Enclosure for mobile phone with changeable panel

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to a portable electronic device, and more specifically to an enclosure for a mobile phone.

2. Prior Art

Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, are widely used around the world. Many users like to change the aesthetic appearance of their mobile phones. Thus manufacturers are increasingly supplying mobile phones with changeable covers or panels.

A conventional enclosure for a mobile phone with a changeable panel is described in China Patent No. 96112975.1. The mobile phone includes a housing adapted to receive a faceplate as one of a plurality of faceplates. The faceplate has an outer surface with a distinctive aesthetic appearance, and an inner surface. The faceplate further includes a latch pin extending from the inner surface. The housing includes a front face having an aperture adapted to receive the latch pin, and includes a latch retainer configured to releasably engage the latch pin. When the latch retainer is in a released state, the faceplate may be readily removed and replaced. When the latch retainer is in a locked state, the faceplate is secured to the housing.

However, a user needs a special tool in order to release or to attach the faceplate. It is not convenient to change the faceplate. Moreover, the latch pin is easily disengaged from the locked state when the mobile phone is jarred or dropped.

A need therefore exists for a mobile phone having a panel that can be changed easily and that can be reliably held on a housing of the mobile phone.

In one aspect of the present invention, an enclosure of a mobile phone with a changeable panel comprises a front cover, a panel, a rotatable holder and a spring. The front cover defines a through hole and latch slots. The panel has projections at an edge thereof, and the projections can be engaged in the latch slots of the front cover. The panel further has a hole corresponding to the through hole of the front cover. The holder has a latch portion, and the spring is engaged around the holder. The holder with the spring is received in the hole of the panel, and the holder is further received in the through hole of the front cover. The holder is rotated and the spring is compressed, thereby securely holding the panel on the front cover.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an enclosure for a mobile phone of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is an inverted view of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is an inverted view of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a circled portion V of FIG. 4 , showing a latch portion of a holder of the enclosure in an unlocked state; and

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 , but showing the latch portion in a unlocked state.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , an enclosure for a mobile phone has a front cover 1 , a panel 2 , a rotatable holder 3 , and a spring 4 . The spring 4 is engaged around the holder 3 , and the holder 3 is received in a hole 25 of the panel 2 and a through hole 16 of the front cover 1 . The holder 3 thus holds the panel 2 on the front cover 1 .

Referring also to FIG. 3 , the front cover 1 has a plurality of keypad holes 11 , a window 12 , and a plurality of sound channels 13 . The front cover 1 further has the through hole 16 and a plurality of latch slots 171 , 172 . The through hole 16 comprises a top cylindrical portion 161 , and a through portion 162 defined through to a bottom surface of the front cover 1 . A slot 152 is defined in the bottom surface of the front cover 1 , in communication with the through portion 162 . A latch portion 33 of the holder 3 can be received in the slot 152 .

The panel 2 has a plurality of keypad holes 21 , a window 22 , and sound channels 23 corresponding to the sound channels 13 of the front cover 1 . A plurality of projections 241 , 242 is formed at a bottom edge of the panel 2 , for inserting into the latch slots 171 , 172 of the front cover 1 . The panel 2 further has the hole 25 corresponding to the through hole 16 of the front cover 1 . The hole 25 comprises a round slot 251 , a central hole 252 , and a groove 253 . The central hole 252 is below the round slat 251 . The groove 253 is defined in the panel 2 around the round slot 251 . The sound channels 23 are defined through the panel 2 around the hole 25 . The sound channels 23 are in communication with respective sound channels 13 of the front cover 1 when the panel 2 is engaged with the front cover 1 .

The holder 3 comprises a cap 31 , a latch portion 33 , and a shaft 32 interconnecting the cap 31 and the latch portion 33 . A diameter of the cap 31 is slightly less than a diameter of the round slot 251 , so the cap 31 can be rotatably received in the round slot 251 . A spring-receiving hole 311 is defined in a top end portion of the shalt 32 , for receiving an end portion 41 of the spring 4 . Referring to FIGS 3 – 6 , in particular, it can be seen that the latch portion 33 , the through hole 162 , and the slot 152 are sized such that the latch 33 is configured for insertion through the through hole 162 and for retention by the front cover 1 adjacent the slot 152 .

The spring 4 is helical, and can be received in the groove 253 of the hole 25 . An inner diameter of the spring 4 is greater than a diameter of the shalt 32 , and less than the diameter of the cap 31 . The spring 4 surrounds the shaft 32 . The end portion 41 of the spring 4 is inserted into the spring-receiving hole 311 .

Referring also to FIGS. 4–6 , in assembly, the projections 241 of the panel 2 are firstly inserted into the latch slots 171 of the front cover 1 . The panel 2 is pressed downwardly onto the front cover 1 until the projections 242 are received into the latch slots 172 . The holder 3 with the spring 4 is received in the hole 25 of the panel 2 . In particular, the cap 31 of the holder 3 is received in the round slot 251 of the hole 25 . At the same time, the spring 4 is secured in the groove 253 . The shaft 32 and the latch portion 33 of the holder 3 are received through the central hole 252 of the panel 2 and the through hole 16 of the front cover 1 (see FIG 5 ). The cap 31 is pressed downwardly, and the cap 31 is rotated in direction Al about 90 degrees. The latch portion 33 of the holder 3 is thus held in the slot 152 of the front cover 1 (see FIG. 6 ), and cooperates with the compressed spring 4 to securely hold the panel 2 on the front cover 1 .

If the user needs to change the panel 2 , he/she can press the cap 31 downwardly to disengage the latch portion 33 from the bottom surface of the front cover 1 . Then, the holder 3 is rotated about about 90 degrees in direction A 2 , so that the latch portion 33 is disengaged from the slot 152 and corresponds to the hole 162 . The holder 3 thus springs up from the panel 2 and the front cover 1 under elastic decompression force of the spring 4 . The user lifts up the end of the panel 2 at the hole 25 . The projections 241 , 242 are then disengaged from the latch slots 171 , 172 . The panel 2 can thus be changed.

It is to be noted that the detailed description provided above should be considered as exemplary of the invention, and not restrictive of the invention as claimed hereinafter.