Housing assembly for portable radio apparatus with one-piece baseplate and battery container

• US 4,641,370 A
• Filed: 07/21/1986
• Issued: 02/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Oyamada, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Application Number:
  US06/885,734
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/347-349, 455/351, 455/89, 455/90, 455/128, 361/399, 361/395, 361/422
• US Class Current: 455/348
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/088 with parts of the receiver detachable or collapsible
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A housing structure for a portable radio is composed of a hollow housing section with an open bottom, a base section dimensioned to mate with and close the bottom of the housing section and a printed circuit board mounted on the base section through a locking mechanism. The base section also includes a section for receiving a battery. A removable cover, releaseably locked to the housing section, covers the battery receiving section. Contacts electrically interconnect the battery in the battery receiving section with the printed circuit board, making the radio operable without mating the base section with the housing section. The base section may be provided with a bottom casing portion for storing optional elements such as a vibrator or antenna. A holder structure with a notch for a battery may be either removably or integrally attached to the housing section. The removable holder structure is configured to permit insertion and removal of a battery while the holder structure is engaging the housing section.

Claims

1. A housing structure for a portable radio apparatus, comprising:

(a) a housing which is open at the bottom thereof and has a volume for accomodating said radio apparatus;

(b) a base section dimensioned to close the open bottom of said housing;

(c) a battery container section for containing a battery for said radio apparatus, said battery container section being molded integrally with said base section forming a part of said base section and transversely positioned with respect to said base section;

(d) a printed circuit board on which said radio apparatus is mounted, said board having a contour which conforms to said base section and to said battery container section, said base section and said battery container section supporting said board; and

(e) a locking mechanism for locking said printed circuit board to said base section and to said battery container section.

2. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base section comprises a base plate.

3. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base section comprises a bottom casing for storing an optional part of said radio apparatus.

4. A housing structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said radio apparatus is a paging receiver, and said optional part is a vibrator.

5. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery container section includes cut away portions defining a positive terminal mark, a negative terminal mark and a mark in the shape of a battery.

6. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism comprises an aperture and at least one tab which are formed in edge portions of said printed circuit board;

a projection extending from said base section at a position which corresponds to said aperture;

a recess formed in one of said base section and said battery container section to be engagable with said tab;

a shoulder formed at least in a portion of a region of said battery container section which is engagable with said printed circuit board; and

a pin for interconnecting said projection and said aperture.

7. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising holder means for holding said housing.

8. A housing structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said holder means comprises a butterfly type clip which is directly fixed to a back of said housing.

9. A housing structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said holder means comprises a generally U-shaped body which is cut away in portions thereof which correspond to an upper portion, a lower portion and a front portion of said housing, thereby allowing said housing to be slid into said holder means;

a boss positioned on a side wall of an upper portion of said housing;

a notch formed in an upper edge of said U-shaped body in a position for engaging with said boss; and

a butterfly type clip mounted on a back of said U-shaped body.

10. A housing structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein said holder means further comprises a notch formed in a portion of said U-shaped body which covers said battery container section, so that a battery is allowed to be inserted into and removed from said battery container section while said holder means holds said housing.

11. A housing structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein said holder means further comprises a projection extending from a surface of said U-shaped body which is engagable with said housing and in the vicinity of said upper open edge;

and slots located at both sides of said projection and extending from said upper opening; and

said housing includes a recess in which said projection of said U-shaped body is engagable.

12. A housing structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein said boss is formed with an aperture for engaging an accessory therein.

13. A housing structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein said accessory is a chain with a clip.

14. A housing structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an opening for loading and unloading said battery;

a battery cover slidably engagable with said opening to close said opening; and

a battery cover locking mechanism for locking a sliding motion of said battery cover;

said battery cover locking mechanism comprising;

a lock knob, a knob opening for receiving said lock knob which is formed in an edge portion of said loading and unloading opening that is perpendicular to a sliding direction of said battery cover;

hook-shaped tongues formed on said lock knob for locking said lock knob in said knob opening; and

stop lugs extending from edge portions of said knob opening which are perpendicular to a movable direction of said lock knob, said stop lugs cooperating with said hook-shaped tongues to stop said lock knob at a predetermined position.

15. A housing structure for a portable radio apparatus, comprising:

(a) a housing which is open at an end thereof and has a volume for accomodating said radio apparatus;

(b) an end closing member dimensioned to close the open end of said housing;

(c) a battery container section for containing a battery for said radio apparatus, said battery container section being molded integrally with said end closing member forming a part of said end closing member;

(d) a printed circuit board on which said radio apparatus is mounted, said board having a contour which conforms to said end closing member and to said battery container section, said end closing member and said battery container section supporting said board; and

(e) a locking mechanism for locking said printed circuit board to said end closing member and to said battery container section.

16. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein said end closing member comprises a base plate.

17. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein said end closing member comprises a bottom casing for storing an optional part of said radio apparatus.

18. A housing structure as claimed in claim 17, where in said radio apparatus is a paging receiver, and said optional part is a vibrator.

19. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein said battery container section includes cut away portions defining a positive terminal mark, a negative terminal mark and a mark in the shape of a battery.

20. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein said locking mechanism comprises an aperture and at least one tab which are formed in edge portions of said printed circuit board;

a projection extending from said end closing member at a position which corresponds to said aperture;

a recess formed in one of said end closing member and said battery container section to be engagable with said tab;

a shoulder formed at least in a portion of a region of said battery container section which is engagable with said printed circuit board; and

a pin for interconnecting said projection and said aperture;

21. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15 further comprising holder means for holding said housing.

22. A housing structure as claimed in claim 21, wherein said holder means comprises a butterfly type clip which is directly fixed to a back of said housing.

23. A housing structure as claimed in claim 21, wherein said holder means comprises a generally U-shaped body which is cut away in portions thereof which correspond to an upper portion, a lower portion and a front portion of said housing, thereby allowing said housing to be slid into said holder means;

a boss positioned on a side wall of an upper portion of said housing;

a notch formed in an upper edge of said U-shaped body in a position for engaging with said boss; and

a butterfly type clip mounted on a back of said U-shaped body.

24. A housing structure as claimed in claim 23, wherein said holder means further comprises a notch formed in a portion of said U-shaped body which covers said battery container section, so that a battery is allowed to be inserted into and removed from said battery container section while said holder means holds said housing.

25. A housing structure as claimed in claim 23, wherein said holder means further comprises a projection extending from a surface of said U-shaped body which is engagable with said housing and in the vicinity of said upper open edge;

and slots located at both sides of said projection and extending from said upper opening; and

said housing includes a recess in which said projection of said U-shaped body is engagable.

26. A housing structure as claimed in claim 23, wherein said boss is formed with an aperture for engaging an accessory therein.

27. A housing structure as claimed in claim 26, wherein said accessory is a chain with a clip.

28. A housing structure as claimed in claim 15 further comprising an opening for loading and unloading said battery;

a battery cover slidably engagable with said opening to close said opening; and

a battery cover locking mechanism for locking a sliding motion of said battery cover.

29. A housing structure as claimed in claim 28, wherein said battery cover locking mechanism comprising:

a lock knob, a knob opening for receiving said lock knob which is formed in an edge portion of said loading and unloading opening that is perpendicular to a sliding direction of said battery cover;

hook-shaped tongues formed on said lock knob for locking said knob in said knob opening; and

stop lugs extending from edge portions of said knob opening which are perpendicular to a movable direction of said lock knob, said stop lugs cooperating with said hook-shaped tongues to stop lock knob at a predetermined position.