Exterior case of electronic appliance

• US 6,751,409 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/446,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20030223184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 396/25-29, 396/535, 206/524.1, 206/524.6
• US Class Current: 396/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

The exterior case of an electronic appliance is integrally molded by two-color molding or insert molding with a hard resin and a soft resin. A front case part and a back case part of the exterior case is formed of the hard resin, and a connecting part between the front case part and the back case part is formed of the soft resin. The front case part and the back case part are assembled into a case-like shape by bending the connecting part.

Claims

1. An exterior case of an electronic appliance, the exterior case comprising:

a first case part and a second case part as two divisions of the exterior case, the first case part and the second case part being formed of a first resin; and

a connecting part which connects the first case part and the second case part, at least a part of the connecting part being formed of a second resin softer than the first resin, wherein;

the first case part, the second case part and the connecting part are integrally molded by one of a two-color molding and an insert molding with the first resin and the second resin; and

the first case part and the second case part are assembled into a case-like shape by bending the part formed of the second resin in the connecting part.

2. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein the part formed of the second resin in the connecting part has a thin part to be bent.

3. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, further comprising an outside layer which partially covers a part formed of the first resin in the exterior case for a purpose of at least one of slipping prevention, design and shock absorption for the exterior case,

wherein the outside layer is formed of the second resin and molded integrally with the part formed of the first resin in the exterior case.

4. The exterior case as defined in claim 3, wherein the outside layer covers parts to be corners of the case-like shape so as to protect whole of the electronic appliance.

5. The exterior case as defined in claim 3, wherein the outside layer covers all parts to be faces of the case-like shape so as to protect whole of the electronic appliance.

6. The exterior case as defined in claim 3, wherein the outside layer is formed as a projection on a part to be a bottom face of the case-like shape.

7. The exterior case as defined in claim 3, wherein the outside layer covers whole of a part to be a bottom face of the case-like shape.

8. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein:

an opening is formed in a part made of the first resin in the exterior case at a position corresponding to an operation button of the electronic appliance; and

the opening is closed with the second resin to be a part of the operational button.

9. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the electronic appliance is a digital camera having an optical member; and

an opening is formed in a part made of the first resin in the exterior case at a position corresponding to the optical member of the digital camera, a border of the opening being covered with the second resin.

10. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a battery is detachably attached to the electronic appliance; and

a receding part for housing the battery is integrally molded in at least one of the first case part and the second case part.

11. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a recording medium is detachably attached to the electronic appliance; and

at least one of a receding part for housing the recording medium and an opening through which the recording medium is inserted and pulled out is integrally molded in at least one of the first case part and the second case part.

12. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein the first resin is one of ABS resin and polycarbonate resin.

13. The exterior case as defined in claim 1, wherein the second resin is an elastomer resin.