Patent Publication Number: US-2010124696-A1

Title: Battery cover mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to battery cover mechanisms, particularly to a battery cover mechanism used in portable electronic devices. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are widely used. When a battery is installed in the portable electronic device, the battery is generally shielded and fixed in place by a battery cover mechanism. 
     A typical battery cover mechanism includes a cover and a housing. The cover includes a pin at on one end and a protrusion at an opposite end. The housing defines a receiving hole and a holding aperture. The protrusion can be received into the holding aperture, and the cover can be impelled towards the housing until the pin is received into the receiving hole. As such, the cover securely engages with the housing. However, the cover is opened/shut manually in all process, this is not always convenient. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present battery cover mechanism can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present battery cover mechanism. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the diagrams. 
         FIG. 1  is a disassembled view of the battery cover mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the battery cover of the battery cover mechanism shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an opened schematic view of the battery cover relative to the housing shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the battery cover sliding at the critical position of the housing shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a closed schematic view of the battery cover relative to the housing shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the battery cover mechanism  100  can be used in mobile phones, and can also used in other portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, etc. The battery cover mechanism  100  includes a housing  10 , a cover  20 , and an elastic module  30 . The elastic module  30  connects the housing  10  and the cover  20 , and the cover  20  slidably engages the housing  10 . 
     The housing  10  includes an engaging end portion  12  engagable with the cover  20 . The engaging end portion  12  defines sliding grooves  122  in opposite sides of the housing  10 , and an exposed battery receiving cavity  124  in the middle of the housing  10 . The engaging end portion  12  forms an assembly seat  126  near the receiving cavity  124 , at an end of the housing  10 . The assembly seat  126  defines assembly grooves  1260  at opposite sides of the assembly seat  126 . The assembly groove  1260  extends parallel to the sliding grooves  122  and to the outside of the device. Each assembly groove  1260  includes a narrow first groove passage  1261 , and a wide second groove passage  1262  communicating with the receiving cavity  124 . Two stepped limiting portions  1263  are formed separating the first groove passage  1261  and the second groove passage  1262 . The assembly seat  126  has two first connecting poles  1264  protruding from the top surface adjacent to a side of the assembly seat  126  for fixing the elastic module  30 . The assembly seat  126  defines a cutout  1265  adjacent the receiving cavity  124  to facilitate removing the battery out from the receiving cavity  124 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the cover  20  includes a sheet portion  22  and flanges  24  at opposite sides of the sheet portion  22 . The flanges  24  and the sheet portion  22  cooperatively enclose an opening  26 . The sheet portion  22  has two stop portions  222  and two second connecting poles  224  formed on the inner surface. The two stop portions  222  are located adjacent the opening  26  and the two flanges  24 . The stop portions  222  are generally wedge-shaped and correspondingly engageable with/in the assembly grooves  1260 . Each stop portion  222  includes a guiding wall  2222  and an elastic wall  2224 . The guiding wall  2222  is arranged parallel with the flange  24 . The elastic wall  2224  extends and inclines from an end of the guiding wall  2222  to form V-shaped portion  2226  inside the opening  26 . The width of V-shaped portion  2226  is substantially the same as the second groove passage  1262 . The elastic wall  2224  can be pressed towards the guiding wall  222  to deform the V-shaped portion  2226 . The two second connecting poles  224  are positioned at the middle of the sheet portion  22  approximate to the flange  24 . The second connecting poles  224  connect the elastic module  30 . Each of flanges  24  includes a plurality of rail sections  242  extending laterally to engage the sliding groove  122 . 
     The elastic module  30  is a closed loop including two connected elastic bars  32 . Each elastic bar  32  is a bending, curved bar-shaped spring, and has two connecting ends  322  for fixing the connecting poles  1264 ,  224 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , during assembly, the elastic module  30  connects the housing  10  and the cover  20 . The connecting ends  322  of each elastic bar  32  are secured to the first connecting pole  1264  and the second connecting pole  224  respectively. The elastic bars  32  are compressed towards each other between the connecting poles  1264 ,  224 . The opening  26  is oriented towards the assembly seat  126 . The rail sections  242  are aligned above the two sliding grooves  122  and the stop portions  222  are align with the first groove passages  1261  corresponding. The cover  20  is pushed towards the receiving cavity  124  with the elastic wall  2224  folded relative to the guiding wall  2222 . The stop portions  222  are slidable in the second groove passage  1262 . The elastic wall  2224  is released and the stop portion  222  is received in the second groove passage  1262 . Accordingly, the stop portion  222  resists the limiting portions  1263  and prevents the stop portion  222  from separating from the first groove passage  1261  when sliding the cover  20 . Thus, the cover  20  is assembled in the housing  10 . 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , after assembling the battery  200  into the receiving cavity  124 , the cover  20  is slid to close the receiving cavity  124 . Due to the deformation of the elastic bars  32 , the two ends  322  approach each other and the elastic bar  32  accumulates potential elastic energy. When the cover  20  reaches the middle of the engaging end portion  12 , the distance between the two ends  322  is minimized and accordingly the elastic bars  32  accumulates a maximum potential elastic energy. After the cover  20  slides beyond the middle position, the potential elastic energy of the elastic bars  32  can be momentarily released to automatically slide the cover  20 . The cover  20  can slide along the sliding grooves  122  until the cover  20  fully covers the receiving cavity  124 . Opening the cover  20  is opposite to closing the cover  20 . The stop portion  222  cannot slide out of the assembly grooves  1260  because the elastic walls  2224  resists against the limiting portion  1263 . 
     It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various 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 present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.