Housing mechanism for electronic device

• US 7,697,269 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Qing, Chen, Chia-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US11/616,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 429/97, 429/100, 224/257
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14459 injecting seal elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12463 being tapered
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/55 sealing elements being incorporated into the joints, e.g. gaskets B29C66/52296 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/00 Use of polymers of vinyl-aromatic compounds or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/08 PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/085 Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/04 Polysulfides, e.g. PPS, i.e. polyphenylene sulfide or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0079 : Liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0069 : non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3431 : Telephones, Earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 : Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

An exemplary housing mechanism (8) for an electronic device includes a cover (10) and a frame (20). The cover has a cover body (11), a sealing element (12), and a sidewall (13) formed around the cover body. A surface of a distal end of the sidewall is recessed thereby forming a receiving slot (16) therein. The sealing element has a connecting portion (122) and a positioning portion (124) connected to the connecting portion. The connecting portion is fixedly received in the receiving slot of the cover. The frame has a positioning slot (26) defined therein and the positioning portion of the sealing element is for reception in the positioning slot of the frame when the cover is closed to the frame.

Claims

1. A housing mechanism for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover having a cover body, a sealing element, and a sidewall, the sidewall being formed around the cover body, a surface of a distal end of the sidewall being recessed to form a receiving slot therein, the sealing element having a connecting portion and a positioning portion connected to the connecting portion, the connecting portion being fixedly received in the receiving slot; and

a frame having a positioning slot defined therein and the positioning portion of the sealing element being configured for reception in the positioning slot of the frame when the cover is closed to the frame.

2. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the cover and the frame has a hook formed thereon, the other of the cover and the frame has a groove defined therein, and the hook is configured for reception in the groove.

3. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distal end of the sidewall of the cover has two inclined surfaces and the two surfaces are inclined at an angle relative to each other thereby forming the receiving slot therebetween.

4. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connecting portion of the sealing element has two connecting surfaces, the two connecting surfaces are inclined at an angle relative to each other, and each connecting surface abuts one corresponding inclined surface of the cover.

5. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning slot of the frame has a substantially V-shaped cross section.

6. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein the positioning portion of the sealing element is substantially pillar-shaped before entering into the positioning slot of the frame and the positioning portion is deformed and pressed into the positioning slot of the frame.

7. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion and the positioning portion of the sealing element are inclined at an angle relative to each other.

8. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing element is made of an elastic material.

9. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sealing element is made of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber and thermoplastic urethanes (TPU).

10. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover and the frame are made of plastic material.

11. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plastic material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polycarbonate, polyimide, liquid crystal polymer, polyetherimide, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polystyrene, glycol-modified polyester, and polypropylene.

12. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing member is integrally formed in the receiving slot of the cover body via insert molding after the cover body and the sidewall are formed.

13. A housing mechanism for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover comprising a cover body, a sealing element, and a sidewall, the sidewall being integrally formed at a periphery of and surrounding the cover body, an inner surface of the sidewall being recessed to form two inclined surfaces with a receiving slot therebetween, the sealing element being received in the receiving slot and fixedly sandwiched between the two inclined surfaces, the sealing element comprising a positioning portion extending out of the receiving slot and surrounding the cover body; and

a frame having a positioning slot defined therein, the positioning portion of the sealing element being deformedly and interferentially received in the positioning slot of the frame to seal an inner space configured for accommodating electronic components of the electric device therein, the inner space being formed between the cover and frame and surrounded by the positioning portion and the sidewall.

14. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sealing member is integrally formed in the receiving slot of the cover body via insert molding after the cover body and the sidewall are formed.

15. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 13, wherein a plurality of pairs of interlocking structures is formed between the cover and the frame for locking the cover with the frame.

16. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 15, wherein each pair of interlocking structure comprises a hook formed on one of the cover and the frame, and a groove defined in the other of the cover and the frame, the hook being configured for reception in the groove.

17. The housing mechanism as claimed in claim 13, wherein the positioning slot of the frame has a substantially V-shaped cross section, and the positioning portion of the sealing element has a substantially pillar-shaped cross section before entering into the positioning slot, the positioning portion capable of being deformed and pressed into the positioning slot.