Sheet-like miniaturized electronic device

• US 4,680,724 A
• Filed: 02/04/1986
• Issued: 07/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Kazuhiro, Shimazaki, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jr., Archie E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Application Number:
  US06/825,953
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 364/712, 235/380, 235/488
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/703 characterised by spacers between contact carrying layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/008 Adhesive means; Conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/016 Protection layer, e.g. for legend, anti-scratch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/018 flat, smooth or ripple-free
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/026 metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/032 non elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/07 metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/076 non elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/028 Contacts in depressions of layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/01 Liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/054 connected by flexible webs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/034 Bezel
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2227/002 Layer thickness
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2227/01 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/016 Selective etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/028 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/03 Laminating
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/002 Calculator, computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/028 Watch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/05 : Card, e.g. credit card
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/008 : Static electricity considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/01 : combined with other elements on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 : Covers

Abstract

A sheet-like miniaturized electronic device includes an electronic component assembly with a wiring base having switch contacts and a semiconductor IC chip operated by signals from the switch contacts. A display panel displays data according to signals from the semiconductor IC chip, and a battery supplies a drive voltage to the semiconductor IC chip. The wiring base, display panel and battery are electrically connected to one another and arranged in the same plane. An upper cover is provided in close contact with the upper side of the electronic component assembly, and has an operating section and a transparent display window. A lower cover is provided through an adhesive layer to the underside of the electronic component assembly.

Claims

1. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

a flat and thin insulating sheet with a conductive wiring pattern thereon;

an electronic component coupled to said conductive wiring pattern, said electronic component having one end surface in the same plane as a first face of said insulating sheet with its opposite end surface projecting from the plane of a second face of said insulating sheet opposite to said first face;

a first cover mounted opposite to the first face of said insulating sheet and having key indicia thereon;

switch means between said first cover and the first face of said insulating sheet for actuating an electrical connection to said conductive wiring pattern upon contact of said key indicia by an operator;

a second cover having a flat outer surface and the same periphery as said first cover and mounted opposite to the second face of said insulating sheet so as to form a gap between the second cover and, respectively, the second face of said insulating sheet and the projecting end surface of said electronic component; and

an adhesive layer filling said gap.

2. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 1, wherein part of said gap is between opposed peripheral surfaces of said first and second covers, with said adhesive layer forming part of the outer periphery of said device.

3. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

an electronic assembly having a first flat face and a second face;

a first cover mounted opposite to the first face of said electronic assembly and having key indicia thereon;

switch means between said first cover and the first face of said electronic assembly for actuating a desired operation by the electronic assembly upon contact of said key indicia by an operator;

a second cover having the same periphery as said first cover and mounted opposite to the second face of said electronic assembly with a gap being formed between opposed peripheral surfaces of the first and second covers; and

adhesive means in said gap for fixing the opposed peripheral surfaces of the first and second covers to each other and to form part of the outer periphery of said device.

4. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 3, wherein the adhesive means fixes the second face of said electronic assembly to the second cover.

5. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 4, wherein the adhesive means comprises a layer between the electronic assembly and the second cover.

6. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 3, wherein the adhesive means fills a void between the electronic assembly and the second cover.

7. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

an electronic component assembly having two faces, and including a thin insulating sheet, a predetermined conductive pattern and an electronic component connected to said pattern;

first cover means being flat, having a face facing said electronic component assembly, and mounted on one of said faces of said electronic component assembly;

a first adhesive layer disposed between said one face of said eletronic component assembly and said assembly-facing face of said first cover means to couple said electronic component assembly and said first cover means together;

second cover means having a flat outer surface, having the same periphery as said first cover means, disposed on the other face of said electronic component assembly, and including a metal sheet having a cavity to accommodate said electronic component; and

a second adhesive layer provided between said other face of said electronic component assembly and an assembly-facing face of said second cover means to couple said electronic component assembly and said second cover means together.

8. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 7, wherein said second cover means includes a single resilient plastic sheet having a plurality of key operation sections, and key contacts facing the associated key operation sections, and said electronic component assembly has key contacts positioned so as to make contact, respectively, with said contacts of said first cover means upon manual depression of the plurality of key operation sections.

9. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 8, wherein said electronic component assembly includes a display element coupled to said predetermined conductive pattern so as to be in the same plane as said thin insulating sheet.

10. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

first thin plastic sheet means having an even thickness and a predetermined surface area;

a first metal sheet having an even thickness and two faces, one of which is adhered to said first thin plastic sheet means;

an electronic component assembly having a periphery smaller than that of said first metal sheet, a thin insulating sheet, a predetermined conductive pattern and an electronic component connected to said predetermined conductive pattern, said electronic component assembly having two faces one of which is adhered to the other face of said first metal sheet;

a second metal sheet having an even thickness, the same periphery as said first metal sheet, and two faces one of which is adhered to the other face of said electronic component assembly, at least one of said first and second metal sheets having a cavity to receive said electronic component;

second thin plastic sheet means having an outer surface of even thickness and two faces one of which is adhered to the other face of said second metal sheet; and

a frame member disposed between said first and second metal sheets and having a through hole for accommodating said electronic component assembly.

11. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 10, wherein said first thin plastic sheet means includes a single resilient plastic sheet having a plurality of key operation sections, and key contacts facing the associated key operation sections, and said electronic component assembly has key contacts positioned so as to make contact, respectively, with said key contacts of said first thin plastic sheet means upon manual depression of the plurality of key operation sections.

12. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 11, wherein said electronic component assembly has a display element connected to said predetermined pattern so as to be in the same plane as said thin insulating sheet.

13. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

an electronic component assembly having a thin insulating sheet with a through hole, connecting terminals formed at the periphery of said through hole, a predetermined wiring pattern having one end connected to said connecting terminals, and an electronic component having electrodes connected to said connecting terminals with part of said electronic component being accommodated in said through hole and another part of said electronic component projecting from a surface of said thin insulating sheet;

a flat first cover having a predetermined surface area, an internal surface, and an external surface, said internal surface being adhered to one face of said electronic component assembly;

a second cover having a flat outer surface and the same surface area s said first cover means, an internal surface, and an external surface, said internal surface being adhered to said electronic component assembly;

frame means disposed between said first cover means and said second cover means and having an opening to accommodate said electronic component assembly; and

a cavity formed in at least one of said first cover and said second cover accommodating the projecting part of said electronic component.

14. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 13, wherein said first cover includes a single resilient plastic sheet having a plurality of key operation sections, and key contacts facing the associated key operation sections, and said electronic component assembly has key contacts positioned so as to be capable of making a contact with said key contacts of said first cover means.

15. The flat miniaturized electronic device of claim 14, wherein said electronic component assembly has a display element connected to said predetermined pattern so as to be in the same plane as said thin insulating sheet.

16. A flat miniaturized electronic device comprising:

a thin insulating sheet having two faces and a through hole;

a plurality of connecting terminals formed at the periphery of said through hole of said thin insulating sheet;

an electronic component hasving electrodes connected to said connecting terminals with said electronic component being disposed in said through hole;

first cover means being flat and having an internal surface connected to one of said two faces of said thin insulating sheet, an external surface, and a single resilient flat sheet having a plurality of key indicia;

second cover means having an internal surface connected to the other face of the two faces of said thin insulating sheet, an external surface, and a metal layer formed at least on that part of said internal surface of said second cover means which faces said electronic component;

a plurality of switching contacts disposed between said thin insulating sheet and said first cover means so as to face said plurality of key indicia;

a predetermined wiring pattern on the thin insulating sheet including a pattern to connect said switching contacts and said connecting terminals;

a display element connected to said predetermined wiring pattern between said first cover means and said second cover means so as to be in the same plane as said thin insulating sheet; and

a thin battery connected to said predetermined wiring pattern between said first cover means and said second cover means so as to be in the same plane as said thin insulating sheet.