Electronic device

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/903,108, filed Oct. 12, 2010, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-296177, filed Dec. 25, 2009, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an electronic device.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. H10-178728 discloses a conventional electronic device having a housing in which a cable is routed between an electronic component and the outer wall of the housing, and the cable is supported by the rib.

If this type of electronic device accidentally falls off, the electronic component may move toward the outer wall side in the housing due to the impact of the fall. Accordingly, the electronic device has been required to be configured such that damage to the cable can be prevented even in such a case.

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.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary plan view of the inside of the housing of a second body (on a first divisional body side) in the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary plan view of the first divisional body viewed from the inside of the housing in the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary enlarged view of part of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 3 in the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of part of the first divisional body of the housing in the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of the part illustrated in FIG. 5 where a harness is routed in the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary plan view of a second divisional body viewed from the inside of the housing in the embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary perspective view of part of the second divisional body in the embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary perspective view of a cross-section of part provided with a first rib of the second divisional body and a stopper in the embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of part provided with a second stopper of the second divisional body in the embodiment.

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general, according to one embodiment, an electronic device comprises a housing, an outer wall, a rib, a cable, and a stopper. The housing is configured to house at least part of an electronic component. The outer wall is configured to constitute at least part of an outer contour of the housing. The rib is located between the outer wall and the electronic component, and the outer surface of the rib faces the inner surface of the outer wall. The cable is configured to be routed between the outer wall and the rib. The stopper is housed in the housing, and is configured to engage the rib to prevent the rib from inclining toward the outer wall.

According to another embodiment, an electronic device comprises a housing, an outer wall, a plurality of ribs, and a plurality of cables. The housing is configured to house at least part of an electronic component. The outer wall is configured to constitute at least part of an outer contour of the housing. The ribs are located between the outer wall and the electronic component, and the outer surface of the ribs faces the inner surface of the outer wall. The cables are configured to be routed between the outer wall and the ribs, and arranged in parallel in a direction along the outer surface or the inner surface between the outer wall and at least one of the ribs.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , an electronic device 1 of an embodiment is, for example, a notebook personal computer. The electronic device 1 comprises a flat rectangular first body 2 and a flat rectangular second body 3 . The first body 2 and the second body 3 are connected by a hinge mechanism 4 to be relatively rotatable about a rotation axis Ax between an open position ( FIG. 1 ) and a closed position (not illustrated). Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the width direction (horizontal direction) of the second body 3 will be referred to as “X direction”, the direction to the edge of the second body 3 will be referred to as “Y direction”, and the thickness direction of the second body 3 will be referred to as “Z direction”. X, Y, and Z axes are perpendicular to one another.

The first body 2 is provided with a keyboard 5 as an input device, a pointing device 7 , a click button 8 , and the like, which are exposed on a front surface 2 b as the outer surface of a housing 2 a . On the other hand, the second body 3 is provided with a display device 6 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel as an electronic component, which is exposed on a front surface 3 b as the outer surface of a housing 3 a . When the first body 2 and the second body 3 are in the open position, the keyboard 5 , the display device 6 , and the like are exposed to allow the user to use them. On the other hand, in the closed position, the front surface 2 b closely faces the front surface 3 b , and the keyboard 5 , the display device 6 , the pointing device 7 , the click button 8 , and the like are covered between the housings 2 a and 3 a . Incidentally, FIG. 1 does not illustrate all keys of the keyboard 5 but only keys 5 a.

The second body 3 is shaped in a rectangle that is long in the X direction and short in the Y direction in a plan view from the Z direction, and is thin and flat in the Z direction. The second body 3 comprises a housing 3 a . The housing 3 a comprises a first divisional body 3 C and a second divisional body 3 M. The first divisional body 3 C has a bottom wall 3 d that forms a back surface 3 c . The second divisional body 3 M has a top wall 3 e that forms the front surface 3 b . An opening 3 f is formed in the center of the front surface 3 b (the top wall 3 e ) of the second divisional body 3 M, and a display surface 6 a of the display device 6 is exposed from the opening 3 f.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the display device 6 is rectangular in a plan view from the Z direction. The display device 6 is attached at substantially the center of the first divisional body 3 C. The location of the display device 6 is defined by brackets 6 b provided to the four corners of the display device 6 or the like with respect to the first divisional body 3 C. The display device 6 has a relatively thin (height in the Z direction) and flat shape.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6 , a cable 9 is routed in an elongated area between a side surface 6 c of the display device 6 and an outer wall (periphery wall) 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C. The outer wall 3 g is raised in the thickness direction (the Z direction) and is formed in a rectangular frame along the periphery of the second body 3 . A plurality of the cables 9 (for example, three cables) may be routed in parallel depending on the location. The cable 9 may be, for example, an antenna cable.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , a plurality of ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided between the outer wall 3 g and the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 . In the embodiment, the three types of ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, which are elongated along the outer wall 3 g in a plan view, are arranged linearly spaced apart from each other along the outer wall 3 g . As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided on an inclined boundary wall 3 h between the bottom wall 3 d and the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C. The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C protrude in the Z direction (the thickness direction of the second divisional body 3 M) in substantially parallel to the outer wall 3 g . The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C each have an inner surface 10 a and an outer surface 10 b . The inner surface 10 a faces the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 , while the outer surface 10 b faces an inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g . The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are located near the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 compared to the outer wall 3 g . A gap gd between the inner surface 10 a of the each of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C and the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 (see also FIG. 9 ) is substantially constant. Accordingly, in a plan view from the Z direction as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C and also their inner surfaces 10 a are arranged in substantially a straight line, and the inner surfaces 10 a are located on a virtual plane spaced apart in parallel from the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 . In other words, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C aligned in a straight line are located to face the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 with the small gap gd therefrom.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 , in a place where the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are located, the cable 9 is routed in gaps ga, gb, and gc (see FIG. 5 ) between the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C and the outer wall 3 g.

When, for example, the electronic device 1 accidentally falls off, the display device 6 may move in a direction approaching the outer wall 3 g relative to the housing 3 a due to the inertial force acting on the display device 6 . In such a case, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C have the function of absorbing the impact load on the display device 6 . That is, when the electronic device 1 falls off, if the display device 6 relatively moves toward the outer wall 3 g along with the deformation of the periphery of the brackets 6 b and other parts, the display device 6 may come in contact with the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. In the embodiment, the display device 6 in contact with the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C deforms them by pressure. This deformation absorbs energy, thereby alleviating the relative impact load on the display device 6 from the housing 3 a (the outer wall 3 g , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, etc.).

The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C further have the function of protecting the cable 9 routed between the display device 6 and the outer wall 3 g . That is, as described above, when the electronic device 1 falls off, if the display device 6 relatively moves toward the outer wall 3 g along with the deformation of the periphery of the brackets 6 b (see FIG. 2 ) and other parts, the display device 6 may come in contact with the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. In the embodiment, even in such a case, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C located between the display device 6 and the cable 9 prevents the cable 9 from being damaged by, for example, coming in contact with the display device 6 , being stuck between the display device 6 and outer wall 3 g , or the like.

In view of preventing damage to the cable 9 , preferably, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are not substantially inclined due to pressure caused by the relative movement of the display device 6 . For this reason, in the embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 , protrusions 3 i are formed in the second divisional body 3 M as stoppers to stop the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, and the like (in the embodiment, only the rib 10 A).

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the second divisional body 3 M has the top wall 3 e and an outer wall (periphery wall) 3 k . The top wall 3 e is formed in a flat rectangular frame having the rectangular opening 3 f inside it and forms the front surface 3 b of the second body 3 . The outer wall 3 k is raised in the Z direction (the thickness direction of the second body 3 ) on the periphery of the top wall 3 e . The protrusions 3 i that stops the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are arranged spaced apart inside the outer wall 3 k , and protrude in the Z direction along the outer wall 3 k . The protrusions 3 i are formed elongated in the Y direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , the protrusion 3 i extends from the edge side to base side of the rib 10 A (from up to down in FIG. 9 ) in the gap ga between the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C and the rib 10 A. In the view of the X direction (the horizontal direction in FIG. 9 ), the protrusion 3 i overlaps the edge of the rib 10 A. Accordingly, when the rib 10 A is pressed by the display device 6 and inclined outward (to the left in FIG. 9 ), the edge of the rib 10 A is stopped by the protrusion 3 i . After the protrusion 3 i stops the rib 10 A, the rib 10 A is not likely to be inclined. This prevents damage to the cable 9 routed in the gap ga caused by an interference with the rib 10 A. Note that the protrusion 3 i as a stopper is only required to stop the rib 10 A being inclined or about to be inclined pressed by the display device 6 , and does not need to stop the rib 10 A while the display device 6 is not moving relative to the housing 3 a.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , in the embodiment, the outer wall 3 k of the second divisional body 3 M is located adjacent to the outside (the left side in FIG. 9 ) of the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C. With this, a boundary PL between the first divisional body 3 C and the second divisional body 3 M on the side surface is located on the side of the back surface 3 c of the second body 3 , i.e., at a position distant from the user who is using the electronic device 1 , which improves the visual appearance. Suppose that the display device 6 moves to the outside (to the left side in FIG. 9 ) relative to the first divisional body 3 C when the electronic device 1 falls, and the rib 10 A is inclined outward (to the left side in FIG. 9 ) and engages the protrusion 3 i , and the display device 6 further relatively moves to the outside (to the left side in FIG. 9 ). In this case, if the second divisional body 3 M moves outward relative to the first divisional body 3 C together with the protrusion 3 i , the protrusion 3 i cannot perform its function. In the above arrangement of the outer walls 3 k and 3 g , the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C does not constitute an obstacle to the outward movement of the second divisional body 3 M. In view of this, according to the embodiment, second protrusions 3 m are provided inside the outer wall 3 k of the second divisional body 3 M as second stoppers that engages the outer wall 3 g , as illustrated in FIG. 10 . When the display device 6 moves to the outside (to the left side in FIG. 9 ) relative to the first divisional body 3 C when the electronic device 1 falls, and the rib 10 A is inclined outward (to the left side in FIG. 9 ) and engages the protrusion 3 i , and the display device 6 further relatively moves to the outside (to the left side in FIG. 9 ), the second protrusion 3 m engages the outer wall 3 g . Accordingly, the second divisional body 3 M is prevented from moving outward relative to the first divisional body 3 C. Thus, it is possible to avoid the situation where the second divisional body 3 M moves outward relative to the first divisional body 3 C together with the protrusion 3 i , and the protrusion 3 i cannot perform its function.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , The second protrusions 3 m are arranged spaced apart along the outer wall 3 k . In the embodiment, the second protrusions 3 m are arranged correspondingly to spaces between the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, and does not extend into the gaps ga, gb, and gc between the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C and the outer wall 3 g . This is because if the second protrusions 3 m extend into the gaps ga, gb, and gc, the space to route the cable 9 is reduced. As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the second protrusions 3 m are formed higher than the protrusions 3 i.

A description will now be given of each of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 , 5 , and 9 , a convex reinforcing rib 10 c is provided on the side of the outer surface 10 b of the rib 10 A as a reinforcing member to increase the rigidity and the strength. In the embodiment, the rigidity and the strength of the rib 10 A is the highest among the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. This is because, if the display device 6 moves relative to the outer wall 3 g while being inclined, with respect to the rib 10 A that is located at the end of the array and has the adjacent ribs 10 B and 10 C on only one side, the load is less distributed, and a heavier load may act thereon from the corners of the display device 6 . The inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g is formed flat. The flat inner surface 3 j prevents the cable 9 from being concentrically-loaded, which reduces damage to the cable 9 .

To overcome a heavier load, the protrusion 3 i is provided as a stopper correspondingly to the rib 10 A located at the end of the array. More specifically, in the state where the first divisional body 3 C and the second divisional body 3 M are assembled, the protrusion 3 i is inserted in the gap ga between the rib 10 A and the outer wall 3 g . A gap ge is formed between the rib 10 A and the protrusion 3 i . Accordingly, when the rib 10 A is pressed by the display device 6 and inclined, energy is absorbed by the deformation of the rib 10 A until the rib 10 A is stopped by the protrusion 3 i.

A space (the gap ga) between the rib 10 A and the outer wall 3 g is larger than that between the rib 10 B and the outer wall 3 g . In other words, a larger space is secured in which the cable 9 is allowed to move. This prevents damage to the cable 9 , and also compensates for reduction in the space by the protrusion 3 i inserted in the gap ga between the rib 10 A and the outer wall 3 g.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the convex reinforcing rib 10 c is provided also on the side of the outer surface 10 b of the rib 10 B to increase the rigidity and the strength. The inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g is also formed flat.

The gap gb is smaller than the gap ga between the rib 10 A and the outer wall 3 g . The smaller gap gb increases the capability of retaining the cable 9 , which prevents the cable 9 from deviating from the original route. The rib 10 B is located in the middle of the array, and therefore the load is likely to be distributed and low compared to that on the rib 10 A. Accordingly, even if the gap gb is smaller than the gap ga, it is possible to reduce damage to the cable 9 .

The outer wall 3 g is partly recessed at a portion facing the rib 10 B as a recessed portion 3 p . If the gap gb is formed smaller than the gap ga while the outer wall 3 g is formed in a straight shape, the rib 10 B needs to be positioned outside the rib 10 A or formed thicker. It is not preferable to position the rib 10 B outside in view of shock absorption. Meanwhile, it is not preferable to form the rib 10 B thicker because it results in an increase in the weight. Regarding this point, according to the embodiment, the rib 10 B can be easily aligned with respect to the rib 10 A separated from the outer wall 3 g by the larger gap ga. Moreover, by providing a convexo-concave surface to the outer wall 3 g , the rigidity of the outer wall 3 g can be improved.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 , between the rib 10 C and the outer wall 3 g , a vertical wall 3 o is provided in which a notch 3 n can be formed. By inserting the cable 9 in the notch 3 n , it is possible to increase the capability of retaining the cable 9 . In an array of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, the rib 10 C is located closest to the center (the center of the side surface 6 c of the display device 6 ). Therefore, the load on the rib 10 C is distributed and is likely to be lighter than that on the rib 10 A. Thus, even if a gap gf of the notch 3 n is smaller than the gaps ga and gb, it is possible to reduce damage to the cable 9 .

With the vertical wall 3 o in which the notch 3 n can be formed, the gap gf smaller than the other gaps ga and gb can be relatively easily obtained regardless of the relative positions of the outer wall 3 g and the rib 10 c.

As described above, according to the embodiment, the electronic device 1 comprises the housing 3 a , the outer wall 3 g , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, the cable 9 , and the protrusion 3 i . The housing 3 a houses at least part of the display device 6 as an electronic component therein. The outer wall 3 g forms at least part of the outer contour of the housing 3 a . The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are located between the outer wall 3 g of the housing 3 a and the display device 6 , and the outer surface 10 b of them faces the inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g . The cable 9 is located between the outer wall 3 g and the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. The protrusion 3 i is provided to the housing 3 a and stops the rib 10 A as a stopper. With this, if the display device 6 relatively moves toward the outer wall 3 g by some cause such as the fall of the electronic device 1 , the protrusion 3 i prevents the rib 10 A which is pressed by the display device 6 from being inclined outside of where the cable 9 is routed. Thus, protection for the cable 9 can be improved. Moreover, the stopper can be formed with a relatively simple structure as the protrusion 3 i located outside the rib 10 A.

According to the embodiment, the housing 3 a comprises the first divisional body 3 C and the second divisional body 3 M. The first divisional body 3 C is provided with the outer wall 3 g and the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, while the second divisional body 3 M is provided with the protrusion 3 i as a stopper. This structure can be applied to a housing having a plurality of divisional bodies such as the second body 3 of the electronic device 1 . With this, a structure in which the rib 10 A is stopped by the protrusion 3 i can be relatively easily obtained by assembling the first divisional body 3 C with the second divisional body 3 M after routing the cable 9 in a recessed portion surrounded by the outer wall 3 g , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, and the bottom wall 3 d of the first divisional body 3 C. Especially, in the structure in which the outer wall 3 g and the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided on the bottom wall 3 d of the first divisional body 3 C, the cable 9 is routed in the recessed portion surrounded by the outer wall 3 g , the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, and the bottom wall 3 d , and the protrusion 3 i is formed on the top wall 3 e of the second divisional body 3 M, the protrusion 3 i is located on the edge side of the rib 10 A. Thus, the protrusion 3 i is not likely to interfere the cable 9 routed on the bottom wall 3 d side in the recessed portion.

According to the embodiment, the second protrusion 3 m is provided to the second divisional body 3 M inside the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C as a second stopper that engages the outer wall 3 g . When the display device 6 that relatively moves outward presses the protrusion 3 i through the rib 10 A, the second protrusion 3 m engages the outer wall 3 g of the first divisional body 3 C, thereby preventing the protrusion 3 i from moving to the outside. Thus, it is possible to reliably achieve the effect of preventing the inclination of the rib 10 A by the protrusion 3 i.

According to the embodiment, at least part of the inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g that faces the outer surface 10 b of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C is formed flat. The flat inner surface 3 j prevents the cable 9 from being concentrically-loaded, thereby improving the protection for the cable 9 .

According to the embodiment, the reinforcing rib 10 c is formed on the outer surface 10 b of the ribs 10 A and 10 B as a reinforcing member including a convex portion. Meanwhile, the inner surface 3 j of the outer wall 3 g that faces the outer surface 10 b is formed flat. This increases the rigidity and the strength of the ribs 10 A and 10 B as well as improving the protection for the cable 9 .

According to the embodiment, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided so that the gaps ga, gb, and gc between them and the outer wall 3 g are different in size. The outer wall 3 g is partly recessed at a portion facing the rib 10 B with the small gap gb as the recessed portion 3 p . This facilitates linear alignment of the rib 10 A with the large gap ga and the rib 10 B with the small gap gb, and also prevents the load from electronic components from concentrating on specific one of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C.

According to the embodiment, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are linearly aligned spaced apart in a plan view from the direction in which the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are raised (the Z direction). The display device 6 as an electronic component is arranged so that the side surface 6 c thereof faces the inside of an array of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. The protrusion 3 i is provided as a stopper correspondingly to at least the rib 10 A located at the end of the array. The protrusion 3 i prevents the inclination of the rib 10 A that is located at the end of the array and may be loaded most heavily. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the cable 9 .

According to the embodiment, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided so that the gaps ga, gb, and gc between them and the outer wall 3 g are different in size. The ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are linearly aligned spaced apart in a plan view from the direction in which the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are raised (the Z direction). The display device 6 as an electronic component is arranged so that the side surface 6 c thereof faces the inside of an array of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. Among the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C, the rib 10 B with the small gap gb is located at a middle position of the array except for the ends. Since the rib 10 B with the small gap gb is located at a middle position of the array except for the ends where the load acting from the display device 6 is likely to be lighter, it is possible to increase the capability of retaining the cable 9 as well as to prevent damage to the cable 9 .

According to the embodiment, the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C are provided so that the gaps ga, gb, and gc between them and the outer wall 3 g are different in size. The display device 6 as an electronic component is arranged so that the side surface 6 c thereof faces the inside of an array of the ribs 10 A, 10 B, and 10 C. The plurality of cables 9 are arranged in parallel in the direction along the outer surface 10 b or the inner surface 3 j , more specifically, in the direction in which the rib 10 B is raised, at least between the outer wall 3 g and the rib 10 B with the small gap gb. This prevents an increase in the size of the housing 3 a with respect to the size of the display device 6 viewed from the Z direction. By reducing the size of the gap gb with respect to each of the cables 9 , it is possible to increase the capability of retaining the cable 9 .

While the electronic device 1 of the embodiment is described above by way of example as a notebook personal computer, it may be any other electronic device than a notebook personal computer. Besides, the ribs may be arranged to face another side surface of the display device. The ribs may also be arranged correspondingly to another electronic device than the display device. The specification (location, size, shape, direction, etc.) can be changed as required for the outer wall, the ribs, the stopper, the second stopper, the electronic component, the reinforcing member, and the like.

While certain embodiments 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.