Portable computing system

• US 10,126,783 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Farahani, Houtan R., Leong, Craig C., Blum, Matthew W., Gao, Zheng, Robinson, Kevin M., Hendren, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US15/264,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 36167921-67929, 36167955
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A portable electronic device having several features is disclosed. The device can include a retention member that retains flexible circuits extending from a top portion to a bottom portion of the device, thereby allowing some components to be moved from a top portion of the device to a bottom portion. The device may include a cover plate can be secured with a display in the top portion to cover the retention member and other internal components. The device can include an omni-directional port designed to receive a connector different orientations and provide power to the device. The device can include a flexible keyboard having butterfly keycaps. The device can include an array of openings for an audio driver, with some of the array including through holes and blind holes. The device can also include a touch pad having a force feedback sensor and a haptic device.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

a base portion;

a speaker carried by the base portion;

a blind hole formed in the base portion, the blind hole at least partially filled with an opaque coating;

a speaker hole formed in the base portion, the speaker hole allowing emission of acoustical energy from the speaker to exit the base portion;

a display housing rotatably coupled with the base portion, the display housing carrying an antenna and a chin plate covering the antenna, the chin plate defining a radio-frequency permissive substrate.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the chin plate comprises:

a transparent substrate;

a first layer that includes openings; and

a second layer that fills the openings and defines an indicium.

3. The portable computing device of claim 1, further comprising a keyboard carried by the base portion, wherein the base portion include an opening having a first size and shape, and wherein the keyboard includes a second size and shape that is greater than the first size and shape.

4. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the base portion further comprises:

a first surface that receives a touch pad that includes a surface capable of providing a vibratory feedback;

a second surface perpendicular to the first surface;

a through hole formed on the second surface;

a processor circuit; and

a circuit board extending through the through hole, the circuit board capable of passing power and data to the processor circuit.

5. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises:

a top case that includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion;

a bottom case comprising a first retention feature and a second retention feature;

a first securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the first protrusion to define a first interconnect; and

a second securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the second protrusion to define a second interconnect, wherein the top case is coupled with the bottom case by the first interconnect and the second interconnect.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, further comprising:

a processor circuit carried by the base portion;

a display assembly carried by the display housing;

a flexible circuit assembly electrically coupled to the display assembly and the processor circuit, the flexible circuit assembly comprising a connector; and

a retention member coupled to the base portion, the retention member positioned over the flexible circuit assembly, thereby limiting movement of the flexible circuit assembly, during rotation of the display housing relative to the base portion, at a location corresponding to the connector.

7. The portable computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

speaker holes that include the speaker hole;

blind holes that include the blind hole, the blind holes at least partially surrounding the speaker holes, wherein the opaque coating is positioned in the blind holes; and

a protective coating that covers the opaque coating.

8. A portable computing device, comprising:

a display housing that carries a display assembly;

a base portion rotatably coupled with the display housing, the base portion comprising;

a top case that includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion,

a bottom case comprising a first retention feature and a second retention feature,

a first securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the first protrusion to define a first interconnect, and

a second securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the second protrusion to define a second interconnect, wherein the top case is coupled with the bottom case by the first interconnect and the second interconnect;

a keyboard carried by the base portion, the keyboard comprising a circuit board;

a keyboard shield, comprising;

a first layer engaging the circuit board, the first layer formed from a first electrically inert material,

a second layer engaging the first layer, the second layer formed from an electrically conductive material, and

a third layer engaging the second layer, the third layer formed from a second electrically inert material, the third layer having an opening that allows a component to engage the electrically conductive material, thereby electrically grounding the component.

9. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the first securing member comprises a first U-shaped securing member, and wherein the second securing member comprises a second U-shaped securing member.

10. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the keyboard comprising:

a key mechanism having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

a first retaining mechanism that is coupled to the first end;

a second retaining mechanism that is coupled to the second end; and

a hinge mechanism coupled to the first retaining mechanism and the second retaining mechanism.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, further comprising:

a light guide panel covered by the key mechanism;

a light source covered by the key mechanism, the light source capable of emitting light that is directed by the light guide panel to the key mechanism; and

a dome switch covered by the light guide panel.

12. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein:

the base portion comprises;

a first surface that receives a touch pad that includes a surface capable of providing a vibratory feedback,

a second surface perpendicular to the first surface,

a through hole formed in the second surface,

a processor circuit, and

a circuit board extending through the through hole, the circuit board capable of passing power and data to the processor circuit; and

the display housing carries an antenna and a chin plate covering the antenna, the chin plate defining a radio-frequency permissive substrate.

13. The portable computing device of claim 12, further comprising:

a flexible circuit assembly electrically coupled to the display assembly and the processor circuit, the flexible circuit assembly;

a connector electrically and mechanically coupled with the flexible circuit assembly; and

a retention member coupled to the base portion, the retention member positioned over the flexible circuit assembly, thereby limiting movement of the flexible circuit assembly, during rotation of the display housing relative to the base portion, at a location corresponding to the connector.

14. A portable computing device, comprising:

a display housing that carries a display assembly, the display housing comprising an internal volume;

a base portion rotatably coupled with the display housing, the base portion carrying a processor circuit;

a flexible circuit assembly extending into the display housing and the base portion, the flexible circuit assembly electrically coupled to the display assembly and the processor circuit, the flexible circuit assembly comprising a connector; and

a retention member located in the internal volume and coupled to the display housing, the retention member positioned over a portion of the flexible circuit assembly proximate to the connector, the retention member limiting movement of the portion of the flexible circuit assembly during rotation of the display housing relative to the base portion.

15. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the display housing comprises a first undercut and a second undercut, and wherein the retention member comprises:

a first hook engaging the first undercut; and

a second hook engaging the second undercut.

16. The portable computing device of claim 15, wherein the retention member further comprises a compressible member that engages the flexible circuit assembly.

17. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the display housing comprises a first fastener and a second fastener, and wherein the retention member comprises:

a first mounting structure engaging the first fastener; and

a second mounting structure engaging the second fastener.

18. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein:

the base portion comprises;

a first surface that receives a touch pad that includes a surface capable of providing a vibratory feedback,

a second surface perpendicular to the first surface,

a through hole formed in the second surface,

a processor circuit, and

a circuit board extending through the through hole, the circuit board capable of passing power and data to the processor circuit; and

the display housing carries an antenna and a chin plate covering the antenna, the chin plate defining a radio-frequency permissive substrate.

19. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the base portion comprises:

a top case that includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion;

a bottom case comprising a first retention feature and a second retention feature;

a first securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the first protrusion to define a first interconnect; and

a second securing member that couples with the first retention feature and clips to the second protrusion to define a second interconnect, wherein the top case is coupled with the bottom case by the first interconnect and the second interconnect.

20. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the retention member is at least partially positioned between the display assembly and the display housing.