Electric shock device and portable electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149398-A1
Application number	US-201514885483-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an electric shock protection device disposed between a human body contactable conductor and an internal circuit unit of an electronic device, wherein in order to pass static electricity without causing dielectric breakdown when the static electricity flows from the conductor, block a leakage current of an external power source flowing from a ground of the circuit unit, and pass communication signals flowing from the conductor, the following equation is satisfied:
Vbr>Vin
where Vbr is a breakdown voltage of the electric shock protection device and Vin is a rated voltage of an external power source of the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric shock protection device disposed between a human body contactable conductor and an internal circuit unit of an electronic device, wherein in order to pass static electricity without causing dielectric breakdown when the static electricity flows from the conductor, block a leakage current of an external power source flowing from a ground of the circuit unit, and pass communication signals flowing from the conductor, the following equation is satisfied:
Vbr>Vin where Vbr is a breakdown voltage of the electric shock protection device and Vin is a rated voltage of an external power source of the electronic device.

2 . The electric shock protection device of claim 1 , wherein the rated voltage is a country-specific standard rated voltage.

3 . The electric shock protection device of claim 1 , wherein Vcp>Vbr where Vcp is a dielectric breakdown voltage of the capacitor layer.

4 . The electric shock protection device of claim 1 , wherein the communication signals have a wireless communication frequency band.

5 . The electric shock protection device of claim 1 , wherein
the electric shock protection device comprises: a sintered body where a plurality of sheet layers stacked; an electric shock protection unit including at least one pair of inner electrodes spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other inside the sintered body and a pore disposed between the inner electrodes; and at least one capacitor layer configured to pass communication signals flowing from the conductor.

6 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein the pair of inner electrodes are disposed on the same plane.

7 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein the pore has an inner wall to which a discharging material layer is applied at a predetermined thickness along a height direction.

8 . The electric shock protection device of claim 7 , wherein the pore is provided in plurality between the pair of inner electrodes.

9 . The electric shock protection device of claim 7 , wherein the discharging material layer is formed of a non-conductive material including metal particles or a semiconductor material.

10 . The electric shock protection device of claim 7 , wherein
the discharging material comprises a first portion applied along the inner wall of the pore, a second portion outwardly extending from an upper end of the first portion, and a third portion outwardly extending from a lower end of the first portion; and the second portion contacts one of the pair of inner electrodes and the third portion contacts the other one of the pair of inner electrodes.

11 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein the sintered body is formed of an insulator having permittivity.

12 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein the inner electrode comprises at least one component of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ni, and Cu.

13 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein the capacitor layer is electrically connected in parallel to the electric shock protection unit.

14 . The electric shock protection device of claim 5 , wherein an interval between the capacitor layer and the electric shock protection unit is greater than an interval between the pair of inner electrodes of the electric shock protection unit.

15 . The electric shock protection device of claim 1 , wherein the electric shock protection device comprises:
an electric shock protection unit including at least two varistor material layers where a first varistor material layer and a second varistor material layer are stacked alternately, a plurality of first inner electrodes spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other on the first varistor material layer, and a plurality of second inner electrodes spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other on the second varistor material layer; and at least one capacitor layer configured to pass communication signals flowing from the conductor.

16 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein the breakdown voltage is a sum of each unit breakdown voltage formed between the most adjacent first inner electrode and second inner electrode.

17 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein at least portion of each of the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode is disposed to overlap each other.

18 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein each of the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode is disposed not to overlap each other.

19 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein a spaced interval between the first inner electrodes or the second inner electrodes is greater than a sum of the shortest distance between the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode and the shortest distance between the other adjacent first inner electrode and the second inner electrode.

20 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein the first varistor material layer and the second varistor material layer are formed of a semiconductor material including at least one of ZnO, SrTiO 3 , BaTiO 3 , and SiC or any one of a Pr and Bi based material.

21 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein the capacitor layer is electrically connected in parallel to the electric shock protection unit.

22 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein a distance between the capacitor layer and the electric shock protection unit is greater than a sum of the shortest distance between the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode and the shortest distance between the other adjacent first inner electrode and the second inner electrode.

23 . The electric shock protection device of claim 15 , wherein the capacitor layer comprises a plurality of sheet layers and is formed a ceramic material.

24 . A portable electronic device with an electric shock protection function, the portable electronic device comprising:
a human body contactable conductor; a circuit unit; and an electric shock protection device disposed between the conductor and the circuit unit, wherein the electric shock protection device satisfies the following equation in order to pass static electricity without causing dielectric breakdown when the static electricity flows from the conductor, block a leakage current of an external power source flowing from a ground of the circuit unit, and pass communication signals flowing from the conductor,
Vbr>Vin and Vcp>Vbr
where Vbr is a breakdown voltage of the electric shock protection device and Vin is a rated voltage of an external power source of the electronic device and Vcp is a dielectric breakdown voltage of a capacitor layer.

25 . The portable electronic device of claim 24 , wherein the conductor comprises at least one of an antenna for communication between the electronic device and an external device, a metal case, and a conductive jewelry.

26 . The portable electronic device of claim 25 , wherein the metal case is provided to partially or entirely surround a side part of a housing of the electronic device.

27 . The portable electronic device of claim 25 , wherein the metal case is provided to surround a camera that is provided at a front or rear surface of a housing of the electronic device to be exposed to the outside.

Assignees

• Amotech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tong Gi
• Yu Jun-Suh
• Park Kyu Hwan
• Sun Gui Nam
• Ryu Jae Su
• Lim Byung Guk
• Kim Rieon

Classifications

• H10D89/911

  using passive elements as protective elements · CPC title

• H02H9/02 Primary

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title

• H05K1/0257

  Overvoltage protection · CPC title

• H02H9/046

  responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits · CPC title

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  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 title