Portable electronic device with two-piece housing

• US 7,933,123 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Erik L., Mittleman, Adam D., Hobson, Phillip M., Jenks, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US12/119,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20090257207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/816, 361/818, 361/679.56, 361/679.55, 174/35.R, 174/35.GC
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• 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 1/1637 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

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.

Claims

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.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly comprises at least one protrusion and wherein the second assembly comprises at least one recess that receives the protrusion so that the first assembly tilts and rotates into the second assembly, pivoting about a pivot axis defined by the protrusion and the recess.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the frame comprises a plastic frame having metal frame struts.

4. The portable electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the frame is formed at least partly of metal and wherein the clip is welded to the metal of the frame.

5. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the metal structure comprises a metal bezel and wherein the spring is welded to the bezel.

6. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly and the second assembly each have upper and lower ends and left and right sides, wherein there are two of the clips located respectively on the left and right sides of the first assembly, and wherein there are two of the springs located respectively on the left and right sides of the second assembly.

7. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first assembly and the second assembly each have upper and lower ends and left and right sides, wherein there are two of the clips located respectively on the left and right sides of the first assembly, wherein there are two of the springs located respectively on the left and right sides of the second assembly, and wherein the first and second assemblies comprise mating features that are engaged at a pivot axis at an end of the portable electronic device, so that the first assembly tilts and rotates into the second assembly about the pivot axis during assembly.

8. The portable electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a handheld electronic device with wireless communications circuitry.

9. The portable electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising screws that screw into the first assembly through the second assembly.

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:

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.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

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.

12. The portable electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the springs and clips comprise stainless steel.

13. The portable electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the first portion comprises a plastic frame and metal frame struts connected to the plastic frame and wherein the clips are connected to the metal frame struts.

14. The portable electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the metal frame struts comprise stainless steel.

15. A portable electronic device comprising:

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.

16. The portable electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a gasket that is connected to the protrusion and that is interposed between the cover glass and the bezel.

17. The portable electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the springs are welded to the bezel.

18. The portable electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the prongs comprise curved portions that bear against the bent planar portions.

19. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

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.

20. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the second metal members are connected to the bezel.

21. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the first assembly comprises retention clips connected to the frame and wherein screws are screwed into the retention clips through the housing and the bezel.

22. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the second metal members are welded to the bezel.

23. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the frame comprises metal frame struts to which the first metal members are connected.

24. An electronic device having an external body and having external surfaces, the electronic device comprising:

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.

25. The electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the single housing portion includes a housing frame member and wherein the edge portion is a bezel that is connected to the housing frame member.

26. The electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the bezel is formed from metal and wherein the housing frame member is formed from plastic.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 24 further comprising a gasket disposed between the display portion and the edge portion of the single housing portion.

28. The electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein the display portion comprises a display and a display frame that carries the display.

29. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the display comprises a touch sensor.

30. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the single housing portion comprises a printed circuit board and a housing frame member that carries the printed circuit board.

31. The electronic device defined in claim 30 wherein the display portion comprises first engagement members that are connected to the display frame, wherein the single housing portion comprises second engagement members that are connected to the housing frame member, and wherein the second engagement members nondestructively engage the first engagement members when the display portion is mounted within the pocket of the single housing portion.