Unit, electronic device, and method of manufacturing electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774958-B2
Application number	US-201414894734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

According to one of aspects, provided is an electronic device including a panel 10 , a piezoelectric element 30 attached to the panel 10 , and a substrate 25 attached to a main surface of the piezoelectric element 30 . The panel 10 is configured to be deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element 30 , and sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed panel 10 . The substrate 25 includes a base 25 a made of resin, and signal lines 25 b and 25 c laminated with the base 25 a and connected to the main surface of the piezoelectric element 30 . The substantially the entire main surface of the piezoelectric element 30 is covered by the base 25 a.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A unit, comprising:
a panel;
a piezoelectric element attached to the panel; and
a substrate attached to a main surface of the piezoelectric element, wherein
the panel is configured to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element, and sound is transmitted by the panel vibrating a part of a human body that is in contact with the vibrated panel,
the substrate includes a base made of resin and at least one signal line laminated with the base and connected to the main surface of the piezoelectric element,
substantially the entire main surface of the piezoelectric element is covered by the base,
the piezoelectric element includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposing to the first main surface, and the substrate is attached to the first main surface, and the second main surface is attached to the panel,
the piezoelectric element is provided, on one end portion of the first main surface in a longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element, with a plus electrode terminal and also provided, on another end portion of the first main surface in the longitudinal direction, with a minus electrode terminal, and
the substrate includes a first signal line electrically connected to the plus electrode terminal and a second signal line electrically connected to the minus electrode terminal.

2. The unit of claim 1 , wherein
the substrate is disposed between the panel and the piezoelectric element.

3. The unit of claim 1 , wherein
the substrate includes an extension extended from one end portion in a longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element, and
the extension is connected with an electronic member that is different from the piezoelectric element.

4. An electronic device, comprising:
at least the unit of claim 1 .

5. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a panel attached to the housing;
a piezoelectric element attached to the panel, wherein
the panel is configured to be deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element, and human-body vibration sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed panel; and
a protective member attached to a surface of the piezoelectric element that opposes to another surface of the piezoelectric element attached to the panel, wherein
a surface of the protective member that opposes to another surface of the protective member attached to the piezoelectric element has a convex curved shape.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein
the protective member covers both the surface of the piezoelectric element that is attached with the protective member and side surfaces extending from the surface of the piezoelectric element that is attached with the protective member.

7. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a piezoelectric element;
a panel attached to the housing;
an intermediate member disposed between the panel and the piezoelectric element, wherein
the panel is configured to be deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element, and human-body vibration sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed panel, and
the piezoelectric element is attached to the intermediate member; and
a protective member attached to a surface of the piezoelectric element that opposes to another surface of the piezoelectric element attached to the intermediate member, wherein
a surface of the protective member that opposes to another surface of the protective member attached to the piezoelectric element has a convex curved shape.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein
the protective member covers both the surface of the piezoelectric element that is attached with the protective member and side surfaces extending from the surface of the piezoelectric element that is attached with the protective member.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein
an area of a surface of the intermediate member that is attached with the piezoelectric element is larger than an area of the other surface of the piezoelectric element that is attached to the intermediate member.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein
the intermediate member is attached to the panel and the piezoelectric element by a joining member, and
a surface of the intermediate member that is attached with the panel or the piezoelectric element is provided with a groove.

11. A method of manufacturing an electronic device including:
a housing;
a panel attached to the housing;
a frame member including a wall surface portion surrounding the piezoelectric element and a bottom surface portion extending from the wall surface portion; and
a piezoelectric element attached to the frame member, wherein
the panel is configured to be deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element, and human-body vibration sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed panel, the method comprising the step of:
covering a surface of the piezoelectric element that opposes to another surface of the piezoelectric element attached to the frame member with curable resin, by pouring the curable resin into a substantially box-shaped mold defined by the wall surface portion and the bottom surface portion of the frame member and curing the curable resin, and wherein
an edge area of the bottom surface portion is attached to the panel by a first joining member, and
the bottom surface portion is provided, in at least a part thereof, with a through hole through which the curable resin is filled to space defined between the panel and the bottom surface portion.

12. A unit, comprising:
a piezoelectric element; and
a protective member attached to a predetermined surface of the piezoelectric element, wherein
when another surface of the piezoelectric element that is different from the predetermined surface of the piezoelectric element is attached to a predetermined plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member is deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element, and human-body vibration sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed plate-shaped member, and
a surface of the protective member that opposes to another surface of the protective member attached to the piezoelectric element has a convex curved shape.

13. A unit, comprising:
a first plate-shaped member; and
a piezoelectric element attached to the first plate-shaped member, wherein
when a surface of the first plate-shaped member that opposes to another surface of the first plate-shaped member attached with the piezoelectric element is attached to a second plate-shaped member that is different from the first plate-shaped member, the second plate-shaped member is deformed due to deformation of the piezoelectric element, and human-body vibration sound is transmitted to an object that is in contact with the deformed second plate-shaped member; and
a protective member attached to a surface of the piezoelectric element that opposes to another surface of the piezoelectric element attached to the first plate-shaped member, wherein
a surface of the protective member that opposes to another surface of the protective member attached to the piezoelectric element has a convex curved shape.

14. A unit, comprising:
a box-shaped member; and
a piezoelectric element attached to a bottom surface portion on an inner side of the box-shaped member, wherein
when a surface at bottom of the box-shaped member that opposes to another surface at bottom of the box-shaped member attached with the piezoelectric element is attached to a predetermined plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member is deformed due to deformation of the piezoele

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Zaitsu Masayuki
• Yahagi Hiroto
• Suzuki Kazuchika
• Utsumi Sachihiro
• Kim Talchi

Classifications

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H04R7/045

  using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion · CPC title

• H04M1/03

  Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets · CPC title

• H04R2440/01

  Acoustic transducers using travelling bending waves to generate or detect sound · CPC title

• H04R1/06

  Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads · CPC title