JP6261784B1 - Electronics - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electronic device capable of ensuring appearance quality and preventing foreign matter from entering a housing even in a configuration including a foldable housing.
In an electronic device, openings 22a and 22b are formed on the surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B at positions overlapping with the hinge mechanisms 18 provided in the housings 12A and 12B. Then, by moving in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the casings 12A and 12B by the hinge mechanism 18, the openings 12a and 22b are closed when the casings 12A and 12B are used, while the casings 12A and 12B are closed. Shutter members 24a and 24b are provided that open the openings 22a and 22b when 12B is in the storage form.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a pair of housings are connected so as to be folded in two by a hinge mechanism.

  In recent years, portable information devices such as tablet PCs and smartphones that have a touch panel type liquid crystal display and do not have a physical keyboard are rapidly spreading. The display of this type of electronic device is desirably larger when used, but is desired to be downsized when carried. Then, the electronic device comprised so that not only a housing | casing but the display could be folded by using flexible displays, such as organic EL (Electro Luminescence), is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1).

JP 2014-161209 A

  In such an electronic device having a folding structure, for example, there is a configuration in which a pair of housings are connected by a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed. Further, the structure that can be opened and closed by the hinge mechanism is widely installed in general notebook PCs and the like.

  By the way, in these electronic apparatuses, for example, it is necessary to avoid a hinge mechanism from interfering with the surface of the casing in a state where the casings are folded in two, and to ensure a sufficient rotation range. Therefore, for example, it is necessary to provide an opening on the surface of the casing on the display side to prevent interference of the hinge mechanism. In particular, in a configuration where the casing is thinned, it is necessary to secure a large opening area to some extent due to the problem of installation space of the hinge mechanism.

  However, the opening exists even in a state where the pair of housings are opened in a flat plate shape. For this reason, there is a concern that not only the quality of appearance at the time of use of the electronic device is impaired, but also an entrance of foreign matter such as dust and liquid into the housing.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems of the prior art, and ensures appearance quality even in a configuration including a foldable casing, and prevents foreign matter from entering the casing. It is an object to provide an electronic device that can be used.

  The electronic device according to the present invention has a pair of housings that can be opened and closed in a flat usage form and a folded folded storage form by connecting adjacent one ends by a hinge mechanism. An opening is formed on the surface of the casing at a position overlapping the hinge mechanism provided in the casing, and the pair of casings are opened and closed by the hinge mechanism. By moving in conjunction with each other, the opening is closed when the pair of casings is in the usage mode, and the opening is opened when the pair of casings is in the storage mode. A shutter member is provided.

  The hinge mechanism may include a pair of arm members that are rotatably supported with respect to the pair of housings, and a gear unit that synchronizes the rotation operations of the pair of arm members. .

  A display provided between the inner surfaces of the pair of casings and capable of opening and closing in a flat state and a folded state in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the pair of casings by the hinge mechanism. It may be a configuration.

  It is arranged on the back side of the portion corresponding to the bent portion of the display so as to cover between the contact surfaces of the one end portions of the pair of housings, and interlocks with the opening / closing operation of the pair of housings by the hinge mechanism. When the pair of casings are in the usage form, the pair of casings are disposed at positions close to one end of the casing, while the pair of casings are in the storage form. The structure provided with the backplate member arrange | positioned in the position spaced apart from the one end part of the said housing | casing may be sufficient.

  A configuration may be provided that includes a link mechanism that interlocks the opening / closing operation of the pair of housings by the hinge mechanism and the movement of the shutter member.

  The link mechanism may include a slide member that slides when pressed by the hinge mechanism or the back plate member, and a link member that transmits the slide of the slide member to the shutter member.

  The link mechanism is configured such that when the pair of housings is closed from the usage pattern to the storage configuration by the hinge mechanism, the pair of housings is closed at a predetermined angle from the start of the closing operation. A structure having a time difference mechanism for maintaining the closed state of the opening by the shutter member may be used.

  According to the present invention, the appearance quality can be ensured even when the foldable casing is provided, and foreign matter can be prevented from entering the casing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed to a storage form. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a state where the electronic device shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of a peripheral part of a hinge mechanism of an electronic device in a usage form. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the periphery of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 3A viewed from a different angle. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the hinge mechanism with a structure in which the shutter member is omitted. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the periphery of the hinge mechanism of the electronic device in the usage form. 6 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the hinge mechanism by omitting the shutter member from the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the periphery of the hinge mechanism of the electronic device in the storage form. FIG. 8A is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure in a state where the electronic device is in a 180 ° position, which is a usage pattern. FIG. 8B is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the electronic device is closed to the 90-degree position from the state shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 8C is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the electronic device is closed to the 60-degree position from the state shown in FIG. 8B. FIG. 8D is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the electronic device is closed from the state illustrated in FIG. 8C to the 0 degree position which is a storage form.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1. Description of Overall Configuration of Portable Information Device FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed to a storage form. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a state where the electronic device 10 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic device 10 includes a pair of housings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B, a back plate member 14, and a display 16. In the present embodiment, a tablet PC that is a portable information device that can be folded in half as a book is illustrated as the electronic device 10. The electronic device 10 may be a mobile phone, a smartphone, an electronic notebook, or the like.

  Each housing 12 </ b> A, 12 </ b> B is a rectangular plate-like member in which side walls are erected on three sides other than the side corresponding to the back plate member 14. The casings 12A and 12B are made of, for example, a metal plate such as stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum, or a fiber reinforced resin plate including reinforcing fibers such as carbon fiber. A display 16 is attached and fixed to the inner surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B. Various electronic components such as an arithmetic device and a memory are housed between the inner surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B and the back surface of the display 16.

  The housings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B are connected to each other through hinge mechanisms 18 at one end portions arranged adjacent to each other. A pair of hinge mechanisms 18 are provided and arranged at both ends of the back plate member 14. The hinge mechanism 18 is connected between the housings 12A and 12B so as to be foldable into the storage form shown in FIG. 1 and the use form shown in FIG. The back plate member 14 is in a direction in which the back plate member 14 contacts and separates from the bent portion 16a in a state where the back side of the bent portion 16a of the display 16 is covered when the housing 16A and 12B are folded in two with the display 16 inside. Move to.

  In each housing 12A, 12B, the inner end surfaces 12Aa, 12Ba on the back plate member 14 side are the hinge side, and the outer end surfaces 12Ab, 12Bb opposite to the back plate member 14 side are the open end side.

  The display 16 is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display. The display 16 has a structure that can be folded together when the casings 12A and 12B are folded. The display 16 is a flexible display such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) having a highly flexible paper structure. The display 16 opens and closes via the bent portion 16a as the housings 12A and 12B open and close. The display 16 may have, for example, a two-screen structure provided on the inner surface of each of the casings 12A and 12B other than the folding structure, or may have a one-screen structure provided only on one casing 12A, for example. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display 16 is attached and fixed to the inner surfaces of the casings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B, and a bezel member 20 is disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the surface. The bezel member 20 is provided so as to cover the non-display area (inactive area) R2 in the outer peripheral edge except for the display area (active area) R1 on the surface of the display 16.

  In this manner, the electronic device 10 opens and closes the pair of housings 12A and 12B to open and close the display 16 provided on the inside, thereby deforming the storage form shown in FIG. 1 and the usage form shown in FIG. Can do.

  Hereinafter, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the electronic device 10, the direction from the back plate member 14 toward the outer end surfaces 12 Ab and 12 Bb is referred to as the X direction, and the direction along the longitudinal direction of the back plate member 14 is referred to as the Y direction. explain. Regarding the X direction, the direction from the back plate member 14 toward the one outer end surface 12Ab may be referred to as the X1 direction, and the direction toward the other outer end surface 12Bb may be referred to as the X2 direction. That is, in the storage form shown in FIG. 1, the X1 direction and the X2 direction indicate the same or substantially the same direction, and in the usage form shown in FIG. 2, the X1 direction and the X2 direction indicate opposite directions.

2. Description of Hinge Mechanism and Mechanism Linking With This Hinge Mechanism 18 and the mechanism interlocking therewith will be described. FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the hinge mechanism 18 of the electronic device 10 in the usage form. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the periphery of the hinge mechanism 18 shown in FIG. 3A as seen from different angles. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the display 16 and the electronic components arranged in the housings 12A and 12B are omitted, and the same applies to FIGS. 4 to 8D.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B, a pair of opening portions 22a and 22b and a pair of shutter members 24a and 24b are provided on the surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B.

  Each opening 22a, 22b is a notch provided in the bezel member 20 that forms the surface of each housing 12A, 12B. Each opening 22a, 22b is provided at a position overlapping the hinge mechanism 18. One opening 22a is provided above the inner end face 12Aa of one casing 12A, and the other opening 22b is provided above the inner end face 12Ba of the other casing 12B. The openings 22a and 22b are escape holes for preventing the hinge mechanism 18 from interfering with the bezel member 20 when the housings 12A and 12B are opened and closed. The openings 22a and 22b communicate with each other across the inner end surfaces 12Aa and 12Ba of the housings 12A and 12B in the usage pattern shown in FIG. 3A to form one large opening.

  Each shutter member 24a, 24b opens and closes each opening 22a, 22b simultaneously. One shutter member 24a opens and closes the opening 22a on one housing 12A side, and the other shutter member 24b opens and closes the opening 22b on the other housing 12B side. The shutter members 24a and 24b are close to each other with almost no gap between the tip surfaces of the shutter members 24a and 24b with the openings 22a and 22b closed. Each shutter member 24a, 24b is housed on the back side of the bezel member 20 in a state where the openings 22a, 22b are opened (see FIG. 8D).

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the hinge mechanism 18 with a structure in which the shutter members 24a and 24b are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, let us consider a structure in which the shutter members 24 a and 24 b are omitted from the electronic device 10. In this structure, the openings 22a and 22b are greatly opened on the surfaces of the casings 12A and 12B configured in a flat plate shape in the usage form. For this reason, not only is the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 impaired, but there is also a concern that foreign matters such as dust, dust, and liquid may enter the housings 12A and 12B from the openings 22a and 22b. Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the opening / closing shutter members 24a and 24b are provided so that the openings 22a and 22b can be opened and closed.

2.1 Description of Hinge Mechanism First, the hinge mechanism 18 will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the periphery of the hinge mechanism 18 of the electronic device 10 in the usage form. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the hinge mechanism 18 by omitting the shutter members 24a and 24b from the electronic apparatus 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the periphery of the hinge mechanism 18 of the electronic device 10 in the storage form.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the hinge mechanism 18 includes a pair of hinge arms (arm members) 26 a and 26 b and a gear portion 28 that synchronizes the rotation of the hinge arms 26 a and 26 b.

  One hinge arm 26a is rotatably connected between the back plate member 14 and one housing 12A. One end of the hinge arm 26a is rotatably supported by the back plate member 14 by the first hinge shaft 30, and the other end of the hinge arm 26a is rotatably supported by the housing 12A by the second hinge shaft 31. Concave portions 14 a are provided on the inner surfaces of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back plate member 14. One end of the hinge arm 26a and the first hinge shaft 30 are disposed in the concave portion 14a. In the case of the present embodiment, the second hinge shaft 31 is fixed to a bracket plate 29a attached and fixed to the side wall of the housing 12A.

  The other hinge arm 26b is rotatably connected between the back plate member 14 and the other housing 12B. One end of the hinge arm 26b is rotatably supported by the back plate member 14 by the first hinge shaft 32, and the other end of the hinge arm 26b is rotatably supported by the housing 12B by the second hinge shaft 33. One end of the hinge arm 26b and the first hinge shaft 32 are disposed in the concave portion 14a. One end portion of the hinge arm 26b and the first hinge shaft 32 are arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction with one end portion of the hinge arm 26a and the first hinge shaft 30. In the case of the present embodiment, the second hinge shaft 33 is fixed to the bracket plate 29b attached and fixed to the side wall of the housing 12B.

  The gear part 28 has a pair of gears 28a and 28b meshed with each other. The one gear 28a is provided at one end portion that is pivotally supported by the first hinge shaft 30 of the one hinge arm 26a. The other gear 28b is provided at one end portion pivotally supported by the first hinge shaft 32 of the other hinge arm 26b.

  In the electronic device 10, when the pair of housings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B is opened / closed, the hinge arms 26 a and 26 b are synchronously rotated in a direction in which the hinge arms 26 a and 26 b come in contact with and separate from each other. As a result, the pair of housings 12A and 12B can be smoothly opened and closed without causing rattling or positional deviation regardless of the rotation angle. Further, during the opening / closing operation, the back plate member 14 receives a pressing force by the hinge arms 26a and 26b. Then, the back plate member 14 moves in a direction in which the back plate member 14 is in contact with or separated from the inner end surfaces 12Aa and 12Ba which are one end portions of the housings 12A and 12B (see FIGS. 8A to 8D). As a result, the difference in circumferential length between the display 16 fixed to the inner surface side of the housings 12A and 12B and the housings 12A and 12B at the time of opening and closing is absorbed by the sliding movement of the back plate member 14.

2.2 Description of Shutter Member Next, the shutter members 24a and 24b will be described together with a link mechanism 40 that links them with the opening / closing operation of the housings 12A and 12B. 8A to 8D schematically illustrate the operation states of the respective elements at the respective angular positions (180 degree position, 90 degree position, 60 degree position, and 0 degree position) when the electronic apparatus 10 is operated from the usage form to the storage form. FIG. In FIGS. 8A to 8D, the bracket plates 29a and 29b are not shown.

  The shutter members 24a and 24b are linked with the opening / closing operation of the housings 12A and 12B by the hinge mechanism 18 via the link mechanism 40 to open and close the openings 22a and 22b. The shutter members 24a and 24b close the openings 22a and 22b in the usage form, and open the openings 22a and 22b in the storage form.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the shutter members 24a and 24b are thin plates that are substantially L-shaped in side view and extend in the X direction. The shutter members 24a and 24b are symmetrical to each other. One shutter member 24a is supported by the housing 12A (bezel member 20) and the bracket plate 29a and is slidable in the X direction. The other shutter member 24b is supported by the housing 12B (bezel member 20) and the bracket plate 29b and is slidable in the X direction.

  Each of the shutter members 24a and 24b has a receiving piece 42 that is bent outward in the X direction (on the side opposite to the back plate member 14 side). One end of a shutter pressing spring 44 is fixed to the receiving piece 42 of each shutter member 24a, 24b. The other end of each shutter pressing spring 44 is fixed to a support member 45 provided on each of the bracket plates 29a and 29b (or the casings 12A and 12B). Each shutter pressing spring 44 is a coil spring that constantly urges the shutter members 24a and 24b in the direction toward the back plate member 14 with respect to the housings 12A and 12B (bracket plates 29a and 29b). That is, the shutter members 24a and 24b are always urged in the sliding direction for closing the openings 22a and 22b, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8A, the link mechanism 40 corresponds to each shutter member 24a, 24b, and is provided in each housing 12A, 12B. Since the link mechanisms 40 of the respective casings 12A and 12B have the same configuration and operation except for the symmetrical structure, the link mechanism 40 on the casing 12A side will be representatively described below, and The link mechanism 40 is denoted by the same reference numeral, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The link mechanism 40 includes a slide member 46 and a link member 48.

  The slide member 46 is supported by the side portion of the back plate member 14 so as to be slidable in the X direction with respect to the bracket plate 29a (housing 12A). The slide member 46 is a block-like member extending in the X direction, and has a contact surface 46a along the thickness direction of the housing 12A and a pressing surface 46b protruding inward in the Y direction. Reference numeral 46 c in FIG. 5 is a slide shaft that protrudes outward in the Y direction from the slide member 46. The slide shaft 46c is slidably engaged with a long hole (not shown) formed in the bracket plate 29a so as to guide the slide of the slide member 46 in the X direction.

  The slide member 46 has one end of a slider pressing spring 50 fixed to the end surface on the pressing surface 46b side. The other end of the slider pressing spring 50 is fixed to a support member 51 provided in the housing 12A. The slider push spring 50 is a coil spring that constantly urges the slide member 46 in the direction toward the back plate member 14 with respect to the housing 12A (bracket plate 29a). For this reason, the slide member 46 is maintained in a state where the contact surface 46 a is always in contact with the side surface 14 b on the X1 side of the back plate member 14. That is, the slide member 46 on the housing 12B side is maintained in a state in which the contact surface 46a is always in contact with the side surface 14c on the X2 side of the back plate member 14 by the biasing force of the slider pressing spring 50.

  The center of the link member 48 is supported by the rotation shaft 52 so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 12A (bracket plate 29a). The link member 48 is a plate-like member that is disposed close to the inner side in the Y direction of the pressing surface 46 b of the slide member 46. The rotating shaft 52 is fixed to the bracket plate 29a or the housing 12A. The link member 48 has a pressing portion 48a at one end and a pressure receiving portion 48b at the other end. The pressing portion 48a and the pressure receiving portion 48b are protruding portions facing outward in the X direction (the side opposite to the back plate member 14 side). The link member 48 is counterclockwise (link on the housing 12B side) from the rotation angle shown in FIG. 8A due to interference between the pressure receiving portion 48b and the pressing surface 46b of the slide member 46 or due to a rotation restricting structure (not shown). The rotation of the member 48 in the clockwise direction is restricted.

2.3 Description of Operation and Action of Electronic Device Next, the operation and effect of changing the electronic device 10 between the usage form and the storage form will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, in a state in which the housings 12A and 12B are opened at 180 degrees to form a flat plate, the inner end surfaces 12Aa and 12Ba are in contact with or close to each other, and the back plate member 14 is placed in the housing 12A, It is in the state completely accommodated inside 12B. In this state, the hinge arms 26a and 26b are housed within the thickness range of the casings 12A and 12B, and are at positions spaced from the openings 22a and 22b. Specifically, each hinge arm 26a, 26b is at a rotation angle inclined toward the surface (bezel member 20) side of the housing 12A, 12B in the X1, X2 directions, respectively.

  Each slide member 46 retracts most in the X1 and X2 directions (the direction away from the back plate member 14) against the urging force of the slider push spring 50 by the pressing force from the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the back plate member 14. In the position. At this time, the pressure receiving portion 48 b of the link member 48 is not subjected to the pressing force by the pressing surface 46 b of the slide member 46. For this reason, the shutter members 24 a and 24 b do not receive the pressing force from the pressing portion 48 a of the link member 48. Accordingly, the shutter members 24a and 24b are slid the most in the X2 and X1 directions by the urging force from the shutter pressing spring 44, respectively, and are in positions where the openings 22a and 22b are closed.

  As described above, in the electronic device 10, the openings 22 a and 22 b on the surfaces of the housings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B are closed in a usage pattern. As a result, the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is ensured, and foreign objects are prevented from entering the housings 12A and 12B from the openings 22a and 22b. In the usage mode, the hinge arms 26a and 26b are separated from the openings 22a and 22b, and thus do not interfere with the shutter members 24a and 24b.

  When closing the housings 12A, 12B in the usage form to the storage form, the housings 12A, 12B are operated to close each other with the hinge mechanism 18 as a rotation center. Then, the hinge arms 26a and 26b are synchronously rotated in directions close to each other with the first hinge shafts 30 and 32 connected to the back plate member 14 as rotation centers. Specifically, the hinge arm 26a rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 8A, and the hinge arm 26b rotates clockwise in FIG. 8A. At this time, the back plate member 14 moves in a direction (downward in FIG. 8A) away from the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba that are gradually separated. As a result, the casings 12A and 12B rotate with respect to the hinge arms 26a and 26b via the second hinge shafts 31 and 33 while rotating in a direction in which they are closed in two.

  For example, when the housings 12A and 12B are closed from the 180 degree position shown in FIG. 8A to the 90 degree position shown in FIG. 8B, the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba are separated from each other. In this state, the hinge arms 26a and 26b are housed within the range of the plate thickness of the casings 12A and 12B, but are close to the openings 22a and 22b, and the surfaces of the casings 12A and 12B (bezel members). 20) at a rotation angle close to.

  During this operation, the back plate member 14 is rotated 45 degrees from FIG. 8A. At this time, the back plate member 14 has moved from the gap between the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba spaced apart from each other to a position where a part has protruded outward. For this reason, the X-direction positions of the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the back plate member 14 are moved away from the respective contact surfaces 46a. That is, the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the moving back plate member 14 slide on the contact surface 46a of each slide member 46. Then, each slide member 46 advances in the X2 and X1 directions (directions close to the back plate member 14) in the housings 12A and 12B by the urging force of the slider pressing spring 50, respectively. Therefore, the pressure receiving portion 48b receives a pressing force by the pressing surface 46b of the slide member 46, and the link member 48 causes the pressing portion 48a to press and move the receiving pieces 42 of the shutter members 24a and 24b.

  Specifically, the link member 48 on the housing 12A side rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 8A, and the link member 48 on the housing 12B side rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 8A. It will be in the state shown. Accordingly, the shutter members 24a and 24b slide in the X1 and X2 directions, that is, in the direction of opening the openings 22a and 22b, against the urging force from the shutter pressing spring 44, respectively. Note that the distal ends of the shutter members 24 a and 24 b are located in the concave portion 14 a of the back plate member 14.

  However, in the case of this embodiment, the hinge arms 26a and 26b do not interfere with the openings 22a and 22b at the 90-degree position shown in FIG. 8B. Therefore, while the shutter members 24a and 24b slide in the opening direction, the front end surfaces are still in contact with each other, and the openings 22a and 22b are completely closed. As a result, the openings 22a and 22b are also blocked at 90 ° positions where the openings 22a and 22b can be easily visually recognized from the user, and the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is still ensured.

  Subsequently, when the housings 12A and 12B are closed from the 90-degree position shown in FIG. 8B to the 60-degree position shown in FIG. 8C, the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba are further separated from each other. In this state, the hinge arms 26a and 26b are housed within the range of the plate thickness of the casings 12A and 12B, but are closer to the openings 22a and 22b and the surfaces of the casings 12A and 12B (bezels). The rotation angle is closer to the member 20).

  During this operation, the back plate member 14 is rotated 60 degrees from FIG. 8A. At this time, the back plate member 14 has moved from the gap between the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba, which are greatly separated from each other, to a position where a part has protruded outward. For this reason, the X-direction positions of the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the back plate member 14 are moved further away from the respective contact surfaces 46a. That is, the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the moving back plate member 14 slide on the contact surface 46a of each slide member 46. Each slide member 46 is further advanced in the X2 and X1 directions (directions close to the back plate member 14) in the housings 12A and 12B by the urging force of the slider pressing spring 50, respectively. For this reason, the pressure receiving part 48b receives the pressing force by the pressing surface 46b of the slide member 46, and the link member 48 further moves the pressing part 48a by pressing the receiving piece 42 of each shutter member 24a, 24b.

  Specifically, the link member 48 on the housing 12A side rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 8B, and the link member 48 on the housing 12B side rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 8A. It will be in the state shown. Accordingly, the shutter members 24a and 24b slide in the X1 and X2 directions, that is, in the direction of opening the openings 22a and 22b, against the urging force from the shutter pressing spring 44, respectively.

  Here, at the 60-degree position shown in FIG. 8C, the shutter members 24a and 24b are slid in the opening direction so that the front end surfaces are separated from each other, and the openings 22a and 22b are partially opened. . That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the hinge arms 26a and 26b do not interfere with the openings 22a and 22b at the 60-degree position shown in FIG. 8C, but are in very close positions. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the openings 22a and 22b are gradually opened from the 60 degree position. As a result, the openings 22a and 22b are opened from the 60-degree position where the openings 22a and 22b are not easily visible when viewed from the user, the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is hardly deteriorated, and the hinge mechanism 18 and the housing Interference with the surfaces of 12a and 12b is also avoided.

  When the housings 12A and 12B are closed from the 60-degree position shown in FIG. 8C to the 0-degree position shown in FIG. 8D, the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba are separated most greatly. In this state, each hinge arm 26a, 26b protrudes greatly from the openings 22a, 22b, and is at a rotation angle protruding from the surface (bezel member 20) of the housings 12A, 12B.

  During this operation, the back plate member 14 is turned 90 degrees from FIG. 8A. At this time, the back plate member 14 has moved from the gap between the inner end faces 12Aa and 12Ba, which are greatly separated from each other, to a position where a part has protruded outward. For this reason, the X direction position of the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the back plate member 14 moves to a position farthest from each contact surface 46a. That is, the side surfaces 14b and 14c of the moving back plate member 14 slide on the contact surface 46a of each slide member 46. Each slide member 46 is at the most advanced position in the X2 and X1 directions (directions close to the back plate member 14) within the housings 12A and 12B by the urging force of the slider pressing spring 50, respectively. For this reason, the pressure receiving part 48b receives the pressing force by the pressing surface 46b of the slide member 46, and the link member 48 further moves the pressing part 48a by pressing the receiving piece 42 of each shutter member 24a, 24b.

  Specifically, the link member 48 on the housing 12A side rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 8C, and the link member 48 on the housing 12B side rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 8A. It will be in the state shown. Accordingly, the shutter members 24a and 24b slide in the X1 and X2 directions, that is, in the direction of opening the openings 22a and 22b, against the urging force from the shutter pressing spring 44, respectively.

  Here, at the 0 degree position shown in FIG. 8C, the shutter members 24a and 24b slide most in the opening direction, and the front end surfaces of the shutter members 24a and 24b are greatly separated from each other, and the openings 22a and 22b are opened. . As a result, the opening portions 22a and 22b are completely opened at the 0 degree position where the openings 22a and 22b are not visible to the user, and the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is not deteriorated. Interference with the surfaces of 12a and 12b is avoided.

  Next, when the casings 12A and 12B closed at the 0 degree position are opened to the 180 degree position, the casings 12A and 12B are opened to each other with the hinge mechanism 18 as a rotation center. Then, the back plate member 14, the link mechanism 40, and the shutter members 24a and 24b operate in reverse to the above closing operation. At this time, the slide member 46 is retracted by receiving a pressing force from the side surfaces 14 b and 14 c of the back plate member 14 against the biasing force of the slider pressing spring 50, and the shutter members 24 a and 24 b are moved by the biasing force of the shutter pressing spring 44. Advance. As a result, as the hinge arms 26a and 26b retract from the openings 22a and 22b from the 0 degree position to the 60 degree position, the shutter members 24a and 24b gradually close the openings 22a and 22b. The openings 22a and 22b are completely closed at the position of at least 90 degrees, and this closed state is maintained up to the position of 180 degrees.

  By the way, in the electronic device 10, as described above, when the casings 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B are closed from the usage mode to the storage mode, the opening portions formed by the shutter members 24 a and 24 b are closed while being closed to a predetermined angle (60 ° position). A time difference mechanism 54 that maintains the closed state of 22a and 22b is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the time difference mechanism 54 has a gap G (see FIG. 8A). The gap G is an interval set between the pressing surface 46b of the slide member 46 and the pressure receiving portion 48b of the link member 48 in the usage pattern shown in FIG. 8A. The gap G is an idle running distance in which the pressing surface 46b does not press the pressure receiving portion 48b up to a certain angle position when the casings 12A and 12B are closed from the 180 degree position shown in FIG. 8A. In the case of the present embodiment, the pressing surface 46b starts to press the pressure receiving portion 48b at the angular position just before the housings 12A and 12B are positioned from 180 degrees to 90 degrees, for example, about 100 degrees. Therefore, the shutter members 24a and 24b do not move at all up to the position of about 100 degrees, and the closed state of the openings 22a and 22b is maintained.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the shutter members 24a and 24b are opened at the 90 degree position shown in FIG. 8B by the distance between the front end surfaces of the shutter members 24a and 24b that are close to each other as the angle of the casings 12A and 12B changes. It is configured to slide in the direction. Therefore, as described above, the openings 22a and 22b are completely closed even at the 90 degree position. 8C is set so that the openings 22a and 22b are partially opened.

  As described above, when the casings 12A and 12B perform the closing operation from the use form to the storage form by the hinge mechanism 18, the time difference mechanism 54 has a predetermined angle (in this embodiment) from the start of the closing operation between the casings 12A and 12B. 60 degrees), the closed portions of the openings 22a and 22b by the shutter members 24a and 24b are maintained. That is, the time difference mechanism 54 is a delay mechanism that gives a time difference between the start timing of the closing operation of the housings 12A and 12B and the start timing of the opening operation of the shutter members 24a and 24b. As a result, immediately after the electronic devices 10 start to close the housings 12A and 12B, the openings 22a and 22b are opened at a position of, for example, 170 degrees, and appearance quality can be prevented from deteriorating. The gap G may be provided between other elements, for example, between the pressing portion 48a of the link member 48 and the receiving piece 42 of the shutter members 24a and 24b. Of course, the opening angle of the openings 22a and 22b of the shutter members 24a and 24b by the time difference mechanism 54 may be set to a position other than the 60-degree position.

  As described above, in the electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment, the openings 22a are formed on the surfaces (bezel members 20) of the housings 12A and 12B so as to overlap with the hinge mechanisms 18 provided in the housings 12A and 12B. , 22b are formed. Then, by moving in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the casings 12A and 12B by the hinge mechanism 18, the openings 12a and 22b are closed when the casings 12A and 12B are used, while the casings 12A and 12B are closed. Shutter members 24a and 24b are provided that open the openings 22a and 22b when 12B is in the storage form.

  Therefore, in the electronic device 10, openings 22a and 22b are provided on the surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B. In particular, the openings 22a and 22b are opened in a storage form in which the hinge mechanism 18 easily interferes with the surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B. For this reason, it can avoid that the hinge mechanism 18 interferes with the surface of housing | casing 12A, 12B. In addition, the electronic device 10 includes shutter members 24a and 24b that close the openings 22a and 22b in a usage pattern that does not cause interference between the surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B and the hinge mechanism 18. For this reason, the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is ensured, and foreign substances are prevented from entering the housings 12A and 12B from the openings 22a and 22b.

  The hinge mechanism 18 includes hinge arms 26a and 26b that are rotatably supported with respect to the housings 12A and 12B, and a gear portion 28 that synchronizes the rotation operations of the hinge arms 26a and 26b. Thus, in the structure provided with the hinge arms 26a and 26b that are synchronously rotated and provided with the gear portion 28, the hinge arms 26a and 26b require a certain thickness. For this reason, when the appearance quality of the electronic device 10 is taken into consideration, the hinge arms 26a and 26b need to be installed not on the outside of the housings 12A and 12B but on the inside. If it does so, the installation space of the hinge mechanism 18 in housing | casing 12A, 12B will become large to some extent, and the opening area of opening part 22a, 22b will also be easy to expand. In this regard, in the electronic device 10, since the shutter members 24 a and 24 b that open and close the openings 22 a and 22 b are provided, it is possible to suppress deterioration in appearance quality. In addition, when the gear portion 28 is present in the housings 12A and 12B, there is a concern that the intrusion of foreign matter from the openings 22a and 22b may cause a failure of the gear portion 28. However, this failure can also be reliably avoided.

  The electronic device 10 is provided between the inner surfaces of the housings 12A and 12B, and is opened in a flat plate shape according to the opening / closing operation of the housings 12A and 12B by the hinge mechanism 18 (see FIG. 2). And a display 16 that can be opened and closed in a folded state (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the shutter members 24a and 24b can surely suppress the opening portions 22a and 22b from opening near the bent portion 16a of the display 16 in the usage form and causing problems in use and appearance.

  In this case, the electronic device 10 is disposed on the back side of the portion corresponding to the bent portion 16a of the display 16 so as to cover the space between the contact surfaces (between the inner end surfaces 12Aa and 12Ba) of the housings 12A and 12B. When the casings 12A and 12B are in the usage mode, they are arranged at positions close to one ends of the casings 12A and 12B by moving in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the casings 12A and 12B by the hinge mechanism 18. On the other hand, when the housings 12A and 12B are in the storage form, the back plate member 14 is provided at a position spaced from one end of the housings 12A and 12B. For this reason, it can prevent by the backplate member 14 exposing from the clearance gap formed between the one end parts of housing | casing 12A, 12B at the time of the accommodation form in which the bending part 16a of the display 16 was bent.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  The slide member 46 may be configured to be brought into contact with and pressed by a component of the hinge mechanism 18 instead of the back plate member 14. The first hinge shafts 30 and 32 may not be pivotally supported on the back plate member 14. For example, the two first hinge shafts 30 and 32 may be combined into one hinge shaft, and the two hinge arms 26a and 26b may be connected to each other with a single hinge shaft. Although the bracket plates 29a and 29b may be omitted, by providing the bracket plates 29a and 29b, the components of the link mechanism 40 can be assembled to the housings 12A and 12B as assembly parts, thereby improving productivity.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electronic device 12A, 12B Housing | casing 12Aa, 12Ba Inner end surface 12Ab, 12Bb Outer end surface 14 Back board member 16 Display 16a Bending part 18 Hinge mechanism 20 Bezel member 22a, 22b Opening part 24a, 24b Shutter member 26a, 26b Hinge arm 28 Gear portion 30, 32 First hinge shaft 31, 33 Second hinge shaft 40 Link mechanism 44 Shutter pressing spring 46 Slide member 48 Link member 50 Slider pressing spring 54 Time difference mechanism

Claims (4)

A pair of housings that can be opened and closed between a use form opened in a flat plate shape and a storage form folded in two, by connecting adjacent one ends with a hinge mechanism ,
A display that is provided between the inner surfaces of the pair of casings and that can be opened and closed in a state of being opened in a flat plate shape and being folded in two with the opening and closing operation of the pair of casings by the hinge mechanism; An electronic device comprising:
The surface of the housing is provided with the display and a bezel member disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the display,
The bezel member has an opening formed at a position overlapping the hinge mechanism provided in the housing ,
A part of the hinge mechanism enters the opening when the pair of casings is in the storage configuration, while the hinge mechanism of the hinge mechanism is inserted when the pair of casings is in the usage configuration. Some have been evacuated,
By moving in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the pair of casings by the hinge mechanism, the pair of casings closes the opening when the pair of casings are in the usage mode, while the pair of casings are An electronic apparatus comprising a shutter member that opens the opening when the storage form is adopted. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The hinge mechanism, possess a pair of arm members which are rotatably supported respectively to said pair of housing, and a gear unit for synchronizing the rotation of the pair of arm members,
A part of the arm member enters or retreats with respect to the opening . The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
It is arranged on the back side of the portion corresponding to the bent portion of the display so as to cover between the contact surfaces of the one end portions of the pair of housings, and interlocks with the opening / closing operation of the pair of housings by the hinge mechanism. When the pair of casings are in the usage form, the pair of casings are disposed at positions close to one end of the casing, while the pair of casings are in the storage form. comprising a back plate member arranged at a position separated from one end of the housing,
A link mechanism for interlocking the opening / closing operation of the pair of housings by the hinge mechanism and the movement of the shutter member;
The link mechanism includes a slide member that slides when pressed by the hinge mechanism or the back plate member, and a link member that transmits the slide of the slide member to the shutter member.
When the pair of casings perform the closing operation from the usage form to the storage form by the hinge mechanism, the shutter member slides in a direction approaching the back plate member so that the shutter member is electronic equipment and sliding in a direction away from the back plate member, thereby, wherein Rukoto said opening is opened. The electronic device according to claim 3 .
The link mechanism is configured such that when the pair of housings is closed from the usage pattern to the storage configuration by the hinge mechanism, the pair of housings is closed at a predetermined angle from the start of the closing operation. An electronic device comprising a time difference mechanism that maintains the closed state of the opening by the shutter member.

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