PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH TWO-PIECE HOUSING

• US 20090257207A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Erik L., Mittleman, Adam D., Hobson, Phillip M., Jenks, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. During assembly, the first part may be rotated into place within the second part. Retention clips attached to the frame may be used to secure the two parts together. Assembly instructions and associated connector numbers may be provided within the devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a first assembly having at least one clip; and

a second assembly having at least one spring that engages the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly and that nondestructively disengages from the clip when the first assembly is removed from the second assembly.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly comprises at least one protrusion and wherein the second assembly comprises at least one recess the receives the protrusion so that the first assembly tilts and rotates into the second assembly, pivoting about a pivot axis defined by the protrusion and the recess.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the first assembly comprises a display.

4. The portable electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the first assembly comprises a plastic frame having metal frame struts.

5. The portable electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the first assembly comprises a frame formed at least partly of metal and wherein the clip is welded to the metal of the frame.

6. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the second assembly comprises a metal bezel and wherein the spring is welded to the bezel.

7. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly comprises a frame and comprises a display unit and a touch screen mounted to the frame, wherein the clip is connected to the frame and has at least one hole, wherein the second assembly comprises at least one printed circuit board and a metal structure to which the spring is connected, and wherein the spring has a spring prong that protrudes into the hole in the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly.

8. The portable electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the first assembly and the second assembly each have upper and lower ends and left and right sides, wherein there are two of the clips located respectively on the left and right sides of the first assembly, and wherein there are two of the springs located respectively on the left and right sides of the second assembly.

9. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly and the second assembly each have upper and lower ends and left and right sides, wherein there are two of the clips located respectively on the left and right sides of the first assembly, and wherein there are two of the springs located respectively on the left and right sides of the second assembly, and wherein the first and second assemblies comprise mating features that are engaged at a pivot axis at an end of the portable electronic device, so that the first assembly tilts and rotates into the second assembly about the pivot axis during assembly.

10. The portable electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a handheld electronic device with wireless communications circuitry.

11. The portable electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising screws that screw into the first assembly through the second assembly.

12. A method of assembling a handheld electronic device from a first assembly and a second assembly, wherein the first assembly has a first member with holes and the second assembly has a second member with flexible prongs that mate with the holes, comprising:

inserting an end of the first assembly into an end of the second assembly so that a portion of the first assembly engages a portion of the second assembly at an engagement axis; and

rotating the first assembly into the second assembly about the engagement axis so that the prongs compress then expand to press into the holes and hold the first assembly in place within the second assembly.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising screwing the second assembly to the first assembly with screws that are inserted into the second assembly at an end of the assembly opposing the engagement axis.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first portion having clips with holes; and

a second portion having springs with prongs that protrude into the holes and that hold the first portion to the second portion, wherein the clips include elongated members having bent planar portions that form the holes.

15. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the springs and clips comprise stainless steel.

16. The portable electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the first portion comprises a plastic frame and metal frame struts connected to the plastic frame and wherein the clips are connected to the metal frame struts.

17. The portable electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the metal frame struts comprise stainless steel.

18. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the first portion comprises a plastic frame member, a display unit, and a cover glass that covers the display unit, wherein the plastic frame member has a protrusion defining a shelf that supports the cover glass.

19. The portable electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising a bezel that is connected to the second portion and that surrounds the cover glass.

20. The portable electronic device defined in claim 19 further comprising a gasket that is connected to the protrusion and that is interposed between the cover glass and the bezel.

21. The portable electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the springs are welded to the bezel.

22. The portable electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the prongs comprise curved portions that bear against the bent planar portions.

23. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a first assembly having a display, a touch screen, a frame that supports the display and the touch screen, and first engagement members that are connected to the frame; and

a second assembly having a housing and second engagement members that nondestructively engage the first engagement members when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly to form the handheld electronic device.

24. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the first engagement members comprise first metal members with holes and wherein the second engagement members comprises second metal members with flexible prongs that mate with the holes in the first metal members.

25. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the second assembly comprises a bezel that is connected to the housing and that surrounds the display when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly to form the handheld electronic device.

26. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the second metal members are connected to the bezel.

27. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 26 wherein the first assembly comprises retention clips connected to the frame and wherein screws are screwed into the retention clips through the housing and the bezel.

28. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the second metal members are welded to the bezel.

29. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the frame comprises metal frame struts to which the first metal members are connected.

30. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

electrical components that are contained within the housing and that are interconnected by communications paths;

electrical connectors that are connected in the communications paths to interconnect the electrical components with each other; and

a plurality of assembly order indicators that indicate an order in which the electrical connectors are to be connected during assembly of the portable electronic device.

31. The portable electronic device defined in claim 30 wherein the plurality of assembly order indicators comprise numerals, each numeral being formed adjacent to a respective one of the electrical connectors.

32. The portable electronic device defined in claim 31 wherein the electrical connectors include zero-insertion-force connectors for flex circuit connections, coaxial cable connectors for coaxial cable connections, and board-to-board connectors for connecting printed circuit boards.

33. The portable electronic device defined in claim 30 wherein the electrical components include at least one electromagnetic shielding can, the portable electronic device further comprising laser-etched assembly instructions on the can.