HOUSING AND CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONICS DEVICE

• US 20090305752A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyekyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes a housing and clip assembly for a portable electronics device. According to one aspect of the subject matter described herein, a housing for a portable electronics device is provided. The housing includes a housing member for holding components of a portable electronics device. The components include a display. The housing further includes a lens coupled to the housing member for allowing viewing of the display. The lens includes a first position at rest and pivots to a second position for controlling a function of the portable electronics device.

Claims

1. A housing for a portable electronics device, the housing comprising:

a housing member for holding components of a portable electronics device, the components including a display; and

a lens coupled to the housing member for allowing viewing of the display, the lens having a first position at rest and pivoting to a second position for controlling a function of the portable electronics device.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the housing member comprises a unitary member forming five faces of substantially rectangular parallelepiped and wherein the lens comprises a unitary member that forms a sixth face of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

3. The housing of claim 1 wherein the lens pivots from the first position to a third position for controlling the function of the portable electronics device.

4. The housing of claim 3 wherein the third position is pivotally opposite the second position.

5. The housing of claim 3 wherein the lens pivots from a range of about zero degrees to about one degree from the first position to the second position and from about zero degrees to about one degree from the first position to the third position.

6. The housing of claim 1 wherein the lens includes protrusions extending towards the housing member for activating switches in the housing member to control the function of the portable electronics device.

7. The housing of claim 6 comprising a coupling member for coupling the lens to the housing member, the coupling member including biasing members adjacent to the protrusions for biasing the lens to return to the first position from the second position.

8. The housing of claim 7 wherein the coupling member and the housing member form a pivot joint for allowing the lens to pivot from the first position to the second position.

9. The housing of claim 7 wherein the coupling member includes at least one slot for increasing flexibility of the coupling member in a direction of the pivoting of the lens.

10. The housing of claim 1 wherein the lens comprises a photonic crystal material.

11. The housing of claim 1 wherein the lens defines a face of the housing bounded by sidewalls of the housing member and wherein the entirety of the face defined by the lens pivots from the first position to the second position.

12. A housing and clip assembly for a portable electronics device, the housing and clip assembly comprising:

a housing defining an enclosure for holding components of a portable electronics device; and

a clip assembly coupled to the housing for attaching the housing to a desired article for display or use of the portable electronics device, the clip assembly including a clip member that pivots angularly outward from the housing for attaching the housing to the desired article, wherein the clip assembly includes a spring assembly for biasing the clip member towards the housing, the housing including a main body and protrusion extending outward from the main body, the protrusion including an aperture for receiving the spring assembly such that at least a portion the spring assembly extends into a region enclosed by the main body of the housing.

13. The housing and clip assembly of claim 12 wherein the housing comprises a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, wherein one face of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped comprises a lens for allowing viewing of a display located within the enclosure, and wherein the lens pivots between a first position and a second position for controlling a function of the portable electronics device.

14. The housing and clip assembly of claim 12 wherein the housing includes guide members located on opposing sides of the aperture within the enclosure for positioning of the spring assembly.

15. The housing and clip assembly of claim 14 comprising a pivot shaft insertable in the spring assembly for attaching the clip member to the housing, wherein one of the guide members includes a recess, and wherein the pivot shaft includes an axial portion for fitting within the recess defined by the one guide member.

16. The housing and clip assembly of claim 12 wherein the spring assembly comprises a coil spring housing and a coil spring at least partially enclosed within the coil spring housing.

17. The housing and clip assembly of claim 16 wherein the coil spring includes first and second ends, wherein the coil spring housing and the housing for holding the components of the portable electronics device each include a feature for contacting one of the ends of the coil spring for biasing the clip member towards the housing.

18. The housing and clip assembly of claim 16 wherein the coil spring housing forms a cylindrical enclosure for housing the coil spring and wherein about a radius of the cylindrical enclosure extends within the main body of the housing.

19. The housing and clip assembly of claim 12 wherein the protrusion includes a thickness that is about thirty percent of a thickness of the main body of the housing.

20. The housing and clip assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least a portion of the spring assembly that is located within the main body of the housing has a thickness that is substantially equal to a radius of the spring assembly.

21. A housing for a portable electronics device, the housing comprising:

a housing member for holding components of a portable electronics device, the components including a display, the housing member comprising a unitary member that defines five faces of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped; and

a lens coupled to the housing member for allowing viewing of the display, the lens comprising a unitary member defining a sixth face of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped, wherein the lens has a first position at rest and pivots towards the housing member to a second position and to a third position pivotally opposite the second position for controlling a function of the portable electronics device.

22. A housing and clip assembly for a portable electronics device, the housing and clip assembly comprising:

a housing including a housing member for holding components of a portable electronics device, the components including a display, the housing including a lens coupled to the housing member for allowing viewing of the display, the lens having a first position at rest and pivoting to a second position for controlling a function of the portable electronics device, and the housing member and the lens defining an enclosure; and

a clip assembly coupled to the housing for attaching the housing to a desired article for display or use of the portable electronics device, the clip assembly including a clip member that pivots angularly outward from the housing for attaching the housing to the desired article, wherein the clip assembly includes a spring assembly for biasing the clip member towards the housing, and wherein the housing includes a main body and a protrusion extending outward from the main body and including an aperture for receiving the spring assembly such that at least a portion of the spring assembly extends within a region enclosed by the main body.