HOUSING FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Abstract

A housing includes a first section and a second section. The first section is made of metal. The first section includes two opposite first sidewall and a first connecting panel connecting the first sidewall. The second section is made of plastic. The second section is integrally molded on the first sidewalls. Each first sidewall defines a number of retaining holes, the second section has a number of retaining pins, and each retaining pin is retained in the retaining hole to fix the first section to the second section.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to housings, and particularly relates to housings used in portable electronic devices.

2. Description of Related Art

With the development of wireless communication and information processing technology, portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and electronic notebooks are now in widespread use. External appearance of the housing of the portable electronic device can be one of the key factors attracting consumers.

The housing typically includes a first section and a second section molded to the first section to achieve an attractive external appearance. However, the sections can easily separate from each other because the binding force between the sections is usually not large enough.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the exemplary housing for portable electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary housing. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic and assembled view of a housing according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is another view of the housing of FIG. 1 viewed from another aspect.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the housing shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing shown in FIG. 2 along the line of IV-IV.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For illustrative purposes, the device is an electronic device such as a radiotelephone. The radiotelephone described herein is a representation of the type of wireless communication device that may benefit from the present disclosure. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure may be applied to any type of hand-held or portable device including, but not limited to, the following devices: cordless phones, paging devices, personal digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based or keyboard-based handheld devices, remote control units, portable media players that have wireless communication capability and the like. Accordingly, any reference herein to the radiotelephone should also be considered to apply equally to other portable wireless electronic devices.

An exemplary embodiment of a housing 100 of an electronic device is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The housing 100 includes a first section 10, a second section 20 retained (e.g., integrally molded) to the first section 10, and a decorative element 30 fixed (e.g., by laser beam welding) on the first section 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the first section 10 and the decorative element 30 are both made of metal, and the second section 20 is made of plastic.

Referring to FIG. 3, the first section 10 is substantially U-shaped in this exemplary embodiment. The first section 10 includes two opposite first sidewalls 11 and a first connecting panel 13 connecting ends of the first sidewalls 11. The first section 10 defines a first opening 15 opposite to the first connecting panel 13. Each first sidewall 11 includes a distal end 112 opposite to the first connecting panel 13 and defines a plurality of retaining holes 1122 through the distal end 112. The retaining holes 1122 a retain the second section 20 to the first section 10. The first section 10 further includes an outer surface 17 and an inner surface 19 opposite to the outer surface 17. Each first sidewall 11 further includes a plurality of latching elements 114 protruding from corresponding inner surface 19, for latching the housing 100 to a main body (not shown) of the electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the second section 20 is substantially U-shaped in this exemplary embodiment. The second section 20 includes two opposite second sidewalls 21 and a second connecting panel 23 connecting ends of the second sidewalls 21. The second section 20 defines a second opening 25 opposite to the first connecting panel 13. The second opening 25 communicates with the first opening 15 when the second section 20 is connected to the first section 10. Each second sidewall 21 includes a plurality of retaining pins 212 corresponding to corresponding retaining holes 1122. Each retaining pin 212 is retained in one of the retaining holes 1122 to reinforce the engagement between the first section 10 and the second section 20.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the decorative element 30 is substantially U-shaped in this exemplary embodiment. The decorative element 30 is fixed on the first section 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, a method for manufacturing a housing 100 may include the following steps. A first section 10 defining a plurality of retaining holes 1122 is located in a mold cavity of a mold. Molten plastic is injected into the mold cavity to mold a second section 20 with portions of the molten plastic flowing into the retaining holes 1122 to mold one retaining pin 212 in each retaining hole 1122. A decorative element 30 is fixed to the first section 10 by some conventional method such as laser beam welding.

The housing 100 includes the first section 10 with a plurality of the retaining holes 1122 and the second section 20 with a plurality of retaining pins 212, and each retaining pin 212 is retained in one of the retaining holes 1122, so the first section 10 can be firmly fixed to the second section 20 by the combination of the retaining holes 1122 and the retaining pins 212.

It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A housing, comprising:

a first section, the first section including two opposite first sidewalls and a first connecting panel connecting the first sidewalls; and

a second section, the second section integrally molded on the first sidewalls;

wherein each first sidewall defines a plurality of retaining holes, the second section has a plurality of retaining pins, each retaining pin is retained in the retaining hole to retain the first section to the second section.

2. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first sidewall has a distal end opposite to the first connecting panel, the retaining holes are defined through the distal ends.

3. The housing as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second section includes two opposite second sidewalls and a second connecting panel connecting the second sidewalls, each second sidewall is retained to one of the distal ends.

4. The housing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a decorative element, wherein the first section includes an outer surface; the decorative element is retained on the outer surface.

5. The housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the decorative element is retained on the outer surface by laser beam welding.

6. The housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the decorative element is made of metal.

7. The housing as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first section is made of metal and the second section is made of plastic.

8. A housing, comprising:

a first section, the first section including a first sidewall; and

a second section, the second section integrally molded on the first sidewall;

wherein the first sidewall defines at least one retaining hole, the second section has at least one retaining pin, each retaining pin is retained in a corresponding retaining hole to retain the first section to the second section.

9. The housing as claimed in claim 8, wherein each first sidewall has a distal end opposite to the first connecting panel, the retaining holes are defined through the distal ends.

10. The housing as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second section includes two opposite second sidewalls and a second connecting panel connecting the second sidewalls, each second sidewall is retained to one of the distal ends.

11. The housing as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a decorative element, wherein the first section includes an outer surface; the decorative element is retained on the outer surface.

12. The housing as claimed in claim 11, wherein the decorative element is retained on the outer surface by laser beam welding.

13. The housing as claimed in claim 11, wherein the decorative element is made of metal.

14. The housing as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first section is made of metal and the second section is made of plastic.