Latch mechanism device and methods of use

{
  "publication_number": "US9077795B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Latch mechanism device and methods of use",
  "abstract": "Latch mechanism devices for attaching components within a device and methods of use are provided herein. In one aspect, the latch mechanism includes a pair of deflectable members between which a protruding latch member, such as a latch pin, is inserted thereby separating the deflectable members. A latch pin can have a distal insertion portion and a proximal locking portion, the locking portion having a reduced profile so as to resiliently receive the deflectable members displaced by insertion of the latch pin so as to couple the latch pin between the cords. The latch pin can have insertion faces and locking faces angled so as to control the force required to insert and retract the latch pin from the cord pair. The latch mechanism may utilize releasing mechanisms for separating or reducing tension in the deflectable members to facilitate retraction of the latch pin.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A latch mechanism for attaching components of an electronic device, the latch mechanism comprising: at least one pair of deflectable members in which the deflectable members are disposed adjacent and spaced apart from each other, wherein each deflectable member is coupled to an inner wall surface within an interior cavity of an exterior housing of the electronic device on a portion of the deflectable member outside a portion being deflected, each deflectable member being biased to hold an initial position; and a latch member protruding from a first component, the latch member comprising a latch pin having a distal insertion portion for inserting between a respective pair of the at least one pair of deflectable members along an insertion axis extending along a longitudinal axis of the latch member and a locking portion proximal of the distal insertion portion for receiving the respective pair of deflectable members, the distal insertion portion being dimensioned so as to facilitate insertion of the latch member between the deflectable members and to deflect the deflectable members away from one another, and the locking portion being dimensioned to receive the deflectable members in a locked position upon advancement of the latch member between the deflectable members to inhibit retraction of the latch member from between the deflectable members, thereby attaching the first component and the exterior housing of the electronic device, the deflectable members being deflectable along a direction component perpendicular to the insertion axis and away from one another to facilitate insertion of the latch member and being deflectable along a direction component parallel to the longitudinal axis when in the locked position, wherein, when the latch member is in the locked position, the deflectable members are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the latch member.",
    "2. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of deflectable members are separated by an initial separation distance before displacement, and wherein the distal insertion portion is tapered from a first insertion profile along the insertion axis to an intermediate portion having a second insertion profile, the first insertion profile being less than the first separation distance to facilitate insertion of the latch member between the deflectable members, and the second insertion profile being greater than the first separation distance to facilitate deflection of the deflectable members.",
    "3. The latch mechanism of claim 2, wherein the locking portion has a third profile along the insertion axis, the third insertion profile being less than the second profile of the intermediate portion so as to facilitate receiving of the deflectable members therein when the inserted latch member is advanced beyond the intermediate portion.",
    "4. The latch mechanism of claim 3, wherein the distal insertion portion comprises at least two insertion faces corresponding to deflectable members of a respective pair of the at least one pair of deflectable members, wherein the at least two insertion faces are angled so as to control a peak insertion force required to insert the latch member between and deflection of the deflectable members.",
    "5. The latch mechanism of claim 4, wherein the locking portion comprises a proximal taper from the second profile of the intermediate portion to the third profile, wherein the locking portion comprises at least two locking faces corresponding to the respective pair of deflectable members, wherein the at least two locking faces are angled relative to an axis along which the latch member is retractable so as to control a peak retraction force required to retract the latch member from between the deflectable member once resiliently received within the locking portion.",
    "6. The latch mechanism of claim 5, wherein the locking faces are angled relative to the retraction axis so as to provide a peak refraction force between 4 and 8 kgf.",
    "7. The latch mechanism of claim 5, wherein the insertion faces are angled relative to the insertion axis and the locking faces are angled relative to the retraction axis so as to provide a ratio of peak insertion force to peak retraction force of between 1/10 and 1.",
    "8. The latch mechanism of claim 4, wherein the insertion faces are angled relative to the insertion axis so as to provide a peak insertion force between 0.2 kgf and 4 kgf.",
    "9. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein each deflectable member of a respective pair of the at least one pair of deflectable members extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis along which the latch member is inserted and are substantially parallel to one another.",
    "10. A latch mechanism for attaching components of an electronic device, the latch mechanism comprising: at least one pair of deflectable members in which the deflectable members are disposed adjacent and spaced apart from each other, wherein each deflectable member is coupled to an inner wall surface within an interior cavity of an exterior housing of the electronic device on a portion of the deflectable member outside a portion being deflected, wherein each pair of deflectable members is secured such that the deflectable members are biased to hold an initial position and the deflectable members extend along a common plane substantially orthogonal to an insertion axis when in the initial position; and a latch member protruding from a first component, the latch member comprising a latch in having a distal insertion portion for inserting between deflectable members of a respective pair of the at least one pair of deflectable members along the insertion axis extending along a longitudinal axis of the latch member and a locking portion proximal of the distal insertion portion for receiving the at least one pair of deflectable members in a locked position, the distal insertion portion being dimensioned so as to facilitate insertion of the latch member between deflectable members of the respective pair and to deflect the deflectable members away from one another, and the locking portion being dimensioned to receive the deflectable members upon advancement of the latch member between the deflectable members to inhibit retraction of the latch member from between the deflectable members, thereby attaching the first component and the exterior housing of the electronic device, wherein the latch member is insertable between the deflectable members so as to displace the deflectable members away from one another, wherein, when the latch member is in the locked position, the deflectable members are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the latch member.",
    "11. The latch mechanism of claim 10, wherein the pair of deflectable members comprise a pair of wires drawn taut and substantially parallel.",
    "12. The latch mechanism of claim 10, wherein the insertion portion of the latch pin comprises a distally tapered portion and the locking portion comprises a circumferential groove or recess so as to resiliently receive the deflectable members.",
    "13. A method for attaching components within an electronic device using a latching mechanism, the method comprising: inserting a latch member protruding from a first component between deflectable members of at least one pair of deflectable members that are disposed adjacent and spaced apart from each other, wherein each deflectable member is attached to an inner wall surface within an interior cavity of an exterior housing of the electronic device on a portion of the deflectable member outside a portion being deflected such that each deflectable member of a respective pair is biased to hold an initial position, the latch member comprising a latch pin having a distal insertion portion for inserting between the deflectable members along an insertion axis extending along a longitudinal axis of the latch member, the insertion increasing separation between the deflectable members by applying an insertion force along the insertion axis between the deflectable members, wherein the deflectable members are deflectable along a direction component perpendicular to the insertion axis away from one another to facilitate insertion of the latch member; and attaching the latch member to the respective pair by advancing the latch member between the deflectable members until the deflectable members are received within a locking portion of the latch member proximal of the distal insertion portion in a locked position, wherein the at least two deflectable members are deflectable along a direction component parallel to the longitudinal axis when in the locked position to allow slight movement of the latch member to absorb impact forces and provide shock-resistance, wherein, when the latch member is in the locked position, the deflectable members are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the latch member.",
    "14. The method of claim 13 wherein inserting the latch member comprises inserting an insertion portion of the latch member along the insertion axis, the insertion portion having a reduced profile along the insertion axis to facilitate insertion between the deflectable members.",
    "15. The method of claim 14 wherein inserting the latch member further comprises advancing the latch member along the insertion axis until an intermediate portion having a dimension greater than an initial gap distance between the deflectable members separates the deflectable members.",
    "16. The method of claim 14 wherein the locking portion has a reduced profile along the insertion axis relative to the intermediate portion so as to resiliently receive deflectable members displaced by advancing the intermediate portion therebetween.",
    "17. The method of claim 14 further comprising: detaching the first component from the exterior housing of the electronic device by applying a refraction force along a retraction axis sufficient to separate the deflectable members to allow retraction of the latch member from between the deflectable members, wherein the retraction force is greater than the insertion force."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "In many conventional devices, particularly peripheral devices such as portable media devices and cell phones, internal electrical components are attached within an external housing or cover of the device with screws or other such rigid attachment means. The screws or rigid attachment means secure the internal electrical components, such as a circuit board, within the hard external shell during every day use of the device.\n\nIn many applications, it may become necessary to detach the internal components from the external shell, such as when servicing or repairing the device, such applications not typically being performed by an end user of the device. In disassembling the device, the attributes of the attachment mechanisms which provide for secure attachment between the two components can make disassembling the device more difficult and time consuming. Additionally, to facilitate disassembly of the components, the screws or rigid attachment means typically extend through corresponding holes in the device housing so as to be easily accessed from outside the device. Apart from being visually unappealing, such attachment means may compromise the integrity of the housing, may be more easily damaged over time, and may also subject the device to being easily disassembled by the end-user or unauthorized persons.\n\nAccordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a latch mechanism that overcomes the drawbacks of many conventional attachment mechanisms described above.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04M 1/0277",
    "F16B 21/186",
    "Y10T 24/45262",
    "Y10T 24/45623",
    "Y10T 24/45984",
    "Y10T 29/49826"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16B 21/18",
    "H04M 1/02",
    "H05K 7/14"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Apple Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Bryan P. KIPLE",
    "Michael B. Wittenberg",
    "Shayan Malek"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-03-15",
  "publication_date": "2015-07-07",
  "grant_date": "2015-07-07",
  "priority_date": "2012-03-15",
  "application_number": "US-201213421487-A",
  "family_id": "49156308",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "US1300337A",
    "US2526790A",
    "US3843078A",
    "US5223674A",
    "US5818691A",
    "DE29906311U1",
    "US6581420B1",
    "US6695629B1",
    "EP1749955A1",
    "US20100097223A1",
    "US8472209B2"
  ]
}