Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-28
2004-07-06
Zarneke, David A. (Department: 2827)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S759000, C361S801000, C361S803000, C361S804000, C361S740000, C361S742000, C174S13800J
Reexamination Certificate
active
06760231
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 91 206921, filed May 15, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fastening assemblies and, more particularly, to a fastening assembly that can be arranged within a space having a reduced profile to fixedly fasten two structures together.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the requirement for information access and processing is increased, information appliances particularly become more popular. “Information appliances” broadly embrace electronic devices that are provided with the functions of telecommunication and/or internet access.
A typical type of information appliance is the personal digital assistant (PDA). A PDA usually includes the functions of scheduler, event recording, telecommunication, electronic phonebook, etc.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, to fixedly fasten two plastics structures
100
,
200
of the PDA, i.e., top and bottom covers of the PDA together, a traditional fastening assembly uses a threaded insert nut
400
that is securely accommodated within a boss
210
, provided on one plastics structure
200
, via ultrasonic welding. The insert nut
400
is externally formed with grooves to enhance its fastening effect to the boss
210
. The two plastics structures
100
,
200
are fixedly attached to each other by a screw
300
extending through a hole
110
of the plastics structure
100
and threadedly engaging in the insert nut
400
.
With the above traditional fastening assembly, the fastening of the insert nut
400
within the boss
210
can be effectively achieved only at the condition that a required minimum height of the boss
210
is satisfied. If the height is insufficient, the insert nut
400
can not be fixedly attached within the boss
210
, which results in that the screw
300
and the insert nut
400
cannot have a secure engagement therebetween and the plastics structures
100
,
200
can not be fastened securely together.
Since the size of the PDA is increasingly reduced as miniaturization techniques are developed, lower profile is available for the disposition of the fastening assembly. The traditional fastening assembly as described above therefore becomes an obstacle to further size reduction.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
An aspect of the invention is therefore to provide a fastening assembly that can fasten two structures (for example, top and bottom covers) of an electronic device (for example, a PDA) together without the need of a boss element so that the mount height needed by the fastening assembly is reduced, thereby enabling the electronic device to have a compact design.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, the invention provides a fastening assembly that is used for fixedly fastening a first and a second structure of an electronic device together. The electronic device has a low profile. The first structure is provided with a hole. The fastening assembly comprises an anchoring block, an insert plate, and a screw. The anchoring block, fixedly arranged on the second structure, includes upper and lower parallel, horizontally-extending holding flanges and two parallel, vertically-extending protruding ribs. The upper holding flange further includes a slot. The protruding ribs extend approximately perpendicular to the holding flanges on two sides thereof. The insert plate, formed from an approximately flat plate, is fixedly held between the holding flanges and is further provided with a threaded hole and a pair of hooked clamping members. The threaded hole is placed correspondingly to the slot of the upper holding flange, and each hooked clamping member tightly clamps one protruding rib to fasten the insert plate with the anchoring block. The screw extends through the hole of the first structure and the slot of the upper holding flange to threadedly engage in the threaded hole of the insert plate to thereby securely fasten the first and second structures together.
In accordance with the above and other objectives, the attachment of the insert plate to the anchoring block is further secured according to various manners such as ultrasonic welding, adhesion or insert molding.
The above fastening assembly is dimensionally adaptable in accordance with the mount height available within the device meanwhile ensuring an effective fastening of the two structures.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4877275 (1989-10-01), DeForrest, Sr.
patent: 5499163 (1996-03-01), Sonntag et al.
patent: 5746609 (1998-05-01), Franks, Jr.
patent: 6050114 (2000-04-01), Park
patent: 6147305 (2000-11-01), Honma et al.
Chiang Yente
Hung Weicheng
Lou Sheng-Ming
Wu James
High Tech Computer Corp.
Jiang Chyun IP Office
Tran Thanh Y.
Zarneke David A.
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