Display housing for computing device

• US 7,440,264 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lam, Lawrence, Bell, Jory, Stringer, Chris J., Riccomini, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lea-Edmonds; Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US11/198,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/682, 349/58, 349/60
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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

Abstract

One aspect of the invention pertains to a stiffener for a computer housing so as to increase the rigidity and strength of the computer housing.

Claims

1. A stiffening system for providing increased strength and rigidity to a portable computer assembly arranged to house a portable computer, said stiffening system comprising:

a frame arranged to secure a display screen;

a back portion arranged to protect a back side of said display screen, said back portion being fixedly coupled with said frame to form a volume therebetween, said volume being arranged to contain various functional components of said portable computer; and

a stiffener, said stiffener being disposed between and in contact with said back portion and said frame, said stiffener being arranged to increase the strength and rigidity of said portable computer assembly by distributing external loads more evenly across said frame and said back portion.

2. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein inner surfaces of said back portion, said frame and said display screen have a complex geometry.

3. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein said stiffener is formed from foam.

4. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein said foam is packaging foam.

5. A stiffening system as recited in claim 4, wherein said foam is formed from a material selected from the group consisting essentially of polyurethane, expanded polystyrene, expanded polypropylene and expanded polyethylene.

6. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein said stiffener further includes a cavity.

7. A stiffening system as recited in claim 6, wherein said cavity is configured to provide clearance for internal circuitry or parts in said portable computer assembly.

8. A stiffening system as recited in claim 6, wherein said cavity is a weight reduction cavity.

9. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein said stiffener further includes protrusions and depressions for filling empty spaces between inner surfaces of said back portion, said frame and said display screen.

10. A stiffening system as recited in claim 1, wherein said display screen is an LCD display screen.

11. The stiffening system as recited in claim 1 wherein said functional components include at least said display screen.

12. The stiffening system as recited in claim 11 wherein the display screen is a flat panel display.

13. The stiffening system as recited in claim 12 wherein the flat panel display emits light in a forward direction and in a back direction when active;

and wherein the back portion includes a transparent portion through which a portion of the light emitted by said flat panel display in the back direction is able to pass, thereby illuminating the transparent portion when said flat panel display is active, the stiffener including an opening for allowing light to pass therethrough.

14. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing including a frame arranged to secure a display screen and a back portion arranged to protect a back side of the display screen, the frame being fixedly coupled with the back portion to form the housing and such that a volume is formed therebetween, the volume being arranged to contain various functional components of the portable electronic device including at least the display screen and other components associated with the display screen; and

a stiffener disposed within the volume enclosed by the housing and arranged to increase the strength and rigidity of the housing by distributing external loads more evenly across the housing.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one of the frame or the back portion is thin and flexible.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein the functional components include a circuit board.

17. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein the functional components include an antenna, said antenna being configured to transmit or receive RF signals, said housing being configured to enclose said antenna such that said antenna is entirely contained internal to said housing and is operable while being internal to said housing without having to extend any portion of said antenna outside said housing.

18. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer including a base and a lid, and wherein the housing corresponds to the housing of the lid, the lid being coupled to the base via a hinge.

19. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein the stiffener is fastened within the housing via a lip.

20. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14 wherein the stiffener is structurally coupled to at least one of the frame or the back portion via an adhesive.

21. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a first member and a second member that form a void therebetween, the void containing functional components of the portable electronic device, the void also forming an unused volume around the functional components and between walls of the first and second members walls; and

a stiffener disposed within the void of the housing and substantially filling the unused volume, the stiffener increasing the strength and rigidity of the housing by distributing external loads more evenly across the housing, wherein the functional components include at least a flat panel display and wherein the flat panel display emits light in a forward direction and in a back direction when active; and

wherein the first member of the housing forms a back of the housing and includes a transparent portion through which a portion of the light emitted by said flat panel display in the back direction is able to pass, thereby illuminating the transparent portion when said flat panel display is active, the stiffener including an opening for allowing light to pass therethrough.

22. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a first member and a second member that form a void therebetween, the void containing the functional components of the portable electronic device, the void also forming an unused volume around the functional components and between walls of the first and second members walls; and

a stiffener disposed within the void of the housing and substantially filling the unused volume, the stiffener increasing the strength and rigidity of the housing by distributing external loads more evenly across the housing,

wherein the functional components include at least an antenna and a flat panel display, said antenna being configured to transmit or receive RF signals, said housing being configured to enclose said antenna such that said antenna is entirely contained internal to said housing and is operable while being internal to said housing without having to extend any portion of said antenna outside said housing, and

wherein said flat panel display emits light in a forward direction and in a back direction when active; and

wherein the first member of the housing forms a back of the housing and includes a transparent portion through which a portion of the light emitted by said flat panel display in the back direction is able to pass, thereby illuminating the transparent portion when said flat panel display is active, said stiffener including an opening for allowing light to pass therethrough.

23. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 22 wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer including a base and a lid, and wherein the housing corresponds to the housing of the lid, the portable electronic device further comprising a frame attached to the housing and supporting the flat panel display with dimensional stability, the frame being coupled to the base via a hinge.

24. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 22 wherein the stiffener is fastened within the housing via a lip.

25. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 22 wherein the stiffener is structurally coupled to at least one of the first and second members via an adhesive.

26. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a first member and a second member that form a void therebetween, the void containing the functional components of the portable electronic device, the void also forming an unused volume around the functional components and between walls of the first and second members walls; and

a stiffener disposed within the void of the housing and substantially filling the unused volume, the stiffener increasing the strength and rigidity of the housing by distributing external loads more evenly across the housing, wherein the functional components include a keyboard, a flat panel display screen that emits light in a forward direction and in a back direction when active; and

wherein the first member of the housing forms a back of the housing and includes a transparent portion through which a portion of the light emitted by said flat panel display in the back direction is able to pass, thereby illuminating the transparent portion when said flat panel display is active, the stiffener including an opening for allowing light to pass therethrough.

27. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein an inner peripheral surface of said first member has a complex geometry.

28. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 27, wherein said foam is packaging foam.

29. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said stiffener is formed from foam.

30. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein said foam is formed from a material selected from the group consisting essentially of polyurethane, expanded polystyrene, expanded polypropylene and expanded polyethylene.

31. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said stiffener further includes a cavity.

32. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 31, wherein said cavity is configured to provide clearance for the functional parts in said portable electronic device.

33. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 31, wherein said cavity is a weight reduction cavity.

34. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said stiffener further includes protrusions and depressions for filling empty spaces in said first member and said second member.

35. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said housing is an LCD display screen housing of said portable electronic device.

36. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer including a base and a lid, and wherein the housing corresponds to the housing of the lid, the portable electronic device further comprising a frame attached to the housing and supporting the flat panel display with dimensional stability, the frame being coupled to the base via a hinge.

37. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said housing is a base housing of said portable electronic device.

38. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein at least one of the first or second members is thin and flexible.

39. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein said stiffener has an outer shape that coincides with an inner shape of at least one of the first and second members.

40. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein the functional components further include a circuit board.

41. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein the functional components include an antenna, said antenna being configured to transmit or receive RF signals, said housing being configured to enclose said antenna such that said antenna is entirely contained internal to said housing and is operable while being internal to said housing without having to extend any portion of said antenna outside said housing.

42. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein the stiffener is fastened within the housing via a lip.

43. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26 wherein the stiffener is structurally coupled to at least one of the first and second members via an adhesive.

44. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 26, wherein said first member, said second member and said stiffener form a laminate structure which provides resistance to point pressure loading.