Battery cover latch
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorMichael P. Goldenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A housing (12) for a portable electronic device (10) has a battery compartment cover (14) and a latch (20). The latch has a cantilevered beam (42) that rotates about a base (40) fixed to the housing. The cover has a notch (38) on an inner surface (36). An engagement end (44) of the cantilevered beam rotates into the notch for securing the cover to the housing. Application of an external force on the cover approximately opposite the latch in a direction toward the latch causes the engagement end of the cantilevered beam to rotate out of the notch to disengage the latch. Application of an external force on the cover in a direction only toward an opened position for the cover causes the latch to engage the cover with more force.
Claims17
A latch for a portable electronic device having a housing, the housing having a compartment with an opening, and a cover, the cover moveable into a closed position for covering the opening into into an opened position for exposing the opening, the cover having an inside surface and an outside surface with a notch on the inside surface, comprising:
- a base integrally molded to the housing:
- a cantilevered beam integrally molded to the base, wherein the cantilevered beam rotates relative to the base as the cover is moved from the opened position to the closed position, and
- an engagement end distal from the base, the engagement end for mating with the notch when the cover is in the closed position thereby preventing movement of the cover toward the opened position, wherein the cantilevered beam is rotable relative to the base when an external force applied at the outside surface of the cover is in a direction toward the latch, and wherein the latch releases the cover for movement from the closed position toward the opened position when a displacement of the cover in a direction toward the compartment resultant from the external force is sufficient to rotate the engagement end out of the notch.
A latch for a portable electronic device having a housing, the housing having a compartment with an opening, and a cover, the cover moveable into a closed position for covering the opening and into an opened position for exposing the opening, the cover having an inside surface and an outside surface with a notch on the inside surface, comprising
- a base integrally molded to the housing;
- a cantilevered beam integrally molded to the base, wherein the cantilevered beam rotates relative to the base as the cover is moved from the opened position to the closed position;
- and
- an engagement end distal from the base, the engagement end for mating with the notch when the cover is in the closed position thereby preventing movement of the cover toward the opened position, wherein the cantilevered beam is rotable relative to the base when an external force applied at the outside surface of the cover is in a direction toward the latch, and wherein the latch releases the cover for movement from the closed position toward the opened position when the external force is sufficient to rotate the engagement end out of the notch.
A portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a compartment with an opening;
- a cover, the cover moveable into a closed position for covering the opening and into an opened position for exposing the opening, the cover having an inside surface and an outside surface and a notch on the inside surface;
- a latch for securing the cover to the housing when the cover is in the closed position, the latch comprising:
- a base integrally molded to the housing,
- a cantilevered beam integrally molded to the base;
- and
- an engagement end distal from the base, the engagement end for mating with the notch when the cover is in the closed position thereby preventing movement of the cover toward the opened position, wherein the cantilevered beam is rotable relative to the base when an external force applied at the outside surface of the cover is in a direction toward the latch, and wherein the inside surface of the cover is in contact with the cantilevered beam at an area of contact on the cantilevered beam when the cover is in the closed position, the area of contact being relatively near the base and relatively far from the engagement end, and wherein sliding movement of the cover from the opened position to the closed position imparts via the area of contact a rotational movement to the cantilevered beam.
A portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a compartment with an opening;
- a cover, the cover moveable into a closed position for covering the opening and into an opened position for exposing the opening, the cover having an inside surface and an outside surface and a notch on the inside surface;
- a latch for securing the cover to the housing when the cover is in the closed position, the latch comprising:
- a base integrally molded to the housing,
- a cantilevered beam integrally molded to the base:
- and
- an engagement end distal from the base, the engagement end for mating with the notch when the cover is in the closed position thereby preventing movement of the cover toward the opened position, wherein the cantilevered beam is rotatable relative to the base when an external force applied at the outside surface of the cover is in a direction toward the latch, wherein the latch releases the cover for movement from the closed position toward the opened position when the external force is sufficient to rotate the engagement end out of the notch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.