Battery lock ring on iBook

I have an iBook G4. The lock on the battery compartment fell out, because the plastic that holds it in tore away
Ed Kearns wrote on :

I have an iBook G4. The lock on the battery compartment fell out, because the plastic that holds it in tore away (I wasn't doing anything unusual!). I've put masking tape over it to hold it in, but has someone had to deal with this? I suspect Apple would make me replace the entire bottom case!

Ed