Sliding portable electronic device

Provided is a sliding portable electronic device having a waterproof structure which does not restrict a circuit design. Provided is a sliding portable electronic device having a waterproof structure which does not restrict a circuit design. The sliding portable electronic device according to the present invention comprises a pair of housings engaging slidably with each other. An electric component built in one housing is connected to an electric component built in the other housing through a flexible lead. The other housing is provided with an opening, through which the flexible lead passes, and the opening is blocked by a waterproof sheet. The flexible lead, which is drawn out from the electric component of the one casing, passes between the abutment surfaces of the waterproof sheet and the other casing and is connected to the electric component of the other housing.

This is a U.S. National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/JP2008/067480 filed Sep. 26, 2008, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-252996 filed Sep. 28, 2007, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a sliding portable electronic device comprising a pair of housings engaging slidably with each other such as a sliding portable telephone.

BACKGROUND ART

In the sliding portable telephone, as shown inFIG. 9, a display side housing8including a display83and an operation side housing9including an operation key99engage slidably with each other, and the display83of the display side housing8is connected to a circuit board93in the operation side housing9through a flexible lead7.

The display side housing8comprises a display side front case half body81and a display side rear case half body82, while the operation side housing9comprises an operation side front case half body91and an operation side rear case half body92. The operation side front case half body91of the operation side housing9is provided with an aperture97through which the flexible lead7passes.

As shown inFIG. 10, the flexible lead7drawn out from inside of the display side housing8curves in a space including the aperture97of the operation side housing9, and then extends along a surface of a metal plate98placed in the operation side housing9, and further passes between facing surfaces of a sponge member96attached and fixed on an inner surface of the operation side front case half body91and the metal plate98. A male connector71coupled to a tip end part of the flexible lead7fits in a female connector72on a circuit board93.

Also, in order to prevent moisture which enters from between the display side housing8and the operation side housing9from passing through the aperture97to invade to a connector structure73comprising the male connector71and the female connector72, on the operation side front case half body91of the operation side housing9, a waterproof rib95of a height reaching the surface of the metal plate98projects along three sides of an opening edge surrounding the aperture97other than one side to which the sponge member96is attached. The waterproof rib95and the sponge member96form a waterproof wall structure surrounding the aperture97.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

In a case where the waterproof wall structure shown inFIG. 10is employed, it is necessary to arrange the connector structure73on the circuit board93inside of the waterproof wall structure, namely outside of an area A where the opening97is formed.

However, in portable telephones having higher and higher packaging density of the circuit board93with a multi-functionalization in recent years, when a position of the connector structure73on the circuit board93is limited as discussed above, there is a problem of great restriction on a circuit design.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sliding portable electronic device including a waterproof structure which does not restrict a circuit design.

Means for Solving the Problem

In a sliding portable electronic device according to the present invention, a pair of housings1,2engages slidably with each other, and an electrical component built in one housing1is connected to an electrical component built in the other housing2through a flexible lead3.

Here, the other housing2is provided with an aperture25through which the flexible lead3passes, the opening25is blocked by a waterproof sheet5, and the flexible lead3drawn out from the electrical component of the one housing1passes between abutting surfaces of the waterproof sheet5and the other housing2, and is connected to the electrical component of the other housing2.

In the sliding portable electronic device of the present invention described above, since the opening25provided in the other housing2is blocked by the waterproof sheet5, a tip end part of the flexible lead3can be connected to a circuit board6in an area overlapping with the aperture25in the housing2through an electrical component in the housing2, e.g., a connector structure4on the circuit board6.

Specifically, the flexible lead3drawn out from the electrical component of the one housing1extends along a surface of the waterproof sheet5, and then is folded back from front side to back side of the waterproof sheet5, and is connected to the electrical component of the other housing2in an area where the tip end part thereof overlaps with the aperture25.

Therefore, according to the sliding portable electronic device of the present invention, there is no restriction due to arrangement of a connection part such as the connector structure4, and degrees of freedom of the circuit design thereby increase.

In a further particular configuration, a base end part of the waterproof sheet5is attached and fixed to the other housing2, and a peripheral edge part of the waterproof sheet5other than the base end part faces the other housing2so that the peripheral edge part can be in close contact with the other housing2. The flexible lead3passes between facing surfaces of the tip end part of the waterproof sheet5and the other housing2, and thereafter, is folded back from front side to back side of the waterproof sheet5, and the peripheral edge part of the waterproof sheet5other than the base end part thereof is pressed against the housing2along with the assembly of the other housing2.

In an assembly process of the sliding portable electronic device having this particular configuration, when both the housings1,2are assembled together in the state where both the housings1,2are connected to each other by the flexible lead3, the waterproof sheet5bends in a direction away from the one housing1at the base end part, and therefore, it is possible to secure a space for connecting the tip end part of the flexible lead3to the electrical component of the other housing2, thereby making a connection work easy.

Effect of the Invention

With the sliding portable electronic device according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a waterproof structure which does not restrict a circuit design.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1display side housing

11display side rear case half body

12display side front case half body

2operation side housing

21operation side front case half body

22operation side rear case half body

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment in which the present invention is implemented in a sliding portable telephone is to be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

As shown inFIG. 1, a sliding portable telephone according to the present invention comprises a display side housing1and an operation side housing2engaging slidably with each other, a display13is arranged on a front surface of the display side housing1, a plurality of operation keys including a numerical keypad are arranged on a front surface of the operation side housing2, the operation keys26can be exposed so as to be operable by sliding the display side housing1from a closed position to an open position.

The display side housing1comprises a display side rear case half body11and a display side front case half body12joined together, and the operation side housing2comprises an operation side front case half body21and an operation side rear case half body22joined together.

As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the display13is placed between the display side rear case half body11and the display side front case half body12forming the display side housing1. In contrast, a circuit board6including the plurality of operation keys26and a camera61are placed between the operation side front case half body21and the operation side rear case half body22forming the operation side housing2. An accommodation room of a battery24is formed on a rear surface of the operation side rear case half body22, and the battery accommodation room is covered by a rear panel23.

Also, in the display side rear case half body11of the display side housing1, a slide plate15and a spring14urging the slide plate15are placed, and the slide plate15is coupled to the operation side front case half body21of the operation side housing2to realize slide between the display side housing1and the operation side housing2, and urging by a spring to both directions.

As shown inFIG. 1, the display13of the display side housing1is connected to the circuit board6of the operation side housing2through the flexible lead3. In particular, a male connector42coupled to a tip end part of the flexible lead3fits in a female connector41installed on the circuit board6of the operation side housing2, and the male connector42and the female connector41form a connector structure4.

As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the display side rear case half body11of the display side housing1is provided with an aperture16through which the flexible lead3is to pass, and the operation side front case half body21of the operation side housing2is provided with an aperture25through which the flexible lead3is to pass. The aperture25of the operation side front case half body21is blocked by a waterproof sheet5made of PET.

As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the waterproof sheet5has a rectangular shape, and one side of a base end part52thereof is attached and fixed to an inner surface of the operation side front case half body21. Also, a U-shaped sponge member51is attached and fixed to other three sides of peripheral edge part of the waterproof sheet5on facing parts with the operation side front case half body21, and the sponge member51faces the inner surface of the operation side front case half body21.

As shown inFIG. 2, the flexible lead3drawn out from the display side housing1includes a curved section32curving in a U-shape in a space including the aperture25of the operation side front case half body21. A tip end side of the flexible lead3from the curved section32extends along a surface of the waterproof sheet5, and thereafter passes between the operation side front case half body21and the sponge member51, and is further folded back 180 degrees from front side to back side of the waterproof sheet5, and the tip end part thereof reaches an area A where the aperture25is formed. And the male connector42coupled to the tip end part fits in the female connector41on the circuit board6.

A two-sided adhesive tape31is arranged on a folded part33of the flexible lead3to mark a fold line on the flexible lead3.

In the above described sliding portable telephone, when the display side housing1slides from the closed position toward the open position as indicated by a chain line arrow inFIG. 2, the curved section32of the flexible lead3moves as indicated by chain lines in the figure to allow separation of the display side housing1and the operation side housing2in a sliding direction.

In the sliding portable telephone of the present invention, although the connector structure4is arranged within the area A where the aperture25of the operation side front case half body21is formed, since the opening25is blocked by the waterproof sheet5, even if moisture enters between the display side housing1and the operation side housing2, invasion of the moisture into the operation side housing2is prevented by the waterproof sheet5, and the moisture does not reach the connector structure4.

Therefore, the position of the connector structure4on the circuit board6is not limited by a relationship with the area A where the aperture25is formed. In the depicted example, the connector structure4is arranged within the area A where the aperture25is formed.

In the assembly process of the sliding portable telephone of the present invention, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, while the display side rear case half body11and the display side front case half body12are joined together to assemble the display side housing1, the male connector42attached to the tip end part of the flexible lead3drawn out from the display13of the display side housing1is fitted in the female connector41on the circuit board6placed in the operation side rear case half body22in a state where the operation side front case half body21and the operation side rear case half body22of the operation side housing2are not yet joined together.

In this work, it is necessary to secure a space for the work within margin of a length of the flexible lead3, by separating the display side housing1and the operation side front case half body21from each other, and this separation makes the flexible lead3extend in an oblique direction from the display side housing1side to the operation side front case half body21side. Along with this, the waterproof sheet5bends to the operation side rear case half body22side at the base end part thereof.

Therefore, it is possible to fit the male connector42in the female connector41without completely removing the waterproof sheet5from the operation side front case half body21.

Thereafter, the operation side front case half body21and the operation side rear case half body22are joined together to assemble the operation side housing2. Along with this assembly, the waterproof sheet5returns to a plane shape, and the sponge member51attached to the waterproof sheet5is pressed against the inner surface of the operation side front case half body21. The opening25is thereby blocked to complete a waterproof structure.

According to the sliding portable telephone of the present invention described above, the connector structure4on the circuit board6built in the operation side housing2can be arranged freely without being bound by the positional relation with the aperture25formed in the display side rear case half body11of the display side housing1. Therefore, the degrees of freedom of the circuit design of the circuit board6increase, and therefore, the packaging density of the circuit board6can be increased.

The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment in construction but can be modified variously within the technical range set forth in the appended claims. For example, in the above example, the connector structure4on the circuit board6is arranged within the area A where the aperture25of the operation side front case half body21is formed. However, not limited to this, it can be arranged outside of the area A.

Also, in the above example, the waterproof structure with the waterproof sheet5of the present invention is realized in the operation side housing2. However, alternatively, a similar waterproof structure can be provided in the display side housing1, or a similar waterproof structure can be provided in both the display side housing1and the operation side housing2.