Patent Publication Number: US-2011064982-A1

Title: Fixing mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to fixing mechanisms and, particularly, to a fixing mechanism for a battery in an electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     An electronic device, such as a wireless keyboard, a wireless touchpad, a remote control, or other battery operated device often utilizes a battery to provide electrical power. A fixing mechanism for a battery in the electronic device is often utilized to facilitate insertion and removal of the battery. 
     A typical fixing mechanism includes a battery sleeve and a detachable battery cover. The battery sleeve defines an open end. The sleeve defines a chamber to receive the battery via the open end. The battery cover includes a cover plate and a body portion extending downward from the cover plate. The battery sleeve further defines an inner threading in an inner surface of the chamber adjacent to the open end. The body portion of the battery cover defines an outer threading corresponding to the inner threading, such that the body portion of the battery cover may engage the open end of the battery sleeve. However, this system is relatively inconvenient to use. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, partial isometric view of a first embodiment of a fixing mechanism. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, partial isometric view of the fixing mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section of the fixing mechanism of  FIG. 1 , taken along line III-III. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section of the fixing mechanism of  FIG. 1 , taken along line IV-IV. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial isometric view of a battery sleeve of a second embodiment of a fixing mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a first embodiment of a fixing mechanism  100  includes a battery cover  20 , a latching member  30  and a battery sleeve  40 . The latching member  30  is fixed to the battery cover  20 . The battery cover  20  is fixed to the battery sleeve  40  via the latching member  30 . The fixing mechanism  100  is used to fix a battery  50  in the battery sleeve  40  with the battery cover  20  and the latching member  30 . The fixing mechanism  100  can be employed in an electronic device (not shown), such as a wireless keyboard, a wireless touchpad, or a remote control. 
     The battery cover  20 , the latching member  30 , and the battery sleeve  40  define a common central axis X (see  FIG. 2 ). The battery cover  20  includes a body portion  21  and a cover portion  22  formed at an end of the body portion  21 . The body portion  21  is substantially cylindrical. The cover portion  22  is a substantially circular plate. A diameter of the cover portion  22  exceeds a diameter of the body portion  21 . The battery cover  20  further includes two elongated latching grooves  213  in an outer surface of the body portion  21  adjacent to the cover portion  22 . The two elongated latching grooves  213  are symmetric relative to the central axis X. The elongated latching grooves  213  extend along a circumference substantially perpendicular to the central axis X. The battery cover  20  further includes a guiding slot  215  defined in the outer surface of the body portion  21  extending substantially parallel to the central axis X adjacent to one of the latching grooves  213 . The battery cover  20  can be made of electrical conductive metals. 
     The latching member  30  can be substantially annular. The latching member  30  includes an annular main body  31 , a guiding protrusion  32 , two resilient hooks  33 , two limiting protrusions  34 , and two latching protrusions  35 . The guiding protrusion  32  is defined at an inner surface of the annular main body  31  corresponding to the guiding slot  215  of the battery cover  20 . The resilient hooks  33  are separately formed at the inner surface of the annular main body  31  corresponding to the latching grooves  213  of the battery cover  20 . The guiding protrusion  32  can be received in the guiding slot  215  and the resilient hooks  33  engage with the latching grooves  213 , such that the latching member  30  is fixed to the body portion  21  of the battery cover  20 . 
     The limiting protrusions  34  are separately formed at one end of an outer surface of the annular main body  31 . The latching protrusions  35  are separately formed at the other end of the outer surface of the annular main body  31  corresponding to the limiting protrusions  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the limiting protrusions  34  are symmetrical relative to the central axis X. One of the limiting protrusions  34  and one of the latching protrusions  35  adjacent to the one of the limiting protrusion  34  are aligned substantially parallel to the central axis X at two ends of the annular main body  31 . The latching member  30  can be made of plastic materials. 
     The battery sleeve  40  can be substantially cylindrical. The battery sleeve  40  defines an open end  41 . The battery sleeve  40  is configured to receive a battery  50  (see  FIG. 2 ) via the open end  41 . The battery sleeve  40  further includes a ledge  42 , two guiding portions  43 , two limiting portions  45  and a latching portion  46 . The ledge  42  is defined at an inner surface of the battery sleeve  40  at the open end  41 . The latching portion  46  is defined in the inner surface of the battery sleeve  40  away from the open end  41  and apart from the ledge  42 . The latching portion  46  extends along a circumference substantially perpendicular to the central axis X. Each guiding portion  43  is defined in the inner surface of the battery sleeve  40  and interconnects the ledge  42  and the latching portion  46 . Each limiting portion  45  is defined in the inner surface of the battery sleeve  40  adjoining a side of each guiding portion  43 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the ledge  42  is a continuous cutout extending along a circumference substantially perpendicular to the central axis X to block the cover portion  22  of the battery cover  20 . The latching portion  46  is a continuous slot extending along a circumference substantially parallel to the ledge  42 . Each guiding portion  43  is an elongated depression communicating with the ledge  42  and the latching portion  46 . The two guiding portions  43  are symmetrical relative to the central axis X corresponding to the two pairs of the limiting protrusions  34  and the latching protrusions  35 . Each limiting portion  45  is an elongated depression defined in the inner surface of the battery sleeve  40  extending substantially parallel to the central axis X, and communicates with each guiding portion  43 . It should be pointed out that, in an alternative embodiment, the ledge  42  can be omitted, with the cover portion  22  of the battery cover  20  blocked by an end of the battery sleeve  40 . 
     The body portion  21  and the latching member  30  can be rotatably engaged with the battery sleeve  40  to seal the open end  41 , and the cover portion  22  blocked by the ledge  42  of the battery sleeve  40 . The latching protrusion  35  is movably locked in the latching portion  46  and the limiting protrusion  34  is received in the limiting portion  45  so as to be limited in rotation by the limiting portion  45 . The battery cover  20  may further define an elongated mounting depression  224  in an upper surface of the cover portion  22 , rotatable by a screwdriver or other tool to assemble or disassemble the battery cover  20  to the battery sleeve  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , to fix the battery cover  20  and the latching member  30  to the battery sleeve  40 , the guiding protrusion  32  is first received in the guiding slot  215  by the latching member  30  moving from the body portion  21  toward the cover portion  22 , until the resilient hooks  33  engage with the latching grooves  213 , such that the latching member  30  is fixed to the body portion  21  of the battery cover  20 . Two pairs of the latching protrusion  35  and the limiting protrusion  34  in a line substantially parallel to the central axis X, then slide into the battery sleeve  40  along the two guiding portions  43  respectively, until contacting the latching portion  46 . Next, the battery cover  20  is rotated clockwise, the latching protrusion  35  is locked in the latching portion  46  and the limiting protrusion  34  is received in the limiting portion  45  and thereby limited. Accordingly, the battery cover  20  and the latching member  30  are fixed to the battery sleeve  40 . 
     To disassemble the battery cover  20  with the latching member  30  from the battery sleeve  40 , the battery cover  20  is first rotated counter-clockwise. The latching protrusions  35  are then moved to a portion facing the guiding portions  43 , and the limiting protrusions  34  are detached from the limiting portions  45 . Finally, the battery cover  20  with the latching member  30  is freed from the battery sleeve  40 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in a second embodiment, a battery sleeve  60  includes two guiding portions  63 , two limiting portions  65  and a latching portion  66 . Each guiding portion  63  may be an elongated protrusion extending from an inner surface of the battery sleeve  60  substantially parallel to the central axis X adjacent to an open end  61 . The latching portion  66  may be a protrusion extending from the inner surface of the battery sleeve  60  along a circumference substantially perpendicular to the central axis X. Each limiting portion  65  is a substantially C-shaped structure, two ends of which extend from a part of each guiding portion  63 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the latching protrusions  35  of the latching member  30  may slide into the battery sleeve  60  along the corresponding guiding portion  63  until the latching protrusions  35  is just below the latching portion  66 . The battery cover  20  is then rotated clockwise, whereby the limiting protrusion  34  of the latching member  30  is received in the limiting portion  65 , thereby rotation is limited by the limiting portion  45 . Accordingly, the battery cover  20  and the latching member  30  can be fixed to the battery sleeve  60 . 
     It should be noted that the battery cover  20  and the latching member  30  can be integrally formed to an integral structure. In an alternative embodiment, all of the elongated latching grooves  213 , the guiding slot  215 , the resilient hooks  33 , and the guiding protrusion  32  can be omitted, as long as the latching member  30  is fixed to the battery cover  20  by adhesive. 
     It should be noted that the configurations of the guiding portions  43 ,  63 , the latching protrusions  35 , and limiting protrusions  34  are not limited to the embodiments described above. The numbers and shapes of the guiding portions  43 ,  63 , the latching protrusions  35 , and limiting protrusions  34  are specifically described and illustrated for the purpose of exemplifying various aspects of the present fixing mechanism  100 . 
     Finally, while various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.