INTERNAL COMPONENT ARRANGEMENT WITHIN A HOUSING

• US 20160044816A1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Daniel W., Pope, Benjamin J., Sloey, Jason S., Denby, Jonathan C., Spraggs, Ian A., Malek, Shayan
• Granted Patent: US 9,750,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/04 Cases; Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/148 actuated by superimposed sliding element H01H23/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• 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: H05K 7/026 Multiple connections subassemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/06 on insulating boards , e.g. wiring harnesses for printed circuits H05K1/18, H05K3/30
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack

Abstract

This application relates to securing and positioning internal components within a housing of a portable computing device. In one embodiment a cowling is utilized to retain a number of board-to-board connectors within communication slots on a printed circuit board (PCB). In another embodiment a number of insert molded retaining members are utilized to prevent outward deformation of sidewalls of the portable computing device during a drop event. In another embodiment, a C-shaped washer having diametrically opposed protrusions is utilized to adjust an alignment of an internal component.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device having a housing that carries a first component and a second component, the portable electronic device comprising:

a retaining system independent of the housing that secures a relative position of the first component with respect to the second component such that a spacing between the first component and second component is substantially maintained when an external force is applied to the housing.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first component is a board-to-board connector and the second component is a communication slot electrically coupled to the board-to-board connector, and the retaining system comprises a cowling having an inside surface that exerts a force upon the board-to-board connector that secures the relative position of the board-to-board connector with respect to the communication slot.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the inside surface of the cowling comprises a first structural rib that exerts the force upon the board-to-board connector by way of a compressible layer disposed over a portion of the board-to-board connector.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 3, wherein the first structural rib is stamped into the cowling such that the first structural rib extends toward the compressible layer.

5. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 3, further comprising a second structural rib, wherein the first structural rib and the second structural rib are arranged cooperate to apply a substantially even amount of force upon the board-to-board connector.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the forces exerted by the first structural rib and the second structural rib are exerted at opposite ends of the board-to-board connector.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the communication slot is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the retaining system further comprises a standoff mounted to a first surface of the PCB and surrounding a fastener opening of the PCB, the standoff setting a distance between the inside surface of the cowling and the first surface of the PCB, and wherein the standoff comprises an electrically conductive pathway that electrically couples the cowling with the PCB.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a switch and a button partially disposed within an opening defined by an enclosure component of the portable electronic device;

a switch; and

a flange disposed between a portion of the button and a portion of the switch, the flange having a variable thickness such that a peripheral portion of the flange is thicker than a center portion of the flange thereby allowing a center portion of the button to be recessed further into the opening with respect to a peripheral portion of the button when a force is exerted on the button.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a fastening feature disposed on a mounting surface;

a C-shaped washer disposed along an outside surface of the fastening feature, the C-shaped washer having a plurality of diametrically opposed protrusions that exert a force on the outside surface of the fastening feature; and

an electronic component coupled to the fastening feature such that a portion of the electronic component engages and compresses the C-shaped washer.

10. A method for securing a board-to-board connector within a communication slot on a first surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), the method comprising:

installing a connector of the board-to-board connector within the communication slot of the PCB;

attaching a compressible layer to a top surface of the board-to-board connector; and

pressing an inside surface of a cowling against the compressible layer to create a preload that biases the connector into the communication slot.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

determining a loading pattern exerted upon the cowling during a drop event; and

reinforcing portions of the cowling that are determined to experience a large amount of deformation as a result of a load exerted during the drop event.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein reinforcing comprises welding at least one layer of metal to an inside surface of the cowling.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising stamping a structural rib into the cowling so that the structural rib is aligned with a central portion of the communication slot when the cowling is coupled to the PCB.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising stamping a structural rib into the cowling so that the structural rib is adjacent to a peripheral portion of the compressible layer and not in direct contact with the compressible layer when the cowling is coupled to the PCB.

15. A cowling for securing a number of board-to-board connectors to a printed circuit board (PCB), the cowling comprising:

a metal substrate comprising a flat contact region having a shape and size in accordance with a compressible pad attached to an end of a board-to-board connector; and

a structural rib comprising an indentation in the metal substrate that protrudes from a bottom surface of the metal substrate, wherein a portion of the structural rib at least partially surrounds the flat contact region of the metal substrate and provides structural reinforcement for the metal substrate.

16. The cowling as recited in claim 15, further comprising a metal plate coupled to the bottom surface of the metal substrate, the metal plate increasing a rigidity of a portion of the metal substrate and being positioned to transmit a force to the board-to-board connector when the metal substrate is coupled to the PCB and when the board-to-board connector is coupled with the PCB.

17. The cowling as recited in claim 15, further comprising a plurality of metal plates welded to the bottom surface of the metal substrate in a stack, wherein the plurality of metal plates are formed from at least two different types of metal.

18. The cowling as recited in claim 15, wherein the structural rib is adjacent to at least two sides of the board-to-board connector when the metal substrate is coupled to the PCB.

19. The cowling as recited in claim 15, wherein the structural rib surrounds a perimeter of the board-to-board connector when the metal substrate is coupled to the PCB.

20. The cowling as recited in claim 15, wherein the cowling is formed from stainless steel sheet metal having a thickness of about 0.3 mm.