Patent Publication Number: US-2007117598-A1

Title: Battery cover latching assembly for portable electronic device

Description:
DESCRIPTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to battery cover latching assemblies and, more particularly, to a battery cover latching assembly for use in a portable electronic device.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and the like. Conventional batteries are attachably received in housings of the electronic device, and battery covers are designed to connect with the housings to package the batteries. The batteries have to be replaced by opening the battery covers when the batteries are damaged, dead, and/or otherwise in need of recharging or replacement.  
      A clasping structure or latching structure is used to engage a conventional battery cover with a housing of a portable electronic device. A conventional mobile phone has a latching assembly for a battery cover. The latching assembly includes two hooks at one end of the battery cover and a locking pin protruding from the other end of the battery cover. Two grooves are defined in one end portion of a backside of a housing of the mobile phone, and a locking hole is defined in the other end portion of the backside of the housing. In assembly, the hooks are firstly inserted into the grooves in the backside of the housing. Then, the battery cover is pressed downwards onto the housing until the locking pin on the battery cover is inserted into the locking hole in the backside of the housing. The battery cover is thus assembled to the housing of the mobile phone. The latching assembly is simple in structure, and the engagement between the battery cover and the housing of the mobile phone is firm too. However, during disassembly, great effort is needed to remove the battery cover, thereby requiring a relatively substantial force to be exerted thereon. Therefore, the battery cover can be susceptible to damage. As a result, it can be difficult for a user to replace a battery in the conventional housing of the mobile phone.  
      Therefore, a new battery cover latching assembly is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In one embodiment thereof, a portable electronic device has a battery cover, a battery cover latching assembly, and a housing. The battery cover and the housing are connected via the battery cover latching assembly. The battery cover has a positioning member. The housing has a knob hole. The battery cover latching assembly includes a knob and a screw rod. The knob is rotatably received in the knob hole. The knob has a latching member. The screw rod is formed on the housing. The knob threadingly engages with the screw rod and the latching member releasably engages with the positioning member thereby allowing the battery cover to be releasably mounted to the housing.  
      Other advantages and novel features of the embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Many aspects of the battery cover latching assembly can be better understood with reference to the following 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 battery cover latching assembly and its potential applications. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a portable electronic device with a battery cover and a housing connected via a battery cover latching assembly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment;  
       FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect;  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged, isometric view of the battery cover shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged, partially cut-away view of the housing shown in  FIG. 1 , and viewed from another aspect;  
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged, assembled, partially cut-away view of the battery cover latching assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is an assembled, isometric view of the battery cover latching assembly and the housing shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 7  is an assembled, isometric of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged, partially cut-away view of the portable electronic device along line VII-VII shown in  FIG. 7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
      The present battery cover latching assembly is suitable for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and the like.  
      Referring now to the drawings in detail,  FIG. 1  shows a battery cover latching assembly  300  for use in a mobile phone  80 . The mobile phone  80  is taken here as an exemplary application, for the purposes of describing details of the battery cover latching assembly  300  of a preferred embodiment of the present assembly. The mobile phone  80  includes a housing  200  and a battery cover  100 , connected via the battery cover latching assembly  300 . A circuit board  700  is received in the housing  200 . The housing  200  defines a knob hole  26  therein. The battery cover latching assembly  300  is mounted in the knob hole  26  of the housing  200  and releasably locks the battery cover  100 , thereby interconnecting the housing  200  and the battery cover  100 .  
      Also referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the battery cover  1   00  is a substantially rectangular board. Two opposing sidewalls extend from a periphery of the body and towards a same direction. Two positioning tabs  12  are formed at one end of the battery cover  100 . A positioning member  14  is formed at the other opposite end of the battery cover  100 . The positioning member  14  is substantially C-shaped. An opening of the positioning member  14  faces away from the positioning tabs  12 . A distal end of the positioning member  14  has a first wedge-shaped surface  142 .  
      Also referring to  FIG. 4 , the housing  200  has a substantially rectangular body. The housing  200  defines a battery cavity  22  and a receiving cavity  24  in two opposing sides thereof. The battery cavity  22  is configured (i.e., structured and arranged) for receiving a battery (not shown) therein. The receiving cavity  24  is configured for receiving the circuit board  700  therein. Two positioning holes are defined in a bottom end portion. The positioning holes communicate with the battery cavity  22  and are configured for receiving the positioning tabs  12  of the battery cover  100 . A knob hole  26  is defined in an opposing top end portion of the housing  200 . The knob hole  26  communicates with the battery cavity  22  and the receiving cavity  24 . A circular protrusion  262  extends around the knob hole  26  and in the receiving cavity  24 . Two projections  264  extend from one end of the circular protrusion  262 . The projections  264  are separated from each other by an angle of about 180 degrees. Two limiting poles  266  are formed on the housing  200  near the circular protrusion  262  in the receiving cavity  24 .  
      Also referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the battery cover latching assembly  300  is configured to be received in the knob hole  26  of the housing  200 . The battery cover latching assembly  300  includes a cap  30 , a knob  40 , a resilient member  50 , a base  62 , and a screw rod  64 .  
      The cap  30  is a substantially hollow cylinder and has a closed end and an open end. A circular brim  34  is formed at the open end. The circular brim  34  defines two cutouts  342  therein. The two cutouts  342  are spaced from each other by an angle of about 180 degrees and are configured for receiving the projections  264  of the housing  200 .  
      The knob  40  is a substantially hollow cylinder and has a screw hole  46  defined therethrough. One end of the knob  40  is configured for being received in the cap  30 . A ring  42  is formed on a periphery of the knob  40 . When the knob  40  is partially received in the cap  30  the ring  42  abuts against the circular brim  34  of the cap  30 . A latching member  44  is formed on the ring  42 . One end of the latching member  44  has a second wedge-shaped surface  442 . The second wedge-shaped surface  442  is configured for engaging with the first wedge-shaped surface  142  of the battery cover  100 .  
      The resilient member  50  should preferably be made of metal and be spiral-shaped (i.e. a coil spring). The base  62  can be a substantially rectangular board in shape. The screw rod  64  can be cylindrical in shape and can have an outer screw formed on a periphery thereof. The screw rod  64  can be formed on the base  62 .  
      In assembly, the screw rod  64  is provided on the base  62  and the resilient member  50  surrounds the screw rod  64 . The knob  40  is threaded onto the screw rod  64 . One end of the resilient member  50  resists the base  62 . The other opposing end of the resilient member  50  resists the ring  42  of the knob  40 . The cap  30  is mounted on the knob  40 . Thus the battery cover latching assembly  300  is assembled, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The assembled battery cover latching assembly  300  is inserted into the knob hole  26  of the housing  200 . Each projection  264  of the housing  200  is received in one corresponding cutout  342  of the cap  30 . The closed end of the cap  30  is exposed through the knob hole  26 . The circuit board  700  is mounted in the receiving cavity  24  of the housing  200  and the base  62  is mounted to the circuit board  700 . The latching member  44  extends into the battery cavity  22  and resists a limiting pole  266 . The resilient member  50  is slightly compressed. Thus, the battery cover latching assembly  300  is assembled in the housing  200  and is rotatable about an axis of the screw rod  64 , as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
      When the battery cover  100  is assembled to the housing  200 , the positioning tabs  12  at one end of the battery cover  100  are received in the positioning holes of the housing  200 . The opposite end of the battery cover  100  is pressed down onto the housing  200 . When the positioning member  14  touches the latching member  44  of the knob  40 , an external force along the axis of the screw rod  64  is applied on the cap  30 . Then the knob  40  is moved along the axis of the screw rod  64  toward the base  62  and is rotated about the axis of the screw rod  64  with the engagement of the knob  40  and the screw rod  64 . In this process the resilient member  50  is compressed and the latching member  44  is moved with the knob  40  and away from the positioning member  14  and the limiting pole  266  towards the other limiting pole  266 . When the latching member  44  reaches the other limiting pole  266 , the cap  30  can not be pressed further. When the battery cover  100  is fully closed, the cap  30  is released. Then the knob  40  is moved away from the base  62  and is rotated back to the original position due to the decompression force of the resilient member  50 . The latching member  44  is rotated back and is received in the opening of the positioning member  14  with the first wedge-shaped surface  142  engaging with the second wedge-shaped surface  442 . Thus, the battery cover  100  is assembled with the housing  200 , as represented in  FIGS. 7-8 .  
      When the battery cover  100  is to be detached from the housing  200 , the cap  30  is manually pressed downwards. Then the knob  40  is moved along the axis of the screw rod  64  toward the base  62  and is rotated about the axis of the screw rod  64  with the engagement of the knob  40  and the screw rod  64 . In this process the resilient member  202  is compressed and the latching member is moved with the knob  40  and out from the engagement with the positioning member  14 . The battery cover  100  is pulled away from the housing  200  manually. Then the cap  30  is released and the knob  40  is moved away from the base  62  and is rotated back to the original position due to the decompression force of the resilient member  50 .  
      It is to be understood that the number of the positioning tabs  12  may be one or more than two. Accordingly, the number of the positioning holes for receiving the positioning tabs  12  may be one or more than two. The resilient member  50  may alternatively have a different configuration, for example, a leaf spring or a resilient cylinder.  
      It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the 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 invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.