GB2262764A - Battery cover locking device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery cover locking device of a small electronic apparatus using a battery, such as a radio paging receiver or a remote control box, wherein a battery cover 20 is pivotally mounted on a locker 30 which has a hinge 31 engaged with a guide groove 15 of a main housing 10, and said battery cover 20 is slid (3B) by operating said locker 30 to disengage projection 28 from groove 13 and allow the cover to be pivoted open (3C). A snap fastening 34 holds the locker in its locked position (3A). <IMAGE>

Description

BATTERY COVER LOCKING DEVICE The present invention relates to battery cover locking devices for use, for example, in a small electronic apparatus using a battery, such as a radio paging receiver or a remote control box.

Since a battery cover of a small electronic apparatus such as a radio paging receiver may be opened unintentionally - for example by a hand touching it, such small electronic apparatus is usually provided with a locking device that makes it possible to open the battery cover only by applying an intentional force.

Referring to Figures 1A and 1B of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, a conventional locking device is described in detail as follows.

A cover groove 41 is formed on a bottom side of a main case 40, and one side of the cover groove comprises a battery inserting hole 42. A support plate 44 is formed at one side of the battery inserting hole 42 and has a guide groove 45 in a centre portion thereof. A guide rib 46 is formed on a side wall of the battery inserting hole 42. A cover 50 is shorter than the cover groove 41 by a given length and has a groove 51 extending in a horizontal direction on both sides. An opening is formed on a side of the cover 50 receiving a locker 60 having a hinge 61 on its side, which hinge 61 is assembled with the cover 50. The locker 60 has a projection on each of opposite sides of its bottom face and a projection 65 to be engaged with a fore end 45a of the guide groove 45.

At the time of closing the cover 50, a fore end 60b of the locker 60 is laid on a projection 53 of the cover wall because a rear end 60a of the locker 60 is contacted with the support plate 44. By pushing the cover 50 towards the battery inserting hole 42, the cover 50 covers the inserting hole 42.

Because the guide rib 46 is engaged with the groove 51 of the cover 50 and a projection 55 of the fore end 60b of the cover is engaged with a groove 48 of the main housing 40, the cover is not derailed. By pressing the fore end 60b of the locker 60 in the direction of an arrow as shown in Figure 1B, the locker 60 is rotated so that its projection 65 contacts a wall 45A of the support plate 44 and prevents the cover 50 from being pushed backward. The fore end 60b of the locker 60 can not moved over the projection 53 without applying an external force. Finally the cover is locked completely.

When the cover 50 is opened for replacing a battery, the locker 60 is rotated counterclockwise (as seen) and the projection rib 65 is slid over the support plate 44 by pressing the rear end 60A of the locker 60 downward.

By sliding the cover 50 backward, the guide rib 46 of the side wall is disengaged with the groove 51 and the projection 55 is disengaged with the groove 48 of the main housing 40. Thereafter the cover 50 is removed freely.

In such a conventional device, the cover is apt to be lost frequently because the cover is removed completely for replacing a battery. Also because it is very difficult to assemble the locker 60 with the cover 50, it results in an inefficiency of assembly. Also, the rocking motion of the locker 60 at the hinge 61 results in damage to the projection 53 for stopping the locker.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a battery cover locking device for preventing loss of the battery cover during opening the cover, by making the cover not separate from the main housing.

It is another aim to install and remove the cover from the main housing easily during replacing a battery.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery-powered electronic apparatus having a battery cover locking device which comprises a locker provided on a battery cover, and a hinge attached to said locker for cooperating with a guide groove formed in a main housing, whereby said battery cover may be slid and rotated in said main housing by operating said locker so as to open and close a battery inserting hole formed in said main housing.

Preferably, said battery cover is interlocked with said locker by engaging a hinge of said battery cover with a groove in a rib of said locker.

Preferably, said rib extends transversely of said locker at an end thereof and has a height greater than its width.

Preferably, a projection is formed on an outside of a rib at one end of said locker and engages with an inner groove of said main housing so as to prevent sliding movement of said battery cover.

Preferably, said battery cover and locker each have a front end and a rear end, said locker is at the rear end of said battery cover, said transversely extending rib is at the rear end of said locker, and said rib which engages said inner groove is at the front end of said locker.

Apparatus as recited above may be a radio paging receiver or a remote control unit.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 2 is a exploded view of one example of a battery cover locking device according to the present invention; and Figure 3A, 3B and 3C are views illustrating examples of operation of the battery cover locking device.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a main housing 10 has a battery chamber 11 in its bottom side, and an engagement groove 13 for locking a battery cover 20 is formed on a circumferential surface of a battery inserting hole 12.

A projection portion 14 is formed on an inner opposite side of the engagement groove 13, and a guide box groove 15 is formed on a front side of the projection portion 14 so as to engage with a hinge 31 of a locker 30 interlocked with the battery cover 20, so that the locker may be rotated and slid. The battery cover 20 has a rear stepped extension 22 comprising a hinge 23 on its rear end and a groove 25 on its fore end for receiving a front rib 33 of the locker 30.

The locker 30 comprises a hinge 31 projecting outward from a rear rib 35 on its rear bottom side and a hinge groove formed on its inner side of the rear rib 35 for receiving the hinge 23 of the cover 20. A front side of the locker 30 has a front rib 33 forming outwardly a projection 34 so as to engage with an inner groove 17 of the main housing 10. The rear rib 35 is longer in its height than in its width. Reference number 27 denotes a finger tip groove for pulling the locker 30.

In a state of locking the main housing 10 with the battery cover 20, the hinge 31 of the locker 30 is engaged with a rear end of the guide box groove 15 of the main housing 10, a fore projection 28 of the cover 20 is engaged with the locking groove 13 of the main housing 10, and the projection 34 of the locker 30 is engaged with the inner groove 17 of the main housing as shown in Figure 3A. Accordingly the battery cover 20 is locked with the main housing tightly.

When the cover 20 is opened for replacing a battery, the locker 30 is rotated at the hinge 31 so as to make the projection 34 slip off the groove 17, and opened by pulling the locker 30 upward. The rear edge of the locker 30 contacts an inner wall l5a of the main housing and the hinge 31 is pushed forward because the height of the rear rib 35 is longer than its width.

Because the hinge 31 is pushed forward in the guide box groove 15, the battery cover 20 is also pushed forward. Accordingly the projection 28 of the cover 20 is slipped off the locking groove 13 and the front face of the cover 20 projects from the main housing 10 as shown in Figure 3B. Thereafter, the cover 20 is opened by pulling the front end of the cover 20 upward, and the cover 20 rotates at the hinge 23 so as to open the battery inserting hole 12 of the main housing 10, as shown in Figure 3C.

When the cover 20 is closed after replacing a battery, the hinge 31 of the locker 30 is pushed backward in the guide box groove 15 and the projection 28 of the cover 20 is engaged with the locking groove 13 by pulling the cover backward after closing. Afterwards the projection 34 of the front rib 33 of the locker 30 is engaged with the inner groove 17 of the main housing by pressing down the locker 30 by rotating it. Accordingly, the battery cover 20 is locked so as not to slide forward.

As described, the locking device prevents loss of the cover in any case because the cover is not separated from the main housing when the cover is opened. Also, it is easy to open and close the battery cover in the locking device.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS:

1. Battery-powered electronic apparatus having a battery cover locking device which comprises a locker provided on a battery cover, and a hinge attached to said locker for cooperating with a guide groove formed in a main housing, whereby said battery cover may be slid and rotated in said main housing by operating said locker so as to open and close a battery inserting hole formed in said main housing.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said battery cover is interlocked with said locker by engaging a hinge of said battery cover with a groove in a rib of said locker.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said rib extends transversely of said locker at an end thereof and has a height greater than its width.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a projection is formed on an outside of a rib at one end of said locker and engages with an inner groove of said main housing so as to prevent sliding movement of said battery cover.

5. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 4, wherein said battery cover and locker each have a front end and a rear end, said locker is at the rear end of said battery cover, said transversely extending rib is at the rear end of said locker, and said rib which engages said inner groove is at the front end of said locker.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, being a radio paging receiver or a remote control unit.

7. Apparatus provided with a battery cover locking device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.