Abstract:
A wireless communication device includes a removable panel ( 100 ), a base cover ( 200 ) and a latching assembly ( 300 ). The removable panel has a first mounting portion ( 120 ). The base cover has a second mounting portion ( 240 ) corresponding to the first mounting portion of the removable panel. The latching assembly includes a lacking fastener ( 320 ) and a coil spring ( 340 ), wherein the latching assembly is effective to nail the removable panel into the housing through the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion. Therefore, it is simple, tight and easy for current invention using the latching assembly to fix the removable panel to the base cover, or to disassemble the removable panel away.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communication devices having removable panels, and more particularly to a latching assembly of a wireless communication device for securing a removable panel onto the wireless communication device. The instant invention relates to a contemporarily filed application titled “LATCHING ASSEMBLY FOR REMOVABLE PANEL OF A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE” and having the same assignee with the instant application.  
         [0003]     2. Prior Art  
         [0004]     Removable panels are often provided for wireless communication devices such as mobile phones, to enable users to change the aesthetic appearance of their mobile phones. A user may from time to time want to remove an old panel from a base cover, and install a new fashionable panel on the base cover instead. The new panel must be attached firmly and securely.  
         [0005]     Currently, removable panels of wireless communication devices are often fixed on the base covers by means of their own structures. An example is the removable panel of mobile phone model no. OT310 marketed by ALCATEL. A top of the removable panel is bent to define a holding portion, and a hook protrudes from an inner surface of the holding portion. A bottom of the removable panel has two projections, and opposite sides of the removable panel have a plurality of detents. The projections and the detents protrude from a flange of the removable panel. Corresponding to the structure of the removable panel, the base cover defines a notch, two grooves, and a plurality of slots. The notch is located at a top of an engaging surface_of the base cover. The grooves are located at a bottom of the engaging surface. The slots are located at two opposite sides of the engaging surface. In assembly, two projections are first inserted into the grooves and retained therein. The hook is then inserted into the notch, with the detents being received in the slots. The hook is firmly engaged in the notch, and the detents are securely engaged in the slots. Thus the removable panel is firmly fixed to the base cover. In disassembly, the hook is first disengaged from the notch, with the detents being removed from the slots. The projections are then pulled out from two grooves. The removable panel is thus fully_detached from the base cover.  
         [0006]     It is important for the removable cover to not only be firmly_retained in the base cover, but also to be easily removed when needed. The removable panel of the above-described mobile phone requires a good deal of force to be applied in order for it to be detached, because of the firm attachment structure as described above. The removable panel is easily damaged if excessive force is applied, both in the process of detaching the removable panel and attaching the removable panel.  
         [0007]     Therefore, in order to overcome the above-described problems, a latching assembly for a removable panel of a wireless communication device is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a latching assembly for a removable panel of a wireless communication device; in which the latching assembly has a simple configuration, can firmly attach the removable panel to a base cover of the wireless communication device, and can allow easy detachment of the removable panel from the base cover.  
         [0009]     To achieve the above-mentioned object, a wireless communication device of the present invention includes a removable panel, a base cover and a latching assembly. The removable panel has a first mounting portion provided therein. The base cover has a second mounting portion provided therein, corresponding to the first mounting portion. The latching assembly comprises a latching fastener and a coil spring. The latching assembly removably attaches the removable panel to the base cover by compression and decompression of the coil spring, said decompression driving the latching fastener to detachably engage the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion together.  
         [0010]     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a wireless communication device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, inverted view of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a circled portion V of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cutaway view of a base cover of the wireless communication device shown in  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a circled portion VII of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     A wireless communication device of the present invention is generally shown in  FIG. 1  to be a radiotelephone, preferably a cellular telephone operable in a cellular telephone system. Although the radiotelephone is preferably a cellular telephone, one skilled in the art will recognize that the features discussed herein below will also find application in other wireless communication devices such as cordless telephones, wireline telephones, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), two-way radios, pagers, and the like. Therefore, radiotelephones as described herein shall be construed to include and refer to each of these wireless communication devices and their equivalents.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a radiotelephone (not labeled) includes a removable panel  100 , a base cover  200  and a latching assembly  300 . The removable panel  100  is inserted and firmly retained in the base cover  200  by means of the latching assembly  300 . It is to be understood that the position of the latching assembly  300  can be varied to any other suitable location on the radiotelephone.  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the removable panel  100  comprises a first mounting portion  120  located in a first end portion thereof, a plurality of detents  140  protruding from a peripheral edge portion thereof, and a plurality of holes  160  defined therethough.  
         [0021]     Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first mounting portion  120  comprises a space defined through the removable panel  100 . A transverse crossbeam  125  crosses a bottom of the space, thereby separating the first mounting portion  120  into a first containing portion  124  and an adjoining second containing portion  123 . Two opposing projections  121  are formed above the first containing portion  124 . Two opposing projections  122  are formed above the second containing portion  123 . A post  127  is formed in an end of the second containing portion  123 , with a free end of the post  127  pointing directly toward the crossbeam  125 .  
         [0022]     Again referring to  FIG. 2 , the detents  140  include a pair of catches  142  located on each of opposite long sides of the removable panel  100 , and two latches  144  extending from a second end of the removable panel  100 . The holes  160  include a plurality of speaker apertures  162  adjacent the first mounting portion  120 , a plurality of microphone apertures  166  located in a second end portion of the removable panel  100 , a display window  164  adjacent the speaker apertures  162 , and a plurality of keyholes  168  between the display window  164  and the microphone apertures  166 .  
         [0023]     The base cover  200  includes a peripheral sidewall  221  and a bottom wall  222 . The sidewall  221  and the bottom wall  222  cooperatively form a shallow compartment  220  in a top portion of the base cover  200 . A beveled projection block  242  extends from the sidewall  221  at the first end of the base cover  200 , and protrudes into the compartment  220 . A recess  244  is defined under the projection block  242 . The projection block  242  and the recess  244  cooperatively define a second mounting portion  240 , corresponding to the first mounting portion  120  of the removable panel  100 . A pair of catch slots  262  is defined in each of opposite long side portions of the sidewall  221 , corresponding to the catches  142  of the removable panel  100 . Two latching slots  264  defined in a second end portion of the bottom wall  222 , corresponding to the latches  144  of the removable panel  100 . It is to be understood that the number of latches  144  and the number of latching slots  264  can be varied according to need.  
         [0024]     Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the latching assembly  300  includes a latching fastener  320  and a coil spring  340 . The latching fastener  320  defines a cross-shaped groove  322  in a topmost portion thereof, for facilitating manual operation. The latching fastener  320  also comprises a spring receptacle  324 , a wedge  326 , and a recessed platform  328  at a main bottom portion thereof. The spring receptacle  324  is part of a block (not labeled) adjacent to a second end of the recessed platform  328 . The wedge  326  protrudes from a first end of the recessed platform  328  that is opposite to the second end thereof. The coil spring  340  is a resilient metallic spring.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 6  and  7  together, in assembly, the latching assembly  300  is first assembled in the removable panel  200 . The coil spring  340  is put into the second containing portion  123 , with a second end of the coil spring  340  surrounding the post  127 . Then the latching fastener  320  is pressed down into the first mounting portion  120 . The spring receptacle  324  is located in the second containing portion  123 , and retains an opposite first end of the coil spring  340 . The coil spring  340  is thereby compressed between the removable panel  100  and the spring receptacle  324 , and pushes the latching fastener  320  so that the recessed platform  328  is biased against a wall of the first end portion of the removable panel  100  at the first mounting portion  120 . The wedge  326  is located in the first containing portion  124 .  
         [0026]     Second, the combined removable panel  100  and the latching assembly  300  is attached to the base cover  200 . The latches  144  of the removable panel  100  are inserted into the latching slots  264  of the base cover  200 . The catches  142  are received in the catch slots  262 . At this time, the first mounting portion  120  of the removable panel  100  is positioned upon the second mounting portion  240  of the base cover  200 , and the combined removable panel  100  and latching assembly  300  is substantially received in the compartment  220  of the base cover  200 .  
         [0027]     Then the latching fastener  320  is pressed down again. A beveled surface of the wedge  326  rides over the bevel of the projection block  242 ._The latching fastener  320  is forced slightly away from the first end of the removable panel  100 , and the coil spring  340  is further compressed. Eventually the recessed platform  328  reaches and is blocked by the crossbeam  125 . In this position, the wedge  326  has completely ridden past the projection block  242 , and the coil spring  340  decompresses. The coil spring  340  drives the latching fastener  320  back toward the first end of the removable panel  100 , with the recessed platform  328  sliding along the crossbeam  125 . Finally, the recessed platform  328  returns to the position in which it is biased against said wall of the first end portion of the removable panel  100  at the first mounting portion  120 . In this state, the wedge  326  is received in the recess  244 , and is engaged with an underside of the projection block  242 . At the same time, opposite protruding portions of the recessed platform  328  are engaged under the projections  121 , and the block of the latching fastener  320  is engaged under the projections  122 . The coil spring  340  remains compressed, such that the latching assembly  300  securely retains the removable panel  100  on the base cover  200 .  
         [0028]     In detaching the removable panel  100  from the base cover  200 , the process is substantially the reverse of relevant parts of the above-described assembly process. In particular, the latching fastener  320  is pushed away from the first end of the base cover  200 , so that the wedge  326  is released from the projection block  242 . Then the radiotelephone is turned upside down, allowing the removable panel  100  to disengage from the base cover  200  under force of gravity.  
         [0029]     From the above description, it will be apparent that the latching assembly  300  of the present invention provides convenient attachment and detachment of the removable panel  100  to and from the base cover  200 .  
         [0030]     It is believed that the present invention and its 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.