Replaceable panel device for a handset

• US 20050009588A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Sutech Trading Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Chia-Hua, Chen, Jian Wu, Luo, XingHuang, Qin, Shui Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.800
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate

Abstract

A replaceable panel device has a panel (20), a locking subassembly (30) and a top cover (40). The panel is mounted on the top cover by the locking subassembly. The panel has a mounting hole (24) with a first arc groove (244). The locking subassembly is accommodated in the mounting hole of the panel and has a button (31) with a locking portion (314) and a spring (32). Two ends of the spring respectively contact with a particular portion of the mounting hole and the button. The top cover has a second arc groove (45) which corresponds with the first arc groove of the panel. The locking portion of the button passes through the first groove of the panel and the second groove of the top cover, and mates with the second arc groove by a return force of the spring to fix the panel and the top cover together.

Claims

1. A replaceable panel device comprising:

a panel with a mounting portion which comprises a first groove and at least a first spring fixing portion;

a locking subassembly which is accommodated in the mounting portion of the panel, the locking subassembly comprising a button and a first spring, said button comprising a table, at least a second spring fixing portion and a locking portion, said first spring comprising an elastic portion and two arms respectively extending from two ends of the elastic portion, the two arms respectively attaching with the second spring fixing portion of the locking subassembly and the first spring fixing portion of the panel; and

a top cover with a second groove which corresponds with the first groove of the panel;

wherein, the locking portion of the button passes through the first groove of the panel and the second groove of the top cover, and mates with the second groove by a return force of the first spring to fix the panel and the top cover together.

2. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting portion comprises a first recess and a second recess which is coaxial with the first recess.

3. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least a protrude is defined in the first recess.

4. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the table of the button is rotatablely accommodated in the second recess.

5. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the mounting portion of the panel has a through hole coaxial with the second recess.

6. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the table of the button has a hole defined in a center thereof.

7. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the locking subassembly further comprises a pivot, an outer diameter of the pivot is less than an inner diameter of the through hole of the mounting portion of the panel, and larger than an inner diameter of the hole of the table of the button.

8. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the pivot passes through the through hole of the mounting portion, and mates with the hole of the table of the button.

9. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the pivot further comprises a table portion defined an end thereof, an outer diameter of the table portion is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole of the mounting portion of the panel.

10. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second groove of the top cover further comprises a retainer partially accommodated in an end of the groove, and a rest is formed between the retainer and the second groove for mating with the locking portion of the button.

11. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the panel further comprises an accommodation groove for accommodating the retainer.

12. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the accommodation groove and the first groove of the panel communicate each other.

13. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the panel further comprises a plurality of protuberances defined a peripheral thereof.

14. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the top cover further comprises a housing for accommodating the panel.

15. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the housing of the top cover has a plurality of notches defined outside edge thereof, for accommodating the corresponding protuberances of the panel.

16. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the top cover further comprises an elastic subassembly which comprises a top cap, a second spring and a bottom cap.

17. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the top and bottom caps are hollow and respectively have an opening at an end thereof, the top and bottom caps mate together and accommodate the spring therebetween.

18. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the top cap has a plurality of clips extend from an outer surface of the opening thereof, the bottom cap has a plurality of slots for accommodating the corresponding clips.

19. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 18, wherein the top cover further comprises a cavity for accommodating the bottom cap of the elastic subassembly.

20. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 18, wherein the bottom cap is integrated with the top cover.

21. An replaceable panel device for handset comprising:

a panel with a mounting portion which comprises a first groove and at least a first spring fixing portion;

a locking subassembly which is accommodated in the mounting portion of the panel, the locking subassembly comprising a button and a first spring, said button comprising a table, at least a second spring fixing portion and a locking portion, said first spring comprising an elastic portion and two arms respectively extending from two ends of the elastic portion, the two arms respectively attaching with the second spring fixing portion of the locking subassembly and the first spring fixing portion of the panel; and

a top cover comprising a second groove, an elastic subassembly and a cavity, said second groove being corresponds with the first groove of the panel, said elastic subassembly being partially accommodated in the cavity;

wherein, the locking portion of the button passes through the first groove of the panel and the second groove of the top cover, and mates with the second groove by a return force of the first spring to fix the panel and the top cover together.

22. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the elastic subassembly comprises a top cap, a second spring and a bottom cap.

23. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the top and bottom caps are hollow and respectively and an opening at an end thereof, the top and bottom caps mate together and accommodate the second spring therebetween.

24. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 23, wherein the top cap has a plurality of clips extend from an outer surface of the opening thereof, and the bottom cap has a plurality of slots for accommodating the corresponding clips.

25. The replaceable panel device in accordance with claim 24, wherein the cavity accommodates the bottom cap of the elastic subassembly.

26. A panel-replaceable device comprising:

a top cover defining an upward opening whose dimension is essentially equal to a main area of said top cover;

a notch formed in one lengthwise end of the top cover;

a locking retainer formed around the other lengthwise end of the top cover;

a panel received in the upward opening and dimensionally configured similar to said upward opening;

a protrusion formed on one lengthwise end of the panel for receipt in the notch;

a locking assembly retained on the other end of said panel, and including a rotatable button constantly urged by a biasing device to lock to the locking retainer so as to assure the panel is fastened to the top cover in a direction essentially perpendicular to a main plane of the panel under a condition that a circumference of said panel is surrounded by the top cover;

wherein during replacement, the rotatable button is rotated to resist resilient force derived from the biasing device for disengaging the rotatable button from the locking retainer so as to allow the panel to be removed from the top cover in a tilted manner about an rotation axis which is close to the engaged protrusion and the notch.

27. The device in accordance with claim 26, further including another biasing device located at the other lengthwise end of the top cover to constantly urge the other lengthwise end of the panel for upwardly pushing the panel away from the top cover.