ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT CASING

• US 20130285516A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mizoguchi, Fumitake, Ogawa, Tetsuo, Ohtani, Tetsuya, Agata, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,326,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/7.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A casing for electronic equipments is disclosed. The casing includes a first region and a second region. The first region is formed by a foamed layer provided between an outer rigid layer and an inner rigid layer. The foamed layer isolates the outer rigid layer from the inner rigid layer. The second region is formed by a single layer of material, and the single layer of material is joined to the outer rigid layer, the formed layer and the inner rigid layer.

Claims

1. A casing for electronic equipments, said casing comprising:

a first region formed by a foamed layer provided between an outer rigid layer and-an inner rigid layer to isolate said outer rigid layer from said inner rigid layer; and

a second region formed by a single layer of material, wherein said single layer of material is joined to said outer rigid layer, said formed layer and said inner rigid layer.

2. The casing of claim 1, wherein said outer rigid layer is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

3. The casing of claim 1, wherein said inner rigid layer is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

4. The casing of claim 1, wherein said single layer of material is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

5. The casing of claim 1, wherein an outline of said inner rigid layer includes a concave portion.

6. The casing of claim 5, wherein said outline of said inner rigid layer includes a plurality of depressed portions at predetermined pitches.

7. The casing of claim 1, wherein an outer edge section of said foamed layer is compression-molded.

8. The casing of claim 7, wherein said outer edge section of said foamed layer is compression-molded from an inside in a thickness direction of said inner rigid layer.

9. The casing of claim 1, wherein said first region is configured to receive a liquid-crystal display.

10. The casing of claim 1, wherein said second region is configured to receive an antenna.

11. A method for manufacturing a casing material, said method comprising:

forming a rigid sheet into an outer rigid layer;

forming a foamed sheet into a foamed layer;

forming a rigid sheet into an inner rigid layer;

laminating said outer rigid layer, said foamed layer and said inner rigid layer to form a three-layered structure;

trimming at least said rigid sheet that is formed into said inner rigid layer so that an outline of said inner rigid layer is formed into a shape more inward than an outline of said outer rigid layer; and

connecting said three-layer structure to a single layer of material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said outer rigid layer is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said inner rigid layer is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said single layer of material is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said method further includes trimming said foamed sheet as well as said rigid sheet of said inner rigid layer.