A small-sized electronic apparatus

Abstract: A small-sized electronic apparatus having one or more replaceable batteries housed in a battery com­ partment of the body of the apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises: a cover which is moved to open or close the battery compartment; a switching member for switching on and off the power source; and a linking member to which the switching member is attached and which is moved with the movement of the cover to allow the switching member to turn off the power source when the cover is moved to open the battery compartment, whereby the power is automatically turned off when the cover for the battery compartment is opened, so that there is no possibility of the stored data being lost or distorted even if the user tries to replace the battery without turning off the power switch.

Description: The present invention relates to a small-sized electronic apparatus such as an electronic organizer used for storing data, and more particularly, to a small-sized electronic apparatus having one or more replaceable batteries housed in the body of the electronic apparatus. A small-sized electronic apparatus such as an electronic organizer used for storing data is usually operated by one or more replaceable batteries. In such an electronic apparatus, if the battery or batteries are removed from the body of the apparatus with the power switch left on and hence in a data-write enabled state, the data previously stored in the apparatus may be lost or distorted. It is therefore required to turn off the power switch before removing the battery or batteries to protect the stored data. However, in the case of a conventional electronic apparatus, cautions are only given in instruction manuals or the like, instructing the user to turn off the power switch before removing the battery or batteries. In such a circumstance, the user may forget to turn off the power switch when replacing the battery or batteries and may remove the battery or batteries from the body of the apparatus with the power switch left on and hence in a data-write enabled state, thereby causing the stored data to be lost or distorted. DE-A-3 625 179 discloses an electronic apparatus with a replaceable power source and having a CPU and a random access memory. When the power source is replaced the RAM is isolated from the read/write output of the CPU. The small-sized electronic apparatus of this invention, which overcomes the above-discussed and numerous other disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art, has a power source comprising one or more replaceable batteries housed in a battery compartment of the body of the apparatus, and comprises a cover which is moved to open or close said battery compartment, a switching member for switching on and off the power source, and a linking member to which said switching member is attached and which is moved with the movement of said cover to allow said switching member to turn off the power source when said cover is moved to open said battery compartment. In one preferred embodiment, the cover is slidable with respect to said body. In a preferred embodiment, the linking member is slidable in the same direction as the sliding direction of said cover, said linking member sliding together with said cover when said cover is slid in such a direction as to open said battery compartment. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the cover is pivotable with respect to said body. In a preferred embodiment, when the cover is pivoted in such a direction as to open said battery compartment, the linking member is pressed by said cover so as to slide. Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the objective of providing a small-sized electronic apparatus in which the power is automatically turned off when the cover for the battery compartment is opened, so that there is no possibility of the stored data being lost or distorted even if the user tries to replace the battery without turning off the power switch. This invention may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings as follows: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the rear side of a small-sized electronic apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the small-sized electronic apparatus of the invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the small-sized electronic apparatus at the time when a cover is slid to open a battery compartment. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another small-sized electronic apparatus of the present invention, illustrating the vicinity of a battery compartment. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the rear side of a small-sized electronic apparatus of the invention used for storing data. The small-sized electronic apparatus has a body 1 housing electronic components and the like. The body 1 includes an upper cabinet 1a and a lower cabinet 1b , the cabinets being engaged with each other. As shown in Fig. 2, a battery compartment 1c for holding a replaceable battery is provided within the lower cabinet 1b of the body 1 . The battery compartment 1c has an opening formed at the bottom of the lower cabinet 1b and an opening formed in the central portion of one side of the lower cabinet 1b , the two openings being formed continuously. The opening of the battery compartment 1c is closed or opened with a cover 2 . The cover 2 consists of a bottom part 2a which covers the opening formed at the bottom of the lower cabinet 1b , and an end part 2b which is formed continuously with and perpendicular to one end of the bottom part 2a to cover the opening formed on the side of the lower cabinet 1b . The battery compartment 1c includes side walls extending perpendicularly from the opening formed on the side of the lower cabinet 1b . The bottom part 2a of the cover 2 engages a slide groove 1d provided on each of the side walls for sliding thereon as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom part 2a of the cover 2 is provided with an engaging pawl 6 at one end thereof, the end being opposite to the one having the end part 2b . When the cover 2 is placed in position to close the battery compartment 1c , the engaging pawl 6 , which is provided with flexibility, engages a recessed portion 1e formed on the inner surface of the battery compartment 1c of the lower cabinet 1b , thereby fixing the cover 2 to the lower cabinet 1b . When the engaging pawl 6 is disengaged from the recessed portion 1e , the cover 2 becomes slidable to open the battery compartment 1c . Formed on the endmost portion of the end part 2b of the cover 2 is an upwardly extending projection 5 . The battery compartment 1c formed in the lower cabinet 1b is separated from the inside of the upper cabinet 1a by a circuit board 11 . The circuit board 11 has a circuit pattern formed on the side thereof facing the inner surface of the upper cabinet 1a . A linking member 3 is disposed in such a way as to slide along the circuit pattern of the circuit board 11 . The linking member 3 comprises a slide section 9 formed parallel to the circuit pattern of the circuit board 11 , and a link section 7 formed in continuous relationship with one end of the slide section 9 . The link section 7 extends outwardly from the upper cabinet 1a in such a way as to face the end part 2b of the cover 2 which covers the battery compartment 1c . The link section 7 consists of a side portion 7b extending upwardly from the end of the slide section 9 , an upper surface 7a formed in continuous relationship with the upper end of the side portion 7b and approximately flush with the upper surface of the upper cabinet 1a , and an outer portion 7c extending downwardly from the other end of the upper surface 7a . The upper surface 7a of the link section 7 is formed in a corrugated shape. In this way, the link section 7 has a U-shaped cross section with an opening facing the lower cabinet 1b . The lower end of the outer portion 7c is positioned to abut against the upper end face of the end part 2b of the cover 2 placed in position to close the battery compartment 1c , the lower end of the outer portion 7c thus engaging the projection 5 of the cover 2 . In this construction, when the cover 2 is slid to open the battery compartment 1c , the linking member 3 is also slid in the same direction together with the cover 2 . The slide section 9 of the linking member 3 is provided with an upwardly protruding stopper 9a on the end thereof positioned inside the upper cabinet 1a . When the linking member 3 is slid a given distance together with the cover 2 which is slid to open the battery compartment 1c , the stopper 9a abuts against a rib 8 protruding from the inner surface of the upper cabinet 1a to stop the sliding movement of the entire linking member 3 as shown in Fig. 3. Also, the slide section 9 includes a recessed section 3a formed therein facing a designated portion of the circuit pattern of the circuit board 11 . A switching member 10 is disposed inside the recessed section 3a . When the linking member 3 engages the cover 2 placed in position to close the battery compartment 1c as shown in Fig. 2, the switching member 10 is in contact with a designated power supply pattern in the circuit pattern of the circuit board 11 to turn on the power source of the circuit pattern. On the other hand, when the linking member 3 is slid together with the cover 2 until the stopper 9a abuts against the rib 8 to stop the sliding movement as shown in Fig. 3, the switching member 10 is removed from contact with the power supply pattern and so turns off the power source of the circuit pattern. For the replacement of the battery, the linking member 3 is slid in the direction of arrow A until the stopper 9a abuts against the rib 8 . The cover 2 is then removed from the lower cabinet 1b so that the battery in the battery compartment 1c can be replaced with a new one. After completion of the replacement, the projection 5 formed on the end part 2b of the cover 2 is placed back into the opening of the linking member 3 , and the linking member 3 is slid in the opposite direction to allow the cover 2 to slide back until the engaging pawl 6 of the cover 2 engages the recessed portion 1e of the lower cabinet 1b , the battery compartment 1c thus being closed with the cover 2 fixed to the lower cabinet 1b . The linking member 3 is slid by the user pressing the corrugated upper surface 7a . In the small-sized electronic apparatus constructed as described above, when the cover 2 is placed in position to close the battery compartment 1c with a battery housed therein, the projection 5 formed on the upper end face of the end part 2b of the cover 2 engages the lower end of the outer portion 7c of the link section 7 of the linking member 3 . In this state, the switching member 10 disposed on the end of the slide section 9 of the linking member 3 is in contact with the power supply pattern on the circuit board 11 to close the power circuit. To replace the battery housed in the battery compartment 1c , the inner end portion of the bottom part 2a of the cover 2 is pressed toward the inside of the lower cabinet 1b to disengage the engaging pawl 6 of the cover 2 from the recessed portion 1e of the lower cabinet 1b . The cover 2 is then slid in the direction of arrow A shown in Fig. 2 to open the battery compartment 1c . At this time, since the projection 5 of the end part 2b of the cover 2 engages the link section 7 of the linking member 3 , the linking member 3 is also slid together with the cover 2 in the same direction. The cover 2 is slid out until the stopper 9a formed on the end of the slide section 9 of the linking member 3 stops to abut against the rib 8 as shown in Fig. 3, the cover 2 being then removed from the lower cabinet 1b to open the battery compartment 1c . When the stopper 9a of the slide section 9 of the linking member 3 stops to engage the rib 8 , the switching member 10 provided at the end of the slide section 9 is removed from contact with the power supply pattern on the circuit board 11 and so turns off the power source of the circuit board 11 . In this state, the battery housed in the battery compartment 1c is replaced with a new one. Thus, in the small-sized electronic apparatus of the present invention, even if the user tries to replace the battery without turning off the power switch, the power is automatically turned off when the cover 2 of the battery compartment 1c is slid for replacement of the battery. Thus, there is no possibility of the stored data being lost or distorted at the time of the replacement of the battery. Fig. 4 shows another small-sized electronic apparatus of the present invention, in which a cover 2' for opening and closing the battery compartment 1c is mounted to the body 1 in such a way that it can swing about a fulcrum 2c . When the cover 2' is swung in the direction of arrow B to open the battery compartment 1c , a pressing member 2d attached to the cover 2' is pressed against a linking member 3' , the linking member 3' then being slid in the direction of arrow C . A switching member 10' is provided at the end of the linking member 3' . In the same manner as in the foregoing example, the switching member 10' comes out of contact with the power supply pattern on the circuit board to turn off the power when the linking member 3' is slid in the direction of arrow C . Thus, also in this example, even if the user tries to replace the battery with the power switch left on, the power is automatically turned off when the cover 2' is swung to open the battery compartment 1c , so that there is no possibility of the stored data being lost or distorted. It is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this invention.

Claims: A small-sized electronic apparatus having a power source comprising one or more replaceable batteries housed in a battery compartment (1c) of the body (1) of the apparatus, wherein said apparatus comprises: a cover (2, 2') which is moved to open or close said battery compartment; and a switching member (10, 10') for switching on and off the power source; characterised in that the apparatus further comprises: a linking member (3, 3') to which said switching member is attached and which is moved with the movement of said cover to allow said switching member to turn off the power source when said cover is moved to open said battery compartment. A small-sized electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cover (2) is slidable with respect to said body. A small-sized electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said linking member (3) is slidable in the same direction as the sliding direction of said cover, said linking member sliding together with said cover when said cover is slid in such a direction as to open said battery compartment. A small-sized electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cover (2) is pivotable with respect to said body. A small-sized electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said cover is pivoted in such a direction as to open said battery compartment, said linking member (3') is pressed by said cover so as to slide.

Inventors: SUNANO HIRONORI, SUNANO, HIRONORI
Applicants: SHARP KK, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: H02J7
IPC codes: G06F11, H01H15, G06F1, H01M2, H02J7, H05K5, G06F15, G11C5, G06K19