Fastening Techniques for Electronic Devices

• US 20140177152A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robert R. Atkinson Jr
• Inventors: Johnson, Patrick S., Byquist, Tod A., Broili, Ben M., Atkinson, Robert R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,086,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49948 Multipart cooperating fastener [e.g., bolt and nut]

Abstract

A computing device including fastening features. The computing device may include an upper shell comprising an upper boss protruding from the upper shell, the upper boss defining a cavity. The computing device may include a lower shell comprising a lower boss protruding from the lower shell. The computing device may include a threaded insert including an insert portion received at the cavity of the upper boss. The threaded insert may include a flange portion wider than the insert portion, and a lateral movement reduction feature. The computing device may include a fastener received through the lower boss and through the threaded insert to fasten the upper shell and lower shell to each other.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

an upper shell comprising an upper boss protruding from the upper shell, the upper boss defining a cavity;

a lower shell comprising a lower boss protruding from the lower shell;

a threaded insert comprising;

an insert portion received at the cavity of the upper boss;

a flange portion wider than the insert portion; and

a lateral movement reduction feature; and

a fastener received through the lower boss and through the threaded insert to fasten the upper shell and lower shell to each other.

2. The computing device of claim 1, the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion at the flange portion of the threaded insert and the lower boss.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the protrusion comprises a collar and crush-ribs at the lower boss to receive the flange portion of the threaded insert, wherein the lower boss is wider than the upper boss.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the crush ribs are to deform when the flanged portion is received at the lower boss.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the protrusion comprises a metal protrusion at the flanged portion to be received at the lower boss to reduce lateral movement of the upper boss with respect to the lower boss.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the lower boss comprises a deformable plastic to receive the metal protrusion by deforming the plastic at the lower boss.

7. A method to fasten an upper shell to a lower shell, comprising:

receiving a first portion of a fastener through a lower boss of the lower shell;

receiving an insert portion of a threaded insert into an upper boss of the upper shell, wherein the threaded insert further comprises a flanged portion wider than the insert portion and a lateral movement reduction feature; and

receiving a second portion of the fastener through the threaded insert.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion at the interface of the flange of the threaded insert and the lower boss, the method comprising receiving a protrusion at the flange at the lower boss to reduce lateral movement of the upper boss with respect to the lower boss.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a metal teeth at the interface of the flange portion of the threaded insert and the lower boss, the method comprising forming metal teeth at the flange portion to be received at the lower boss.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion of the lower boss comprising a collar and crush-ribs at the flange of the threaded insert, wherein the lower boss is wider than the upper boss, the method comprising forming the protrusion of the lower boss.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising deforming the crush ribs when the flange is received at the lower boss.

12. A computing device, comprising:

an upper shell;

a keyboard panel comprising a through-hole; and

a fastening feature to couple the upper shell to the keyboard panel, the fastening feature comprising a deformable post protruding from the upper shell to be received through the through-hole, and deformed against an inner side of the through-hole.

13. The computing device of claim 12, further comprising a cavity defined within the deformable post, wherein the deformable post is deformed against two or more sides of the keyboard panel by melting the plastic post via a heating element applied to at an inner wall of the cavity.

14. The computing device of claim 12, comprising a tapered edge at the through-hole.

15. The computing device of claim 12, the fastening feature comprising an adhesive layer disposed at a perimeter of the keyboard panel.

16. The computing device of claim 12, the fastening feature comprising two or more tabs protruding from the keyboard panel to be interleaved with two or more tabs at the upper shell.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein two or more tabs protruding from the keyboard panel are to interleave with the two or more tabs at the upper shell in a press-fit manner.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

applying an adhesive layer at a perimeter of the keyboard panel; and

pressing the adhesive layer to the upper shell.

18. A method to fasten an upper shell to a keyboard panel, comprising:

receiving a plastic post of the upper shell at a through-hole of the keyboard panel; and

deforming the deformable post against an inner side of the through-hole.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

an upper shell comprising an upper boss protruding from the upper shell, the upper boss defining a cavity;

a keyboard panel comprising through-holes;

a fastening feature to couple the upper shell to the keyboard panel, the fastening feature comprising;

an adhesive layer disposed at the perimeter of the keyboard panel;

a plastic post protruding from the upper shell to be received through the through-holes, and deformed against an inner side of the through-holes; and

two or more tabs protruding from the keyboard panel to be interleaved with two or more tabs at the upper shell;

a lower shell comprising a lower boss protruding from the lower shell;

a threaded insert comprising;

an insert portion to be received at the cavity of the upper boss;

a flange portion to be wider than the insert portion; and

a lateral movement reduction feature; and

a fastener to be received through the lower boss and through the threaded insert to fasten the upper shell and lower shell to each other.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion at the interface of the flange of the threaded insert and the lower boss.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the protrusion comprises a protrusion at the flange to be received at the lower boss to reduce lateral movement of the upper boss with respect to the lower boss.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the protrusion at the flange comprises metal teeth and the lower boss comprises a deformable plastic to receive the first protrusion by deforming the plastic at the lower boss.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protrusion comprises a collar and crush-ribs at the lower boss to be received at the flange of the threaded insert, wherein the lower boss is wider than the upper boss and the collar defines a cavity at the lower boss to receive the flange.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a cavity defined within the plastic post, wherein the plastic post is deformed against the inner side of the through-hole by melting the plastic post via a heating element applied to at an inner wall of the cavity.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein two or more tabs protruding from the keyboard panel are interleaved with the two or more tabs at the upper shell in a press-fit manner.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the through-holes comprise a tapered edge at an inner face of the through-hole.

29. A method to fasten an upper shell to a keyboard panel and a lower shell, comprising:

applying adhesive layer at the perimeter of the keyboard panel and pressing the adhesive layer to the upper skin;

receiving a plastic post of the upper shell at a through-hole of the keyboard panel and deforming the plastic post against an inner side of the through-hole;

receiving two or more tabs protruding from the keyboard panel at two or more tabs of the upper shell;

receiving a first portion of a fastener through a lower boss of the lower shell;

receiving an insert portion of a threaded insert into an upper boss of the upper shell, wherein the threaded insert further comprises a flanged portion to be wider than the insert portion, and a lateral movement reduction feature; and

receiving a second portion of the fastener through the threaded insert.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion at the interface of the flange of the threaded insert and the lower boss, comprising receiving a protrusion at the flange at the lower boss to reduce lateral movement of the upper boss with respect to the lower boss.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the protrusion at the flange comprises a metal and the lower boss comprises a deformable plastic to receive the first protrusion by deforming the plastic at the lower boss.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the lateral movement reduction feature comprises a protrusion of the lower boss comprising a collar and crush-ribs at the flange of the threaded insert, wherein the lower boss is wider than the upper boss, comprising receiving the flange at the protrusion of the lower boss.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the crush ribs are to deform when the flange is received at the lower boss.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the plastic post defines a cavity within the plastic post, wherein deforming the plastic post against the inner side of the through-hole comprises melting the plastic post via a heating element applied to at an inner wall of the cavity.

35. The method of claim 29, comprising interleaving two or more of the tabs at the keyboard panel with two or more of the tabs at the upper shell in a press-fit manner.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the through-holes comprise a tapered edge at an inner face of the through-hole.