Component assembly

• US 8,570,736 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McClure, Stephen Robert, Corbin, Sean S., Ternus, John P., Gibbs, Kevin, Franklin, Jeremy C., Kibiti, Elvis Mwenda, Henry, Jules B., Rappoport, Benjamin M., Uttermann, Erik Andrew, Yeung, Alex Chun Lap, Raff, John, Peterson, Carl, Wilson, Brianna C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US13/018,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/126, 320/107, 320/103, 320/135, 298/54, 294/28, 296/231, 295/921, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/679.41, 361/679.3, 361/679.01, 361/679.06, 361/679.4, 361/679.07, 429/90, 429/121, 429/159, 429/134, 429/7, 429/61, 429/56, 463/30, 463/22, 463/16, 345/168, 345/156, 345/169, 345/173, 345/619, 345/102, 345/690, 345/175
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

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 at least a single piece housing with a cavity having a substantially flat bottom wall. A battery assembly and main logic board can be mounted directly to the substantially flat bottom wall with a plurality of additional components arranged around a peripheral edge of the battery assembly and main logic board.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

a single piece housing having a front opening, the single piece housing further comprising an integral bottom and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, wherein the bottom wall has an interior surface that is substantially flat and the side walls are curved;

a plurality of components comprising;

at least a battery cell and a main logic board, wherein the battery cell and main logic board are mounted directly to a central portion of the interior surface of the bottom wall; and

additional components arranged around a peripheral edge of the battery cell and main logic board, the additional components comprising a plurality of sensors, antennae, buttons, switches, and a speaker module;

a display assembly mounted to the housing; and

a transparent cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the housing, wherein a bottom portion of the single piece housing and the mounted display assembly form a protective enclosure for the battery cell.

2. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a SIM card release mechanism.

3. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors is connected to a sensor board separated from the main logic board by the battery cell, wherein the sensor board is coupled to the main logic board by a connector.

4. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing is metal and the cover is glass.

5. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing includes an antenna window formed of radio transparent material, wherein the antenna window replaces a corresponding portion of the housing.

6. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is sized to be carried in one hand of a user and operated by the user'"'"'s other hand.

7. A portable computing device, comprising:

a single piece housing having a front opening, the single piece housing further comprising an integral bottom and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, wherein the bottom wall has an interior surface that is substantially flat;

a plurality of components mounted directly to the interior surface of the bottom wall, wherein the plurality of components comprises a plurality of battery cells and a main logic board in substantially a same plane, wherein the battery cells can expand into a space between battery cells during operation; and

a display assembly disposed within the front opening and mounted to the housing, wherein the housing and the display assembly together form a protective enclosure for the battery cell.

8. The portable computing device as recited in claim 7, wherein the portable computing device is sized to be carried in one hand of a user and operated by the user'"'"'s other hand.

9. The portable computing device as recited in claim 7, wherein the housing is metal and the cover is glass.

10. The portable computing device as recited in claim 9, further including an antenna window formed of radio transparent material, wherein the antenna window replaces a corresponding portion of the metal housing.

11. The portable computing device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a transparent cover over the display assembly.

12. The portable computing device as recited in claim 7, further comprising a sensor board coupled to a plurality of sensors, wherein the sensor board is separated from the main logic board by a battery cell.

13. A portable computing device, comprising:

a single piece housing having a front opening, the single piece housing further comprising an integral bottom and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, wherein the bottom wall has an interior surface that is substantially flat surrounded by a plurality of recesses in a peripheral edge portion;

a plurality of components, wherein at least one of the components is mounted directly to the substantially flat interior surface of the bottom wall and at least one of the components is mounted in a recess in the peripheral edge portion; and

a display system and transparent cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the housing.

14. The portable computing device as recited in claim 13, wherein the component mounted directly to the substantially flat interior surface of the bottom wall is a battery cell and the component mounted in the recess is an antenna.

15. The portable computing device as recited in claim 14, further comprising foam between the antenna and the housing.

16. The portable computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the single piece housing further comprises a plurality of features for aligning a component on the substantially flat interior surface of the bottom wall.

17. The portable computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the plurality of features align a main logic board on the substantially flat interior surface of the bottom wall.

18. The portable computing device as recited in claim 13, wherein a battery assembly and a main logic board are mounted directly to the substantially flat interior surface of the bottom wall and a plurality of antennae and sensors are mounted around the peripheral edge portion of the housing.

19. The portable computing device as recited in claim 18, wherein the plurality of sensors are connected to a sensor board that is separated from the main logic board by another component, wherein the sensor board is coupled to a the main logic board by a connector.

20. The portable computing device as recited in claim 19, wherein the connector is positioned in a space between two battery cells.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a housing having a cavity for receiving internal components, the housing having a cavity with a substantially flat interior bottom surface;

receiving a plurality of component to be mounted to the substantially flat interior bottom surface, wherein the plurality of components includes a battery cell and a main logic board; and

bonding the components directly to the interior bottom surface of the housing, wherein the battery cell and the main logic board are in substantially a same plane.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

placing a cover within the front opening; and

attaching the cover to the housing without a bezel.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

aligning a display assembly within the front opening using a temporary alignment fixture;

securing the display assembly to the housing;

and removing the temporary alignment fixture before placing the cover within the front opening.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the portable computing device is sized to be carried in one hand of a user and operated by the user'"'"'s other hand.

25. The method as recited in claim 21 wherein the housing is metal and the cover is glass.

26. The portable computing device as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

placing a display unit having a display screen within the front opening such that the display screen is visible through the glass cover.