DUST-AND-WATER PROOF CASING

• US 20100265656A1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Satoshi, Yamaguchi, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.550
• 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 1/1656 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: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing

Abstract

In order to seal an internal space of a casing having an upper and lower casing members, a continuous groove with a semicircular cross-section is formed around a dust-and-water proof area of the lower casing member, and a continuous elongated protrusion is formed on the portion of the upper casing member corresponding to the groove, so that the protrusion is inserted in the groove when two casing members are engaged. Spherical sealing members each having the same diameter as the groove width are arrayed continuously in the groove without gaps therebetween. The width of the elongated protrusion is configured to be smaller than the groove width, so that the spherical sealing members compressed when the casing members are fitted are deformed to enter a space defined between the elongated protrusion and the groove, to thereby form a dust-and-water proof structure. Inserting the spherical sealing members in the groove is easy.

Claims

1. A casing comprising two casing members, one of which is fittable to the other casing member to form the casing, wherein a dust-and-water proof structure provided at a fitting portion comprises:

a groove formed continuously along periphery of a dust-and-water proof area of the one casing member;

an elongated protrusion formed at the position to be inserted in the groove when the two casing members are fitted, said elongated protrusion having a width smaller than the groove width; and

spherical elastic bodies each having the same diameter as the groove width, which are inserted and continuously arranged in the groove without gaps therebetween.

2. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein a cross-sectional shape of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the groove is semicircular with the radius identical to the radius of each spherical elastic body inserted in the groove.

3. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein said groove is provided, in its bottom surface, with continuous hemispherical recesses, each having the same radius size as the radius of each spherical elastic body inserted in the groove, said groove being provided, on its side surfaces, with continuous cylindrical wall surfaces smoothly connecting to the hemispherical recesses.

4. The casing according to claim 3,

wherein ridges defined by the adjacent hemispherical recesses, and ridges defined by the adjacent cylindrical wall surfaces are cut to form fillets.

5. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein when fitting portions of the two casing members are of a three dimensional shape and said groove is provided with a bent portion which is bent at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction,

the bent portion is smoothly connected, with the groove at a curvature equal to or greater than the radius of each spherical elastic body inserted in the groove.

6. The casing according to claim 2,

wherein the height of the elongated protrusion is such that, when the two casing members are engaged, the protrusion is spaced from the bottom surface of the groove by a distance corresponding to the radius of the spherical elastic body.

7. The casing according to claim 3,

wherein the height of the elongated protrusion is such that, when the two casing members are engaged, so that the spherical elastic bodies are compressed, a space between the top surface of the elongated protrusion and the spherical elastic bodies is filled with deformed portions of the compressed spherical elastic bodies.

8. The casing according to claim 4,

wherein the height of the elongated protrusion is such that, when the two casing members are engaged, so that the spherical elastic bodies are compressed, a space between the top surface of the elongated protrusion and upper portions of the spherical elastic bodies, and a space between the fillets and lower portions of the spherical elastic bodies are filled with deformed portions of the compressed spherical elastic bodies.

9. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein a central line of the groove and a central line of the elongated protrusion conform with each other as viewed in a plan view, when the two casing members are engaged.

10. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein the overall length of the groove is an integer multiple of the diameter of the spherical elastic body.

13. The casing according to claim 1,

wherein the spherical elastic bodies are made of a solid gel-like material.

11. A casing comprising two casing members, one of which is fittable to the other casing member to form the casing, wherein a dust-and-water proof structure provided at a fitting portion comprises:

a groove formed continuously along periphery of a dust-and-water proof area of the one casing member;

an elongated protrusion formed at the position to be inserted in the groove when the two casing members are fitted, said elongated protrusion having a width smaller than the groove width; and

spherical elastic bodies each having a diameter in the range of 70% to 100% of the groove width, which are inserted and continuously arranged in the groove without gaps therebetween.

12. The casing according to claim 11,

wherein the width of the elongated protrusion is such that when the diameter of each spherical elastic body corresponds to 70% of the groove width, the tops of the spherical elastic bodies can be compressed by the elongated protrusion.

14. An electronic device, comprising a casing having two interfittable casing members, a groove formed continuously at a periphery of a dust-and-water proof area of one of the casing members, an elongated protrusion having a width narrower than the groove width, and formed in a position where it is inserted in the groove when the two casing members are fitted, and spherical elastic bodies each having the same diameter as the groove width, which are continuously arranged in the groove without gaps therebetween.

15. The casing according to claim 14,

wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer.

16. An electronic device, comprising a casing having two interfittable casing members, a groove formed continuously at a periphery of a dust-and-water proof area of one of the casing members, an elongated protrusion having a width narrower than the groove width, and formed in a position where it is inserted in the groove when the two casing members are fitted, and spherical elastic bodies each having a diameter in the range of 70% to 100% of the groove width, which are continuously arranged in the groove without gaps therebetween.

17. The casing according to claim 16,

wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer.