Patent Application
20200245484
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-13586, filed on Jan. 29, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The embodiments discussed herein are related to an electronic device.
There is a wireless integrated circuit (IC) tag that includes an IC chip, an antenna member, and a protective material that protects the IC chip and the antenna member.
There also is an IC card that includes an IC module, an intermediate adhesive layer, and an outer surface laminate layer. The IC module is interposed between the intermediate adhesive layer and the outer surface laminate layer.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2007-4323 and 2005-234683 are examples of related art.
According to an aspect of the embodiments, an electronic device includes: an electronic component; a first protective member disposed so as to face one surface of the electronic component, the first protective member configured to be deformed by a shock from outside of the electronic component so as to relieve the shock; and at least one second protective member disposed so as to face a surface of the first protective member opposite the electronic component, the at least one second protective member being harder than the first protective member, the at least one second protective member having a rod shape.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
When an electronic component such as an IC chip or an IC module in a curved state is able to be mounted on a mounting target, the electronic component is able to be mounted on a curved surface, and accordingly, able to be mounted on various types of mounting targets. It is also desired that the electronic component be protected from shocks from outside.
For protecting the electronic component from the shocks, for example, a protective member may be bonded to the electronic component. However, when a hard protective member is bonded to the electronic component, the curving property (ease of curving) of the electronic component is degraded. When a soft protective member is bonded to the electronic component, it is difficult to relieve the shocks so as to reliably protect the electronic component.
As an aspect, degradation of a curving property of an electronic component may be suppressed, and, in addition, shocks from outside may be relieved so as to protect the electronic component.
An electronic device 112 according to a first embodiment is described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As illustrated in
The electronic component 114 includes a base plate 120. The base plate 120 is formed of rubber, soft resin (for example, silicone rubber), or the like such that the base plate 120 is able to be curved. The base plate 120 is a plate-shaped member having a rectangular shape (flat rectangular parallelepiped shape) in plan view. The plate shape refers to a shape in which the thickness is sufficiently thin compared to the width and the depth and which is substantially sufficiently bent (curved) in the thickness direction. In the drawings, the width direction, the depth direction, and the thickness direction of the electronic component 114 (base plate 120) are indicated by arrows W, D, and T, respectively. The electronic component 114 (base plate 120) has a rectangular shape in plan view. The longitudinal direction of the electronic component 114 is coincident with the width direction, and the lateral direction of the electronic component 114 is coincident with the depth direction. Furthermore, the width direction, the depth direction and the thickness direction of the electronic component 114 are coincident with the width direction, the depth direction and the thickness direction of the first protective member 116, respectively.
One surface of the base plate 120 is a mounting surface 114A of the electronic component 114. As illustrated in
Examples of the mounting target 122 include, for example, a protective hat 124 illustrated in
The electronic component 114 includes an electronic component main body 130 fixed to the side of the base plate 120 opposite the mounting surface 114A. The electronic component main body 130 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, an electronic circuit, a processor, a memory, an antenna, and the like. Thus, the electronic component main body 130 is able to send and receive radio waves to and from outside.
The electronic component main body 130, which has a thickness larger than that of the base plate 120, is sufficiently flexible to be curved together with the base plate 120.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In a state in which the electronic component 114 is mounted on the mounting target 122, surfaces of the thin plate portion 134 and the thick plate portion 136 opposite the mounting surface 114A are protected surfaces 114B to be protected from shocks from outside.
As illustrated in
The first protective member 116 is a plate-shaped member formed of a soft material, a rubber, a soft resin, or the like (for example, silicone rubber). According to the present embodiment, a surface of the first protective member 116 opposite the electronic component 114 is an exposed surface 140 exposed to the outside of the electronic device 112.
According to the present embodiment, the electronic component 114 includes the thin plate portion 134 and the thick plate portion 136. The first protective member 116 includes a thick portion 144 corresponding to the thin plate portion 134 and a thin portion 146 corresponding to the thick plate portion 136. The first protective member 116 including the thick portion 144 and the thin portion 146 as described above is in surface contact with the protected surfaces 114B of the thin plate portion 134 and the thick plate portion 136. In a state in which the first protective member 116 is mounted on the electronic component 114, the exposed surface 140 of the first protective member 116 (the surface opposite the electronic component 114) is flat.
As illustrated in
The first protective member 116 according to the present embodiment is transparent. Accordingly, even when the solar cell panel 132 is covered with the first protective member 116, light reaches the solar cell panel 132 from outside. The first protective member 116 is regarded as “transparent” as long as the first protective member 116 has a degree of optical transparency as described above with which the solar cell panel 132 is able to generate power.
As illustrated in
In the example according to the present embodiment, a plurality of (three in the example illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
According to the present embodiment, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Although the three second protective members 118 are equally spaced in the example illustrated in
To obtain the actual electronic device 112, for example, as illustrated in
Next, operations according to the present embodiment are described.
The electronic device 112 according to the present embodiment includes the base plate 120 and the first protective member 116. The base plate 120 and the first protective member 116 are formed of rubber, soft resin, or the like such that the base plate 120 and the first protective member 116 are able to be curved. Accordingly, the electronic component 114 and the first protective member 116 allow curving of the electronic device 112 without causing large resistance to act when the electronic device 112 is curved.
The electronic device 112 also includes the second protective members 118. The second protective members 118 have the rod shape the longitudinal direction of which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electronic device 112. Thus, when the electronic device 112 is curved along the longitudinal direction, the second protective members 118 do not cause resistance to act on the curving. Accordingly, the electronic device 112 is able to be curved.
For example, in the example illustrated in
In contrast, in the example illustrated in
The electronic device 112 according to the present embodiment includes the first protective member 116 and the second protective members 118. This may relieve shocks from outside. As illustrated in
Portions of the second protective members 118 in contact with the first protective member 116 push parts of the first protective member 116 (the end portions 116T and regions near the end portions 116T), thereby locally compressing the first protective member 116. This compression of the first protective member 116 may also absorb the shock S.
As has been described, the electronic device 112 according to the present embodiment, which includes the first protective member 116 and the second protective members 118, may suppress degradation of the curving property (ease of curving), and relieve shocks from outside so as to protect the electronic component 114.
Next, a second embodiment is described. For the second embodiment, elements, members, and so forth similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs as those of the first embodiment, thereby omitting the detailed description thereof.
As illustrated in
Thus, in the electronic device 212 according to the second embodiment, as illustrated in
The second protective member 118 may be fixed to the first protective member 116 by bonding or the like or simply in contact with the first protective member 116 without being fixed.
When the second protective member 118 is fixed to the first protective member 116, the position of the second protective member 118 relative to the first protective member 116 may be stably maintained. In this case, the end portions 118E of the second protective member 118 may be fixed to the mounting target 122 or is not necessarily fixed to the mounting target 122.
In contrast, when the second protective member 118 is not fixed to the first protective member 116, the second protective member 118 is allowed to move relative to the first protective member 116. Thus, the resistance to the curving of the electronic device 112 is reduced. In this structure, the end portions 118E of the second protective member 118 are fixed to the mounting target 122.
According to both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the second protective member 118 is in contact with the mounting target 122 at the end portions 118E. Thus, when the second protective member 118 is bent by shocks, both end portions 118E are supported by the mounting target 122. This may cause the central portion 118C to be reliably bent.
Next, a third embodiment is described. Also for the third embodiment, elements, members, and so forth similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs as those of the first embodiment, thereby omitting the detailed description thereof.
As illustrated in
However, unlike the second protective member 118 according to the second embodiment, the end portions 118E of the second protective member 118 are spaced from the mounting target 122 in the electronic device 312 according to the third embodiment.
Thus, in the electronic device 312 according to the third embodiment, when shocks act on the second protective member 118 from outside, the second protective member 118, while approaching the mounting target 122, pushes the first protective member 116 so as to compress the first protective member 116 in a range in which the second protective member 118 is in line contact with the first protective member 116. Accordingly, the shocks from outside may be relieved so as to protect the electronic device 112.
Next, a variant is described. Also for the variant, elements, members, and so forth similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs as those of the first embodiment, thereby omitting the detailed description thereof.
As illustrated in
The second protective members 118 may be disposed so as to be inclined relative to the electronic component 114 in plan view as described above. However, each of the second protective member 118 substantially occupies a predetermined range having a width of W2 in plan view. Thus, as the inclination angle θ of the second protective members 118 approaches 90 degrees, the resistance to the curving of the electronic device 112 increases. In contrast, as is the case with the example illustrated in
In the electronic device 182 according to the variant, the shape and structure of the second protective member 118 may be, for example, those of the second embodiment or the third embodiment.
According to the embodiments and the variant, the first protective member 116 has a plate shape. Although the first protective member 116 may have a block shape instead of a plate shape, the plate-shaped first protective member 116 may protect the electronic component 114 from shocks by covering the protected surfaces 114B of the electronic component 114 without increasing the thickness. Even when the plate-shaped first protective member 116 is locally slit or recessed, as long as the first protective member 116 generally has a plate shape, the protected surfaces 114B of the electronic component 114 may be covered by the first protective member 116 without increasing the thickness.
The electronic component 114 has the mounting surface 114A. With the mounting surface 114A, the electronic component 114 is able to be mounted on the mounting target 122 while being in surface contact with the mounting target 122. When the electronic component 114 is mounted on the mounting target 122 at the mounting surface 114A as described above, shocks due to external force are likely to act on the surface opposite the mounting surface 114A. According to the above-described embodiments, the first protective member 116 is disposed so as to face the protected surfaces 114B opposite the mounting surface 114A. Thus, the protected surfaces 114B may be reliably protected from the shocks.
The first protective member 116 is not necessarily in contact with the protected surfaces 114B. The first protective member 116 may face the protected surfaces 1148 with gaps interposed therebetween. In the structure in which the first protective member 116 is in contact with the protected surfaces 114B, the thickness of the entire electronic device 112 may be reduced compared to a structure in which the gaps are interposed between the first protective member 116 and the protected surfaces 114B.
According to the embodiments and the variant, the first protective member 116 is in surface contact with the protected surfaces 114B of the electronic component 114. Since the contact area is larger than a structure in which the first protective member 116 is in point contact with or line contact with the protected surfaces 114B, local load (pressure) from the first protective member 116 to the electronic component 114 may be relieved. Furthermore, the position of the first protective member 116 relative to the electronic component 114 may be stably maintained.
Furthermore, the first protective member 116, the shape of which is coincident with the shape of the electronic component 114 (base plate 120) in plan view, covers the entirety of the protected surfaces 114B. Consequently, the entirety of the protected surfaces 114B may be protected from shocks. When the first protective member 116 covers the entirety of the protected surfaces 114B as described above, for example, there may be a portion that projects outward from the electronic component 114 in plan view. When the shape of the first protective member 116 is coincident with the shape of the electronic component 114 (base plate 120) in plan view as is the case with the embodiments herein, a structure in which the entirety of the protected surfaces 114B is covered is able to be realized without increasing the size of the first protective member 116.
In the electronic device 112 according to the embodiments, the electronic component 114 includes the thin plate portion 134 and the thick plate portion 136. Correspondingly, the first protective member 116 includes the thick portion 144 and the thin portion 146. Thus, a structure in which the first protective member 116 is in contact with the protected surfaces 114B of the thin plate portion 134 and the thick plate portion 136 of the electronic component 114 is able to be realized.
According to the embodiments and the variant, the first protective member 116 is transparent. When the electronic component 114 includes, for example, the solar cell panel 132, the power may be reliably generated by making the solar cell panel 132 irradiated with light. The “transparent” member is not limited to a member transmitting visible light and may also mean a member transmitting infrared light or ultraviolet light. For example, in a structure that includes, instead of the solar cell panel 132, a sending/receiving unit for sending and receiving, for example, infrared light or ultraviolet light, it is sufficient that infrared light or ultraviolet light be transmitted to such a degree that the sending/receiving is able to be performed by transmitting infrared light or ultraviolet light.
According to the embodiments and the variant, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of the second protective members 118 are provided. The number of second protective members 118 may be one. However, when a plurality of the second protective members 118 are provided, shocks acting on the electronic device are distributed among the second protective members 118. Thus, the electronic device 112 may be more effectively protected from the shocks from outside. In the structure in which the plurality of second protective members 118 are provided, the spaces between the second protective members 118 may be set so as not to block the curving in consideration of the shape of the electronic device 112 when the electronic device 112 is curved.
According to the embodiments and the variant, the rigidity of the first protective member 116 and the second protective members 118 may be set by the elastic modulus. For example, the elastic modulus of the first protective member 116 may be set to be a value between 50 kPa to 100 MPa. When the elastic modulus of the first protective member 116 is set to 50 kPa or larger, the first protective member 116 is elastically deformed by shocks from outside and may effectively absorb the shocks. When the elastic modulus of the first protective member 116 is set to 100 MPa or smaller, acting of excessive resistance on the curving of the electronic device 112 may be suppressed.
The elastic modulus of the second protective members 118 may be set to a value between 1 to 220 GPa. When the elastic modulus of the second protective members 118 is set to 1 GPa or larger, the second protective members 118 support shocks from outside and may effectively absorb the shocks by deformation of the second protective members 118 themselves. When the elastic modulus of the second protective members 118 is set to 220 GPa or smaller, the shape of the second protective members 118 may be stably maintained even when the electronic device 112 is curved.
Examples of the electronic device 112 of the present application include, for example, as described above, a device that includes an antenna therein so as to send and receive radio waves to and from the outside. The electronic device 112 may be a device that includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element therein so as to send and receive light. The electronic device 112 may be a device that includes a light emitting element and a display so as to allow surrounding operators to visually recognize the location and the state of the electronic device 112 by light emission or a display in a screen.
Although the embodiments of the technique disclosed herein have been described, the technique disclosed herein is not limited to the above description. Of course, in addition to the above description, the technique disclosed herein is able to be varied in a variety of manners and embodied without departing from the gist thereof.
All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for the pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-013586 | Jan 2019 | JP | national |
