ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20090322625A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Fuminori
• Granted Patent: US 7,830,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an antenna incorporated in an electronic apparatus includes an antenna element formed of a metal thin film and provided on the inner surface of a side wall of a housing, an antenna ground formed of a metal thin film and provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing, and a conductor portion formed of a metal thin film, provided at least on the inner surface of the bottom wall and connecting the antenna element to the antenna ground. The feed pin of a feed terminal mounted on a printed circuit board is kept in contact with the conductor portion on the bottom wall to feed power from a wireless module to the antenna.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first case including a bottom wall, and a side wall upwardly extending from a periphery of the bottom wall;

an antenna element formed of a metal thin film and provided on an inner surface of the side wall;

an antenna ground formed of a metal thin film and provided near the antenna element on an inner surface of the bottom wall;

a conductor portion formed of a metal thin film, provided at least on the inner surface of the bottom wall, and connecting the antenna element to the antenna ground;

a wireless module which feeds power to the antenna element; and

a feed terminal for the wireless module, the feed terminal being kept in pressure contact with the conductor portion provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a printed circuit board with the feed terminal mounted thereon; and

a fixing member interposed between the bottom wall and one side portion of the printed circuit board remote from the side wall than the feed terminal, and fixing the one side portion to the bottom wall, with a lower surface of the printed circuit board opposed to the inner surface of the bottom wall, another side portion of the printed circuit board close to the side wall being free, the fixing member and the printed circuit board cooperating to serve as a cantilever.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feed terminal includes a feed pin kept in contact with the conductor portion, and a holding sleeve fixed to the printed circuit board and holding the feed pin such that the feed pin can project and retract, the holding sleeve urging the feed pin against the conductor portion.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a first support member interposed between the bottom wall and the printed circuit board and between the feed terminal and the fixing member, the first support member including an end kept in contact with the bottom wall, and another end kept in contact with the printed circuit board.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first support member is located to set a pressure of contact of the feed pin against the conductor portion to an appropriate value.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a second case kept in contact with an upper end of the side wall and opposing the bottom wall; and

a second support member kept in contact with a surface of the printed circuit board opposite to another surface of the printed circuit board with which the first support member is in contact, the second support member being also kept in contact with an inner surface of the second case.