Flushness shims

• US 7,902,475 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moolsintong, Pinida Jan, Weber, Douglas J., Zadesky, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon; Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US11/519,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 200/564, 200/600, 200/521, 200/296, 200/11.R, 200/14, 200/11.C, 200/11.G, 200/11.J, 200/11.K, 345/160, 345/184, 345/173, 345/156
• US Class Current: 200/564
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 1/169 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 with prestressing of part

Abstract

A media player according to the invention is provided. The media player may include a scroll wheel and a housing including a retention ledge. The retention ledge may maintain the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing. A flexible printed circuit may also be included in the media player. The flexible printed circuit may include a first face and a second face. The first face may contact the scroll wheel. The second face may include tactile dome switches. Compressible shims may also form a portion of the media player and may be adjacent the second face. The compressible shims may control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge.

Claims

1. A portable media player comprising:

a scroll wheel;

a housing comprising a retention ledge that maintains the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing;

compressible shims that control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge; and

dome switches actuated by movement of the scroll wheel, the dome switches being distinct from the compressible shims.

2. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit coupled with the dome switches and adapted to register user movement relative to the scroll wheel.

3. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed adjacent the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed adjacent the flexible printed circuit.

4. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed under the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed under the flexible printed circuit.

5. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed in contact with the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed in contact with the flexible printed circuit.

6. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit including one face proximal to the scroll wheel, wherein:

the dome switches are implemented on a face of the flexible printed circuit distal to the scroll wheel;

the shims are in contact with the face of the flexible printed circuit distal to the scroll wheel; and

the shims are spaced apart from the dome switches.

7. The media player of claim 1, wherein the compressible shims maintain a substantially constant push-back force.

8. The media player of claim 1, wherein the retention ledge touches all around a circumference of the scroll wheel when the compressible shims are compressed beyond a nominal level of compression.

9. The media player of claim 1 wherein the compressible shims are compressed to at least a nominal level of compression at all times.

10. The media player of claim 9, wherein the nominal level of compression ensures that a tolerance gap adjacent to the dome switches is independent of operational conditions of the media player.

11. A portable media player comprising:

a scroll wheel;

a housing comprising a retention ledge that maintains the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing;

a flexible printed circuit having a first face and a second face, the first face contacting the scroll wheel and the second face comprising tactile dome switches; and

compressible shims adjacent the second face and distinct from the tactile dome switches, wherein the compressible shims control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge.

12. The media player of claim 11, wherein the flexible printed circuit is adapted to register user movement relative to the scroll wheel.

13. The media player of claim 11, wherein:

the flexible printed circuit is disposed under the scroll wheel with respect to a surface of the housing with which the scroll wheel is substantially contiguous; and

the shims are disposed under the flexible printed circuit with respect to the surface of the housing with which the scroll wheel is substantially contiguous.

14. The media player of claim 11, wherein:

the flexible printed circuit is in contact with the scroll wheel; and

the shims are in contact with the flexible printed circuit.

15. The media player of claim 11, wherein the shims are spaced apart from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined distance.

16. The media player of claim 11, wherein the shims are spaced apart from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined angle.

17. The media player of claim 11 wherein the retention ledge is in contact with the scroll wheel.

18. The media player of claim 11, wherein the compressible shims maintain a substantially constant push-back force.

19. The media player of claim 11, wherein the retention ledge touches all around a circumference of the scroll wheel when the compressible shims are compressed beyond a nominal level of compression.

20. The media player of claim 11, wherein the compressible shims are compressed to at least a nominal level of compression at all times.

21. The media player of claim 20, wherein the nominal level of compression ensures that a tolerance gap adjacent to the dome switches is independent of operational conditions of the media player.

22. A media player comprising:

a scroll wheel comprising an outer surface;

a housing comprising an outer surface and a retention ledge that maintains the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing;

a flexible printed circuit adjacent the scroll wheel and comprising tactile dome switches; and

compressible shims adjacent the flexible printed circuit and distinct from the tactile dome switches, wherein the compressible shims maintain the outer surface of the scroll wheel in a substantially coplanar relationship with the outer surface of the housing unless the scroll wheel is activated.

23. The media player of claim 22, wherein the flexible printed circuit is adapted to register user movement relative to the scroll wheel.

24. The media player of claim 22, wherein:

the flexible printed circuit is disposed under the scroll wheel with respect to the outer surface of the housing; and

the compressible shims are disposed under the flexible printed circuit with respect to the outer surface of the housing.

25. The media player of claim 22, wherein:

the flexible printed circuit is in contact with the scroll wheel; and

the compressible shims are in contact with the flexible printed circuit.

26. The media player of claim 22, wherein the compressible shims are spaced apart from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined distance.

27. The media player of claim 22, wherein the compressible shims are spaced apart from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined angle.

28. The media player of claim 22, wherein the retention ledge is in contact with the scroll wheel.

29. The media player of claim 22, wherein the compressible shims maintain a substantially constant push-back force.

30. The media player of claim 22, wherein the retention ledge touches all around a circumference of the scroll wheel when the compressible shims are compressed beyond a nominal level of compression.

31. The media player of claim 22, wherein the compressible shims are compressed to at least a nominal level of compression at all times.

32. The media player of claim 31, wherein the nominal level of compression ensures that a tolerance gap adjacent to the dome switches is independent of operational conditions of the media player.

33. A media player comprising:

a scroll wheel comprising an outer surface;

a housing comprising an outer surface and a retention ledge that maintains the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing;

a flexible printed circuit adjacent the scroll wheel and comprising tactile dome switches; and

compressible shims adjacent the flexible printed circuit and distinct from the tactile dome switches, wherein the compressible shims apply pressure that pushes the scroll wheel so that the outer surface of the scroll wheel is flush with the outer surface of the housing unless the scroll wheel is activated.