This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-115698 filed on Jul. 3, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a game controller.

BACKGROUND ART

JP 2017-217412A discloses a game controller. This game controller includes a housing, and an internal structural body that is accommodated in the housing. The internal structural body includes an internal frame, multiple substrates, and a battery, and the battery is arranged between a substrate and an inner wall surface of the housing.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to provide a game controller according to which it is possible to make an internal structural body of a game controller more compact.

A game controller according to the present disclosure includes: a housing; and an internal structural body accommodated inside of the housing, in which the internal structural body includes at least: an internal frame having an installation surface and a recess adjacent to the installation surface; a battery that is accommodated in the recess of the internal frame and has a first surface that opposes a bottom surface of the recess and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface; and a flexible substrate that is installed on the installation surface of the internal frame and includes a conductive pattern, the flexible substrate is installed so as to cover at least part of the second surface of the battery accommodated in the recess, and a first height, which is a height from the bottom surface of the recess to the installation surface, is greater than a second height, which is a height from the bottom surface to the second surface when the battery is accommodated in the recess.

According to this configuration, a recess that can accommodate the battery is formed in the internal frame, and since a region for arranging the battery need not be separately provided in the internal structural body, it is possible to make the internal structural body compact. Also, although a flexible substrate is provided so as to cover at least part of the second surface of the battery, due to the fact that the flexible substrate generally has a thin sheet shape, the volume does not increase even if the flexible substrate is arranged overlapping with the battery. Accordingly, this also contributes to making the internal structural body compact.

Also, since the first height, which is the height from the bottom surface of the recess to the installation surface, is greater than the second height, which is the height from the first surface to the second surface of the battery accommodated in the recess, a gap can be formed between the battery and the flexible substrate, and it is possible to suppress a case in which the battery and the flexible substrate come into contact with each other.

Note that although the recess is adjacent to the installation surface in the internal frame, this encompasses not only a case in which the recess and the installation surface are in direct contact with each other, but also a case in which they are adjacent to each other with another member, a gap, or the like interposed therebetween.

In the above-described game controller, the flexible substrate can be configured to cover part of the second surface of the battery.

According to this configuration, the flexible substrate covers part of the battery, and therefore it is possible to reduce the number of locations at which the swollen battery and the flexible substrate come into contact with each other when the battery swells. That is, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of contact between the battery and the flexible substrate.

In the above-described game controller, the flexible substrate can be configured not to cover the center of the second surface of the battery.

When the battery swells, there is a possibility that its central portion will swell compared to other portions. Accordingly, if the flexible substrate does not cover the center of the second surface of the battery, it is possible to further suppress the likelihood of contact between the battery and the flexible substrate.

In the above-described game controller, the internal frame can include a retaining member that covers at least part of a portion of the second surface of the battery that is different from the portion covered by the flexible substrate.

According to this configuration, in the battery, the portion that is not covered by the flexible substrate is covered by the retaining member, and therefore it is possible to suppress a case in which the battery comes out of the recess. Also, since the retaining member is configured to cover part of the second surface of the battery, for example, the battery can be accommodated in the recess by being inserted in the recess from the side on which the retaining member is not provided, and toward the lower portion of the retaining member. Accordingly, even if the retaining member is provided, it is easy to accommodate the battery. On the other hand, since the portion of the second surface of the battery that is not covered by the retaining member is covered by the flexible substrate, it is possible to further suppress a case in which the battery comes out.

Although there is no particular limitation on the mode of the retaining member, the retaining member can be configured to protrude toward an inner side of an opening of the recess from a peripheral edge of the opening, and the flexible substrate can be arranged on a side of the opening opposite to the side on which the retaining member is provided. Accordingly, the second surface of the battery is covered by the retaining member and the flexible substrate, which are arranged on mutually opposite sides, and therefore it is possible to further suppress a case in which the battery comes out of the recess.

In the above-described game controller, a plurality of operation members can be further included, the installation surface can have a first support surface and a second support surface that are arranged such that the recess is interposed therebetween, the flexible substrate can be installed on at least the first support surface and the second support surface, and the operation members can be respectively arranged at a position corresponding to the first support surface and a position corresponding to the second support surface on the flexible substrate.

According to this configuration, the installation surface of the internal frame includes a first support surface and a second support surface between which the recess is interposed. Here, the flexible substrate is deformable, and therefore it is possible to arrange the flexible substrate so as to extend from the first support surface, through the recess, and to the second support surface. That is, since the first support surface and the second support surface, on which operation members are respectively arranged, can be covered by one flexible substrate, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the design of the internal structural body. Using one flexible substrate contributes to reducing the cost as well.

In the above-described game controller, the portion of the flexible substrate that covers the recess can be provided with flexure.

According to this configuration, since the portion of the flexible substrate that covers the recess is provided with flexure, for example, when the battery swells, it is possible to suppress a case in which a tensile force acts on the flexible substrate even if the battery comes into contact with the flexible substrate.

In the above-described game controller, a vibrator accommodated in the housing can be further included, and the vibrator can be arranged on a side of the housing opposite to that of the battery with the internal frame interposed therebetween.

According to this configuration, a vibrator can be arranged at a position corresponding to the battery, and therefore the internal structural body can be made compact overall.

In the above-described game controller, the installation surface can include an inclined surface that extends obliquely with respect to a planar direction extending along the peripheral edge of the opening of the recess, and part of the flexible substrate can be installed so as to cover the inclined surface.

According to this configuration, the installation surface includes an inclined surface that extends obliquely with respect to the surface direction, which extends along the peripheral edge of the opening of the recess. In this manner, the flexible substrate can deform even if an inclined surface that can correspond to various button arrangements is provided on an installation surface, and therefore it is possible to cover both the recess and the inclined surface that is inclined from the recess.

With the game controller according to the present disclosure, it is possible to make the internal structural body more compact.

