Locking device of a casing

A locking device applies to a casing having a cover and a seat for opening and closing of the casing. The locking device has a recess formed on an edge of the seat, a buckle downwards protruding from the cover and matching the recess, and a roller parallel-disposed in the recess and pivoted to the seat. The buckle has an arcuate face smoothly against an upper slot of the roller for closing and opening the casing. A direction of lifting of the cover corresponds to a rotation of the roller so that a direction of applied force can be continuously unchanged to achieve an ergonomic effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a locking device of a casing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a locking device of a casing applied to an information product such as a notebook, a PDA, a cell phone and the like.

2. Description of Related Art

Referring toFIG. 1, a first prior art-locking device includes buckling matching portions20aprotruding from edges on the same side of a cover31aand a seat32aof a casing, respectively, and two movable buckles10alocated relative to the buckling matching portions20afor the closing and opening the casing.

The first prior art-locking device is operated by first moving the two movable buckles10a, respectively, in opposite directions and then to lift vertically the cover31a, such that the case is opened. The direction of the lifting of the cover31adoesn't correspond to the motion of the movable buckles10a, and is not ergonomically pleasing. Furthermore, the alignment between the movable buckle10aand the buckling matching portion20aoften doesn't add to easy use of the prior art-locking device because of slides between the buckling matching portions20a.

As shown theFIG. 2andFIG. 2A, a second prior art-locking device includes an upper buckling mechanism20bdisposed on a cover31bof a casing and a lower buckling mechanism10bdisposed on a seat32bof the casing and matching the upper buckling mechanism20bfor buckling and locking to each other.

The upper buckling mechanism20bhas an upper hook21b, while the lower buckling mechanism10bhas a release button11band a slot12brelative to the upper hook21b. However, complex components and assembly steps are expensive to manufacture. Further, operation of the second prior art-locking device is ergonomically displeasing, involving first inwardly pushing the release button11band then vertically lifting the cover31bto open the casing, such that the direction of the lifting of the cover31bdoesn't correspond to the motion of the release button11b.

Hence, the examples of prior art mentioned above obviously have disadvantages and an improved locking device is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present is to provide a locking device in which the cover-lifting direction corresponds to the rotation of the roller so that a direction of applied force is continuously unchanged for improved ergonomics while simultaneously simplifying assembly steps to reduce manufacturing costs.

A locking device according to the present invention is applied in a casing having a cover and a seat for opening and closing thereof. The locking device includes a recess formed on an edge of the seat, a buckle downwards protruding from the cover and matching the recess, and a roller parallel-disposed in the recess and pivoted to the seat. The buckle has an arcuate face that smoothly presses against an upper slot of the roller for the closing and opening of the casing. A direction of applied force is continuously unchanged and thus ergonomic.

To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention. Examples of the more important features of the invention thus have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 3andFIG. 4, a locking device1according to the present invention is applied in a casing2having a cover21and a seat22for the opening and closing of the casing. The seat has a first edge23pivotally hinged to the cover21and the second edge24in an opposite direction of the first hinging edge23. The locking device1includes a roller11, a buckle12and a recess13. The recess13is formed on the second edge24of the seat22, the buckle12protrudes downward from the cover21into the recess13when the cover21is closed against the seat22. The roller11is parallel-disposed in the recess13and pivoted to the seat22

Reference is made toFIG. 5, in which a diameter (a) of the roller11is larger than a depth (b) of the recess13so that the roller11partially protrudes out of the seat22. The roller11has an upper slot1ll relative to the buckle12and a pattern113formed on an outer surface thereof. When a user rotates the roller11upwards, the cover21can be lifted to open the casing2.

Reference is made toFIG. 6andFIG. 7, in which the buckle12has a projecting portion121at an end thereof and an arcuate face122on an inner side facing the hinging edge23. To close the casing2, the projecting portion121of the buckle120hooks the upper slot111when the cover12is rotated down. To open the casing2, the arcuate face122of the buckle120is moved upward and smoothly against the upper slot111to slide out of the upper slot111when the cover21is lifted.

The roller11further includes an inner recess112to contain the projecting portion121of the buckle120. The roller11further includes resilient elements114disposed on each side thereof for recovering the roller11to a predetermined position when the roller11is rotated to release the buckle12.

Reference is made toFIG. 8andFIG. 9, in which the pattern113is alternatively arranged to be rough and uneven on the outer surface and the pattern113includes parallel grooves and embossing arrayed with a predetermined distance therebetween and in an order.

The present invention utilizes the roller11rotated in a clockwise direction corresponding to an opening direction of the cover21to identify the direction operation and achieve an ergonomic product, and further utilizes simple components and assembly steps to reduce manufacturing costs.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.