JP2002305569A - Foldable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a foldable information terminal that can produce efficient vibration by suppressing the sound caused by vibration of components in contact with each other even when the vibration is produced from the information terminal in a folded state. SOLUTION: The mobile phone 31 comprises a 1st casing 33 and a 2nd casing 34 hinged by a hinge mechanism 32 in a freely opened/closed way. A projection member 44 is projected from a prescribed position of a 1st side 35 and the tip of the 1st casing is pressed into contact with a 2nd side 39 when the 1st side 35 and the 2nd side 39 are closed. Thus, the vibration of a vibrating component (not shown) built in the case is transmitted to the entire parts of the mobile phone 31 and no sound is caused by intermittent contacts of the components.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foldable information terminal which can be folded like a certain kind of portable telephone, and more particularly to a foldable information terminal using a vibrating component which generates vibration in a predetermined case. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of the Internet and e-mail, portable telephones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistance) have been developed.
Many portable information terminals such as ts (portable information equipment having a communication function) have been used.

[0003] Such an information terminal, unlike a conventional large-sized fixed terminal, can transmit and receive information without particularly restricting a place. However, as an adverse effect associated with such convenience, there is a problem that a ringing tone can be generated in a public place when a telephone or e-mail is received.
As one method of solving such a problem, notification of an incoming call by vibration has been proposed and put to practical use. Many motors called unbalanced motors or vibration motors are used as vibration generating components for generating vibration.

[0004] However, there is a problem that when the vibrating component vibrates, the housing itself generates an audible sound such as a sound that makes the housing vibrate. When the sound is generated in response to the incoming call, the owner himself is very careful in a quiet environment.

FIG. 6 shows a main part of a conventionally proposed information terminal for reducing sound caused by vibration. In this technique proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-173979,
A piezoelectric element is used as a vibration component. That is, the fixed portions 12 and 13 are fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the inner surface of the housing 11, and the base 15 to which the vibrator 14 is attached is fixed to the lower fixed portion 13. Vibrator 14 has a structure which sandwiches the vibrating element 15 _1, 15 ₂ began to other contracts when one by the AC signal applied to the electrode (not shown) extends. The end opposite to the vibrator 14 and the vibrating element 15 _1, 15 ₂ of the base portion 15 thereof has a weight 16 is attached.

In the proposed information terminal, the vibrating elements 15 ₁ and 15 ₂ alternately expand and contract by applying an AC voltage to the electrodes, whereby the weight 16 swings up and down in the figure to generate vibration. As a result, the housing 11 also vibrates due to resonance.

[0007]

By the way, in information terminals, the information to be displayed has been diversified and the demand for displaying more information at once has been increasing. A portable information terminal has a limited display area prepared on a display (display screen). Therefore, a number of products have emerged that use two housings to secure a space for display without disposing all the display and other components in one housing 11 as shown in FIG. It has led to.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which a portable telephone as an example of such a conventional information terminal is folded. The first housing 21 and the second housing 22 are connected to the hinge mechanism 2.
3 has a structure that can be freely opened and closed. The vibrating component 20 is disposed on either the first housing 21 or the second housing 22. In the figure, this is arranged in the first housing 21. When the first housing 21 vibrates due to an incoming call,
Vibration may be transmitted when the liquid crystal display 24 and the operation keys 25 are in an incomplete contact state. In such a case, a situation occurs in which the parts come into contact with each other intermittently, and as a result, a noise is generated that makes the parts vibrate. Also,
Due to the generation of such vibration sound, inefficient vibration may be generated as a whole of the mobile phone 26, and a phenomenon that the vibration is not sufficiently transmitted also occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable information device capable of suppressing the generation of a sound caused by the vibration of the parts while being in contact with each other even when the vibration is generated in the folded state, thereby enabling efficient vibration. To provide a terminal.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there are provided (a) a first housing having a built-in vibrating component for generating vibration by power supply, and (b) a first housing and a hinge mechanism. And (c) projecting from one surface of the first and second housings and facing the other surface when these housings are closed. A folding type information terminal is provided with a protruding member having a length to be pressed.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vibration member is built in the former of the first housing and the second housing which are openably and closably arranged via the hinge mechanism. The projecting member protrudes from one surface of the housing. When the first and second housings are closed, the protruding member has a length that presses against the other surface facing the first and second housings. Not only can be reliably transmitted to the surface, but also because it is in the pressure contact state, it is possible to prevent the generation of vibration noise due to intermittent contact between components.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the foldable information terminal according to the first aspect, a portion of the projection member that contacts the other surface is formed of an elastic member.

That is, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the portion of the projection member that is in contact with the other surface is made of an elastic member, so that the transmission of vibration when vibration is generated is ensured and the generation of vibration noise is prevented. I have.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the foldable information terminal according to the first aspect, a plurality of protrusion members are arranged on one surface at intervals.

In other words, according to the third aspect of the present invention, by disposing a plurality of the protruding members on one surface at intervals, when the housings are closed, their positional relationship is stabilized.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the foldable information terminal according to the first aspect, the protruding members are arranged at positions not corresponding to each other on one surface and the other surface.

That is, the invention according to claim 4 shows a case where the projecting members are present on both of the two opposing surfaces, and are arranged at positions where they do not contact each other.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the foldable information terminal according to the first aspect, the protrusion members are arranged at positions corresponding to one surface and the other surface, respectively.

That is, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, unlike the fourth aspect of the present invention, the projecting members are arranged at corresponding positions on one surface and the other surface. The tips will come into contact.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the foldable information terminal according to the first aspect, the projecting member is partially provided at a portion where the blind cover of the screw insertion hole provided on the surface where the housing is closed is fitted. , And the remaining portion is projected from the facing surface.

That is, in the invention according to claim 6, the position where the projecting member is screwed is utilized, and a part of the screw insertion hole is fitted into the portion where the blind cover is fitted, thereby fixing the screw. I have. Of course, the position where the projecting member is arranged is not limited to this, but if the projecting member is unnecessary by using the screw insertion hole, it can be removed and the blind cover can be rearranged.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a portable telephone as an example of a foldable information terminal in one embodiment of the present invention. The mobile phone 31 includes a first housing 33 and a second housing 34 which are arranged to be freely opened and closed by a hinge mechanism 32. A surface of the first housing 33 that is closed with the second housing 34 (hereinafter, the first surface 3
Five. ), A liquid crystal display (LCD) 36 and a speaker 37 are arranged, and an antenna 38 protrudes from the upper end in the figure. Various key buttons 41 and a microphone 42 are arranged on a second surface 39 of the second housing 34 facing the first surface 35 in a state where the second housing 34 is closed with the first housing 33.

Further, a plurality of screw insertion holes (not shown) are provided in the first surface 35 of the first housing, and components (not shown) are fixed inside the first housing 33. Some of these screw insertion holes have a cover 4 made of a material such as rubber or plastic, which is substantially the same color as the surrounding surface, on the head of the screw (not shown) to make the appearance less noticeable.
3 is fitted. In the mobile phone 31 of the present embodiment, a total of four screw insertion holes are formed in the first surface 35, but the remaining two screw insertion holes arranged near the hinge mechanism 32 have cylindrical projection members 44. Has its lower end fitted. The remaining portions of these projection members 44 are the first
Projecting perpendicularly from the surface 35 of the lens. The projection members 44 are both made of an elastic member such as rubber or a plastic covered with an elastic member.

FIG. 2 shows a part of the first housing in which the lower end of the projection member is fitted. The speaker-side mold 33A and the back-side mold 33 constituting the first housing 33
The mounting substrate 51 is fixed by screws 52 in a state where the mounting substrate 51 is sandwiched by the respective convex portions 33A ₁ and 33B _{1 of} B. A screw insertion hole 53 is formed in the first surface 35. The screw insertion hole 53 is formed so that the head 52 </ b> A is disposed at a position where the head 52 </ b> A is pushed into the first surface 35 to some extent with the screw 52 fixed. This creates a cylindrical space above the head 52A of the screw. This portion is for the blind cover 43 as shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the lower part of a columnar projection member 44 having a length almost twice the depth of the cylindrical space is press-fitted into this cylindrical space. Therefore, the upper part protrudes upward from the first surface 35 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the portable telephone of this embodiment is folded. When the mobile phone 31 of this embodiment is closed by the hinge mechanism 32 in the same manner as shown in FIG. 7, the top of the projection member 44 protruding from the first housing 33 becomes the second surface of the second housing 34. 39 is pressed.
Therefore, in this example, the vibration of the vibration component 60 disposed inside the first housing 33 is reliably transmitted to the second housing 34 via the second surface 39, and the entire mobile phone 31 is efficiently operated. Vibrates. In addition, since the distance between the first surface 35 and the second surface 39 is reliably maintained, no vibration noise is generated due to the small collision between the components, and in this sense, energy is efficiently used and saved. be able to. The vibrating component 60 is not limited to the unbalanced motor described above, and other components for generating vibration can be used.

<First Modification of the Invention>

FIG. 4 shows the appearance of a mobile phone according to a first modification of the present invention. 4, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In the mobile phone 31A of the first modification, unlike the previous embodiment, the projection member 44 is attached to the second surface 39 side.

Unlike the first modification, the first surface 3
It is also possible to dispersely attach the protrusion members 44 to both the fifth surface 39 and the second surface 39. The shape and the number are not limited to the numbers shown in the embodiment and the modification.

<Second Modification of the Invention>

FIG. 5 shows a mobile phone in a folded state according to a second modification of the present invention. In this figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In the mobile phone 31B of the second modified example, the first projection member 44A is moved from the first housing 33 to the first projection member 44A.
Project from the second housing 34, and a second projection member 44B projects from the second housing 34. The first and second projection members 44A and 44B are opposed to each other, and the distal ends thereof come into pressure contact with each other in a folded state.

As described above, the projection member 44 used in the embodiment is used.
By using the first and second protruding members 44A and 44B instead of, the protruding height of each can be reduced. Of course, these heights do not need to be equally divided, and one may be configured as a relatively high and the other as a low protruding member. Further, these protrusion members 44, 44
The holes A and 44B do not need to be provided with holes for fixing the screws 52, and may be any of those that can be attached to any of the facing surfaces 35 and 39 by any means.

In the embodiments and the modified examples, the description has been given by taking the portable telephone as an example.
It is needless to say that the present invention can be similarly applied to other foldable information terminals.

[0036]

As described above, claims 1 to 6 are described.
According to the described invention, in a state where the first casing and the second casing are closed, these surfaces reliably maintain their positions via the projecting members, and vibration is transmitted by the projecting members. Not only can the generation of vibration noise due to intermittent contact between components be prevented, but also the information terminal itself can be efficiently vibrated.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the portion of the protruding member that is in contact with the other surface is made of an elastic member, so that the transmission of vibration at the time of vibration generation is ensured and the generation of vibration noise is prevented. can do.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, by arranging a plurality of protrusion members on one surface at intervals, when the housings are closed, their positional relationship is stabilized, and the vibration sound Can be effectively suppressed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the protrusion members are arranged at positions corresponding to the one surface and the other surface, the amount of protrusion of each protrusion can be suppressed, and the appearance is uncomfortable. Do not cause.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the projecting member is disposed by using the position where the projecting member is screwed, the addition or deletion of the projecting member is performed within the range of the number and position of the screw insertion holes. Can be done freely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a mobile phone as an example of a foldable information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment in which the lower end of the projection member is fitted in the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an end view showing a part of the housing of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the mobile phone of the embodiment is folded.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a mobile phone according to a first modification of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a folded state of a mobile phone according to a second modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a main part of a conventionally proposed information terminal for reducing sound caused by vibration.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state where a mobile phone as an example of a conventional information terminal is folded.

[Explanation of symbols]

 31, 31A, 31B Mobile phone 32 Hinge mechanism 33 First housing 34 Second housing 35 First surface 39 Second surface 44 Projecting member 44A First projecting member 44B Second projecting member 52 Screw 53 Screw insertion hole 60 Vibration parts

Claims (6)

[Claims] A first housing having a built-in vibrating component for generating vibration by power supply; a second housing arranged to be openable and closable via the first housing and a hinge mechanism; A foldable information terminal, comprising: a protruding member that protrudes from one surface of the first and second housings and has a length that presses against the other surface facing the other housing when the housings are closed. 2. The foldable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the projection member that contacts the other surface is formed of an elastic member. 3. A foldable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said protrusion members are arranged on one surface at intervals. 4. The foldable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion members are arranged at positions not corresponding to each of the one surface and the other surface. 5. The foldable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion members are arranged at positions corresponding to the one surface and the other surface, respectively. 6. The projection member is a member in which a part is fitted into a portion where a blind cover of a screw insertion hole provided in a surface where a housing is closed is fitted, and a remaining portion is protruded to an opposite surface side. The foldable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the foldable information terminal is configured.