Electronic apparatus

• US 8,004,471 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Fuminori
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso; Huedung
• Application Number:
  US12/895,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/725, 343/767, 343850-855
• 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 case including a wall portion;

an antenna element, provided on an inner surface of the wall portion;

a conductor portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion and connected to the antenna element;

a circuit board including a mount surface opposed to the wall portion, on which a feed portion electrically connected to the conductor portion, the circuit board being fixed to the wall portion in a different position than that of the feed portion, the feed portion includes (i) a feed pin conductive with the conductor portion and (ii) a holding sleeve fixed to the circuit board and holding the feed pin so that the holding sleeve urges the feed pin to be pressed against the conductor portion.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first support member interposed between the wall portion and the circuit board between a position where the circuit board is fixed to the wall portion and the feed portion, the first support member including an end kept in contact with the wall portion and another end kept in contact circuit board.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first support member is provided along a plane direction of the wall portion, at a position where a pressure of contact of the feed portion against the conductor portion can be set at an appropriate value.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a second case between which and the wall portion the circuit board is interposed; and

a second support member contacting an inner surface of the second case and a surface of the circuit board of which opposite surface contacting the first support member.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a case including a wall portion;

an antenna element, provided on an inner surface of the wall portion;

a conductor portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion and connected to the antenna element;

a circuit board including a mount surface opposed to the wall portion and a fixing portion fixed to the wall portion; and

a feed portion electrically connecting the mount surface and the conductor portion in a different position than that of the fixing portion, the feed portion includes (i) a feed pin conductive with the conductor portion and (ii) a holding sleeve fixed to the circuit board and holding the feed pin so that the holding sleeve urges the feed pin to be pressed against the conductor portion.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a first support member interposed between the wall portion and the circuit board and between a position where the circuit board is fixed to the wall portion and the feed portion, the first support member including an end kept in contact with the wall portion and another end kept in contact with the circuit board.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first support member is located along a plane direction of the wall portion, at a position where a pressure of contact of the feed portion against the conductor portion can be set at an appropriate value.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a second case between which and the wall portion the circuit board is interposed; and

a second support member contacting an inner surface of the second case and a surface of the circuit board of which opposite surface contacting the first support member.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first case including a wall portion;

an antenna comprises

an antenna element being provided on an inner surface of the wall portion;

a ground portion;

a conductor portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion and coupled to the antenna element and the ground portion; and

a circuit board including a feed portion electrically coupled to the conductor portion, the circuit board being fixed to the wall portion at a position different than that of the feed portion, the feed portion includes a feed pin and a holding sleeve fixed to the circuit board and holding the feed pin to be electrically coupled with the conductor portion.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the holding sleeve of the feed portion holds the feed pin so that the feed pin is able to axially project and retract.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a first support member interposed between the wall portion and the circuit board and between the position where the circuit board is fixed to the wall portion and the feed portion, the first support member including a first end in contact with the wall portion and a second end in contact with the circuit board.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a second support member including a first end in contact with the wall portion and a second end in contact with the circuit board, the first support member and the second support member being positioned to set and control a pressure of contact of the feed portion against the conductor portion.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a second case; and

a third support member contacting an inner surface of the second case and a first surface of the circuit board that is opposite from a second surface of the circuit board in contact with the first support member.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the conductive material of the antenna element is a thin metal film.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner surface of the wall portion includes a bottom wall and at least one side wall of the first case.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner surface of the wall portion includes a bottom wall of the first case onto which the conductor portion and the ground portion are provided and a side wall of the first case onto which the antenna element is provided.