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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
The invention relates to the attachment of a mobile phone battery
in which the battery (9) is pushed in the horizontal direction,
for example in the direction of the surface of the phone, into a
recess (2) formed in the casing (1) of the phone. The sides of the
battery (9) are equipped with tabs (10, 10'), which slide under
the tabs (5, 5') of the tabs on the sides of the recess (2) in such
a way that these hold the battery in place in the vertical direction.
Holding of the battery (9) in place in the horizontal direction
is arranged with at least one locking element (12), which according
to the invention is located on the side of the battery and locks,
when viewed in the direction of pushing, behind the tab (5') on
the side of the recess in such a way that the tab (5') functions
as an element that holds the battery in place simultaneously in
both the horizontal and vertical direction. The locking element
(12) is loaded with a spring which, when pushed, releases the battery
from the locking, enabling it to be pulled loose.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mobile phone battery (9), which can be fit into place by pushing
it in the horizontal direction, that is, in the direction of the
surface of the phone into a recess (2) formed in the casing (1)
of the phone and which comprises at least one locking element (12),
which engages with an associated casing tab (5') in the recess,
preventing the battery from being pulled loose in the horizontal
direction, battery tabs (10, 10') on the sides of the battery, which
slide under the casing tabs (5, 5') on the sides of the recess to
hold the battery in place in the vertical direction and a spring
(14) that loads the locking element and which, when pressed, allows
the locking element to be released from the catch to enable the
battery to be pulled loose, characterized in that the locking element
(12) is positioned on the side of the battery (9) and is arranged
to lock, when viewed from the pushing direction, behind the casing
tab (5') that acts as a catch, which is positioned on the side (3)
of the recess (2), and further characterized in that the tip of
the locking element (12) is wedge-shaped and that the casing tab
(5') of the recess is bevelled on its side (8) running in the direction
of pushing, in a way corresponding to the tip of the locking element,
such that when the battery (9) is pushed into place, the bevel of
the casing tab guides the locking element so that it slides under
the casing tab.
2. A battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery
tab (10') on the side of the battery (9) slides under the casing
tab (5') that acts as a catch of the mentioned locking element (12)
in such a way that said battery tab acts as an element that holds
the battery in place simultaneously in both the horizontal and vertical
direction.
3. A battery according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking
element (12) is located immediately in front of the casing tab (5')
which is on the side of the battery (9) and in front of the battery
tab (10') that remains under the casing tab (5') of the recess.
4. A battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery
(9) comprises a locking element (12) symmetrically on each of its
sides and that a spring (14) which loads the locking elements is
located between the locking elements.
5. A battery according to claim 4, characterized in that the battery
(9) is equipped with a push button (15) that acts on the spring
(14) and which, when pressed, allows the locking elements (12) to
be released from the casing tabs (5') of the recess (2), which casing
tabs act as catches.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BATTERY FOR A MOBILE PHONE
The invention relates to a mobile phone battery that can be mounted
in place by pushing it in the horizontal plane, i.e. in the direction
of the phone's surface into a recess formed by the phone's casing,
and it comprises at least one locking element which engages with
a catch in the recess, preventing the battery from being pulled
loose horizontally, tabs on the sides of the battery, which slide
under the tabs on the sides of the recess to hold the battery in
place in the vertical direction as well as a spring which loads
the locking element and when pressed releases the locking element
from the catch to enable the battery to be pulled loose. The battery
of a mobile phone is typically a rather flat slablike piece which
attaches retractably to the bottom side of the phone, fitting into
a recess that has been formed for it. Fitting the battery into place
is accomplished by a pushing motion in the direction of the phone's
bottom surface, at the end of which the battery locks into the recess
when the springloaded locking element engages with the catches that
have been provided in the recess. The spring is incorporated in
a push button which when pressed releases the battery's locking
element from the catches in the recess, allowing the battery to
be removed by means of a pulling motion in the opposite direction
to the pushing motion.
In present-day mobile phones, the mentioned locking elements belonging
to the battery are positioned at the end of the battery such that
the end, when the battery is pushed into place in the recess in
the phone, comes up against the end of the recess which is opposite
it, the end being equipped with catches corresponding to the locking
elements. The locking elements and the catches in the recess hold
the battery in place in the horizontal direction, i.e. in the direction
of the phone's bottom surface. Vertical detachment of the battery
is prevented by the tabs on the sides of the battery, which, when
the battery is mounted in place, have been pushed under the corresponding
tabs that are provided on the sides of the recess.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution whereby
fitting of the battery into the recess of the phone's casing can
be simplified. The battery according to the invention is characterized
in that the locking element is located on the side of the battery
and is arranged so as to lock, viewed from the pushing direction,
behind the tab on the side of the recess, the tab acting as a catch.
The invention means, in particular, a further simplification of
the recess formed to receive the phone's battery. Since the catch
on the side of the recess acts as an obstacle preventing the battery
from moving out of its position horizontally, the catches at the
end of the recess, which have belonged to the above described previously
known solution model, can be omitted since they are not needed.
The resulting advantages are a simplification of the manufacturing
mould for the phone's casing as well as the possibility of designing
the battery with a flatter contour than before.
According to an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention,
on the side of the battery there is a tab which slides under the
tab of the mentioned locking element, this tab acting as a catch,
in such a way that the first tab acts as an element that holds the
battery in place simultaneously in the horizontal and vertical direction.
The invention is described in the following in greater detail by
way of an example with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
FIG. 1 shows the casing of a mobile phone from the bottom side
with the recess in it for a battery,
FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the casing, II--II, from
FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the casing, III--III, from FIG.
1,
FIG. 4 is a side view of a battery that is fitted into the recess
of the phone according to FIG. 1,
FIG. 5 shows the battery with its locking parts as a sectional
view V--V from FIG. 4,
FIG. 6 shows the locking part of the battery according to FIGS.
4 and 5,
FIG. 7 depicts the fitting into place of the battery according
to FIG. 4 by pushing it into the recess in the casing of the phone
according to FIGS. 1-3,
FIG. 8 shows a phone in which the battery is fitted into the recess,
and
FIG. 9 shows, in a larger scale, the locking between the catch
incorporated in the recess and the locking element belonging to
the battery.
FIGS. 1-3 show the casing 1 of a mobile phone at the bottom of
which is a wide and shallow recess 2 which runs in the direction
of the top of the phone and into which the phone's battery can be
fitted. The recess 2 comprises the longitudinal sides 3 of the casing
1 as well as a lateral end 4 which is arranged to come up against
the end of the battery that is pushed into place. On both sides
3 of the recess 2, there are tabs 5, 5' which are positioned symmetrically
in the direction of the phone's bottom surface and between which
there remain spaces 6 and beneath which there are grooves 7 to receive
the tabs on the sides of the battery. The tabs that are nearest
to the end 4 of the recess have bevels 8 which are seen in FIG.
2 and are oriented towards the direction from which the battery
is pushed into place.
The mobile phone battery 9 according to FIGS. 1-3, which is shown
in FIG. 4, is a fairly flat piece that is contoured to fit into
the recess 2 in the phone as shown in FIG. 8. On the sides of the
battery 9 are tabs 10, 10', which can be pushed into the grooves
7 in the sides 3 of the recess in such a way that they seat under
the tabs 5, 5' in the sides of the recess. In addition, the battery
9 is equipped with a spring-loaded locking piece 11 according to
FIG. 6, which comprises a protruding locking element 12 that is
wedge-shaped at its pointed end and positioned symmetrically on
both sides of the battery. The locking piece 11 is positioned near
the tip 13 of the battery in such a way that the locking elements
12 are located immediately in front of the frontmost tabs 10' along
the sides of the battery. The spring 14 that is located between
the locking elements 12 holds the locking piece 11 in a raised position
such that the locking elements 12 are located in the normal state
somewhat higher up than the tabs 10' along the sides of the battery
as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 4. By pressing the push button
15 of locking piece 11 against the spring 14, the locking elements
12 can nevertheless be brought to the same level as the tabs 10'
on the sides of the battery.
The fitting of the battery 9 into place in the recess 2 in the
casing 1 of the phone and its locking into it are shown in FIGS.
7-9. The battery 9 is placed in the recess 2 first in such a way
that the tabs 10, 10' on the sides of the battery and the locking
elements 12 are positioned at the spaces 6 between the tabs 5 on
the sides 3 of the recess. Thereafter the battery 9 is pushed in
the direction of the bottom surface of the phone towards the end
4 of the recess, i.e. to the left in FIG. 7, whereby the bevels
8 of the frontmost tabs 5' on the sides of the recess guide the
battery's similarly bevelled locking elements 12 and the tabs 10'
after them so that they slide into the grooves 7 underneath the
tabs 5' whilst the battery's side tabs 10 further back push in a
similar manner into the grooves 7 underneath the tabs 5 that are
further back in the recess. When the pushing movement ceases as
the tip 13 of the battery bumps into the end 4 of the recess, the
battery's locking elements 12 have at the same time passed the frontmost
side tabs 5' of the recess, whereby the locking elements 12 snap
up, owing to the effect of the spring 14, substantially to the same
level with the mentioned tabs 5', as can be seen in FIG. 9. At the
same time, the tabs 10, 10' on the sides of the battery 9, remain
in the grooves 7 underneath the side tabs 5, 5' of the recess, as
likewise can be seen in FIG. 9. The tabs 5, 5' of the recess and
the tabs 10, 10' of the battery, which remain under the aforementioned
tabs, thus accomplish the locking, which prevents the battery from
moving out of place in the vertical direction at the same time as
the frontmost tabs 5' of the recess together with the battery's
locking elements 12 function as a locking mechanism preventing movement
of the battery out of place in the direction of the phone's surface,
i.e. horizontally. Removal of the battery takes place by pressing
the push button 15 of the locking piece 11 so that the locking elements
12 are depressed to the level of the side tabs 10', whereby the
battery can be pulled out of place by a movement opposite to the
pushing movement described above.
It is clear to one versed in the art that the various embodiments
of the invention are not confined to the above presented example
but can vary within the purview of the accompanying claims. |