HOUSING OF FOLDABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090190306A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TANG, ZI-MING
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.58
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/006 for covers or panels for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/046 with two interconnected mechanisms each driving one rod
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45251 Resilient element [e.g., with spring]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1045 Operating means

Abstract

An exemplary housing includes a first cover, a second cover for coupled with the first cover, a trigger, two movable latches, a first resilient member, two second resilient members, and two extending arms. The first cover includes two engaging portions. The trigger is disposed on the second cover and slidable along a first direction. The movable latches are disposed on the second cover and slidable along a second direction. Each movable latch includes an engaging portion for engaging the engaging portions of the first cover. The resilient members are configured for resetting the trigger and the movable latches. The extending arms are rotatably connected to the trigger and the movable latches. A slide of the trigger forces the movable latches to slide, thus making the engaging portions of the first cover and the movable latches engage or disengage each other.

Claims

1. A housing of a foldable electronic device, the housing comprising:

a first cover including at least one engaging portion;

a second cover rotatably coupled with the first cover;

a trigger disposed on the second cover, the trigger being slidable along a first direction between a first position and a second position;

at least one movable latch disposed on the second cover, the at least one movable latch being slidable along a second direction, the at least one movable latch having an engaging portion for engaging the at least one engaging portion of the first cover correspondingly;

at least one resilient member for resetting the trigger and the at least one movable latch; and

at least one extending arm rotatably connected to the trigger and the at least one movable latch;

wherein sliding of the trigger forces the at least one movable latch to slide, thus making the engaging portions of the first cover and the at least one movable latch engage or disengage with each other.

2. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second cover defines a handle slot, the trigger comprises a mounting portion;

the trigger is received in the second cover and the mounting portion protrudes out of the second cover via the handle slot.

3. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second cover includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base, the handle slot is defined in the sidewalls, the sidewalls form at least one trigger bracket adjacent to the handle slot and at least one guide rail, the at least one trigger bracket and the sidewalls cooperatively form a trigger guiding portion for slidably receiving the trigger, the at least one guide rail and the sidewalls cooperatively form at least one guiding structure for slidably receiving the at least one movable latch.

4. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sidewalls further form at least one restricting guard rail opposite to the at least one guide rail, and each guide rail has a restricting rim corresponding to each restricting guard rail, and the at least one restricting guard rail and the restricting rim of the at least one guide rail cooperatively prevent the at least one movable latch from falling off.

5. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the each of the at least one movable latch forms a protrusion, the trigger forms at least one pin, each of the at least one extending arm defines a pivot hole and a guiding slot in opposite ends correspondingly, and the protrusion of the one of the at least one movable latch and one pin of the trigger rotatably engage the pivot hole and the guiding slot correspondingly.

6. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one resilient member comprises a first resilient member with two ends resisting the main body and the trigger correspondingly.

7. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one resilient member further comprises at least one second resilient member, each second resilient member has two ends resisting the main body and one of the at least one movable latch.

8. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the trigger comprises a base member and an actuator, the base member defines a lever slot, and forms two clips for clipping the actuator, the actuator includes a handle and the mounting portion, the mounting portion is inserted in the lever slot of the base member.

9. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one movable latch forms a hook at a top of the engaging portion, the hook has an inclined surface.

10. The housing of the foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

11. A latching structure for a foldable electronic device, comprising:

at least one first engaging portion;

a trigger being slidable along a first direction between a first position and a second position;

at least one movable latch being slidable along a second direction, each of the at least one movable latch having a second engaging portion for engaging one of the at least one first engaging portion;

at least one resilient member for resetting the trigger and the at least one movable latch; and

at least one extending arm, each being rotatably connected to the trigger and one of the at least one movable latch;

wherein sliding of the trigger forces the at least one movable latch to slide, thus making the at least one engaging portion engage or disengage with the second engaging portion of the at least one movable latch.

12. The latching structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the each of the at least one movable latch forms a protrusion, the trigger forms at least one pin, each of the at least one extending arm defines a pivot hole and a guiding slot in opposite ends correspondingly, and the protrusion of the one of the at least one movable latch and one pin of the trigger rotatably engage the pivot hole and the guiding slot correspondingly.

13. The latching structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one resilient member comprises a first resilient member with two ends resisting the main body and the trigger correspondingly.

14. The latching structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one resilient member further comprises at least one second resilient member, each second resilient member has two ends resisting the main body and one of the at least one movable latch.

15. The latching structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the trigger comprises a base member and an actuator, the base member defines a lever slot, the base member forms two clips for clipping the actuator, the actuator includes a handle and a mounting portion, the mounting portion is configured for inserting in the lever slot of the base member.

16. The latching structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the at least one movable latch forms a hook at a top of the engaging portion, the hook has an inclined surface.

17. The latching structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.