Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to battery latching devices, and particularly to battery latching devices used in portable electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, etc. A latch structure is typically used with a battery cover to secure the battery to the electronic device. However, the battery cover can be damaged during disassembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references 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 exemplary battery latching device and portable electronic device using battery latching device. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of one embodiment of a battery latching devices used in a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including a first housing, a second housing and a sealing member. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a partially assembled view of which a stopping member, the sealing member and the first housing are assembled together. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing the sealing member in an opened position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a battery partially accommodated in the first housing shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but the battery is totally accommodated in the first housing shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , one embodiment of a battery latching device  60  ( FIG. 3 ) used in a portable electronic device  100  such as a mobile phone, includes a first housing  10 , a second housing  20  mounted to the first housing  10 , a battery  30  receivable in the first housing  10 , a stopping member  40  secured to the first housing  10 , and a sealing member  50  rotationally latched to the first housing  10 . 
         [0013]    The stopping member  40  is substantially a sheet member, and includes a body section  42 , two hook-shaped retaining sections  44  extending from opposite ends of the body section  42 , and a guiding section  46  perpendicularly extending from the middle of the body section  42 . The body section  42  is elastic and substantially arched. The retaining sections  44  are elastic and located on one side of the body section  42 . The guiding section  46  is substantially arched and bent toward the body section  42 . 
         [0014]    The sealing member  50  includes a rectangular base  52 , a mating portion  54  extending from one side of the base  52 , a pivot portion  56  located at the side of the base  52  with the mating portion  54 . The mating portion  54  is a hollow frame and has a plurality of resisting members  542  protruding from an outer side. The resisting members  542  are located away from the base  52  and configured for latching the sealing member  50  to the first housing  10 . The pivot portion  56  is a column protruding from the base  52  and adjacent to the mating portion  54 . The pivot portion  56  has a circular flange  562  around a peripheral wall thereof. The circular flange  562  is located apart from the base  52  and used for latching the pivot portion  56  to the first housing  10 . 
         [0015]    The first housing  10  includes a bottom wall  12  and sidewalls connecting with the bottom wall  12 . The sidewalls include a first sidewall  14 , a second sidewall  16  located opposite to the first sidewall  14 , and a third sidewall  18  perpendicularly connects the first sidewall  14  with the second sidewall  16 . 
         [0016]    The bottom wall  12  has two latching portions  122  protruding outwards and parallel to the first sidewall  14 . One of the latching portions  122  is adjacent to the first sidewall  14 , and another latching portion  122  is adjacent to the second sidewall  16 . Each latching portion  122  is L-shaped and includes a rectangular first sheet  1222  and a rectangular second sheet  1224 . The first sheet  1222  extends perpendicularly from the bottom wall  12 . The second sheet  1224  extends perpendicularly from a distal end of the first sheet  1222  towards the center of the first housing  10 , thus, a receiving space  124  is enclosed by the first sheet  1222 , the second sheet  1224 , and the bottom wall  12  of the housing  10 . The receiving space  124  is configured for receiving the battery  30 . The bottom wall  12  has a plurality of projection sliders  126  formed between the latching portions  122 . The projection sliders  126  are parallel with the latching portions  122 . The function of the projection sliders  126  is as follows: when the battery  30  is received in the receiving space  124 , the bottom wall of the battery  30  can contact with the projection sliders  126  to prevent bottom wall of the battery  30  from directly contacting the bottom wall  12  of the first housing  10 , so as to decrease frictional area of the battery  30  thus, decreasing friction force acted on the battery  30 , and further facilitate detaching the battery  30  from the receiving space  124 . 
         [0017]    The bottom wall  12  has a resisting portion  128  protruding parallel to the third sidewall  18 . The resisting portion  128  is opposite to the third sidewall  18 , i.e., the third sidewall  18  is located adjacent to one end of latching portion  122 , and the resisting portion  128  is positioned adjacent to another end of the latching portion  122 . The resisting portion  128  has an electric connector  1282  mounted for electrically connecting to the battery  30  when the battery  30  is resisting the resisting portion  128 . 
         [0018]    The bottom wall  12  has two brackets  129  protruding therefrom and positioned between the third sidewall  18  and the latching portions  122 . Each block  129  has a retaining groove  1292  defined in one side of the block facing another block  129 . The retaining sections  44  of the stopping member  40  are fixed in the retaining grooves  1292  to assemble the stopping member  40  to the first housing  10 . The bottom wall  12  defines a slot  130  between the two brackets  129 . The slot  130  corresponds to and configured for receiving the guiding section  46 . 
         [0019]    The third sidewall  18  defines an opening  182  and a hole  184 , and the opening  182  is adjacent to the hole  184 . The opening  182  corresponds to the mating portion  54  of the sealing member  50 , and has the same size and shape as the mating portion  54 . The opening  182  is configured for accommodating the mating portion  54 . The hole  184  corresponds to the pivot portion  56  of the sealing member  50 , and has the same size and shape as the pivot portion  56 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , to assemble the portable electronic device  100 , firstly, the stopping member  40  is bent to shortened its length, and thereby, accumulating an elastic force. Then, the stopping member  40  is inserted between the two brackets  129  of the first housing  10 , and the retaining sections  44  of the stopping member  40  are aligned with the retaining grooves  1292  of the brackets  129 . After that, the bending of the stopping member  40  is released/stopped such that the stopping member  40  stretches outwardly under the accumulated elastic force until the retaining sections  44  are fully accommodated into the retaining grooves  1292  correspondingly. At this time, the guiding section  46  is located over and bent toward the slot  130  of the first housing  10 , the retaining sections  44  are compressed in the retaining grooves  1292 , i.e., the retaining sections  44  tend to straighten and tightly secure the stopping member  40  to the first housing  10 . 
         [0021]    Then, the mating portion  54  of the sealing member  50  is aligned with the opening  182  of the first housing  10  with the pivot portion  56  of the sealing member  50  is aligned with the hole  184  of the first housing  10 . The sealing member  50  is pressed into the first housing  10  to snap the mating portion  54  in the opening  182  and latch the pivot portion  56  in the hole  184 . At this stage, as the mating portion  54  gradually enter into the opening  182 , the side wall of the opening  182  pushes the resisting members  542  so that the mating portion  54  is bent toward the center until the resisting members  542  pass through the opening  182 . 
         [0022]    Once the resisting members  542  passes through the opening  182 , the mating portion  54  restores to a normal state, as a result, the securing portion  542  restricts against the inner wall of the third sidewall  18  to prevent the mating portion  54  from disengaging from the first housing  10 . Because the pivot portion  56  has the same size and shape as the hole  184 , and the pivot portion  56  has the circular flange  562  surrounding the peripheral wall thereof, the circular flange  562  has the same shape as the hole  184  with a larger size than the hole  184 . Thus, the sealing member  50  becomes slidably restricted between the circular flange  562  and the base  52  of the sealing member  50  once the circular flange  562  is squeezed through the hole  184 , as a result that the pivot portion  56  is stably latched in the hole  184 . Then, the second housing  20  is mounted on the first housing  10  to form the portable electronic device  100 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , to insert the battery  30  into the first housing  10 , firstly, the mating portion  54  is pulled away from the opening  182  until the securing portion  542  is freed from the first housing  10 . Then, the sealing member  50  is rotated about the pivot portion  56  until the opening  182  is fully exposed. After that, the battery  30  is aligned with the opening  182 . 
         [0024]    Then, the battery  30  is pushed into the opening  182 . At this time, the battery  30  moves along the guiding section  46  and pushes the guiding section  46  into the slot  130 , as a result, the body section  42  of the stopping member  40  is bent towards the bottom wall  12  of the first housing  10 , and the battery  30  can slide through the opening  182  into the receiving space  124  of the latching portion  122 . 
         [0025]    Once the battery  30  is slid pass the stopping member  40 , the stopping member  40  restores to an original state, and the battery  30  is fully received in the receiving space  124 . At this time, the opposite ends of the battery  30  is limited between the resisting portion  128  and the stopping member  40 , and the opposite sides of the battery  30  is limited between the latching portions  122 . Thus the battery  30  is stably secured in the first housing  10  by the battery latching device  60  composed of the first housing  10 , the resisting portion  128 , the stopping member  40  and the latching portions  122 . 
         [0026]    Finally, the sealing member  50  is reversely rotated about the pivot portion  56  until the mating portion  54  is aligned with the opening  182  again, then push the sealing member  50  to make the mating portion  54  accommodated in the opening  182 , at this time, the resisting members  542  resist against the first housing  10  again. 
         [0027]    When detaching the battery  30  from the first housing  10 , firstly, the mating portion  54  is pulled away from the opening  182  until the resisting engagement between the securing portion  542  and the first housing  10  is released. Then, the sealing member  50  is rotated about the pivot portion  56  until the opening  182  is exposed. The stopping member  40  is pressed toward the bottom wall  12  of the first housing  10 , e.g., the stopping member  40  is leveled with the projection sliders  126 . At this time, the battery  30  is freed to slide out of the opening  182 . 
         [0028]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, 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.

Technology Category: h