Patent Abstract:
An electronic device includes a housing and a switching assembly. The housing is configured for receiving a battery. The switching assembly is configured for detachedly assembling the battery with the housing. The switching assembly defines at least one locking portion and comprises a linkage mechanism, at least one restriction portion, and an actuator. The at least one locking portion is disposed in the battery. The linkage mechanism is secured to the housing. The at least one restriction portion is disposed on the linkage mechanism correspondingly to the at least one locking portion. The actuator is secured to the linkage mechanism and drives the at least one restriction portion to lock or unlock with the linkage mechanism when the actuator is pressed.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to electronic devices and, particularly, to an electronic device and a switching assembly of a battery of the electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Batteries used in notebooks can provide electronic power to the notebooks for about 2 to 4 hours, spare batteries are used instead when the electronic power of the battery of the notebooks is exhausted. Commonly, a battery is screwed to a notebook via screws, however, assembling the battery to the notebook by screwing down the screws and taking out the battery from the notebooks by unscrewing the screws are unduly time-consuming and inconvenient. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electronic device and a switching assembly which can overcome or at least alleviate the above-mentioned problem. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an electronic device including a battery according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a partially schematic view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , showing the battery locked into the electronic device. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a partially disassembled schematic view of the electronic device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a partially disassembled schematic view of the electronic device of  FIG. 2  from another angle. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is similar to the  FIG. 2 , but showing the battery unlocked. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  100  according to an exemplary embodiment includes a battery  10 , a housing  20 , and a switching assembly  30 . The battery  10  is detachably assembled with the housing  20  via the switching assembly  30 . 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the battery  10  includes an upper surface  12 , a bottom surface  14  on another side of the battery  10  opposite to the upper surface  12 , and four side surfaces  16  substantially perpendicular to the upper surface  12 . When the battery  10  is received in the housing  20 , the bottom surface  14  is in contact with the housing  20 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the housing  20  includes a substrate  22 , a sidewall  24 , and a securing plate  29  and defines an assembly portion  28  on the sidewall  24 . The sidewall  24  extends from a periphery end of the substrate  22  along a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate  22 . The securing plate  29  is disposed on the sidewall  24  substantially perpendicular to the substrate  22 . The substrate  22  defines a receiving space  26  close to the sidewall  24  for receiving the battery  10 . The assembly portion  28  defines a first through hole  282  and includes two first blocks  284 . The first through hole  282  is defined in the sidewall  24 . In this embodiment, the shape of the first through hole  282  is substantially rectangular. Two first blocks  284  are disposed on opposite sides of the first through hole  282  parallel to the substrate  22 . Each first block  284  defines a first shaft hole  286  correspondingly. 
         [0015]    The switching assembly  30  defines two locking portions  40  and includes an actuator  50 , a securing rod  60 , a linkage mechanism  70 , two restriction portions  80 , and a restoring member  90 . 
         [0016]    The locking portions  40  are defined on the battery  10 . In this embodiment, each locking portion  40  defines a latching groove  42  and an opening  44  communicating with the latching groove  42 . The latching groove  42  is defined on the side surface  16  of the battery  10 . The opening  44  is defined on the upper surface  12  of the battery  10 . 
         [0017]    It should be mentioned that although two locking portions  40  are disclosed, more locking portions or fewer may be optionally adopted in the disclosed device while remaining well within the scope. 
         [0018]    The actuator  50  is fitted into the first through hole  282 . The actuator  50  includes a key body  52 , two second blocks  56 , and a first shaft  58 . The shape of the key body  52  is rectangular corresponding to the first through hole  282 . One end of the key body  52  defines a recess  54  correspondingly to the securing plate  29 . The two second blocks  56  extend from opposite sides of another end of the key body  52  substantially perpendicular to the key body  52 . Each second block  56  defines a second shaft hole  562 . The first shaft  58  is disposed between two ends of the key body  52  correspondingly to the first shaft holes  286 . The actuator  50  is fitted into the first through hole  282  of the assembly portion  28  by pivotally fitting the first shaft  58  in the first shaft holes  286 . 
         [0019]    The securing rod  60  is secured to the substrate  22  and disposed between the receiving space  26  and the first through hole  282 . The securing rod  60  defines a first receiving groove  62 , a second receiving groove  64 , and two second through holes  66 . The first receiving groove  62  is adjacent to the battery  10 . The second receiving groove  64  is opposite to the first receiving groove  62 . The two second through holes  66  are communicated with the first receiving groove  62  and the second receiving groove  64 . 
         [0020]    It should be mentioned that although two second through holes  66  are disclosed, more second through holes or fewer may be optionally adopted in the disclosed device while remaining well within the scope. 
         [0021]    The linkage mechanism  70  includes a sliding member  73  and a linkage rod  78 . The sliding member  73  is secured to the securing rod  60 . The linkage rod  78  is connected between the actuator  50  and the sliding member  73 . 
         [0022]    The sliding member  73  includes a first sliding strip  72  and a second sliding strip  74 . The first sliding strip  72  is received in the first receiving groove  62 . The second sliding strip  74  is received in the second receiving groove  64 . Two third through holes  720  are defined in the first sliding strip  72 . Two first protrusions  742  are disposed on the second sliding strip  74  corresponding to the third through holes  720 . The first sliding strip  72  is connected to the second sliding strip  74  via the first protrusions  742  being protruded through the second through holes  66  and the third through holes  720 . A second protrusion  744  is disposed on an end of the second sliding strip  74  adjacent the linkage rod  78 . The second protrusion  744  defines a third shaft hole  744   a.    
         [0023]    The linkage rod  78  includes a body  780 , a second shaft  782 , and a third shaft  784 . The second and the third shafts  782 ,  784  are disposed on opposite ends of the body  780  corresponding to the second and the third shaft holes  562 ,  744   a . The linkage rod  78  is rotatablely connected to the actuator  50  via the second shaft  782  being pivotally fitted in the second shaft holes  562 . The second sliding strip  74  is rotatablely connected to the linkage rod  78  via the third shaft  784  being pivotally fitted in the third shaft hole  744   a.    
         [0024]    In this embodiment, the restriction portions  80  are protrusions disposed on the first sliding strip  72  corresponding to the locking portions  40  on the battery  10 . The restriction portions  80  can slide into and are engaged with the latching groove  42 , or slide out of the latching groove  42  and into the opening  44 . 
         [0025]    The restoring member  90  includes a first magnetic member  92  and a second magnetic member  94 . The first magnetic member  92  is received in the recess  54  on the key body  52 . The second magnetic member  94  is mounted on the upper end of the securing plate  29  corresponding to the first magnetic member  92  and thereby attracting the first magnetic member  92 . In this embodiment, the positive polarity of the first magnetic member  92  faces the negative polarity of the second magnetic member  94 . In another embodiment, one of the first magnetic member  92  and the second magnetic member  94  is a magnet, and the other of the first magnetic member  92  and the second magnetic member  94  is made of a material attractable by the magnet. For example, the first magnetic member  92  may be a magnet and the second magnetic member  94  may be made of a material attractable with the first magnet member  92 , and vice versa. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the battery  10  needs to be moved from the housing  20 , the actuator  50  is pressed, thereby, driving the linkage rod  78  and the first sliding strip  72  to move. The second sliding strip  74  moves along a direction parallel to the substrate  22 , so that the restriction portions  80  slide out of the latching groove  42  becoming aligned with the opening  44 . The restriction portions  80  are therefore separated from the latching portions  40 , and the battery  10  can be removed from the housing  20 . 
         [0027]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , when the battery  10  needs to be assembled to the housing  20 , the restriction portions  80  are pushed into the opening  40  and the actuator  50  becomes loosened, the second magnetic member  94  attracts the first magnetic member  92  to drive the linking rod  78 , the first sliding strip  72 , and the second sliding strip  74  to return to an initial position, so that the restriction portions  80  are latched into the latching groove  42 . The battery  10  is therefore assembled in the housing  20 . 
         [0028]    It is to be understood, when the locking portion  40  includes two protrusions, the restriction portion  80  defines two latching grooves corresponding to the protrusions of the locking portion  40 . 
         [0029]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the 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 details, especially in matters of 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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6