Electronic device

A mobile phone that is an electronic device includes a bottom housing including a first bottom subhousing. On the first bottom subhousing a rib is provided so as to surround a position where an earphone jack is to be provided and be in with a substrate on which the earphone jack is to be provided. This rib prevents liquid from infiltrating into the bottom housing. Connection terminals of the earphone jack are each connected with other components of the mobile phone such as a CPU via an inner layer of the substrate.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and particularly to a waterproof art for use in an electronic device whose housing has an opening.

BACKGROUND ART

Since an electronic device such as a mobile phone is provided with an interface unit such as an earphone jack and a USB terminal for connection to an external device, and accordingly has an opening from which a connection terminal is exposed is provided in its housing. The provision of the opening means possible infiltration of a material such as liquid and dust via the opening, which is harmful to components inside the housing of the electronic device.

For example, liquid infiltration via the opening might cause some troubles in circuits inside the electronic device.

In response, a conventional art discloses a method of covering such an opening with a rubber cover or the like, so as to prevent liquid and dust from infiltrating via the opening while an earphone or a USB cable is not connected.

Also, another conventional art discloses a method of attaching a waterproof sheet around an earphone jack so as to prevent a material, which has infiltrated via an opening such as liquid and dust, from further infiltrating into other components provided on a substrate. According to this conventional art, attachment of a sheet covering the earphone jack prevents inflow of such a material via the earphone jack.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, provision of a cover or a waterproof sheet according to the above conventional arts undeniably leads to the increase in the costs for the provision and the increase in the number of manufacturing processes. Also, even if an earphone jack is manufactured so as to have an insertion slot which is covered, it is inevitable that the designing needs to be drastically changed and the number of manufacturing processes increases.

In view of this problem, the present invention aims to provide an electronic device capable of reducing an influence of liquid infiltration via an opening of an interface unit on components inside a housing of the electronic device, without using a cover and a waterproof sheet such as described above.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising: a housing; a substrate provided in the housing; and an interface unit provided on the substrate, wherein the housing includes: an opening from which the interface unit is exposed; and a partitioning part that extends from the opening so as to surround the interface unit.

Also, the substrate may be a multilayer substrate, and the interface unit may be connected with other components of the electronic device via a connection wire that passes through an inner layer of the substrate.

Also, the partitioning part may include a supporting subpart that extends toward the interface unit.

Also, the interface unit may be an earphone jack.

Also, the interface unit may be a USB terminal.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following describes a mobile phone as an embodiment of an electronic device relating to the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1shows an external appearance of a mobile phone100.

The mobile phone100is composed of a top housing110and a bottom housing120that are connected to each other via a hinge140, as shown inFIG. 1. Also, the bottom housing120has an opening150from which an earphone jack130is exposed. When an earphone plug (not shown) is inserted into the earphone jack130, audio is output from an earphone. This earphone jack130is a round-type one. Unlike conventional mobile phones, the opening150of the mobile phone100from which the earphone jack130is exposed is not covered with a rubber cover. Of course, the present invention is also applicable to an electronic device such as a mobile phone provided with such a cover.

FIG. 2is a simplified exploded perspective view of the bottom housing120. The bottom housing120is composed of a resin first bottom subhousing121, a resin second bottom subhousing122, and a substrate123that is sandwiched between the first bottom subhousing121and the second bottom subhousing122. Note that althoughFIG. 2shows only the earphone jack130is provided on the substrate123, other components are actually provided on the substrate123, such as a CPU, a capacitor, and a resistor. Also,FIG. 2does not show components such as a battery provided in parts other than on the substrate123.

The earphone jack130is provided on the substrate123. A rib200is provided so as to surround the earphone jack130together with the first bottom subhousing121when the earphone jack130is sandwiched between the first bottom subhousing121and the second bottom subhousing122. When a material such as liquid infiltrates into the bottom housing via the earphone jack130, the rib200functions as a partition for preventing such a material from infiltrating into further inside of the bottom housing. Here, the earphone jack130is a ready-made product having an inlet.

The following describes the rib200in further detail, with reference toFIG. 3toFIG. 5.

FIG. 3andFIG. 4are each an enlarged view of a rib periphery124of the first bottom subhousing121shown inFIG. 2, seen from the back.FIG. 3shows the rib periphery124where the earphone jack130has not yet been provided.FIG. 4shows the rib periphery124where the earphone jack130is provided. Also,FIG. 5is a cross-sectional view of the rib periphery124along a line B-B′ shown inFIG. 4, when the mobile phone100is seen in a direction indicated by an arrow A shown inFIG. 1.

As can be seen fromFIG. 3andFIG. 4, in the first bottom subhousing121of the mobile phone100as an embodiment of the electronic device relating to the present invention, the rib200is provided so as to surround a position where the earphone jack130is to be provided.

A rib is originally intended for increasing the rigidity of a housing. According to the present invention, the first bottom subhousing121is designed such that the rib200surrounds the position where earphone jack130is to be provided. The processes of manufacturing the mobile phone100originally includes designing of an outer shape of the mobile phone100. Accordingly, provision of the rib200in the housing does not increase the number of manufacturing processes, the manufacturing costs, and so on.

The rib200extends so as to be in contact with the substrate123, as shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 5.

As shown inFIG. 4, the earphone jack130includes connection terminals131and132that are each connected to the substrate123. More specifically, as shown inFIG. 5, the substrate123is a multilayer substrate composed of a first layer501, a second layer502, a third layer503, and a fourth layer504. The connection terminal131of the earphone jack130is connected to the second layer502through a via511so as to be connected to other components. Also, the connection terminal132of the earphone jack130is connected to the third layer503through a via512so as to be connected to other components. The earphone jack130is connected to other components through an inner layer constituting the substrate123. This makes unnecessary to form a connection wire on the surface of the substrate123for connecting the earphone jack130to other components, thereby avoiding occurrence of short, which is caused by liquid infiltrates in the case where the connection wire is provided on the surface of the substrate123. As a result, the reliability of the mobile phone100can be further improved.

Also, as can be seen fromFIG. 3toFIG. 5, the rib200includes subribs210that each extend toward the earphone jack130and extend substantially vertically from the rib200so as to be substantially in contact with the earphone jack130. With this structure, even when a user tries to roughly insert or eject the earphone plug into or from the earphone jack130, the earphone jack130is less likely to become loose. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the connection terminals131and132of the earphone jack130from detaching from the substrate123as much as possible.

According to the mobile phone100as described above, the rib200is provided in the housing so as to surround the earphone jack130. Accordingly, even when a material such as liquid infiltrates via the earphone jack130, which might cause abnormality in internal circuits of the mobile phone100, such a material does not further infiltrate from the periphery of the earphone jack130into other area on the substrate123. This exhibits an effect such as the reduction in the cost of a conventionally provided rubber cover and the number of manufacturing processes.

With the above structure, even when a material such as liquid infiltrates into the housing via the opening of the interface unit such as an earphone jack, the partitioning part can prevent such a material from further infiltrating to other components inside the housing. Since the process of manufacturing an electronic device originally includes designing of the shape of its housing, it is only necessary to design the shape of the housing such that the partitioning part surrounds the interface unit. This cause neither special increase in the costs nor increase in the number of manufacturing processes. As a result, it is possible to realize an electronic device capable of reducing the influence of liquid infiltration via the interface unit that exercises on components inside the housing.

Supplementary Explanation

Although the method of implementing the present invention has been described in the above embodiment, the implement method of the present invention is not limited to this. The following describes modification examples of present invention.

(1) In the above embodiment, the earphone jack130is used as an example of an interface unit including a connection terminal for connection to an external device. Alternatively, any type of interface unit may be employed, as long as a connection terminal for connection to an external device is included and accordingly an opening is provided in a housing. For example, it may be possible to employ a USB terminal, an SD card connection terminal, and a charging terminal as an interface unit.

Also, in the above embodiment, the earphone jack130is a round-type one. Alternatively, a flat-type earphone jack may be employed.

(2) In the above embodiment, the substrate123is a four-layer substrate. Alternatively, the substrate123may be composed of any number of layers. For example, the substrate123may be a seven-layer substrate.

Further alternatively, the substrate123may be a single-layer substrate, that is, may not be a multilayer substrate. Note that, in this case, a connection wire needs to be provided on the surface of the substrate123to connect the earphone jack130to other components.

(3) In the above embodiment, the ribs, which each extend substantially vertically from the rib200, are referred to as the sub ribs210for convenience of distinction from the rib200. Generally, these sub ribs210are each also referred to as a rib.

(4) In the above embodiment, the rib200extends so as to be in contact with the substrate123.

Note that the end of the extended rib200may be bonded to the substrate123so as to be adhered tightly to the substrate123. On the other hand, in the case where it is only necessary to exhibit a waterproof effect of the minimal prevention of liquid infiltration, the end of the rib200does not necessarily need to be completely adhered to the substrate123, and some gaps may remain therebetween.

(5) In the above embodiment, a mobile phone is used as an example of the electronic device relating to the present invention. Alternatively, any type of electronic device may be employed, as long as a connection terminal such as an earphone jack for connection to an external device is included and accordingly an opening for exposing the connection terminal is provided in a housing. For example, an PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) may be employed as an electronic device.

(6) In the above embodiment, the rib200includes subribs210that each extend substantially vertically from the rib200. Alternatively, the subribs210may be each provided at any angle with respect to the rib200, which is appropriate depending on the designing.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The electronic device relating to the present invention is usable as an electronic device, which has a connection terminal for connection to an external device, capable of reducing, without using a cover or the like, an influence that liquid infiltration into the inside of the electronic device has on internal circuits.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

100: mobile phone

110: top housing

120: bottom housing

131and132: connection terminal