Sliding lid with anchoring structure for electronic devices

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6762361
  • Patent Number
    6,762,361
  • Date Filed
    Monday, April 21, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 13, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A sliding lid with an anchoring structure for covering a signal transmission port of an electronic device includes a housing of the electronic device, a first lid and a second lid. The housing has a first opening and a second opening corresponding respectively to the upper side and a lateral side of the signal transmission port. The first lid and the second lid correspond to the first opening and the second opening. The second lid is pivotally engaged with the first lid. The second lid may be slid in the second opening and spare a slot opening to allow a flat cable to pass through. The first lid is pivotally turned to cover the first opening. The invention improves the convenience of assembly and detachment of the lids, and also can prevent dusts or external objects from entering into the exposed signal transmission port of the electronic device.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The invention relates to a sliding lid with an anchoring structure for covering a signal transmission port of electronic devices, particularly to a sliding lid with an anchoring structure that improves the convenience of assembly and detachment and prevents dust or external objects from entering into the exposed signal transmission port.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Many electronic devices have a signal transmission port to connect other electronic devices through a flat cable for data-transmitting. Hence it is necessary to provide an opening on two normal side walls of the housing of the electronic device to mate the signal transmission port, receiving the flat cable for connecting other electronic devices. However, before the electronic devices are connected, the signal transmission ports are exposed and often contaminated by dust or external objects. That could result in poor connection or even dysfunction of the signal transmission port.




Lately, there has been design providing an L-shaped lid to cover the opening, formed on the two normal side walls of the housing of the electronic devices. To solve the problem mentioned above, the lid covers the opening when the electronic device is not connected externally. When the electronic device is connected, the L-shaped lid is removed from the opening for connecting the flat cable to the signal transmission port. However, such a design also has problems. For instance, when two electronic devices are too close to each other, or there is a need to inspect the flat cable, it is difficult to remove the L-shaped lid. Installation of the lid on the opening of the housing of the electronic device is also not easy.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, the primary object of the invention is to provide a sliding lid with an anchoring structure for electronic devices. The invention improves the convenience of detachment and assembly of a lid and prevents dust or external objects from entering into the exposed signal transmission port of electronic devices.




The sliding lid, with an anchoring structure for electronic devices of the invention, aims to cover the signal transmission port of electronic devices. It includes a housing of an electronic device, a first lid and a second lid. The housing has a first opening and a second opening corresponding respectively to an upper side and a lateral side of the signal transmission port. The first lid corresponds to the first opening. The second lid is pivotally engaged with the first lid and corresponds to the second opening. The second lid is slid in the second opening with lateral sides thereof coupling with lateral sides of the second opening but has space on one side of the second opening to form a slot opening. The first lid is pivotally engaged with the second lid and has one side reaching a lateral side of the first opening to cover the first and the second opening. Only the slot opening remains uncovered. Thus the invention improves the convenience of detachment and assembly of the lid, and prevents dust or external objects from entering into the exposed signal transmission port.




The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of the invention.





FIGS. 2A

,


2


B and


2


C are schematic views of the invention showing the operating conditions of the first lid and the second lid covering the first opening and the second opening.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 through 2C

, the sliding lid with an anchoring structure of the covers a signal transmission port for electronic devices. The invention includes a housing


10


of an electronic device, a first lid


20


and a second lid


30


. The housing


10


has a first opening


11


and a second opening


12


, corresponding respectively to an upper side and a lateral side of a signal transmission port


40


of the electronic device. The first opening


11


has latch troughs


111


, located on two lateral sides. The second opening


12


has two lateral sides each has a dovetail trough


121


and a bucking member


122


which is extended to form a bucking surface


123


.




The first lid


20


corresponds to the first opening


11


, and includes a bulged spot


21


and a sloped surface


22


. The bulged spot


21


is located on one lateral side of the first lid


20


corresponding to the latch trough


111


of the first opening, so when the side edge of the first lid


20


is coupled with the lateral side of the first opening


11


, the sloped surface


22


is located on one end of the first lid


20


. Moreover, the top surface of the first lid


20


has a greater length than the bottom surface to facilitate moving of the first lid with force to separate the bulged spot


21


from the latch trough


111


.




The second lid


30


has one end pivotally engaged with one end of the first lid


20


opposite to the sloped surface


22


. The second lid


30


corresponds to the second opening


12


. It includes a dovetail surface


31


and a ram ridge


32


. The dovetail surface


31


is located on the lateral side of the second lid


30


to couple with the dove tail trough


121


located on the lateral side of the second opening


12


so that the lateral side of the second lid


30


is coupled with the lateral side of the second opening


12


. The ram ridge


32


is located on an inner wall of the second lid


30


corresponding to the bucking members


122


, located on two lateral sides of the second opening


12


. When the second lid


30


slides in the second opening


12


, the ram ridge


32


presses the fastening parts


122


which is expanded outwards to allow the ram ridge


32


to pass through so that the second lid


30


may be anchored on the second opening


12


.




Referring to

FIGS. 2A

,


2


B and


2


C, when covering the first opening


11


and the second opening


12


with the first lid


20


and the second lid


30


, first, move the second lid


30


in contact with the bucking surface


123


on the lateral side of the second opening


12


, and slide the second lid


30


in the second opening


12


. During the sliding process, the dovetail surface


31


also slides in the dovetail trough


121


on the lateral side of the second opening


12


, and the ram ridge


32


on the inner wall presses the bucking member


122


to expand outwards so that the ram ridge


32


passes through the bucking member


122


to allow the second lid


30


be anchored on the second opening


12


to cover the second opening


12


. A slot opening


13


is spared to allow a flat cable


50


to pass through. Next, pivotally turn the first lid


20


relative to the second lid


30


to enable the first lid


20


to cover the first opening


11


. In the mean time, the bulged spot


21


on the lateral side of the first lid


20


is latched in the latch trough


111


on the lateral side of the first opening


11


so that the first lid


20


is anchored in the first opening


11


to cover the first opening


11


. Thus the invention is easily assembled.




For removing, apply a force on the sloped surface of the first lid


20


to move the bulged spot


21


on the lateral side of the first lid


20


away from the latch trough


111


on the lateral side of the first opening


11


; then pivotally turn the first lid


20


relative to the second lid


30


and apply a force on the second lid


30


such that the ram ridge


32


presses the bucking member


122


outwards and passes through, and the dovetail surface


31


on the lateral side of the second lid


30


is slid out of the dovetail trough


121


on the lateral side of the second opening


12


. Thus the lids are easily detached.




Moreover, as the first opening


11


and the second opening


12


are covered by the first lid


20


and the second lid


30


, the invention prevents dust or external objects from entering into the exposed signal transmission port


40


of the electronic device.




While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A sliding lid with an anchoring structure for covering a signal transmission port of electronic devices, comprising:a housing of an electronic device having a first opening and a second opening corresponding respectively to an upper side and a lateral side of the signal transmission port; a first lid corresponding to the first opening; and a second lid pivotally engaging with the first lid and corresponding to the second opening for sliding in the second opening with lateral sides of the second lid coupling with lateral sides of the second opening but sparing a slot opening; wherein after the first lid is pivotally turned relative to the second lid lateral sides of the first lid being coupled with lateral sides of the first opening to cover the first opening and the second opening except the slot opening.
  • 2. The sliding lid with an anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein the first lid includes a bulged spot located on a lateral side thereof, the first opening having a latch trough located on a lateral side thereof corresponding to the bulged spot for the lateral side of the first lid to couple with the lateral side of the first opening.
  • 3. The sliding lid with an anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein the first lid has a sloped surface on one end opposite to where the second lid is pivotally engaged, the first lid has a top surface of a greater length than the bottom surface thereof.
  • 4. The sliding lid with an anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein each of the lateral sides of the second lid forms a dovetail surface, and each of the lateral sides of the second opening forms a dovetail trough corresponding to the dovetail surface for the lateral sides of the second lid to couple with the lateral sides of the second opening.
  • 5. The sliding lid with an anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein the second lid has a ram ridge located on an inner wall, the second opening having two bucking members located on the lateral sides corresponding to the ram ridge such that the bucking members are pushed by the ram ridge and expanded outwards and to be passed through by the ram ridge for anchoring the second lid on the second opening.
  • 6. The sliding lid with an anchoring structure of claim 1, wherein the two lateral sides of the second opening have respectively a bucking surface to allow the second lid to press and slide in the second opening.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
91221026 U Dec 2002 TW
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
3746207 Lenhart Jul 1973 A
3784727 Haubein Jan 1974 A
4031312 Coleman et al. Jun 1977 A
5801331 Zachrai Sep 1998 A