Folded flex assembly for personal media device

• US 20080167094A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Erik L., Tan, Tang Yew, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Hobson, Philip Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for media devices including a housing, a frame disposed adjacent to the housing, a support panel that is integrated with the frame, and a flexible circuit that is disposed adjacent to the support panel such that the support panel provides support for the flexible circuit.

Claims

1. A media device comprising:

a housing,

a frame disposed adjacent to the housing,

a support panel being integrated with the frame, and

a flexible circuit disposed adjacent to the support panel to provide support for the flexible circuit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes detachably connected to.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes unitarily formed with.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes mounted to.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is disposed substantially within the housing.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the frame includes a backplane.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit includes a first portion adjacent to a first surface of the support panel.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the flexible circuit includes a second portion adjacent to a second surface of the support panel.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the flexible circuit includes a fold between the first and second portion for folding the first and second portion of the flexible circuit around a portion of the support panel.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit includes at least one of an acoustic source, a microphone, a proximity sensor, a light sensor, and a light source.

11. A method for emitting a sound from a media device comprising:

integrating a support panel with a frame of the media device,

positioning a portion of a flexible circuit adjacent to the support panel,

integrating an acoustic source with the flexible circuit, and

emitting sound from the acoustic source to an external aperture of the media device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein integrating includes detachably connecting to.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein integrating includes unitarily forming with.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein integrating includes mounting to.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising disposing the frame substantially within the housing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible circuit includes a first portion adjacent to a first surface of the support panel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flexible circuit includes a second portion adjacent to a second surface of the support panel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the flexible circuit includes a fold between the first and second portion for folding the first and second portion of the flexible circuit around a portion of the support panel.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible circuit includes at least one of a microphone, a proximity sensor, a light sensor, and a light source.

20. A method for manufacturing a media device comprising:

providing a housing,

attaching a frame to the housing,

integrating a support panel with the frame, and

positioning a portion of a flexible circuit adjacent to the support panel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein integrating with includes positioning a first portion of the flexible circuit adjacent to a first surface of the support panel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein integrating with includes positioning a second portion of the flexible circuit adjacent to a second surface of the support panel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein integrating includes folding the first and second portions such that the first and second portions of the flexible circuit surround a portion of the support panel.