Capacitor assembly and communication device including the capacitor assembly

• US 20090213524A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Zheng-Zhuang, Kang, Kai, Zhou, Guang Ping
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/301.200
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A communications device (125) and capacitor assembly (100) having a first capacitor electrode formed by a conductive keypad mount (110) coupled to a conductive part of a housing (120) of the communications device (125). The keypad mount (110) has keypad apertures (210) aligned with keys (140) of a keypad (145) and the conductive part of the housing (120) has an external housing covering insulator in the form of the window sub-housing (121). There is a circuit board (130) providing support for a second capacitor electrode (150). The circuit board (130) has an array of keypad actuators (135) aligned with the keys (140).

Claims

1. A capacitor assembly comprising:

A first capacitor electrode formed by a conductive keypad mount coupled to a conductive part of a housing of a communications device, the keypad mount having keypad apertures aligned with keys of a keypad and the conductive part of the housing having an external housing covering insulator thereon;

A circuit board with an array of keypad actuators thereon, the keypad actuators being aligned with the keys of the keypad;

A second capacitor electrode; and

A dielectric disposed between the first electrode and second electrode.

2. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive part of the housing at least partially surrounds a display screen window in the housing.

3. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive keypad mount comprises a frame mounted to the housing.

4. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing and keypad provide an external first capacitor electrode covering insulator.

5. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frame has at least one contact surface coupling the conductive keypad to the conductive part of the housing.

6. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitor assembly is parasitically coupled to an antenna radiator element.

7. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the capacitor assembly forms part of the communications device and in use the capacitor assembly reduces the effects of parasitic inductances associated with the antenna radiator element.

8. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein dielectric is formed by at least a membrane forming part of the keypad.

9. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second capacitor electrode is formed by at least a metal sheet.

10. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second capacitor electrode has apertures therein allowing operative coupling of the keys with respective aligned said keypad actuators.

11. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second capacitor electrode is supported by the circuit board.

12. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first capacitor electrode has a larger effective surface are than that of the second capacitor electrode.

13. A capacitor assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first capacitor electrode has a tapered side adjacent the antenna radiator element, wherein an end of the radiator element furthest from an associated feed point is closest to the tapered side and an end of the radiator element closest to the feed point is furthest from the tapered side.

14. A communications device:

at least one an antenna radiator element mounted in a housing of a communications device;

A first capacitor electrode formed by a conductive keypad mount coupled to a conductive part the housing, the keypad mount having keypad apertures aligned with keys of a keypad and the conductive part of the housing having an external housing covering insulator thereon;

A circuit board with an array of keypad actuators thereon, the keypad actuators being aligned with the keys of the keypad;

A second capacitor electrode; and

A dielectric disposed between the first electrode and second electrode, wherein the first capacitor electrode, the second capacitor electrode and the dielectric form a capacitor assembly coupled to the antenna radiator element.