HK1103173B - Electronic device - Google Patents

Description

Electronic device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electronic device that receives a radio signal transmitting prescribed information including time information and that simultaneously displays or notifies the prescribed information together with the time information and that has a function of performing correction of the time information to a precise time, and more particularly to an electronic device that is intended to enhance radio signal reception performance in the case of using, for example, a metal case.

More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic device configured so that the radio signal reception performance of an antenna portion does not deteriorate even in the case where a resonant antenna portion antenna is disposed within a metal case.

Background

In recent years, in electronic devices including watches, mobile phones, and radio communication apparatuses that receive standard radio signals of which long wavelengths include time codes, many electronic devices have been developed as products having a radio signal correction function that automatically corrects the time of a clock circuit provided in the electronic device to standard time.

As for a timer as a specific example of such an electronic device, it is well known that methods of displaying time in the past are broadly classified into: a method of displaying time in an analog type manner using two hands or three hands; a method of digitally displaying time using an electro-optical display device such as a liquid crystal or LED; and methods using a combination of the two.

Among these methods, even in such an analog type timepiece, it is well known that a user can select a time counting part according to his or her personal taste, for example, with or without a secondary time counting function such as a second hand or a calendar, with or without a timing function, a chronograph function or an alarm clock function, a month display function, or the like.

In addition, although in the electronic timepiece in the past, the accuracy of time display almost always depends on the accuracy of a circuit block mainly including a quartz crystal oscillator incorporated in a watch movement, in recent years, along with coming on-line of standard time signal transmission devices in various countries, a watch (hereinafter referred to as a radio controlled timepiece) having a radio signal correction function can automatically correct time by receiving a standard time radio signal from such a device that has become widespread.

Such a radio-controlled timer can be seen in past patent applications (for example, this can be seen in Japanese examined patent publication No.11-304973 or Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2001-33571).

In general, in a radio controlled timepiece, since an error of a time keeping (timekeeping) internal counter in the timepiece itself is automatically corrected by receiving a standard time radio signal, the time display error can be made substantially close to zero when in an environment where the radio signal can be received. The frequency and data format of the standard time radio signal are preset by the transmission device, and this is currently transmitted in countries such as germany and the united states except japan, and many radio controlled timers are produced in these countries. In addition, in order to enable radio signals used by current radio-controlled timers to cover a wide area with only limited transmission equipment, they use long waves. In addition, to avoid interference of the boundary area, two stations having different frequencies of 40kHz and 60kHz generate standard time radio signals in japan.

The following describes problems in the related art, taking a radio controlled timer in the past as a typical electronic device as an example.

Specifically, as mentioned above, there is known a radio controlled timepiece that receives a standard radio signal, receives a standard radio signal (carrier wave) including time information, and extracts the time information from the radio signal, thereby obtaining precise time. The frequency of the radio signal including the time information differs depending on the country, and for example, in japan, as mentioned above, under the management at the ministry of affairs and the communications province and postal service, standard radio signals are transmitted at 40kHz and 60 kHz.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing general functions in a specific example of such a radio controlled timer. This radio-controlled timepiece is formed by the antenna 1, the radio-controlled timepiece receiver 2, the CPU3, the display driving section 4, the input device 5, and the like. Although not shown in the drawings, the display portion using hour, minute, and second hands, liquid crystal, or the like is also included.

In this radio controlled timepiece, first, the antenna 1 receives a radio signal containing time information, the radio controlled timepiece receiver 2 amplifies and detects the radio signal received by the antenna 1, and extracts and outputs the time information from the radio signal. The CPU3 outputs the current time information on the time information output from the radio-controlled timepiece receiver 2. The display driving section 4 displays the current time on the display section based on the current time information output from the CPU 3. In addition, the input device 5 is used when inputting operation information such as reset to the CPU 3.

The time information (time code) contained in the radio signal is a pulse signal having a period of 60 seconds, and this differs among countries, but in the case of japan, a pulse having a width of any one of 200, 500, or 800ms is superimposed in each second. With the combination of these pulses, time information is obtained within 60 seconds. The CPU3 obtains time information (current time) by reading the pulse width of the pulse occurring every second from the received pulse signal. With the acquired time information, the CPU corrects the time displayed by the display section via the display driving section 4. By this procedure, the radio-controlled timepiece always displays accurate time by correcting the displayed time at every prescribed time interval according to the received time information.

There has been available a wristwatch as a radio controlled timepiece in which an antenna, a CPU, a radio wave receiver, a display drive section, and a display section are accommodated in a case which is a housing section for accommodating the antenna therein. In order for the antenna to receive radio signals, the shell material used is generally made of a non-conductive material such as synthetic resin or ceramic. This is because if the antenna is accommodated in a case made of a conductive material such as metal, magnetic flux generated in the vicinity of the antenna is absorbed by the conductive material, thereby preventing resonance, and thus there is a significant impairment in the receiving performance of the antenna.

A general configuration of another specific example of the analog type radio controlled timer in the past is shown in fig. 3.

Specifically, in fig. 3, 100 is an antenna part that receives a radio signal, 102 is a watch movement that drives hands, 103 is a case that houses the watch movement 102 and the antenna part 100, 104 is a case back part, 105 is a dial plate having a scale indicating time, and 106 is a windscreen (windshield).

In fig. 3, the antenna portion 100 is formed of an antenna core portion 101a having a high magnetic permeability such as ferrite (ferrite) or an amorphous alloy, and an antenna coil portion 101b, the antenna coil portion 101b being wound around the antenna core portion 101a and housed in an enclosed space 107 together with the watch movement 102, the enclosed space 107 being formed by the case 103, the case back member 104, and the dial 105.

In this timer, when a radio wave 109 reaching and passing through the case 103 passes through the antenna core portion 101a, a current is generated in the antenna coil portion 101 b.

The ends of the coil of the antenna coil portion 101b are electrically connected to a circuit block, not shown, which is a constituent part of the watch movement 102, and the current generated in the antenna coil portion 101b is transmitted to the circuit block through this connection portion. The current transmitted to the circuit block resonates at a predetermined frequency, which is the frequency of a standard time radio signal, and is filtered by a quartz crystal, not shown, and passes through a decoding circuit, not shown, to extract only time information.

In this case, the watch movement 102 has a time keeping counter within circuitry that is separate from the time information described above. The watch movement 12 compares the time according to the time keeping counter with the filtered time information, and if the respective results are different, outputs a hand correction command to a not-shown motor block to correct the hands by driving the motor to coincide with the time information obtained from the standard time radio wave. By so doing, when the standard-time radio signal is received, the time information displayed by the timer is automatically corrected to the corrected time.

However, in fig. 3, the antenna part 100 and the watch movement 102 are accommodated in an enclosed space 107, said enclosed space 107 being formed by the outer case 103, the case back part 104 and the dial 105, and the antenna part 100 has to receive a radio signal 109 in this enclosed space 107.

For this reason, in fig. 3, the case 103 and the case back member 104 are formed of a material having a small eddy current loss, such as a polymer resin. By doing so, the radio signal 109 can reach the antenna part 100 accommodated within the enclosed space 107 without being attenuated by the outer shell 103 and the back-shell component 104.

However, if the case 103 is formed of a high molecular polymer resin, there is a large sacrifice in rigidity compared to metals that are generally used in watches, for example, compared to stainless steel or titanium. For this reason, in order to prevent damage to the timepiece, such as the timepiece being damaged by shock when the timepiece is dropped, it is necessary to make the thickness of the outer case 103 and the bottom case back member 104 larger than that in the case of metal, which causes a problem that the timepiece itself becomes large.

Further, if the housing 103 and the rear case member 104 are formed of a polymer resin, there is a problem that a sense of solidity is greatly sacrificed compared to a metal. Although the polymer resin can be surface-treated to obtain metallic luster, it is still inferior to metals in terms of luster and solid feeling.

In contrast, as shown in fig. 3, for example, there is a timepiece in use in which only the dial 105 of the bezel (bezel)111 that a user can directly see is made of metal, and the side portion of the case 103 and the case back member 104 are made of high molecular polymer resin, but the entire thickness of the timepiece is enormous compared with a usual timepiece having a metal case. It is not good in the sense of solidity of the product.

In the case of a high-molecular polymer resin, for example, when the case back member 104 is mounted, there is a tendency for plastic deformation to occur, which means a problem of waterproofing in the connection region between the case back member 104 and the case member as the outer case 103, so that a highly waterproof diver-type timepiece cannot be provided on the production line.

In contrast to this, although there are usable products in which the housing and the rear case member are formed of a non-metallic material other than a high molecular polymer resin or a ceramic, sintering is required to maintain the rigidity of the ceramic, and there is a great problem in that the design of the housing is limited because of a problem that finishing cannot be achieved after sintering or without being polished when having a complicated structure. In addition, since ceramics are brittle materials, they are prone to crack and fracture when subjected to impact.

If a synthetic resin case is used in order to avoid the problem of antenna reception, this results not only in a deterioration of the resistance of the case to damage and chemicals, but also in a loss of the feeling of high quality and of the desired aesthetic appearance of the watch as an accessory item. Therefore, a radio controlled timepiece using metal as a case is proposed.

Fig. 4 shows a past example of a radio controlled timepiece using a metal case. Fig. 4 is a top view of the past example, in which the same numerals have been assigned to constituent elements corresponding to those in fig. 3, and the description thereof has been omitted.

As shown in fig. 4, a timepiece having a configuration in which a case 103 and a case back member (not shown) are formed of metal, a high molecular polymer resin antenna case 110 is connected to a portion which does not overlap with the case 103 and the case back member when viewed from above, and an antenna portion 100 housed in the antenna case 110 in this product is connected to a wristwatch core 103 inside the antenna case 110 has also been put into practical use. In the case of this product, since the antenna part 100 is disposed outside the enclosed space 107 formed by the case 103, the case back part, and the dial 105, the radio wave propagating toward the antenna part 100 is not affected by the metal material represented by the case 103, so the antenna part 100 can receive the radio wave signal 109.

However, in this case, the shape of the fabricated timepiece is extremely peculiar, thereby causing a problem of a great limitation on the design of the fabricated timepiece. In addition, since there is a great difference in the sense of consolidation between the housing 103 and the high polymer resin antenna case 110 in which the antenna is housed, it is difficult to solve this problem in design, thereby causing a problem of being unacceptable to the user.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of a radio controlled timepiece in which a part of the case is made of metal. This wristwatch 10 is generally formed by a case member 11, a case back member 12 and a windscreen 13 made of glass. The watch movement 14 is arranged in a case to which a band (not shown) is attached in a known manner. A dial 15 and hands 16 serving as a time display section are attached to the top of the watch movement 14 in a known manner. A bar-shaped antenna 17 as a magnetic long wavelength antenna is disposed at a position above the case back member 12 at the bottom of the wristwatch core 14. The rod antenna 17 is formed of a magnetic core member 18 and a coil 20 wound around the magnetic core member 18, and the rod antenna 17 is fixed to an upper surface of a synthetic resin-made holding member.

The watch movement 14 has the above-described radio wave receiver, CPU, and display driving portion, and the watch movement 14 is electrically connected to the rod antenna 17 through the connecting leads 21. Thus, according to the standard radio signal received by the rod antenna 17, the CPU of the watch movement 14 causes the gear mechanism, not shown, in the display drive section to be driven, thereby continuously correcting the position of the hands 16 of the watch movement 14. In this case, the up/down direction is the up/down direction shown in fig. 5.

The housing part 11 is a non-hollow, electrically conductive material, i.e. a solid metal such as stainless steel, for example. A windscreen 13 of glass, which is an electrically non-conductive material, is fixed to the upper part of the housing part 11 in a known manner, for example by gluing. The dial 15 is made of a non-conductive material, synthetic resin or ceramic.

The rear shell component 12 is formed of an annular band 22 and a windshield 23 fixed therein, wherein the annular band 22 is made of stainless steel and is fixed to the shell component 11. In this way, although the non-conductive material at the top and bottom surfaces of the wristwatch can be seen, since the side portions of the case are made of metal, there is an advantage that the high quality and aesthetic appearance as an accessory is not sacrificed (refer to, for example, japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-33571, described above).

In particular, as employed in japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-33571, if a non-metallic material such as represented by a high polymer resin, glass or ceramic is used as the case back member, there are the above-mentioned advantages, but there are many limitations when selecting the material, and there are many problems such as difficulty in manufacturing and loss of attractiveness as a final product, so that it is desirable to manufacture the case back member using metal.

For these reasons, when improving the radio controlled timepiece of the past, there is a great limitation in the material of the case, and it is very difficult to realize a compact final product.

In the case of the radio controlled timer, it has been considered that the antenna characteristic and the receiving circuit characteristic determine the receiving performance.

That is, according to the general technical knowledge in the past, the lower limit of the input signal received by the receiving circuit or the receiving Integrated Circuit (IC) is a signal amplitude (signalability) of about 1 μ V in practice, and in order to achieve a practically useful receiving performance, the receiving antenna must obtain an output with a signal amplitude of about 1 μ V with the antenna in an electric field strength (intensity of radio wave) of 40 to 50dB μ V/m.

For this reason, in the case of size limitation, a resonance type receiving antenna capable of realizing a large signal output is generally used.

Since the radio signal wavelength is long, the type of receiving antenna generally used is a rod antenna having a coil surrounding a magnetic core.

With this type of receiving antenna, since the output of the receiving antenna is roughly proportional to the size of the receiving antenna, the antenna cannot be made too small in order to obtain practically usable receiving performance, so there are problems of receiving performance and positioning in the case of a compact timepiece such as a wristwatch.

In addition, when the antenna is located in the metal case, the reception antenna output drops sharply.

Therefore, in order to use a radio signal in a wristwatch, not only must a design and components completely different from those of a wristwatch in the past be used, but also a problem that reception performance is not hindered must be considered.

Among the compactness of the wristwatch, thinness, portability, freedom of design, and sense of solidity (quality feeling) are important issues, and it is preferable for the timepiece to have a metal case that accommodates a built-in antenna.

In the case of past radio controlled timers, the mounting of the antenna is usually either external or internal as described above.

In the case of a wristwatch in which the case back and the outer case are made of metal, the receiving antenna is usually mounted on the outside.

In this case, since the housing of the receiving antenna is made of a non-metallic material such as plastic, the antenna is very prominent in order not to lower the receiving performance, thereby not only sacrificing compactness, thinness and portability, but also greatly reducing the freedom of design.

Further, in the case of an internal receiving antenna, although ceramics or plastics are used as materials of the housing (the case back member and the case) in order not to lower the receiving performance, since these materials are small in strength, the thickness thereof is increased, thereby causing a loss of the accommodation capacity and portability, and also greatly restricting the design.

In addition, the result is a watch with an unaesthetic appearance with a low sense of firmness.

For this reason, in the past, as seen in japanese unexamined utility model publication No.2-126408, for example, a metal antenna has been disposed inside the strap of a wristwatch.

In addition, as disclosed in japanese unexamined utility model publication No.5-81787 filed by the applicant of the present patent application, there is an example in which an antenna is disposed between a dial and a windshield, which keeps the antenna away from a metal case itself that will interfere with radio waves and provides a unique design in which a coil is wound around a core, and in international patent publication WO95/27928, there is a disclosure in which the antenna is mounted on a side portion of a watch case of a wristwatch.

In addition, in european patent publication No.0382130, there is disclosed an arrangement of antennas, for example, antennas arranged in a loop on the top of a case.

However, in the configuration in which the antenna is arranged in the band, since the antenna is inside the band, it is necessary to be electrically connected with the main case member of the electronic device, and sufficient flexibility cannot be given to the connecting portion between the two.

In addition, a metal belt that will interfere with radio waves cannot be used, and a belt of rubber or the like must be used, which means limitations in terms of materials and design.

Further, in the configuration in which the antenna is mounted on the upper surface or the side surface of the wristwatch, since the antenna is located at a distance from the metal portion of the wristwatch itself, the thickness or size of the entire wristwatch is increased, thereby causing a problem of design limitation.

In addition, in the example in european patent publication No.0382130, in which the antenna is arranged in a loop on the upper surface of the case, since reception is impossible if metal exists in the loop, there is a problem that it is actually necessary to provide the antenna separately from the watch.

In addition, although there is a disclosure of a wristwatch in which a coil is arranged in a groove-shaped recess provided around the outer periphery of a circuit board and in which a core is arranged in a curved line (curve) in the circumferential direction of the circuit board in japanese unexamined patent publication No.11-64547, this makes the manufacturing process complicated, and the operation in the assembling process in the manufacturing process is also complicated and troublesome.

In japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-33571 or japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-30524 and the like, there is disclosed a wristwatch in which a windshield and a case back member are made of a non-metallic material such as glass or ceramic, and metal is used between the windshield and the case back member as in the past so that sufficient radio waves reach an antenna.

In japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-208875, there is disclosed a technology relating to a confirmation tag for a wristwatch, the basic technology of its system being such that, when boarding a mountain lift at a ski resort or the like, the confirmation tag is provided in a wristwatch worn by a user, and a confirmation device provided at the door of the mountain lift performs information exchange to confirm whether the user is an authorized passenger.

However, in the basic technical concept disclosed herein, a high-frequency strong radio signal is transmitted from the confirmation apparatus, and by bringing a wristwatch having a confirmation tag into the vicinity of the confirmation apparatus, an IC circuit in the wristwatch is activated, so that confirmation tag information is read by the confirmation apparatus.

Essentially, in this disclosure, when a high-frequency radio signal is received by an antenna provided in the wristwatch, resonance is generated in an IC circuit in the wristwatch and as a result, electromotive force is received by the IC circuit, so that the IC circuit is activated, whereby the identification tag information in the wristwatch is read out to provide wireless notification to the identification device.

In this disclosure, therefore, although there is a technical teaching of operating an antenna provided in a wristwatch and exchanging the above-mentioned information even in the case of a wristwatch having a metal case, a technical concept significantly different from the filed application is the provision of a confirmation device that generates a strong high-frequency radio signal, the necessity of bringing a confirmation tag having a confirmation into the vicinity of the confirmation device, and the necessity of being substantially a rod-shaped antenna for the built-in antenna and also being as thin and large as possible in the wristwatch in order to sufficiently receive the high-frequency radio wave generated by the confirmation device, so that a thin and flat square antenna (squarenannenna) must be used, which is significantly different from the specific relationship between the antenna part and the metal case mentioned in the present application.

In japanese unexamined utility model publication No.57131042, although there is a text explaining a wristwatch in which an antenna provided uses a ring-shaped magnet rod antenna made of a ferromagnetic member that is C-shaped and surrounds a conductive portion, this known example relates to a wristwatch with an associated radio device (radio), the antenna being disposed only on the outer portion of the wristwatch, it is apparent that the antenna is not provided inside a metal case as in the present invention.

In addition, in japanese unexamined patent publication No.6-215942, although there is a text concerning a configuration in which an inductor core (inductor core) is a separate component, the patent is directed to a chip inductor (chip inductor), which is significantly different from the technical field of the watch antenna of the present invention and is essentially different from both the purpose and technical constitution of the present application.

In addition, in japanese unexamined patent publication No.11-74138, although there is a text on a transformer in which a core is a combination of a U-shaped member and an I-shaped member with a secondary coil wound around the U-shaped member, the patent is directed to a high-voltage transformer and is significantly different from the technical field of the watch antenna of the present invention, and is essentially different from both the purpose and technical constitution of the present application.

Also, in japanese unexamined utility model publication No.61-203516, despite the disclosure of the structure in which the abutment surface of the core is caused to incline with respect to the direction perpendicular to the magnetic path, it is obvious to be different from the technical field of the wristwatch antenna of the present invention and to be substantially different from both the purpose and technical constitution of the present application.

In addition, in japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2002-.

In addition, although there is text in this disclosure relating to the configuration of the inductor core made of a separate component, this is related to a high voltage transformer or chip inductor and clearly differs from the technical field of the watch antenna of the invention and essentially differs from both the purpose and technical constitution of the invention.

Specifically, in the foregoing prior example, the output of the receiving antenna is based on the reduction that occurs when the case is made into a metal case, and the object is to make the material of the case back member non-metallic so as to reduce the reduction in output and use the side face of metal with a high sense of solidity.

In the foregoing prior example, however, there is a problem that the thickness of the wristwatch increases because glass or ceramic is used.

Therefore, in the past, since either a large high-sensitivity antenna structure was used or the use was limited to a region where the radio signal field strength was high, in addition to the loss of usability of the radio controlled timepiece, the manufacturing cost of the antenna structure, including the design, inevitably became high.

Further, in the wristwatch having this configuration, although a radio signal reaching the antenna can be realized, and the case back member is plated thinly by metal plating, giving the user a feeling that metal is actually being used, there is no feeling of weight or sense of solidity in terms of appearance, so that a high-quality impression is lost.

In addition, since the antenna is incorporated in the metal side, the output of the antenna is degraded and the reception performance is deteriorated.

Therefore, there has been virtually no radio controlled timepiece of a full metal case with a high-quality feel in the past.

In addition, in japanese unexamined patent publication No.2004-125659, although there is a text on a radio controlled timepiece in which, in disposing an antenna section in a metal case, the antenna section is disposed at a portion inside the metal case below a band connection portion and in which a non-conductive portion is provided between the antenna section and the band connection portion, since increase in size and material thickness cannot be avoided, the value of the product is always low.

In order to solve these problems in the prior art, in patent application No. 2002-.

However, since it was found that there is a limit to enhancement of the receiving performance in the antenna structure in the method of specifying the structure of the above antenna, as a result of further research, the inventors of the present invention further learned that there is a further improvement in the above problems by using a special structure, including the antenna structure, in the metal case.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, the present invention provides an electronic device that is capable of receiving a radio signal including predetermined information having time information even in a case using a conventional metal case without the trouble of carrying the electronic device, and that provides stable waterproof characteristics and improvement in its external quality with a high sense of quality while being capable of expanding the range of the same type of design variation of a conventional wristwatch.

Further, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art by providing an electronic device having a metal case in which an antenna portion is accommodated and which has good radio signal receiving performance without limitation of materials and design.

In the case where the present invention is applied to a radio controlled timepiece as a specific example of an electronic device, in addition to the above-described objects, it is an object of the present invention to provide a radio controlled timepiece which avoids an increase in thickness of the timepiece and is conspicuous when worn on the wrist.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device including at least an antenna portion, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna portion, and a metal case accommodating the antenna portion and the information processing device therein, wherein the metal housing is configured so that the antenna part can receive magnetic flux from outside through the metal housing and can resonate, the metal housing includes at least a metal housing part and a metal housing back part, and further wherein a connecting and fixing portion where the metal case member and the metal case back member are fixedly connected to each other is not provided in at least one of the following first to third regions in the connecting region, in the connecting region, the metal housing part and the metal housing rear part are tightly connected to one another: a first area within the connection area in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are closely connected to each other, and formed between a line connecting ends of the antenna part and a center point of the electronic device; a second area within the connection area in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are closely connected to each other and which is formed between a line connecting an end of an antenna coil portion of the antenna portion and a center point of the electronic device; a third region in a connection region in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are tightly connected to each other, and formed between interconnection portions formed between a center axis of the antenna portion and the connection region in a straight line and closer to the antenna portion.

In addition, the present invention provides a radio controlled timepiece which maintains the same type of reception performance as a radio controlled timepiece using a high molecular polymer resin or a ceramic wristwatch case or case back member, and is compact and thin, as in a wristwatch in the past, even when a metal case and a metal case back member use titanium or stainless steel having a relatively high magnetic permeability.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following basic technical constitution.

Specifically, a basic aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic device which includes at a minimum an antenna portion, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna portion, and a metal case housing the antenna portion and the information processing device therein, wherein the metal case is configured so that the antenna portion can receive magnetic flux from outside through the metal case and can resonate, the metal case includes at a minimum a metal case member and a metal case back member, and further wherein a connecting and fixing portion formed between the metal case member and the metal case back member where both members are fixedly connected to each other is not provided at least at or in the vicinity of a position within a connecting area where the metal case member and the metal case back member are tightly connected to each other, and the connection region is opposite to a substantially central portion of the antenna portion.

Specifically, as a result of further research, the inventors of the present invention have learned that, in an electronic device in which antenna portions are accommodated within a metal case and which includes a radio-controlled timepiece, and if connection regions, at which both a case back member and a case member forming the metal case are mutually critical with each other, are connected and fixed to each other at several points there by a plurality of connection members in a dot-like connection manner, there is a change in gain of the antenna portions according to the positions of the connection and fixed portions.

With the above technical constitution, according to an electronic device of the present invention, by specifying the arrangement position of the connecting and fixing portion, the gain of the antenna portion arranged inside the metal case can be further improved as compared with the gain in the past, and an electronic device which is light in weight, compact and thin in material thickness can also be manufactured.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a specific example of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention;

fig. 2 is a view generally illustrating the configuration of a radio controlled timepiece as a specific example of an electronic device according to the present invention;

fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of a specific example of a radio-controlled timepiece in the past;

fig. 4 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of another specific example of a radio controlled timepiece in the past;

fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating in detail the configuration of a radio controlled timepiece in the past;

fig. 6 is a cross sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the connection region between the case member and the case rear member of the metal case in the radio controlled timepiece according to the invention;

fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a specific example of the connecting and fixing portion in the metal shell according to the present invention;

fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating an example of positioning of the connecting and fixing portions in the metal shell according to the present invention;

fig. 9 shows a graph illustrating the effect on the gain (gain) of the antenna part in an electronic device according to the invention;

fig. 10 is a view showing an example of the structures of the case member and the case back member in the electronic device according to the present invention;

fig. 11 is a view showing another example of the structures of the case member and the case back member in the electronic device according to the present invention;

fig. 12 is a view showing still another example of the structures of the case member and the case rear member in the electronic device according to the present invention;

fig. 13 is a view showing still another example of the structures of the case member and the case back member in the electronic device according to the present invention;

fig. 14 is a view showing still another different example of the structures of the case member and the case rear member in the electronic device according to the present invention;

Detailed Description

The configuration of a specific example of an electronic device according to the present invention, as shown by the radio controlled timepiece 30 having the structure shown in fig. 6, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Specifically, fig. 1 is a view illustrating the configuration of a radio controlled timepiece which is a specific example of an electronic device according to the present invention, and referring to fig. 1 and 6, shown is a radio controlled timepiece 30 which has at a minimum an antenna part 30, an information processing device 33 for processing information captured by the antenna part 32, and a metal case 31 capable of accommodating the antenna part 32 and the information processing device 33 therein, wherein the metal case 31 is configured so that magnetic flux is receivable by the antenna part 32 from outside the metal case 21 and is resonatable, the metal case 31 includes at a minimum a metal case part 45 and a metal case back part 41, and further wherein a connecting and fixing part 400 formed between the metal case part 45 and the metal case back part 41 is not provided at least at a position W1 or in the vicinity of a position within a connecting region 39, both the metal case member 45 and the metal case back member 41 are fixedly connected to each other at the connecting and fixing portion 400, the metal case member 45 and the metal case back member 41 are tightly connected to each other in the connecting region 39, and the connecting region 39 is opposed to a substantially central portion P of the antenna portion 32.

In addition, the antenna portion 32 in the present invention is preferably disposed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the metal case 31.

An example of a configuration of a radio controlled timer, which is an example of the electronic device 30 of the present invention shown in fig. 6, will be generally described below.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of the Y-Y arrow shown in fig. 1 (B).

Specifically, in fig. 6, the metal shell 31 is formed of a shell member 45 and a shell rear member 41, the shell member 45 is substantially cylindrical, a windshield 43 made of glass is mounted at the step portion 37a via a seal ring 46 along an inner periphery at an opening at the top of the step portion 37a in fig. 6, and in fig. 6, a connecting and fixing portion 400 is formed at a predetermined connecting area 39 where there is an interconnection between a peripheral portion of the shell rear member 41 and a peripheral portion of the shell portion 45 by contacting the shell rear member 41 with a connecting means or means (means)47 such as with a welding (welding) method, a soldering (soldering) method, or a solid diffusion (solid diffusion) connecting method, or with a press-fitting, a boss (boss), a screw, or the like, to the bottom inner periphery of the opening of the shell member 45.

The rear housing part 41 shown in fig. 6 has a sealing ring 44, which sealing ring 44 is mounted between the rising step 50 of the rear housing part 41 and the inner side surface 37c of the housing part 45.

51 is a hollow space, and 33 is an information processing device such as a CPU. Numeral 42 denotes a watch movement, and numeral 35 denotes a time information display device for supporting hands 36.

In addition, in this drawing, the antenna portion 32 is formed of an antenna coil portion 40, and the antenna coil portion 40 is wound around the core 38.

In the radio controlled timepiece 30 of the invention, when the connecting and fixing portions 400 are provided within the connecting region 39 formed between both the member 45 and the member 41 as shown in fig. 8 for the purpose of connecting and fixing the metal case member 45 and the metal case back member 41 together, substantially 2 to 6 connecting and fixing portions 400 are discretely arranged at substantially the same pitch in the connecting region 39.

First, as shown in fig. 8(a), according to the result of an experiment of the radio controlled timepiece 30 using gold (pure gold) as a metal material forming the metal housing 31, when the connecting and fixing portion 400 is arranged at two positions such as 12 o 'clock and 6 o' clock positions of the connecting area 39 formed between the housing member 45 and the rear housing member 41 and the gain (gain) of the antenna portion 32 is measured, the graph (a) as shown in fig. 9 is obtained.

Although this result is the best among the results of the experiment made by the inventors with the arrangement configuration of the connecting and fixing member 400 such as shown in fig. 8(a), warping or deformation occurs in the case member 45 or the case rear member 41 during use of the electronic device 30, and there is a possibility of a slight problem such as intrusion of dust or the like into the metal case from the outside in addition to a decrease in the waterproof performance.

The inventors measured the gain of the antenna portion 32 for the case where the connecting and fixing portion 400 was arranged in four positions including the position opposite to the antenna portion 32 as shown in fig. 8(B) in the connecting region 39, wherein the connecting region 39 was formed between the case member 45 and the case rear member 41, thereby obtaining the graph (B) shown in fig. 9.

With this configuration, it is seen that there is no problem in use of the product with respect to the gain of the antenna portion 32, but the gain is greatly reduced as compared with the above-mentioned configuration.

For this reason, the inventors conducted various experiments on the assumption that the arrangement of the connecting and fixing portion 400 in the vicinity of the antenna portion 32 would adversely affect the gain of the antenna portion 32, thereby arriving at the present invention. For example, if the gain of the antenna part 32 is measured in the case where the connecting and fixing parts 400 formed in the connecting area 39 between the case member 45 and the case back member 41 are formed at four positions other than the position in the connecting area 39 opposite to the antenna part 32 as shown in fig. 8(C), a graph such as that shown in fig. 9(C) is obtained.

In addition, as shown in fig. 8(D), if the gain of the antenna part 32 is measured in the case where the connecting and fixing portions 400 formed between the case member 45 and the case back member 41 are provided at six positions in the connecting region 39 except for the positions within the connecting region 39 and opposite to the antenna part 32, a graph (not shown) similar to the graph (C) of fig. 9 is obtained.

Fig. 9(a) shows the measurement results at 40kHz, and fig. 9(B) shows the measurement results at 60kHz, which show the same type of results in each case.

In essence, considering the graph shown in fig. 9, it was found that the gain of the antenna portion 32 can be increased by avoiding the arrangement of the connecting and fixing portion 400 formed between the case member 45 and the case rear member 41 at a position within the connecting region 39 and opposite to the antenna portion 32 when the connecting and fixing portion 400 is established.

This is considered to be because the gain of the antenna has been lowered because eddy currents that hinder the resonance of the antenna are generated at the connection region in the vicinity of the antenna portion 32, particularly at the connection and fixed portion 400 where magnetic coupling is caused.

The above-mentioned problems of warping and loss of waterproof property hardly occur if the connecting and fixing portions are at four positions. In addition, even if six or more connection regions are used, although the above-mentioned problem still hardly occurs, if six or more positions are used, the manufacturing process of the case member and the case back member is increased, and the fixing force becomes greater than necessary.

Therefore, it is appropriate to use two and six connecting and fixing portions therebetween.

As a result of further experiments, the inventors of the present invention learned that it is essential that the connecting and fixing portion 400 is not provided at a portion within the portion W1 in the drawing in the connecting region 39 opposite to the central portion P of the antenna portion 32 as shown in fig. 1 (a).

In addition, the inventors of the present invention have learned that, as shown in fig. 1(B), it is preferable that the connecting and fixing portion 400 formed between the metal case back part and the metal case member is not provided at a position in a portion of the connecting region 39 where the metal case member 45 and the metal case back part 41 are tightly connected to each other and the portion of the connecting region 39 is formed between a line X1 and a line X2, the line X1 and the line X2 connecting the ends 32-1 and 32-2 of the antenna portion 32 with the center point O of the electronic device 30, and the portion of the connecting region 39 is a region W2.

The inventors of the present invention also have understood that, as shown in fig. 1(C), it is preferable that the connecting and fixing portion 400 formed between the metal case back part and the metal case member is not provided in a portion of the connecting region 39 in which the metal case member and the metal case back part are closely connected to each other and a portion of the connecting region 39 is formed between a line Y1 and a line Y2, the line Y1 and the line Y2 connecting the end 40-1 and the end 40-2 of the coil portion 40 of the antenna portion 32 with the center point O of the electronic device 30, the portion being a region W3.

In the present invention, the antenna portion 32 is configured so as to have a magnetic core which is rod-shaped and substantially straight or curved, and the maximum length of which is shorter than the maximum diameter length of the metal outer case 31, and if the antenna portion 32 having a rod-shaped and substantially straight magnetic core as shown in fig. 1(D) is used in this electronic device, it is preferable that the connecting and fixing portion 400 formed between the metal case member 45 and the metal case rear member 41 (both members are fixedly connected to each other at the connecting and fixing portion 400) is not provided at least in an area within a connecting area 39 where the metal case member 45 and the metal case rear member 41 are tightly connected to each other, the area within the connecting area 39 is formed between the mutually connecting portions Z1 and Z2 and closer to the antenna portion 32, the mutually connecting portions Z1 and Z2 are formed between the central axis R of the antenna portion 32 and the connecting area 39, the area within the connecting area 39 is the portion W4.

The electronic device 30 of the present invention is preferably selected from one of a radio controlled timepiece, a mobile phone and a radio communication apparatus.

The attachment and fixation portion 400 used in the present invention is preferably a discrete rather than continuous planar shape in the area of attachment, being a point-type location having a small surface area and being circular, rectangular, polygonal, elliptical, etc. in plan view.

In addition, the plurality of connecting and fixing portions 400 used in the present invention are preferably provided at a plurality of positions within the connecting region 39 circumferentially surrounding the electronic device 30, and particularly, the number of the connecting and fixing portions 400 is preferably selected from the range of 2 to 6.

The configuration of the connecting and fixing portion 400 used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and a known connecting and fixing method may be employed.

In particular, for example, the rear housing part and the housing part may be connected using one or more connecting means or means selected from the group consisting of: a screwing method, a female screw method, a fixing method using a plurality of screw bolts, a crimping (swaging) method, a packing fixing method (including GN-4 or GN-7), a boss fitting fixing method (snap-in) method, a welding method, a soldering method, a bayonet method, a solid diffusion bonding method, and the like.

If the case back member and the case member are connected by a welding method, a soldering method, or a solid diffusion connecting method among these methods, the connecting position therebetween cannot be broken. In this case, as shown in fig. 10, at least one of the case member 45 and the case back member 41 is formed of a plurality of constituent elements, and free attachment and detachment can be made therebetween.

When this is done, a connection method may be selected from one or more fixing means, for example, a screw method, an internal screw method, a fixing method using a plurality of screw bolts, a crimping method, a seal ring fixing method (including GN-4 or GN-7), a projection fitting fixing method, a snap-in method, a bayonet (bayonet) method, and the like.

In fig. 10(a), for example, an example is shown in which the housing member 45 is divided into parts 45-1 and 45-2, which are secured by a suitable screw arrangement 48 via a seal ring 49-1, where 49-2 is also a seal ring.

The sealing ring used in the invention can be a rubber sealing ring or a plastic sealing ring.

Fig. 10(B) shows an example in which, in the case of fig. 10(a), mutual conductivity is provided by providing silver paste (silver paste)420 between portions such as the connection region between the case member 45 and the case rear member 41, and measures are taken with respect to static electricity.

In this case, the silver paste 420 is preferably provided at a position opposite to the position of the antenna portion 32.

In the portion Z in fig. 10(a), if welding is performed between the case member 45 and the case back member 41, the welded portion is preferably not provided in the area of the antenna portion 32. In addition, if the connection uses a method other than a method that does not allow disconnection such as welding, soldering, or solid diffusion connection, the seal ring 49-3 is provided as shown in part Z.

Fig. 10(C) shows an example in which, in the case of fig. 10(a), by the sealing between the case member 45-2 and the windshield 43 via the seal ring 49-2 for fixation, the tab (tab)421 for opening or closing is provided at least at two positions.

The projection 421 is required in the case where the housing member 45 and the case back member 41 are fixed by welding or the like in order to open the inside from the housing member part side 45-2 for maintenance or the like.

In addition, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, at least one of the case member 45 and the case back member 41 is configured of a plurality of constituent elements, and connection is completed between the constituent elements using a connection method such as a welding method, a soldering method, a solid diffusion connection method, or other methods, and connection between the case member 45 and the case back member 41 is also completed, or a plurality of connection methods selected from a screwing method, an internal screwing method, a fixing method using a plurality of screw bolts, a crimping (crimping) method, a seal ring fixing method (including GN-4 or GN-7), a projection fitting fixing method, a snap-in method, a bayonet (bayonet) method, and the like are used, in which case no problem arises.

For example, fig. 11(a) shows an example in which the case back part 41 is formed of two constituent elements 41-1 and 41-2, and these constituent elements 41-1 and 41-2 are connected to each other by a seal ring fixing method (including GN-4 or GN-7) via a seal ring 49-2, wherein the case member 45 and the case back part 41 are fixed via the seal ring 49-1 with a suitable screw device 48.

This example is shown in section X of fig. 11(a), wherein a suitable support member (the various constituent elements of the housing member) 43-1 is welded to the housing member 45, wherein the welded portion is preferably not disposed in the area surrounding the antenna portion 32. In addition, if the connection is made using a method other than a method that does not allow disconnection, such as welding, soldering, or solid diffusion connection, the seal ring 43-3' is provided as shown in part X.

Fig. 11(C) shows this example, in which in fig. 11(a), in detachably fixing the case back member 41 and the case member 45, the protrusions 421 for opening and closing are provided at least at two positions.

Fig. 11(B) shows this example, in which in fig. 11(a), silver paste 420 is provided at a part of the connection region between the case back parts 41-1 and 41-2, thereby providing mutual conductivity as a measure against static electricity.

In this case, it is preferable that the silver paste 420 is not provided at a position opposite to the position where the antenna portion 32 is disposed.

Fig. 12(a) shows this example, in which a housing member 45 is formed of two constituent elements 45-1 and 45-2, the constituent elements 45-1 and 45-2 being suitably connected by a seal ring 49-2, the housing member 45 being connected to a housing rear member 41 via the seal ring 49-1 by a suitable screw means 48, the housing rear member 41 being formed by solid diffusion connection of the constituent elements 41-1 and 41-2.

An example of this case is shown in section X in fig. 12(a), in which a suitable support member (different constituent elements of the case member) 43-1 is welded to the case member 45, wherein the welded portion is preferably not provided in the area surrounding the antenna portion 32. In addition, in the case of connection using a method other than a method that does not allow disconnection such as welding, soldering, or solid diffusion connection, the seal ring 49-4 is provided as shown in part X.

Fig. 12(C) shows this example, in which a projection 421 for opening and closing is provided at least two positions, similarly to fig. 11 (C).

Fig. 12(B) shows this example, in which in fig. 12(a), silver paste 420 is provided at a part of the connection region between the case back parts 41-1 and 41-2, thereby providing mutual conductivity as a measure against static electricity.

In this case, it is preferable that the silver paste 420 is not provided at a position opposite to the position where the antenna portion 32 is disposed.

Fig. 12(a) shows this example, in which silver paste 420 is provided at the connection region between the constituent elements 45-1 and 45-2 of the case member 45, thereby providing mutual conductivity as a measure against static electricity.

In this case, since the means of connecting the constituent elements 45-1 and 45-2 of the housing member 45 never allows disconnection of the connection position, it is preferable to use a suitable adhesive for connection and fixation if a seal ring 49-2 such as shown in the connection position in fig. 12 is provided, and in the case where the seal ring 49-2 is not provided at the connection position, a welding manner, for example, can be used at the connection position.

When breaking the fixation in the housing part or the shell back part, it is sufficient to provide a part for the purpose of breaking the fixation at the position of connection and removal (for example, if a tool is to be used for breaking the fixation, a recess accommodating a tool for the part such as a tab part shown in fig. 10 to 12 is preferably provided at a position corresponding to the tool of the part). On the other hand, if the component is provided with a position where it cannot be attached and detached, it is preferable to provide an indication indicating that it cannot be attached and detached (for example, a recess for installation of a tool is not provided in the component, or a recess is provided only at one position, so that a tool cannot be installed).

As the seal ring, rubber (for example, fluorine-based resin), Teflon (registered trademark), metal (for example, stainless steel), or the like is preferably used.

And in the case where the case member or the case back member is formed of a plurality of constituent elements, the connecting and fixing portion 400 is preferably not provided in the vicinity of the antenna portion.

A specific example of the connecting and fixing portion 400 in the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 7(a) specifically shows a cross-sectional view showing a specific example of the configuration of the connecting and fixing portion 400 according to the present invention, and an example of employing a projection fixing method, and a plurality of connecting and fixing portions 400 having the same configuration as that shown in fig. 7(a) are provided at prescribed positions on a connecting area 39, the connecting area 39 being formed between the case member 45 and the case back member 41 of the metal case of the electronic device 30.

Specifically, in this drawing, a plurality of protrusions 410 are provided on the case back member 41, and the protruding portions 415 of the protrusions 410 are made to fit into the groove portions 414 provided in the case member 45, fixing the case member 45 and the case back member 41 with the intermediary of the seal ring 411 as necessary.

In this drawing, although 415 shows an inner protrusion biting fixing method, an outer protrusion biting fixing method having a structure opposite to that of the inner protrusion biting fixing method may be used.

Fig. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of using a threaded bolt member 402 as the attaching and fixing portion 400, in which a plurality of threaded bolts 402 are provided at prescribed positions on an attachment area 39, the attachment area 39 being formed between the case member 45 and the case rear member 41 in the radio control timer 30.

In addition, fig. 7(C) shows an example of the connecting means 47 using an internal thread method as the connecting region 400.

As the metal material forming the metal shell 31 used in the present invention, there is no limitation to a specific metal material, and one or more types of materials selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, titanium alloy, gold alloy, silver alloy, copper alloy, brass, aluminum alloy, zinc alloy, magnesium alloy, and ultrahard metal (alloy including tungsten carbide, tantalum carbide, and the like).

Although omitted from this explanation, in the case of performing a reception performance test similar to those described above using the above materials, although there were some slight differences in the values and shapes of the graphs, it was verified that there was no problem in usability as a product.

Next, another specific example of the present invention will be explained below with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

Specifically, in fig. 7(a) in which an inner protrusion bite fixing manner is used as the connecting means 47 of the fixing portion 400, fig. 13 shows that if the length L of the upper edge portion 416 of the protrusion portion 410 is changed in the configuration of fig. 7(a), the receiving performance is also changed with the change.

Specifically, if a comparison is made between the case shown in fig. 13(a) in which the length L1 of the upper edge portion 416 of the convex portion 410 is made longer and the case shown in fig. 13(B) in which the length L2 of the upper edge portion 416 of the convex portion 410 is made shorter than the above-described length L1, it is found that the convex structure shown in fig. 13(B) in which the length L1 of the upper edge portion 416 of the convex portion 410 is made longer improves the receiving performance as compared with the convex structure of fig. 13 (a).

The reason for this is considered to be that, in the case of having the projection structure as shown in fig. 13(B), there is more space between the upper edge portion 416 of the projection portion 410 and the antenna portion 32 than the projection structure shown in fig. 13(a), or the projection structure shown in fig. 13(B) has less possibility that there will be contact between the upper edge portion 416 of the projection portion 410 and the case member 45 than the projection structure shown in fig. 13(a), thereby suppressing the generation of eddy currents that hinder the antenna resonance phenomenon.

As another example of the present invention as shown in fig. 14, in a configuration in which an internal projection bite fixing manner is used as the connecting means 47 of the fixing portion 400 shown in fig. 7(a), it is found that by changing the angle of the protruding portion 415 of the protruding portion 410, the receiving sensitivity of the antenna is changed.

Specifically, if a comparison is made between the case as shown in fig. 14(a) and the case as shown in fig. 14(B), it is found that the case having the large angle α 2 as shown in fig. 14(B) in which the angle α 1 of the protruding portion 415 of the protruding portion 410 is set to be relatively small, has improved antenna sensitivity over the case having the small angle α 1 as shown in fig. 14(a), and in the case as shown in fig. 14(B) in which the angle α 2 of the protruding portion 415 of the protruding portion 410 is set to be larger than the above-described angle α 1.

The reason for this is considered to be that, when the case where the angle α 2 of the protruding portion 415 of the protruding portion 410 is large as shown in fig. 14(B) is compared with the case where the angle α 1 of the protruding portion 415 of the protruding portion 410 is small as shown in fig. 14(a), since the holding force of the protruding portion 410 is small with respect to the case member 45, there is suppression of generation of eddy current that hinders the antenna resonance phenomenon.

The present invention solves the above-described problems in the prior art by adopting the above-described structure, and provides an electronic device having good reception efficiency without greatly changing the structure, the casing material, or the design of the electronic device including the radio controlled timepiece in the past, capable of realizing an electronic device without any difference in size and thickness with respect to the electronic device in the past by adopting an antenna part having a simple structure, and providing an improvement in the degree of freedom of design, and capable of reducing the manufacturing cost.

Since the electronic device according to the present invention employs the above-mentioned technical constitution, by specifying the arrangement position of the connecting and fixing portion, a further improvement in the gain of the antenna portion disposed inside the metal case as in the past can be achieved, and a light-weight, compact and thin electronic device can be manufactured.

Claims (8)

1. An electronic device comprising at least an antenna portion, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna portion, and a metal case accommodating the antenna portion and the information processing device therein, wherein the metal case is configured so that the antenna portion can receive magnetic flux from outside through the metal case and can resonate, the metal case comprises at least a metal case member and a metal case back member, the antenna portion comprises a magnetic core and an antenna coil portion wound around the magnetic core, the magnetic core is rod-shaped and straight or curved, and has a maximum length shorter than a maximum diameter length of the metal case, the antenna portion is disposed near an outer periphery of the metal case, and further wherein,

a connecting and fixing portion where the metal case member and the metal-case back member are fixedly connected to each other is not provided in at least one of the following first to third regions in a connection region where the metal case member and the metal-case back member are tightly connected to each other:

a first region within the connection region in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are closely connected to each other, and which is formed between a line connecting an end of the bent antenna part and a center point of the electronic device and closer to the antenna part;

a second area within the connection area in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are closely connected to each other and which is formed between a line connecting an end of an antenna coil portion of the antenna portion that is bent and a center point of the electronic device and closer to the antenna portion;

a third region in a connection region in which the metal case member and the metal case back member are closely connected to each other, and formed between interconnection portions formed at intersections of the center axes of the antenna portions and the connection region in a straight line closer to the antenna portions.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the case member and the case back member is formed of a plurality of constituent elements.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the electronic device is one selected from the group consisting of at least a radio controlled timer and a radio communication device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the configuration of the connecting and fixing portions shown in the connecting region is a dot shape.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

a plurality of the connecting and fixing portions are provided in the connecting area around the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the number of the connecting and fixing portions is one selected from a range of 2 to 6.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the connecting and securing portion fixedly connects the rear housing component and the housing component with one or more securing means selected from the group consisting of: a threading method, an internal threading method, a fixing method using a plurality of threaded bolts, a pressure welding method, a seal ring fixing method, a projection biting fixing method, a biting method, a welding method, a soldering method, a bayonet method, and a solid diffusion bonding method.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the metal shell is made of one or more types of materials selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, titanium alloys, gold alloys, silver alloys, copper alloys, brass, aluminum alloys, zinc alloys, magnesium alloys, and cemented carbides.