Mounting structures for portable electronic devices

• US 8,417,298 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mittleman, Adam D., Jenks, Kenneth A., Cheng, Karen Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/113,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/575.1, 361/600, 361/679.01, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/814, 340/582, 340/683, 340/7.6
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components

Abstract

A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device is provided. The device may have upper and lower portions. The upper portion may have clips that attach to springs on the lower portion. The device may have a housing with a bezel. A prong on the springs may ground the bezel. A vibrator mounting bracket may hold a vibrator in place within the housing. The vibrator mounting bracket may have an end that engages the housing. A threaded insert may be welded to the spring. A screw that passes through a hole in the vibrator mounting bracket may be screwed into the threaded insert to attach the vibrator to the housing. An elastomeric member may bias the vibrator towards the bracket. An acoustic module may serve as a subassembly for the device. Components such as an antenna, dock connector, microphone, and speaker may be attached to the acoustic module.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a bezel;

a member attached to the bezel;

a vibrator mounted to the housing the member, wherein the member comprises a metal spring welded to the bezel;

a threaded metal insert that is welded to the metal spring;

a bracket that has an end that engages a hole in the housing and that has a bracket hole; and

a screw that passes through the bracket hole and that screws into the threaded metal insert.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising an elastomeric member between the vibrator and the housing that biases the vibrator away from the housing towards the bracket.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising an acoustic module having an attached antenna flex circuit, an attached microphone, and an attached dock connector.

4. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a bezel;

a member attached to the bezel;

a vibrator mounted to the housing the member, wherein the portable electronic device has at least first and second portions, wherein the member aligns the first portion with respect to the second portion, and wherein the member comprises a spring prong that grounds the bezel.