Patent Description:
In recent years, portable information devices, such as a tablet PC and a smartphone having a touch panel type liquid crystal display and not having a physical keyboard, have rapidly spread. The display of this kind of portable information device has been desired to be large in use but has been desired to be miniaturized in carrying. Then, the present applicant has proposed a portable information device in which not only a chassis but also a display is configured to be foldable by the use of a flexible display, such as organic EL (Electro Luminescence) (for example, refer to <CIT>).

In a configuration of the above-described <CIT>, by mounting a bezel member at an outer peripheral edge portion of a front face of a display, an outer peripheral edge portion of a display is supported and the quality of appearance is improved. Such a bezel member must be smoothly bent together with the display, and thus has a part having flexibility. However, there are concerns that due to turning radius difference from a rotational center of a hinge connecting chassis, a wrinkle or recess may occur in such a flexible bending part at some rotational angles and the quality of appearance is reduced. In addition, when a compressing force caused by the turning radius difference is applied to the bending part of the bezel member, there are concerns that this compressing force may cause peeling-off when it escapes as a force in a peeling-off direction against an adhesive part between the bezel member and the display or chassis.

The present invention has been made considering the above-described problem of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable information device capable of suppressing the reduction in quality of appearance in the bezel member and peeling-off of the bezel member.

A portable information device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a portable information device, including a first chassis, a second chassis adjacent to the first chassis, a hinge configured to relatively rotatably connect adjacent end portions of the first chassis and the second chassis, a display extending over the first chassis and the second chassis and having a bending region at a position straddling the adjacent end portions, and a bezel member provided straddling over an outer peripheral edge portion of the display and a chassis frame part, adjacent to the outer peripheral edge portion, of the first chassis and the second chassis and having a bending part at a portion overlapping the bending region, in which the bending part of the bezel member has a first member having a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion being fixed to a front face of the outer peripheral edge portion and the second side portion being disposed to be relatively movable with respect to the chassis frame part, in a width direction straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion of the display and the chassis frame part of the first chassis and the second chassis, and a second member laminated on and fixed to a front face of the first member and made of a material more flexible than that of the first member, the first member has a configuration in which a plurality of strip members extending in the width direction is arranged in an arranging direction of the first chassis and the second chassis, by a plurality of slits penetrating in the width direction being provided side by side in the arranging direction.

The bezel member may be configured to connect a first frame part to be disposed at the first chassis and a second frame part to be disposed at the second chassis by the bending part, the first frame part and the second frame part may each have a third member having a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion being fixed to the front face of the outer peripheral edge portion and the second side portion being relatively connected with respect to the chassis frame part, in the width direction, and a fourth member laminated on and fixed to a front face of the third member and made of a material more flexible than that of the third member.

A thickness of the first frame part and the second frame part of the bezel member may be greater than that of the bending part.

In the bezel member, the second member and the fourth member may be continuous, and the first member and the third member may be divided by a wall part made of the same material as that of the second member.

The hinge may be disposed between the outer peripheral edge portion and the chassis frame part, and the first member may have a central portion between the first side portion and the second side portion, the central portion being disposed on a top portion of the hinge in a state of being relatively movable.

The strip member may have a dimension in the arranging direction greater than that of the slit.

The first member may be made of resin, and the second member may be made of rubber.

A portable information device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a first chassis, a second chassis adjacent to the first chassis, a hinge configured to relatively rotatably connect adjacent end portions of the first chassis and the second chassis, a display extending over the first chassis and the second chassis and provided with a bending region at a position straddling the adjacent end portions, and a bezel member provided straddling over an outer peripheral edge portion of the display and a chassis frame part, adjacent to the outer peripheral edge portion, of the first chassis and the second chassis and having a bending part at a portion overlapping the bending region, in which a thickness of the bending part of the bezel member is less than that of a part other than the bending part.

The bending part of the bezel member may have a first member having a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion being fixed to a front face of the outer peripheral edge portion and the second side portion being disposed to be relatively movable with respect to the chassis frame part, in a width direction straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion of the display and the chassis frame part of the first chassis and the second chassis, and a second member laminated on and fixed to a front face of the first member and made of a material more flexible than that of the first member, and the first member may have a wave-shaped part in which a plurality of strip members extending in the width direction is arranged in an arranging direction of the first chassis and the second chassis, by a plurality of slits penetrating in the width direction being provided side by side in the arranging direction.

According to the above-described aspects of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the reduction in quality of appearance in the bezel member and peeling-off of the bezel member.

Hereinafter, a preferable embodiment of a portable information device according to the present invention is described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a perspective view in a state in which a portable information device <NUM> according to one embodiment is closed into a folded form. <FIG> is a schematic plan view in a state in which the portable information device <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> is opened into a flat plate form. <FIG> is a plan view schematically illustrating an internal structure of the portable information device <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the portable information device <NUM> includes a first chassis 12A, a second chassis 12B, a hinge <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and a bezel member <NUM>. The portable information device <NUM> according to the present embodiment is a tablet PC that is foldable into a double-folded state like a book. The portable information device <NUM> may be a cellular phone, a smartphone, an electronic notebook, or a portable game console, etc..

The chassis 12A and 12B are each disposed adjacent to each other. The chassis 12A and 12B are each formed of a rectangular plate-like member on three sides of which other than a side (adjacent end portion 12Aa or 12Ba) facing to each other a chassis frame part <NUM> is formed upright. The chassis 12A and 12B are each composed of, for example, a metallic plate such as stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum, or a fiber reinforced resin plate containing reinforced fiber, such as carbon fiber.

Hereinafter, as illustrated in <FIG>, a direction in which the chassis 12A and 12B of the portable information device <NUM> are arranged is referred to as an X direction and a direction along the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba orthogonal to the X direction is referred to as a Y direction.

The adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba of the chassis 12A and 12B are connected through a pair of the hinges <NUM>. The chassis 12A and 12B are relatively rotatable between the folded form as illustrated in <FIG> and the flat plate form as illustrated in <FIG> by the hinges <NUM>. The hinges <NUM> are, for example, each disposed at both end portions in the Y direction, of the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba of the chassis 12A and 12B, and are located outside of an outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM>. In the portable information device <NUM> according to the present embodiment, the center of rotation between the chassis 12A and 12B is coincident with a front face 16a of the display <NUM>.

The adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba of the chassis 12A and 12B abut each other when in the flat plate form (refer to <FIG>). The adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba of the chassis 12A and 12B are separated to form a large gap, when in the folded form (refer to <FIG>). This gap is covered by a backbone member <NUM> on the inner faces 12Ab and 12Bb straddling the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>).

As illustrated in <FIG>, the display <NUM> extends over the chassis 12A and 12B. The display <NUM> is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display. The display <NUM> is a flexible display, such as an organic EL having a paper structure with high flexibility. The display <NUM> seamlessly covers display surfaces (top openings) of the chassis 12A and 12B and is opened/closed with an opening/closing operation of the chassis 12A and 12B. As illustrated in <FIG>, the display <NUM> is supported by a first plate 22A and a second plate 22B and extends over the plates 22A and 22B.

The first plate 22A is disposed to cover the top opening of the first chassis 12A. The second plate 22B is disposed to cover the top opening of the second chassis 12B. The plates 22A and 22B are disposed adjacent to each other and support the display <NUM> on their front faces. A back face of the display <NUM> is stuck to the front faces of the plates 22A and 22B using an adhesive such as a double-sided tape. The plates 22A and 22B are thin and hard plate-like members, and are formed of, for example, a fiber reinforced resin plate including carbon fiber, or a metallic plate made of stainless steel etc..

The plates 22A and 22B each have a plurality of attachment pieces <NUM> that is projectingly provided on three outer peripheral end faces except for an end face adjacent to each other. Each attachment piece <NUM> is screwed to, for example, a boss section (not illustrated) that is raised from the inner faces 12Ab and 12Bb of the chassis 12A and 12B. Some attachment pieces <NUM> are relatively fixed to the chassis 12A and 12B by being screwed to the hinge <NUM>. The display <NUM> is relatively fixed to the chassis 12A and 12B through the plates 22A and 22B. Thus, the plates 22A and 22B are rotated integrally with the chassis 12A and 12B, and the display <NUM> is opened/closed accordingly. The plates 22A and 22B may be fixed, for example, by directly screwing their back faces to the boss section etc., in place of some or all of the attachment pieces <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the display <NUM> has a bending region R in a range straddling the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba. The bending region R is a beltlike region that is short in the X direction and long in the Y direction. The bending region R is a part that is bent when the chassis 12A and 12B are changed from the flat plate form to the folded form. The display <NUM> may have a structure in which only the bending region R is flexible. The bending region R is not fixed to the plates 22A and 22B and is relatively movable with respect to the front faces of the plates 22A and 22B (refer to <FIG>).

As illustrated in <FIG>, the bezel member <NUM> is provided straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM> of the chassis 12A and 12B. Although in the present embodiment, the bezel member <NUM> straddles over the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM> that is an external wall of the chassis 12A and 12B, this chassis frame part <NUM> does not have to be the external wall of the chassis 12A and 12B and may be composed of, for example, a frame-like member that is separately disposed on an inside face or outside face of the external wall. The bezel member <NUM> covers a non-display region (non-active region) on an outer periphery of a display region (active region) of the front face 16a of the display <NUM>. A detailed configuration of the bezel member <NUM> will be mentioned later.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the chassis 12A and 12B contain, for example, a motherboard <NUM> mounted with various types of semiconductor chips, a battery device <NUM>, an antenna device <NUM>, as well as various types of electronic components, and a cooling device etc. These electronic components etc. are contained in a space formed between the inner faces 12Ab and 12Bb of the chassis 12A and 12B and the back faces of the plates 22A and 22B.

<FIG> is a perspective view enlarging the hinge <NUM> and its peripheral portion. In <FIG>, the bezel member <NUM> to be disposed on a top of the hinge <NUM> is made transparent, and illustration of the chassis 12A and 12B etc. is omitted. <FIG> is a schematic perspective view enlarging the hinge <NUM> and its peripheral portion in a state in which the chassis 12A and 12B are rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, about <NUM> degrees) from the usage form toward the flat plate form.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the hinges <NUM> are disposed at a position that is outside of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> and under the bezel member <NUM>. The hinge <NUM> rotates the chassis 12A and 12B so that the front face 16a of the display <NUM> can be always moved along a preset opening/closing track. An outer side portion of each hinge <NUM> is covered by a cover member <NUM>. The hinge <NUM> has a first bracket <NUM>, a second bracket <NUM>, a rotation plate part <NUM>, and a hinge shaft <NUM>.

The first bracket <NUM> is a bracket for attaching the hinge <NUM> to the first chassis 12A and is made of block-shaped metal. The first bracket <NUM> is, for example, screwed to the inner face 12Ab of the first chassis 12A through a plurality of fastening holes 30a formed at various locations. The second bracket <NUM> is a bracket for attaching the hinge <NUM> to the second chassis 12B and is made of block-shaped metal or resin. The second bracket <NUM> is, for example, screwed to the inner face 12Bb through a plurality of fastening holes 31a formed at various locations. Some fastening holes 30a and 31a are also used for screwing the attachment piece <NUM> of the plates 22A and 22B (refer to <FIG>).

The rotation plate part <NUM> has a first base plate group 32a, a second base plate group 32b, a first link plate group 32c, a second link plate group 32d, and a connecting plate group 32e. Each of the plate groups 32a to 32e has a structure in which metallic plates each having a predetermined shape are laminated in the Y direction. The first base plate group 32a is rotatably connected to the first chassis 12A. The second base plate group 32b is rotatably connected to the second chassis 12B. The connecting plate group 32e is disposed straddling the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba. The first link plate group 32c relatively rotatably connects the first base plate group 32a and the connecting plate group 32e. The second link plate group 32d relatively rotatably connects the second base plate group 32b and the connecting plate group 32e. A reference symbol 32f in <FIG> designates a hinge shaft that connects each of the plate groups 32a to 32e. As illustrated in <FIG>, each of the plate groups 32a to 32e of the rotation plate part <NUM> is simplified in a box shape.

In the hinge <NUM>, with respect to the central connecting plate group 32e, the first base plate group 32a and the first link plate group 32c on the first chassis 12A side are relatively rotated, and synchronously with this rotation, the second base plate group 32b and the second link plate group 32d on the second chassis 12B side are relatively rotated. At this time, the connecting plate group 32e moves in a direction contacting to and separating from the bending region R of the display <NUM>. Thus, the hinge <NUM> can relatively rotate the chassis 12A and 12B. A configuration of the hinge <NUM> is not limited and can be changed as necessary.

The cover member <NUM> covers a gap between the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba of the chassis 12A and 12B separating from each other in an angle posture other than the flat plate form, and restrains foreign mattes from entering from this gap. In addition, the cover member <NUM> restrains internal components such as the hinge <NUM> or plates 22A and 22B from being exposed from the gap between the adjacent end portions 12Aa and 12Ba in appearance. The cover member <NUM> may be omitted.

Next, a specific configuration of the bezel member <NUM> is described. <FIG> is a schematic bottom view of the bezel member <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the bezel member <NUM> has a pair of bending parts <NUM> and <NUM>, and a first frame part <NUM> and a second frame part <NUM> that are connected to right and left sides of the bending parts <NUM>. The bezel member <NUM> is configured in the shape of a rectangular frame, and covers up a gap between the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM>. The bezel member <NUM> straddles over the front face 16a of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> and a top end portion of the chassis frame part <NUM> adjacent thereto of the chassis 12A and 12B. The bezel member <NUM> according to the present embodiment is formed of a sheet member that is generally thin and flexible and is different in structure and thickness between the bending part <NUM> and the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>.

The bezel member <NUM> has a first side portion 18a that is an inner region in the width direction, the first side portion 18a being fixed to the front face 16a of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> with a double-sided tape. The bezel member <NUM> has a second side portion 18b that is an outer region in the width direction, the second side portion 18b being fixed to a top face of a stepped part 19a (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>) in which an inner portion of a top end face of the chassis frame part <NUM> is lowered by one step, with a double-sided tape. The bezel member <NUM> has a central portion 18c that is a region between the side portions 18a and 18b. When there is any member (for example, brackets <NUM> and <NUM> of the hinge <NUM>) under the central portion 18c, the central portion 18c is fixed to this member with a double-sided tape. In this regard, the width direction of the bezel member <NUM> means a direction of straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion 16b and the chassis frame part <NUM> that are adjacent to each other, i.e., a direction that is orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the bezel member.

<FIG> is a bottom view enlarging the bending part <NUM> and its peripheral portion. <FIG> is a schematic cross-sectional view along a VIII-VIII line in <FIG>. <FIG> is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view in a state where the bending part <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> is bent by a predetermined angle. <FIG> is a bottom view in a state in which double-sided tapes A1 to A3 are provided at the bending part <NUM> and its peripheral portion. <FIG> is a schematic cross-sectional view along an X-X line in <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the bending part <NUM> is a part that is provided at a position overlapping the bending region R of the display <NUM> and bends together with the bending region R in accordance with a rotating operation between the chassis 12A and 12B (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>). A pair of the bending parts <NUM> is provided in the Y direction and each bending part <NUM> is located over the hinge <NUM>. The bending part <NUM> is formed in a length dimension in the X direction a little greater than a length dimension of the bending region R. The X-directional dimension of the bending part <NUM> may be the same as that of the bending region R. The second side portion 18b of the bending part <NUM> is provided with a notch-shaped recessed part <NUM> for escaping from the cover member <NUM>. In the case of a configuration in which the cover member <NUM> is not provided, the recessed part <NUM> is omitted.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the bending part <NUM> has a laminated structure in which a first member <NUM> and a second member <NUM> are laminated.

The first member <NUM> is a lower layer of the bending part <NUM> and forms a mounting surface to the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM>. The first member <NUM> is a thin sheet member that is made of a resin material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or PC (polycarbonate). The first member <NUM> has a plurality of slits 38a that is provided side by side in the X direction, the slit 38a penetrating in the width direction. The slits 38a are provided at least at a portion that overlaps the bending region R along the full length of the first member <NUM> in the X direction. Thus, the first member <NUM> has a plurality of strip members 38b arranged in the X direction at least at the portion overlapping the bending region R, the strip member 38b extending in the width direction. Since the strip members 38b are each arranged in a comb teeth form at an interval of the X-directional width of the slit 38a between each other, they constitute a wave-shaped part 38c as a whole.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the slit 38a has a configuration in which the first member <NUM> is cut away in the width direction and thickness direction. Some or all slits 38a may be formed as a recessed part with a part of the first member <NUM> left in the thickness direction (refer to a slit 38a1 in <FIG>). In addition, some or all slits 38a may have a configuration in which their thickness is greater than that of the first member <NUM> and even a part of the second member <NUM> is cut away (refer to a slit 38a2 in <FIG>). The X-directional width of the slit 38a is, for example, <NUM>. The X-directional width of the strip member 38b is, for example, <NUM>. The X-directional widths of each slit 38a and each strip member 38b may be uniform or different.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a back face 38d of the first member <NUM> has the first side portion 18a fixed to the front face 16a of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> with a double-sided tape A1. The back face 38d has a part of the second side portion 18b and the central portion 18c fixed to the stepped part 19a of the chassis 12A and 12B and a top face of the hinge <NUM> (top faces of the brackets <NUM> and <NUM> and rotation plate part <NUM>) with double-sided tapes A2 and A3. The back face 38d has a rectangular portion, not provided with the double-sided tapes A1 to A3, of the second side portion 18b and central portion 18c straddling the bending region R, as a non-adhesive region NA. The non-adhesive region NA is not fixed to the top portion of the hinge <NUM> and the stepped part 19a of the chassis frame part <NUM> and is disposed in a state of being relatively movable to them.

The second member <NUM> is an upper layer of the bending part <NUM> and forms a surface (appearance surface) of the bezel member <NUM>. The second member <NUM> has a back face 39a that is fixed to a front face 38e of the first member <NUM> by thermal welding or with an adhesive. The second member <NUM> is a thin sheet member that is made of a rubber material such as silicon rubber. The second member <NUM> may be made of resin instead of rubber, if the material is flexible and stretchable. Because the strip member 38b of the first member <NUM> is fixed to the back face 39a of the second member <NUM>, each strip member 38b is neither displaced nor dropped off from the back face 39a.

The second member <NUM> according to the present embodiment has tapered portions 39b that are formed near boundaries with the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>, a thickness of the tapered portion 39b gradually becoming smaller toward the center in the X direction. As mentioned later, because the bending part <NUM> according to the present embodiment is thinner than the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>, a step on a surface of the bezel member <NUM> is absorbed by the tapered portions 39b. When the bending part <NUM> and the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> are of the same thickness, the tapered portion 39b is omitted.

The second member <NUM> according to the present embodiment has wall parts 39c that extend in a thickness direction of the bending part <NUM>, at boundaries with the adjacent frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>. That is, the bending part <NUM> is structured so that the front face 38e and both side faces in the X direction of the first member <NUM> are surrounded by the back face 39a and wall parts 39c of the second member <NUM>. The wall part 39c is a part that is formed due to a manufacturing method of the bezel member <NUM> as mentioned later, and thus may be omitted in a different manufacturing method.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first frame part <NUM> is a substantially U-shaped part that extends along the chassis frame part <NUM> at three sides except for the adjacent end portion 12Aa of the first chassis 12A. The second frame part <NUM> is a substantially U-shaped part that extends along the chassis frame part <NUM> at three sides except for the adjacent end portion 12Ba of the second chassis 12B. Since the first frame part <NUM> and the second frame part <NUM> are of the same structure except for having a symmetrical shape to each other, the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> are described together below.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> each have a laminated structure in which a third member <NUM> and a fourth member <NUM> are laminated.

The third member <NUM> is a lower layer of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>. The third member <NUM> is a thin sheet member that is made of a resin material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or PC (polycarbonate). The third member <NUM> according to the present embodiment is made of the same material as that of the first member <NUM> of the bending part <NUM>. The third member <NUM> may be made of a material that is different from that of the first member <NUM>. A back face of the third member <NUM> has the first side portion 18a fixed to the front face 16a of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> with the double-sided tape A1. The back face of the third member <NUM> has the second side portion 18b and the central portion 18c fixed to the stepped part 19a of the chassis 12A and 12B and the top face of the hinge <NUM> etc. with the double-sided tapes A2 and A3. The second side portion 18b and central portion 18c of the third member <NUM> may be relatively fixed with respect to the chassis 12A and 12B.

The fourth member <NUM> is an upper layer of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> and forms the surface of the bezel member <NUM> together with the second member <NUM>. The fourth member <NUM> has a back face that is fixed to a front face of the third member <NUM> by thermal welding or with an adhesive. The fourth member <NUM> is a thin sheet member that is made of a rubber material such as silicon rubber. The fourth member <NUM> is integrated with the second member <NUM> of the bending part <NUM> (refer to <FIG>). The fourth member <NUM> according to the present embodiment is made of the same material as that of the second member <NUM> of the bending part <NUM>. The fourth member <NUM> may be made of a material that is different from that of the second member <NUM>. The fourth member <NUM> may be made of resin instead of rubber.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the bezel member <NUM> is different in thickness between the bending part <NUM> and the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>. Specifically, a thickness of the first member <NUM> is, for example, <NUM>, and that of the second member <NUM> is, for example, <NUM>. A thickness t1 of the bending part <NUM> is therefore, for example, <NUM>. On the other hand, a thickness of the third member <NUM> is, for example, <NUM>, and that of the fourth member <NUM> is, for example, <NUM>. A thickness t2 of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> is therefore, for example, <NUM>.

A reference symbol <NUM> in <FIG> designates an opening that penetrates through the bezel member <NUM> in its thickness direction. The opening <NUM> is a hole for exposing a camera etc. (not illustrated) that is mounted on the portable information device <NUM>, to the outer appearance.

Next, illustrated is one example of a manufacturing method of the bezel member <NUM>. <FIG> are schematic views illustrating states during manufacture of the bezel member <NUM>.

When the bezel member <NUM> is manufactured, a frame part material sheet <NUM> is first formed as illustrated in <FIG>. The frame part material sheet <NUM> has the same laminated structure as the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> described above. That is, the frame part material sheet <NUM> is a sheet in which the third member <NUM> and the fourth member <NUM> are laminated, and has an outer shape that is larger than that of the bezel member <NUM>. The frame part material sheet <NUM> has a structure in which, for example, a PET sheet (third member <NUM>) of <NUM> thickness and a silicon rubber sheet (fourth member <NUM>) of <NUM> thickness are laminated. It is to be noted that, in the frame part material sheet <NUM>, a cutout part 46a is formed in a part where the bending part <NUM> is provided.

Next, a bending part material sheet <NUM> is attached to the cutout part 46a of the frame part material sheet <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. The bending part material sheet <NUM> has the same laminated structure as the bending part <NUM> described above. That is, the bending part material sheet <NUM> is a sheet in which the first member <NUM> and the second member <NUM> are laminated, as illustrated in <FIG>. It is to be noted that the bending part material sheet <NUM> is in a state before the slits 38a (strip members 38b) are formed in the bending part <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>. The bending part material sheet <NUM> has a structure in which, for example, a PET sheet (first member <NUM>) of <NUM> thickness and a silicon rubber sheet (second member <NUM>) of <NUM> thickness are laminated.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the first member <NUM> and wall part 39c of the bending part material sheet <NUM> are inserted into the cutout part 46a of the frame part material sheet <NUM>. At this time, a flange part 39d provided on an outer side of the second member <NUM> of the bending part material sheet <NUM> is disposed on a stepped part 46b obtained by offsetting the fourth member <NUM> of the frame part material sheet <NUM>. Then, the bending part material sheet <NUM> and the frame part material sheet <NUM> are compressed in the thickness direction while heated. Thus, the second member <NUM> of the bending part material sheet <NUM> is thermally welded to the third member <NUM> and fourth member <NUM> of the frame part material sheet <NUM>. As a result, formed is a bezel material sheet <NUM> into which the bending part material sheet <NUM> and the frame part material sheet <NUM> are integrated (refer to <FIG>).

Then, the bezel material sheet <NUM> is cut out in the same frame shape as the bezel member <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. In addition, after or before this cutting-out process, laser L of a predetermined laser processing machine is irradiated on the first member <NUM> of the bending part material sheet <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) to form the slits 38a (strip members 38b) in the first member <NUM>. The slits 38a may be formed by a cutting machine etc. instead of the laser processing machine.

Now the manufacture of the bezel member <NUM> is completed. When the frame part material sheet <NUM> and the bending part material sheet <NUM> are joined by thermal welding in this manner, a boundary line between the sheets <NUM> and <NUM> is not conspicuous on the surface of the bezel member <NUM> and thus the good quality of appearance is obtained. It is to be noted that the frame part material sheet <NUM> and the bending part material sheet <NUM> may be joined by, for example, an adhesive etc..

The bending part material sheet <NUM> may not have a configuration in which the tapered portion 39b is provided in advance as illustrated in <FIG>. In this case, it is preferable to provide a flat plate in which the first member <NUM> and the second member <NUM> are laminated with only the flange part 39d and to form the tapered portion 39b in crushing the flat plate in a thermal welding process. Of course, the tapered portion 39b is not necessary when the bending part <NUM> and the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> are formed in the same thickness. In addition, the bending part material sheet <NUM> in which the slits 38a (strip members 38b) are formed in advance may be joined to the frame part material sheet <NUM>.

As described above, the portable information device <NUM> according to the present embodiment includes a bezel member that is provided straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM> of the chassis 12A and 12B and has the bending part <NUM> at a portion overlapping the bending region R. This bending part <NUM> has the first member <NUM> in which the first side portion is fixed to the front face 16a of the outer peripheral edge portion 16b and the second side portion is disposed to be relatively movable with respect to the chassis frame part <NUM>, in the width direction, and the second member <NUM> that is laminated on and fixed to the front face 38e of the first member <NUM> and is made of a material more flexible than that of the first member <NUM>. Then, since a plurality of the slits 38a penetrating in the width direction is provided side by side in the X direction, this first member <NUM> has the wave-shaped part 38c in which a plurality of the strip members 38b extending in the width direction is arranged in the X direction.

Therefore, when the portable information device <NUM> is used, for example, in an angle posture (for example, about <NUM> degrees. Refer to <FIG> and <FIG>) in which the chassis 12A and 12B are slightly folded from the flat plate form, the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> bent together with the bending region R of the display <NUM>, becomes a cantilevered state in which only the first side portion 18a is supported by the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>). Thus, if the bending part <NUM> is formed of only the flexible second member <NUM> that is made of silicon rubber etc., the bending part <NUM> generates a dimple-like recess to reduce the quality of appearance of the portable information device <NUM>. In this regard, the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> has the first member <NUM> harder than the second member <NUM> having the wave-shaped part 38c in which a plurality of the strip members 38b extending in the width direction is arranged. Thus, the hard strip member 38b functions as a beam member that supports the flexible second member <NUM> projecting toward an outer peripheral side from the outer peripheral edge portion 16b of the display <NUM>.

As a result, the generation of the dimple-like recesses by the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> is prevented and thus the reduction in the quality of appearance can be prevented. In this bending part <NUM>, because the X directional width of the strip member 38b is greater than that of the slit 38a, the strip member 38b can assure high rigidity as a beam member.

By the way, since the bezel member <NUM> is provided on the front face 16a of the display <NUM>, it is disposed on the more distant (higher) side than the rotational center of the hinge <NUM> from the inner faces 12Ab and 12Bb of the chassis 12A and 12B. That is, the bezel member <NUM> is located inside the shaft center of the hinge <NUM> when the chassis 12A and 12B are changed from the flat plate form to the folded form. Thus, when the chassis 12A and 12B are closed, the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> receives a compressing force P (refer to <FIG>) due to a phenomenon of turning radius difference. As a result, there are concerns that the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> may generate a wrinkle or slack. In this regard, the bezel member <NUM> has the first member <NUM> functioning as a beam member having a structure formed by arranging the strip members 38b, and the flexible second member <NUM> is provided on the first member <NUM>, as described above. Thus, when the bending part <NUM> is bent, the second member <NUM> is crushed and contracted by the compressing force P at portions corresponding to the slits 38a between the adjacent strip members 38b and 38b, as illustrated in <FIG>. As a result, generation of not only the recess as described above but also a wrinkle or floating etc. by the bending part <NUM> of the bezel member <NUM> can be prevented. That is, since the bending part <NUM> has structural strength and weakness in the laminating direction, the second member <NUM> that is weak is selectively compressed more than the first member <NUM> that is strong, and thus rising during rotation is suppressed. In addition, when the compressing force P is applied to the bending part <NUM> and the compressing force P escapes as a force in a peeling-off direction of an adhesive part (for example, double-sided tape) of the bending part <NUM> and the display <NUM> or chassis frame part <NUM>, the second member <NUM> is crushed at the portions corresponding to the slits 38a between the strip members 38b and 38b, and thus the peeling off of the adhesive part can also be prevented.

In the bezel member <NUM>, the thickness of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> that do not perform any bending operation, is greater than that of the bending part <NUM> that performs bending operation. That is, since the bending part <NUM> is formed of a thinner sheet, a smooth bending operation can be made and the occurrence of a wrinkle or floating can be further prevented. On the other hand, since the frame portions <NUM> and <NUM> are ones that do not perform any bending operation, they have no impact on the bending operation even with some thickness. Then, since these frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> have a sufficient thickness, it can be prevented that an outline of a head of a screw for fastening the hinge <NUM> and the plates 22A and 22B to the chassis 12A and 12B stands out on a surface of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>. Furthermore, since the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> have a sufficient thickness, occurrence of warpage or deflection generated when the frame part material sheet <NUM> is formed as illustrated in <FIG> is prevented as much as possible. Thus, the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> also have an advantage that when they are fixed to the display <NUM> and the chassis frame part <NUM> with the double-sided tapes A1 to A3, their flatness is high and the double-sided tapes A1 to A3 are hardly released. Such a configuration in which the thickness of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM> is greater than that of the bending part <NUM> can also be effectively used for a bezel member having a configuration in which the bending part <NUM> does not have the slits 38a (strip members 38b). It is to be noted that at least a minimum thickness portion of the bending part <NUM> may be thinner than the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>, and in the configuration including the tapered portion 39b as illustrated in <FIG>, a thickness of a portion other than the tapered portion 39b may be thinner than that of the frame parts <NUM> and <NUM>.

Meanwhile, it is a matter of course that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

In the above, illustrated as an example is the configuration in which the wave-shaped part 38c formed of the strip members 38b is provided only in the bending part <NUM>. However, the wave-shaped part 38c may be provided over the entire circumference of the bezel member <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A portable information device (<NUM>), comprising:
a first chassis (12A);
a second chassis (12B) adjacent to the first chassis (12A) ;
a hinge (<NUM>) configured to relatively rotatably connect adjacent end portions of the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B);
a display (<NUM>) extending over the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B) and having a bending region at a position straddling the adjacent end portions of the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B); and
a bezel member (<NUM>) provided straddling over an outer peripheral edge portion of the display (<NUM>)and a chassis frame part of the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B), the bezel member (<NUM>) adjacent to the outer peripheral edge portion of the display (<NUM>) and having bending parts (<NUM>) at portions overlapping the bending region of the display (<NUM>),
characterised in that:
the bending parts (<NUM>) of the bezel member (<NUM>) each have:
a first member (<NUM>) having a first side portion (18a) and a second side portion (18b), the first side portion (18a) being fixed to a front face of the outer peripheral edge portion of the display (<NUM>) and the second side portion (18b) being disposed to be relatively movable with respect to the chassis frame part, in a width direction straddling over the outer peripheral edge portion of the display (<NUM>) and the chassis frame part of the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B); and
a second member (<NUM>) laminated on and fixed to a front face of the first member (<NUM>) and made of a material more flexible than that of the first member (<NUM>),
the first member (<NUM>) has a configuration in which a plurality of strip members extending in the width direction is arranged in an arranging direction of the first chassis (12A) and the second chassis (12B), by a plurality of slits penetrating in the width direction being provided side by side in the arranging direction.