Portable electronic device with two-piece housing
First Claim
1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a first assembly having at least one clip; and
a second assembly having at least one spring that engages the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly and that nondestructively disengages from the clip when the first assembly is removed from the second assembly, wherein the first assembly comprises a frame and comprises a display unit and a touch screen mounted to the frame, wherein the clip is connected to the frame and has at least one hole, wherein the second assembly comprises at least one printed circuit board and a metal structure to which the spring is connected, and wherein the spring has a spring prong that protrudes into the hole in the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. During assembly, the first part may be rotated into place within the second part. Retention clips attached to the frame may be used to secure the two parts together. Assembly instructions and associated connector numbers may be provided within the devices.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
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a first assembly having at least one clip; and a second assembly having at least one spring that engages the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly and that nondestructively disengages from the clip when the first assembly is removed from the second assembly, wherein the first assembly comprises a frame and comprises a display unit and a touch screen mounted to the frame, wherein the clip is connected to the frame and has at least one hole, wherein the second assembly comprises at least one printed circuit board and a metal structure to which the spring is connected, and wherein the spring has a spring prong that protrudes into the hole in the clip when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of assembling a handheld electronic device from a first assembly and a second assembly, wherein the first assembly has a first member with holes and the second assembly has a second member with flexible prongs that mate with the holes, comprising:
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inserting an end of the first assembly into an end of the second assembly so that a portion of the first assembly engages a portion of the second assembly at an engagement axis; rotating the first assembly into the second assembly about the engagement axis so that the prongs compress then expand to press into the holes and hold the first assembly in place within the second assembly; and screwing the second assembly to the first assembly with screws that are inserted into the second assembly at an end of the assembly opposing the engagement axis.
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11. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a first portion having clips with holes; and a second portion having springs with prongs that protrude into the holes and that hold the first portion to the second portion, wherein the clips include elongated members that define at least one surface that includes the holes, wherein each clip comprises a bent planar portion that extends at least partly into one of the holes, wherein each bent planar portion has an edge along which that bent planar portion is bent away from the surface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a first portion having clips with holes; a second portion having springs with prongs that protrude into the holes and that hold the first portion to the second portion, wherein the clips include elongated members having bent planar portions that form the holes, wherein the first portion comprises a plastic frame member, a display unit, and a cover glass that covers the display unit, wherein the plastic frame member has a protrusion defining a shelf that supports the cover glass; and a bezel that is connected to the second portion and that surrounds the cover glass. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
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a first assembly having a display, a frame that is connected to the display, and first engagement members that are connected to the frame; and a second assembly having a housing and second engagement members that nondestructively engage the first engagement members when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly to form the handheld electronic device, wherein the second assembly includes a printed circuit board that is carried by the housing and wherein the second assembly comprises a bezel that is connected to the housing and that surrounds the display when the first assembly is inserted into the second assembly to form the handheld electronic device, and wherein the first engagement members comprise first metal members with holes and wherein the second engagement members comprises second metal members with flexible prongs that mate with holes in the first metal members. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An electronic device having an external body and having external surfaces, the electronic device comprising:
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a single housing portion that has sides and that forms the external body of the electronic device, the single housing portion having walls that form a pocket in a front face of the electronic device and that form the sides of the single housing portion including an edge portion, wherein the front face of the electronic device has a surface area; and a display portion that has a periphery and that is mounted within the pocket of the single housing portion, the edge portion of the single housing portion surrounding the periphery of the display portion, the display portion covering most of the surface area of the front face of the electronic device, the display portion and single housing portion cooperating to form the external surfaces of the electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification