SMALL FORM FACTOR DESK TOP COMPUTER

• US 20120106067A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moak, Joseph B., Theobald, Matthew S., Farahani, Houtan R., Mariano, Ricardo A., Knopf, Eric A., GOH, Chiew-Siang
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.37
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2220/36 Production of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/30 Milling straight grooves, e.g. keyways
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 5/08 Disc-type cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/14 Forming notches in marginal portion of work by cutting by punching B26F1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20336 Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/869 Means to drive or to guide tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9391 Notching tool

Abstract

An aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer is described. The small form factor desktop computer can be formed of a single piece seamless housing that in the described embodiment is machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic (EM) shielding. This simplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the small form factor desktop computer besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Fewer components and less time and effort can be required for assembly of the small form factor desktop computer and the absence of seams in the single piece housing can provide good protection against environmental contamination of internal components as well as EM shielding.

Claims

1. A small form factor desktop computer, comprising:

a single piece metal housing comprising;

a bottom opening arranged to provide access to internal operational components,

a rear opening arranged to accommodate a plurality of I/O interfaces, and

a front surface having a slot opening suitable for receiving an optical disk such as a DVD, the single piece housing further comprising an integral top portion, side walls and a bottom portion that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the bottom opening, and slot opening wherein the top portion has a substantially flat surface and curved edges to meet the side walls having rectilinear edges arranged such that they form a flat side surface and wherein an interior surface of the top portion includes a plurality of etched ground points suitable for connecting electrical components to a chassis ground; and

a removable support rotatably attached to the single piece metal housing, the removable support disposed within the bottom opening that when removed provides access to at least some operational components enclosed within the single piece housing when the removable support is removed from the small form factor desktop computer, wherein the removable support is formed of RF transparent material for facilitating RF transmission, the removable support further comprising a foot portion arranged to provide elevated support for the small form factor desktop computer, wherein the foot portion elevates the small form factor desktop computer a distance from a supporting surface sufficient to provide an air path that permits an external air flow to enter at an opening in a bottom portion of the small form factor desktop computer to cool internal components.

2. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 1, the removable support further comprising:

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield attached to and covering a portion of an interior surface of the removable support, the EMI shield formed of RF opaque material that effectively blocks RF energy, wherein an uncovered portion of the interior surface of the removable support forms an RF window, the RF window being the only portion of the removable support that allows passage of RF energy.

3. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 2 wherein the RF window provides an air passage for the external air flow to pass from an external environment to the interior of the small form factor desktop computer.

4. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

an insert having a size and shape in accordance with the rear opening, the insert comprising;

a baffle used to channel heated exhaust air from the interior of the small form factor desktop computer, the heated exhaust air resulting from the passage of the external air flow initially drawn in from beneath the small form factor desktop computer as part of an internal air cooling system used to cool at least some internal components, and

a plurality of openings each of which having a size and shape to accommodate an I/O interface, wherein the I/O interface includes at least an HDMI interface, a power supply cord interface, and a power on/off interface.

5. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in any of the preceding claims, wherein the foot portion comprises:

a locking mechanism used to lock the removable support to the housing in a closed/locked orientation and to unlock the removable support from the housing in an open/unlocked configuration.

6. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a plurality of latches having a size and shape arranged to affirmatively engage corresponding latching features located on the housing; and

a slot opener mechanically coupled with the plurality of latches, the slot opener having a slot shaped receiving portion, the slot opener.

7. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 6, wherein the slot opener causes the locking mechanism to unlock the removable support by receiving an appropriately shaped engagement tool into the shot shaped receiving portion and receiving a rotational force in a first direction applied by the engagement tool, the rotational force in the first direction causing the plurality of latches to disengage from the corresponding latching features.

8. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the slot opener causes the locking mechanism to lock the removable support by receiving the appropriately shaped engagement tool into the shot shaped receiving portion and receiving a rotational force in a second direction opposite to the first direction applied by the engagement tool, the rotational force in the second direction causing the plurality of latches to engage the corresponding latching features.

9. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a slot opener mechanically coupled a gearing feature;

a plurality of latches coupled to the slot opener by way of the gearing feature; and

a pin/slot mechanism attached to the plurality of latches by way of a snap fastener, wherein in open/unlocked configuration, the plurality of latches retract away from corresponding latching features on the housing when the slot opener is rotated in a first direction and engage the corresponding latching features in a closed/locked configuration when the slot opener is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

10. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from a single billet of aluminum.

11. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of functional sub-assemblies each arranged to provide a specific operational function for the small form factor desktop computer, wherein the plurality of functional sub-assemblies are each cooperatively sized and shaped such that the plurality of functional sub-assemblies form a compact integrated component assembly within the single piece housing.

12. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 11, wherein the compact integrated component assembly is formed by inserting a first operational component into the rear opening in the single piece metal housing and placed in proximity to a first attachment feature, the first attachment feature connected directly to the single piece housing.

13. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 12, the compact integrated component assembly is further formed by inserting a second component into the opening and using the first component to align and secure the second component to the housing, wherein the first component and the second component are electrically connected to the chassis ground by way of the first attachment feature, wherein the first and second components are cooperatively sized and shaped to form at least part of the compact integrated component assembly within the housing.

14. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the first component is an optical disc drive.

15. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 14, wherein the second component is a mass storage device, the mass storage device comprising:

a mass storage device body,

a mass storage data medium, the mass storage data medium configured to store digital data,

a mass storage device circuit, the mass storage device circuit configured to provide access to the mass storage data medium, and

a support pin, the support pin integrally formed with the housing, wherein the support pin is used to support the mass storage device such that the mass storage device is vibrationally isolated from other devices in the small form factor desktop computer and provides for easy discretionary insertion and removal of the mass storage device.

16. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 15, wherein the first attachment feature is a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket attached directly to the single piece metal housing.

17. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 16, wherein a second attachment feature is a bezel, the bezel formed of resilient and vibration absorbing material, the bezel including at least a grommet sized in accordance with the mass storage device mounting post.

18. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 15, wherein the mass storage device is a removable hard disk drive (HDD).

19. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 18, wherein the removable HDD is supported by a previously installed optical disc drive (ODD) such that the HDD is vibrationally isolated from the ODD, the ODD mounted directly to the housing by way of a mounting bracket that also electrically connects the ODD to chassis ground.

20. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 19, wherein the removable HDD is vibrationally isolated from vibrations generated by the ODD during operation of the ODD by the resilient nature of the support structure and the grommets.

21. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a main logic board having at least one co-axial cable, the coaxial cable forming a signal path between at least two operating circuits on the main logic board, the main logic board further comprising;

a plurality of non-conductive carriers used to support and route the coaxial cable on the main logic board, the carriers supporting the coaxial cable a distance removed from active operational circuits on the main logic board, the distance sufficient to reduce electromagnetic interference with the signal carried by the coaxial cable, the carriers also providing a repeatable path for laying the cable on the main logic board.

22. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of non-conductive carriers comprises a notch sized to support and enclose at least a portion of the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable being at least partially inserted into the notch.

23. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

a surface mounted carrier mounted to and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board ground of the main logic board, the surface mounted carrier physically supporting the coaxial cable in a region of the main logic board having at least one active RF circuit coupled with the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable passing RF signals between the at least one active RF circuit and the main logic board, the surface mounted carrier having a metallic ferrule that electrically connects a ground sheath of the coaxial cable to the printed circuit board ground.

24. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 23, wherein a plurality of the surface mounted carriers attached to the ground sheath of the coaxial cable provides a distributed ground plane to the coaxial cable in the region of the main logic board having the at least one active RF circuit.

25. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 24, wherein the ferrule is copper.

26. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 25 wherein the metallic ferrule has a size and shape in accordance with the coaxial cable and electrically connects the coaxial cable to a ground plane in a region of the main logic board having the at least one active RF circuit by the metallic ferrule making electrical contact with a ground sheath of the coaxial cable such that the coaxial cable is grounded directly to the ground plane.

27. The small form factor desktop computer as recited in claim 21 wherein the main logic board is removed from the small form factor desktop computer housing by engaging the main logic board with an main logic board extraction tool, the main logic board extraction tool formed of a single open loop of metal having open ends, inserting each of the open ends within a corresponding opening in the main logic board separated by a distance in accordance with the spacing between the open ends of the extraction tool until the open ends of the extraction tool inserted into the corresponding openings in the main logic board to securely engage with corresponding features on the housing, and receiving a centrally located extraction force in accordance with a lateral force in a direction of extraction to impel the main logic board to disengage an attachment feature coupling the main logic board to the housing thereby enabling a user to remove the main logic board without adversely affecting the main logic board or surrounding circuits.