MOUNTING STRUCTURES FOR COMPONENTS IN ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110255259A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yu, Michelle A., Weber, Trent, Wittenberg, Michael B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/807
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/04 Cases; Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/14 Operating parts, e.g. push-button
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/02 Reversed domes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/026 Guiding or lubricating nylon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/02 Bases, casings, or covers accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a housing having housing sidewalls. A plate may be connected between a pair of the sidewalls. An audio jack may be mounted to the plate. A microphone may be mounted within the device between the audio jack and a given one of the sidewalls. A vibrator may be mounted between one of the sidewalls and the audio jack using a bracket. The vibrator may have a weight that is tapered along its length. A button may be formed in an opening in one of the housing sidewalls. The button may have a button member with a protrusion that extends through a button opening in the sidewall. A support structure may be interposed between a switch and the button member. The switch may have a portion that extends through an opening in the support structure and that is actuated by the button member.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device housing structure having an opening;

a button member having a protrusion that protrudes through the opening, wherein the electronic device housing structure has a first wall portion that lies above the button member and a second wall portion; and

a lubricating coating interposed between the button member and the second wall portion, wherein the first wall portion has a thickness that is smaller than the second wall portion.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the button member comprises metal and wherein the electronic device housing structure comprises a metal electronic device housing wall through which the opening is formed.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising a visual indicator on the button member, wherein the button member is movable between a first position in which the visual indicator is visible through the opening and a second position in which the visual indicator is covered by the first wall portion without touching the first wall portion.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the visual indicator comprises a patch of ink.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

housing structures;

an audio jack mounted in the housing structures; and

a microphone interposed between the audio jack and the housing structures.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the housing structures include a housing wall with a microphone port opening, the electronic device further comprising a layer of compressed foam interposed between the microphone and the audio jack, wherein the layer of compressed foam biases the microphone toward the housing wall at the microphone port opening.

7. The electronic defined in claim 6 further comprising a vibrator mounted to the audio jack.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising at least one bracket with which the vibrator is mounted to the audio jack.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the vibrator comprises a tapered weight.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the vibrator comprises a shaft to which the tapered weight is attached, wherein the shaft has a tip, wherein the tapered weight has a surface that is radially closer to the shaft at the tip than at other portions of the shaft.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein at least part of the tapered weight has a conical surface.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the tapered weight has multiple sections each of which has a cylindrical surface having a different radial distance from the shaft.

13. Apparatus, comprising:

a vibrator motor for a vibrator;

a shaft for the vibrator that is rotated by the vibrator motor, wherein the shaft has a rotational axis; and

a weight for the vibrator that is rotationally asymmetric and that is tapered along the rotational axis.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 further comprising:

electronic device housing structures; and

a member with which the vibrator motor is mounted to the electronic device housing structures.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein the electronic device housing structures include a housing wall to which the member is attached, the apparatus further comprising:

an audio jack to which the member is attached.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 further comprising:

a microphone interposed between the audio jack and the housing wall.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a layer of compressed foam interposed between the microphone and the audio jack, wherein the layer of compressed foam biases the microphone toward the housing wall at a microphone port opening in the housing wall.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the shaft has a tip, wherein the tapered weight has a surface that is radially closer to the shaft at the tip than at other portions of the shaft.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein at least part of the tapered weight has a conical surface.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein the tapered weight has multiple sections each of which has a cylindrical surface having a different radial distance from the shaft.

21. A apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device housing wall having an opening;

a button member that has a protrusion that protrudes through the opening;

a switch that is actuated by the button member; and

a support structure to which the switch is mounted, wherein the support structure is interposed between the switch and the button member.

22. The apparatus defined in claim 21 wherein the support structure has an opening and wherein the switch has a portion that extends through the opening in the support structure and that is actuated by the button member.

23. The apparatus defined in claim 22 wherein the support structure comprises a bracket that is connected to the housing wall.

24. The apparatus defined in claim 23 further comprising a flexible printed circuit, wherein the flexible printed circuit is interposed between the switch and the bracket.

25. The apparatus defined in claim 24 wherein the button member and the housing sidewall are formed from metal and wherein the apparatus further comprises a lubricating coating interposed between the button member and the housing sidewall.