Offset control for assembling an electronic device housing

• US 8,551,283 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pakula, David, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Myers, Scott, Tan, Tang Yew
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Katarzyna Wyrozebski
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gross, Carson
• Application Number:
  US12/794,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20110186345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 156/312, 156/338, 156/323, 156/358, 156/580, 361/679.26, 361/679.3, 361/679.55, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 156/312
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• 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: 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 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Housings for electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect, adjoining surfaces of electronic device housings can be mounted or arranged such that adjoining surfaces are flush to a high degree of precision. The electronic devices can be portable and in some cases handheld.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a device housing of an electronic device, said method comprising:

providing an outer glass member for the device housing;

providing a protective side structural member having a receptive plane that is to receive the outer glass member;

applying a liquid adhesive to a portion of the outer glass member and/or a portion of the protective side structural member;

positioning the outer glass member adjacent to the receptive plane of the protective side structural member;

applying a first force to push the outer glass member against a planar reference surface;

applying a second force to push the protective side structural member against the planar reference surface, wherein the second force is independently applied from the first force;

curing the liquid adhesive into a solid bonding material that bonds together the outer glass member and the protective side structural member, thereby assembling the outer glass member with the protective side structural member; and

subsequently removing the first force and the second force,

wherein the first force is provided by a plurality of mechanical members distributed over an inner surface of the outer glass member.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer glass member is a top glass member or a bottom glass member, and wherein the receptive plane is a top plane or a bottom plane.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein once bonded the solid bonding material secures the outer glass member to the protective side structural member such that an exposed outer surface of the outer glass member and the protective side structure are substantially flush.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the flushness of the exposed outer surface of the outer glass member to the protective side structure can be controlled to within not more that 60 micrometers.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein once bonded the solid bonding material secures the outer glass member to the protective side structural member such that an exposed outer surface of the outer glass member and the protective side structure are flush within 80 micrometers.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein once bonded the solid bonding material secures the outer glass member to the protective side structural member such that an exposed outer surface of the outer glass member and the protective side structure are flush within 60 micrometers.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein once bonded the solid bonding material secures the outer glass member to the protective side structural member such that an exposed outer surface of the outer glass member and the protective side structure are flush within 40 micrometers.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mechanical members are provided by a plurality of springs distributed over the inner surface of the outer glass member.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the planar surface is steel, and wherein the protective side structural member is plastic.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the planar surface is steel with a non-stick coating.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer glass member is a sheet of glass that serves as an exposed surface for the electronic device being assembled.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said curing comprises placing the assembly while the first and second forces are applied into an oven to thermally cure the adhesive.

13. A method for assembling a device housing of an electronic device, said method comprising:

providing an outer housing member for the device housing;

providing a protective side structural member;

applying a first force to push the outer housing member against a planar reference surface;

applying a second force to push the protective side structural member against the planar reference surface, wherein the second force is independently applied from the first force;

securing together the outer housing member and the protective side structural member, thereby assembling a portion of the device housing including at least the outer housing member with the protective side structural member; and

subsequently removing the assembled portion of the device housing from the planar reference surface,

wherein the first force is provided by a plurality of mechanical members distributed over an inner surface of the outer housing member.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said removing comprises removing the first force and the second force.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the outer housing member is glass, and wherein the protective side structural member is form from a polymer.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein once the outer housing member is secured to the protective side structural member, adjacent exposed outer surfaces of the outer housing member and the protective side structure member are substantially flush.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the flushness of the exposed outer surface of the outer housing member to the protective side structure can be controlled to within not more that about 60 micrometers from ideal flushness.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of mechanical members are provided by a plurality of springs distributed over the inner surface of the outer housing member.

19. A method as recited in claim 13,

wherein the outer housing member is glass, and wherein the protective side structural member is form from a polymer, and

wherein once the outer housing member is secured to the protective side structural member, adjacent exposed outer surfaces of the outer housing member and the protective side structure member are substantially flush.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the flushness of the exposed outer surface of the outer housing member to the protective side structure can be controlled to within not more that about 60 micrometers from ideal flushness.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the plurality of mechanical members are provided by a plurality of springs distributed over the inner surface of the outer housing member.

22. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said securing comprises:

providing adhesive between the outer housing member and the protective side structural member; and

heating the portion of the device housing being assembled to thermally cure the adhesive while the first and second forces are applied.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of mechanical members are provided by a plurality of springs distributed over the inner surface of the outer housing member.

24. A method as recited in claim 22,

wherein the outer housing member is glass, and wherein the protective side structural member is form from a polymer, and

wherein once the outer housing member is secured to the protective side structural member, adjacent exposed outer surfaces of the outer housing member and the protective side structure member are substantially flush.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the flushness of the exposed outer surface of the outer housing member to the protective side structure can be controlled to within not more that about 60 micrometers from ideal flushness.