Locking mechanism for a cover for a housing of an electronic device
View Patent ↗The disclosure relates to a housing for an electronic device. The housing comprises: a back housing defining an interior compartment of the device; a receptacle to receive a first locking feature from a cover for the electronic device; and at least one moveable second locking feature in the receptacle to engage the first locking feature to hold the cover to the back housing. In the back housing the second locking feature is selectively moved from a first engaged position with the first locking feature to a second disengaged position with the first locking feature when a predefined force is applied at a specific location at the back housing or the cover.
1. A housing for an electronic device comprising:
a back housing defining an interior compartment of the electronic device and a receptacle defined in the interior compartment, the back housing formed from a layer of elastomeric material defining an outer surface of the housing and a layer of plastic material adjacent the elastomeric material, the elastomeric material defining an indentation adjacent the receptacle, the receptacle having a first locking feature; and
a cover removably coupled to the back housing to close the interior compartment of the back housing, the cover having a second locking feature projecting from a surface of the cover, the first locking feature of the receptacle configured to receive the second locking feature of the cover, the first locking feature movable between an engaged position with the second locking feature to prevent removal of the second locking feature from the receptacle and a disengaged position with the second locking feature to enable removal of the second locking feature from the receptacle and the cover from the back housing when an inward pressure is applied to the indentation, the second locking feature movable relative to the surface of the cover to enable the first locking feature to move to the engaged position when the second locking feature is being inserted in the receptacle.
2. A housing for an electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second locking feature is a locking pin having a projection.
3. A housing for an electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first locking feature includes a first wall protrusion formed from the elastomeric material.
4. A housing for an electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first wall protrusion is to deflect away from the second locking feature when the inward pressure is applied to the indentation to enable the first locking feature to move to the disengaged position.
5. A housing for an electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the layer of plastic defining the housing forms a second wall of the receptacle, the second wall defining a second wall protrusion spaced apart from the first wall protrusion.
6. A housing for an electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the back housing forms a collar extending inwardly toward the interior compartment adjacent the receptacle.
7. A housing for an electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the collar is formed as part of the layer of plastic.
8. A housing for an electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the second wall protrusion protrudes towards the collar.
9. An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising:
a cover comprising a surface and a locking pin projecting from the surface, the locking pin having a projection extending laterally therefrom; and
a back housing defining an opening, the cover being coupled to the back housing so as to close the opening, the back housing having a receptacle adjacent the opening and configured to receive the locking pin, the receptacle including a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall, the first wall having a first protrusion extending toward the second wall for engaging the locking pin projection and the second wall having a second protrusion extending toward the first wall for engaging a side of the locking pin opposite the locking pin projection, the back housing being deformable in response to an inward pressure adjacent the first wall to deflect the first wall relative to the second wall to move the first protrusion in a direction away from the second wall to disengage the locking pin projection and to enable the locking pin to be withdrawn from the receptacle and the cover to be removed from the back housing.
10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first wall has a first flexibility and the second wall has a second flexibility, the flexibility of the first wall being greater than the flexibility of the second wall.
11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the back housing comprises a layer of elastomeric material defining an outer surface of the back housing and a layer of plastic material defining an inner surface of the back housing, the layer of elastomeric material being adjacent the layer of plastic material.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first wall is formed from the layer of the elastomeric material and the second wall is formed from the layer of the plastic material.
13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the back housing further comprises an indentation adjacent the receptacle, the indentation to cause the first protrusion to move away from the second protrusion to enable the locking pin of the cover to be withdrawn from the receptacle when the inward pressure is applied to the indentation.
14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a gap formed between the cover and the indentation of the back housing adjacent the receptacle.
15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the back housing forms a collar extending inwardly toward the opening and adjacent the first wall of the receptacle, wherein the collar supports a portion of the first wall adjacent the first protrusion of the first wall.
16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the collar is composed of a plastic material and is integrally formed with the back housing as a unitary piece or structure.
17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the collar is positioned away from the first protrusion of the first wall such that the collar does not interfere with the first protrusion when the first protrusion deflects relative the second wall.
18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the second protrusion of the second wall protrudes towards the collar.
19. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising a gap formed between the cover and the back housing adjacent the receptacle.
20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the inward pressure is applied within the gap to enable removal of the cover from the back housing.
21. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein inward pressure causes a force to be transferred to the receptacle in response to the press applied to the cover adjacent the receptacle to cause the first protrusion of the first wall to deflect away from the locking pin to enable the locking pin to be withdrawn from the receptacle.
22. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the second protrusion of the second wall is to cause the locking pin to deflect relative to the surface of the cover and toward the first wall when the locking pin projection is inserted into the receptacle and engages the second protrusion of the second wall, the locking pin to cause the first wall protrusion to deflect away from the second wall to enable the locking pin projection to move past the second wall protrusion.
23. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the cover rests against the first wall such that the first wall provides absorption of external shocks imparted to the cover.
24. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the locking pin is positioned adjacent a distal end of the cover.