Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-15
2004-10-26
Datskovsky, Michael (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, C455S090300, C455S128000, C379S433110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06809921
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PDA (Personal Data Assistant). More specifically, a PDA has a detachable panel is disclosed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The demands of modern society often require constant availability of electronic devices such as a PDA. As the name Personal Data Assistant implies, a PDA can provide invaluable technical benefits to a user.
In addition to technical requirements placed upon the user, modern society also encourages individuality expressed through personally selected colors and designs of nearly every object manufactured, including PDAs. Users demand a choice of colors and designs and preferably a choice that can be quickly and easily changed according to the current preference of the user.
To better accommodate demands of users for choice and fashion, PDAs with detachable decorative side panels were introduced. When the user wishes to change the color or design of his or her PDA, the user can detach the decorative side panel and replace the decorative side panel with one more in line with his or her needs at the time.
Please refer to
FIG. 1
of a side view of an attachment mechanism for attaching a detachable panel
15
to a housing
32
of a PDA
10
according to prior art. The PDA of
FIG. 1
was owned by the same assignee as that of the prevent invention at the time of the present invention.
The detachable panel
15
comprises a fixing hook
25
and at least one L-shaped engaging hook
20
. The lower portion of the engaging hook
20
is parallel to the detachable panel
15
. The fixing hook
25
is of a horizontally rectangular shape and protrudes from the same side of the detachable panel
15
as the engaging hook
20
. Additionally, the fixing hook
25
, if viewed from the side, has a trapezoidal shape with an increasing width toward the end of the fixing hook
25
that is away from the detachable panel
15
.
The housing
32
comprises a recess
34
disposed on an exterior surface of the housing
32
and the recess
34
extends to one end of the housing
32
. The recess
34
is formed in the shape and size of the detachable panel
15
and comprises at least one engaging sink
22
and a fixing sink
27
.
The engaging sink
22
is a depression or hole within the recess
34
of a size and shape such that the L-shaped engaging hook
20
can fully be contained within the engaging sink
22
. A portion of the recess
34
surrounding the engaging sink
22
is formed to fit between the extended lower portion of the engaging hook
20
and the detachable panel
15
, holding the detachable panel
15
against a bottom of the recess
34
. The fixing sink
27
is a depression or hole of a shape and size allowing entry of the fixing hook
25
.
The detachable panel
15
is attached to the PDA
10
by sliding the detachable panel
15
along the recess
34
in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG.
1
. During the sliding process, the engaging hook
20
enters the engaging sink
22
and grips a portion of the recess surface adjacent to the engaging sink
22
. When the engaging hook
20
engages fully with the engaging sink
22
, the flexible detachable panel
15
is deformed upward over the fixing hook
25
because the lower, protruding portion of the fixing hook
25
is not yet lined up with the fixing sink
27
and cannot enter the fixing sink
27
. Therefore, the user needs to push down on a top surface of the detachable panel
15
in a direction shown by the arrow B, further deforming the detachable panel
15
until the protruding lower portion of the fixing hook
25
tilts enough to allow the fixing hook
25
to snap into the fixing sink
27
. It should be noted that because the detachable panel
15
and the recess
34
both extend to the end of the housing
32
, that the edges of the recess
34
are unable to prevent the detachable panel from moving laterally and the engaging hook
20
from becoming detached from the engaging sink
22
. Instead, the engagement of the fixing hook
25
and the fixing sink
27
prevent the engaging hook
20
from becoming detached from the engaging sink
22
.
The housing
32
of the PDA
10
also comprises an open hole
35
in the end of the housing
32
and touching the recess
34
. The open hole
35
is a depression in the housing
32
provided to allow detachment of the detachable panel
15
from the PDA
10
. A tip of an appropriate instrument, such as a stylus of a pen, can be inserted into the open hole
35
between the housing
32
and the detachable panel
15
. By pushing the detachable panel
15
further into the recess
34
with the stylus, the flexibility of the detachable panel
15
allows the stylus to deform the detachable panel
15
enough to pull either the engaging hook
20
out of the engaging sink
22
or the fixing hook
25
out of the fixing sink
27
, allowing the detachable panel
15
to be removed from the housing
32
of the PDA
10
.
The prior art mechanism for attaching and detaching the detachable panel
15
to the housing
32
of the PDA
10
functions to firmly retain the detachable panel
15
in place. However, both the attachment and detachment procedures require multiple steps by the user and deformations of and possible damage to the detachable panel
15
. A simpler, one step procedure to attach or detach the detachable panel
15
would reduce possible damage to the detachable panel
15
, would make it more convenient for users to express their choice of colors and designs, and may reduce manufacturing costs because convenience of use may lead to increased sales.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to solve the above-mentioned problems by introducing a simplified attachment mechanism for attaching a detachable panel to a housing of a PDA.
The claimed invention includes a housing of a PDA and a detachable panel. The PDA has a recess in the shape of the detachable panel for accommodating the detachable panel. Within the recess is an engaging sink and a dimple. The detachable panel includes an engaging hook and a locating shaft.
The detachable panel sides lengthwise into the recess. During the sliding process, the engaging hook enters and grips the engaging sink. When the engaging hook and the engaging sink are fully coupled, elasticity in the detachable panel causes the perpendicular locating shaft to enter the dimple. The dimple effectively prevents lateral movement of the detachable panel relative to the PDA and the engaging hook temporarily fixes the detachable panel to the PDA.
The PDA also has an open hole located at an end of the recess nearest the locating shaft. Insertion of a pen stylus into the open hole allows the lifting of the locating shaft out of the dimple and the detachable panel can be slid along the recess to disengage the engaging hook from the engaging sink, detaching the detachable panel from the PDA.
It is an advantage that the claimed attachment mechanism allows for quick and easy attachment and detachment of a detachable panel to and from a PDA without excess deformation and possible damage to the detachable panel. The simplified procedures improve convenience for the user and help assure detachable PDAs give the user the choice that is demanded.
These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6347218 (2002-02-01), Fuhrmann et al.
patent: 6574098 (2003-06-01), Netzel et al.
patent: 2002/0042291 (2002-04-01), Lahteenmaki et al.
patent: 2003/0186729 (2003-10-01), Engstrom et al.
Tseng Chien-Ming
Wu James
Datskovsky Michael
High Tech Computer Corp.
Hsu Winston
LandOfFree
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