LCD dustproof structure of electronic equipment and electronic apparatus having the structure

The present invention provides an LCD dustproof structure which corresponds to dustproof and impact absorption by one cushion and is easily assembled and an electronic apparatus having the structure.A board protruding portion extending to right and left is set in the width direction of an LCD flexible board, an LCD flexible board catching face contacting with the downside of the board protruding portion of the LCD flexible board is formed on an LCD frame, when assembled, the downside of the board protruding portion of the LCD flexible board contacts with the LCD flexible board catching face, so that the board protruding portion and the upside of the LCD flexible board constitute planes continued with the face of a cushion striking portion. Thereby, it is possible to secure the dustproof of the space between a screen and an LCD body only by a dustproof cushion and at the same time, the cushion serves as an impact absorbing cushion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an LCD dustproof structure and an electronic apparatus having the LCD dustproof structure.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Conventionally, an electronic apparatus having an LCD such as a cellular phone is constituted by holding an LCD frame to the both sides between a front case for forming a housing and a rear cover. An LCD connecting with an LCD flexible board and a printed wiring board serving as a circuit board is fixed in an LCD frame. A screen for displaying an LCD picture is set to the front case. In the case of the conventional configuration, because there is a space between the LCD frame and an LCD flexible board, a structure is used in which an impact absorbing cushion is set between the LCD frame and the front case and moreover, a dustproof cushion is set between the LCD body and the screen when using a dustproof structure.

Moreover, a liquid-crystal display having functions for impact absorption and dustproof packing is disclosed (refer to Patent Document 1). In the liquid-crystal display, a fixing member for fixing a liquid-crystal display unit to a printed circuit board is formed by a high-elasticity and flexible resin material, and the upside of the fixing member is brought into contact with a housing which has an window.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electronic apparatus having an LCD such as a conventional cellular phone requires a dustproof cushion for dustproof between an LCD body and a front case in addition to an impact absorbing cushion. Because the dustproof cushion contacts with the LCD body, there are problems that it is necessary to consider influences on the LCD body having a low rigidity and thereby, extra man hour for assembling is required due to poor workability.

Moreover, in the case of the liquid-crystal display disclosed in Patent Document 1, because the quality of a fixing portion material is made flexible, the flexibility is limited and a problem lies in the fact of obtaining desired impact moderating characteristic and dustproof characteristic.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an LCD dustproof structure easily assembled correspondingly to dust proof and impact absorption by a cushion and an electronic apparatus having the dustproof structure.

An LCD dustproof structure of the present invention is an LCD dustproof structure of an electronic apparatus including a first case having a display face and an LCD and a second case engaged with the first case to form a housing, whereinan LCD frame that carries the LCD, a printed wiring board having an electronic component and a wiring for controlling the LCD and an LCD flexible board for connecting the LCD with the printed wiring board is fixed to the first case,the LCD flexible board has a board protruding portion extending in the width direction at predetermined positions at the both sides in the width direction,the LCD frame has, in the face opposite to the first case, a fixing portion for fixing the LCD, a dustproof cushion striking face formed on three faces surrounding the fixing portion, and an LCD flexible board catching face formed at a portion corresponding to the protruding portion of the LCD flexible board to support the downsize of the protruding portion so that the upside of the protruding portion continues with the dustproof cushion striking face, andthe first case has a dustproof cushion set so as to contact with the face on the LCD frame formed by the dustproof cushion striking face, upside of the protruding portion and upside of the LCD flexible board.

It is also allowed that the LCD flexible board catching face has a cut for securing the protruding portion of the LCD flexible board. It is also allowed that the dustproof cushion has a function for absorbing an impact.

It is also allowed that the first case has a screen attaching portion on the surface and a dustproof cushion attaching portion on the back and a screen is attached to the screen attaching portion to serve as a display face.

An electronic apparatus of the present invention has the above LCD dustproof structure. It is allowed that an electronic apparatus is a cellular phone and the cellular phone is foldaway.

The present invention has an advantage that the number of components and assembling man-hours can be decreased. This is because the dustproof cushion serves as an impact absorbing cushion and thereby, the number of impact absorbing cushions can be decreased.

Moreover, there is an advantage that dustproof can be realized without imposing a burden on internal components or without being influenced by the fluctuation of the internal components. This is because a configuration of compressing a dustproof cushion only between a front case having a relatively-high rigidity and an LCD frame is used and no burden is imposed on other components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Then, embodiments of the present invention are described below by referring to the accompanying drawings.FIG. 1is a schematic perspective view of a foldaway cellular phone of an embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 2is a schematic exploded perspective view of the upper housing inFIG. 1,FIG. 3is a schematic perspective view when viewing the front case and dustproof cushion inFIG. 2from their backs, andFIGS. 4A and 4Bare schematic views showing a state in which an LCD body and an LCD flexible board are mounted on an LCD frame, in whichFIG. 4Ais a top view andFIG. 4Bis an A—A sectional view ofFIG. 4A.

In this case, a foldaway cellular phone1is described as an example as shown inFIG. 1. The foldaway cellular phone1is constituted by an upper housing2, lower housing3, hinge connecting portion4for connecting the upper housing2with the lower housing3so that they can be foldaway, and external antenna7. A display5for displaying a picture is set to the upper housing2and a key button6for inputting character information and control information is set to the lower housing.

The front case20has a screen attaching portion21on the surface and a dustproof cushion attaching portion22on the back, the screen10is attached to the screen attaching portion21, and the dustproof cushion30is attached to the dustproof cushion attaching portion22.

The LCD frame50has an LCD fixing portion51, cushion striking portion52, and LCD flexible board catching face53on the upside and the LCD flexible board catching face53forms a face engaged with the downside of the board protruding portion42of an LCD flexible board41. Because the LCD flexible board41generally has a small thickness, the thickness of a board protruding portion42is also small, and a step can be covered by the dustproof cushion30. Therefore, inFIG. 4, the LCD flexible board catching face53contacting with the downside of the board protruding portion42has the same height as the cushion striking face52. However, when the thickness of the board protruding portion42is large, it is also allowed to form a cut so that the upside of the board protruding portion42becomes the same height as the cushion striking face52and set the LCD flexible board catching face53as the bottom of the cut.

The LCD body40is fixed to the LCD fixing portion51, the dustproof cushion30attached to the front case20contacts with the cushion striking portion52when assembled, the downside of the board protruding portion42of the LCD flexible board41contacts with the LCD flexible board catching face53, and the upsides of the board protruding portion42and LCD flexible board41become planes continued with the face of the cushion striking portion52.

The LCD body40and printed circuit board60are mutually connected by the LCD flexible board41folded back at the tip of the board protruding portion42contacting with the LCD flexible board catching face53.

The dustproof cushion30is held between the LCD frame50and the front case20when assembled to secure the closed stage between them. The rear cover70is engaged with the front case20to constitute a housing and the screen10is set to the front case20to become the display5.

This embodiment has a feature that the board protruding portion42extending to right and left in the width direction is set to the LCD flexible board41, the LCD flexible board catching face53contacting and engaged with the downsize of the board protruding portion42of the LCD flexible board41is formed on the LCD frame50, and the upside of the board protruding portion42of the LCD flexible board41becomes a plane continued with the face of the cushion striking portion52when assembled. Because the thickness of the LCD flexible board41is small, a step between the upside of the board protruding portion42and the cushion striking portion52is covered with the flexibility of the dustproof cushion30. If the thickness is large, it is allowed to form a cutout and eliminate the step from the upside. Because the LCD flexible board41is also thin, it is bent. However, because the board41is folded back at the front of it, it has a rigidity and its deflection is covered with the flexibility of the dustproof cushion30.

Thus, dustproof of the space between the screen10and the LCD body40can be secured only by the dustproof cushion30and at the same time, the dustproof cushion30serves as an impact absorbing cushion.

Then, assembling of the upper housing2of the foldaway cellular phone of this embodiment is described below. The LCD flexible board41is connected to the printed wiring board60and the LCD body40is fixed to the LCD fixing portion51of the LCD frame50so that the board protruding portion42contacts with the LCD flexible board catching face53of the LCD frame50. Then, by folding back the LCD flexible board41and fixing the printed wiring board60to the downside of the LCD frame50, an LCD unit is completed.

After attaching the dustproof cushion30to the dustproof cushion attaching portion22at the downside of the front case20, the LCD unit is built in the front case20so that the dustproof cushion30contacts with the cushion striking face52of the LCD frame50and the upside of the LCD flexible board41including the board protruding portion42. The rear cover70is fitted to the front case20and the screen10is attached to the screen attaching portion21of the front case20to complete the upper housing2.

Then, functions of the LCD dustproof structure of this embodiment are described below. The square dustproof cushion30contacts on the cushion striking face52of the LCD frame50, board protruding portion42supported by the LCD flexible board catching face53, and the LCD flexible board41over a circuit. Therefore, by compressing the dustproof cushion30between the front case20and the LCD frame50, the closed state of the display portion between the screen10and the LCD body40can be secured.

A foldaway cellular phone is described above as an example. But a cellular phone is not restricted to the foldaway cellular phone. It is also allowed to use an integrated cellular phone and other electronic apparatuses which can be widely used as the dustproof structure of an LCD for performing display by an LCD.