Battery Cover Locking Mechanism for Portable Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices, particularly 'slider' style devices, face challenges in securely interlocking their battery covers to prevent unintentional unlatching during use, which can lead to battery compartment exposure and potential damage or loss of power.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a locking mechanism with locking tabs on the battery cover and corresponding tab receiving slots on the lower housing, along with post elements and beam assemblies that form a resilient interlocking system, allowing the battery cover to be securely latched without requiring a separate button, ensuring it remains closed during device operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate button is used to latch the battery cover, then the device complexity increases, but the reliability of the battery cover remaining closed improves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the latching function with the battery cover structure itself by integrating locking tabs directly into the cover and corresponding receiving slots into the housing. This merging eliminates the need for a separate button mechanism while maintaining reliable latching, as the cover's own structure provides the locking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery cover structure serves itself by incorporating locking tabs that automatically engage with receiving slots when the cover is closed. The system uses its own structural elements (tabs and slots) to perform the latching function without requiring external components or additional user actions beyond closing the cover.
2Reliability
If a resilient interlocking system with multiple components is used, then the reliability of preventing unintentional unlatching improves, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the latching function into distinct structural elements: locking tabs on the battery cover and corresponding receiving slots on the housing. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using standard molding techniques, then assembled together to form the complete interlocking system, balancing reliability with manufacturability.
3Reliability
If the battery cover is made secure with multiple locking points, then the reliability improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking action with the closing motion itself. When the user closes the battery cover, the locking tabs automatically engage with the receiving slots in a single continuous motion. This eliminates the need for separate locking steps or multiple actions, maintaining ease of operation while achieving secure latching through the integrated tab-slot mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a secure and tactilely distinct latching mechanism that prevents unintentional battery cover opening during device use, ensuring the battery compartment remains sealed and the device operates reliably, with tactile feedback indicating the latched state.
Implementation Method 1
the beam assemblies (250) deflect the post elements (238) laterally inwardly to engage the rounded portions (240, 242, 244)
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electronic device comprises a lower housing including a battery compartment. An upper housing is coupled to the lower housing and is slidable relative thereto in a first linear direction between a closed position and an open position. A battery cover is configured to engage the lower housing and move generally in the first linear direction relative to the lower housing from an unlatched position to a latched position in which the battery cover interlocks with the lower housing and encloses the battery compartment. The battery cover may comprise at least one of a post element or a beam element and the lower housing may comprise at least one of the other of the post element or the beam element. The post and beam elements are configured to interlock with one another when the battery cover is in the latched position.