Patent Publication Number: US-2012024589-A1

Title: Shielding case

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 099214635 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jul. 30, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shielding case, and more particularly to a shielding case that includes a frame and a cover being removably connected to each other via sliding engagement of slide channels with guide rails and releasable engagement of retaining holes with limiting sections, and can therefore be easily assembled and disassembled. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional shielding case  4 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , is generally assembled from a frame  41 , a top cover  42  and a connector  43 . The frame  41  is provided on one end face with a through hole  44 , via which the connector  43  is partially extended into the frame  41 . A plurality of bending tabs  441  is formed along the through hole  44  through punching for connecting with the connector  43 . Downward extended flanges  421  are formed along outer edges of the top cover  42 . When the top cover  42  has been closed onto an open top of the frame  41 , the flanges  421  of the top cover  42  are welded to the frame  41  to complete the shielding case  4  for a communication device. 
     According to the conventional shielding case  4 , the top cover  42  is immovably connected to the frame  41  by welding the flanges  421  to the frame  41 , and the connector  43  is held to the through hole  44  by punching the through hole to form the bending tabs  441  for connecting to the connector  43 . With these arrangements, the assembling of the shielding case  4  involves complicated procedures. Further, once the top cover  42  and the connector  43  are connected to the frame  41  to complete the shielding case  4 , the shielding case  4  forms a fixed structure and could not be easily disassembled to match actual need in practical application of the shielding case  4 . 
     It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved shielding case that can be easily assembled and disassembled to overcome the drawbacks in the conventional shielding case. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a shielding case, which can be easily assembled and disassembled by including slide channels and guide rails as well as retaining holes and limiting sections to removably connect a cover to a frame of the shielding case. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the shielding case according to the present invention includes a frame, a cover, and a connector. The frame is provided on two lateral top edges with two guide rails, which are provided at respective one end with a limiting section. The frame is also provided on bottom edges with a plurality of spaced pins, and at one of two opposite end faces with a through hole. The cover is provided at two lateral sides with two slide channels for slidably receiving the guide rails therein, and the two slide channels are provided at respective one end with a retaining hole for releasably engaging with the limiting sections on the guide rails, so that the cover is removably connected to the frame to close an open top thereof. The connector is detachably mounted to the through hole from an outer side of the frame. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the frame includes two opposite side walls and two opposite end walls, which are connected to one another; the slide channels are extended along top edges of the two side walls, and the through hole is provided on one of the two end walls; and the end wall with the through hole is also provided on a top edge with a stop flange, and the cover is provided on one end with a downward bent flange for correspondingly bearing on the stop flange of the frame. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the limiting sections respectively include continuous curved portions. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the frame further includes a plurality of guide tabs and a plurality of holding tabs internally spaced around the through hole; and the connector is provided on an outer surface with a plurality of recesses and a plurality of mounting holes for correspondingly engaging with the guide tabs and the holding tabs, respectively. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide tabs are T-shaped and radially inward extended into the through hole; and the holding tabs are axially bent toward an inner side of the frame. 
     With these arrangements, the cover and the frame of the shielding case are removably connected to each other via the slide engagement of the slide channels with the guide rails and the releasable engagement of the retaining holes with the limiting sections, so that the shielding case can be easily assembled and disassembled according to actual need. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional shielding case for a communication device; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a shielding case according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the circled area A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view showing the connection of a connector to a frame of the shielding case according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along line B-B′ of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described with a preferred embodiment thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3  that are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a shielding case according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the shielding case in the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a frame  1 , a cover  2 , and a connector  3 . 
     The frame  1  includes two opposite side walls  11  and two opposite end walls  12 , which are connected to one another to define an open top of the frame  1 . Please also refer to  FIG. 4  that is a front view of  FIG. 3  and to  FIG. 5  that is an enlarged view of the circled area A of  FIG. 4 . The two side walls  11  are provided on respective top edge with a guide rail  13 . The guide rails  13  are provided at respective one end with a limiting section  131 , which includes continuous curved portions. A plurality of pins  14  is spaced along bottom edges of the frame  1 . Please also refer to  FIG. 6  that is a top view of the shielding case of the present invention, and to  FIGS. 7 and 8  that are enlarged sectional views taken along lines A-A′ and B-B′ of  FIG. 6 , respectively. One of the two opposite end walls  12  of the frame  1  is provided with a through hole  15 . A plurality of guide tabs  151  and a plurality of holding tabs  152  are internally spaced around the through hole  15 . The guide tabs  151  are T-shaped and radially inward extended into the through hole  15 . The holding tabs  152  are axially bent toward an inner side of the frame  1 . And, the end wall  12  with the through hole  15  is also provided along a top edge with a stop flange  16 . 
     The cover  2  is provided at two opposite lateral sides with slide channels  21  for correspondingly slidably receiving the guide rails  13  therein. The two slide channels  21  are provided at respective one end with a retaining hole  22  for correspondingly releasably engaging with the limiting sections  131 . With these arrangements, the cover  2  is removably connected to top edges of the frame  1 . Further, the cover  2  is provided along one of two opposite ends with a downward bent flange  23  for correspondingly bearing on the stop flange  16 . 
     The connector  3  is mounted into the through hole  15  from an outer side of the frame  1 . A plurality of recesses  31  and a plurality of mounting holes  32  are provided on an outer face of the connector  3  for correspondingly engaging with the guide tabs  151  and the holding tabs  152 , respectively. 
     To assemble the shielding case of the present invention, first align the connector  3  with the through hole  15  on the frame  1  and slide the recesses  31  of the connector  3  onto the guide tabs  151  in the through hole  15 . In this manner, the connector  3  can be fitted in the through hole  15  of the frame  1  at a predetermined angular position relative to the through hole  15  for the mounting holes  32  on the connector  3  to correspondingly align with the holding tabs  152  in the through hole  15 . Then, bend the holding tabs  152  into the mounting holes  32  to complete the assembling of the connector  3  to the frame  1 . Thereafter, connect the cover  2  to the frame  1  by correspondingly sliding the two slide channels  21  onto the two guide rails  13  of the frame  1 . When the cover  2  is slid all the way to close the open top of the frame  1 , the retaining holes  22  are brought to correspondingly releasably engage with the limiting sections  131 , and the downward flange  23  is brought to bear on the stop flange  16 . At this point, a shielding case for a communication device is completed. 
     To disassemble the shielding case, simply push the cover  2  in a reverse direction to disengage the retaining holes  22  from the limiting sections  131 , and further slide the slide channels  21  of the cover  2  out of the guide rails  13  of the frame  1 . Then, turn the holding tabs  152  out of the mounting holes  32  and move the connector  3  out of the through hole  15  under guiding of the guide tabs  151  that are still engaged with the recesses  31 . In this manner, the cover  2  and the connector  3  can be easily separated from the frame  1 . 
     With the above arrangements, the shielding case according to the present invention is novel, improved and industrially valuable. The present invention is novel and improved because the cover and the frame of the shielding case are removably connected to each other via the slide engagement of slide channels with guide rails and the releasable engagement of the retaining holes with the limiting sections, enabling the shielding case to be easily assembled and disassembled according to actual need. And, the present invention is industrially valuable because products derived from the present invention would no doubt fulfill the current market demands. 
     The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.