JP4193275B2 - Cabinet for portable equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cabinet for a portable device such as a mobile phone or a pager, and more particularly to an improvement in the structure of a cabinet for a portable device that can improve the bending and twisting rigidity of the cabinet even if the portable device is thinned. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
In mobile devices, for example, mobile phones, thinness is required in addition to miniaturization and weight reduction from the viewpoint of improving the convenience of carrying so that it can be easily accommodated in a pocket or bag.
This type of conventional mobile phone will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional mobile phone. The cabinet 60 includes an upper housing 61 and a lower housing 62 having button key insertion holes 611, a display window 612, and the like. The lower housing 62 is structured to be combined in the middle state. Inside the cabinet 60 are housed a button key 63, a shield LSI 64 to which a communication LSI, a liquid crystal display, a small microphone, a speaker, and the like are attached. Reference numeral 65 denotes a battery attached to the rear portion of the lower housing 62, and reference numeral 66 denotes a transparent plate attached to the display window 612.
[0003]
The configuration in the case of combining the upper casing 61 and the lower casing 62 in the middle will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a state in which the upper housing and the lower housing are combined in the middle, FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper housing and the lower housing, and FIG. 9 is an arrow view of FIG. It is a side view of the upper housing | casing and the lower housing | casing seen from C direction.
[0004]
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a protrusion 614 having a predetermined length extending in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 613 is formed on the joint end surface 613 </ b> A of the peripheral wall 613 of the upper casing 61 with the lower casing 62. A plurality of grooves 624 are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. Further, a concave groove 624 that engages with the protrusion 614 is formed on the joint end surface 623A of the peripheral wall 623 of the lower housing 62 with the upper housing 61. A plurality are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction.
Therefore, by engaging the protrusions 614 on the joint end surface 613A and the concave grooves 624 on the joint end surface 623A, the upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 are combined as shown in FIG. 7 to form a cabinet. The In addition, the upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 in this engaged state are fastened with screws or claws.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the cabinet for portable devices as described above, the upper casing 61 and the lower casing 62 having a thickness corresponding to about ½ of the total thickness are combined in the middle, and the joint end surface 613A thereof is combined. The joint end surface 623A is coupled by engaging the ridges 614 and the recessed grooves 624 formed on each other, and fastened with screws or the like. Since the engagement structure has a height of about 1 mm and a thickness of about 0.5 mm, when a torsional load is applied to a product with such a combined structure, the torsional load is 1 mm × 0.5 mm × projections and grooves. As a result, when the cabinet is made of a resin, it is easily deformed, and there is a problem that a stagnation sound is generated in the product.
[0006]
In addition, when a bending load is applied to the product having the above-described joint structure, the height of the peripheral walls of the upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 that function as the I-beam for the strength member is about 1/2 of the thickness direction of the cabinet. Therefore, the bending strength is weakened by 1 / square of the thickness ratio of the upper casing 61 and the lower casing 62. In this case, the engagement portion between the protrusion and the groove hardly functions as a strength member.
For this reason, in order to promote the thinning of the portable device, in order to obtain the bending strength of the product, the thickness of the peripheral walls of the upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 constituting the cabinet is increased, or It was necessary to devise such as making the material for molding the cabinet a material with higher strength.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable device cabinet that can easily achieve a reduction in thickness of a portable device without impairing bending and twisting strength. .
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing comprising an upper wall and a peripheral wall that rises from the periphery of the upper wall, and the lower housing includes a bottom wall and a bottom wall. A portable device cabinet comprising a peripheral wall standing up from the periphery of the wall, the upper wall and the bottom wall facing each other and engaging both peripheral walls, wherein one of the peripheral walls of the upper casing or the lower casing is An outer engagement surface that faces the outer side of the peripheral wall is provided on the outer surface, and an inner engagement surface that faces the inner side of the peripheral wall is provided on the inner surface of the other peripheral wall of the upper casing or the lower casing, and the outer engagement surface And the inner engagement surface is configured to engage when the upper wall and the bottom wall are opposed to each other, and at least one of the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface is attached to the peripheral wall. It is characterized in that it is formed in a separate part from the peripheral wall.
[0009]
In the present invention, in a state where the upper housing and the lower housing are combined and the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface of the both side walls are engaged, the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface are high in the peripheral wall. Since the structure is fitted to each other in the range of 1/2 or more, the coupling strength of the peripheral wall of the fitting portion is improved, and the portable device can be easily thinned without impairing the bending and twisting strength of the cabinet. Can be achieved. Further, according to the present invention, since at least one of the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface is formed as a part attached to the peripheral wall and different from the peripheral wall, it is necessary to further reduce the thickness and increase the strength of the portable device. In addition to being effective as a countermeasure when sinking occurs during resin molding of the peripheral wall including the outer engagement surface, it is effective in suppressing an increase in cabinet weight and cost.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of a portable device cabinet according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portable device cabinet in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a separation of the upper housing and the lower housing of the portable device cabinet in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is an enlarged plan view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged plan view taken along line BB in FIG.
1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a cabinet used for a portable device such as a cellular phone. The cabinet 10 includes an upper casing 11 and a lower casing 12 that are combined together in the middle.
The upper housing 11 includes an upper wall 111 and a peripheral wall 112 rising from the periphery of the upper wall 111, and the lower housing 12 includes a bottom wall 121 and a peripheral wall 122 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall 121.
[0011]
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral wall 112 of the upper housing 11 has a height of 4.7 mm that is 1/2 or more of the height of the peripheral wall 112 from the lower edge of the peripheral wall 112 in the height direction of the peripheral wall 112. An outer engagement surface 13 that extends at the height of the outer wall 13 and faces the inner side of the peripheral wall 112 is formed. The outer engagement surface 13 is formed by thinning the peripheral wall 112.
Further, the peripheral wall 122 of the lower housing 12 is ½ or more from the upper end edge of the peripheral wall 122 in the height direction of the peripheral wall 122, for example, as shown in FIG. The inner engagement surface 14 extending at a height of 4.7 mm and facing the outside of the peripheral wall 122 is formed. The inner engagement surface 14 is formed by thinning the peripheral wall 122.
[0012]
Further, on the overlapping surface in the range of 4.7 mm with the inner engagement surface 14 of the outer engagement surface 13, a ridge 15 extending in the height direction of the peripheral wall 112 extends along the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 112. Many are formed at regular intervals.
Further, a concave groove 16 that extends in the height direction of the peripheral wall 122 and engages with the ridge 15 is formed on the overlapping surface of the inner engagement surface 14 with the outer engagement surface 13 in a range of 4.7 mm. Are formed at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 122.
[0013]
In the cabinet 10 configured as described above, when the peripheral walls 112 and 122 of the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 are combined with each other, the outer engagement surface 13 and the inner engagement surface 14 are connected to the peripheral wall 112. , 122 are fitted together in an inlay manner within a range of 1/2 or more of the height of 122, and at the same time, the ridges 15 and the grooves 16 on the fitting surface are also engaged with each other. Thereby, the joint strength of the fitting portion of the outer engagement surface 13 and the inner engagement surface 14 is enhanced, and the bending and twisting strength is also increased.
[0014]
Next, the bending and twisting strengths of the cabinet structure in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 and the conventional cabinet structure shown in FIG. 7 will be compared. In the conventional cabinet structure shown in FIG. 7, the joint end surfaces of the upper housing and the lower housing are displaced at the time of bending or twisting to the cabinet, so that the portion that actually functions as the strength member is the upper housing and the lower housing. Since this peripheral wall can be calculated as an I-beam element, when the height of the peripheral wall of the upper casing is 7 mm and the height of the peripheral wall of the lower casing is 8 mm as shown in FIG. The total sum of the squares, that is, (7 × 7) + (8 × 8) = 49 + 64 = 113 is the bending strength of the cabinet.
[0015]
On the other hand, in the peripheral wall 112 of the upper housing 11 and the peripheral wall 122 of the lower housing 12 in the cabinet structure of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the outer engagement surface 13 and the inner engagement surface 14 are within a range of 4.7 mm. Since it is fitted in an inlay style and the ridges 15 and the grooves 16 on the fitting surface are also engaged with each other, the load sharing area at the time of bending or twisting to the cabinet is the case of the conventional method 30 times or more, and a strong bonding structure can be obtained. And since the fitting part of the outer engagement surface 13 and the inner engagement surface 14 becomes equal to the structure united in the inlay type, when the bending strength is calculated using this as an I-beam element, the thickness dimension of the cabinet 10 With the square of 12 mm, 12 × 12 = 144.
Further, when the cabinet thickness is 12 mm as in the present invention and the cabinet thickness is 15 mm as in the prior art, the ratio of the I beam is (12/15) × (12/15) = 0. The bending strength when the thickness is 12 mm is 64% when the thickness is 15 mm. Therefore, in order to make the bending strength when the thickness is 12 mm equal to the bending strength when the thickness is 15 mm, it can be achieved by increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall. Assuming that the increase rate at this time is X, 144 × 0.64 × X = 113 and X = 1.26.
[0016]
Therefore, if the thickness of the peripheral wall 112 of the upper housing 11 and the peripheral wall 122 of the lower housing 12 are increased by 1.26 times, a bending strength equivalent to that when the thickness is 15 mm can be obtained.
That is, even if the thickness of the cabinet is 12 mm, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 is only slightly increased, without sacrificing bending and twisting strength and without increasing the weight. Thinning of the portable device can be easily achieved.
[0017]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portable device cabinet in the second embodiment of the present invention.
4, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and portions different from those in FIG. 1 will be described in detail.
As is apparent from FIG. 4, the outer engagement surface 13 is formed by a part 18 different from the peripheral wall 112, and the other part 18 is formed from a resin plate, a metal plate, a die-cast product or the like, and the peripheral wall 112. It is characterized by being attached by adhesive, ultrasonic welding, high frequency heating or the like.
[0018]
According to the second embodiment, in addition to being effective when the portable device needs to be further thinned and strengthened, or when sink marks occur during resin molding of the peripheral wall 112 including the outer engagement surface 13, the cabinet It is effective in suppressing the increase in weight and cost.
[0019]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portable device cabinet according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 5, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and portions different from those in FIG.
As is clear from FIG. 5, in the upper housing 11, a reinforcing portion 19 that faces the location of the peripheral wall 112 is provided inside the location of the peripheral wall 112 where the outer engagement surface 13 is formed. 19, in a state in which the inner engagement surface 14 and the outer engagement surface 13 are engaged, the portion of the peripheral wall 122 where the inner engagement surface 14 is formed is sandwiched in cooperation with the outer engagement surface 13. It has features in its construction.
[0020]
According to the third embodiment, the portable device can be further reduced in thickness and strength, and the outer engagement of the peripheral wall 112 can be achieved even when the upper wall 111 of the upper casing 11 of the cabinet is pressed from the upper surface. It is possible to prevent the surface 13 from expanding and deforming outward.
[0021]
In the present invention, the inner engagement surface 14 is formed on the peripheral wall 112 of the upper housing 11 and the outer engagement surface 13 is formed on the peripheral wall 122 of the lower housing 12, contrary to the above embodiment. Good.
Further, in the present invention, contrary to the above embodiment, the concave groove 16 is formed on the fitting surface of the outer engagement surface 13 with the inner engagement surface 14, and the outer engagement surface 13 of the inner engagement surface 14 is connected. You may make it provide the protrusion 15 in a fitting.
Further, in the present invention, the inner engagement surface 14 of the lower housing 12 may be formed of a separate part from the peripheral wall 122, contrary to the case shown in FIG. The reinforcing portion 19 may be provided on the peripheral wall 122 of the lower housing 12.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the portable device cabinet of the present invention, the coupling strength between the peripheral walls of the upper housing and the lower housing is improved, and the portable device can be easily thinned without impairing the bending and twisting strength of the cabinet. Can be achieved.
According to the present invention, when at least one of the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface is formed of a component different from the peripheral wall, it is necessary to further reduce the thickness and increase the strength of the portable device cabinet. It becomes effective, and the increase in weight and cost of the portable device can be suppressed.
In addition, according to the present invention, the structure in which the inner engagement surface is sandwiched in cooperation with the outer engagement surface by the reinforcing portion enables the portable device to be further thinned and strengthened, and the peripheral wall to be It is possible to prevent the outer engaging surface that is included from being expanded and deformed outward.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portable device cabinet according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where an upper housing and a lower housing of the portable device cabinet are separated according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
3A is an enlarged plan view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged plan view taken along line BB in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portable device cabinet according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a portable device cabinet according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional mobile phone.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which an upper housing and a lower housing of a conventional portable device cabinet are combined in the middle.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where an upper housing and a lower housing of a conventional portable device cabinet are separated.
9 is a side view of the upper housing and the lower housing viewed from the direction of arrow C in FIG. It is a perspective view of the principal part at the time of mounting | wearing the video display apparatus with the planar speaker in other embodiment of this invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Cabinet, 11 ... Upper housing, 111 ... Perimeter wall, 12 ... Lower housing, 121 ... Perimeter wall, 13 ... Outer engagement surface, 14 ... Inner engagement surface, 15 ... Projection , 16 ... concave groove, 18 ... another part, 19 ... reinforcing material.

Claims (3)

The upper housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing includes a peripheral wall rising from the periphery of the upper wall and the upper wall, and the lower housing includes a peripheral wall rising from the periphery of the bottom wall and the bottom wall, In the cabinet of a portable device configured by the bottom wall and the peripheral wall being engaged with each other,
An outer engagement surface facing outward of the peripheral wall is provided on the outer surface of one peripheral wall of the upper casing or the lower casing;
An inner engagement surface facing the inner side of the peripheral wall is provided on the inner surface of the other peripheral wall of the upper casing or the lower casing,
The outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface are configured to engage with each other when the upper wall and the bottom wall are brought close to each other with the upper wall and the bottom wall facing each other.
At least one of the outer engagement surface and the inner engagement surface is formed on a part different from the peripheral wall attached to the peripheral wall.   The portable device cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the another component is made of a resin, a metal, or a die-cast product. The mobile device cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

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