Battery cover locking mechanism of a mobile terminal and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844158-B2
Application number	US-201615381311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a locking mechanism in a mobile terminal and method of manufacturing the same. The locking mechanism comprises a lock button, a slide latch, and spring member. The slide latch may slide between a first position and a second position and comprises a hole and snaps, the hole is on the top of the slide latch and extends through the slide latch, the snaps are at the front side of the slide latch. The lock button is in the hole and comprises a press part and a support part, the support part being connected to the press part and extending downward from the press part through the hole to be in contact with the contact part on the spring member; the spring member is fixed with the slide latch and comprises an spring reaction part, a contact part and a protrusion part, the contact part being in contact with the support part of the lock button and a force from the support part causing a spring deformation in the spring reaction part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A locking mechanism in a mobile terminal, comprising a lock button, a slide latch, a spring member, and a portion of a back housing body:
the slide latch is configured to be slid between a first position and a second position, and the slide latch comprises a hole and at least one snap, the hole is positioned at a top of the slide latch and extends through the slide latch, the at least one snap is positioned at a front side of the slide latch;
the lock button is in the hole and comprises a press part and a support part, the support part being connected to the press part and extending downward from the press part through the hole to be in contact with a contact part of the spring member;
the spring member is mounted to the slide latch and comprises a spring reaction part, the contact part and a protrusion part;
the protrusion part of the spring is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the protrusion part is biased toward the locked position;
the portion of the back housing body is configured to engage the protrusion part of the spring while the protrusion part is in the locked position, so that the portion of the back housing body restricts the slide latch from sliding between the first position and the second position;
the contact part of the spring being in contact with the support part of the lock button so that when a force is provided from the support part to the contact part a spring deformation occurs in the spring reaction part;
the locking mechanism is configured so that when an external force is applied to the press part of the lock button to move the lock button downward, the support part of the lock button transfers the force to the contact part of the spring member so that the contact part applies the force to the spring reaction part to result in a spring deformation, the spring deformation causes the contact part to move, thereby moving the protrusion part relative to the portion of the back housing body into the unlocked position; and
the locking mechanism is configured so that when the protrusion part is in the unlocked position, the slide latch can be slid between the first position and the second position for engaging or disengaging the at least one snap.

2. The locking mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the press button further comprises a fixing part for preventing detachment of the press button from the hole.

3. The locking mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the spring member is made of a spring sheet, and the spring member further comprises a flat part, and the flat part, the spring reaction part, the contact part and the protrusion part are respectively connected to one another.

4. The locking mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the back housing body is positioned between the spring member and the slide latch, and the locking mechanism is configured so that when no external force is applied to the press part of the lock button, the protrusion part is blocked by a first side of the the portion of the back housing body.

5. The locking mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured so that when the external force is applied to the press part of the lock button, the spring deformation causes the contact part to move downward, thereby causing the protrusion part to move downward, so that a first side of the protrusion part moves away from blocking range of the first side of the portion of the back housing body.

6. The locking mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured so that when the first side of the protrusion part moves away from the blocking range of the first side of the portion of the back housing body, the slide latch is able to slide a distance, then in response to the external force being removed so that the spring deformation of the spring reaction part is reversed, the contact part causes the protrusion part to move upward to another position where a second side of the protrusion part is blocked by a second side of the portion of the back housing body.

7. The locking mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the portion of the back housing body is a first portion of the back housing body, there is a second portion of the back housing body, a gap is formed in the contact part of the spring member, and the locking mechanism is configured so that when the external force is not applied to the press part of the lock button, an edge of the gap is blocked by the second portion of the back housing body.

8. The locking mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of sliding slots are defined in the back housing body, the spring member is mounted to the slide latch by fasteners that extend through respective sliding slots of the plurality of sliding slots, and the sliding latch and the spring member can move relative to the plurality of sliding slots, the portion of the back housing body is positioned between two adjacent sliding slots of the plurality of sliding slots.

9. A mobile terminal comprising the back housing body and a battery cover, wherein
the locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 - 8 is located in the back housing body;
the at least one snap comprises at least one first snap; and
at least one second snap is formed on the battery cover, for engaging with the at least one first snap on the slide latch of the locking mechanism to fix the back housing body and the battery cover together.

10. A method of manufacturing a locking mechanism in a mobile terminal, the locking mechanism comprising a lock button, a slide latch, a spring member, and a portion of a back housing body, the method comprising:
providing the slide latch, the slide latch being configured to be slid between a first position and a second position, and the slide latch comprises a hole and at least one snap, the hole is positioned at a top of the slide latch and extends through the slide latch, and the at least one snap is positioned at a front side of the slide latch;
providing the lock button in the hole, the lock button comprising a press part and a support part, the support part being connected to the press part and extending downward from the press part through the hole to be in contact with a contact part of the spring member; and
providing the spring member so that
the spring member is mounted to the slide latch,
the spring member comprises a spring reaction part, the contact part and a protrusion part,
the protrusion part of the spring is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the protrusion part is biased toward the locked position, the portion of the back housing body is configured to engage the protrusion part of the spring while the protrusion part is in the locked position to restrict the slide latch from sliding between the first position and the second position,
the contact part of the spring is in contact with the support part of the lock button so that when a force is provided from the support part to the contact part a spring deformation occurs in the spring reaction part;

wherein the locking mechanism is configured so that when an external force is applied to the press part of the lock button to move the lock button downward, the support part transfers the force to the contact part of the spring member so that the contact part applies the force to the spring reaction part to result in a spring deformation, the spring deformation causes the contact part to move, thereby moving the protrusion part relative to the portion of the back housing body into the unlocked position; and
wherein the locking mechanism is configured so that when the protrusion part is in the unlocked position, the slide latch can be slid between t

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Shi Wei
• Li Wei
• Liu Kop
• Liu Yeqi
• Wang Chuanfang
• Zhao Jingo

Classifications

• H05K5/0256

  of interchangeable modules or receptacles therefor, e.g. cartridge mechanisms · CPC title

• H05K5/0221 Primary

  Locks; Latches · CPC title

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• H04M1/0262 Primary

  for a battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F1/1635

  Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter · CPC title