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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
An enclosure of a mobile phone with changeable panel includes a
front cover (1), a panel (2), a rotatable holder (3), and a spring
(4). The front cover defines a through hole (16) and latch slots
(171, 172). The panel has projections (241, 242) at an edge thereof,
and the projections can be engaged in the latch slots of the front
cover. The panel further has a hole (25) corresponding to the through
hole of the front cover. The holder has a latch portion (33), and
the spring is engaged around the holder. The holder with the spring
is received in the hole of the panel, and the holder is further
received in the through hole of the front cover. The holder is rotated
and the spring is compressed, thereby securely holding the panel
on the front cover.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An enclosure for a mobile phone, comprising: a front cover having
a plurality of keypad holes and a window formed thereon, and defining
a through hole; a panel having a hole corresponding to the through
hole of the front cover; a rotatable holder having a latch portion;
and a spring disposed around the holder, the spring resisting the
panel and being configured for providing a force for automatically
separating the holder from the front cover; wherein the holder and
the spring are received in the hole of the panel; the holder is
further received in the through hole of the front cover; when the
holder is rotated to a predetermined degree, the latch portion is
engageable with the front cover and cooperates with the spring to
hold the panel on the front cover; and when the holder is rotated
to a reverse corresponding degree, the spring brings the latch portion
to fall out from the front cover.
2. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the through hole comprises a cylindrical portion and a through portion
defined through to a bottom surface of the front cover, the holder
further includes a cap and a shaft, the shaft interconnecting the
cap and the latch portion, the shaft passing through the through
portion.
3. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 2, wherein
the bottom surface of the front cover defines a slot in communication
with the through hole, the latch portion being releasably received
in the slot.
4. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the holder further comprises a cap and a shaft, and the shaft interconnects
the cap and the latch portion.
5. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 4, wherein
the hole of the panel comprises a round slot and a central hole
below the round slot, a diameter of the cap being less than a diameter
of the round slot, the cap being rotatably receivable in the round
slot.
6. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 5, wherein
the hole of the panel comprises a groove around the round slot,
the spring being received in the groove.
7. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 4, wherein
a spring-receiving hole is defined in a top end portion of the shaft,
an end of the spring being received in the spring-receiving hole
of the shaft.
8. An enclosure for a mobile phone, comprising: a front cover defining
a first hole and a slot the first hole being in communication with
the slot; a panel positioned on the front cover, the panel having
a second hole corresponding to the through hole of the front cover;
and a holder having a shaft and a latch portion, the latch portion
radially extending from the shaft at one end thereof; wherein the
latch portion, the first hole, and the slot are sized such that
the latch is arranged and structured for insertion through the first
hole and for retention by the slot; the holder is received in the
second hole of the panel and the first hole of the front cover,
the latch portion releasably locking with the front cover adjacent
the slot therein so as to hold the panel on the front cover.
9. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 8, wherein
a size of the latch portion corresponds to that of the first hole
for allowing the latch portion to pass through the first hole, and
a size of the slot is smaller than that of the latch portion for
retaining the latch portion upon the front panel adjacent the slot.
10. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the holder is engaged in the first hole of the front cover, and
the holder is rotated to a predetermined degree for locking the
latch portion relative to the slot of the front cover.
11. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 8, the
holder further includes a cap, the shaft interconnecting the cap
and the latch portion.
12. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 11,
wherein the second hole of the panel comprises a round slot and
a central hole below the round slot, a diameter of the cap being
less than a diameter of the round slot, the cap being rotatably
receivable in the round slot.
13. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 8, further
comprising a spring, wherein the spring is disposed around the holder,
the spring resisting the panel and being configured for providing
a force for automatically separating the holder from the front cover.
14. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 13,
wherein the second hole of the panel includes a round slot and a
groove, the groove is around the round slot, and one end of the
spring being received in the groove.
15. The enclosure for a mobile phone as set forth in claim 14,
wherein a spring-receiving hole is defined in a top end portion
of the shaft, the other end of the spring being received in the
spring-receiving hole of the shaft.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a portable electronic device,
and more specifically to an enclosure for a mobile phone.
2. Prior Art
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, are widely
used around the world. Many users like to change the aesthetic appearance
of their mobile phones. Thus manufacturers are increasingly supplying
mobile phones with changeable covers or panels.
A conventional enclosure for a mobile phone with a changeable panel
is described in China Patent No. 96112975.1. The mobile phone includes
a housing adapted to receive a faceplate as one of a plurality of
faceplates. The faceplate has an outer surface with a distinctive
aesthetic appearance, and an inner surface. The faceplate further
includes a latch pin extending from the inner surface. The housing
includes a front face having an aperture adapted to receive the
latch pin, and includes a latch retainer configured to releasably
engage the latch pin. When the latch retainer is in a released state,
the faceplate may be readily removed and replaced. When the latch
retainer is in a locked state, the faceplate is secured to the housing.
However, a user needs a special tool in order to release or to
attach the faceplate. It is not convenient to change the faceplate.
Moreover, the latch pin is easily disengaged from the locked state
when the mobile phone is jarred or dropped.
A need therefore exists for a mobile phone having a panel that
can be changed easily and that can be reliably held on a housing
of the mobile phone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, an enclosure of a mobile
phone with a changeable panel comprises a front cover, a panel,
a rotatable holder and a spring. The front cover defines a through
hole and latch slots. The panel has projections at an edge thereof,
and the projections can be engaged in the latch slots of the front
cover. The panel further has a hole corresponding to the through
hole of the front cover. The holder has a latch portion, and the
spring is engaged around the holder. The holder with the spring
is received in the hole of the panel, and the holder is further
received in the through hole of the front cover. The holder is rotated
and the spring is compressed, thereby securely holding the panel
on the front cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will
become more apparent from the following detailed description when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an enclosure for a mobile phone
of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an inverted view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an inverted view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a circled portion V of FIG. 4, showing
a latch portion of a holder of the enclosure in an unlocked state;
and
FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, but showing the latch portion in a
unlocked state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an enclosure for a mobile phone has
a front cover 1, a panel 2, a rotatable holder 3, and a spring 4.
The spring 4 is engaged around the holder 3, and the holder 3 is
received in a hole 25 of the panel 2 and a through hole 16 of the
front cover 1. The holder 3 thus holds the panel 2 on the front
cover 1.
Referring also to FIG. 3, the front cover 1 has a plurality of
keypad holes 11, a window 12, and a plurality of sound channels
13. The front cover 1 further has the through hole 16 and a plurality
of latch slots 171, 172. The through hole 16 comprises a top cylindrical
portion 161, and a through portion 162 defined through to a bottom
surface of the front cover 1. A slot 152 is defined in the bottom
surface of the front cover 1, in communication with the through
portion 162. A latch portion 33 of the holder 3 can be received
in the slot 152.
The panel 2 has a plurality of keypad holes 21, a window 22, and
sound channels 23 corresponding to the sound channels 13 of the
front cover 1. A plurality of projections 241, 242 is formed at
a bottom edge of the panel 2, for inserting into the latch slots
171, 172 of the front cover 1. The panel 2 further has the hole
25 corresponding to the through hole 16 of the front cover 1. The
hole 25 comprises a round slot 251, a central hole 252, and a groove
253. The central hole 252 is below the round slat 251. The groove
253 is defined in the panel 2 around the round slot 251. The sound
channels 23 are defined through the panel 2 around the hole 25.
The sound channels 23 are in communication with respective sound
channels 13 of the front cover 1 when the panel 2 is engaged with
the front cover 1.
The holder 3 comprises a cap 31, a latch portion 33, and a shaft
32 interconnecting the cap 31 and the latch portion 33. A diameter
of the cap 31 is slightly less than a diameter of the round slot
251, so the cap 31 can be rotatably received in the round slot 251.
A spring-receiving hole 311 is defined in a top end portion of the
shalt 32, for receiving an end portion 41 of the spring 4. Referring
to FIGS 3 6, in particular, it can be seen that the latch portion
33, the through hole 162, and the slot 152 are sized such that the
latch 33 is configured for insertion through the through hole 162
and for retention by the front cover 1 adjacent the slot 152.
The spring 4 is helical, and can be received in the groove 253
of the hole 25. An inner diameter of the spring 4 is greater than
a diameter of the shalt 32, and less than the diameter of the cap
31. The spring 4 surrounds the shaft 32. The end portion 41 of the
spring 4 is inserted into the spring-receiving hole 311.
Referring also to FIGS. 4 6, in assembly, the projections 241 of
the panel 2 are firstly inserted into the latch slots 171 of the
front cover 1. The panel 2 is pressed downwardly onto the front
cover 1 until the projections 242 are received into the latch slots
172. The holder 3 with the spring 4 is received in the hole 25 of
the panel 2. In particular, the cap 31 of the holder 3 is received
in the round slot 251 of the hole 25. At the same time, the spring
4 is secured in the groove 253. The shaft 32 and the latch portion
33 of the holder 3 are received through the central hole 252 of
the panel 2 and the through hole 16 of the front cover 1 (see FIG
5). The cap 31 is pressed downwardly, and the cap 31 is rotated
in direction Al about 90 degrees. The latch portion 33 of the holder
3 is thus held in the slot 152 of the front cover 1 (see FIG. 6),
and cooperates with the compressed spring 4 to securely hold the
panel 2 on the front cover 1.
If the user needs to change the panel 2, he/she can press the cap
31 downwardly to disengage the latch portion 33 from the bottom
surface of the front cover 1. Then, the holder 3 is rotated about
about 90 degrees in direction A2, so that the latch portion 33 is
disengaged from the slot 152 and corresponds to the hole 162. The
holder 3 thus springs up from the panel 2 and the front cover 1
under elastic decompression force of the spring 4. The user lifts
up the end of the panel 2 at the hole 25. The projections 241, 242
are then disengaged from the latch slots 171, 172. The panel 2 can
thus be changed.
It is to be noted that the detailed description provided above
should be considered as exemplary of the invention, and not restrictive
of the invention as claimed hereinafter. |