Abstract:
An electronic device includes an enclosure defining an opening and an installation slot, a cover plate attached to the enclosure and adapted to cover the opening of the enclosure, a battery module received in the installation slot, and a locking member slidably mounted to the enclosure. When the locking member is located in a locked position, the locking member secures the cover plate to the enclosure and fixes the battery module in the installation slot. When the locking member is moved to a first unlocked position, the locking member unfixes the battery module from the installation slot. When the locking member is moved to a second unlocked position, the locking member unfastens the cover plate from the enclosure.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to electronic devices, and particularly relates to electronic devices having locking mechanisms. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Many electronic devices include an enclosure, a cover plate, a battery module, a first locking member, and a second locking member. The enclosure defines an opening. The cover plate is attached to the enclosure and covers the opening of the enclosure. The enclosure further defines a receiving slot for receiving and holding the battery module. The first locking member and the second locking member are mounted to the enclosure and secure the cover plate and the battery module to the enclosure. To disassemble, a user has to first dismantle both the first locking member and the second locking member, and then remove the cover plate and the battery module from the enclosure. It is not convenient for the user. Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references 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 the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a circled portion II of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a circled portion III of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of a battery module of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an assembled view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a cutaway view of the electronic device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 1-5  illustrate an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. The electronic device includes an enclosure  10 , a cover plate  20 , a locking member  30 , a battery module  40 , an operating member  50 , and a pair of resilient members  60 . The pair of resilient members  60  may a pair of springs, for example. In some embodiments, the electronic device is a notebook computer. 
         [0016]    The enclosure  10  includes a main frame body  11 . The main frame body  11  has a substantially rectangular shape. The main frame body  11  defines at least one opening  12 . A pair of hook pieces  13  protrudes from the main frame body  11  and can engage with the pair of resilient members  60 . The enclosure  10  defines an installation slot  14  for receiving and holding the battery module  40 . The installation slot  14  includes a blocking wall  141 . The blocking wall  141  is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the at least one opening  12 . The blocking wall  141  defines a pair of mounting holes  143 . The main frame body  11  includes a rectangular installation portion  15  corresponding to the operating member  50 . The installation portion  15  is arranged between one of the pair of hook pieces  13  and the installation slot  14 . A rectangular opening  151  is defined in the center of the installation portion  15 . 
         [0017]    The cover plate  20  includes a U-shaped plate body  21 . A plurality of L-shaped limiting pieces  22  protrudes from the plate body  21  and is adjacent to the edges of the plate body  21 . A pair of resisting pieces  23  and a pair of clasping ribs  24  protrude perpendicularly from the plate body  21 . Each of the pair of resisting pieces  23  includes a slant plane  231 . Each of the pair of clasping ribs  24  includes a first rib portion  241  and a second rib portion  243  extending obliquely from an end of the first rib portion  241 . The angel between the first rib portion  241  and the second rib portion  243  is less than 90 degrees. The length of the first rib portion  241  is greater than the length of the second rib portion  243 . 
         [0018]    The locking member  30  includes an elongated main body  37  and an installation tab  38 . The installation tab  38  extends laterally in a first direction from the main body  37  and is adjacent to an end of the main body  37 . A first hook piece  31  is arranged at the other end of the main body  37  and is adapted to engage with one of the pair of resilient members  60 . A pair of first clasps  32  and a pair of resisting pieces  33  protrude in a second direction from the main body  37 . The second direction is opposite to the first direction. A protrusion  321  extends downwardly from an end of each of the pair of first clasps  32 . Each of the pair of resisting pieces  33  includes a slant plane  331 . A pair of second clasps  34  extends in the first direction from the main body  37 . The installation tab  38  and the pair of second clasps  34  are located in one side of the main body  37 ; the pair of first clasps  32  and the pair of resisting pieces  33  are located in the other side of the main body  37 . The installation tab  38  defines a substantially rectangular installation hole  35 . A second hook piece  36  protrudes upwardly from the installation tab  38 . The second hook piece  36  is adapted to engage with the other one of the pair of resilient members  60 . 
         [0019]    The battery module  40  is substantially rectangular in shape. The battery module  40  includes a sidewall  41  corresponding to the blocking wall  141  of the installation slot  14 . The sidewall  41  defines a pair of clasping grooves  42 . A blocking tab  423  protrudes from a sidewall of each of the pair of clasping grooves  42 . A slant plane  4231  is defined at the end of each of the blocking tab  423 . A wedge-shaped resisting portion  421  protrudes from a bottom wall of each of the pair of clasping grooves  42 . Each of the blocking tab  423  is substantially parallel to the bottom wall of each of the pair of clasping grooves  42 . 
         [0020]    The operating member  50  includes a rectangular plate body  51 , a pair of resilient clipping tabs  52 , and a wavy operating portion  54 . The pair of clipping tabs  52  protrudes from a side of the plate body  51 . The operating portion  54  includes a plurality of raised strips arranged on two opposite sides of the plate body  51 . The width of the plate body  51  is substantially equal to the width of the installation portion  15  of the enclosure  10 . The length of the plate body  51  is less than the length of the installation portion  15 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 6-8 , in assembly, the pair of second clasps  34  extends through the pair of mounting holes  143  of the enclosure  10 . The installation tab  38  of the locking member  30  is placed on the interior side of in the installation portion  15  of the enclosure  10 . The installation hole  35  of the installation tab  38  is aligned with the rectangular opening  151  of the enclosure  10 . An end of one of the pair of resilient members  60  is connected to the first hook piece  31  and the other end of the one of the pair of resilient members  60  is connected to one of the pair of hook pieces  13  of the enclosure  10 . An end of the other one of the pair of resilient members  60  is connected to the second hook piece  36  and the other end of the other one of the pair of resilient members  60  is connected to the other one of the pair of hook pieces  13  of the enclosure. Thus, the locking member  30  is mounted to the enclosure  10 . 
         [0022]    When mounting the cover plate  20  to the enclosure  10 , the cover plate  20  is moved towards the enclosure  10  and the pair of clasping ribs  24  of the cover plate  20  faces the at least one opening  12  of the enclosure  10 . When the cover plate  20  is located in an installed position, the second rib portions  243  of the cover plate  20  abut and urge the protrusions  321  of the locking member  30  to move the locking member  30  to the left (assuming the first hook piece  31  of the locking member  30  is at the left and the second hook piece  36  of the locking member is at the right). A left member of the pair of resilient members  60  is compressed and a right member of the pair of resilient members  60  is extended due to the left movement of the locking member  30 . When the protrusions  321  go over the second rib portions  243 , the pair of resilient members  60  recovers and drives the locking member  30  to move back to the right. The protrusions  321  of the pair of first clasps  32  of the locking member  30  are engaged with the first rib portions  241  of the pair of clasping ribs  24  thereby preventing the cover plate  20  from moving away from the enclosure  10 . The plurality of limiting pieces  22  of the cover plate  20  are in contact with the margins of the at least one opening  12 . Thus, the cover plate  20  is secured to the enclosure  10  and covers the at least one opening  12  of the enclosure  10 . 
         [0023]    The pair of resilient clipping tabs  52  of the operating member  50  extends through the rectangular opening  151  of the enclosure  10  and the installation hole  35  of the locking member  30  successively. Thus, the operating member  50  is mounted to the locking member  30  and operable to drive the locking member  30  to move to the left or the right. The plate body  51  of the operating member  50  is slidably mounted to the exterior side surface of the enclosure  10 . The wavy operating portion  54  of the operating member  50  facilitates sliding movement of the operating member  50  relative to the enclosure  10 . 
         [0024]    When installing the battery module  40  to the enclosure  10 , the battery module  40  is moved towards and close to the installation slot  14 . The slant planes  4231  of two of the blocking tabs  423  of the battery module  40  abut and press a slant plane  341  of each of the pair of second clasps  34  of the locking member  30  to move the locking member  30  to the right until the slant planes  341  of the pair of second clasps  34  go over the slant planes  4231  of two of the blocking tabs  423 . The locking member  30  is moved to the left by elastic forces exerted by the pair of resilient members  60  until the pair of second clasps  34  are engaged with two of the blocking tabs  423 . Thus, the battery module  40  is fixed in the installation slot  14  of the enclosure  10 . During the installation of the battery module  40 , the locking member  30  is first moved from an initial position to the right, and then moved from the left back to the initial position by elastic forces exerted by the pair of resilient members  60 . The protrusions  321  of the pair of first clasps  32  are moved back and forth along the first rib portions  241  of the cover plate  20 , but will not be disengaged from the first rib portions  241  of the cover plate  20 . Thus, the cover plate  20  remains secured to the enclosure  10 . 
         [0025]    When detaching the battery module  40 , an acting force is applied to the operating portion  54  of the operating member  50  to actuate the operating member  50  to move the locking member  30  to the right. The pair of second clasps  34  of the locking member  30  is disengaged from two of the blocking tabs  423  and presses two of the resisting portions  421  to drive the battery module  40  to move outwards slightly. Thus, the battery module  40  is unfixed and can be removed from the installation slot  14  of the enclosure  10 . 
         [0026]    When disassembling the cover plate  20  from the enclosure  10 , an acting force is applied to the operating portion  54  of the operating member  50  to actuate the operating member  50  to move the locking member  30  to the left and elastically deform the pair of resilient members  60 . When the protrusions  321  of the pair of first clasps  32  of the locking member  30  are disengaged from the first rib portions  241  of the pair of clasping ribs  24  of the cover plate  20 , the acting force is released and the pair of resilient members  60  elastically recovers. The locking member  30  is moved to the right by elastic recovery forces exerted by the pair of resilient members  60 . The protrusions  321  of the pair of first clasps  32  of the locking member  30  abut and press the second rib portions  243  of the cover plate  20  to drive the cover plate  20  to move outwards. The plurality of L-shaped limiting pieces  22  are disengaged from the enclosure  10 . Thus, the cover plate  20  is unfastened and can be removed from the enclosure  10 . 
         [0027]    In other embodiments, when the battery module  40  is fixed in the installation slot  14  of the enclosure  10  by the pair of second clasps  34  of the locking member  30 , the locking member  30  is prevented from moving to the left and unfastening the cover plate  20 . When the battery module  40  is unfixed and removable from the enclosure  10 , the locking member  30  is allowed to move to the left and unfasten the cover plate. In this way, an ordinary operator is able to avoid performing some improper operations, for example, dismantling the cover plate  20  without first removing the battery module  40 . 
         [0028]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.