Abstract:
A battery cover latching assembly ( 50 ) for a portable electronic device ( 100 ) includes a housing ( 20 ), a first cover ( 10 ) configured for attaching to a first side of the housing, and a second cover ( 30 ) configured for attaching to a second side of the housing. The battery cover latching assembly includes a locking portion ( 131 ), a latch ( 342 ), and a button ( 40 ). The locking portion is formed on the first cover. The latch is formed on the second cover, the latch is engageable with the locking portion so as to lock the first cover and second cover with each other. The button is configured so as to be retained by the housing, the button is operable to deform the latch so as to unlock the first cover and the second cover.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to cover latching assemblies and, more particularly, to a battery cover latching assembly for use in a portable electronic device. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and so on. Conventional batteries are attachably received in the electronic device, and battery covers are designed to connect with housings of the electronic devices to package the batteries. The batteries have to be replaced by opening the battery covers when, for example, the batteries are damaged or dead (i.e. no longer rechargeable). 
     A clasp structure or latch structure is used with a conventional battery cover to engage with a housing of a portable electronic device. For example, the Alcatel OT310 mobile phone has a latch for the battery cover. The latch 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. Accordingly, a pair of grooves is defined in an end portion of a backside of a housing of the mobile phone, and a locking hole is defined in the other end portion of the backside of the housing. In assembly, the hooks are firstly inserted into the grooves in the backside of the housing. Then, the battery cover is pressed downwardly to the housing until the locking pin on the battery cover is inserted into the locking hole in the backside of the housing. The battery cover is thus assembled to the housing of the mobile phone. The battery cover is simple in structure, and the engagement between the battery cover and the housing of the mobile phone is firm, too. However, during disassembly, a relative great effort is needed to disassemble the battery cover, since a substantial force is exerted thereon. Therefore, the battery cover can easily be damaged during such disassembly. As a result, it is difficult for a user to replace a battery in the housing of the mobile phone. 
     Therefore, a new battery cover latching assembly is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment thereof, a battery cover latching assembly for a portable electronic device includes a housing, a first cover configured for attaching to a first side of the housing, and a second cover configured for attaching to a second side of the housing. The battery cover latching assembly includes a locking portion, a latch, and a button. The locking portion is formed on the first cover. The latch is formed on the second cover, the latch is engageable with the locking portion so as to lock the first cover and second cover with each other. The button is configured so as to be retained by the housing, the button is used to deform the latch so as to unlock the first cover and the second cover. 
     Other novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the battery cover latching assembly can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present battery cover latching assembly. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of a mobile phone incorporating a battery cover latching assembly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged, isometric view of a button of the battery cover latching assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the mobile phone with a battery cover opened to a housing shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of the battery cover latching assembly, within the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is suitable for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and so on. 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail,  FIG. 1  shows a battery cover latching assembly  50  incorporated in a mobile phone/portable electronic device  100 . The mobile phone  100  is taken here as an exemplary application, for the purposes of describing details of the battery cover latching assembly  50  of the preferred embodiment. The mobile phone  100  includes a battery cover  10 , a housing  20  and a front cover  30 , all of which are connected via the battery cover latching assembly  50 . Also referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the battery cover latching assembly  50  includes a locking portion  131 , a button hole  221 , a through hole  242 , a latch  342 , and a button  40 . The locking portion  131  is defined in the battery cover  10 . The button hole  221  and the through hole  242  are defined in the housing  20 . The latch  342  is formed on the front cover  30 . The battery cover latching assembly  50  is mounted in the housing  20  and releasably locks the battery cover  10 , thereby interconnecting the housing  20  and the battery cover  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the battery cover  10  includes a main body  11 , two opposite long sides  12  and two opposite short sides  13 . The main body  11  is a substantially rectangular sheet, which together with the long sides  12  and the short sides  13  defines a substantially rectangular space (not labeled) for engaging with the housing  20 . The main body  11  has an inner surface  111 . A pair of symmetrical first claws  112  is disposed on the inner surface  111  of the main body  11 , and adjacent to each long side  12 . One end of each first claw  112  is connected with the inner surface  111 , and the other end of each first claw  112  is hooked. A pair of symmetrical second claws  113  is disposed on the inner surface  111  of the main body  11 , and adjacent to one short side  13 . One end of each second claw  113  is connected with the inner surface  111 , and the other end of each second claw  113  is hooked. The locking portion  131  is defined in the other short side  13  of the battery cover  10 , and the other short side  13  is separate from the second claws  113 . 
     The housing  20  is a substantially rectangular space, which has two opposite sidewalls  21  and two opposite end walls  22 . The housing  20  includes a main partition wall  24 , and the partition wall  24  separates a first compartment  26  from an opposite second compartment  27 . The first compartment  26  is advantageously configured for accommodating an electronic device (not shown), such as a printed circuit board, therein. This accommodation occurs when the housing  20  is assembled with other housings (for example, front cover  30 ) of the mobile phone  100 . The second compartment  27  is used to engagingly receive the battery cover  10 . A recess  241  is defined in a middle portion of the partition wall  24 . The recess  241  is used to receive a battery (not shown). A through hole  242  is defined in the partition wall  24 , and adjacent to one end wall  22  of the housing  20 . A button hole  221  is defined in the end wall  22 , and is in communication with the through hole  242 . At the first compartment  26 , a pair of symmetrical clasps  243  is disposed on an inner surface of each sidewall  21 . At the opposite second compartment  27 , two pairs of symmetrical claw portions  244  are respectively formed in the partition wall  24 , and adjacent to the sidewalls  21 . The claw portions  244  are each engaged with their corresponding first claws  112 . A pair of symmetrical limiting portions  245  is formed in the partition wall  24 , and adjacent to the other end wall  22  separate from the button hole  221 . The limiting portions  245  are each engaged with their corresponding second claws  113  of the battery cover  10 . 
     The front cover  30  is a substantially rectangular sheet, and includes two opposite long sides (not labeled) and two opposite short sides (not labeled). The front cover  30  includes a display containing portion  31  used to contain a display (not shown), and a keyboard containing portion  32  used to contain a keyboard (not shown). A pair of symmetrical clasp portions  341  is formed in an inner surface  34 , and adjacent to each long side of the front cover  30 . The clasp portions  341  are each engaged with their corresponding clasps  243 . The latch  342  is disposed on the inner surface  34 , and adjacent to one short side of the front cover  30 . The latch  342  is made of elastic material. One end of the latch  342  is connected with the inner surface  34 , and a hook  344  facing outside of the front cover  30  is formed at the other end of the latch  342 . The hook  344  is releasably engaged with the locking portion  131  of the battery cover  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the button  40  includes an operation portion  41  and a resisting portion  42  protruding from the operation portion  41 . The operation portion  41  has an operation surface  411  for pressing by a user. The resisting portion  42  has a step surface  421  and an opposite end surface  422 . A pair of symmetrical resisting tabs  423  is disposed on the end surface  422  of the button  40 . A groove  424  is defined in the end surface  422  between the resisting tabs  423 . The shape of the button  40  corresponds to the button hole  221  of the housing  20 . A sectional area of the operation portion  41  is slightly smaller than that of the button hole  221  of the housing  20 , thus the operation portion  41  can be received in the button hole  221  of the housing  20 . A sectional area of the resisting portion  42  is larger than that of the button hole  221  of the housing  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , in assembly, first, the operation portion  41  of the button  40  is inserted through the through hole  242  of the housing  20 , and is then received in the button hole  221 . At this time, the operation surface  411  of the button  40  is flat along an outer surface of the end wall  22  approximately, and the step surface  421  of the button  40  abuts an opposite inner surface of the end wall  22  of the housing  20 . Second, the front cover  30  is aimed at the housing  20 , and the clasp portions  341  of the front cover  30  are each engaged with their corresponding clasps  243  of the housing  20 . At the same time, the latch  342  of the front cover  30  extends through the through hole  242  of the housing  20  along a first axis, with the resisting tabs  424  of the button  40  abutting the latch  342  of the front cover  30 , and the hook  344  of the latch  342  abutting an edge of the end wall  22  of the housing  20 . Finally, the second claws  113  of the battery cover  10  are each engaged with their corresponding limiting portions  245  of the housing  20  (best seen in  FIG. 6 ). The battery cover  10  is rotated toward the housing  20  via the limiting portions  245 . The first claws  112  of the battery cover  10  are each engaged with their corresponding claw portions  244  of the housing  20 , and the hook  344  of the latch  342  is received in the locking portion  131  of the battery cover  10 . Thus, the battery cover  10  is assembled with the housing  20  and the front cover  30  via the battery cover latching assembly  50 . 
     When the battery cover  10  is to be detached from the housing  20 , the user presses the operation surface  411  of the button  40 , and the resisting tabs  424  of the button  40  presses the latch  342  of the front cover  30 , the button  40  is movable along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. As a result, the hook  344  of the latch  342  is disengaged with the locking portion  131 . Then, the battery cover  10  is rotated separate from the housing  20  via the limiting portions  245 . The first claws  112  of the battery cover  10  are disengaged with the claw portions  244  of the housing  20 , and the second claws  113  of the battery cover  10  are disengaged with the limiting portions  245  of the housing  20 , thus, the battery cover  10  is detached from the housing  20 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the front cover  30  could be attached to the housing  20  by another suitable method, for example, by screws or pins. Also, the hook  344  of the latch  342  of the front cover  30  could be omitted, and the latch  342  could be engaged with the locking portion  131  by increasing a friction force therebetween. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, 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 invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.