Patent Publication Number: US-6989504-B1

Title: Case with sliding button fastening structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to sliding buttons, more particularly to a case having an improved structure for fastening a sliding button therein. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Conventionally, a sliding button is provided on one of various commercially available electronic products. The sliding button is implemented as an on/off switch, a mode switch, or an opening/closing switch of a component of the electronic product. Sliding buttons have many applications and are given much attention by engineers. As such, sliding buttons are widely employed in microcomputers, household appliances, computer peripherals, etc. 
   Conventionally, a sliding button is assembled by snapping its components into place. However, a number of disadvantages have been found in the prior approach. For example, its assembly is a tedious and time consuming process (i.e., difficult). Further, the sliding button tends to displace or even disengage from an electronic product during the disassembly of the electronic product. Typically, a sliding button, mounted on an electronic product, is coated with a desired color by plating for preserving the electronic product&#39;s appearance. Unfortunately, plating can damage the structure of the sliding button, resulting in a deformation, fatigue failure, and a lowering of the impact toughness of the sliding button. It is found that for a sliding button assembled by snapping and plated, its useful life is reduced significantly as compared with one without plating. 
   A conventional structure for fastening a sliding button is shown in  FIG. 1 . As illustrated, there are provided a switch seat  40 , a sliding switch  41  on top of the switch seat  40 , a riser  42  on the sliding switch  41 , and a transverse lip  43  at either side of the sliding switch  41 . There are further provided a sliding member  50  and a positioning board  51 . A groove  52  is provided along one side of the sliding member  50 . An elongate opening  53  is provided on the positioning board  51 . An L-shaped plate  54  is provided at either end of the opening  53 . The L-shaped plates  54  are matingly engaged with the lips  43  so as to mount the positioning board  51  onto the sliding switch  41  (i.e., the sliding switch  41  is positioned in the opening  53 ). The groove  52  of the sliding member  50  passes the opening  53  of the positioning board  51 . At this position, the lips  43  are fastened by the L-shaped plates  54  and the groove  52 . As a result, the switch seat  40  is mounted at the sliding member  50  and the positioning board  51 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  again, there further provided a trigger  55 , a sliding block  56  fixedly coupled to bottom of the trigger  55 , and a space  57  formed by assembling the trigger  55  and the sliding block  56 . The other end of the trigger  55  opposite the groove  52  is slidably inserted into the space  57 . Moreover, sliding of the sliding block  56  will move the riser  42  on the sliding switch  41  to switch an on state to an off state or vice versa. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  again, there is provided a rectangular cover  60  comprising an elongate opening  61  for allowing the trigger  55  to project therefrom (i.e., projecting from the cover  60 ), an L-shaped plate  62  at one end of the opening  61 , and a peg  63  at the other end of the opening  61 . As such, the other end of the sliding member  50  opposite the groove  52  is adapted to rest on the L-shaped plate  62  so as to inhibit falling, and one end of the sliding member  50  is stopped by the peg  63  so as to inhibit sliding. A notch  64  is provided at either side of the cover  60  in which one notch  64  is opposite the other notch  64 . By providing the notches  64 , one end of the sliding member  50  is fastened by the groove  52  with intermediate portion of the sliding member  50  suspended. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  again, a plurality of (two are shown) latches  65  are provided proximate two corners at one side of the cover  60 . A plurality of (two are shown) apertures  58  are provided on the positioning board  51 . The latches  65  are adapted to snap into the apertures  50 . Moreover, there is provided a receptacle  70  for receiving the switch seat  40 . Top of the receptacle  70  is secured to bottom of the positioning board  51 . This completes the fastening of the sliding button and the structure for fastening the sliding button is thus advantageous. 
   In view of the above, however, the prior art suffered from two disadvantages. First one is that for a sliding button assembled by snapping its components into place its assembly is a difficult process and the sliding button tends to displace or even disengage from an electronic product during the disassembly of the electronic product. Second one is that a sliding button coated with a desired color by plating may shorten its useful life. However, this is a dilemma since a sliding button not plated may detract the electronic product&#39;s external appearance (i.e., a dull color). Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel simple case having a structure for fastening a sliding button with easy assembly characteristic in order to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   After considerable research and experimentation, a simple case with sliding button fastening structure according to the present invention has been devised in which a useful life of the sliding button has been prolonged after plating. By utilizing this case, it is possible of overcoming the above drawbacks (e.g., prior sliding button being difficult of assembly and the assembled sliding button tends to displace or even disengage from an electronic product during the disassembly of the electronic product) of the prior art. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a case having a structure for fastening a simple sliding button having the advantages of easy assembly, a reduction in the manufacturing cost, and being not subject to displacement or disengagement during disassembly. The above is achieved by providing a case structure comprising a case; a sliding button comprising a fixing member and a manipulating member together forming an L-shaped member, two spaced ribs provided on an inner surface of the manipulating member above the fixing member, and a projection provided on an outer surface of the manipulating member wherein the projection is adapted to insert through an opening on a side surface of the case to project therefrom in response to placing the sliding button in the case; and a circuit board threadedly secured to a bottom of the case for clamping the fixing member and thus fastening the sliding button. 
   The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a conventional structure for fastening sliding button; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of case having structure for fastening sliding button according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective of a portion of the assembled case shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a case with a sliding button fastening structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, there is provided a sliding button  10  including a fixing member  11  and a manipulating member  12  together forming an L-shaped member (i.e., the sliding button  10 ). The sliding button  10  further comprises an inclined portion  13  joined the fixing member  11  and the manipulating member  12 . Two spaced ribs  14  are provided on an inner surface of the manipulating member  12  above the fixing member  11 . Also, a projection  15  is provided on an outer surface of the manipulating member  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  again, there is further provided a case  20  comprising a rectangular receptacle  22  at an inner side over its bottom  21 . The receptacle  22  is adapted to receive the fixing member  11 . First and second stopping posts  221  and  222  are provided on two corners at one side of the receptacle  22  joined the case  20 . The sliding button  10  is adapted to slide between the first and second stopping posts  221  and  222 . An elongate opening  24  is provided on one side of the case  20  facing the projection  15 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  again, there is further provided a rectangular circuit board  30  comprising a recess  31  at one side. The recess  31  has a width substantially the same as a distance between the first and second stopping posts  221  and  222  such that the recess  31  is adapted to snappily receive the first and second stopping posts  221  and  222  therein as detailed later. A switch  32  is provided on the circuit board  30  proximate an intermediate portion of an edge of the recess  31 . A projected lever  33  is formed on one surface of the switch  32  facing the ribs  14 . At least one aperture  34  is formed on the circuit board  30 . Correspondingly, at least one hole  25  is formed on the bottom  21  of the case  20 . In the embodiment, there are five apertures  34  in which four are at four corners of the circuit board  30 , and there are five holes  25  in which four are at four corners of the bottom  21 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3  in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , in view of the above it is seen that the projection  15  is adapted to insert through the opening  24  to project from the case  20  in response to placing the sliding button  10  in the receptacle  22 . Next, put the circuit board  30  on the bottom  21  for covering the receptacle  22  with the first and second stopping posts  221  and  222  received in and urged against the recess  31 . Also, the lever  33  inserts into a gap between the ribs  14  for fastening. A plurality of screws  35  are then driven through the apertures  34  into the holes  25  for fastening the sliding button  10 , the case  20 , and the circuit board  30  together. In response to pushing or pulling the sliding button  10 , the sliding button  10  moves either toward the first stopping post  221  or the second stopping post  222  in a distance defined by the first and the second stopping posts  221  and  222 . At the same time, the ribs  14  move to cause the lever  33  to slide for switching the current state of the switch  32 . 
   In view of the above, the case with a sliding button fastening structure according to the invention has the following advantages including simple case  20 , easy assembly of the sliding button  10  and the case  20 , reliable fastening of the assembled sliding button  10  and case  20 , easy removal of the circuit board  30  by unfastening the screws  35 , easy assembly or disassembly, and correct switching of the current state of the switch  32 . 
   While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.