Patent Grant
8711559
The present disclosure relates to a cover for a portable electronic device, and more specifically, to a push to release cover for a portable electronic device.
The manufacture and design of today's portable electronic devices, for example, mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs, laptop computers, is constantly evolving. Early portable electronic device designs were necessarily large and bulky. Advances in circuitry and storage technology have enabled portable electronic device designers to create smaller and smaller devices. These instruments are not only lighter, but also less cumbersome and easier to transport. Today's portable electronic devices have become more fashionable, at the same time provide an increasing number of functionalities.
The ever decreasing sizes of today's portable electronic devices have the unintended consequence of requiring not only the electronic parts, but also the mechanical parts to shrink in size. One example of such mechanical parts is the cover for the portable electronic devices.
As a consequence, the cover latch 106 is generally designed in the rear and on the sides of the housing of the portable electronic device 100. The design of an opening in the center may prove to be not desirable to consumers. For example, the opening in the back of the portable electronic device may not be aesthetically appealing to consumers. Furthermore, a user's nail may be damaged when used to open the cover.
Therefore, there is a need for a cover latch mechanism without an opening for a contemporary designed portable electronic device.
These and other features of the patent disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:
In accordance with one embodiment of the present patent disclosure there is provided a cover assembly for a portable electronic device. The cover assembly comprises a cover for the portable electronic device, which comprises: two cover extensions extending substantially perpendicular from the cover. Each of the two cover extensions has an abutment at the end of the cover extension facing each other. A span width is defined between the cover extensions. The cover assembly further comprises an angular spring having a center and two wings with upwards arcuate ends spanning substantially the span width. Each of the wings forms a bias angle relative to a line extending from one upward arcuate end to the other. The cover assembly further comprises two housing extensions extending from a surface of the portable electronic device. Each of the housing extensions has a protrusion mating the corresponding abutment of the cover extension, and a guide with a form substantially corresponding the upwards arcuate end of the angular spring. When a force is applied to the center of the angular spring, the bias angle decreases and the upwards arcuate ends are urged upwards, thereby causing the abutments moving outwards, and unlocking the protrusions.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present patent disclosure there is provided a portable electronic device comprising the cover assembly.
Preferably, the cover is resilient.
Preferably, the cover is in contact with a center of the angular spring.
Preferably, the cover is a back cover of the portable electronic device.
Preferably, the cover is a battery cover of the portable electronic device.
Preferably, the bias angle is between 1° to 30°, more preferably between 1° to 20°, and even more preferably between 1° to 10°.
Preferably, the cover extensions are extended from the edges of the cover.
Preferably, the angular spring is attached to the cover.
Preferably, the cover extensions are along two entire edges of the portable electronic device.
Preferably, the center and the two upwards arcuate ends of the angular spring are in a single plane.
Preferably, the center of the angular spring is wider than the two upwards arcuate ends.
Preferably, the span width substantially corresponds to a width of the portable electronic device.
Preferably, the cover has a protrusion in the center.
Reference will now be made in detail to some specific embodiments of the patent disclosure including the best modes contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the patent disclosure. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the patent disclosure is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the patent disclosure to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the patent disclosure as defined by the appended claims. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present patent disclosure. The present patent disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present patent disclosure.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the patent disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
For the purposes of the present specification and appended claims, the terms “upwards” and “downwards” refer to direction when the portable electronic devices is in a face-down, cover-up position, such as depicted in
Referring to
The cover assembly 200 includes a cover 202 and two extensions 204, 206 extending from the cover 200. The extensions as illustrated are substantially perpendicular to the cover 202. In various embodiments, other forms of extension may also be used as known in the art. At the end of each of the two extensions 204, 206 there is an abutment or protrusion 208, 210 facing each other. The distance between the cover extensions 204, 206 is considered as a span width 214.
In the illustrated embodiment in
In various embodiments, the cover 202 may be a back cover of the portable electrical device, for example but not limited to, a battery cover of the portable electrical device.
A second component of the cover assembly 200 is an angular spring 216. As best illustrated by
Referring to
Referring again to
Each of the housing extensions 226, 228 has a protrusion 230, 232 mating the corresponding abutment 208, 210 of the cover extension 204, 206. In the depicted embodiments, the abutments 208, 210 have a triangular profile, while the corresponding protrusions 230, 232 have an upwardly inclined shape. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, a variety of other mating shapes, for example but nor limited to, circular, chamfered, arcuate, may also be employed according to several embodiments to lock the cover. In the present patent disclosure, the term “mating” is intended to describe a portion of the cover surface and a portion of the housing surface, which provides a latching mechanism when the cover is engaged with the housing of the portable electronic device.
Each housing extension 226, 228 also has a guide 234, 236 which is formed substantially corresponding to the upwards arcuate end 222, 224 of the angular spring 216.
The cover 202 of the portable electronic device is typically made of a flexible and/or resilient material, for example but not limited to, durable polymer, composite material or metal as known in the art.
Referring to
In the embodiment illustrated in
In yet other embodiments of the present patent disclosure, the angular spring may be attached to the cover or to the housing of the portable electronic device.
The angular spring 216 may be made of diverse flexible and/or resilient material as understood by a skilled artisan. Preferably, the angular spring 216 is made of metal. The thickness of the angular spring 216 may be between 0.1 to 2 mm, preferably between 0.2 to 0.4 mm.
In the embodiment illustrated in
While the patent disclosure is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the patent disclosure to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the patent disclosure as defined by the appended claims. In the above description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present patent disclosure. The present patent disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present patent disclosure.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/909,202 filed on Oct. 21, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120099258 A1 | Apr 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12909202 | Oct 2010 | US |
| Child | 13274604 | US |
