Simple enclosure for electronic components
First Claim
1. An enclosure for a wireless communications device, comprising:
- a) a first housing section having a first set of holding surfaces and a second set of holding surfaces;
b) a second housing section connected to said first housing section;
c) a vertical axis defined from the direction of said second housing section to said first housing section;
d) a first component layer disposed between said first housing section and said second housing section and at least partially within said second housing section, said first component layer in direct contact with both said first set of holding surfaces and said second housing section and vertically trapped therebetween;
e) a second component layer disposed between said first housing section and said second housing section and above said first component layer, said second component layer in direct contact with both said second set of holding surfaces and said second housing section and vertically trapped therebetween.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multiple layers of electronic components are secured within a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone, by gripping the component layers between two different portions of the device'"'"'s enclosure, thereby preventing substantial vertical movement of the component layers within the combined housing. A first housing section, typically the front portion of the device'"'"'s shell housing, includes both a first set of holding surfaces and a second set of holding surfaces which are preferably, but not necessarily, lying in two different planes. Preferably, these holding surfaces are portions of fingers that extend downwardly away from the first housing section. When the two housing sections are joined, the first set of holding surfaces directly contacts the lower component layer and presses the same against the second housing section. Likewise, the second set of holding surfaces directly contacts the second component layer and presses the same against the second housing section. In this manner, the first and second component layers are vertically trapped between the first and second housing sections. The two housing portions may be joined in any manner known in the art, such as by screws or ultrasonic welding; but the two housing portions are preferably snap-fitted together using snap teeth on the aforementioned fingers and corresponding recesses in the rear housing portion. In some embodiments, the enclosure described above is adapted to secure additional component layers by adding additional sets of holding surfaces to the appropriate housing section. Such an approach allows for easier and less expensive assembly and may allow for thinner devices to be made.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An enclosure for a wireless communications device, comprising:
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a) a first housing section having a first set of holding surfaces and a second set of holding surfaces; b) a second housing section connected to said first housing section; c) a vertical axis defined from the direction of said second housing section to said first housing section; d) a first component layer disposed between said first housing section and said second housing section and at least partially within said second housing section, said first component layer in direct contact with both said first set of holding surfaces and said second housing section and vertically trapped therebetween; e) a second component layer disposed between said first housing section and said second housing section and above said first component layer, said second component layer in direct contact with both said second set of holding surfaces and said second housing section and vertically trapped therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of securing multiple layers of electrical components in a wireless communications device, the wireless communications device having a first housing section and a second housing section and a vertical axis defined from the second housing section to the first housing section, comprising:
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a) gripping a first component layer, so as to prevent substantial vertical movement thereof, between a first set of holding surfaces of the first housing section and the second housing section; b) gripping a second component layer, so as to prevent substantial vertical movement thereof, between a second set of holding surfaces of the first housing section and the second housing section; c) wherein, when said first and second housing sections are joined together, said first and second component layers are enclosed by said first and second housing sections and said second component layer is disposed above said first component layer. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification