JP2002216729A - Lock structure of battery lid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lock structure of a battery lid capable of making an enhancement of a workability of an exchange of the battery and a prevention of battery fallen down in an erroneous operation compatible in a portable information equipment. SOLUTION: The lock structure of the battery lid 1 detachably covers a battery storage part S provided at a body side of a device. A hook part 1b engaged with a first engagement part 20 formed near the battery storage part at the body side is projectingly provided at a tip end side 1B of the battery lid when the battery lid is moved in parallel to be attached/detached. An engagement piece 6 engaged with a second engagement part 30 at the body side is formed at a rear end side 1c of the battery lid. The first engagement part is provided with a through hole 2 formed by boring a casing at the body side and a butted part 1c is formed at a tip end of the hook part such that it faces the through hole when it is engaged with the first engagement part. When a projection (tip end P1 of a pen) is inserted from the outside of the through hole, the hook part at a tip end of the hook part and the butted part are pushed down and an engagement of the hook part and the first engagement part is released.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery cover locking structure, and more particularly to a battery used for portable information equipment and the like, which can improve the workability of battery replacement and prevent the battery from falling off due to erroneous operation. The present invention relates to a lid lock structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various types of portable information devices such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) specialized in functions such as schedule management and mobile phones capable of transmitting and receiving e-mails have been developed.

[0003] These portable information devices include a liquid crystal display panel backlight, a radio wave transmitting / receiving device and a control device,
A relatively large-capacity power supply is required as a driving power supply for various data backup devices.

As these power supplies, ordinary dry batteries are also used. However, since a sufficient number of batteries are required to obtain a sufficient capacity and the power consumption is fast, a reduction in size and cost performance of the apparatus are taken into consideration. Rechargeable, relatively large-capacity secondary batteries (NiH batteries, lithium ion batteries, etc.) are generally employed.

[0005] This secondary battery can be used in a normal use condition.
It has a life of about a year, so frequent replacement of batteries is not required.If the user removes the rechargeable battery carelessly, the stored data etc. may be lost. Due to circumstances, the battery lid of the storage section of the secondary battery in portable information equipment is generally locked with screws, or a lock structure that cannot be opened unless a special jig or tool is used at the manufacturer or dealer. Is often adopted.

[0006]

However, the use of portable information devices varies from user to user.
In the case of a user who frequently uses the secondary battery, the life of the secondary battery may be exhausted in a period (for example, about half a year) shorter than the normal battery life (1 to 3 years).

[0007] In addition, there is a so-called memory effect peculiar to a secondary battery, in which the battery life is shortened if the battery is repeatedly charged in a state in which the secondary battery is not completely discharged. The life may be shorter than usual.

[0008] Under such circumstances, it is expected that the life of the secondary battery will end considerably earlier than the product life of the portable information device. In such a case, the battery replacement service from the manufacturer or the dealer must be received one by one. Not doing so is very inconvenient for the user. Therefore, it is preferable that the secondary battery itself is treated as a replaceable part in consideration of the product characteristics of the portable information equipment that is used on a daily basis, and a structure that allows the user to replace the battery is preferable.

On the other hand, in a lock structure in which the user may inadvertently remove the secondary battery, as described above, if the secondary battery is removed by mistake, the stored data or the like is lost. May be caused.

[0010] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in a portable information device, a battery capable of simultaneously improving the workability of battery replacement and preventing the battery from being dropped due to erroneous operation. It is an object to provide a lid locking structure.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a battery accommodating portion provided on a main body of an apparatus (mail terminal M) for accommodating one or more batteries (10). (S) is a lock structure of a battery cover (1) that detachably covers the battery cover, wherein the battery cover moves parallel to an apparatus main body over an opening of the battery storage unit and is attached and detached. The hook portion (1b) that engages with the first engagement portion (20) formed near the battery housing portion on the main body side at the tip end side (1B) of the battery lid when being translated. The rear end side (1C) of the battery lid when projecting and moving in parallel is engaged with a second engagement portion (30) formed on the rear end side of the battery storage section on the main body side. An engagement piece (6) is formed, and the first engagement portion is formed by piercing a back surface of the housing on the main body side. (2) equipped with, at the tip of the hook portion, the contact portion so as to face the through hole when the hook portion is engaged with the first engaging portion (1c) is formed,
When a projection (pen tip P1) is inserted from outside the through hole, the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion are pressed down, and the hook portion and the first engaging portion are engaged. The configuration is such that the combination is canceled.

With this arrangement, the battery cover and the device main body are engaged unless the operator inserts the projection into the through hole and pushes down the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion. Is not released, so that a situation in which the battery cover is detached due to an erroneous operation and the battery falls off can be avoided.

In order to replace the battery, an appropriate projection is inserted into the through-hole without using a special jig or tool, and the hook portion at the tip of the hook portion and the contact portion are pressed down. Since the battery cover and the device main body can be disengaged and removed by a simple operation, the battery can be easily replaced by the user.

The hooks are formed at two or more locations in the longitudinal direction of the tip of the battery cover, and the first engaging portions corresponding to the hooks are provided on the main body side. It is good to be formed. As a result, the battery cover can be securely attached to the device main body, and rattling of the battery cover can be prevented. In addition, when removing the battery cover, the battery cover cannot be removed unless the operation of inserting the protrusions into the through holes and pushing down the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion is performed for all of the two or more hook portions. Since there is no battery, it is possible to more reliably avoid a situation in which the battery is accidentally removed.

[0015] The penetrating hole may have a diameter into which a pen point of the writing instrument can be inserted. Thus, the battery cover can be removed with the pen tip of an appropriate writing instrument without requiring any special instrument, so that the convenience of the user for replacing the battery can be improved.

Further, it is preferable that the hook portion, the engagement piece, and the battery lid body are integrally formed of a synthetic resin. That is, by using, for example, an impact-resistant resin (such as an ABS resin) as the synthetic resin, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of cracks and breakage due to fatigue even when the operation of pushing down the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion is repeated. And durability can be improved.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable information device equipped with a battery lid lock structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back side of the portable information device.

A portable information device M illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2
Is a so-called mail terminal which is connected to a mobile phone via a cable or the like to create a text such as an electronic mail.

The mail terminal M includes a liquid crystal display panel 1
00 and a keyboard section B having a number of key switches are connected by a hinge 101 so as to be openable and closable. Reference numeral 102 denotes a hinge 101
Is a rotation axis of the display unit A which is pivotally supported by. Also, the display unit A
A rotatable digital camera 200 is provided at the top of the camera.

At the rear end of the back side of the mail terminal M, N
A battery storage section S for storing a secondary battery such as an iH battery or a lithium ion battery is provided, and the opening of the battery storage section S is closed by the battery lid 1. Reference numerals 2 and 2 denote through-holes (diameter of, for example, about 2 mm) formed by piercing the back surface of the keyboard section B. The operation is to insert a projection such as a pen tip of a writing instrument to remove the battery cover 1. To do. The configuration and operation of the battery cover 1 and the through hole 2 will be described later in detail.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a connection cable having a connector 3a for connecting a mobile phone or the like to the mail terminal M. The connection cable 3 is inserted into a storage groove 4 formed on the back surface of the keyboard B when not in use. It is designed to be stored.

The mechanism and operation of the mail terminal M are not directly related to the contents of the present invention, so detailed description is omitted, but the mail terminal M is composed of the connection cable 3 and the connector 3.
a, the user operates a key switch of the keyboard B to operate the liquid crystal display panel 10.
Document data created on the screen of Digital Camera 2
The image data and the like fetched from 00 are transmitted via a mobile phone, and conversely, the document data and image data received via the mobile phone can be displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display panel 100.

Next, the configuration of the battery cover 1 and the through hole 2 will be described in detail.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front side of the battery cover 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back side of the battery cover 1.

The battery cover 1 is moved (slid) in the direction indicated by the arrow F1 and engaged with the battery storage section S. Hereinafter, in the battery cover 1, the traveling direction of the arrow F1 is defined as a front end 1B, and the opposite side is defined as a rear end 1C.

The battery cover 1 has a battery cover main body 1A formed in accordance with the vertical width and the horizontal width of the battery storage portion S, and a tip portion 1B thereof.
, Two protruding pieces 5a that contact the edge of the battery storage section S to prevent the tip 1B from floating, and two longitudinal ends of the rear end 1C. And a locking piece 6, 6, 6 formed substantially at the center.

These members (the battery cover main body 1A, the engaging portion 1
a, the protruding piece 5, and the locking portion 6) are integrally formed of an impact-resistant resin such as an ABS resin.

The rear end of the battery cover 1 has a curved shape with a chamfered corner, and when the battery cover 1 is engaged with the keyboard B, it is integrated with the rear end of the keyboard B without discomfort. It is configured to form a continuous curved surface and maintain an excellent appearance in design.

Next, the shape of the engaging portion 1a will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the engaging portion 1a has a hook portion 1b protruding toward the surface of the battery cover 1, and a hook portion 1b.
The contact portion 1c further protruding toward the distal end is formed integrally.

Here, the engagement state of the battery cover 1 with the battery storage section S and the keyboard section B will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5A is a sectional view showing a stationary state in which the battery cover 1 is engaged with the battery storage section S, and FIG. 5B is a state in which the engagement state between the battery cover 1 and the battery storage section is released. FIG.

The hook portion 1b and the contact portion 1c are designed to face the opening of the through hole 2 when the battery cover 1 is engaged with the keyboard B side.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 10 denotes a secondary battery stored in the battery storage section S.

At the lower end of the through hole 2 on the keyboard B side,
A projection is formed as a first engagement portion 20 that engages with the hook portion 1b of the battery lid 1.

On the rear end side of the battery storage section S of the keyboard section B, there is formed a second engagement section 30 into which the locking piece 6 of the battery cover 1 is inserted and engaged.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the battery cover 1 is translated (slid) in the direction of the arrow F1 with the mail terminal M turned upside down, the tip 1B of the battery cover 1 The hook portion 1b is the first engagement portion 2 of the keyboard portion B.
The first engaging portion 20 is engaged so as to bend downward by elasticity from a state in which the first engaging portion 20 comes into contact with the first engaging portion 20.

The locking piece 6 at the rear end 1B of the battery cover 1
Are engaged so as to be inserted into the second engagement portion 30 on the rear end side of the battery storage portion S.

Thus, the battery cover 1 is securely locked to the keyboard B so as to cover the opening of the battery housing S.

In this locked state, the keyboard B
The hook portion 1b and the contact portion 1c of the front end portion 1B of the battery lid 1 are exposed from the opening of the through hole 2 on the side.

When the battery is to be replaced due to the life of the secondary battery 10 or the like, as shown in FIG. 5B, a pen point P1 of a writing instrument P such as a ball-point pen is inserted into one of the through holes 2. And press down (in the direction of arrow D). Then, the pen point P1 comes into contact with the hook portion 1b and the contact portion 1c of the tip portion 1B of the battery lid 1, and these are pushed down.

Thus, the engagement between the first engaging portion 20 of the keyboard portion B and the hook portion 1b of the tip portion 1B of the battery lid 1 is released. Since the contact portion 1c is provided at the distal end portion 1B of the battery lid 1, the force of the pen tip P1 that slides on the hook portion 1b and escapes when pressed down can be reliably applied by the contact portion 1c. And the engagement can be more reliably released.

When the battery cover 1 is pulled in the direction of arrow F2 by hand with the pen tip P1 pushed in, the locked state can be released more easily.

In the present embodiment, since the hook portions 1b of the tip portion 1B of the battery cover 1 are formed at two places, the same operation is performed from the other through hole 2. With this operation, the battery cover 1 is removed from the keyboard section B, and the replacement operation of the secondary battery 10 in the battery storage section S can be performed.

After the replacement of the secondary battery 10 is completed, the battery cover 1 is again engaged with the keyboard portion B and locked by the operation described with reference to FIG.

As described above, according to the lock structure of the battery lid according to the present embodiment, the battery lid 1 is inserted by a simple operation of inserting the pen point P1 of the writing implement P such as a ball-point pen into the through hole 2 and pressing it. Can be removed, so that the user can easily perform the battery replacement work without using a special tool or the like.

On the other hand, the battery cover 1 cannot be removed unless an intentional act of inserting a projection such as the pen tip P1 of the writing implement P into the through-hole 2 is performed. Thereby, it is possible to effectively avoid a situation in which the battery cover 1 is detached and the battery is dropped.

In particular, by providing two hooks 1b at the tip 1B of the battery cover 1 as in this embodiment,
The battery cover 1 cannot be removed unless the operation of inserting the protrusion into the through hole 2 is intentionally performed twice, so that a situation in which the battery cover 1 is removed due to carelessness or erroneous operation can be more reliably avoided. .

In this embodiment, the case where two hook portions 1b of the front end portion 1B of the battery cover 1 are provided and two corresponding through holes 2 are provided has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Three or more locations may be provided.
In this case, an effect of more reliably avoiding a situation in which the battery cover 1 is detached due to carelessness or the like can be expected because the operation procedure for removing the battery cover 1 is increased.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made.

For example, the lock structure of the battery cover according to the present embodiment can be applied to not only the mail terminal but also portable information devices such as mobile phones and PDAs.

[0052]

According to the present invention, there is provided a lock structure of a battery cover provided on the main body side of the device and removably covering a battery housing portion for housing one or more batteries, wherein the battery cover comprises: It is configured to be attached to and detached from the opening of the battery housing by being moved in parallel with the device main body, and the tip end of the battery lid when being translated is located near the battery housing on the main body side. A hook portion that engages with the first engagement portion formed on the main body side is formed at the rear end side of the battery housing portion on the main body side at the rear end side of the battery lid when the parallel movement is performed. An engagement piece that engages with a second engagement portion that is formed, the first engagement portion includes a through hole that is formed by piercing a back surface of a housing on a main body side; A contact portion is formed at a tip of the hook portion so as to face the through hole when the hook portion is engaged with the first engagement portion, When a projection is inserted from the outside of the through hole, the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion are pressed down, and the engagement between the hook portion and the first engagement portion is released. The battery lid and the device main body are engaged unless an operation based on an operator's intention of inserting a protrusion into the through hole and pushing down the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion is performed. Is not canceled, so that it is possible to avoid a situation in which the battery cover is detached due to an erroneous operation and the battery is dropped.

When the battery is to be replaced, an appropriate projection is inserted into the through hole without using a special jig or tool, and the hook and the contact portion at the tip of the hook are pushed down. Since the battery cover can be removed by disengaging the battery cover and the device main body by a simple operation, there is an effect that the battery can be easily replaced by the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounted portable information device employing a battery lid lock structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a back surface side of a portable information device mounted with a battery lid lock structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front side of the battery lid according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back side of the battery lid according to the embodiment.

5A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a stationary state in which the battery cover 1 is engaged with the battery storage section S, and FIG. 5B is a view illustrating a state in which the engagement state between the battery cover 1 and the battery storage section is released. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 M Mail terminal (portable information device) A Display section B Keyboard section S Battery storage section 1 Battery cover 1a Engaging section 1b Hook section 1c Contact section 2 Through hole 5 Protrusion piece 6 Locking piece 10 Secondary battery 20th 1 engaging portion 30 second engaging portion P writing implement P1 pen tip (projection)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A lock structure of a battery cover provided on a main body side of a device and removably covering a battery housing portion for housing one or more batteries, wherein the battery cover has an opening in the battery housing portion. The battery cover is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body by being moved in parallel with the upper part of the apparatus. A hook portion for engaging with the engaging portion of the main body is protruded, and a second engagement formed on a rear end side of the battery housing portion on the main body side is provided on a rear end side of the battery cover when being moved in parallel. The first engaging portion includes a through hole formed by piercing a back surface of the housing on the main body side, and a tip of the hook portion includes: An abutting portion is formed so as to face the through hole when the hook portion is engaged with the first engaging portion. When the protrusion is inserted from the side, the hook portion and the contact portion at the tip of the hook portion are pressed down, and the engagement between the hook portion and the first engagement portion is released. A lock structure for a battery lid. 2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the hook portion is formed at two or more locations in a longitudinal direction of a front end portion of the battery cover.
The lock structure for a battery lid according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement portions corresponding to the respective hook portions are formed. 3. The battery lid locking structure according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole has a diameter that allows a pen tip of the writing instrument to be inserted. 4. The battery cover according to claim 1, wherein the hook, the engagement piece, and the battery cover main body are integrally formed of a synthetic resin. Lock structure.