Portable electronic device housing with outer glass surfaces

• US 8,797,721 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/794,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/679.26, 361/679.3, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• 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

Improved housings for electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electronic device housing can have one or more outer members (e.g., exposed major surfaces), such as front or back surfaces, that are formed of glass. The one or more glass surfaces can be part of outer member assemblies that can be secured to other portions of the electronic device housing. In other embodiments, apparatus, systems and methods for robustly attaching a cover portion of an electronic device to a bottom portion, e.g., a housing portion, of the electronic device are described. The electronic device can be portable and in some cases handheld.

Claims

1. An assembly for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover part, the cover part including at least one attachment protruding therefrom, the cover part being a planar member formed from a transparent material;

a housing part, the housing part including at least one receptacle configured to receive the at least one attachment, the at least one receptacle being defined at least partially on a first side of the housing part, the at least one receptacle further being configured to capture the at least one attachment, wherein the cover part is interfaced with a second side of the housing part when the at least one attachment is captured in the at least one receptacle; and

at least one electronic component, the at least one electronic component being arranged within an inner volume defined by at least the housing part,

wherein the cover part includes a glass member and a frame, the frame is arranged to support the glass member, and the frame has a plurality of the attachments that are discrete from one another and extend outward from the frame, and

wherein the glass member is secured relative to the housing part by the plurality of the attachments, and when the glass member is secured to the housing, the edge of the cover part is aligned with the edge of the housing part.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover part and the housing part cooperate to contain the at least one electronic component.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover part is in substantially direct contact with the second side of the housing part when the at least one attachment is captured in the at least one receptacle.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further including at least one screw, wherein the at least one attachment is a slotted tab and the at least one receptacle is a threaded screw hole, the threaded screw hole being configured to capture the slotted tab when the at least one screw passes through the slotted tab and into the threaded screw hole.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further including a washer, the washer being positioned between the slotted tab and the threaded screw hole.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment is a tab and the housing part includes a housing and a midplate, the midplate being attached to the housing, the housing being arranged to cooperate with the midplate to define the at least one receptacle.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one receptacle is configured to receive the tab, the at least one receptacle being arranged to engage the tab.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment is a slotted tab and the housing part includes a housing and a bracket, the bracket being attached to the housing and having a compliant snap, wherein the bracket and the first side cooperate to define the at least one receptacle.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein when the slotted tab is captured in the at least one receptacle, the complaint snap engages the slotted tab.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the frame extends around periphery to the glass member and the glass member is adhered to the frame.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one attachment is formed from a metal and is insert molded into the frame.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein cover part is at least partially formed from a plastic material and the at least one attachment is formed from a metal, the at least one attachment being insert molded into the plastic material.

13. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

an outer periphery member defining a side surface for the electronic device enclosure;

a midplate secured to an inner surface of the outer periphery member, the midplate being an internal planar structure that is offset from front and back planar boundaries of the outer periphery member;

a front cover assembly placed and secured adjacent the front planar boundary of the outer peripheral boundary, thereby providing a planar front surface for the electronic device enclosure; and

means for securely mounting the front cover assembly to the midplate or the outer periphery member,

wherein the front cover assembly includes (i) a glass member that provides the planar front surface for the electronic device enclosure, (ii) a support member and (iii) an attachment member, and

wherein the support member supports the glass member, and the attachment member is integral with or attached to the support member, the attachment member being used to secure the front cover assembly with respect to the midplate or the outer periphery member.

14. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

an outer periphery member defining a side surface for the electronic device enclosure;

a midplate secured to an inner surface of the outer periphery member, the midplate being an internal planar structure that is offset from front and back planar boundaries of the outer periphery member;

an attachment member; and

a front cover assembly placed and secured adjacent the front planar boundary of the outer peripheral boundary using at least the attachment member, thereby providing a planar front surface for the electronic device enclosure,

wherein the front cover assembly includes (i) a glass member that provides the planar front surface for the electronic device enclosure and (ii) a support member, and

wherein the support member supports the glass member, and the attachment member is integral with or attached to the support member, the attachment member being used to secure the front cover assembly with respect to the midplate or the outer periphery member.

15. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 14, wherein the attachment member facilitates attachment of the front cover assembly to midplate or the outer periphery member.

16. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15, wherein the midplate comprises a metal plate.

17. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one attachment member extends from the front cover assembly.

18. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one attachment member includes a tab.

19. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 14,

wherein the attachment member facilitates attachment of the front cover assembly to the midplate or the outer periphery member, and

wherein the outer peripheral member or the midplate includes at least one receptacle configured to receive the at least one attachment member.

20. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 19, wherein the at least one receptacle being defined at least partially on a first side of the outer peripheral member, the at least one receptacle further being configured to capture the at least one attachment member, and wherein the front cover assembly is interfaced with a second side of the outer peripheral member when the at least one attachment member is captured in the at least one receptacle.