Abstract:
The resent invention provides a television receiver including: a radio frequency section for an electromagnetic wave type remote control, the radio frequency section configured to transmit and receive an electromagnetic wave to and from the electromagnetic wave type remote control; and a retaining section configured to retain said radio frequency section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control; wherein said radio frequency section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes a radio frequency circuit board section, an antenna part, and a ground connecting section, said retaining section includes a conductive column support standing on a bezel, a column support standing on said bezel, and a conductive sheet metal parallel with said bezel and fixed to said conductive column support.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2007-225185, filed in the Japan Patent Office on Aug. 31, 2007, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a television (TV) receiver, and particularly to a TV receiver using a remote control utilizing electromagnetic waves (hereinafter referred to as an electromagnetic wave type remote control) and a radio frequency (RF) device for the electromagnetic wave type remote control which device is used in the TV receiver. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An infrared type remote control utilizing infrared rays has heretofore been used as a remote control (remote controller) of a TV receiver. 
     Infrared rays emitted from the infrared type remote control do not interfere with electric signals, and thus do not affect the operation of an electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver, while the infrared rays emitted from the infrared type remote control are not affected by the operation of the electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver. 
     An electromagnetic wave type remote control utilizing electromagnetic waves has recently come into use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave type remote control may affect the operation of an electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver. On the other hand, the electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave type remote control may be affected by the operation of the electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver. 
     Of course, because of low intensity of the electromagnetic waves used by the electromagnetic wave type remote control, there is a small possibility of the electromagnetic waves affecting the operation of the electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver. However, because the circuit of the TV receiver is packaged at a high density, and operating voltage of the circuit is lowered, the circuit of the TV receiver may be affected by the electromagnetic waves from the electromagnetic wave type remote control. On the other hand, when the electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave type remote control have low intensity, there is a strong possibility of the electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave type remote control being affected by the operation of the electronic (electric) circuit within the TV receiver. 
     Thus, there is a desire for a TV receiver that uses an electromagnetic wave type remote control and is able to eliminate the above-described effects. At the same time, there is a desire to establish a grounding circuit effectively. 
     The above-described desires are not limited to the TV receiver, but hold true for electronic devices and other devices such as air conditioners, for example. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a TV receiver including: an RF (radio frequency) section for an electromagnetic wave type remote control, the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic wave to and from the electromagnetic wave type remote control; and a retaining section for retaining the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control; wherein the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes an RF circuit board section, an antenna part disposed so as to be separated from the RF circuit board section, and a ground connecting section disposed between the RF circuit board section and the antenna part and connected to a grounding system within the RF circuit board section, the retaining section includes a conductive column support standing on a bezel, a column support standing on the bezel, and a conductive sheet metal parallel with the bezel and fixed to the conductive column support, the ground connecting section of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed to the conductive sheet metal using a conductive fixture, and a grounding circuit of the RF circuit board section is established via the bezel, and the antenna part of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is retained on one side by the column support at a position separated from the conductive sheet metal. 
     Preferably, when the ground connecting section is fixed via a screw, an electromagnetic shield is inserted between the antenna part and the screw. 
     In addition, preferably, when the antenna part of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is retained on one side by the column support at a position separated from the conductive sheet metal, the antenna part of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is retained by a resin part. 
     More preferably, the retaining section and the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control are disposed at a position separated from a signal processing circuit within the TV receiver. 
     In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an RF device for an electromagnetic wave type remote control for a TV receiver, the RF device for the electromagnetic wave type remote control transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic wave to and from the electromagnetic wave type remote control retained by a retaining section within the TV receiver, the RF device for the electromagnetic wave type remote control including: an RF circuit board section; an antenna part disposed so as to be separated from the RF circuit board section; and a ground connecting section disposed between the RF circuit board section and the antenna part and connected to a grounding system within the RF circuit board section. 
     Further, according to further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device including: an RF section for an electromagnetic wave type remote control, the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic wave to and from the electromagnetic wave type remote control; and a retaining section for retaining the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control; wherein the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes an RF circuit board section, an antenna part disposed so as to be separated from the RF circuit board section, and a ground connecting section disposed between the RF circuit board section and the antenna part and connected to a grounding system within the RF circuit board section, the retaining section includes a conductive column support standing on a bezel, a column support standing on the bezel, and a conductive sheet metal parallel with the bezel and fixed to the conductive column support, the ground connecting section of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed to the conductive sheet metal using a conductive fixture, and a grounding circuit of the RF circuit board section is established via the bezel, and the antenna part of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is retained on one side by the column support at a position separated from the conductive sheet metal. 
     According to the present invention, the antenna part of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is isolated remotely from the conductive member, and a ground for the RF circuit board section of the RF section for the electromagnetic wave type remote control can be established without any additional part being used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a circuit part of a TV receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of a mounted arrangement of a circuit of the TV receiver according to the embodiment of the present invention which receiver is illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an RF board in the mounted circuit arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an example of mounting the RF board illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrams of assistance in explaining an example of mounting the RF board illustrated in  FIG. 3  and illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  6 C, and  6 D are diagrams of another example of mounting the RF board illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of a TV receiver and an electronic device according to the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
     A TV receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5A  and  5 B. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a circuit part of an embodiment of a TV receiver according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a diagram of a mounted arrangement of a circuit of the TV receiver according to the embodiment of the present invention which receiver is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an RF board in the mounted circuit arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an example of mounting the RF board illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrams of assistance in explaining an example of mounting the RF board illustrated in  FIG. 3  and illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , the TV receiver  1  includes a control signal processing unit  10  for performing video processing and signal processing, an equalizer unit  20 , a tuner processing unit  30  for performing input processing on a tuner signal from an antenna, a video and audio signal processing unit  40 , an RF unit  50  for an electromagnetic wave type remote control, a controller  60 , and a liquid crystal display unit  70 . 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view in which the above-described circuit of the TV receiver  1  excluding the liquid crystal display unit  70  is arranged as a board. The RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is disposed in a lower part of  FIG. 2 . 
     Description in the following will be made centering on parts related to the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control. 
     The RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes: an RF circuit board section  52  having an RF signal processing circuit mounted on the board; an antenna part  54  for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves; and a ground connecting section  56 . 
     The RF circuit board section  52  and the antenna part  54  are arranged so as to be opposed to each other with the ground connecting section  56  interposed between the RF circuit board section  52  and the antenna part  54 . 
     The ground connecting section  56  is manufactured from a conductive member, such for example as copper or aluminum. The ground connecting section  56  is formed so as to ground an electronic circuit within the RF circuit board section  52 . Specifically, as will be described later, the ground of the electronic circuit within the RF circuit board section  52  reaches a bezel (exterior part)  100  via the ground connecting section  56  and a conductive sheet metal  90 , whereby a grounding circuit is established. 
     On the other hand, when the antenna part  54  is retained by a retaining section (a column support  102 , for example, is a part of the retaining section), the antenna part  54  is disposed at a position remote from the conductive sheet metal  90  to which the ground connecting section  56  is fixed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the retaining section for retaining the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes the bezel (exterior part)  100 , a column support  102  and a conductive column support  104  standing from the bezel (exterior part)  100 , and the conductive sheet metal  90  fixed to the conductive column support  104  in parallel with the bezel (exterior part)  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed on the conductive column support  104  and the column support  102 . 
     The RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed to the column support  102  in a state of being retained on one side using a resin part, for example. 
     While the column support  102  may be manufactured from a conductive member or a nonconductive member, because the antenna part  54  is situated in the vicinity of a part where the column support  102  is retained, it is desirable that the column support  102  be manufactured of a nonconductive member. A reason therefor will be described later. 
     The antenna part  54  needs to be disposed so as not to overlap the conductive sheet metal  90  which functions as a ground fixing sheet metal and is also an exterior retaining part. A reason therefor is that when a conductive member is present within a magnetic field caused by the antenna part  54 , the magnetic field is distorted, and the electromagnetic wave is disturbed. 
     On the other hand, the ground connecting section  56  needs to be connected to the conductive sheet metal  90  via an electromagnetic shield  110  using a screw  120  so that a grounding circuit is established via the conductive sheet metal  90 , the conductive column support  104 , and the bezel (exterior part)  100 . 
     When the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is disposed such that the antenna part  54  and the conductive sheet metal  90  are separated from each other so as not to interfere with each other, and when the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is to be grounded (when the grounding circuit is to be established), an additional part is needed. However, the need for the additional part is eliminated by forming the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control such that the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed to the conductive sheet metal  90  using the screw  120 , and forming the conductive sheet metal  90  in a shape as shown in the figures and disposing the conductive sheet metal  90  in the manner illustrated above. 
     It is thereby possible to reduce cost, and reduce mounting within the TV receiver  1 . 
     In addition, a need for an additional part is eliminated by using the conductive sheet metal  90  for grounding the antenna part  54  via the conductive sheet metal  90  also as a sheet metal for fixing the bezel  100 . Thus, as in the above, it is possible to reduce cost, and reduce mounting within the TV receiver  1 . 
     Second Embodiment 
     A TV receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  FIGS. 6A to 6D . 
     In the second embodiment, parts illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3  are similar to those of the first embodiment. Hence, the circuit configuration of the TV receiver  1  is similar to that of the first embodiment. 
     In addition, the configuration and arrangement of an RF unit  50  for an electromagnetic wave type remote control in the second embodiment are similar to the configuration and arrangement of the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control in the first embodiment as described with reference to  FIG. 3 . Specifically, the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control includes: an RF circuit board section  52  having an RF signal processing circuit mounted on a board; an antenna part  54  for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves; and a ground connecting section  56 . The RF circuit board section  52  and the antenna part  54  are arranged so as to be opposed to each other with the ground connecting section  56  interposed between the RF circuit board section  52  and the antenna part  54 . 
     The ground connecting section  56  is manufactured from a conductive member, such for example as copper or aluminum. The ground connecting section  56  is formed so as to ground an electronic circuit within the RF circuit board section  52  (establish a grounding circuit). Specifically, as will be described later, the ground of the electronic circuit within the RF circuit board section  52  reaches a bezel (exterior part)  100  via the ground connecting section  56  and a conductive sheet metal  90 , whereby a grounding circuit is established. 
     On the other hand, when the antenna part  54  is retained by a retaining section (a column support  102 , for example, is a part of the retaining section), the antenna part  54  is disposed at a position remote from the conductive sheet metal  90  to which the ground connecting section  56  is fixed. 
     The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in terms of contents illustrated in  FIGS. 6A to 6D . 
     Description in the following will be made centering on items different from the first embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6A to 6D , in the second embodiment, a column support  102  and a conductive column support  104  stand on one side of a fixing section  150 , and a conductive sheet metal  90  is fixed to the conductive column support  104 . 
     A bezel (exterior part)  100  for retaining an exterior part is fixed to another side of the fixing section  150  by a screw  130 . 
     A method of fixing the ground connecting section  56  of the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control to the conductive sheet metal  90  fixed to the conductive column support  104  through the intervention of an electromagnetic shield  110  and a method of retaining one side of the antenna part  54  on the column support  102  using a resin part, for example, are similar to those of the first embodiment. 
     Thus, also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the antenna part  54  is disposed so as not to overlap the conductive sheet metal  90  which functions as a ground fixing sheet metal and is also an exterior retaining part. 
     On the other hand, the ground connecting section  56  is connected to the conductive sheet metal  90  via the electromagnetic shield  110  using a screw  120 , and thus connected to the conductive sheet metal  90 , the conductive column support  104 , and the fixing section  150 , whereby a grounding circuit is established. 
     As in the first embodiment, when the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is disposed such that the antenna part  54  and the conductive sheet metal  90  are separated from each other so as not to interfere with each other, and when the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is to be grounded (when the grounding circuit is to be established), an additional part is needed. However, the need for the additional part is eliminated by forming the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control such that the RF unit  50  for the electromagnetic wave type remote control is fixed to the conductive sheet metal  90  using the screw  120 , and forming the conductive sheet metal  90  in a shape as shown in the figures and disposing the conductive sheet metal  90  in the manner illustrated above. 
     It is thereby possible to reduce cost, and reduce mounting within the TV receiver  1 . 
     In addition, as described in the first embodiment, a need for an additional part is eliminated by using the conductive sheet metal  90  for grounding the antenna part  54  via the conductive sheet metal  90  also as a sheet metal fixed to the fixing section  150  via the conductive column support  104 . Thus, as in the above, it is possible to reduce cost, and reduce mounting within the TV receiver  1 . 
     In addition, the same as described in the first embodiment is applied to the second embodiment. 
     In embodying the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the exemplifications described above, and various modified modes can be taken. 
     For example, while a TV receiver has been described as an embodiment of the present invention, contents relating to the present invention described above are applicable to various electronic devices such as air conditioners that use an electromagnetic wave type remote control in place of an infrared type remote control or that are likely to use an electromagnetic wave type remote control in the future. 
     As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to establish a grounding circuit for an electronic circuit effectively and isolate an antenna part from a conductive member even when using an electromagnetic wave type remote control. 
     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.