Housing for a computing device

• US 6,933,929 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Novak, Chris J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US10/013,126
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/169, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

Improved housing for a computing device is disclosed. The improved housing is provided with one of an illuminable connector, a touch pad arrangement, and a palm rest stiffening plate. Normally, the illuminable connector and the touch pad arrangement are provided on external portions of a housing of the computing device such that they are available for user interaction. The palm rest stiffening plate is provided internal to a housing to provide stiffness or rigidity to a palm rest region of the housing.

Claims

1. A touch pad apparatus, comprising:

a housing having an outer surface and an opening through said housing, said housing including a first recess within the outer surface about the opening to produce a first recessed surface and a second recess within the outer surface about the opening to produce a second recessed surface; and

a track pad disposed in the first recess, said track pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of said track pad being adjacent the first recessed surface; and

a track pad label disposed in the second recess and over said track pad to secure or protect said track pad, said track pad label having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of said track pad label being adjacent the second recessed surface and the top surface of said track pad, and the top surface of said track pad label being substantially flush with the outer surface of said housing.

2. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the depth of the second recess is less than the depth of the fist recess.

3. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumference of the second recess is greater than the circumference of the first recess.

4. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said track pad label comprises:

a ridge, said ridge being configured to extend away from the top surface of said track pad label, said ridge defining an input area for said track pad, and

wherein the bottom surface of said track pad label including an adhesive that adheres said track pad label to at least the first recessed surface.

5. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said track pad label comprises:

a ridge on the top surface of said track pad label to provide user context with respect to an input boundary for said track pad.

6. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said touch pad apparatus is part of a portable computer.

7. A touch pad apparatus, comprising:

a housing, said housing having an outer surface and an opening through said housing, said housing further including a first recess within the outer surface about the opening to produce a first recessed surface and a second recess within the outer surface about the opening to produce a second recessed surface;

a track pad, said track pad being disposed in the first recess; and

a track pad label, said track pad label being disposed in the second recess and over said track pad and said second recessed surface to secure or protect said track pad.

8. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the track pad label includes a contact surface and an adhesive surface, the adhesive surface covering at least the second recessed surface so as to couple the track pad label to the housing.

9. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein the adhesive surface covers the track pad and the second recessed portion so as to couple the track pad label to the track pad and the housing.

10. A touch pad apparatus, comprising:

a housing, said housing having a wall and an opening extending entirely through said wall from an outer surface to an inner surface of said wall, said housing further including a first recess extending partially within the outer surface of the wall about the periphery of the opening, the first recess including a first recessed surface disposed below the outer surface; and

a track pad, said track pad being mounted in the first recess against the first recessed surface and over the opening.

11. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said touch pad apparatus is part of a portable computer.

12. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said track pad has a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface is adjacent the first recessed surface, and the top surface is substantially flush with the outer surface of said housing.

13. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said touch pad apparatus further comprises:

a track pad label that is provided over said track pad and said housing to secure or protect said track pad.

14. A touch pad apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said housing further includes a second recess extending partially within the outer surface of the wall about the periphery of the first recess, the second recess including a second recessed surface disposed below the outer surface and above the first recessed surface, and wherein the touch pad apparatus further comprises:

a track pad label, said track pad label being disposed in the second recess against the second recessed surface and over said track pad said track pad label securing said track pad within the first recess.

15. A touch pad system, comprising:

a track pad housing having a first recess;

a track pad disposed in the first recess; and

a track pad label disposed over said track pad and said housing, the track pad label being substantially permanently attached to at least the track pad housing in order to secure the track pad within a cavity formed by the first recess and the track pad label.

16. The touch pad system as recited in claim 15 wherein the first recess is configured to coincide with the shape of the track pad and wherein the depth of the first recess is substantially the same as the thickness of the track pad.

17. The touch pad system as recited in claim 15 wherein the first recess surrounds an opening, the opening allowing wiring of the track pad to be provided internal to the track pad housing.

18. The touch pad system as recited in claim 15 wherein the track pad housing includes a second recess for receiving the track pad label.

19. The touch pad system as recited in claim 18 wherein the second recess surrounds the first recess and is provided above the first recess.

20. The touch pad system as recited in claim 18 wherein the second recess has a greater circumference than the circumference of the first recess.

22. The touch pad system as recited in claim 18 wherein a top surface of the track pad label is substantially flush with an outer surface of the track pad housing when the track pad label is disposed within the second recess.

23. The touch pad system as recited in claim 15 wherein the track pad label is attached to the housing via an adhesive.

24. The touch pad system as recited in claim 23 wherein the adhesive is located at a peripheral portion of the track pad label in order to seal an interface between the track pad label and the housing.

21. A touch pad system, comprising:

a track pad housing having a first recess;

a track pad disposed in the first recess; and

a track pad label disposed over said track pad and said track pad housing, the track pad label being attached to at least the track pad housing, the track pad housing including a second recess for receiving the track pad label,

wherein the second recess is configured to coincide with the shape of the track pad label and wherein the depth of the second recess is substantially the same as the thickness of the track pad label.