Source: http://patents.com/us-9497874.html
Timestamp: 2017-03-26 05:41:37
Document Index: 375375310

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 13188964', 'art.\n2', 'art.\n3', 'Application No. 2012', 'art 34', 'art 36', 'art 34', 'art 36', 'art 34', 'art 34', 'art 34', 'art 36', 'art 34', 'art 64', 'art 64', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 64', 'art 36', 'art 36', 'art 36', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 64', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 36', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 36', 'art 34', 'art 66', 'art 36', 'art 36', 'art 36', 'art 36', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66', 'art 68', 'art 66', 'art 66']

US Patent # 9,497,874. Electronic device - Patents.com
United States Patent 9,497,874
An electronic device includes: an enclosure that has an opening formed
therein; a switch disposed in the enclosure opposite the opening; a key
top member disposed inside the opening; and a water sealing member that
has a wall part which extends such that a height direction of the wall
part coincides with an opening direction of the opening and which seals
an inner surface of the opening, an arm part which extends from the wall
part to the inner side of the opening and supports the key top member,
and a wall part reinforcer provided in the wall part.
Inventors: Takita; Hiroyuki (Sapporo, JP), Kajiwara; Yoshifumi (Sapporo, JP), Fukuhara; Masahiro (Sapporo, JP), Kubo; Hiroshi (Sapporo, JP) Applicant: Name City State Country Type FUJITSU LIMITED Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa N/A JP Assignee:
1000002233181
14/053,337
Prior Publication Data Document IdentifierPublication Date US 20140111920 A1Apr 24, 2014 Foreign Application Priority Data Oct 22, 2012
2012-233243
Current U.S. Class: 1/1 Current CPC Class: H05K 5/069 (20130101); H01H 13/06 (20130101); H01H 13/063 (20130101); H01H 13/86 (20130101); H01H 2223/002 (20130101)
Current International Class: H01H 13/06 (20060101); H05K 5/06 (20060101); H01H 13/86 (20060101)
Field of Search: ;200/302.1-302.3
2010/0243422
Arihara et al.
2012/0227251
2012/0325637
2013/0001055
2004-273208
2010-108749
2011-204461
2012/011236
Other References Bonnie Cha, Motorola Atrix 4G Review, Feb. 9, 2011, C/Net.com, p. 5, lines 1-4. cited by examiner
.Extended European Search Report dated Feb. 19, 2014, issued in European Patent Application No. 13188964.4 (2 pages). cited by applicant
.Non-Final Office Action dated Apr. 22, 2016, issued in U.S. Appl. No. 15/000,451 (9 pages). cited by applicant. Primary Examiner: Luebke; Renee S
Claims What is claimed is: 1. An electronic device comprising: an enclosure that has an opening formed therein; a switch disposed in the enclosure opposite the opening; a key top member disposed
inside the opening; a water sealing member that has a wall part which extends such that a height direction of the wall part coincides with an opening direction of the opening and which seals an inner surface of the opening, an arm part which extends
from the wall part to the inner side of the opening and supports the key top member, and a wall part reinforcer provided in the wall part; and a holder member that has a supporting part to support the switch, and an extending part which extends from the
supporting part to an opening side of the enclosure, wherein a lower end of the wall part is fixed to an end of the extending part, the wall part reinforcer has a reinforcer body which extends such that the height direction of the reinforcer body
coincides with the height direction of the wall part, and a bent portion formed by bending the reinforcer body at a lower end thereof toward an outer side of the opening, and the bent portion is secured between an opening edge of the opening on the side
of the extending part and the end of the extending part.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the arm part is positioned between the key top member and the switch, and extends from a height-direction middle portion of the wall part to the inner side of the opening and to the side of
the key top member, and the key top member presses the switch by causing a flipping motion of the arm part across a virtual center line that is orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening and passes through a connecting portion between the arm
part and the wall part.
3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the key top member is a fingerprint sensor module.
4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a central axis line through the opening, the switch, and the key top member is inclined relative to a thickness direction of the enclosure.
5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the key top member is a fingerprint sensor module.
6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the key top member is a fingerprint sensor module.
7. An electronic device comprising: an enclosure that has an opening formed therein; a switch disposed in the enclosure opposite the opening; a key top member disposed inside the opening; and a water sealing member that has a wall part which
extends such that a height direction of the wall part coincides with an opening direction of the opening and which seals an inner surface of the opening, an arm part which extends from the wall part to the inner side of the opening and supports the key
top member, and a wall part reinforcer provided in the wall part, wherein the water sealing member is a separate piece from the wall part reinforcer and has an arm part reinforcer provided at an end of the arm part, and the arm part reinforcer is fixed
to the key top member.
8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the arm part reinforcer is fixed to the key top member with double-sided adhesive tape.
9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the key top member is a fingerprint sensor module.
10. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the key top member is a fingerprint sensor module. Description CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-233243, filed on Oct. 22, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Electronic devices that include an enclosure with an opening formed therein, a switch provided in the enclosure opposite the opening, a key top member disposed inside the opening, and a water sealing member for both supporting the key top member
and keeping water from entering through the opening are known.
According to an aspect of the invention, an electronic device includes: an enclosure that has an opening formed therein; a switch disposed in the enclosure opposite the opening; a key top member disposed inside the opening; and a water sealing
member that has a wall part which extends such that a height direction of the wall part coincides with an opening direction of the opening and which seals an inner surface of the opening, an arm part which extends from the wall part to the inner side of
the opening and supports the key top member, and a wall part reinforcer provided in the wall part.
As depicted in FIG. 1, an electronic device 10 according to the embodiment includes an enclosure 12, a display 14, and a sensor unit 16. Arrows T, L, and W in the drawings represent the thickness, length, and width directions of the electronic
device 10 (the enclosure 12), respectively.
The enclosure 12 has a front case 18 and a rear case 20. The front case 18 and rear case 20 are separated from each other in the thickness direction of the enclosure 12. The front case 18 is formed in a frame shape, and the display 14, which
may be a liquid crystal display for example, is mounted inside the front case 18.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, on one edge 18A (an upper edge) of the front case 18 when seen in the length direction, an opening 22 is formed through the edge 18A in its thickness direction. At an upper portion 22A of the opening 22 on the upper
surface side of the enclosure 12, a flange 24 protruding to the inside of the opening 22 is formed. The flange 24 is formed around the entire circumference of the opening 22. Due to the presence of the flange 24, the upper portion 22A of the opening 22
on the front surface side of the enclosure 12 has a smaller opening area than a lower portion 22B of the opening 22, which is on the back surface side of the enclosure 12.
The holder member 26 is fixed inside the rear case 20 as depicted in FIG. 2. The holder member 26 has a supporting part 34 and an extending part 36. The supporting part 34 is formed in a planar shape and is positioned opposite the
above-described opening 22 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The extending part 36 is circularly formed along the circumference of the supporting part 34 and extends from the circumference of the supporting part 34 to the opening 22 side (that is, the upper
surface side of the enclosure 12). The supporting part 34 has multiple ribs 38 formed thereon. The ribs 38 all extend in the opposite direction to the extending part 36 (that is, to the back surface side of the enclosure 12).
The switch 28, which is a so-called dome switch, has a substrate 40, a fixed contact 42, and a movable contact 44. The switch 28 is disposed in the enclosure 12 opposite the opening 22. The substrate 40 is fixed to the supporting part 34 of
the holder member 26 with double-sided adhesive tape 46, and the fixed contact 42 and movable contact 44 are fixed to the surface of the substrate 40 on the opening 22 side. The movable contact 44 has a bulge on the upper surface side of the enclosure
12, and is positioned on the upper surface side of the enclosure 12 with respect to the fixed contact 42. The movable contact 44 is elastic; when it is pressed to the back surface side of the enclosure 12, it comes into contact with the fixed contact
The fingerprint sensor module 30, which is an example of a key top member, is disposed inside the opening 22. The fingerprint sensor module 30 has a sensor portion 48, a substrate 50, and a spacer 52. The sensor portion 48 has multiple
electrodes arranged in a matrix in the direction orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening 22 (that is, to the axis direction of a central axis line 82). The sensor portion 48 is mounted on a surface of the substrate 50. The sensor unit 48
outputs a signal representing the positions of valleys and ridges of a fingerprint when a user touches the sensor portion 48 with a finger.
The substrate 50 of the sensor module 30 is positioned in parallel with the substrate 40 of the switch 28 described above. On the underside of the substrate 50, the spacer 52 is fixed with double-sided adhesive tape 54 at a position opposite to
the movable contact 44 described above. To the substrate 50, a film-like wiring member 56 is connected as illustrated in FIG. 2. The wiring member 56 is connected with a connector 58 provided in the rear case 20 through the inside of the circular water
sealing member 32 discussed later.
The water sealing member 32 has a wall part reinforcer 60, an arm part reinforcer 62, and a rubber part 64. The wall part reinforcer 60 and the arm part reinforcer 62 are both made of sheet metal. The rubber part 64 is molded as one piece with
the wall part reinforcer 60 and the arm part reinforcer 62 and has a wall part 66 and an arm part 68. The wall part 66 extends such that its height direction coincides with the opening direction of the opening 22, and tightly fits on the inner surface
of the opening 22, as depicted in FIG. 3. The wall part 66 is circularly formed around the fingerprint sensor module 30.
The arm part 68 is positioned between the fingerprint sensor module 30 and the switch 28 when seen in the opening direction of the opening 22. The arm part 68 extends at an angle from a middle portion of the wall part 66 in its height
direction, to the inner side of the opening 22 and to the side of the fingerprint sensor module 30. As an example of the middle portion of the wall part 66 in its height direction, the arm part 68 is connected to a part on the lower end side of the
center of the wall part 66 in its height direction. An end 68A of the arm part 68 supports the fingerprint sensor module 30 from the switch 28 side (the back surface side of the enclosure 12). The arm part 68 is formed around the entire circumference
of the wall part 66.
The wall part reinforcer 60 reinforces the wall part 66, and includes a reinforcer body 70 which extends such that its height direction coincides with the height direction of the wall part 66, and a bent portion 72 formed by bending the
reinforcer body 70 at a lower end thereof toward the outer side of the opening 22. The reinforcer body 70 and the bent portion 72 are circularly formed in the circumferential direction of the opening 22. The reinforcer body 70 is buried in the wall
part 66, and the bent portion 72 is exposed (or protrudes) from the lower end of the wall part 66. The lower end of the wall part 66 formed on the rubber part 64 and the bent portion 72 are fixed to an end 36A of the extending part 36 with double-sided
adhesive tape 74. The bent portion 72 is secured between an opening edge 22C of the opening 22 on the side of the extending part 36 (the back surface side of the enclosure 12) and the end 36A of the extending part 36 together with the double-sided
adhesive tape 74.
The arm part reinforcer 62 is a separate piece from the wall part reinforcer 60. The arm part reinforcer 62 is formed in a planer shape and disposed such that its thickness direction coincides with the opening direction of the opening 22. By
being integral with the end 68A of the arm part 68, the arm part reinforcer 62 reinforces the end 68A of the arm part 68. The arm part reinforcer 62 is fixed to the underside of the substrate 50 of the fingerprint sensor module 30 with double-sided
adhesive tape 76. A hole 78 is formed in a center of the arm part reinforcer 62; the water sealing member 32 is circularly formed as a whole (see also FIG. 2).
A connecting portion 68B of the arm part 68 formed between the wall part 66 and the end 68A of the arm part 68 is formed of the rubber of the rubber part 64. As a result, the above-described fingerprint sensor module 30 is resiliently supported
relative to the front case 18 and also is able to move in the opening direction of the opening 22. When the fingerprint sensor module 30 is pressed by a finger, the spacer 52 pushes down the movable contact 44, which comes into contact with the fixed
contact 42.
When assuming that a line orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening 22 and passing through the connecting portion between the arm part 68 and the wall part 66 is a virtual center line 80 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the fingerprint sensor
module 30 presses the switch 28 by causing a flipping motion of the arm part 68 across the virtual center line 80. In FIG. 4, the arm part 68 drawn in solid lines represents the position before the flipping motion, while the arm part 68 drawn in two-dot
chain lines (imaginary lines) represents the position after the flipping motion.
Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the above-described opening 22, switch 28, and fingerprint sensor module 30 are coaxially disposed. A central axis line 82 through the opening 22, switch 28, and fingerprint sensor module 30 is inclined relative
to the thickness direction of the enclosure 12. More specifically, the central axis line 82 is inclined so as to be biased to the center side in the length direction of the enclosure 12 (to the side indicated by arrow C) as it goes from the upper
surface of the enclosure 12 to its underside.
As discussed in detail above, according to the embodiment, the water sealing member 32 has as its integral parts the wall part 66 for blocking entry of water from the opening 22 and the arm part 68 supporting the fingerprint sensor module 30. The wall part 66 tightly fits on the inner surface of the opening 22, and the arm part 68 extends from the wall part 66 to the inner side of the opening 22. Thus, the size of the enclosure 12 may be reduced compared to a design which positions a water
sealing member for blocking entry of water from outside the opening 22, for example.
As an example of the design which positions the above-described water sealing member outside the opening 22, a slit may be formed around the opening 22 and a part of the water sealing member may be press-fit into the slit. Another design
includes, for example, a rubber member for supporting a fingerprint sensor module, a holder member disposed around the rubber member, and an O-ring serving as a water sealing member provided on the periphery of the holder member. In contrast to these
designs, the electronic device 10 according to the embodiment has the wall part 66 (the water sealing member) and the arm part 68 provided inside the opening 22, hence enabling reduction in the size of the enclosure 12.
The water sealing member 32, having the wall part 66, includes as its integral part the arm part 68 for supporting the fingerprint sensor module 30. Thus, the number of parts may be reduced compared with a case where a water sealing member for
blocking entry of water and a supporting member for supporting the fingerprint sensor module 30 are separate pieces. This may reduce assembly steps as well as costs.
In the electronic device 10, water sealing is achieved at two positions: at the double-sided adhesive tape 76 between the arm part reinforcer 62 and the fingerprint sensor module 30, and at the wall part 66. Due to the low number of points of
water sealing, waterproofness is more secure. Also, the double-sided adhesive tape 74 fixing the lower end of the wall part 66 and the bent portion 72 to the end 36A of the extending part 36 is positioned inside the water sealing member 32 in the
enclosure 12. The double-sided adhesive tape 74 accordingly does not have to serve as a water sealing barrier and the adhesion area of the double-sided adhesive tape 74 thus may be small. This enables further reduction in the size of the enclosure 12.
The central axis line 82 through the opening 22, switch 28, and fingerprint sensor module 30 is inclined relative to the thickness direction of the enclosure 12. Thus, the projection area of the opening 22, switch 28, and fingerprint sensor
module 30 in the thickness direction of the enclosure 12 may be small, which also enables reduction in the size of the enclosure 12.
Additionally, the wall part 66 is reinforced by the wall part reinforcer 60. This helps the wall part 66 tightly fit on the inner surface of the opening 22 with increased stability. Moreover, the bent portion 72 is formed in a lower end of the
reinforcer body 70 buried in the wall part 66. This may improve the rigidity of the wall part reinforcer 60 and hence that of the wall part 66, thereby further improving the water sealing ability of the wall part 66.
The extending part 36 extends from the supporting part 34 to the opening 22 side (that is, the upper surface side of the enclosure 12), and the lower end of the wall part 66 and the bent portion 72 formed in the wall part reinforcer 60 are fixed
to the end 36A of the extending part 36. Accordingly, when the fingerprint sensor module 30 is pressed to the back surface side of the enclosure 12, the resulting load may be received by the end 36A of the extending part 36. This may keep the
fingerprint sensor module 30 and the water sealing member 32 from dropping to the back surface side of the enclosure 12. The bent portion 72 is secured between the opening edge 22C of the opening 22 on the side of the extending part 36 and the end 36A
of the extending part 36. This avoids the slipping of the fingerprint sensor module 30 and the water sealing member 32 to the upper surface side of the enclosure 12 as well.
Also, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when the fingerprint sensor module 30 is pressed, the arm part 68 flips across the virtual center line 80 which is orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening 22 and passing through the connecting portion
between the arm part 68 and the wall part 66. The arm part 68 is connected to a middle portion of the wall part 66 in its height direction (more specifically, at a position higher than the lower end of the wall part 66 and lower than the center of the
wall part 66 when seen in its height direction). Thus, the inclination angle of the arm part 68 relative to the direction orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening 22 may be made small, which in turn makes the amount of contraction of the arm
part 68 during its flipping motion small. This may decrease the load desired for pressing the fingerprint sensor module 30 and thereby improve the operability of the fingerprint sensor module 30 when it is pressed.
The arm part 68 is described as being connected to a part on the lower end side of the center of the wall part 66 in its height direction as an example of the middle portion of the wall part 66 in the height direction. Alternatively, the arm
part 68 may be connected to the center of the wall part 66 in its height direction or to a point on the upper end side of the center of the wall part 66 in its height direction.
While an embodiment of the technique according to the present disclosure has been described, it will be appreciated that the above description is not limitative and the technique according to the present disclosure may be practiced with various
modifications made thereto without departing from its scope.
invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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