Antenna Structures in Electronic Devices With Hinged Enclosures

• US 20130321216A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Nath, Jayesh, Guterman, Jerzy, Pascolini, Mattia, Schlub, Robert W., Jervis, James W., Irci, Erdinc
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

Electronic devices may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antenna resonating elements, parasitic antenna resonating elements, and antenna ground structures. The antenna structures may include metal traces that are wrapped around an elongated plastic carrier. The plastic carrier may have metal traces that are coupled to a metal bracket using solder that protrudes through a hole in the metal bracket. A printed circuit board may be mounted between the metal bracket and a metal housing. The metal housing may have a protruding ridge portion that is gripped between prongs on the metal bracket. A cover may cover the metal traces on the elongated plastic carrier. The antenna structures may be mounted between hinge structures that couple upper and lower housing structures. The antenna structures may be configured to operate with comparable performance when the upper and lower housing structures are open and closed.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a metal lid;

a metal base to which the lid is attached for rotational motion about a rotational axis;

an elongated plastic carrier; and

an antenna having metal traces wrapped around the elongated plastic carrier so that the antenna is operable with comparable performance when the lid is in an open position relative to the base and when the lid is in a closed position relative to the base.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a metal bracket soldered to at least one trace on the plastic carrier.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the metal bracket comprises prongs.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the metal lid has a protruding rib portion and wherein the prongs are configured to grip the protruding rib portion.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the metal bracket is configured to form an antenna ground for the antenna.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a parasitic antenna resonating element.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the parasitic antenna resonating element is formed from a portion of the metal traces.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the elongated plastic carrier comprises a plurality of slot-shaped cavities.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a printed circuit adjacent to the metal bracket.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising a plastic cover that covers the antenna traces.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a display mounted in the metal lid.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the metal lid and the metal base lie in respective planes that are separated by an angle, wherein the metal traces are configured to exhibit a first amount of capacitive coupling between the metal traces and the metal base when the angle is equal to zero and to exhibit a second amount of capacitive coupling between the metal traces and the metal base when the angle is greater than 90°

and less than 130°

, and wherein the first amount of capacitive coupling is within 50% of the second amount of capacitive coupling.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising a display mounted in the metal lid.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising a keyboard mounted in the metal base.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a first metal housing structure;

a display mounted in the first metal housing structure;

a second metal housing structure to which the first metal housing structure is coupled by hinge structures to allow the first metal housing structure to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the second metal housing structure;

an elongated plastic carrier that extends parallel to the rotational axis;

metal traces on the elongated plastic carrier; and

a metal bracket that is electrically attached to at least some of the metal traces and to the first metal housing structure, wherein the metal bracket is configured to form an antenna ground for an antenna and wherein at least some of the metal traces are configured to form an antenna resonating element for the antenna.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the metal bracket has an opening, the electronic device further comprising solder that protrudes through the opening.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the metal bracket has an opening, the electronic device further comprising a screw that passes through the opening and into the first metal housing structure.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board has a hole through which the screw passes.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

first and second conductive housings coupled by hinge structures for rotational motion about a rotational axis, wherein the first and second conductive housings lie in planes that are separated by an angle; and

antenna structures configured to exhibit a first amount of capacitive coupling when the angle is equal to zero and to exhibit a second amount of capacitive coupling when the angle is between 95° and

130°

, wherein the first amount of capacitive coupling is within 50% of the second amount of capacitive coupling.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the antenna structures include an elongated plastic carrier with metal traces that form a parasitic antenna resonating element.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the metal traces include an antenna resonating element.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 21 further comprising a strip of metal having a hole, wherein the strip of metal is soldered to the metal traces with solder that extends through the hole.