Patent Publication Number: US-2010124697-A1

Title: Battery cover mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure 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 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 usually needs to be detached from the housing for removing a battery from the housing, thus cover may subject to being lost or misplaced. 
     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 top view of the battery cover mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a disassembled bottom view of the battery cover mechanism shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled and partially sectional schematic view of the battery cover mechanism shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the cover closed relative to the housing. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional schematic view along the line V-V shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional schematic view in opening of the cover shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , 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  1  and a cover  3  detachably secured to the housing  1 . 
     The housing  1  includes a first portion  10  and a second portion  20  connecting with the first portion  10 . The second portion  20  is lower than the first portion  10 , forming a step wall  120  between the first portion  10  and the second portion  20 . The second portion  20  includes a seat portion  202  and a protrusion portion  204  protruding from the seat portion  202 . The protrusion portion  204  is engageable with the cover  3  and includes a top wall  22 , two sidewalls  24  and an end wall  26 . The top wall  22  defines a receiving cavity  222  adjacent to the first portion  10 , correspondingly forms a first partition stage  221  abutting the step wall  120  and a second partition stage  223  opposite to the first partition stage  221 . The receiving cavity  222  receives a battery  200 . The first partition stage  221  defines a first latching slot  2212  and two second latching slots  2214  at two sides of the first latching slot  2212 . The first latching slot  2212  and the second latching slots  2214  are used to latch with the cover  3  and extend longitudinally into the step wall  120 . The second partition stage  223  forms an assembling slot  2232  and two stopping slots  2234 . The stopping slots  2234  are located at two sides of the assembling slot  2232 . The assembling slot  2232  aligns with the first latching slot  2212 , extends through the end wall  26 , and communicates with the receiving cavity  222 . Each of the two stopping slots  2234  is parallel with the assembling slot  2232  and aligns with the respective second latching slot  2214 . The stopping slots  2234  extend to the receiving cavity  222  and retain the cover  3 . 
     The two sidewalls  24  protrude laterally from two flanges  242 . The flanges  242  extend along the sidewall  24 , and thus define two guiding grooves  244  of the protrusion portion  204 . The end wall  26  defines two latching holes  262  to latch with the cover  3 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 1 , the first portion  10  includes a first main plate  12 . The first main plate  12  has an internal surface  122  ( FIG. 2 ). A holding cavity  1222  is defined in the internal surface  122 . The holding cavity  1222  aligns and communicates the first latching slot  2212 . 
     The cover  3  includes a second main plate  32  and a peripheral wall  34 . The peripheral wall  34  protrude perpendicularly from the edge of the second main plate  32  and enclose an opening  36  exposed at an end of the second main plate  32 . The second main plate  32  has an outer surface  322  and an inner surface  324 . The outer surface  322  has a plurality of strips  3222 , allowing a manual manipulation of the cover  3 . The inner surface  324  forms a first latch  326  and two second latches  328 . The second latches  328  are positioned at two sides of the first latch  326 . The first latch  326  and the second latches  328  extend from the opening  36  to outside and are parallel with each other. The first latch  326  latches into the first latching slot  2212  and includes a plate portion  3262  and a hook portion  3264  at the tail of the plate portion  3262 . The plate portion  3262  can pass through the first latching slot  2212  and the hook portion  3264  latches into the holding cavity  1222 . The second latches  328  latch into the second latching slots  2212 . The inner surface  324  has two stopping bodies  329  formed align and abut the second latches  328 , respectively. The stopping body  329  is wedge-shaped and engages into the stopping slot  2234 . 
     The peripheral wall  34  includes two parallel side flanges  342  and a connecting flange  344  connecting the two side flanges  342 . The connecting flange  344  is opposite to the opening  36 . The side flange  342  forms a plurality of rails  3422  on the inside surface. The rails  3422  are arranged in a line and slidably engage into the guiding groove  244 . The connecting flange  344  forms two latching blocks  3442  on the inside surface, facing the opening  36 . The latching blocks  3442  are engageable with the latching holes  262  of the housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , to assemble the battery cover mechanism  100 , the cover  3  engages the protrusion portion  204  of the second portion  20 . The opening  36  is aligned above the second partition stage  223  of the housing  1 . The first latch  326  is received in the first latching slot  2212 , the rails  3422  are aligned with the guiding groove  244 . The cover  3  is pushed toward the first portion  10 , and the stopping bodies  329  resist against the top wall  22  of the protrusion portion  204 . The stopping bodies  329  slide into the stopping slots  2234 , overcoming the friction force of the stopping bodies  329  and the top wall  22 . The cover  3  is assembled in the housing  1  and cannot detach from the housing  1  due to the engagement of the stopping bodies  329  into the stopping slots  2234 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , after the battery  200  is placed into the receiving cavity  222 . The cover  3  is pushed toward the first portion  10 . When the first latch  326  is inserted into the first latching slot  2212 , the plate portion  3262  of the first latch  326  passes through the first latching slot  2212  and the hook portion  3264  latches into the holding cavity  1222  of the first portion  10 . The second latches  328  are latched with the second latching slots  2212  respectively. Meanwhile, the two latching blocks  3442  of the cover  3  are latched into the two latching holes  262  of the protrusion portion  204 . Thus, the battery  200  is secured to the receiving cavity  222 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , to take out the battery  200 , the cover  3  can be slid towards the second portion  20  by impelling the strips  3222 . The hook portion  3264  of the first latch  326  disengage from the holding cavity  1222  and the first latch  326  releases out of the first latching slot  2212 . The second latches  328  extract from the second latching slots  2212 . Accordingly, the two latching blocks  3442  detach away from the two latching holes  262 . The cover  3  slide until the stopping bodies  329  resist an end wall of the stopping slots  2234 . At the time, the cover  3  can completely expose the battery  200  for an easy removal out from the receiving cavity  222 . The cover  3  is still attached to the housing  1 . 
     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.