This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-170974, filed Jun. 30, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an information processing apparatus in which a coaxial connector for connecting an antenna cable or the like thereto is fixed onto a metal casing. The present invention also relates to a display device such as a flat screen television on which a tuner module is mounted, especially to a structure that reinforces the thin display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat screen televisions such as liquid crystal display televisions and plasma display panel televisions comprise a housing to house main components such as a display panel. The housing is composed of a front cover and a back cover that covers the front cover from behind. A tuner module that receives television signals is provided between the back cover and the display panel. The tuner module is mounted on a TV circuit board arranged on the back of the display panel.
The tuner module comprises a circuit board that includes a tuner circuit, a metal casing that houses this circuit board, and an antenna terminal to which an antenna cable is detachably connected. In general, a coaxial connector is adopted for the antenna terminal. The coaxial connector is fixed to the casing.
In an effort to improve the commercial value, the trend of flat screen televisions has been toward a thinner housing. To comply with this trend of thinner housings, a so-called horizontal-type tuner module is adopted in which the circuit board is arranged in parallel with the display panel.
As disclosed, for example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-60474, the tuner module of the above type has a flat, rectangular box casing. The casing includes a flat cover that covers the circuit board. This cover opposes the back cover of the housing. The coaxial connector is fixed onto the cover of the casing.
According to the above Japanese patent publication, the coaxial connector of the tuner module protrudes upright from the cover of the casing. For this reason, when the module is housed in the housing of the flat screen television, the coaxial connector protrudes from the cover of the casing toward the back cover of the housing. Thus, it is possible that the thickness of the tuner module, which is the total length of the thickness of the casing and the length of the coaxial connector, becomes larger than the distance between the TV circuit board and the back cover.
In such a case, the coaxial connector is forced to penetrate the back cover and protrude from the back of the housing. In other words, as the housing becomes thinner, the coaxial connector protrudes from the back cover to a greater extent, posing a greater impediment to the slimming down of flat screen televisions.
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.
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 information processing apparatus comprises: a metal casing mounted on a base plate; a circuit board housed in the casing; and a connector provided in the casing in such a manner that a signal cable is detachably connected thereto. The casing has a cover surface that covers the circuit board from the side opposite to the base plate and a connector mount section that is stepped from the cover surface toward the base plate. The connector is secured onto the bottom of the connector mount section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a display device comprises: a housing having a back cover; a display panel housed in the housing; and a tuner module housed in the housing and arranged between the back cover and the display panel. The tuner module comprises a metal casing and a connector provided in the casing in such a manner as to protrude from the back cover so that a signal cable is detachably connected thereto. The casing has a cover surface that faces the back cover and a connector mount section that is stepped from the cover surface in a direction away from the back cover. The connector is secured onto the bottom of the connector mount section.
A first embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to
The television main body 2 includes a housing 5 made of a synthetic resin and a flat display panel 6 housed in the housing 5. The display panel 6 has a rectangular display screen 6a, and stands upright inside the housing 5. The display screen 6a is exposed to the outside from the front side of the housing 5.
As illustrated in
The back cover 9 has a back wall 10. The back wall 10 stands upright behind the display panel 6. A TV circuit board 11 is provided between the back wall 10 and the display panel 6. The TV circuit board 11 stands upright, facing the back wall 10. The TV circuit board 11 and the display panel 6 are supported by the back cover 9 by way of a metallic chassis that is not shown in the drawings.
The TV circuit board 11 includes a mount surface 11a. The mount surface 11a faces the back wall 10 of the back cover 9. A tuner module 13 that receives a television signal is mounted on the mount surface 11a of the TV circuit board 11. The tuner module 13 is an example of the information processing apparatus, and is provided between the back wall 10 of the back cover 9 and the TV circuit board 11.
The casing 14 has an electromagnetic shield function. The casing 14 is shaped into a flat, substantially rectangular box. The thickness direction of the casing 14 agrees with the thickness direction of the housing 5. The casing 14 is composed of three components, a frame 17, a top plate 18 and a bottom plate 19. The frame 17 includes a pair of side plates 20a and 20b, a first end plate 21 and a second end plate 22.
The side plates 20a and 20b are each shaped into a rectangle elongated in the width direction of the back cover 9, and positioned a certain distance apart from each other in the height direction of the back cover 9 and in parallel with each other. Each of the side plates 20a and 20b has first to fourth edges 23a, 23b, 23c and 23d. The first edge 23a extends along the mount surface 11a of the TV circuit board 11. The second edge 23b extends on the side opposite to the first edge 23a, in parallel with the first edge 23a. The third edge 23c extends between the ends of the side plates 20a and 20b in the thickness direction of the casing 14. The fourth edge 23d extends between the other ends of the side plates 20a and 20b in the thickness direction of the casing 14.
Furthermore, each of the side plates 20a and 20b has a pair of engagement pieces 24a and 24b. The engagement pieces 24a and 24b protrude from the first edge 23a and are positioned a certain distance apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side plates 20a and 20b.
A notch 26 is formed on one end of each of the side plates 20a and 20b in their longitudinal direction. The notch 26 is defined by a fifth edge 23e and a sixth edge 23f. The fifth edge 23e extends from one end of the second edge 23b of each of the side plates 20a and 20b towards the first edge 23a. The sixth edge 23f extends in parallel with the first edge 23a of the side plates 20a and 20b from the end of the fifth edge 23e. Thus, the side plates 20a and 20b form, at one end thereof, a narrow portion 27 cut out in such a manner as to reduce the thickness of the casing 14.
The first end plate 21 is provided between the third edges 23c of the side plates 20a and 20b. The first end plate 21 has an extended portion 28 provided between the notches 26 of the side plates 20a and 20b. The extended portion 28 includes a first plate 28a and a second plate 28b. The first plate 28a is provided between the sixth edges 23f of the side plates 20a and 20b. The second plate 28b is provided between the fifth edges 23e of the side plates 20a and 20b. The first plate 28a and the second plate 28b are orthogonal to each other.
The second end plate 22 is provided between the fourth edges 23d of the side plates 20a and 20b. Thus, the first end plate 21 and the second end plate 22 is opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the side plates 20a and 20b.
According to the present embodiment, the frame 17 is formed into a rectangular-frame shape by folding a metal plate 30 that is prepared by a blanking process as illustrated in
The procedure of assembling the metal plate 30 into the frame 17 will now be explained. First, as shown in
Next, the edges of the first plate elements 31a and 31b that are bent and the edges of the second plate element 32 that is bent are put together and attached by means of calking or the like. In the same manner, the edges of the first plate elements 31a and 31b that are bent and the edges of the third plate element 33 that are bent are put together and attached by means of calking or the like.
Next, the second plate element 32 is bent along a bend line X3 to form the first plate 28a. Further, the second plate element 32 is bent along a bend line X4 to form the second plate 28b.
Thereafter, the edges of the first plate 28a are put together with the sixth edges 23f of the side plates 20a and 20b and attached by means of calking or the like. Further, the edges of the second plate 28b are put together with the fifth edges 23e of the side plates 20a and 20b and attached by means of calking or the like. As a result, the side plates 20a and 20b, the first end plate 21 and the second end plate 22 are put into a rectangular frame, and the assembly of the frame 17 is completed.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The circuit board 15 carries various circuit components 36 that constitute the tuner circuit. The circuit board 15 is placed in parallel with the top plate 18 and the bottom plate 19 in the casing 14.
The top plate 18 of the casing 14 has a cover surface 40. The cover surface 40 covers the circuit board 15 from the direction of the back wall 10 of the back cover 9. In other words, the cover surface 40 covers the circuit board 15 in the direction opposite to the TV circuit board 11.
Furthermore, the casing 14 includes a connector mount section 41 that is stepped down from the cover surface 40 toward the TV circuit board 11. The connector mount section 41 is defined by the notches 26 of the side plates 20a and 20b of the frame 17 and the extended portion 28 of the first end plate 21.
The first plate 28a of the extended portion 28 is positioned at the bottom of the connector mount section 41, forming a flat support surface 42 in the bottom of the connector mount section 41. The support surface 42 is receded from the back wall 10 of the back cover 9 and placed closer to the TV circuit board 11 than to the cover surface 40.
When the casing 14 is viewed from a different angle, the connector mount section 41 is positioned at one end of the cover surface 40. Furthermore, the support surface 42 of the connector mount section 41 extends in parallel with the TV circuit board 11 from a position closer to the TV circuit board 11 than to the cover surface 40.
For this reason, a step S is created between the support surface 42 and the cover surface 40 in the thickness direction of the casing 14. Thus, the thickness of the casing 14 is reduced most in the area corresponding to the connector mount section 41.
The coaxial connector 16 is provided to connect an antenna cable 44, which serves as a signal cable, in a detachable manner. As shown in
The coaxial connector 16 is inserted into a through hole 51 formed in the support surface 42 from the outside of the casing 14. By this insertion, the flange 50 is pressed against the support surface 42. Moreover, the tip of the outer conductor 46 is broadened by means of calking or the like after the coaxial connector 16 is inserted into the through hole 51. As a result, a stopper 52 is formed at the tip of the outer conductor 46 in such a manner as to stretch in the radial direction. The stopper 52 sandwiches the first plate 28a of the frame 17 together with the flange 50. Thus, the coaxial connector 16 is secured onto the support surface 42 of the connector mount section 41, and protrudes from this support surface 42 in the direction opposite to the TV circuit board 11. In other words, the coaxial connector 16 extends from the support surface 42 of the connector mount section 41 toward the back wall 10 of the back cover 9.
The central conductor 47 of the coaxial connector 16 is guided straight in the axial direction of the outer conductor 46 and connected to the circuit board 15 by means of soldering or the like.
As shown in
As shown in
According to the first embodiment, the connector mount section 41 is formed as a step in the cover surface 40 of the casing 14 of the tuner module 13 in such a manner as to be receded from the back cover 9 of the housing 5. The connector mount section 41 includes the flat support surface 42 at its bottom. The coaxial connector 16 that serves as an antenna terminal is secured onto the support surface 42 in the bottom of the connector mount section 41.
In this structure, the step S is created between the cover surface 40 of the casing 14 and the support surface 42 of the connector mount section 41 in the thickness direction of the casing 14. Thus, the protrusion length L of the coaxial connector 16 with reference to the cover surface 40 is a value obtained by subtracting the step S from the entire length of the coaxial connector 16.
As a result, the protrusion length of the coaxial connector 16 from the cover surface 40 is reduced by the length of the step S, which prevents the coaxial connector 16 from extending out of the back cover 9 to a large extent. Thus, a thin, compact tuner module 13 can be produced.
In particular, according to the present embodiment, the leading end of the coaxial connector 16 is recessed inside the housing 5 with respect to the opening 53 of the back cover 9. Hence, the flatness of the flat screen television 1 can be improved without the coaxial connector 16 sticking out from the back cover 9, and thereby the commercial value of the flat screen television 1 can be enhanced.
The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, but can be realized with various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, according to the first embodiment, the leading end of the coaxial connector is recessed inside the housing with respect to the opening. However, the leading end of the coaxial connector may extend out of the housing with respect to the opening. With the leading end of the coaxial connector arranged outside the housing, the workability of connecting the cable fitting to the coaxial connector can be improved.
The number of coaxial connectors is not limited to one, and multiple coaxial connectors may be arranged in line and fixed onto the support surface of the connector mount section.
The arrangement of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the connection of the central conductor 47 of the coaxial connector 16 to the circuit board 15. The rest of the structure of the tuner module 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
As illustrated in
The second embodiment offers the following advantages over the first embodiment.
According to the first embodiment, the central conductor 47 of the coaxial connector 16 extends straight in the axial direction of the outer conductor 46 and is soldered to the circuit board 15. In this structure, the soldered portion of the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15 is positioned on the axis line of the coaxial connector 16. For this reason, after the operations of putting the antenna cable 44 into and pulling it out of the coaxial connector 16 are repeated, the force applied to the antenna cable 44 that is put in and pulled out directly acts onto the soldered portion of the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15. Furthermore, because the central conductor 47 thermally expands and contracts in accordance with changes in the ambient temperature, stress is produced on the soldered portion of the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15.
Hence, when the long-term use of the tuner module 13 is considered, a crack may appear in the soldered portion of the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15, which would lower the reliability of the soldering.
In contrast, according to the second embodiment, the elastically deformable bend portion 61 is provided in the middle of the central conductor 47. This bend portion 61 is positioned toward the coaxial connector 16 with respect to the leading end 47a of the central conductor 47 that is soldered to the circuit board 15. For this reason, when the force exerted on the antenna cable 44 that is inserted and pulled out is conveyed to the central conductor 47, or when the central conductor 47 thermally expands or contracts, the bend portion 61 is elastically bent so that the force exerted on the antenna cable 44 or the expansion and contraction of the central conductor 47 can be absorbed.
In this manner, the present embodiment avoids the application of excessive stress to the soldered portion of the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15. Thus, the electrical connection between the central conductor 47 and the circuit board 15 can be reliably achieved.
The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the connector mount section 41 of the casing 14. The rest of the structure of the tuner module 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
As illustrated in
It is desirable that the bridge 71 be prepared in advance uniformly from the metal plate 30, which is the basic form of the frame 17, as a belt-like plate element 72 indicated by a chain double-dashed line in
In such an arrangement, the connector mount section 41 can be reinforced by connecting the side plates 20a and 20b with the bridge 71. For this reason, despite the thickness of the casing 14 that is reduced at the connector mount section 41, the strength of the connector mount section 41 can be increased. Thus, when putting the antenna cable 44 in and pulling it out of the coaxial connector 16, the structure is protected against the force exerted on the connector mount section 41.
The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the connector mount section 41 of the casing 14 is reinforced by way of a specially designed reinforcing frame 81. The rest of the structure of the tuner module 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
As illustrated in
The first reinforcing plate 82a is secured onto the outside surface of the side plate 20a of the frame 17 by means of calking or the like so as to cover the narrow portion 27 of the side plate 20a. In the same manner, the second reinforcing plate 82b is secured onto the outside surface of the side plate 20b of the frame 17 by means of calking or the like so as to cover the narrow portion 27 of the side plate 20b. The third reinforcing plate 82c is secured onto the outside surface of the first end plate 21 of the frame 17 by means of calking or the like so as to cover the outside surface.
Thus, the connector mount section 41 is surrounded by the reinforcing frame 81 that has the same width as the thickness of the casing 14.
In the structure in which the connector mount section 41 is surrounded by the reinforcing frame 81, the connector mount section 41 is reinforced from the outside of the casing 14. For this reason, despite the thickness of the casing 14 that is reduced in the area of the connector mount section 41, the strength of the connector mount section 41 is increased. Hence, the connector mount section 41 is sufficiently protected against the force exerted on the connector mount section 41 when the antenna cable 44 is put into and pulled out of the coaxial connector 16.
According to the fourth embodiment, the connector mount section is reinforced from the outside of the casing, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a reinforcement body of a truss structure may be provided between the first plate in the bottom of the connector mount section and the bottom plate so that the connector mount section can be reinforced from the inside of the casing.
While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, there embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 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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2008-170974 | Jun 2008 | JP | national |