Latch assemblies for portable electronic devices

Latch assembly for a removable cover 14 of housing (see other figs) has a user sliding switch 40 and a detent unlocking push button 46: the cover is latched closed / locked by sliding the switch in a first direction, and the cover then opened / unlocked by pressing the button to release a detend and, while pressed, sliding the switch in an opposite direction (B see fig. 9). The latch assembly 16 is preferably mounted on the cover 14 has an outer switch 40 moving an inner latch element 42 with a projection 74 that is moved in/out of a slot (20, fig 5) in the housing. A push button 46 passes through openings in the switch and inner latch to an elastic clamp 44 means forming a detent part that can engage with a notch on the cover. The clamp is preferably a J shaped and moved away from the notch by the action of the push button (fig 8a).