Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-15
2001-06-05
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S736000, C361S752000, C361S772000, C368S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243259
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plate-like electronic member and an electronic device, for example, an electro luminescence element or the like, and to a watch using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus, e.g., an electronic watch, an electronic pocket notebook or the like, having a plate-like luminescent element (hereinafter, which may be simply referred to as an “EL”) such as an electro luminescence element or the like, which is incorporated therein as an electronic member, instead of a lump or the like, in order to prevent the whole apparatus case of the electronic apparatus from thickening and to enable sufficient visual recognition of information even in total darkness by illuminating various types of information, e.g., characters, signs, images and the like, which are displayed on a display panel provided at an upper position thereof, has been developed.
An EL as a conventional electronic member is formed in plate-like shape as a whole of an EL body in which a front electrode, a luminescent layer, an insulating layer and a back electrode are layered in order. The front electrode and the back electrode are layered so that they put the luminescent layer between them and make the luminescent layer emit light by supplying supplied electric power to the luminescent layer.
For that, two electrode connecting portions are connected with the electrodes to supply the electric power. A back electrode connecting portion which supplies electric power to the back electrode, among two electrode connecting portions are provided in the back surface of plate-like EL body, while a front electrode connecting portion which supplies electric power to the front electrode is provided in the front surface of plate-like EL body. The back electrode surface of the electrode connecting portions is exposed to perform the function of a connecting face.
In this case, since the back electrode connecting portion is layered on the back electrode, it is placed in the region of the EL in plan, while the front electrode connecting portion is layered on an extended portion formed by extending the front electrode outwardly. The reason for this is that since the back electrode is covered by the insulating layer, it is necessary to connect the front electrode connecting portion with the circuit board or the like at a position outside the insulating layer. As the result, the front electrode connecting portion is positioned outside the region of the EL in plan to be used for connection outside the region.
Although such a conventional plate-like electronic member, e.g., an EL or the like can carry out a predetermined operation without thickening the case of the electronic apparatus, since the front electrode connecting portion is positioned outside the electronic member, a large external shape is required, as described above. Therefore, because it is necessary to make the space for the front electrode connecting portion in the electronic apparatus and to enlarge the apparatus case for containing the electronic member, there is a problem that the electronic apparatus cannot be miniaturized.
The electronic member, e.g., the EL, the liquid crystal display panel or the like are connected with a circuit board through connecting members such as a coil, an interconnector and the like, generally. Although the connection between the electronic member and the circuit board is carried out by providing the connecting members between them, when the space between the electronic member and the circuit board is narrow, it becomes difficult to incorporate the connecting member between them and the attachment work becomes complicated. Therefore, because it is necessary to keep a space between the electronic member and the circuit board to some extent, there is a problem of difficulty of thinning the electronic apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of these conventional problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic member which enables a small-sized external form and which enables miniaturization and lightening of the electronic apparatus as a whole, and an electronic device using the same, such as an electronic watch and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic member and an electronic device, which enable thinning of an electronic apparatus, such as an electronic watch and the like.
In order to solve the above objects, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, an electronic member comprises: a plate-like electronic member body; a pair of first and second electrodes which are formed on first and second surfaces of the electronic member body, respectively; a pair of first and second electrode connecting portions which are disposed on same side of the first electrode and which are electrically connected with the pair of first and second electrodes, respectively, wherein the second electrode connecting portion is formed above the first electrode with an insulating layer disposed therebetween.
According to the electronic member of the invention, although the second electrode connecting portion is disposed above the first electrode surface, it is connected with the second electrode without electrically contacting with the first electrode, because the second electrode connecting portion is insulated from the first electrode by the insulation layer. As the result, not only the first electrode connecting portion which is connected with the first electrode, but also the second electrode connecting portion which is connected with the second electrode, are disposed above the first electrode, so that the second electrode connecting portion is not positioned outside the region of the first electrode in plan and the size of the external shape of the electronic member becomes small. Therefore, because the apparatus case for incorporating the electronic member can be small-sized sufficiently, the electrical apparatus can be also miniaturized sufficiently.
Another electronic device comprises a case having the electronic member built-in.
According to the electronic device, e.g., an electronic watch, because the size of the external shape of the above-described electronic member is small, it is possible to make the external shape of the entirety of its case, (which has the electrode member built-in) sufficiently small to miniaturize the electronic device such as an electronic watch.
The electrode member may have such a structure that one or both of the first and second electrodes is divided into a plurality of electrode portions and an electrode connecting portion is provided for each divided electrode portion.
When an electric power is supplied to each of the divided plurality of electrode portions and output operation, e.g., luminescence, display or the like are carried out independently through each of the divided electrode portions, it is possible to carry out complicated output operations without enlarging the size of electronic member.
The electrode member may have such a structure that the electronic member body comprises one selected from the group consisting of a luminescent element for luminescence, a liquid crystal display element for display and a photoelectric converting element for photoelectric conversion.
According to the electronic member, because the electronic member body comprises a luminescent element, a liquid crystal display element or a photoelectric conversion element, it is possible to carry out luminescence, display or photoelectric conversion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an electronic device comprises: a circuit board having an electrically connecting portion; an electronic member which is arranged to face the circuit board and which has an electrode formed at a position corresponding to the connecting portion; and a conductive projecting portion which is formed on at least one of the electrode of the electronic member and the connecting portion of the circuit board, to electrically connect the elec
Matsunaga Mitsuo
Yamakawa Eiji
Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Chang Yean-Hsi
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Picard Leo P.
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