Clip assembly and electronic device including the same

• US 9,125,476 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Electronics Company Limited (Lite-On Technology Corporation), Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Electronics Company Limited (Lite-On Technology Corporation), Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Kuan-Yu, Chang, Che-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Assistant Examiner(s): RATHOD, ABHISHEK M
• Application Number:
  US14/039,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 36167955-67959, 361/679.08, 361/679.09, 36167926-6793, 361/679.45, 345/169, 345/184, 455/575.1, 4555753-5754, 455/575.8, 455/556.1, 455/550.1, 455/90.1, 224666-675, 224/195, 224/197, 224/163, 224/904
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0035 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0059 using clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0073 using key-type connections
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0078 Quick-disconnect two-parts mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1401 comprising clamping or extracting means H05K7/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A clip assembly includes a seat having a surrounding wall with a receiving hole, and a locking mechanism proximate to the surrounding wall and including a pair of movable levers. Each movable lever has an engaging portion movably inserted into the receiving hole, and a driven portion. A drive unit has a button that is moved to a pressed position, where the driven portions are pushed to move away from each other and out of the receiving hole. A clip mechanism includes a connection body received in the receiving hole and having two connecting holes to respectively engage the engaging portions. The engaging portions are disengageable from the connecting holes by pressing the button.

Claims

1. A clip assembly comprising:

a base having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a surrounding wall that extends from said outer surface to said inner surface and that defines a receiving hole, said receiving hole extending through said outer surface and being closed by said inner surface, said surrounding wall having two opposite through holes that communicate with said receiving hole and that are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of said receiving hole;

a locking mechanism disposed in proximity to said inner surface and said surrounding wall, said locking mechanism including a pair of movable levers, a drive unit and a restoring unit, each of said movable levers having an engaging portion that is movably inserted into said receiving hole through a corresponding one of said through holes of said surrounding wall, a pivot portion, an intermediate portion that interconnects said engaging portion and said pivot portion, and a driven portion that extends from one side of said pivot portion away from said intermediate portion, said movable levers being connected pivotally to each other in a scissor fashion at said pivot portions of said movable levers, said driven portion of one of said movable levers being opposite to and spaced-apart from said driven portion of the other of said movable levers, said drive unit having a button that is disposed between said driven portions of said movable levers, said button being movable between an un-pressed position and a pressed position, said driven portions being pushed to move said engaging portions away from each other and out of said receiving hole via said through holes through a movement of said button from said un-pressed position to said pressed position, said restoring unit being connected to said intermediate portions of said movable levers so that said movable levers are restored to original positions thereof when said button is un-pressed; and

a clip mechanism including an elastic clip and a connection member, said elastic clip having first and second arms that are movable toward or away from each other, said connection member being disposed on said first arm and having a connection body that extends outwardly from said first arm in a direction away from said second arm, said connection body being receivable in said receiving hole and having two connecting holes that respectively engage said engaging portions when said connection body is received in said receiving hole, said engaging portions being disengageable from said connecting holes by pressing said button.

2. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive unit further includes a resilient member to force said button to move from said pressed position to said un-pressed position.

3. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said resilient member is a compression spring, said button having a press portion, an abutment portion and a spring retaining portion, said press portion being distal from said driven portions of said movable levers, said abutment portion having two opposite abutting sides that respectively abut against said driven portions of said movable levers, said resilient member having one end that is fixed on said spring retaining portion and the other end that is mounted on said base.

4. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surrounding wall has a circular outer surface, said intermediate portions of said movable levers being curved around said outer surface of said surrounding wall.

5. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driven portion of each of said movable levers has an inclined surface, said inclined surfaces of said movable levers being spaced apart from each other, said inclined surfaces of said movable levers being converged toward each other in a direction from said button to said surrounding wall, said button having a press portion and an abutment portion that is distal from said press portion, said abutment portion having two opposite abutting sides to respectively abut against said inclined surfaces of said driven portions of said movable levers, said abutting sides being disposed between said inclined surfaces at a position where a distance between said inclined surfaces is wide when said button is in said un-pressed position, said button moving toward said surrounding wall when moving from said un-pressed position to said pressed position, said driven portions moving away from each other when said abutting sides of said abutment portion of said button slide along and push said inclined surfaces of said movable levers.

6. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said driven portion of each of said movable levers further has an upright section that transversely extends from said pivot portion and a guiding projection that outwardly projects from an end of said upright section, said guiding projection having said inclined surface.

7. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said restoring unit is a torsion spring that cooperates with said movable levers to surround an outer surface of said surrounding wall.

8. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clip mechanism further includes another connection member that is disposed on said second arm in symmetry with said connection member disposed on said first arm.

9. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base further has a plurality of spaced-apart limiting protrusions, each of said limiting protrusions extending inwardly from said surrounding wall into said receiving hole, said connection body of said connection member further having a plurality of positioning grooves that receive respectively said limiting protrusions.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a circuit module disposed in said housing; and

a clip assembly including;

a base formed integrally with said housing and having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a surrounding wall that extends from said outer surface to said inner surface and that defines a receiving hole, said receiving hole extending through said outer surface and being closed by said inner surface, said surrounding wall having two opposite through holes that communicate with said receiving hole and that are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of said receiving hole,

a locking mechanism disposed in proximity to said inner surface and said surrounding wall, said locking mechanism including a pair of movable levers, a drive unit and a restoring unit, each of said movable levers having an engaging portion that is movably inserted into said receiving hole through a corresponding one of said through holes of said surrounding wall, a pivot portion, an intermediate portion that interconnects said engaging portion and said pivot portion, and a driven portion that extends from one side of said pivot portion away from said intermediate portion, said movable levers being connected pivotally to each other in a scissor fashion at said pivot portions of said movable levers, said driven portion of one of said movable levers being opposite to and spaced-apart from said driven portion of another one of said movable levers, said drive unit having a button that is disposed between said driven portions of said movable levers, said button being movable between an un-pressed position and a pressed position, said driven portions being pushed to move said engaging portions away from each other and out of said receiving hole via said through holes through a movement of said button from said un-pressed position to said pressed position, said restoring unit being connected to said intermediate portions of said movable levers so that said movable levers are restored to original positions thereof when said button is un-pressed, and

a clip mechanism including an elastic clip and a connection member, said elastic clip having first and second arms that are movable toward or away from each other, said connection member disposed on said first arm and having a connection body that extends outwardly from said first arm in a direction away from said second arm, said connection body being receivable in said receiving hole and having two connecting holes that respectively engage said engaging portions when said connection body is received in said receiving hole, said engaging portions being disengageable from said connecting holes by pressing said button.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said drive unit further includes a resilient member to force said button to move from said pressed position to said un-pressed position.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said resilient member is a compression spring, said button having a press portion, an abutment portion, and a spring retaining portion, said press portion being distal from said driven portions of said movable levers, said abutment portion having two opposite abutting sides that respectively abut against said driven portions of said movable levers, said resilient member having one end that is fixed on said spring retaining portion and the other end that is mounted on said base.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said surrounding wall has a circular outer surface, said intermediate portions of said movable levers being curved around said outer surface of said surrounding wall.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said driven portion of each of said movable levers has an inclined surface, said inclined surfaces of said movable levers being spaced apart from each other, said inclined surfaces of said movable levers being converged toward each other in a direction from said button to said surrounding wall, said button having a press portion and an abutment portion that is distal from said press portion, said abutment portion having two opposite abutting sides to respectively abut against said inclined surfaces of said driven portions of said movable levers, said abutting sides being disposed between said inclined surfaces at a position where a distance between said inclined surfaces is wide when said button is in said un-pressed position, said button moving toward said surrounding wall when moving from said un-pressed position to said pressed position, said driven portions moving away from each other when said abutting sides of said abutment portion of said button slide along and push said inclined surfaces of said movable levers.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said driven portion of each of said movable levers further has an upright section that transversely extends from said pivot portion and a guiding projection that outwardly projects from an end of said upright section, said guiding projection having said inclined surface.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said restoring unit is a torsion spring that cooperates with said movable levers to surround an outer surface of said surrounding wall.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said clip mechanism further includes another connection member that is disposed on said second arm in symmetry with said connection member disposed on said first arm.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said seat further has a plurality of spaced-apart limiting protrusions, each of said limiting protrusions extending inwardly from said surrounding wall into said receiving hole, said connection body of said connection member further having a plurality of positioning grooves that receive respectively said limiting protrusions.