Abstract:
A multi-functional switch assembly and a portable electronic device are disclosed. The portable electronic device includes a housing, a cover, a switch, a base member, a driving member, a switching member, and an elastic member. The driving member is driven to switch on or off the switch, and the switching member is switched between a first state where the base member is secured to the cover, and a second state where the cover is detached from the base member. The elastic member enables the base member slidably relative to the housing between the first state and the second state.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to switch assemblies, more particularly to a multi-functional switch assembly and a portable electronic device using the switch assembly. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones typically include switches, such as latching switches or power switches. The latching switch can attach or detach a battery cover relative to a housing of the portable electronic device. The power switch can power on or off the portable electronic device. However, the switches are usually separately formed with the housing, causing inconvenience for single-hand switching operations. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present multi-functional switch assembly and a portable electronic device using the switch assembly can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present multi-functional switch assembly and the portable electronic device. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a switch assembly used with a portable electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial enlarged view of the switch assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a planar view of the switch assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3 , taken along line IV-IV. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 3  show an embodiment of a portable electronic device  100  including a housing  10 , a multi-functional switch assembly  20  assembled to the housing  10 , a bottom cover  30 , a top cover  40  and a circuit board  50  assembled inside the housing  10 . The bottom cover  30  and the top cover  40  cooperate to cover two opposite sides of the housing  10 . The multi-functional switch assembly  20  can be operated either to detach the bottom cover  30  from the housing  10 , or to switch the circuit board  50 , such as to power on or off the portable electronic device  100 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 2 , the housing  10  includes a bottom wall  11  and a sidewall  13 . The bottom wall  11  has a resilient board  111  and a pin  113  protruding therefrom (best shown in  FIG. 4 ). The resilient board  111  and portions of the sidewall  13  are substantially parallel with each other. The sidewall  13  and the bottom wall  11  enclose a mounting groove  15  for mounting the switch assembly  20 . The resilient board  111  defines a cutout  1111  near the pin  113 . The bottom wall  11  defines a through groove  115  between the sidewall  13  and the resilient board  111 . The sidewall  13  includes a mounting hole  131 , a latching slot  133 , and a post  135 . The latching slot  133  is positioned between the mounting hole  131  and the post  135 . The mounting hole  131  is defined through the sidewall  13 . The latching slot  133  aligns with the cutout  1111 . The post  135  protrudes perpendicularly from the sidewall  13  towards the resilient board  111 . 
     The switch assembly  20  includes a driving member  22 , a switching member  24 , a base member  26  and an elastic member  28 . The driving member  22  is elastic including a step-shaped main body  221 , a press portion  222 , and a switching portion  223 . The press portion  222  and the switching portion  223  are located at two opposite sides of the main body  221 . The main body  221  defines a receiving slot  225 , and extends a deformable arm  227  opposite to the receiving slot  225 . The arm  227  defines a ring  228  at the distal end. When pressing the press portion  222 , the arm  227  and the main body  221  can deform along the pressing direction. The ring  228  is used to secure the driving member  22  to the base member  26 . 
     The switching member  24  is elastic and includes a handle portion  242 , a main portion  243  and a resisting portion  244 . The handle portion  242  and the resisting portion  244  are located at two opposite sides of the main portion  243 . The main portion  243  has a coil portion  246  opposite to the handle portion  242  and the resisting portion  244 . When pressing the handle portion  242 , the main portion  243  can deform along the pressing direction. The coil portion  246  can coil around and secure the post  135 , and accordingly, the switching member  24  is secured to the housing  10 . 
     The base member  26  includes a base board  261 , a through slit  262 , two first hooking portions  263 , a column  264 , a securing portion  265  and a latching portion  267 . The two first hooking portions  263 , the column  264  and the latching portion  267  are located at the same side of the base member  26 . The base board  261  extends an elastic bar  2611  from the interior wall of the through slit  262  to the outside. The elastic bar  2611  can be resisted by the resisting portion  244  to deform away from the base board  261 . The through slit  262  is larger than the switching portion  223 , and the switching portion  223  can pass through the through slit  262 . The first hooking portions  263  are located at the bottom of the base board  261 . Each of the first hooking portions  263  has a slanted wall  2631 . The column  264  is used to secure the ring  228 . Accordingly, the driving member  22  is secured to the base member  26 . The securing portion  265  is adjacent to the distal end of the elastic bar  2611  for securing the elastic member  28  with the base member  26 . The latching portion  267  protrudes from the distal end of the elastic bar  2611 . The latching portion  267  can latch into the latching slot  133 , latching the base member  26  with the housing  10 . 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the elastic member  28  may be a coiled spring and has two opposite ends  281  securing to the securing portion  265  and the pin  113 . The bottom cover  30  includes two second hooking portions  32  hooking with the first hooking portions  263 . The circuit board  50  includes a switch  52  corresponding to the switching portion  223 . The switch  52  may be a power switch for the portable electronic device  100 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 , during assembly of the portable electronic device  100 , the ring  228  secures to the column  264 , and the switching portion  223  passes through the through slit  262 . The switching member  24  resists against the driving member  22 . The elastic member  28  is secured to the base member  26 . In this case, the resisting portion  244  resists against the elastic bar  2611 , and the coil portion  246  is located at the outside of the base member  26 . The assembly of the switch assembly  20  is completed. 
     The switch assembly  20  is mounted into the mounting groove  15 . The base member  26  resists against the resilient board  111 , and the first hooking portions  263  exposes out of the through groove  115 . The cutout  1111  receives the securing portion  265 , and the latching slot  133  latches the latching portion  267 . The flange of the main body  221  resists against the circumferential wall of the mounting hole  131 . The main portion  243  resists against the sidewall  13 . The main body  221  and the handle portion  242  are located outside the mounting hole  131  and the housing  10 . The coil portion  246  secures with the post  135 . The elastic member  28  is extended, securing the end  281  to the pin  113 . The assembly of the switch assembly  20  within the housing  10  is completed. After that, the circuit board  50  and the top cover  40  are mounted to the housing  10 , and the switching portion  223  aligns with the switch  52 . 
     To attach the bottom cover  30  to the housing  10 , press the handle portion  242  downward to swing the main portion  243  and the resisting portion  244  about the post  135  further into the housing  10 . Meanwhile, the resisting portion  244  resists against and bends the elastic bar  2611  away from the base board  261 , until the latch of the latching portion  267  in the latching slot  133  is released. The bottom cover  30  is pressed against the housing  10 , and the second hooking portions  32  resist against and slide along the slanted walls  2631  of the first hooking portions  263 . During this process, the base member  26  slides within the housing  10  along a direction A (shown in  FIG. 3 ) and the elastic member  28  extends to accumulate its potential energy, until the second hooking portions  32  pass over the peaks of the slanted walls  2631 . The elastic member  28  releases the potential energy to automatically drive the base member  26  to move in a direction opposite to the direction A, until the second hooking portions  32  hook with the first hooking portions  263 . The latching portion  267  re-latches into the latching slot  133 , further maintaining the hook of the second hooking portions  32  and the first hooking portions  263 . The attachment of the bottom cover  30  to the housing  10  is completed. 
     To power on or off the portable electronic device, the main body  221  is pressed with external force along a direction along B (shown in  FIG. 3 ) to move the switching portion  223  further into the housing  10 , until the switching portion  223  resists against the switch  52 . The portable electronic device is switched to power on or off. 
     It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of assemblies and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.