This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-176216, filed Aug. 29, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to an electronic device, a mounting member, and a mounting method.
Conventionally, there has been known an electronic device in which a module housed in a housing is fixed to a boss provided in the housing by a combining portion.
Some of the electronic devices of this type preferably have a structure in which the thickness of the housing is reduced.
A general architecture that implements the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.
In general, according to one embodiment, an electronic device comprises a housing, a first wall in the housing, a first base, a second base, a mount, a module, and a combining portion. The first base protrudes from the first wall in a thickness direction of the first wall. The first base comprises a first opening along the thickness direction. The second base is at one side of the first wall at which the first base protrudes, and located nearer to one side of the first base than to other side of the first base in the thickness direction. The one side of the first base is located nearer to the first wall. The mount extends from one side of the second base located farther from the first wall in the thickness direction to the other side of the first base, and comprises a second wall comprising a second opening which overlaps with the first opening. The module comprises a third wall and a body. The third wall is sandwiched between the second base and the second wall. The body is spaced apart from the second base. The combining portion penetrates through the second opening and inserted into the first opening, and is configured to combine the mount and the first base together.
The following describes an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configuration of the embodiment and the operations, results, and advantageous effects resulting therefrom are provided merely for exemplary purpose and not limiting. Furthermore, in the drawings, directions (X direction, Y direction, and Z direction) are illustrated for convenience. The X direction is a longitudinal direction on a wall 3k of a housing 3 viewed from the front (referred to as a plan view in the embodiment), the Y direction is a lateral direction on the wall 3k of the housing 3 viewed from the front (the plan view), and the Z direction is a thickness direction of the housing 3. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are orthogonal to one another.
An electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment serves as, for example, a personal computer, a television set, a smart phone, a smart book, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA), with a slate-type or a tablet-type display device comprising a function of a software keyboard. These are provided merely for exemplary purpose and not limiting. Examples of the electronic device 1 in the embodiment include a smart phone, a smart book, a mobile phone, a PDA, an image display device, a video phone, an image display controller, an information storage device.
As illustrated in
The housing 3 comprises the wall 3k (a part, a plate, a frame, a front wall, a front face wall, a top wall) comprising the face 3a, and a wall 3m (a part, a plate, a back wall, a rear face wall, a bottom wall) comprising the face 3b. The walls 3k and 3m each have a quadrangular shape (a rectangular shape as an example, in the embodiment). The housing 3 comprises four walls 3n (a part, a plate, a side wall, an end wall, a standing wall, a surrounding part) each comprising a face 3p (a side surface, a surrounding surface) across the wall 3k and the wall 3m. An opening 3r in a quadrangular shape is provided on the wall 3k, for example.
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
The housing 3 can comprise a plurality of components (segments) combined together. The housing 3 comprises a first member 3Fr (a front side member, a cover, a bezel, a frame) comprising at least the wall 3k, a second member 3Rr (a back side member, a base, a bottom, a plate) comprising at least the wall 3m, and a third member 3Md (an intermediate member, a plate, an intermediate wall, an inner wall, a middle plate, a middle frame) comprising at least the wall 3s.
The first member 3Fr is made of a synthetic resin material (an electric insulating material), for example. The second member 3Rr and the third member 3Md are made of a metallic material, for example, in the present embodiment. According to the present embodiment, weight saving and improvement of stiffness and strength of the housing 3 therefore are easily obtained at the same time. The combination of these materials (quality of materials) is only an example, and therefore combination of other materials can be used. For example, the second member 3Rr and the third member 3Md can also be made of a synthetic resin material.
A display device 4 (a display module, a display, a panel, a display component) is housed in the housing 3, for example, in the embodiment. Specifically, a display screen 4a located on the face 3a side of the display device 4 is exposed to the front (outside) of the housing 3 through the opening 3r. Users can visibly recognize the display screen 4a from the front side through the opening 3r. The display device 4 has an appearance of a quadrangular shape (a rectangular shape as an example, in the embodiment), when viewed from the front of display device 4. The display device 4 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is thin and flat in the front and back direction. The display device 4 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescent Display (GELD), and a plasma display panel (PDP), for example. In the present embodiment, the display device 4 is supported by the first member 3Fr.
An input operating panel 5 is provided on the front side (a front side, the wall 3k side) of the display device 4 in the embodiment. The input operating panel 5 is transparent and relatively thin and has a quadrangular shape. The input operating panel 5 is an electrostatic capacitive touch panel, for example, in the present embodiment. The input operating panel 5 comprises an operation surface 5a touched for operation (operated) by an operator. The operation surface 5a is exposed from the opening 3r. The input operating panel 5 is supported by the first member 3Fr with its surface opposite from the operation surface 5a placed over the display screen 4a.
A plurality of components (elements, electronic components, electrical components) such as a circuit board 17 are housed at the back side of the display device 4 (the rear side, the back rear side, the wall 3m side, the opposite side of the display screen 4a) in the housing 3, for example, in the present embodiment. The components mounted on the circuit board 17 (a board, a control board, a main board, an electrical component) constitute at least apart of a control circuit (not illustrated). The control circuit may comprise an image signal processing circuit, a tuner, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (registered trademark) signal processor, an audio video (AV) input port, a remote control signal receiver, a controller, a selector, an on-screen display interface, a storage (e.g., a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD)), an audio signal processing circuit, for example. The control circuit controls output of images (moving images and still images) on the display screen 4a of the display device 4, output of audio by a speaker (not illustrated), and emitting of a light emitting diode (LED) (not illustrated). The display device 4, the speaker, and the LED are examples of output parts. The display device 4 is electrically connected to the circuit board 17.
In addition to the circuit board 17, the followings are housed in the housing 3, for example, in the present embodiment: a battery (a cell, a battery pack), a camera module (a camera unit, a camera assembly, an image capturing device), a speaker module (a speaker unit, a speaker assembly, an audio output device), a connector module (a connector unit, a connector assembly, a connector device), an antenna module (an antenna unit, an antenna assembly, an antenna device), and a vibration generator (a motor with an eccentric weight on its rotating shaft). These electrical components are each electrically connected to the circuit board 17 and other electrical components through a wire (e.g., a cable, a flexible cable, a flexible printed-wiring board).
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The following describes the mounting structure of the module 20. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The boss 3sd protrudes from the face 3sa (the wall 3s) to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The boss 3sd has a cylindrical shape (e.g., cylinder) extending in the thickness direction of the wall 3s. In the boss 3sd, an opening 3sh is provided. The opening 3sh opens at least toward the one side and along the thickness direction of the wall 3s. In the present embodiment, the opening 3sh opens to the one side and the other side in the thickness direction of the wall 3s along the thickness direction. The boss 3sd also comprises a female screw 3si. The female screw 3si surrounds at least a portion of the opening 3sh. That is, the female screw 3si has the opening 3sh. In the present embodiment, the female screw 3si is provided across an end face 3sj (an end, a tip end) at the one side of the boss 3sd and the face 3sb. The female screw 3si surrounds the entire opening 3sh. The boss 3sd is an example of a first base and the opening 3sh is an example of a first opening.
The base 3se is provided adjacent to the boss 3sd. The base 3se protrudes from the wall 3s to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The base 3se is located nearer to one side of the boss 3sd than to the end face 3sj at other side of the boss 3sd. That is, an end face ask at one side of the base 3se is located nearer to the other side of the boss 3sd than to the end face 3sj of the boss 3sd. The base 3se comprises a first part 3sm and a second part 3sn. The first part 3sm is connected to the boss 3sd and has a shape of surrounding a part of the regulator 3sf. The first part 3sm extends in the direction along the extending direction of the end 21d of the circuit board 21. The second part 3sn extends from the first part 3sm to the side opposite the boss 3sd. The width of the second part 3sn along the extending direction of the end 21d is smaller than the width of the first part 3sm along the extending direction of the end 21d. The first part 3sm and the second part 3sn contact the electrode pad 21k of the circuit board 21. The base 3se is an example of a second base.
The regulator 3sf protrudes from the base 3se to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s) and connected to the boss 3sd. In other words, the regulator 3sf bulges out from the boss 3sd toward the base 3se. An end face 3sp at one side of the regulator 3sf is connected to the end face 3sj of the boss 3sd. The end face 3sp and the end face 3sj constitute a planar end face 3sq at one side of the support 3sc. The regulator 3sf contacts a part 21m (the edge 21g) that faces the opening 21i in the circuit board 21, and regulates the movement of the module 20 toward the wall 3s. Specifically, the regulator 3sf regulates the relative movement between the wall 3s and the module 20 in the direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the circuit board 21 (the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The regulator 3sf is an example of a first regulator.
The catch portion 3sg protrudes from the end face 3sp of the regulator 3sf to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The catch portion 3sg has a cylindrical shape, for example. The catch portion 3sg is an example of a first catch portion.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
An catch portion 40g is provided on the wall 40a. The catch portion 40g is provided apart from the opening 40f. The catch portion 40g and the opening 40f are provided side by side along a first direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall 40a (the direction represented with the arrow B1). An opening 40h is provided in the catch portion 40g. The opening 40h penetrates the faces 40d and 40e. The catch portion 40g faces the opening 40h. The catch portion 3sg of the support 3sc is located in the opening 40h. The catch portion 40g catches the catch portion 3sg, and regulates the movement of the mounting member 40 to the wall 3s in the direction orthogonal to the protruding direction of the catch portion 3sg (the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The catch portion 40g is an example of a second catch portion.
A contact portion 40i is provided on the face 40e (
The regulators 40b protrude from the face 40e to the other side. The regulators 40b extend from the face 40e of the wall 40a in a second direction (the direction represented with the arrow B2) orthogonal to the thickness direction of the wall 40a and the first direction. The regulators 40b extend in the opposite directions from each other. The regulators 40b face an end 21d (the edge 21g) of the circuit board 21. Any gap may exist between the regulators 40b and the end 21d. The regulators 40b contact the end 21d of the circuit board 21 (the edge 21g), and regulates the relative rotation of the mounting member 40 and the module 20. The regulators 40b are examples of a second regulator.
The grip 40c is provided on the part on the wall 40a opposite the catch portion 40g with respect to the opening 40f. A protruding portion 40j is provided on the grip 40c.
As illustrated in
The following describes a mounting method of the module 20 in the electronic device 1. As illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
As described above, in the mounting method according to the embodiment of the module 20 in the electronic device 1, the circuit board 21 of the module 20 is firstly located at one side of the base 3se; the mounting member 40 is located at one side the circuit board 21 and one side of the boss 3sd; and the circuit board 21 is sandwiched between the base 3se and the mounting member 40. After that, the mounting member 40 is combined with the boss 3sd by the combining portion 41. Here, the circuit board 21 is sandwiched between the mounting member 40 and the base 3se.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the module 20 is fixed to the wall 3s (the first wall) by the support 3sc, the mounting member 40, and the combining portion 41. The support 3sc comprises the boss 3sd (the first base) and the base 3se (the second base). The boss 3sd protrudes from the wall 3s to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s). The base 3se is provided on the face 3sa (a part on the one side) on the wall 3s and located nearer to one side of the boss 3sd than to the end face 3sj at other side of the boss 3sd. Here, the one side of the boss 3sd is located nearer to the wall 3s. The wall 40a (the second wall) of the mounting member 40 extends from one side of the base 3se to the other side of the boss 3sd. On the wall 40a, the opening 40f (the second opening) is provided. The opening 40f overlaps with the opening 3sh (the first opening) of the boss 3sd. The circuit board 21 (the third wall) of the module 20 is sandwiched between the base 3se and the wall 40a. The combining portion 41 penetrates through the opening 40f and is inserted into the opening ash, and combines the mounting member 40 and the boss 3sd together. This operation locates the face 21b of the circuit board 21 nearer to the other side than to the end face 3sj of the boss 3sd, thereby readily achieving a reduction of the thickness of the housing 3 in comparison to the configuration in which the circuit board 21 is placed over the end face 3sj of the boss 3sd.
In the present embodiment, the regulator 3sf protrudes from the base 3se to the one side. The regulator 3sf contacts the part 21m that faces the opening 21i in the circuit board 21, thereby regulating the movement of the module 20 toward the wall 3s. This operation helps locating the module 20.
In the present embodiment, the catch portion 3sg (the first catch portion) and the catch portion 40g (the second catch portion) are provided. The catch portion 40g catches the catch portion 3sg, thereby regulating the movement of the mounting member 40 toward the wall 3s, that is, locating the mounting member 40.
In the present embodiment, the end face 41c at one side of the head 41a located farther from the wall 3s in the thickness direction of the wall 3s is located toward the wall 3s in the thickness direction of the wall 3s with respect to the end face 22b at one side of the body 22a located farther from the wall 3s. This configuration readily achieves a reduction of the thickness of the housing 3.
In the present embodiment, the circuit board 21 and the boss 3sd are provided side by side in the direction along the face 3sa on the one side of the wall 3s. This configuration readily achieves a reduction of the thickness of the housing 3.
In the present embodiment, the connector 30 is housed in the housing 3 and combined with the part (the end 21f) of the circuit board 21 opposite the mounting member 40. This configuration supports both the ends 21d and 21f on the circuit board 21 that opposes each other. This configuration facilitates a stable mounting of the module 20.
In the present embodiment, the regulators 40b contact the edge 21g of the circuit board 21, and regulates the relative rotation of the mounting member 40 and the module 20. This operation helps installing the mounting member 40. This operation also facilitates a stable mounting of the module 20 because the rotation of the mounted module 20 is regulated.
In the present embodiment, the base 3se protrudes from the wall 3s to the one side (in the thickness direction of the wall 3s). This configuration separates the parts other than the part placed over the base 3se on the circuit board 21 from the wall 3s.
The structures and the shapes of the embodiments can be partially substituted. Moreover, specifications (a structure, a type, a direction, a shape, a size, a length, a width, a thickness, a height, the number, an arrangement, a position, a material, and the like) of each of the structures and the shapes can be changed as appropriate.
Moreover, the various modules of the systems described herein can be implemented as software applications, hardware and/or software modules, or components on one or more computers, such as servers. While the various modules are illustrated separately, they may share some or all of the same underlying logic or code.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-176216 | Aug 2014 | JP | national |