Patent Publication Number: US-2011058314-A1

Title: Cover assembly for portable electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a cover assembly and, particularly, to a cover assembly used in a portable electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Portable electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones) usually have a plurality of ports for insertion of components (e.g., earphones and power plugs). Correspondingly, kinds of covers may be used to cover and protect the earphone holes from e.g., water and dust. 
     A typical protective cover is often made of rubber and is fixedly connected to the mobile phone by a flexible strip adjacent to the port. The covering/exposing of the port is achieved by bending the earphone cover towards/away from the port around the flexible strip. 
     However, the flexible strip may not endure frequent use and break. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the cover assembly for portable electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present cover assembly. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding members throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a cover assembly for portable electronic device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged, isometric view of the cover member shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an assembly view of the cover assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing an opening/closing operation of the cover assembly shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show an exemplary cover assembly  100 . The cover assembly  100  includes a cover member  10  and a housing  30 . The cover member  10  is rotatably connected to the housing  30 . 
     The cover member  10  includes a main portion  15 . The main portion  15  includes a first masking portion  11  and a second masking portion  13 . The first masking portion  11  and the second masking portion  13  are formed at two opposite ends of the main portion  15 . The first masking portion  11  is enclosed by two short sides  111 , a first long side  112 , and a second long side  113 . The two short sides  111  are opposite to each other. The two long sides  112 ,  113  are opposite to each other. An embedding block  115  protrudes from the short side  111  away from the second masking portion  13 . The embedding block  115  is embedded in the housing  30 . A resisting block  1121  protrudes from the first long side  112 , used to resist the housing  30 . A latch block  1131  protrudes from the second long side  113 , used to latch with the housing  30 . The second masking portion  13  is surrounded by a first brim  131  and a second brim  133  opposite to the first brim  131 . The first brim  131  and the second brim  133  extend along the first long side  112  and the second long side  113 . A latch board  135  protrudes from the first brim  131  towards the first masking portion  11 . The latch board  135  is for latching with the housing  30 . A protrusion  137  protrudes from one end of the first brim  131  away from the first masking portion  11 . The protrusion  137  is received in the housing  30 . A locking block  139  protrudes from the second brim  133 . The locking block  139  is locked to the housing  30 . 
     A shaft  17  protrudes from the main portion  15 , between the first masking portion  11  and the latch board  135 . The shaft  17  is rotatably mounted to the housing  30 . The shaft  17  includes a rotating portion  173  and a securing portion  171  connected to one end of the rotating portion  173 . The securing portion  171  can be a bar block. The securing portion  171  defines a guiding surface  1711  away from the rotating portion  173 . The guiding surface  1711  is used to guide the securing portion  171  to latch with the housing  30 . The rotating portion  173  may be a round pole. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing  30  includes a bottom wall  31  and a peripheral wall  33  protruding from the bottom wall  31 . The cover member  10  is secured to the peripheral wall  33 . The peripheral wall  33  defines a first port  331  and a second port  333 . The first port  331  may be for insertion of an earphone. The second port  333  may be for insertion of a plug (e.g., a power plug and an USB plug). 
     The peripheral wall  33 &#39;s interior surface is recessed to define a cutout  3311 , adjacent to the first port  331 , thus forming a resisting wall  3313 . The resisting block  1121  is received in the cutout  3311 , and resists the resisting wall  3313 . The bottom wall  31  defines a latching slot  3315 , adjacent to the first port  331 . The latching slot  3315  is used to receive and latch with part of the latching block  1131  (see  FIG. 2 ). The peripheral wall  33  defines a receiving cavity  3317 , adjacent to the first port  331 . The receiving cavity  3317  receives the embedding block  115 . 
     The peripheral wall  33  defines a through hole  3331 , adjacent to the second port  333 . The hole  3331  is configured for receiving the latch board  135 . The peripheral wall  33  defines a receiving groove  3332  opposite to the hole  3331 . The receiving groove  3332  is configured for receiving the protrusion  137 . The bottom wall  31  defines a notch  3335 . The notch  3335  is configured for receiving the locking block  139  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
     The peripheral wall  33  defines a mounting hole  335  between the hole  3331  and the first port  331 . The mounting hole  335  generally has the same size and shape as the securing portion  171 . The mounting hole  335  extends vertical to the latch block  135 . The securing portion  171  is biased to latch into the mounting hole  335 , with the rotating portion  173  rotatably received in the mounting hole  335 . Whereby the rotating portion  173  is rotated about 90 degree, the securing portion  171  resists the peripheral wall  33 , thus tightly attaching the cover member  10  to the housing  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in assembly, the cover member  10  is placed adjacent to the peripheral wall  33 , with the cover member  10  being substantially perpendicularly to the peripheral wall  33 . The securing portion  171  is inserted through the mounting hole  335 . The rotating portion  173  is then rotated about 90 degree. At this time, the securing portion  171  resists an inside of the peripheral wall  33 , and the securing portion  171  is not easily removed from the mounting hole  335  when it is returned to the 90 Degree rotation, thus securing the cover member  10  to the housing  30 . 
     To cover the first port  331  and the second port  332 , the cover member  10  is rotated about the rotating portion  173  until the first masking portion  11  and the second masking portion  13  each cover the first port  331  and the second port  332 . Then the cover member  10  is secured to the peripheral wall  33 . 
     To expose the first port  331  and the second port  332 , the cover member  10  is rotated about the rotating portion  173  to make the first port  331  and the second port  332  be exposed. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of sections 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.