Assembly of a display module

• US 8,213,168 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McClure, Stephen R., Banko, Joshua D., Ternus, John P., Morris, Matthew B., Thompson, Peter M., Gibbs, Kevin, Van Vorhis, Timothy G., Adamcyk, Martin B., Lucchesi, Arthur J., Carpenter, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US12/694,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 206/545, 206/710, 206/521, 439/532, 439/76.1, 160/23, 160/197, 160/184, 248/442.2, 248/205.1, 248/121, 248/178.1, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/333, 312/328, 361/679.43, 361/679.34, 361/679.58, 361/679.33, 361/679.31, 361/679.55, 361/679.27, 292/162, 292/216, 292/196, 292/36
• US Class Current: 361/679.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0281 Reinforcement details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include a single piece housing and a display module. The display module can include a protective top glass cover that is bonded to a plastic display frame and surrounded by a seal frame. The display module can also include a display panel and its associated circuitry suspended from the display frame below the protective glass cover. The display module is coupled to the single piece housing mounting clips in a manner that allows the display module to move relative to the single piece housing during an impact event. The plastic display frame can include inserts that provide structural support near openings in the single piece housing.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a portable computing device comprising:

forming a plastic display frame and a plurality of inserts, said inserts configured to provide structural stiffness to the plastic display frame;

coupling the inserts to the plastic display frame and molding a layer of plastic over the inserts to adhere the plastic display frame to the inserts;

coupling a seal to the plastic display frame;

bonding a protective glass cover to the plastic display frame within an inner perimeter portion of the seal;

securing a touch screen, a display panel and a plurality of mounting clips to the plastic display frame to form a display module;

inserting the display module into a single piece housing, said single piece housing including

     1) an opening with a lip portion surrounding the opening and

     2) a plurality of notches in an interior surface; and

after the mounting clips are moved past the opening, securing the display module to the single piece housing without using a bezel by the mounting clips expanding to engage in the plurality of notches to secure the display module to the single piece housing without the bezel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the inserts is a metal insert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the inserts is a polymer insert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserts are located proximate to openings in the single piece housing.

5. A portable computing device comprising;

a single piece housing including an opening surrounded by a lip and including a plurality of notches located on an interior surface; and

a display module wherein the display module is secured within the single piece housing without a bezel such that it can move relative to the single piece housing during an impact event, said display module comprising;

a display frame;

a protective glass cover bonded to the display frame and surrounded by a seal frame wherein the seal frame is coupled to the display frame;

a touch screen mounted below the protective glass cover;

a display panel housing, including a display panel and display circuitry, wherein the display panel housing is suspended from the display frame via a plurality of mounting tabs without the bezel.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the display frame further comprises;

a plastic display frame and a plurality of inserts wherein the inserts are formed separately from the plastic display frame and wherein the plurality of inserts are molded to the plastic display frame using a layer of plastic.

7. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein the inserts are formed from a metal or a polymer.

8. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein inserts provide structural support next to openings in the single piece housing.

9. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the display frame further comprises a plurality of mounting clips fastened to the display frame and wherein the mounting clips are configured to engage under the lip in the plurality of notches after the display module is inserted into the single piece housing to prevent the display module from being lifted from the single piece housing and to allow lateral movement of the display module relative to the single piece housing.

10. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the display panel housing is proximately rectangular and the plurality of mounting tabs are located on only shorts sides of the display panel housing to an increase a bending length of the display panel during an impact event.

11. A portable computing device comprising:

a single piece housing including an opening surrounded by a lip; and

a display module, said display module comprising;

a display frame including a plastic display frame and a plurality of inserts formed separately from the plastic display frame wherein the plurality of inserts are loaded into the plastic display frame and covered with a plastic layer to bond the inserts to the plastic display frame;

a protective glass cover bonded to the display frame and surrounded by a seal frame wherein the seal frame is coupled to the display frame;

a touch screen mounted below the protective glass cover;

a display panel housing, including a display panel and display circuitry, suspended from the display via a plurality of mounting tabs;

wherein the display module is secured to the single piece housing without a bezel such that it can move relative to the housing during an impact event.

12. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of inserts include at least one metal insert and at least one polymer insert.

13. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of inserts is located proximate to an opening in the single piece housing to provide structural support.

14. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein the display module is secured within the single piece housing using mounting clips, wherein each mounting clip includes a free end and a fastened end, said fastened end fastened to the display module and said free end resting against an interior surface of the single piece housing.

15. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the interior surface of the single piece housing includes a plurality of notches and wherein the free end of each mounting clip rests in one of the notches to secure the display module to the single piece housing.

16. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein a force is applied to the display module when it is secured within the housing, said force causing the mounting clips to lengthen.