This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-036891, filed Feb. 14, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic device including a push button, for example, to an electronic device including a sealing structure around the push button.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic device such as a portable computer is provided with push buttons, for example, a power switch button and a click switch button. Each push button is located in an opening of a housing of the computer such that it may be pressed with, for example, a fingertip.
When a user inadvertently spills coffer or water on the push button during operating the electronic device, the liquid will possibly enter the inside of the device housing through the opening. To cope with this, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-334759 proposes the push switch having a sealing structure.
The push switch generally includes a slide, a movable contact piece, a movable contact, and a fixed contact, and a sealing member. The sealing member is disposed between a housing case with the slide provided therein, and a housing base with the movable contact piece provided therein, and seals a space in the housing base in which the movable contact and the fixed contact are provided. When the user applies force to the slide, the sealing member and the movable contact piece are successively pressed, and the movable contact moves to come into contact with the fixed contact thereby to effect the inputting.
In the case of the sealing member, such as rubber or sponge, it is used in a state that it is compressed, for example, 20 to 40% in the thickness direction. To compress the sealing member to such an extent as just stated, a force to make such a compression is needed. Particularly, where the button size is large, the sealing member used is large. Accordingly, a large force is required to fix the sealing member. Increase of the button size brings about increase of a fixing member for fixing the sealing member in various senses.
For example, in the case where the push switch is used, as the size of the switch increases, a fixing part intercoupling the housing case and the housing base increases in size.
A general architecture that implements the various feature 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.
Various embodiments according to the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general, according to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic device includes: a housing including an opening; a button disposed in the opening; a switch contained in the housing and operated by using the button; a wall extending in the housing from that part of the housing which surrounds the opening; a sealing member interposed between the button and the switch, covering the opening, and including an edge part extending along a peripheral surface of the wall; and a holder which presses the edge part of the sealing member against the peripheral surface of the wall.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings applied to a portable computer.
The main body 2 includes a body base 4 and a body cover 5. The body cover 5 is attached to the body base 4 from above. With the attachment, the main body 2 includes a box-like housing 6 having an upper wall 6a, a side wall 6b, and a bottom wall (not shown).
The display unit 3 includes a display housing 7 and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel 8 contained in the display housing 7. The LCD panel 8 has a display screen 8a. The display screen 8a is exposed to outside of the display housing 7 through an opening 7a of the display housing 7.
The display unit 3 is supported at the end part of the housing 6, with the aid of a hinge device, not shown. With the structure, the display unit 3 is turned between a close position in which the display unit 3 covers the upper wall 6a from above and an open position in which the display unit 3 stands up to expose the upper wall 6a and the display screen 8a to outside.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The standing wall 32 is formed as a frame body which is raised from the upper wall 6a and extends into the inside of the housing 6, and entirely surrounds the opening 31. The standing wall 32 includes an outer part 33 and an inner part 34. The outer part 33 protrudes more than the inner part 34.
The button 22 is located in the opening 31. The button 22 includes an upper wall 22a, a side wall 22b, an edge part 22c, and a pressing protrusion 22d. The upper wall 22a is exposed to outside of the housing 6 through the opening 31 so as to allow the user to directly press the upper wall 22a. The side wall 22b extends from the peripheral of the upper wall 22a downwardly in the housing 6. The edge part 22c extends from the extended end of the side wall 22b and outwardly from the button 22. The pressing protrusion 22d extends from the upper wall 22a toward the inside of the housing 6 and opposes the switch 21.
When the button 22 is set in position, the upper surface of the edge part 22c comes into contact with the lower surface of the inner part 34 of the standing wall 32. The result is that no ejection of the button 22 from the housing 6 is ensured. As illustrated in
As shown in
The raised part 37 is mounted along the outer peripheral surface 32a of the standing wall 32, and surrounds the standing wall 32. In use, the raised part 37 is compressed by several tenths of a millimeter in thickness direction between the holder 24 and the standing wall 32. For this reason, the raised part 37 has a thickness enough to be compressed. An example of the thickness of the raised part 37 is 1 to 2 mm.
The flat part 36 is a part not compressed, and does not need such a thickness as that of the raised part 37. An example of the thickness of the flat part 36 is 0.1 mm. The thickness of the flat part 36 is not limited to specific value in particular. For example, it may be almost equal to that of the raised part 37. The sealing member 23 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or sponge.
As shown in
As shown in
A pair of mounting projections 41a and 41b protrude from the rear surface of the housing upper wall 6a. The holder 24 has a pair of mounting holes 42a and 42b corresponding in position to the mounting projections 41a and 41b. The holder 24 is positioned by inserting the mounting projections 41a and 41b respectively into the mounting holes 42a and 42b. The holder 24 is firmly fixed in the housing 6 in a manner that after the holder 24 is mounted, the tips of the mounting projections 41a and 41b are welded to the holder 24. The holder 24 may be fixed to the housing 6 by means of screws in place of welding.
Next, operations of the portable computer 1 will be described.
As shown in
The flat part 36 of the sealing member 23 entirely covers the lower side of the opening 31. The raised part 37 of the sealing member 23 is held, while being compressed, between the holder 24 and the standing wall 32, to liquid-tightly isolate the space continuous to the opening 31 from the inside of the housing 6.
With such a structure, if the user inadvertently spills coffee or water on the housing upper wall 6a during operating the portable computer 1, the liquid is prevented from entering the inside of the housing 6 through the opening 31.
In the portable computer 1 thus constructed, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily sealed irrespective of the size and the configuration of the button 22. To be more specific, when the sealing member is pressed against and fixed to the lower surface of the wall formed around the opening 31, the compressing direction of the sealing member is aligned with the mounting direction of the fixing member for fixing the sealing member. Accordingly, the fixing member is mounted resisting the reaction to the compression of the sealing member. For this reason, when the button is large in size or complicated in shape, the fixing member for fixing the sealing member, such as metal sheet and screws, is increased in size and in number.
In this connection, it is noted that the sealing member 23 of the instant embodiment is held, while being compressed, between the standing wall 32 and the holder 24. Accordingly, the compressing direction of the sealing member 23 is parallel to the upper wall 6a. The mounting direction (i.e., fixing direction) of the holder 24 is orthogonal to the upper wall 6a, i.e., those directions are different.
Accordingly, in the portable computer 1, the holder 24 never receives the reaction from the sealing member 23 in the mounting direction. Therefore, large yield strength is not required for the fixing members (mounting projections 41a and 41b in the embodiment) for fixing the holder 24 in the mounting direction. This leads to size reduction.
In other words, even when sealing member 23 becomes large in size or complicated in shape depending on the size and shape of the button 22, a force required for the fixing member to fix the holder 24 is varied little from that when the sealing member has the original size and shape. Accordingly, there is no need to increase the size and number of the fixing members. Accordingly, even in the electronic device having large buttons or buttons having complicated shapes, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily and uniformly sealed by forming the standing wall 32 and the holder 24 in conformity with the shape of the opening 31.
This implies that the push button unit 15 is reduced in size, and hence, the push button unit 15 which can be placed even in a small space in the housing 6 is provided.
If the sealing member 23 extends to the outer peripheral surface 32a of the standing wall 32, the holder 24, which is located on the outer side of it, is not exposed to outside of the housing 6 through the opening 31. Accordingly, the portable computer 1 looks attractive.
The raised part 37 of the sealing member 23 is compressed. Conversely speaking, the flat part 36 is not compressed. Accordingly, the flat part 36 may be thinner than the raised part 37. Where the flat part 36 has a specific thickness or a thickness larger than the specific one, the key touch feeling caused when the button 22 is pressed resembles that when rubber is pushed. The user does not much like such a key touch feeling. Where the flat part 36 is formed to be thin, the rubber touch feeling decreases. This leads to operability enhancement of the portable computer 1.
Further, by providing the holder 24 separately from the housing 6, the sealing member 23 is easily put between the standing wall 32 and the holder 24.
A portable computer 51 as an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
The portable computer 51 includes a push button unit 52 and a second standing wall 53. The push button unit 52 includes a switch 21, a button 22, a sealing member 23, and a holder 54. As shown in
A holder 54 is provided with a frame body 55 and a pair of mounting parts 56a and 56b. The outer diameter of the frame body 55 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the second standing wall 53. The mounting parts 56a and 56b are located at both end parts of the frame body 55, and include mounting holes 42a and 42b, respectively.
As shown in
In the portable computer 51 thus constructed, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily sealed irrespective of the size and the configuration of the button 22. That is, the sealing member 23 of the instant embodiment is held, while being compressed, between the first standing wall 32 and the holder 54. As in the first embodiment, even in the electronic device having large buttons and buttons having complicated shapes, the periphery of the opening is easily and uniformly sealed without increasing the size and number of the fixing members.
The portable computer 51 of the embodiment further includes a second standing wall 53. The holder 54 receives a reaction having an outward direction from the sealing member 23. Accordingly, if the holder 54 is insufficient in strength, the holder 54 will be bent outward. If the holder 54 is bent, the sealing performance deteriorates correspondingly. When the second standing wall 53 supports the outer peripheral surface 54a of the holder 54, the holder 54 is not bent. With this structural feature, the sealing performance is further enhanced in the portable computer 51.
Further, if the second standing wall 53 is provided, the holder 54 is smoothly mounted by merely moving the outer peripheral surface 54a of the holder 54 along the second standing wall 53. This feature contributes to enhancement of the assembly workability of the portable computer 51.
A portable computer 61 as an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
The portable computer 61 is provided with a push button unit 62. The push button unit 62 includes a switch 21, a button 22, a sealing member 23, and a holder 63. A cylindrical protrusion 64 is formed at the central part of the flat part 36 of the sealing member 23. The holder 63 includes a frame body 55, mounting parts 56a and 56b, a head part 65, and a pair of arms 66a and 66b. The frame body 55 is one form of the fixing part. The head part 65 is one form of the movable part.
As shown in
The head part 65 includes a hole 65a opened toward the sealing member 23. The hole 65a is formed at a position corresponding to that of the cylindrical protrusion 64 of the sealing member 23, and receives the cylindrical protrusion 64.
Next, operations of the portable computer 61 will be described.
As shown in
In the portable computer 61 thus constructed, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily sealed irrespective of the size and the configuration of the button 22. That is, the sealing member 23 of the instant embodiment is held, while being compressed, between the first standing wall 32 and the holder 63. As in the second embodiment, even in the electronic device having large buttons or buttons having complicated shapes, the periphery of the opening is easily and uniformly sealed without increasing the size and number of the fixing members.
Further, the holder 63 in the instant embodiment includes the head part 65 and the arms 66a and 66b. The button 22 is elastically supported by the arms 66a and 66b. As a result, the rubber touch feeling is eliminated from the key touch feeling when the button 22 is pressed. The key touch favorable to users is successfully created.
The reaction force of the head part 65 is easily adjusted by appropriately selecting the number of the arms 66a and 66b, or the mounting positions, length and thickness thereof. With this, the feeling (of click) caused at the time of pressing the button 22 is easily adjusted, and as a result, the portable computer 61 with improved operability is provided.
For example, the raised part 37 of the sealing member 23 and the flat part 36 may be formed separately, as shown
The head part 65 and the arms 66a and 66b may be formed on a holder not supported by the second standing wall 53, like the holder 24 in the first embodiment. It is not essential that the sealing member 23 is made of an elastic material, but it suffices that the sealing member 23 is flexible as long as the holder 63 has the arms 66a and 66b.
A portable computer 71 as an electronic device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
A first standing wall 32 of the portable computer 71 surrounds two openings 31, arranged side by side. The sealing member 23 of the push button unit 72 entirely covers the lower side of the two openings 31. The holder 63 includes a plurality of head parts 65 opposed by a plurality of switches 21, and arms 66a and 66b connecting the head parts 65 to a frame body 55.
In the portable computer 71 thus constructed, the periphery of the openings 31 are easily sealed irrespective of the size and the configuration of the buttons 22. It is effective to apply the embodiment of the invention to the sealing structure having a plurality of buttons, since the periphery of the opening is easily and uniformly sealed without increasing the size and number of the fixing members, even if the number of the buttons 22 is large.
A portable computer 81 as an electronic device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
The portable computer 81 is provided with a push button unit 82. The push button unit 82 includes a switch 21, a button 22, a sealing member 83, and a holder 84.
A standing wall 32 of the portable computer 81 includes a bottom wall 85 extending from the extended end of the standing wall 32 toward the inner side of the opening 31. As shown in
As shown in
In the portable computer 81 thus constructed, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily sealed irrespective of the size and the configuration of the button 22. That is, the sealing member 83 of the current embodiment is held, while being compressed, between the standing wall 32 and the holder 84. As in the first embodiment, even in the electronic device having large buttons or buttons having complicated shapes, the periphery of the opening 31 is easily and uniformly sealed without increasing the size and the number of the fixing members.
A portable computer 101 as an electronic device according to another embodiment will be described with reference to
The portable computer 101 is provided with a push button unit 102. The push button unit 102 includes a switch 21, a button 22, a sealing member 103, and a holder 104. The sealing member 103 is shaped like a plate. The holder 104 includes a mounting part 105, a head part 65, and arms 66a and 66b. The mounting part 105 of the holder 104 is fixed to the standing wall 32 by means of screws in a state that the edge part of the sealing member 103 is put between the mounting part 105 and the lower surface of the standing wall 32. The sealing member 103 is held, while being compressed, between the lower surface of the standing wall 32 and the upper surface of the holder 104. For example, the holder 104 may be fixed to the housing 6 by welding, in place of the screwing.
In the portable computer 101 thus constructed, the button 22 is elastically supported by the arms 66a and 66b. Accordingly, the rubber touch feeling is eliminated from the key touch feeling when the button 22 is pressed. The key touch favorable to users is successfully created.
The reaction force of the head part 65 is easily adjusted by appropriately selecting the number of the arms 66a and 66b, or the mounting positions, length and thickness thereof. With this, the feeling caused at the time of pressing the button 22 is easily adjusted, and as a result, the portable computer 101 with improved operability is provided.
While the portable computers 1, 51, 61, 71, and 81 of the first to fifth embodiments have been described, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to those portable computers. For example, various components used in the embodiments of the invention may be appropriately combined if required. The present invention may be applied to various types of push buttons, such as buttons of a touch pad, and power buttons. Further, the present invention may be applied to various types of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, video cameras, and personal digital assistants, in addition to the portable computer.
While certain embodiments of the inventions 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 methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems 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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2006-036891 | Feb 2006 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4170104 | Yamagata | Oct 1979 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
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5-11245 | Feb 1993 | JP |
09-161593 | Jun 1997 | JP |
10-334759 | Dec 1998 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070200153 A1 | Aug 2007 | US |