An electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer or a cellular phone, comprises a connecter through which peripheral equipment is connected. The connector is housed inside the electronic apparatus and is exposed through an opening in the periphery of the housing.
The apparatus also comprises a printed circuit board which has a connector mounting region in which a plurality of pads are arranged. The connector comprises a plurality of connection terminals corresponding to the pads, the connection terminals being soldered to the pads.
There is an increasing need to make the housing of a portable electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer, thinner. As a way of doing this, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-268521, for example, discloses an electronic apparatus in which a conductive adhesive is printed on the inside of the housing to form a circuit pattern integrated with the housing, and connection terminals are bonded to the lands of the pattern.
With this arrangement, the circuit pattern and a connector are electrically connected by the conductive adhesive forming the circuit pattern, and the connector is fixed at a predetermined position on the housing. This eliminates the need for a printed circuit board, saves space and makes the housing thinner.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-268521 also discloses that the circuit pattern formed by the conductive adhesive takes the form of thin lines. This structure makes it difficult to ensure a sufficient connection area between the circuit pattern and the connection terminals of a connector.
Thus, sufficient adhesive strength between the connector and housing may not be achieved, impairing the soundness of the electrical and mechanical joining of the connector.