Abstract:
A battery cover latching mechanism includes a housing member, a cover member, and a latching member. The latching member is assembled with the cover member and includes a latching clasp and a resilient arm. The latching clasp selectively latches and unlatches from the housing member by deforming the resilient arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to battery cover latch mechanisms used in portable electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Portable electronic devices usually include latch mechanisms to latch battery covers to housings. The latch mechanisms are required to allow frequent installation and removal of batteries. 
         [0005]    A typical latch mechanism includes a pair of hooks at one end of the battery cover and a locking pin protruding from the other end of the battery cover. The housing defines a pair of grooves and a locking hole. In assembly, the hooks are inserted into the grooves. The battery cover is pressed down to the housing until the locking pin is inserted into the locking hole. However, during disassembly, a large force is needed to remove the battery cover from the housing. Therefore, it can be inconvenient to install or remove a battery. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Many aspects of the battery cover latch mechanism and portable electronic device using the battery cover latch mechanism 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 battery cover latch mechanism and portable electronic device using the battery cover latch mechanism. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a portable electronic device using a battery cover latching mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the battery cover latching mechanism shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shown from another aspect. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a partially assembled view of the portable electronic device. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but shown from another aspect. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a battery cover latch mechanism  100  used in a portable electronic device, here, a mobile phone. The battery cover latch mechanism  100  includes a housing member  10 , a cover member  20 , and a latching member  30 . The housing member  10  can be a housing of the portable electronic device. The cover member  20  can be a battery cover of the portable electronic device. The latching member  30  is slidably mounted between the housing member  10  and the cover member  20 , providing latching and unlatching of the cover member  20  relative to the housing member  10 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the housing member  10  is substantially a rectangular frame. The exterior edge of the housing member  10  is recessed to form a step-like mounting edge  11 . A protruding block  12  is disposed at one end of the housing member  10 . A generally rectangular planar surface  13  is formed in the protruding block  12 . Two latching holes  14  are defined in the surface  13  through the protruding block  12 . A latching surface  141  (best shown in  FIG. 5 ) extends from one side of each latching hole  14 . A tab  15  protrudes from the surface  13  at one side of the two latching holes  14 . 
         [0015]    The cover member  20  includes a bottom wall  21  and a peripheral wall  22  extending around the peripheral edge of the bottom wall  31 . A mounting portion  23  is disposed at one end of the bottom wall  21  to assembly the latching member  30 , corresponding to the protruding block  12 . The mounting portion  23  includes two opposite side walls  231  and a connecting arm  232 . The two side walls  231  protrude from the bottom wall  21 . The connecting arm  232  perpendicularly connects one end of each side wall  231  and forms an opening  233  with the bottom wall  21  therebetween. A resisting bar  24  is disposed at the bottom wall  21  and is substantially parallel to and spaced from the connecting arm  232 . A matching edge  221  protrudes from edges of peripheral wall  22  and mates with the mounting edge  11  of the housing member  10 . The peripheral wall  22  defines a notch  222  in one end thereof to partially receive the latching member  30 . 
         [0016]    The latching member  30  includes a main portion  31 , a contact panel  32 , a curled resilient arm  33 , two latching clasps  34  and a fixed stopper  35 . The main portion  31  is generally a rectangular sheet. The contact panel  32  is disposed at one side of the main portion  31  and corresponds to the notch  222  of the cover member  20 . The resilient arm  33  is disposed at another side of the main portion  31  and is opposite to the contact panel  32 . The two latching clasps  34  protrude from one surface of the main portion  31  facing the housing member  10 , and are configured to engage in the latching holes  14 . The fixed stopper  35  protrudes from one edge of the main portion  31  opposite to the contact panel  32  and coplanar with the latching clasps  34 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , to assemble the battery cover latch mechanism  100 , the latching member  30  is slidably assembled into the mounting portion  23 . The resilient arm  33  extends through the opening  233  and abuts against the resisting arm  33 . The fixed stopper  35  passes through the opening  233  and resists at one side of the connecting arm  232 . Then, the matching edge  221  of the cover member  20  is aligned with and engages with the mounting edge  11  of the housing member  10 . Simultaneously, the contact panel  32  is pressed toward another end of the housing member  10 . The resilient arm  35  resists against the resilient bar  24 , and is elastically deformed. The main portion  31  of the latching member  30  slides along the opening  233 . Each latching clasps  34  slides along the tab  15  and engages in the corresponding latching hole  14 . Finally, when the latching member  30  is released, it returns to its original position by the force of the resilient arm  31 . The latching clasps  34  latch to the latching surfaces  141 . Thus, the cover member  20  is latched to the housing  10 . 
         [0018]    To remove the cover member  20  from the housing member  10 , the contact panel  32  is pressed to slide it further into the notch  222 . During this stage, the resisting bar  24  deforms the resilient arm  33 . Simultaneously, the latching clasps  34  separate from the latching surfaces  141  of the housing member  10 . Then, the cover member  20  can be easily detached from the housing member  10  by removal of the latching clasps  34  from the latching holes  14 . After release of the contact panel  31 , the deformed resilient arm  35  returns to its relaxed state. 
         [0019]    The cover member  30  can be attached/detached from the housing member  10  by the operation of the battery cover latch mechanism  100 , which is simple in structure and easy to operate. 
         [0020]    It is believed that the exemplary embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.