schematic plan view to describe a method to use a tool-receiving piece, a tool-receiving base and a tool-locking base to remove the keyboard unit from the main body chassis; and. -
FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB inFIG. 9A . - Referring to the attached drawings, the following describes a coupled structure according to the present invention in details, by way of a preferable embodiment of an electronic device including such a coupled structure.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anelectronic device 18 including a coupledstructure 16 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This coupled structure includes akeyboard unit 12 coupled with amain body chassis 14 via acoupling structure 10. In the following description of the coupledstructure 16, referring to the keyboard unit mounted on theelectronic device 18 for use shown inFIG. 1 , the forward and the back are called front and rear, respectively, the thickness direction is called vertically (up and down), and the width direction is called left and right. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , theelectronic device 18 is a laptop PC, including themain body chassis 14 having thekeyboard unit 12 and adisplay chassis 20 having adisplay unit 20 a, such as a liquid crystal display. Thedisplay chassis 20 openably/closably couples with themain body chassis 14 via a pair of left and right hinges 22, 22. - The
main body chassis 14 internally stores various electronic components, such as a board, an arithmetic unit, a hard disk device and a memory, which are not illustrated. On theupper face 14 a of themain body chassis 14, thekeyboard unit 12,push buttons touchpad 26 are disposed in this order from the rear to the front. Thekeyboard unit 12 has apointing stick 27 at its substantially center part. - The
keyboard unit 12 is an isolation type having a plurality ofkeys 28 that are isolated with aframe 29 surrounding thekeys 28. That is, theframe 29 has a plurality of holes, into which keytops of thekeys 28 are inserted to be movable vertically. Thetouchpad 26 and thepointing stick 27 are to control a cursor (mouse point) displayed on thedisplay unit 20 a, and are alternative input means to a mouse. Thepush buttons 23 to 25 link with thetouch pad 26 or thepointing stick 27 to control the cursor. For instance, thepush buttons 23 to 25 correspond to a left button, a center button and a right button, respectively, of a typical mouse. - Next, the following describes the
coupling structure 10 of thekeyboard unit 12 with themain body chassis 14 as well as the coupledstructure 16.FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing the attachment of thekeyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14 via thecoupling structure 10.FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing thekeyboard unit 12 attached to themain body chassis 14 via thecoupling structure 10. - As shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B , themain body chassis 14 has a thin box shape including anupper cover 30 and alower cover 32. Theupper cover 30 has astorage recess 30 a for storage of the keyboard unit at theupper face 14 a, and the recess has a shallow bathtub-like shape corresponding to the outer shape of thekeyboard unit 12. Thestorage recess 30 a has a plurality ofhooks 34 at appropriate positions of the bottom face (one face, upper face) 30 b, and the hooks protrude from the bottom face. At a center part in front of thestorage recess 30 a, the upper cover has abutton storage recess 30 c and apad storage recess 30 d. Thebutton storage recess 30 c is the place to attach thepush buttons 23 to 25, and thepad storage recess 30 d is the place to attach thetouch pad 26. - The
keyboard unit 12 has a top-mount structure, i.e., the keyboard unit is mounted on thestorage recess 30 a by placing it from the above. For the attachment, a part or all of thehooks 34 protruding from thebottom face 30 b are allowed to engage with engagement holes 36 (seeFIGS. 3A and 3B ) at the lower face of theframe 29 of thekeyboard unit 12, whereby thekeyboard unit 12 can be attached to themain body chassis 14. -
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing the cross-sectional structure of one of the engagement holes 36 and its surroundings just before attachment of thekeyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14.FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view, showing thehook 34 engaging with theengagement hole 36 shown inFIG. 3A . - As shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B , thekeyboard unit 12 includes abase plate 40, amembrane sheet 42 and abacklight sheet 44. - The
base plate 40 is a plate to attach thekeys 28. Thebase plate 40 is a metal plate member, such as a stainless steel plate or an aluminum plate, having a thickness of 0.3 mm, for example, to which processing, such as cutting and raising or punching, is performed. Thekeys 28 are supported so that their keytops are vertically movable on the upper face of thebase plate 40 using a guide mechanism or a rubber dome, which are not illustrated. The guide mechanism may be a pantograph mechanism to couple the lower face of the keytops and the upper face of thebase plate 40, for example. The rubber dome may be a dome-shaped member made of an elastic material having flexibility, such as silicone rubber. The rubber dome is disposed between themembrane sheet 42 and the keytops. - The
base plate 40 has abutton plate 45 at a center of the front part, and the button plate protrudes forward. Ahousing plate 46 made of resin is mounted on the upper face of thebutton plate 45.Button plate 45 andhousing plate 46 make up abutton supporting part 47 to support thepush buttons 23 to 25. Thebutton supporting part 47 is stored and disposed in thebutton storage recess 30 c of themain body chassis 14. - The
membrane sheet 42 is stacked on the upper face of thebase plate 40. Themembrane sheet 42 is a switch sheet having a three-layered structure configured to close a contact when the membrane sheet is pressed. For instance, when themembrane sheet 42 is pressed so that its fixed contact and movable contact are overlapped, the contact of the membrane sheet is closed because the fixed contact and the movable contact are brought into a close contact. Themembrane sheet 42 may be stacked on the lower face of thebase plate 40. The rubber dome as seated above presses themembrane sheet 42 when the user presses thekeys 28 down, and returns thekeys 28 to their original positions when the pressing-down operation of thekeys 28 is released. - The
backlight sheet 44 is stacked on the lower face of thebase plate 40. Thebacklight sheet 44 includes an optical guide plate, for example, made of translucent resin, such as PET, polycarbonate, or acrylic, and includes a light source, such as a LED device, at a center of the left and right ends of the optical guide plate or a left or right end of the optical guide plate. Thebacklight sheet 44 guides light emitted from the light source in the left-right direction and reflects the light at the reflecting face to irradiate the keytops of thekeys 28 with the light from their back faces. Instead of thebacklight sheet 44, a waterproof sheet made of rubber or resin may be used. - The
frame 29 has a plurality of engagement holes 36 at appropriate positions of the lower face. Theframe 29 is fixed to thebase plate 40 via an engagement structure including through holes bored at appropriate positions of themembrane sheet 42 or via a screw structure. Into eachengagement hole 36, the correspondinghook 34 can be inserted, and the engagement hole has a shape so that thehook 34 can move in the engagement direction (rearward). Theengagement hole 36 has a plate-like engagement part 36 a at its rear part in the engagement direction with thehook 34, and this engagement part engages with aclaw 34 a of thehook 34. Thehook 34 protrudes upward from thebottom face 30 b of thestorage recess 30 a, and itsclaw 34 a protrudes rearward. These hooks 34 and engagement holes 36 make up ahook mechanism 48 to couple thekeyboard unit 12 with themain body chassis 14. Thehook mechanism 48 may include thehooks 34 at thekeyboard unit 12 and the engagement holes 36 at themain body chassis 14. - The
keyboard unit 12 has throughholes 12 a at the positions below the engagement holes 36 so as to overlap with the engagement holes, and thehooks 34 can be inserted into the throughholes 12 a. Each throughhole 12 a penetrates through themembrane sheet 42, thebase plate 40, and thebacklight sheet 44 from above to below. - With this configuration, to attach the
keyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14, thekeyboard unit 12 is inclined while keeping the rear part lower than the front part, and pressing the rear end face 12 b against the rearinner wall 30 e of thestorage recess 30 a (seeFIG. 2A andFIG. 3A ). Subsequently, thekeyboard unit 12 is placed in thestorage recess 30 a so that thelower face 12 c is mounted on thebottom face 30 b of thestorage recess 30 a. Thereby, thehooks 34 are inserted into the engagement holes 36 through the throughholes 12 a. Then, thekeyboard unit 12 is slid forward in thestorage recess 30 a, whereby thehooks 34 engage with the engagement holes 36 (seeFIG. 3B ). As a result, thekeyboard unit 12 is fixed to themain body chassis 14, whereby the coupledstructure 16 can be configured. In the present embodiment, the engagement holes 36 are formed on the lower face (one face) 12 c of thekeyboard unit 12, and thehook 34 can be engaged to the engagement holes 36 via the throughholes 12 a. Instead, the engagement holes 36 may be formed at thebase plate 40 itself. - When the
keyboard unit 12 engages with themain body chassis 14 only via thehook mechanism 48, impact, if given, may cause displacement of thekeyboard unit 12 in thestorage recess 30 a. To avoid this, thecoupling structure 10 has a structure to always bias thekeyboard unit 12 in the engagement direction (forward) of thehooks 34 with the engagement holes 36. -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of thebutton supporting part 47 of the coupledstructure 16 and its surroundings.FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of thebutton supporting part 47 inFIG. 4 .FIG. 5B is a plan view of thebutton supporting part 47 inFIG. 5A .FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the major part of thebutton supporting part 47 when thekeyboard unit 12 is not attached to themain body chassis 14.FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a major part of thebutton storage recess 30 c when thekeyboard unit 12 is not attached to themain body chassis 14. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , thecoupling structure 10 of the coupledstructure 16 includeselastic parts 50 at thebutton supporting part 47 and lockingparts 52 at themain body chassis 14. - As shown in
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6 , theelastic parts 50 are disposed close to the front edge of thebutton supporting part 47 and close to both left and right ends of thebutton supporting part 47. Eachelastic part 50 has afirst plate spring 50 a and asecond plate spring 50 b. Thebutton supporting part 47 has agap 47 a in front of theelastic part 50 and a throughhole 47 b in the thickness direction behind theelastic part 50. - The
first plate spring 50 a is a thin-plate part prepared by cutting and raising themetal button plate 45 that is integrally formed with thebase plate 40. Specifically, thefirst plate spring 50 a is a thin plate rising vertically so that the thickness is directed in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction. Thesecond plate spring 50 b is a thin-plate part formed at theresin housing plate 46. Thesecond plate spring 50 b is stacked on the rear face of thefirst plate spring 50 a. Specifically, thesecond plate spring 50 b is a thin plate rising vertically so that the thickness is directed in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction. Configured this way, thefirst plate spring 50 a andsecond plate spring 50 b function as theelastic part 50 like a plate spring that can be deformed integrally and elastically in the front-rear direction. - The
gap 47 a is defined between the front face of thefirst plate spring 50 a of theelastic part 50 and the front edge of thehousing plate 46 disposed in front of the first plate spring. Thisgap 47 a extends along the left-right width direction of theelastic part 50, and is a space to allow forward elastic deformation of theelastic part 50. - The through
hole 47 b is defined between the rear face of thesecond plate spring 50 b of theelastic part 50 and thehousing plate 46 or thebase plate 40 disposed behind the second plate spring. This throughhole 47 b extends along the left-right width direction of theelastic part 50 and has arecess 47 c dented rearward at a center part, and so is a hole having a substantially T-letter shape in a plan view (seeFIG. 5B ). - As shown in
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 7 , the lockingpart 52 is a protrusion like a block that protrudes upward from thebottom face 30 f of thebutton storage recess 30 c at themain body chassis 14. This lockingpart 52 is inserted into therecess 47 c of the throughhole 47 b when thebutton supporting part 47 is stored in thebutton storage recess 30 c. At this time, a lockingface 52 a as the front face of the lockingpart 52 locks the rear face of the elastic part 50 (thesecond plate spring 50 b). The lockingface 52 a is an inclined face that is inclined forward gradually in the direction of mounting thekeyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 (downward). The inclination angle of the lockingface 52 a is set at from the vertical direction to 5 degrees, for example. In the present embodiment, thesecond plate spring 50 b has a pair of left andright protrusions protrusions part 52 therebetween, and functions to position the lockingpart 52 relative toelastic part 50 or prevent the displacement of them. - As shown in
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6 , thebutton supporting part 47 further includes a ring-shapedrecess 54 that is an opening at thelower face 12 c and tool-receivingpieces 56 prepared by cutting and raising thebutton plate 45. Similarly to theelastic part 50 and the lockingpart 52, there is a pair of left andright recesses 54 and tool-receivingpieces 56 at thebutton supporting part 47. - Each
recess 54 includes a ring-shapedfirst recess 54 a that is formed at the lower face of thehousing plate 46 so as to bulge upward, and a ring-shapedsecond recess 54 b that is formed at the lower face of thebutton plate 45 so as to bulge upward, and the second recess is overlapped on the first recess from the lower side. With this configuration, thesecond recess 54 b is open at thelower face 12 c of thebutton supporting part 47. At the center of therecess 54, a throughhole 54 c is formed for insertion of a screw 58 (seeFIG. 8A ). The tool-receivingpieces 56 are prepared by cutting and raising thebutton plate 45 at the lower layer of thebutton supporting part 47 so as to rise diagonally forward. A pair of the left and right tool-receivingpieces 56 is formed, and faces the opening 46 a of thehousing plate 46 at the upper face. - As shown in
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 7 , thebottom face 30 f of thebutton storage recess 30 c further includes a ring-shapedprojection 60, a tool-receivingbase 62, and a tool-lockingbase 63. Similarly to theelastic part 50 and the lockingpart 52, there is a pair of left andright projections 60, tool-receivingbases 62 and tool-lockingbases 63 at thebutton supporting part 47. - Each
projection 60 has a truncated conical shape so as to bulge upward from thebottom face 30 f, and has a screw hole (hole) 60 a at the center for fastening of thescrew 58. Thisprojection 60 fits therecess 54 from below when thebutton supporting part 47 is stored in thebutton storage recess 30 c. The tool-receivingbase 62 is a triangular projection that protrudes upward from thebottom face 30 f, and the vertex of the triangle is directed rearward. The tool-lockingbase 63 is a rectangular projection that protrudes upward from thebottom face 30 f, and is opposed to the vertex of the triangle of the tool-receivingbase 62. These tool-receivingbase 62 and tool-lockingbase 63 are inserted into the opening 46 a of thehousing plate 46 when thebutton supporting part 47 is stored in thebutton storage recess 30 c. At this time, the tool-receivingbase 62 is opposed to the tool-receivingpiece 56, and the tool-lockingbase 63 is disposed between the left and right tool-receivingpieces - Next the following describes how to attach the
keyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14 via thecoupling structure 10 as stated above. -
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing thecoupling structure 10 just before attachment of thekeyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14.FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view, schematically showing thecoupling structure 10 after attachment of thekeyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14 from the state ofFIG. 8A .FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views collectively showing the cross-sectional view of the lockingpart 52 taken along a line in the front-rear direction, and the cross-sectional view of the center of therecess 54 taken along a line in the front-rear direction. - To attach the
keyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14, thekeyboard unit 12 is firstly inclined while keeping the rear part lower than the front part, and pressing the rear end face 12 b against the rearinner wall 30 e of thestorage recess 30 a (seeFIG. 2A andFIG. 3A ) as stated above. Subsequently, the front end of thekeyboard unit 12 is lowered so that thelower face 12 c is mounted on thebottom face 30 b, so that thekeyboard unit 12 is placed in thestorage recess 30 a. - In this state, as indicated with dashed-two dotted line in
FIG. 8A , theelastic part 50 is mounted on theupper face 52 b of the lockingpart 52. Then, thekeyboard unit 12 is slid forward in thestorage recess 30 a, whereby thehooks 34 engage with the engagement holes 36 (seeFIG. 3B ). At this time, as indicated with the solid line inFIG. 8A , theelastic part 50 slides along theupper face 52 b until a part thereof is locked at the lockingface 52 a. At the same time, therecess 54 overlies theprojection 60. Note here that theupper face 52 b of the lockingpart 52 has to have a length along the front-end direction (e.g., about 3 mm) that is at least longer than the engagement length of thehook 34 with the engagement hole 36 (e.g., about 2.3 mm). This prevents a failure that theelastic part 50 cannot be mounted on theupper face 52 b of the lockingpart 52 and is caught at the rear part thereof, unlike the state of theelastic part 50 indicated with the dashed-two dotted line inFIG. 8A . - Next, the
screw 58 is passed through the throughhole 54 c of therecess 54 from the above to be threadably mounted on thescrew hole 60 a of themain body chassis 14, so as to fasten thekeyboard unit 12 to the main body chassis 14 (seeFIG. 8B ). Then, the fastening force of thescrew 58 brings thekeyboard unit 12 toward themain body chassis 14 while letting theelastic part 50 slide along the lockingface 52 a until the elastic part is completely locked at the lockingface 52 a (seeFIG. 8B ). As a result, theelastic part 50 always biases thekeyboard unit 12 in the engagement direction (forward) of thehooks 34 with the engagement holes 36 relative to themain body chassis 14 by the elastic force F. At the same time, theprojection 60 of themain body chassis 14 fits into therecess 54 of thekeyboard unit 12, whereby thekeyboard unit 12 is positioned and fixed relative to themain body chassis 14. - As stated above, this coupled
structure 16 includes thehook mechanism 48 to enable the movement of thekeyboard unit 12 relative to themain body chassis 14 in one direction (forward) for engagement, the lockingpart 52 formed at themain body chassis 14, and theelastic part 50 formed at thekeyboard unit 12, and the elastic part is locked at the lockingpart 52 when thekeyboard unit 12 is coupled with themain body chassis 14, and so generates a biasing force in the direction of moving thekeyboard unit 12 forward relative to themain body chassis 14. - In this way, this coupled
structure 16 is configured so that the lockingpart 52 locks theelastic part 50, and so thekeyboard unit 12 always receives a biasing force in the engagement direction (forward) of thehook mechanism 48. This can prevent the displacement of thekeyboard unit 12 relative to themain body chassis 14 during the manufacturing and the operation, and so prevent the cancelling of the engagement state of thehook mechanism 48, and can keep them in a coupled state. Additionally, thekeyboard unit 12 is always biased forward relative to themain body chassis 14, and so a minimum gap is defined at the rear end between thekeyboard unit 12 and themain body chassis 14, the gap corresponding to the engagement length of thehook mechanism 48. This gap does not change over time, and a gap at the front end can be kept at substantially zero. The coupledstructure 16 therefore can suppress the deterioration in appearance as low as possible. Especially when viewed from a user of theelectronic device 18 including such a coupledstructure 16, such a gap between the front end face 12 d of thekeyboard unit 12 closer to the viewer and the frontinner wall 30 g of thestorage recess 30 a is conspicuous for the user. Since the coupledstructure 16 can reduce this gap, this coupled structure can improve the appearance of theelectronic device 18. - The present embodiment shows the configuration of the
button supporting part 47 that protrudes at the front end face 12 d of thekeyboard unit 12. When thekeyboard unit 12 does not have such abutton supporting part 47, theelastic part 50 may be provided close to the front end face 12 d. Note here that theelastic part 50 is preferably formed close to the front end face 12 d of thekeyboard unit 12. Thekeyboard unit 12 has a certain dimensional tolerance in the front-rear direction, or may be elongated in such a direction. Therefore, if theelastic part 50 is provided close to the rear end face 12 b that is the rearmost end in the engagement direction of thehook mechanism 48, it becomes difficult for theelastic part 50 to receive the biasing force reliably because of such a dimensional tolerance and elongation, and so this may fail to eliminate a gap between the front end face 12 d of thekeyboard unit 12 and the frontinner wall 30 g of thestorage recess 30 a. Of course, if the length of thekeyboard unit 12 in the front-rear direction is small or depending on the rigidity of the keyboard unit, theelastic part 50 may be provided close to the rear end face 12 b or at a center in the front-rear direction. - The
elastic part 50 includes the resinsecond plate spring 50 b on the rear face of the metalfirst plate spring 50 a, and thissecond plate spring 50 b comes in contact with the lockingpart 52. Such a metalfirst plate spring 50 a can improve the elasticity and the strength of theelastic part 50. Additionally, the resinsecond plate spring 50 b comes in contact with theresin locking part 52 of the resinmain body chassis 14. This can suppress breakage or wearing of the lockingpart 52, which might occur if the locking part collides with the metalfirst plate spring 50 a, and can reduce impact noise generated at the contacting part between theelastic part 50 and the lockingpart 52. Theelastic part 50 may include any one of the resinsecond plate spring 50 b and the metalfirst plate spring 50 a. - The locking
face 52 a of the lockingpart 52 has an inclined face that is inclined gradually in the engagement direction (forward) of thehook mechanism 48 toward the downward direction that is the direction of mounting thekeyboard unit 12 on themain body chassis 14. Therefore, when the user engages thehook mechanism 48 and concurrently presses thekeyboard unit 12 against themain body chassis 14, such an operation allows theelastic part 50 of this coupledstructure 16 to be deformed elastically and be locked at the lockingface 52 a of the lockingpart 52 without a gap. This can prevent a gap between theelastic part 50 and the lockingpart 52, and can generate a biasing force from theelastic part 50 to thekeyboard unit 12 reliably. - Such a coupled
structure 16 has thescrew 58 to fasten thekeyboard unit 12 to themain body chassis 14. This can make the coupling state between thekeyboard unit 12 and themain body chassis 14 more stable due to the fastening action by thescrew 58 in addition to the engagement action of thehook mechanism 48. In the embodiments shown, thisscrew 58 is fastened in the direction of the mounting of thelower face 12 c of thekeyboard unit 12 on thebottom face 30 f of themain body chassis 14. This means that the fastening of thescrew 58 enables deeper engagement of theelastic part 50 with the lockingface 52 a of the lockingpart 52, and so can generate a biasing force from theelastic part 50 to thekeyboard unit 12 more reliably. During the manufacturing of this coupledstructure 16, after engagement of thehook mechanism 48, the posture of the coupledstructure 16 may have to be changed before fastening with thescrew 58. In this respect, since this coupledstructure 16 can temporarily fix theelastic part 50 that is locked at the lockingpart 52 after the engagement of thehook mechanism 48, this can suppress the displacement of thekeyboard unit 12 during such an operation to change the posture. Note here that in the case of the coupledstructure 16, since thescrew 58 can be fastened along the direction of mounting thekeyboard unit 12 on themain body chassis 14, such an operation to change the posture is substantially unnecessary, and the electronic device can be manufactured efficiently. Needless to say, depending on the specifications of theelectronic device 18 that includes such a coupledstructure 16, thescrew 58 may be fastened from the below. - The coupled
structure 16 of the present embodiment is configured so that the lockingpart 52 locks theelastic part 50, and so thekeyboard unit 12 is always biased in the engagement direction of thehook mechanism 48. This can suppress a relative movement between thekeyboard unit 12 and themain body chassis 14 in the direction to cancel the engagement of thehook mechanism 48, without a need of thescrew 58. When the configuration does not have ascrew 58, the arrangement of the lockingpart 52 and the inclination angle of the locking face 58 a may be designed appropriately so that the lockingpart 52 completely locks theelastic part 50 after the engagement of thehook mechanism 48. - The coupled
structure 16 is configured so that thelower face 12 c of thekeyboard unit 12 has therecess 54 having thehole 54 c at the center for insertion of thescrew 58, and thebottom face 30 f of themain body chassis 14 has thescrew hole 60 a at the center for insertion of thescrew 58 and has theprojection 60 to be fitted to therecess 54. This configuration can prevent the displacement of thekeyboard unit 12 with themain body chassis 14 due to the fitting of therecess 54 and theprojection 60 even when thescrew 58 is loosened due to a change over time or impact, for example. Such a fitting structure of therecess 54 to theprojection 60 may include thehook mechanism 48 only, and may not have thescrew 58. - Such a
coupling structure 10 between thekeyboard unit 12 and themain body chassis 14 holds the engagement state of thehooks 34 with the engagement holes 36 at thehook mechanism 48 due to the elastic locking structure of theelastic part 50 with the lockingpart 52. This means that a certain operation is required to remove thekeyboard unit 12 from themain body chassis 14 for maintenance, for example. To this end, thecoupling structure 10 has a structure of facilitating the disassembly of thekeyboard unit 12 from themain body chassis 14. -
FIG. 9A is a schematic plan view to describe how to use the tool-receivingpieces 56, the tool-receivingbase 62 and the tool-lockingbase 63 to remove thekeyboard unit 12 from themain body chassis 14.FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB inFIG. 9A . - To remove the
keyboard unit 12 from themain body chassis 14, firstly thepush buttons 23 to 25 are removed from thebutton supporting part 47, and then thescrew 58 is unfastened. Then as shown inFIGS. 9A and 9B , the tool-receivingpieces 56, the tool-receivingbase 62 and the tool-lockingbase 63 are exposed at the upper face of thebutton supporting part 47. Then, a thin-plate like tool T, such as a wide flathead screwdriver, is inserted between the tool-receivingbase 62 and the tool-receivingpieces 56 so as to press the tip end of the tool T against the corner between thebottom face 30 f of thebutton storage recess 30 c and the tool-lockingbase 63. Then, as indicated with the dashed-two dotted line inFIG. 8B , the tool T is rotated rearward by supporting the tool T at the tip end coming in contact with the corner between thebottom face 30 f and the tool-lockingbase 63. As a result, the tool T presses the tool-receivingpiece 56 rearward and upward due to the principle of leverage, and so this can move thekeyboard unit 12 easily rearward and upward. As a result, theelastic part 50 is removed upward from the lockingface 52 a of the lockingpart 52, so that thehooks 34 are disengaged from the engagement holes 36. Then, the user can remove thekeyboard unit 12 from themain body chassis 14 easily. - The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified freely without deviating from the scope of the present invention.
- In the above embodiment, the
keyboard unit 12 and themain body chassis 14 are shown as one example of the two members to be coupled with thecoupling structure 10, and thecoupling structure 10 may be used for coupling of other members. For instance, theupper cover 30 and thelower cover 32 of themain body chassis 14 of theelectronic device 18 may be coupled with the coupling structure, or other electronic components in themain body chassis 14 may be fixed with the coupling structure. This coupledstructure 16 may be used for an electronic device other than a laptop PC, a mechanical chassis other than electronic devices, or mechanical devices.
Claims (10)
1. A coupled structure including a first member coupled to a second member, comprising:
a hook mechanism configured to engage the first member with the second member when the first member moves in one direction relative to the second member;
a locking part at the second member; and
an elastic part at the first member, the elastic part configured to bias the first member engaged with the second member in the one direction relative to the second member when the locking part locks the elastic part.
2. The coupled structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the hook mechanism includes an engagement hole at one face of the first member and a hook at one face of the second member or a hook at the one face of the first member and an engagement hole at the one face of the second member,
the hook mechanism configured to, after placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member and inserting the hook into the engagement hole, and moving the first member in the one direction relative to the second member, engage with the engagement hole,
the elastic member is disposed at the one face of the first member, and
the locking part is disposed at the one face of the second member, and has a locking face configured to lock the elastic part in the one direction.
3. The coupled structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the locking face has an inclined face that is inclined gradually in the one direction and toward a direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member.
4. The coupled structure according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a screw that fastens the first member to the second member in the direction of placing the one face of the first member on the one face of the second member.
5. The coupled structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the one face of the first member has a recess having a first hole at a center, the first hole configured for insertion of the screw, and
the one face of the second member has a second hole at a center, the second hole configured for insertion of the screw, and has a projection configured to fit the recess of the first member.
6. The coupled structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the locking part extends in the one direction and has an upper face continuous to the locking face, and
the upper face of the locking part has a length in the one direction that is longer than an engagement length of the hook with the engagement hole.
7. An electronic device, comprising:
a coupled structure including a first member coupled to a second member, comprising:
a hook mechanism configured to engage the first member with the second member when the first member moves in one direction relative to the second member;
a locking part at the second member; and
an elastic part at the first member, the elastic part configured to bias the first member engaged with the second member in the one direction relative to the second member when the locking part locks the elastic part; wherein
the first member is a keyboard unit, and
the second member is a chassis having an upper face on which the keyboard unit is mounted.
8. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein
the one direction is a direction toward an end of the keyboard unit that is closer to a user of the electronic device.
9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the elastic part is disposed at a position close to the end of the keyboard unit that is closer to the user.
10. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein
the keyboard unit includes a metal base plate and a resin housing plate stacked on an upper face of the base plate,
the elastic part includes a first plate spring disposed at the base plate and a second plate spring disposed at the housing plate, the second plate spring being overlapped on the first plate spring, and
the second plate spring comes in contact with the locking part.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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JP2018070703 | 2018-04-02 | ||
JP2018070703A JP6700330B2 (en) | 2018-04-02 | 2018-04-02 | Electronics |
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US10429900B1 US10429900B1 (en) | 2019-10-01 |
US20190302852A1 true US20190302852A1 (en) | 2019-10-03 |
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US16/022,674 Active US10429900B1 (en) | 2018-04-02 | 2018-06-28 | Coupled structure and electronic device |
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JP (1) | JP6700330B2 (en) |
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USD898028S1 (en) * | 2018-07-06 | 2020-10-06 | Toshiba Client Solutions CO., LTD. | Keyboard for electronic computers |
US11579663B1 (en) * | 2021-12-13 | 2023-02-14 | Dell Products L.P. | Modular information handling system with automated housing cover removal |
US20230186253A1 (en) * | 2021-12-13 | 2023-06-15 | Dell Products L.P. | Modular information handling system with automated display removal |
US11740707B1 (en) | 2022-12-14 | 2023-08-29 | Dell Products L.P. | Portable information handling system keyboard membrane having serial connector hub |
US11829223B2 (en) | 2021-12-13 | 2023-11-28 | Dell Products L.P. | Information handling system battery disposition automated using performance metrics |
US11832069B1 (en) | 2022-12-14 | 2023-11-28 | Dell Products L.P. | Information handling system speaker with dampened speaker signal interface |
US11907042B2 (en) | 2021-12-13 | 2024-02-20 | Dell Products L.P. | Reduction of high battery voltage by ratios using a main board for power supply of processing unit based on battery voltage changes over time |
US11914428B1 (en) | 2022-12-14 | 2024-02-27 | Dell Products L.P. | Portable information handling system keyboard assembly having separable palm rest |
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TWM587292U (en) * | 2019-06-25 | 2019-12-01 | 緯創資通股份有限公司 | Electronic device |
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USD898028S1 (en) * | 2018-07-06 | 2020-10-06 | Toshiba Client Solutions CO., LTD. | Keyboard for electronic computers |
US11579663B1 (en) * | 2021-12-13 | 2023-02-14 | Dell Products L.P. | Modular information handling system with automated housing cover removal |
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US11914428B1 (en) | 2022-12-14 | 2024-02-27 | Dell Products L.P. | Portable information handling system keyboard assembly having separable palm rest |
Also Published As
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JP6700330B2 (en) | 2020-05-27 |
JP2019185091A (en) | 2019-10-24 |
US10429900B1 (en) | 2019-10-01 |
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