Portable radio battery latch

• US 5,535,437 A
• Filed: 03/13/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chambers, Randall P., Karl, David H., Dionisio, Vito Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/402,723
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/90, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/351, 455/128, 379/61, 379/58, 379/445, 292/87, 292/38, 429/97, 429/99, 429/100, 429/121, 429/123, 429/98, 439/352, 439/353, 439/354, 439/357
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment

Abstract

A latch (16) for latching or locking a battery housing (14) to a portable radio housing (12) automatically locks into place when it is placed in the radio, and automatically ejects the battery housing when it is unlocked. The latch is movable from a first position, in which the battery housing is locked to the portable radio, to a second position, in which the battery housing is unlocked from the radio, and movable from the second position to the first position. The latch comprises a spring biasing apparatus (18) for attaching the latch to the housing, retainer apparatus (22) for locking the battery housing to the radio, and a spring finger member (20) for ejecting the battery housing from the radio housing when the latch is moved from the first to the second position.

Claims

1. A housing for an energy source for powering an electronic device when said energy source is attached to said electronic device, said electronic device having a chassis with two ends, the first end of the chassis having two hook receivers, the second end of the chassis having an interior wall extending substantially perpendicular therefrom, a protrusion extending from the wall located remotely from the chassis, said housing comprising:

a cover portion having two ends;

two hooks extending from said cover at the first end thereof for engaging said two hook receivers;

an outward side parallel to the cover portion, the outward side defining a plane;

an inner wall formed between the outward side and the cover portion having a downwardly sloped portion;

a protective sheath extending from the outward side along the same plane, two finger recesses on the outward side each having a slot located therein, the protective sheath aligns with the interior wall of the chassis when the housing is in a latched position;

two latches extending from the cover portion over the downwardly sloped portion of the inner wall, each of said latches having a resilient support arm, an outer end located remotely from the support arm, and a sloped portion disposed intermediate the support arm and outer end for engaging the protrusion of the interior wall of the chassis, the outer end extending through the slot in the protective sheath so as to limit over travel of said latches; and

the engagement of the two hooks with the two hook receivers provides a pivotal support so that the housing can be pivoted into the latched position.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the two latches each includes a retainer.

3. The housing of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a battery pack.