Locking mechanism and electronic device

Abstract

This invention provides a locking mechanism for connecting a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first and second housings are arranged along a first direction. The locking mechanism includes a first latch, a second latch, a movable component, and a driving component. The first and second latches are fixed to the first housing and each has a first engaging groove and a second engaging groove, respectively. The first and second engaging grooves are arranged along the first direction. The movable component has an engaging portion. The driving component connects the second housing and the movable component and can drive the movable component to move relative to the second housing. When the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion is received in the first engaging groove. Furthermore, this invention also provides an electronic device including the aforementioned locking mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a locking mechanism. More specifically, it relates to a locking mechanism and electronic device for connecting two housings. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid advancement of technology, various electrical and mechanical devices are widely used in industry and daily life. However, some electrical and mechanical devices may pose risks during use. For example, they may explode in the event of a malfunction, and the impact of the explosion may cause the casing containing the device to be ejected. If the ejected casing hits a person, it can cause minor physical injuries or even death. Therefore, how to solve these problems has become an important issue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a locking mechanism for connecting a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first and second housings are arranged along a first direction. The locking mechanism includes a first latch, a second latch, a movable component, and a driving component. The first and second latches are fixed to the first housing and each has a first engaging groove and a second engaging groove, respectively. The first and second engaging grooves are arranged along the first direction. The movable component has an engaging portion. The driving component connects the second housing and the movable component and can drive the movable component to move relative to the second housing. When the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion is received in the first engaging groove.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the aforementioned first direction, the first engaging groove is located between the first housing and the second engaging groove.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the width of the second engaging groove is greater than or equal to the width of the first engaging groove. In other embodiments, in a third direction, the length of the second engaging groove is greater than the length of the first engaging groove, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, in a first direction, the distance between the bottom end of the second engaging groove and the end of the second hook is greater than the distance between the bottom end of the first engaging groove and the bottom end of the second engaging groove.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the first hook is accommodated in the second engaging groove.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first hook and the second hook are formed in one piece.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the first housing is fixed to the second housing by a locking mechanism, the engaging portion contacts the first hook.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the drive assembly includes an operating component, a first pivot, and a second pivot. The first pivot pivotally connects the movable component and the operating component, while the second pivot pivotally connects the second housing and the operating component. The first pivot is parallel to the second pivot. When the first housing is fixed to the second housing by a locking mechanism, the first pivot is in a first position, and the second pivot is located between the engaging portion and the first pivot. When the first housing moves about the second pivot from the first position to a second position, the first pivot is located between the engaging portion and the second pivot.

[0011] The present invention also provides a container device, including a first housing, a second housing, and the aforementioned locking mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a container device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 express Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a front view of the locking mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram showing the first pivot located at a first position in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of a first pivot position from a first position to a second position in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram showing that, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the first hook breaks, the engaging portion is accommodated in the second engaging groove.

[0018] Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram showing, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first hook breaking and the first housing and the second housing being joined together.

[0019] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0020] 10: First shell

[0021] 20: Second shell

[0022] 30: Locking mechanism

[0023] 40: Electronic Components

[0024] 100: Fixed components

[0025] 110: First hook

[0026] 111: First card slot

[0027] 120: Second hook

[0028] 121: Second card slot

[0029] 122: Depression

[0030] 200: Driver Components

[0031] 210: Operation Components

[0032] 220: First Pivot

[0033] 230: Second Pivot

[0034] 300: Activity Components

[0035] 310:Ontology

[0036] 320: Card Section

[0037] 330: Outer shell

[0038] B1: Bottom of the first locking slot

[0039] B2: Bottom of the second locking slot

[0040] C: Electronic devices

[0041] D1: First Direction

[0042] D2: Second Direction

[0043] D3: Third direction

[0044] E1: End of the first hook

[0045] E2: End of the second hook

[0046] G: Gap

[0047] L1: Length

[0048] L2: Length

[0049] S: Storage space

[0050] W1: Width

[0051] W2: Width Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following describes the container device and locking mechanism of the present invention. However, it will be readily apparent that the present invention provides many suitable inventive concepts and can be implemented in a wide range of specific contexts. The specific embodiments disclosed are merely illustrative of the use of the invention in a particular manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the background or context of the relevant art and the present invention, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner, unless specifically defined herein.

[0054] The following disclosure of this specification describes specific examples of the various components and their arrangements to simplify the description of the invention. Of course, these specific examples are not intended to limit the invention. For example, if the following disclosure describes a first feature formed on or above a second feature, it indicates that it includes embodiments where the first and second features are in direct contact, and also includes embodiments where additional features may be formed between the first and second features, so that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Furthermore, to facilitate the description of the relationship between one feature and another in the drawings, spatially related terms such as "below," "under," "below," "above," "above," and similar terms may be used. In addition to the orientations shown in the drawings, spatially related terms cover different orientations of the device during use or operation. The device may also be positioned otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially related descriptions used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0055] Figure 1 An electronic device C representing an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 express Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction. (See example...) Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the electronic device C includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, at least one locking mechanism 30, and at least one electronic component 40. The first housing 10 can be detachably connected to the second housing 20, and a receiving space S can be formed between them. The electronic component 40 can be housed in the receiving space S. For example, the electronic component 40 may include a battery, transformer, motor, internal combustion engine, printed circuit board, capacitor, and / or power components (e.g., insulated-gate bipolar transistors, metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors), but is not limited to these. When the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are joined together, they can be fixed together by the locking mechanism 30. The locking mechanism 30 can also prevent the first housing 10 or the second housing 20 from detaching in the event of an explosion caused by a malfunction of the electrical and / or mechanical devices disposed in the receiving space.

[0056] Figure 3 express Figure 1 Front view of the locking mechanism 30. Please refer to the attached document as well. Figures 1 to 3 The locking mechanism 30 mainly includes a fixed component 100, a driving component 200, and a movable component 300.

[0057] The fixing component 100 is fixed to the first housing 10, and includes a first hook 110 and a second hook 120, wherein the first hook 110 and the second hook 120 can respectively form a first engaging groove 111 and a second engaging groove 121. It should be noted that the first hook 110 and the second hook 120 are arranged along the orientation when the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are joined. Therefore, since the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are arranged along the first direction D1 when joined, the first hook 110 and the second hook 120 are also arranged along the aforementioned first direction D1, and thus, the first engaging groove 111 and the second engaging groove 121 are also arranged along the aforementioned first direction D1.

[0058] Both the first latch 110 and the second latch 120 extend downward from the first housing 10, with the second latch 120 extending further downward than the first latch 110. Therefore, in the first direction D1, the first engagement groove 111 is located between the first housing 10 and the second engagement groove 121.

[0059] In this embodiment, on the second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1, the width W2 of the second engaging groove 121 is greater than or equal to the width W1 of the first engaging groove 111, and on the third direction D3 perpendicular to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, the length L2 of the second engaging groove 121 is greater than the length L1 of the first engaging groove 111.

[0060] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the end E2 of the second hook 120 can extend upward to align with or exceed the end E1 of the first hook 110. In other words, in the first direction D1, the distance between the end E2 of the second hook 120 and the bottom B2 of the second engaging groove 121 will be greater than the distance between the bottom B1 of the first engaging groove 111 and the bottom B2 of the second engaging groove. Furthermore, a recess 122 can be formed on the second hook 120, and the end E1 of the first hook 110 can be accommodated in this recess 122. Therefore, at least a portion of the first hook 110 can be accommodated in the second engaging groove 121.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first hook 110 and the second hook 120 are formed by cutting and / or bending the fixing component 100 of a single sheet metal, and therefore the two can be integrally formed. In some embodiments, the first hook 110 and the second hook 120 can be two separate components, and are respectively fixed to the first housing 10.

[0062] Please continue reading. Figures 1 to 3 The drive assembly 200 includes an operating component 210, a first pivot 220, and a second pivot 230. The movable assembly 300 includes a body 310, an engaging portion 320, and a housing 330. The first pivot 220 passes through the housing 330 of the movable assembly 300 and pivotally connects the body 310 and the operating component 210. The second pivot 230 pivotally connects the operating component 210 and the second housing 20. The first pivot 220 and the second pivot 230 are parallel to each other.

[0063] The main body 310 of the movable component 300 is an elongated component, one end of which is pivotally connected to the first pivot 220, and the other end is connected to the engaging portion 320. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 320 is a cylinder, and its shape can be adjusted as needed and is not limited to this. The outer shell 320 covers the main body 310 to prevent the main body 310 from being damaged by impacts from external objects.

[0064] The following describes the operating steps of the locking mechanism 30. For example... Figure 4A As shown, when the first housing 10 is fixed to the second housing 20 by the locking mechanism 30, the engaging part 320 is accommodated in the first engaging groove 111 and contacts the first hook 110, the first pivot 220 is located in a first position, and the second pivot 230 is located between the engaging part 320 and the first pivot 220.

[0065] like Figure 4BAs shown, when a user wishes to separate the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, the operating component 210 can be pulled to drive the first pivot 220 to move around the second pivot 230 from a first position to a second position. At this time, in the first direction D1, the first pivot 220 will be located between the engaging portion 320 and the second pivot 230, so the engaging portion 320 can be released from the first engaging groove 111, and the user can then separate the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

[0066] When the user wishes to use the locking mechanism 30 to fix the first housing 10 to the second housing 20, they only need to push the operating component 210 in the opposite direction after the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are connected, so that its first pivot 220 moves from the second position to the first position around the second pivot 230. Figure 4A ).

[0067] like Figure 5A As shown, when an electronic component 40 (e.g., battery, transformer, motor, internal combustion engine, printed circuit board, capacitor, and / or power component (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor transistor)) malfunctions and explodes within the electronic device C, the resulting gas may cause the first latch 110 to break. The first housing 10, acted upon by the generated gas, will move away from the second housing 20, causing the engaging portion 320 of the movable component 300 to enter the second engaging groove 121 and contact the second latch 120.

[0068] Because the width W2 and length L2 of the second engaging groove 121 are greater than the width W1 and length L1 of the first engaging groove 111, the second hook 120 can withstand greater pressure than the first hook 110. Furthermore, when the first hook 110 breaks and the first housing 10 moves under the influence of gas, a gap G will form between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 because the first housing 10 is caught by the lower second hook 120. The aforementioned gas can be slowly released through this gap G, and the impact force on the first housing 10 can be gradually reduced, thus preventing the first housing 10 from directly detaching from the second housing 20.

[0069] Since the end E2 of the second hook 120 in this embodiment extends upward to align with or exceed the end E1 of the first hook 110, a portion of the first hook 110 is accommodated in the second engaging groove 121. Therefore, when the first hook 110 breaks, the engaging part 320 can directly enter the second engaging groove 121, and there will be no situation where the engaging part 320 does not enter the second engaging groove 121.

[0070] Please see Figure 5BOnce the aforementioned gas has been released, the first housing 10 will move back to its connected state with the second housing 20. It should be noted that, since the end E2 of the second hook 120 in this embodiment extends upwards to align with or exceed the end E1 of the first hook 110, the engaging portion 320 will remain in the second engaging groove 121, and the locking mechanism 30 can still limit the range of movement of the first housing 10 relative to the second housing 20 in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, and the third direction D3. Therefore, it can be ensured that after the first hook 110 breaks, the first housing 10 will not detach from the second housing 20.

[0071] Additionally, the first housing 10 or the second housing 20 of the electronic device C may be equipped with a power switch (not shown) electrically connected to the electronic component 40, or the power switch may be located at a specific position away from the electronic device C and electrically connected to the electronic component 40. When the aforementioned gas has been released and the user wishes to replace the electronic component 40, the aforementioned power switch can be activated to stop the electronic component 40 from operating and disconnect the power, and then the first housing 10 can be opened to replace the electronic component 40, thereby avoiding the danger of leakage.

[0072] In summary, the present invention provides a locking mechanism for connecting a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are arranged along a first direction. The locking mechanism includes a first hook, a second hook, a movable component, and a driving component. The first hook and the second hook are fixed to the first housing and each has a first engaging groove and a second engaging groove, respectively. The first engaging groove and the second engaging groove are arranged along the first direction. The movable component has an engaging portion. The driving component connects the second housing and the movable component and can drive the movable component to move relative to the second housing. When the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion is received in the first engaging groove. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a container device including the aforementioned locking mechanism.

[0073] While the embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been disclosed above, it should be understood that any person skilled in the art can make modifications, substitutions, and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the processes, machines, manufacturing methods, material compositions, apparatuses, methods, and steps described in the specific embodiments of the specification. Any process, machine, manufacturing method, material composition, apparatus, method, and step that is currently or will be developed in the future can be understood from the disclosure of the present invention, and can be used according to the present invention as long as it can perform substantially the same function or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention includes the aforementioned processes, machines, manufacturing methods, material compositions, apparatuses, methods, and steps. In addition, each claim constitutes an individual embodiment, and the scope of protection of the present invention also includes combinations of the various claims and embodiments.

[0074] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to several preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims. Furthermore, each claim constitutes an independent embodiment, and all combinations of claims and embodiments fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism for connecting a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are arranged along a first direction, and the locking mechanism comprises: The first hook is fixed to the first housing and has a first engaging groove; The second hook is fixed to the first housing and has a second engagement groove, wherein the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove are arranged along the first direction; Active components, with engaging parts; as well as A drive assembly connects the second housing and the movable assembly, and can drive the movable assembly to move relative to the second housing, wherein when the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion is accommodated in the first engaging groove; The end of the second hook extends along the first direction to be aligned with or beyond the end of the first hook. The distance between the bottom end of the second engagement groove and the end of the second hook is greater than the distance between the bottom end of the first engagement groove and the bottom end of the second engagement groove. A portion of the first hook is accommodated in the second engagement groove.

2. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein in the first direction, the first engaging groove is located between the first housing and the second engaging groove.

3. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the width of the second engaging groove is greater than or equal to the width of the first engaging groove.

4. The locking mechanism of claim 3, wherein in the third direction, the length of the second locking groove is greater than the length of the first locking groove, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

5. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first hook and the second hook are integrally formed.

6. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein when the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion contacts the first hook.

7. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein the driving component comprises: Operational components; A first pivot connects the movable component and the operating component; as well as The second pivot is pivotally connected to the second housing and the operating assembly.

8. The locking mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first pivot is parallel to the second pivot.

9. The locking mechanism of claim 7, wherein when the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the first pivot is located at a first position and the second pivot is located between the engaging portion and the first pivot, wherein when the first housing moves about the second pivot from the first position to a second position, the first pivot is located between the engaging portion and the second pivot.

10. An electronic device comprising: First shell; A second housing is detachably connected to the first housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are arranged along a first direction; as well as The locking mechanism includes: The first hook is fixed to the first housing and has a first engaging groove; A second hook is fixed to the first housing and has a second engagement groove, wherein the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove are arranged along the first direction; Active components, having a locking mechanism; and A drive assembly connects the second housing and the movable assembly, and can drive the movable assembly to move relative to the second housing, wherein when the first housing is fixed to the second housing by the locking mechanism, the engaging portion is accommodated in the first engaging groove; The end of the second hook extends along the first direction to be aligned with or beyond the end of the first hook. The distance between the bottom end of the second engagement groove and the end of the second hook is greater than the distance between the bottom end of the first engagement groove and the bottom end of the second engagement groove. A portion of the first hook is accommodated in the second engagement groove.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein a housing space is formed between the first housing and the second housing, and the electronic device further includes electronic components housed in the housing space, wherein the electronic components include printed circuit boards, capacitors, and / or power components.

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