Patent Document

CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of an application entitled “Cover Device For Fixing Portion” filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 7, 2011 and assigned Serial No. 10-2011-0067173, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a fixing device, and more particularly to a cover device for covering a fastening member, such as a screw for fixedly assembling a case of a portable terminal or the like. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general, portable electronic terminals, such as mobile communication terminals, tablet PCs and portable game machines, or household electric appliances, such as TV sets and vacuum cleaners, include case members formed from a synthetic material or a metallic material so as to receive and protect various circuit devices and input/output devices. The case housing the components is completed by assembling and fastening the case members to each other, using fastening members, such as screws. In a case of a terminal box for wiring of a house or a building, or the like, an external case may be fixed to the terminal box, using fastening members, such as screws. However, holes for fastening the screws or the fastened screws are unavoidably exposed to the outside. 
         [0006]    For portable terminals, especially for mobile communication terminals, consumers&#39; demands are diversified in terms of design and external appearance. As a result, in order to improve the designs and appearances of portable terminals to be more pleasing and marketable, various efforts are made to reduce inter-part boundaries and to prevent fastening members or the like from being exposed to the exterior. 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional cover device for a fixing portion of a case assembly. As shown, the cover device includes a cover member  19  for covering a screw hole  13  and a screw  17  and preventing them from being exposed to the outside of a case member  11 . The screw hole  13  extends through the inner and outer surfaces of the case member  11 , and the screw  17  is fastened through the screw hole  13  to couple the case member  11  with another case member or to fix a circuit board or the like received in the case member  11  to the case member  11 . A seating groove  15  is formed around the screw hole  13  on the outer surface of the case member  11 , in which the head of the screw  17  is seated within the seating groove  13  so that the head does not protrude from the outer surface of the case member  11 . Also, the cover member  19  is forcedly fitted and then fixedly seated in the seating groove  15  or is seated in the seating groove  15 , then fixed therein by using an adhesive member, such as a double sided adhesive tape. As the cover member  19  has been seated in the seating groove  15 , the screw  17  is concealed by the cover member  19  and the outer surface of the cover member  19  is kept generally flush with the outer surface of the case member  11 . 
         [0008]    As a result, the screw hole  13 , the seating groove  15 , and the fastening member  17  fastened to the screw hole  13 , which may be otherwise exposed to the outside of the case member  11  without the cover member  19 , are concealed by the cover member  19 . In this state, although the cover member  11  may provide a visual sense of difference, the cover member  19  can improve the external appearance of the case member  11 , and hence the external appearance of a terminal or the like, to which the case member  11  is applied, can be made to be more appealing. 
         [0009]    However, the conventional cover device for a fixing portion as described above has problems in that when the cover member is separated for the purpose of replacing or repairing internal components, the possibility of losing the cover member is high, and also the cover member may be damaged or deformed in the process of separating it. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art and provides additional advantages, by providing a cover device which can alleviate the damage and deformation of a cover member and also prevent the cover member from being lost when changing and/or repairing internal components of assemblies, while improving the various external appearances of the assemblies to be more appealing. 
         [0011]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a cover device for a fixing portion includes: a coupling hole formed at a side of the fixing portion; and a cover member rotatably coupled with the coupling hole to selectively close the fixing portion. 
         [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cover device for a fixing portion having a fastening member and a fastening hole includes: a coupling hole formed at a side of the fastening hole; a cover member rotatably coupled with the coupling hole to selectively close the fastening hole and the fastening member coupled with the fastening hole; and a coupling boss formed on the inner surface of the cover member, the coupling boss being rotatably engaged in the coupling hole to make the cover member rotatable. 
         [0013]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a terminal housing comprised of a pair of casings includes an elastic cover member for covering a fixing portion that hold the pair of casings together, and a coupling opening provided at one side of the fixing portion to rotatably coupled to the coupling opening; 
         [0014]    By forming the coupling hole adjacent to the fastening hole and rotatably coupling the cover member to a case member, the cover device configured as described above can prevent the cover member from being lost during fastening or separating the fastening member. In addition, by fixing the cover member to the case member, or fabricating the cover member using an elastic material, it is possible to alleviate the damage or deformation of the cover member when separating the cover member from the case member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a conventional cover device showing a fixing portion area; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a portable terminal employing a case assembly having a cover device for covering a fixing portion area in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the case assembly of the portable terminal shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view showing the cover device for covering a fixing portion of the case assembly shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a part of the cover device shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the cover member shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view for describing a process of assembling the cover member shown in  FIG. 4  to a fastening hole; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view showing the cover member of  FIG. 7  assembled to the fastening hole. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purposes of clarity and simplicity, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted as it may make the subject matter of the present invention unclear. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show an example of a portable terminal  100  with a case assembly which is provided with a cover device for covering a fixing portion area in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0026]    The portable terminal  100  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  corresponds to a tablet PC as an illustrative example. The terminal  100  includes a display device  131 , which is provided on the front side of the terminal  100  and has a touch screen function. A speaker opening, various keys for use in controlling power and volume, and a connector for connecting an external appliance, such as a charger or a computer, may be provided on the lateral sides of the terminal  100 . The case assembly of the terminal  100  is completed by assembling a pair of case members  101  and  103  to each other, and then fixing the case members  101  and  103  to each other through fastening members, such as screws. 
         [0027]    Although the present embodiment discusses a cover device for covering a fixing portion applied to a portable terminal as an example, the inventive cover device can be applied to other consumer electric appliances, such as a television set or a vacuum cleaner, or a terminal box for wiring of a house or a building. 
         [0028]    Now, the construction of a cover device for concealing a fixing portion to be used for coupling the case members  101  and  103  to each other will be described with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 8 . 
         [0029]    The cover device includes a coupling hole  115  formed adjacent to a fastening hole  113 , and a cover member  102  coupled with the coupling hole  115 . The cover member  102  is rotatably joined to the coupling hole  115  to selectively conceals the fastening member  141  fastened to the fastening hole  113 . 
         [0030]    The fastening hole  113  is formed through the outer and inner surfaces of one (“first case member”) of the case members  101  and  103 , and the fastening member  141  is coupled through the fastening hole  113 . A stepped groove may be formed around the fastening hole  113  on the outer surface of the first case member  101  so as to receive the head of the fastening member  141 . The fastening member  141  is inserted through the fastening hole  113  and is then coupled with a circuit board (not shown) disposed inside of the first case member  101 , and with the inner surface of the second case member  103  among the case members  101  and  103 . Depending on the position of the fastening hole  113 , the fastening member  141  may be coupled with a speaker module, a switch module, or a microphone module, instead of the circuit board. That is, depending on the position of the fastening hole  113 , the fastening member  141  may fix circuit devices disposed within the first and second case members  101  and  103  to the inside of the first and second case members  101  and  103 . 
         [0031]    The fastening hole  113  may be formed in any of various assemblies, such as a case of a portable terminal or a case of a terminal box, to provide a space for coupling a fastening member, such as a screw, so that the fastening hole  113  may be used for assembling, coupling and/or fixing the assembly. 
         [0032]    The coupling hole  115  is formed through the inner and outer surfaces of the first case member  101  at one side of the fastening hole  113 . The cover member  102  is rotatably coupled with the coupling hole  115  by means of a coupling boss  123  formed on the inner surface of the cover member  102 . The coupling boss  123  includes a rotary part  123   a , which vertically protrudes from the inner surface of the body  121  of the cover member  102 , and a support part  123   b , which is provided at the end of the rotary part  123   a . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the support part  123   b  has a diameter larger than that of the rotary part  123   a , and thus the entire cross-sectional shape of the coupling boss  123  is similar to the letter “T”. 
         [0033]    The cover member  102  may be formed from an elastic material, e.g. a silicone or urethane material, and the coupling boss  123  is also formed from an elastic material. If the coupling boss  123  is forcedly inserted to the coupling hole  115  from the outer surface of the first case member  101 , the support part  123   b  is temporarily compressed and then introduced into the inside of the first case member  101 . As a result, the rotary part  123   a  is positioned within the coupling hole  115 , and the support part  123   b  is abutted against the inner surface of the first case member  101 . However, as described in more detail later, the cover device may further include a boss assembling hole  117  so as to facilitate the assembling of the cover member  102  with the first case member  101 . 
         [0034]    As the rotary part  123   b  has been rotatably disposed within the coupling hole  115 , the cover member  102  is also rotatable about the rotary part  123   a  on the first case member  101 . The body  121  of the cover member  102  extends perpendicularly to the rotary part  123   a , and the rotary part  123   a  is positioned adjacent to one lateral end of the body  121 . Therefore, if the cover member  102  is rotated about the rotary part  123   a , a part of the outer surface of the first case member  101  is opened or closed by the cover member  102 . Therefore, in a state in which the fastening member  141  is coupled with the fastening hole  113 , the fastening hole  113 , more particularly the fastening member  141 , can be selectively concealed by the cover member  102 . 
         [0035]    As described above, the cover device may further include a boss assembling hole  117  in order to facilitate the assembling of the cover member  102 , more particularly the coupling boss  123 , with the first case member  101 . Also, the coupling boss  123  has a supporting part  123   b  formed at the end of the rotary part  123   a , and the supporting part  123   b  is abutted against the inner surface of the first case member  101 . Here, the supporting part  123   b  inevitably has a diameter larger than that of the coupling hole  115 . Therefore, the boss assembling hole  117  is provided so as to enable the support part  123   b  to be easily engaged or assembled with the inner side of the first case member  101 . 
         [0036]    The boss assembling hole  117  is formed between the fastening hole  113  and the coupling hole  115  and extends from the coupling hole  115 . The boss assembling hole  117  preferably has a larger diameter, more particularly a diameter larger than that of the supporting part  123   b . By providing the boss assembling hole  117 , the supporting part  123   b  can be introduced into the inside of the first case member  101  through the boss assembling hole  117  in the direction indicated by arrow A 1 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . If the cover member  102  is moved in the direction indicated by arrow A 2  in a state in which the supporting part  123   b  has been positioned on the inner surface of the first case member  101 , the rotary part  123   a  is introduced into the coupling hole  115 , and the supporting part  123   b  is abutted against the inner surface of the first case member  101  around the coupling hole  115 . 
         [0037]    In order to prevent the cover member  102  from protruding from the outer surface of the first case member in a state in which the fastening hole  113  and the fastening member  141  are concealed by the cover member  102 , the cover device may include a seating groove  111 . The seating groove  111  is formed on the outer surface of the first case member  101 , so that the fastening hole  113  and the coupling hole  115  are preferably positioned within the seating groove  111 . When the cover member  102  has been received within the seating groove  111 , not only the fastening hole  113  but the seating groove  111  is also concealed, and the outer surface of the cover member  102  is flush with the outer surface of the first case member  101 . 
         [0038]    Meanwhile, if the first case member  101  is applied to a rear case of a notebook computer or a tablet PC, a part of the cover member  102  may be formed to protrude from the outer surface of the first case member  101 . In such a case, since the cover member  102  is formed from an elastic material, it may provide an anti-slip function when the notebook computer or the tablet PC is laid on a smooth surface. 
         [0039]    If the cover member  102  has a size somewhat substantially larger than the seating groove  111 , the cover member  102  may be stably fixed within the seating groove  111  when the cover member  102  has been seated within the seating groove  111 . In other words, since the cover member  102  is fabricated from an elastic material and thus may be compressively deformed, the cover member  102  can be tightly received within the seating groove  111  even when the cover member  102  is larger than the seating groove  111 . As such, the circumferential area of the cover member  102  can be in a close tight contact with and fixed to the inner wall of the seating groove  111  in a state in which the cover member  102  has been received in the seating groove  111 . 
         [0040]    In accordance with the present embodiment, the cover device may further include an adhesive member  129 , one or more holding grooves  119 , and one or more holding lugs  125  so as to fix the cover member  102  more stably in the seating groove  111 . As shown, the adhesive member  129  is located on a part of the entire area of the seating groove  111  around the fastening hole  113 . 
         [0041]    Here, the adhesive member  129  may be formed of a double sided adhesive tape. When the fastening hole  113  or the fastening member  141  is exposed by removing the cover member  102 , the cover member  102  is rotated about the rotary part  123   a . The adhesive member  129  attaches the inner surface of the cover member  102  to the seating groove  111  around the fastening hole  113 , so as to fix the cover member  102  within the seating groove  111 . Therefore, in order to minimize the attachment of the cover member  102  to the adhesive member  129  while the cover member  102  is being rotated, it is desirable that the adhesive member  129  is not disposed around the coupling hole  115 . Preferably, the holding grooves  119  are formed around the fastening hole  113 , and the holding lugs  125  are formed around the edge of the cover member body  121 . When the cover member  102  has been seated in the seating groove  111 , the holding lugs  125  are engaged with the holding grooves  119 , respectively, so that the cover member  102  is tightly fixed in the seating groove  111 . As a result, the cover member  102  is tightly retained in the seating groove  111  by the coupling boss  123  at one side of the cover member  102  and by the holding lugs  125  at the other side thereof. 
         [0042]    It is noted that although the adhesive member  129 , the holding grooves  119 , and the holding lug  125  are elements for fixing the cover member  102  to the seating groove  111 , they are not indispensable to the construction of the inventive cover device since the cover member  102  itself can be fitted into the seating groove  111  through the forced inserting or forced fitting as described above. 
         [0043]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view showing a state in which the cover member  102  is released from the closed state and rotated away from the fastening member  141 , thus exposing the fastening member  141  fastened in the fastening hole  113 . In  FIG. 8 , although the cover member  102  has escaped out of the seating groove  111 , the cover member  102  is not separated from the first case member  101  since the supporting part  123   b  is rotably coupled to the rotating hole  115  and still abutted against the inner surface of the first case member  101 . In the state in which the fastening member  141  has been exposed in this manner, the fastening member  141  can be separated or reassembled. After the fastening member  141  is fully fastened, the body  121  of the cover member  102  can be rotated to be positioned on and fixedly seated in the seating groove  111  for closing. 
         [0044]    While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5