Many aspects of the present slide button and the present case with the slide button can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present device. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the preferred embodiments of the present slide button and the present case with the slide button, in detail.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The operating portion 42 is an oblong piece for users to operate thereon. The operating portion 42 is received in the housing 220, and slideably reciprocates along a sliding direction parallel to an elongated side of the housing 220. A plurality of projections 422 extends perpendicularly from a first surface 420 of the operating portion 42 to increase static friction between operators and the operating portion 42. The projections 422 are used for preventing slips when an operating force is applied on the operating portion 42. A recess 424 is defined in the first surface 420 for indicating a current mode of the electronic device 99 by aligning with a mark (not shown) printed or a scratch (not shown) carved on the side wall 22 of the cover 20. A pair of ribs 428 is formed on a second surface 426 opposite to the first surface 420, distributed on two lateral sides of the second surface 426. The ribs 428 are used for contacting with the bottom 224 of the housing 220 and decreasing a contacting area between the operating portion 42 and the bottom 224 as a result, thus allowing the operating portion 42 to smoothly slide in the housing 220.
The activating portion 44 extends from a center of the second surface 426, and is used for activating the toggle switch 52 on the circuit board 50 via the first cutout 226. The activating portion 44 includes a connecting board 440 perpendicularly extending from the second surface 426, and a pair of tail fins 442 sandwiching the connecting board 440 therebetween. Each of the tail fin 442 forms a tab 444 protruding therefrom at an end corner thereof, and forms a round corner 446 at an adjacent end corner for easily being inserted through the first cutout 226.
The positioning portion 46 extends out from the activating portion 44. The positioning portion 46 is spaced apart from the operating portion 42, and sandwiches the bottom 224 of the housing 220 together with the operating portion 42. The positioning portion 46 includes an extending board 460 and a pair of side fins 462. The extending board 460 intersects perpendicularly with the connecting board 440 of the activating portion 44. The side fins 462 each protrude from one of two opposite ends of the extending board 460. Each of the side fins 462 forms a wedge 464 at a tail thereof for easily extending through the corresponding second cutout 228.
Referring to
Referring to
The tabs 444 of the tail fins 442 of the slide button 40 slantways extend through the first cutout 226 in the cover 20. The round corners 446 of the tail fins 442 rotate around contacting points of the tabs 444 and the bottom 224 of housing 220 to extend though the first cutout 226 of the cover 20. After the above extending and rotating procedures, rear portions of the tail fins 442 are across the bottom 224 of the housing 220, and the slide button 40 is horizontally positioned.
The wedges 464 of the side fins 462 are gradually inserted into the second cutouts 228 in the cover 20, and crush through the second cutouts 228 to secure to the cover 20 with the operating portion 42 and the positioning portion 46 sandwiching the bottom 224 of the housing 220 therebetween. The side fins 464 are blocked by the bottom 226 of the housing 220 to prevent the slide button 40 from disengaging from the cover 20.
Referring to
When changing a current mode of the electronic device 99, the slide button 40 thereof is pushed to slide along the housing 220. The tip 520 of the toggle switch 52 is forced to sway or slide along with the slide button 40. A mode of the toggle switch 52 is changed, and the current mode of the electronic device 99 is thus changed accordingly.
In alternative embodiments, the tail fins 442 may be omitted, if the side fins 462 are structurally reachable by the tip 520 of the toggle switch 52. The structure of the slide button 40 is simpler than a two-piece type slide button. In other alternative embodiments, the tail fins 442 may be replaced by only one tail fin 442 formed along a center line of the connecting board 440 or a plurality of tail fins 442 distributed in uniform intervals on the connecting board 440.
The electronic device 99 utilizes the integrally formed slide button 40 of a single piece to simplify a structure thereof. The positioning portion 46 of the button 40 adopts a symmetrical structure to balance a weight thereof. Furthermore, the slide button 40 is easy to assemble as above mentioned and prevents the slide button 40 from disassembling due to blocking function of the bottom 226 of the housing 220. The slide button 40 can be utilized by many electronic devices, such as a portable computer, a DVD player, and a game player.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, including any preferred embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementation of the principles of the invention, and are merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and be protected by the following claims.