Abstract:
The invention concerns a latching mechanism ( 105 ) for assembly of a housing ( 110 ) of an electronic device ( 100 ). The latching mechanism includes a latch element ( 120 ) and a receiving element ( 131 ) contained within the housing. The receiving element includes a recess ( 140 ) for engaging the latch element and at least one audio port ( 122 ) for providing an audio channel ( 190 ) for the electronic device. The invention also concerns a method ( 500 ) of operating a latching mechanism. The method includes the steps of mechanically coupling ( 512 ) a latch element to a housing, creating ( 514 ) an audio channel by engaging the latch element within the housing and porting ( 516 ) audio through the audio channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates in general to latching mechanisms and more particularly to latching mechanisms for use in devices that generate audio.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Many electronic devices include one or more latches for coupling together several mechanical components. Latches also facilitate disassembly of the coupled components permitting replacement and/or access to other components contained within. For example, latches can be used to secure a front housing of a device to a back housing of the device. Using latches is desirable because it eliminates the need for screws and screw bosses, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and providing for an increased useable circuit board area. Incorporating latches into an electronic device, however, does require reservation of some space in the device to enable their operation.  
         [0005]     Most electronic devices also include one or more speakers for broadcasting audio. With the drive towards reducing the size of electronic devices, particularly portable or mobile units, advances have been made to reduce the size of speakers. Nevertheless, speakers and the structure required to support them take up valuable space in these devices. Additionally, speakers and their supporting structure are constructed and assembled independently of all other components of electronic devices.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an example of an electronic device;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front exploded view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a rear exploded view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the electronic device looking along reference lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method of operating a latch mechanism of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.  
         [0013]     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.  
         [0014]     The terms a or an, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term coupled, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The terms program, software application, and the like as used herein, are defined as a sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer system. A program, computer program, or software application may include a subroutine, a function, a procedure, an object method, an object implementation, an executable application, an applet, a servlet, a source code, an object code, a shared library/dynamic load library and/or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer system.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example of an electronic device  100  is shown. As illustrated, the electronic device  100 , by way of example only, can be embodied in a cellular radiotelephone having a conventional cellular radio transceiver circuitry, as is known in the art, and will not be presented here for simplicity. The invention is alternatively applied to other electronic devices such as, for example, messaging devices, personal digital assistants, personal computers, mobile radio handsets, cordless radiotelephone and the like. In one arrangement, the electronic device  100  can include a latching mechanism  105 , a housing  110 , a keypad  116 , a leakage port  118 , a latch element  120  and one or more audio ports  122 . In addition, the housing  110  can include a front housing  112 , a back housing  113 , both of which can be referred to as a fixed housing portion. The housing  110  can also include a removable housing portion  114 . The latch element  120  can cause one or more of the components of the electronic device  100  to engage or disengage one another. In one particular arrangement, sound can propagate through the audio ports  122  without any interference from the latch element  120 . As such, the latch element  120  can serve as a securing mechanism and can facilitate the channeling of audio through the electronic device  100 .  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , exploded views of the electronic device  100  are shown. Specifically,  FIG. 2  shows a front exploded view of the electronic device  100 , and  FIG. 3  shows a rear exploded view of the electronic device  100 . Front and rear views of the latch element  120 , the removable housing portion  114 , the front housing  112  and the leakage port  118  are shown. In this example, the electronic device  100  can also include a secondary latch element  124  and an audio element  126 , of which front and rear views are respectively illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In one embodiment, the secondary latch element  124  can include an audio plate  128  and a seal  130 . The electronic device  100  can also include a receiving element  131 , which can be part of the removable housing portion  114 , although it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the receiving element  131  can be incorporated into any other suitable component of the electronic device  100 . All or portions of the housing  110 , the latch element  120 , the audio ports  122 , the secondary latch element  124  and the audio element  126  can be considered part of the latching mechanism  105 .  
         [0017]     The latch element  120  can include a top surface  132  (see  FIG. 2 ), a bottom surface  134  (see  FIG. 3 ) and a protrusion  136 , which can extend away from the bottom surface  134 . The protrusion  136  can have a shaft  137  and can also include one or more wings  138  that can extend away from the shaft  137  in any suitable direction. In addition, the receiving element  131  can include a recess  140  for engaging the latch element  120 . The recess  140  can include an opening  143  that can have a shape that is at least substantially similar to the shape of at least a portion of the latch element  120 . For example, the opening  143  can include one or more arcs  142  and one or more segments  144  that respectively correspond to the shaft  137  and the wings  138  of the protrusion  136 . The opening  143  can also have an orientation that is at least substantially vertical with respect to the electronic device  100 , although the opening  143  may incorporate any other suitable orientation.  
         [0018]     In another arrangement, the receiving element  131  can include one or more of the audio ports  122  and one or more cavities  148  (see  FIG. 3 ). The audio ports  122  and the cavities  148  can form part of an audio channel, as will be explained below. Moreover, the removable housing portion  114  can include a back port cavity  150  (see  FIG. 3 ), a leakage cavity  152  (see  FIG. 3 ) and one or more stems  154  (see  FIG. 3 ), which can be fed through corresponding apertures  156  of the audio plate  128  when the audio plate  128  is positioned against the removable housing portion  114 . The leakage cavity  152  can be open to the outside environment when the electronic device  100  is fully assembled and, in conjunction with the leakage port  118 , can be used to prevent a seal from forming between the electronic device  100  and a user&#39;s ear.  
         [0019]     The removable housing portion  114  can also include any number of tabs  153 , each of which can be positioned along the edges of the removable housing portion  114 . These tabs  153  can be designed to snap engage one or more corresponding slots  155  located on the front housing  112  (see  FIG. 2 ). This structure can permit a user to remove and replace freely the removable housing portion  114  of the electronic device  100 . Although not pictured in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the keypad  116  can be inserted between the removable housing portion  114  and the front housing  112  during the initial assembly of the electronic device  100  or when the removable housing portion  114  is being replaced.  
         [0020]     The audio plate  128  can include one or more audio plate audio ports  158 , an audio plate recess  160  having an audio plate opening  161  for receiving the protrusion  136  of the latch element  120  and an audio plate back port  162 . The audio plate audio ports  158  can facilitate the channeling of audio to or from the cavities  148  of the receiving element  131 . Further, the audio plate back port  162  can facilitate the channeling of back volume to the back port cavity  150 . Similar to the opening  143  of the recess  140 , the audio plate opening  161  can include an arc  164  and one or more segments  166  for respectively receiving the shaft  137  and the wings  138  of the protrusion  136 . As a result, the audio plate opening  161  can have a shape that is also at least substantially similar to at least a portion of the protrusion  136 . In one example, the latch element  120  and the removable housing portion  114  can be constructed of plastic, and the audio plate  128  can be constructed of metal, although those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other suitable materials may be used to produce these components.  
         [0021]     In one arrangement, the orientation of the audio plate opening  161  can be approximately ninety degrees different from the orientation of the opening  143  of the removable housing portion  114 . For example, the orientation of the audio plate opening  161  can be at least substantially horizontal. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other suitable orientations are within contemplation of the inventive arrangements.  
         [0022]     The front housing  112 , which can be constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic, can include one or more front housing audio ports  168  and a front housing recess  170 . As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the front housing  112  can also have one or more projections  172 , which can be inserted through corresponding apertures  174  of the seal  130  (see FIGS.  2  and  3 ). The front housing recess  170  can have a front housing opening  169  that can receive the protrusion  136  of the latch element  120  and can have an orientation similar to the audio plate opening  161 . Additionally, the front housing opening  169  can have one or more arcs  171  and one or more segments  173  (best shown in  FIG. 2 ), which can respectively receive the shaft  137  and wings  138  of the protrusion  136  of the latch element  120 . Accordingly, the front housing opening  169  can be shaped at least substantially similar to at least a portion of the protrusion  136  of the latch element  120 .  
         [0023]     The front housing recess  170  can further include one or more stops  175  and a blocking surface  177  (see  FIG. 3 ). The stops  175  can engage the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  when the protrusion  136  is rotated, which can prevent the latch element  120  from spinning in a complete circle when the electronic device  100  is assembled. Moreover, the blocking surface  177  can also engage the wings  138  when the protrusion  136  is rotated, which will prevent the latch element  120  from moving in an axial direction when the electronic device  100  is assembled.  
         [0024]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the seal  130  can include one or more seal audio ports  176  and a seal back port  178 . In one arrangement, the seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  can extend through the front housing audio ports  168  of the front housing  112  when the electronic device  100  is assembled. One of the front housing audio ports  168  can be designed to receive both a seal audio port  176  and a seal back port  178 , although the invention is not limited to this particular configuration.  
         [0025]     The seal  130  can also include a seal plate  180  (see  FIG. 2 ) and a skirt  182 . In one embodiment, the seal plate  180  can be made of metal, and the skirt  182  can be constructed of a flexible material such as rubber, which can be useful for sealing the seal  130  against, for example, a circuit board (not shown). The seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  can also be made of rubber. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other suitable materials can be used to construct any of the above-mentioned elements.  
         [0026]     The seal  130  can house the audio element  126 . The audio element  126  can be any component capable of generating an audio output or receiving an audio input. For example, the audio element  126  can be a speaker or a microphone. The audio element  126  can also include one or more contacts  184 , which can be used to provide a contact surface for a circuit board or some other device used to convey signals to the audio element  126 .  
         [0027]     During the initial assembly of the electronic device  100 , the latch element  120  can be rotatably coupled to the recess  140  of the removable housing portion  114 . Specifically, the protrusion  136  can be inserted through the opening  143  such that the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  are oriented in substantially the same direction as the segments  144  of the opening  143 . Once inserted, the latch element  120  can be rotated such that the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  are oriented in a direction that is different from the orientation of the segments  144 . For example, the latch element  120  can be rotated approximately ninety degrees in either a clockwise (CW) or a counter-clockwise (CCW) direction.  
         [0028]     Following the rotation, the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  can now be at least substantially aligned with the segments  166  of the audio plate opening  161 . The audio plate  128  can then be secured to the removable housing portion  114  with an adhesive, although any other process or structure can be employed to do so. Once the audio plate  128  is secured to the removable housing portion  114 , the latch element  120 , because the opening  143  and the audio plate opening  161  have different orientations, can remain coupled to the recess  140  and can be rotated in a CW or CCW direction.  
         [0029]     Continuing with the initial assembly, the projections  172  of the front housing  112  can be inserted through the apertures  174  of the seal  130 , and the seal  130  can be positioned against the front housing  112 . The seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  can extend beyond the front housing audio ports  168 . In view of this feature, the seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  may contact the audio plate  128  when the electronic device  100  is fully assembled, a process that will be further explained below. The seal  130 , which can house the audio element  126 , can be secured to the front housing  112  with an adhesive; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any other suitable process or structure can be used to secure these two components.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a cross-sectional view of the electronic device  100  when it is assembled, looking along reference lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1 , is shown (the back housing  113  is not shown in  FIG. 4 ). Cross-sectional views of the front housing  112 , the removable housing portion  114 , the latch element  120 , the audio element  126 , the audio plate  128  and the seal  130  are illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , a method  500  of operating a latch mechanism is shown. In describing the method  500 , reference will be made to the components illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , although it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the method  500  can be practiced with any other suitable device or in any other suitable system.  
         [0031]     At step  510 , the method can begin, and at step  512 , a latch element can be mechanically coupled to a housing. For example, the latch element  120  can be coupled to the housing  110  of the electronic device  100 . A series of steps may be involved in this process, and each of them will be discussed herein. The latch element  120  can be rotated to a first orientation in which the protrusion  136  is aligned with the audio plate opening  161  and misaligned with the opening  143  of the recess  140 . That is, the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  can be aligned with the segments  166  of the audio plate  128  and misaligned with the segments  144  of the opening  143 . The protrusion  136  can also be aligned with the front housing opening  169 , i.e., the wings  138  can be aligned with the segments  173  of the front housing opening  169 . The removable housing portion  114  can then be engaged with the front housing  112  (by engaging the tabs  153  with the slots  155 ), and the protrusion  136  can be inserted through the front housing opening  169 . During this process of engaging the latch element  120  with the housing  110 , the keypad  116  (see  FIG. 1 ) can be positioned against the removable housing portion  114  so that it can be assembled between the removable housing portion  114  and the front housing  112 .  
         [0032]     Referring back to the method  500  of  FIG. 5 , next, at step  514 , the latch element can be engaged within the housing to create an audio channel. For example, the latch element  120  can be engaged within the housing  110  to create an audio channel, which will be described below. Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , to engage the latch element  120  within the housing  110 , the latch element  120  can be rotated to a second orientation such that the protrusion  136  is aligned with the opening  143  of the recess  140  and misaligned with the audio plate opening  161  and the front housing opening  169 . In this arrangement, the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  can be aligned with the segments  144  of the opening  143  and misaligned with the segments  166  of the audio plate opening  161  and the segments  173  of the front housing opening  169 .  
         [0033]     As the latch element  120  is rotated to the second orientation, the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  can engage the blocking surfaces  177  (see  FIG. 3 ) and eventually the stops  175 . The stops  175  can stop the rotation of the latch element  120 , and the blocking surfaces  177  can prevent the latch element  120  from moving in an axial direction, such as away from the electronic device  100 . The seal  130 , because it is positioned against the front housing  112 , can also limit the axial movement of the latch element  120 .  
         [0034]     At this point, at least a portion of the housing  110  can be mechanically coupled between the latch element  120  and at least a portion of the secondary latch element  124 . For example, the front housing  112  can be coupled between the latch element  120  and the seal  130 . At least a portion of the secondary latch element  124  can also be mechanically coupled between the audio element  126  and at least a portion of the housing  110 . For example, the seal  130  of the secondary latch element  124  can be coupled between the audio element  126  and the front housing  112 . The audio plate  128  can be mechanically coupled between the latch element  120  and at least a portion of the housing  110 , such as the front housing  112 .  
         [0035]     When the electronic device  100  is assembled, including when the latch element  120  is engaged within the housing  110 , several audio passages can be formed. In particular, the seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  can be at least substantially aligned with the audio plate audio ports  158  and the audio plate back port  162 . Because they can extend beyond the front housing audio ports  168 , the seal audio ports  176  and the seal back port  178  can be at least partially in contact with the audio plate  128 . Thus, the seal audio ports  176  and the audio plate audio ports  158  can form a secondary latch element audio port  186 , as best shown in  FIG. 4 . The secondary latch element audio port  186  can be aligned with the audio ports  122 . Additionally, a gap  188  can be formed between the latch element  120  and the receiving element  131 . The secondary latch element audio port  186 , the gap  188  and the audio ports  122  can be part of an audio channel  190 , which is represented by the broken lines shown in  FIG. 4 . The cavities  148  (see  FIG. 3 ) can also be considered part of the audio channel  190 .  
         [0036]     Referring back to the method  500  of  FIG. 5 , next, at step  516 , audio can be ported through the audio channel. For example, referring back to  FIG. 4 , audio can be directed from the audio element  126  and transmitted through the audio channel  190  to the outside environment, if the audio element  126  outputs audio. If the audio element  126  receives audio, the audio element  126  can receive an audio input through the audio channel  190  from the outside environment.  
         [0037]     Next, at step  518  of the method  500  of  FIG. 5 , the latch element can be disengaged from the housing. For example, referring once again to  FIGS. 1-4 , the latch element  120  can be disengaged from the housing  110 . In one arrangement, the latch element  120  can be rotated back to its first orientation in which the protrusion  136  is aligned with the front housing opening  169  and the audio plate opening  161  and is misaligned with the opening  143  of the recess  140 . During this process, the wings  138  of the protrusion  136  can disengage from the stops  175  and the blocking surfaces  177  of the front housing opening  169 .  
         [0038]     Referring back to the method  500  of  FIG. 5 , next, at step  520 , the latch element can be mechanically decoupled from at least a portion of the housing, and the method  500  can end at step  522 . For example, referring back to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the latch element  120  and the removable housing portion  114  to which it is rotatably coupled can be removed or disassembled from the front housing  112  by disengaging the tabs  153  of the removable housing portion  114  from the slots  155  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the front housing  112 . Once removed, the removable housing portion  114  and the latch element  120  can be reengaged with the housing  110  in accordance with the above discussion. Alternatively, a different removable housing portion  114  and latch element  120  can be engaged with the housing  110  in accordance with the above discussion.  
         [0039]     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.