Abstract:
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile apparatus including: a resin body having a circumferential portion; a loop antenna disposed along the circumferential portion; and a printed circuit board configured to mount electronic components thereon, wherein the resin body is formed continuously and the loop antenna and the printed circuit board are embedded in the resin body.

Description:
[0001]    The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-021984 filed on Jan. 31, 2008, including specification, claims, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    One aspect of the present invention relates to a thin-sized mobile apparatus, and more particularly, to a mobile apparatus having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) antenna with high rigidity in addition to an antenna function. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    As a type of a mobile phone, there is a thin-sized mobile phone. In this case, it is necessary to improve rigidity of the mobile phone. In addition, it is conceivable to mount an antenna for non-contact data communication such as RFID on such a thin-sized mobile phone. 
         [0006]    There is a mobile phone (data communication device) having the antenna for non-contact data communication therein (see JP-A-2005-26865 (page 4, FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4)). A mobile apparatus  1  has a known foldable structure including a main body  2  and a display  3 , and a loop coil antenna  5  for non-contact data communication is disposed to be wound over a whole circumference of an inside of a case  2   a  of a main body  2 . The loop coil antenna  5  is formed, of a conducting wire as a thin copper pattern on a flexible printed circuit board  10 . In JP-A-2005-26865, there is a description that the loop coil antenna  5  may be directly buried in a side of the case  2   a  of resin. 
         [0007]    In the mobile phone  1  described in JP-A-2005-26865, the loop coil antenna  5  is directly buried in the side of the outer peripheral case  2   a  of resin, or is mounted thereon by adhering and fixing. Although not shown, other components are mounted on an inner structures. Then, the structures are covered with the case  2   a  to surround the structures, thereby forming the mobile apparatus  1 . The known general mobile apparatus has the structure of covering the inner structures with the outer peripheral case. In such a structure, to improve rigidity of the mobile apparatus, it is necessary to improve rigidity of the outer peripheral case  2   a  or rigidity of the inner structures. In a method for manufacturing the mobile apparatus, after assembling the inner structures, it is further necessary to perform a process of covering the inner structures with the outer peripheral case, and thus a large number of processes are necessary. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile apparatus including; a resin body having a circumferential portion; a loop antenna disposed along the circumferential portion; and a printed circuit board configured to mount electronic components thereon, wherein the resin body is formed continuously and the loop antenna and the printed circuit board are embedded in the resin body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Embodiment may be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary view illustrating appearance of a mobile apparatus according to an exemplary first Embodiment and a second Embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary perspective view illustrating appearance of a mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment, and appearance of a loop antenna built therein; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3A to 3C  are exemplary views illustrating arrangement of components of the mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4A to 4C  are exemplary transparent views illustrating processes for manufacturing the mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is an exemplary view illustrating appearance of the mobile apparatus according to the second Embodiment, and appearance of a loop antenna built therein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a view illustrating appearance of a mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment and the second Embodiment of the invention, in which Section (A) is a perspective view, Section (B) is a front view, Section (C) is a side view, and Section (D) is a back view. A mobile apparatus  100  has a thin-sized shape, and is shown in three-dimensional direction of a length direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction. 
         [0017]    The mobile apparatus  100  is provided with a receiver  1 , a display  2 , a plurality of operation keys  3 , and a microphone  4  on the front. The whole mobile apparatus  100  is molded with resin  5 , so that the components are surrounded and the surfaces thereof are visible, thereby forming the whole shape of the mobile apparatus  100 . A loop antenna is mounted in an outer peripheral portion of a side face  6  of the mobile apparatus  100 . An ID card such as an employee identification card is printed on a back face of the mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating appearance of the mobile apparatus  100  according to the first Embodiment, and appearance of the loop antenna. The mobile apparatus  100  is molded with the resin  5  to mount the loop antenna  20  therein. 
         [0019]    The loop antenna  20  is disposed in the outer peripheral portion of the side face  6  of the mobile apparatus  100 . The loop antenna  20  is formed of a metal plate, and the metal plate is disposed parallel to the thickness direction of the mobile apparatus  100 . When the number of loop times is plural, each face of a loop piles up from the side face  6  toward the center. 
         [0020]    Accordingly, rigidity against bending in the length direction and width direction of the mobile apparatus  100  is strengthened. Since the loop antenna  20  is disposed in the outer peripheral portion, the loop) antenna  20  is hardly affected by an inner conductor of the mobile apparatus  100  and thus an antenna characteristic is improved. The loop antenna  20  is not limited to the metal plate, and may be formed of a material having high rigidity. 
         [0021]    The start point and end point of the loop antenna  20  are connected to a radio circuit formed on a printed circuit board (not shown) as a feed point  28 . 
         [0022]      FIGS. 3A to 3C  are views illustrating component arrangement of the mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment.  FIG. 3A  is a front view of appearance of the mobile apparatus  100 .  FIG. 3B  shows components shown from the outside of the mobile apparatus  100 , and built-in components in a transparent state.  FIG. 3C  is a component arrangement viewed from the side and shows the components visible from the outside of the mobile apparatus  100 , and the built-in components in the transparent state. 
         [0023]    As the built-in components, there are the loop antenna  20  and the printed circuit board  30 . On the printed circuit board  30 , the receiver  1 , the display  2 , the plurality of operation keys  3 , and the microphone  4  which are visible from the outside of the mobile apparatus  100 , and a radio unit  7 , a wireless charging module  8 , a control unit  9 , and a display control unit  10 , which are invisible from the outside, are mounted therein by soldering. 
         [0024]    The resin  5  is filled and hardened so that the front surfaces of the receiver  1 , the display  2 , the operation keys  3 , and the microphone  4  as user input/output means for user interface are visible from the outside. The receiver  1  and the microphone  4  do not need to be directly visible from the outside, and may have a structure allowing transmitting sound. The other components are embedded in the resin  5  not to be visible from the outside. 
         [0025]    The wireless charging module  8  is a power supply unit that is charged with non-contact electron induction by a charger (not shown) provided outside the mobile apparatus  100 , and supplies electric power to the whole mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0026]    The loop antenna  20  built in the mobile apparatus  100  is reinforced with the resin  5  and is included therein, thereby strengthening rigidity against bending in the length direction and width direction of the mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0027]    [Manufacturing Method] 
         [0028]    A method for manufacturing the mobile apparatus  100  with such a configuration will be described hereinafter. In the manufacturing method of the Embodiment, a plurality of mobile apparatuses are manufactured in a state that the plurality of mobile apparatuses are connected, and finally, the mobile apparatus are taken out from a mold, thereby manufacturing each mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 4A to 4B  are transparent views illustrating the method for manufacturing the mobile apparatus according to the first Embodiment.  FIG. 4A  is a component arrangement viewed from the front.  FIG. 4B  is a component arrangement viewed from the side.  FIG. 4C  is a side view illustrating the manufactured mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0030]    First, predetermined components are soldered on the printed circuit board  30  to form a substrate unit. Then, the loop antenna  20  and the printed circuit board  30  are disposed in a space formed by a side face jig  60 , a front face jig  61 , and a back face jig  62 , as shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B . 
         [0031]    The front: face jig  61  has a shape to contact with the front surfaces of the receiver  1 , the display  2 , the operation keys  3 , and the microphone  4  used as user input/output means for user interface, among the components mounted on the mobile apparatus  100 , so that the surfaces are not filled up with the resin  5 . 
         [0032]    The side face jig  60 , the front face jig  61 , and the back face jig  62  are positioned so that the other mounted components of the radio unit  7 , the wireless charging module  8 , the control unit  9 , the display control unit  10 , the loop antenna  20 , and the printed circuit board  30  are encapsulated by the resin  5 . A space formed by the side face jig  60 , the front face jig  61 , and the back face jig  62  is continuously filled up with the resin  5 , and the resin  5  is hardened, thereby manufacturing the mobile apparatus  100  as shown in  FIG. 4C . 
         [0033]    According to the first Embodiment, the loop antenna and the printed circuit board with high rigidity are built in the mobile apparatus by filling with the resin. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mobile apparatus having a thin-sized shape with high rigidity while the case can be essentially removed. 
         [0034]    The wireless charging module  8  is mounted as a power supply unit, but the other power supply unit such as a battery may be mounted. Heating components provided in the mobile apparatus  100  may be connected to the loop antenna  20  through a thermal conductive sheet or the like, and thus the loop antenna disposed in the outer peripheral portion may be used for heat radiation. 
         [0035]    The mobile apparatus  100  may be applied to a thin-sized mobile phone, a PHS, a PDA, and the like. In addition, the mobile apparatus  100  may be applied to various cards having no operation key or display. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0036]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a mobile apparatus according to a second Embodiment of the invention, and appearance of a loop antenna built therein. The appearance of the mobile apparatus is the same as shown in  FIG. 1 , and the description thereof is omitted. A loop antenna  21  according to the second Embodiment has a shape different from that of the loop antenna  20  according to the first Embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , and the different part will be mainly described. 
         [0037]    The loop antenna  21  is disposed in the outer peripheral-portion of the side face  6  of the mobile apparatus  100 . The loop antenna  21  is formed of a metal plate, and a plate face thereof is disposed parallel to the thickness direction of the mobile apparatus  100 . When the number of loop times is plural, each face of a loop piles up on the same face parallel to the thickness direction of the mobile apparatus  100 . 
         [0038]    With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce a volume occupied by the loop antenna in a direction from the side face  6  toward the center as compared with the case of the loop antenna  20  according to the first Embodiment. 
         [0039]    In this Embodiment, basic component arrangement and a manufacturing method are the same as the first Embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3A to 3C  (arrangement of components) and  FIGS. 4A to 4C  (manufacturing method), but there is a difference that the shape of the loop antenna  20  is changed to the shape of the loop antenna  21 . 
         [0040]    According to the second Embodiment, in addition to the advantage of the first Embodiment, the volume occupied by the loop antenna in the direction from the side face toward the center of the mobile apparatus can be reduced.