Patent Publication Number: US-2006012332-A1

Title: Latch mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      The present invention relates in general to a latch mechanism and in particular to a latch mechanism for fixing a mobile phone battery.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional mobile phone  1  comprises a main body C and a battery B disposed therein. A pair of movable latch members P fix the battery B in the main body C. To remove the battery B, both latch members P are moved as the arrows indicate such that the battery B can be separated from the upper side of the main body C as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      Since the battery B is generally positioned in a depression of the main body as shown in  FIG. 1 , however, access thereto for convenient removal is limited.  
     SUMMARY  
      Latch mechanisms are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a latch mechanism for a battery comprises a main body, a movable member and a first slider. The movable member is movably disposed on the main body along a first direction, having a first slanting surface with respect to the first direction. The first slider is movably disposed in the main body, having a first joining portion connected to a second joining portion of the battery when the movable member is in a first position. When the movable member moves to a second position along the first direction, the first slanting surface impels the first slider along a second direction such that the first and second joining portions are separated.  
      An embodiment of the latch mechanism further comprises a second slider, and the movable member further has a second slanting surface angled with respect to the first direction. The second slanting surface impels the second slider opposite to the second direction, thereby impelling and ejecting the battery from the latch mechanism.  
      Another exemplary embodiment of a latch mechanism comprises a main body a movable member, a first slider and a flexible member. The movable member is movably disposed on the main body along a first direction, having a first slanting surface with respect to the first direction. The first slider is movably disposed in the main body, having a first joining portion connected to a second joining portion of the battery when the movable member is in a first position. The flexible member is disposed in a depression of the main body and situated between the main body and the battery. When the movable member moves from the first position to a second position in the first direction, the first slanting surface impels the first slider along a second direction, such that the first and second joining portions are separated, and the flexible member exerts a spring force ejecting the battery from the depression. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, given by way of illustration only and thus not intended to limit the disclosure.  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of a conventional mobile phone;  
       FIG. 2   a  is a perspective diagram of a movable member in a first position according to the first embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2   b  is a top view of the movable member and the first slider in accordance with  FIG. 2   a;    
       FIG. 3  is a perspective diagram of the movable member in a second position according to the first embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective diagram of the movable member in a third position according to the first embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are perspective diagrams of the second embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     First Embodiment  
      Referring to  FIG. 2   a , a latch mechanism for a battery or other detachable component in a phone device (such as a mobile phone) primarily comprises a main body C, a movable member M, a first slider S 1  and a second slider S 2 . The movable member M can slide with respect to the main body C along a Y axis, and the first and second sliders S 1  and S 2  are movable along a X axis substantially perpendicular to the Y axis.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2   a , a removable battery B is disposed in a depression C 0  of the main body C. The first slider S 1  has a first joining portion J 1  at one end thereof, and correspondingly, the battery B has a second joining portion J 2  receiving the first joining portion J 1 . Here, the second joining portion J 2  is a recess with the first joining portion J 1 , received therein, fixing the battery B in the depression C 0 .  
      The movable member M is movable along the Y axis, passing sequentially through the main body C, an opening S 10  of the first slider S 1 , and an opening S 20  of the second slider S 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2   a , when the movable member M is in a first position Y 0  on axis Y, the first slider S 1  is impelled leftward by a first resilient element R 1 , thereby fixing the battery B. The first resilient element R 1  is a compression spring disposed between the main body C and the first slider S 1 . Referring to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the movable member M passes through the opening S 10  of the first slider S 1 , and the first slider S 1  is movable in direction X′ by the movable member M.  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the movable member M comprises a first slanting surface M 1  and a second slanting surface M 2 , angled with respect to the X and Y axes. When the movable member M moves downward from the first position Y 0  to a second position Y 1  in direction Y′, the first slider S 1  is impelled rightward in direction X′ by the first slanting surface M 1 , thereby separating the first joining portion J 1  from the second joining portion J 2  and releasing the battery B from the depression C 0 . The moving directions Y′ and X′ of the movable member M and the first slider S 1  form an included angle, as shown in  FIG. 3 , rendering them substantially perpendicular here.  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , the second slider S 2  comprises a first contact surface S 21  at one end thereof, and correspondingly, the battery B comprises a second contact surface B 1 . When the movable member M moves downward from the second position Y 1  to a third position Y 2  in direction Y′, the second slider S 2  is impelled leftward by the second slanting surface M 2  of the movable member M in direction X″ (opposite to direction X′) such that the first contact surface S 21  abuts the second contact surface B 1 . As the first and second contact surfaces S 21  and B 1  are inclined with respect to direction Y′, the battery B is ejected from the depression C 0  by the first contact surface S 21  contacting the second contact surface B 1  in direction X″.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the resilient element R 2  is a tension spring, connecting the main body C and the second slider S 2  and exerting spring force on the second slider S 2  in the second direction X′. Upon insertion of the battery B into the depression C 0 , the second slider S 2  moves to the right and impels the movable member M upward via the second slanting surface M 2 . As the movable member M returns to the first position Y 0  from the third position Y 2 , the first resilient element R 1  impels the first slider S 1  moving leftward, whereby the first joining portion J 1  is received in the second joining portion J 2  and the battery B is secured.  
     Second Embodiment  
      Referring to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the second slider S 2  can be substituted with a flexible member R 3  disposed on the depression C 0  surface capable of ejecting the battery B. Here, the flexible member R 3  is a metal sheet exerting spring force upward on the battery B. When the movable member M is in the first position Y 0 , the first slider S 1  is impelled leftward by the first resilient element R 1  such that the first joining portion J 1  enters the second joining portion J 2 , thereby securing the battery B. As shown in  FIG. 5   a , the flexible member R 3  is compressed when the battery B is fixed in the depression C 0 .  
      In  FIG. 5   b , when movable member M moves downward from the first position Y 0  to a second position Y 1  along the Y axis, the first slider S 1  is impelled rightward by the first slanting surface M 1  in the direction X′, thereby separating the first joining portion J 1  from the second joining portion J 2 . The battery B is then released and automatically ejected from the depression C 0  by the flexible member R 3  exerting the spring force upward, as the arrows indicate in  FIG. 5   b.    
      In summary, embodiments of the invention provide a latch mechanism by which a battery may be easily and securely fixed, and it may also be easily ejected from a device.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.