Handheld computing device

• US 8,896,991 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John P. Ternus, Joshua D. Banko, Ming Yu, Stephen R. McClure
• Original Assignee: John P. Ternus, Joshua D. Banko, Ming Yu, Stephen R. McClure
• Inventors: Ternus, John P., McClure, Stephen R., Banko, Joshua D., Yu, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US13/619,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20130100607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/679.57, 361/679, 361/58, 3122231-2232, 4555751-5754, 700/117
• US Class Current: 361/679.02
• 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 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• 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: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• 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: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

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. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps is formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components to the housing.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

a single piece housing having a front opening, the single piece housing comprising;

a bottom wall and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the bottom wall having a curved bottom surface, the side walls having rectilinear edges arranged such that they form a flat side surface an undercut within the cavity, an edge of the side walls surrounding and defining the front opening, wherein an interior surface of the bottom wall includes a plurality of mounting steps suitable for mounting an internal component thereon, a protective cover disposed within the front opening and attached directly to the single piece housing, the protective cover suitable for providing protection to a display device disposed within the single piece housing, a side opening disposed through one of the side walls and a corresponding portion of the bottom wall;

a plurality of castellations protruding from the bottom wall and into the side opening; and

a radio-transparent antenna window comprising a plurality of grooves, each groove for receiving a corresponding one of the plurality of castellations.

2. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an integrated beam system integrally formed in the single piece housing, the integrated beam system used to provide support for the single piece housing by distributing a force applied at a point in the single piece housing evenly about the single piece housing, the integrated beam system comprising continuous and concentric loops of steps of housing material, the continuous and concentric steps located at predetermined locations on an interior surface of the single piece housing, formed the continuous and concentric steps being thicker than the plurality of mounting steps.

3. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein in a fully assembled state each of the plurality of castellations are inserted through an aperture of the corresponding one of the plurality of grooves, each castellation cooperating with an associated groove to form a cavity at least a portion of which is filled with adhesive, thereby adhesively coupling the castellation within the corresponding groove, and wherein an external surface of the radio-transparent antenna window provides a smooth exterior surface across the front opening and fits within the front opening to provide a flush outer surface for the portable computing device.

4. The portable computing device as recited in claim 3, wherein a gap between the exposed surface of the front opening and the radio-transparent antenna window allows for differing thermal expansion coefficients of the radio-transparent antenna window and the side walls to be compensated for during heat excursions of the electronic device.

5. The portable computing device as recited in claim 4, wherein the bottom wall and side walls are formed of metal and the radio-transparent antenna window is formed of plastic.

6. The portable computing device as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the castellations has a chamfered corner, the chamfered corner operative to ease insertion of the castellations through the aperture of each of the corresponding grooves.

7. The portable computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the bottom wall has a curved exterior surface.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a radio-opaque housing having a front opening, the radio-opaque housing defining in part an outward appearance of the portable electronic device, the radio-opaque housing comprising;

a bottom wall and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the bottom wall having a curved bottom surface, the side walls having rectilinear edges, an edge of the side walls surrounding and defining the front opening, wherein an interior surface of the bottom wall includes a plurality of mounting steps suitable for mounting an internal component thereon, an antenna window opening disposed through a portion of one of the side walls and a corresponding portion of the bottom wall, and a plurality of castellations protruding from the bottom wall that defines the antenna window opening, the castellations extending into the antenna window opening;

a protective cover disposed within the front opening of the radio-opaque housing; and

a radio-transparent antenna window comprising a plurality of grooves, each groove having a shape suitable for receiving a corresponding one of the plurality of castellations the radio-transparent antenna window disposed within the antenna window opening.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

an integrated beam system integrally formed in the radio-opaque housing, the integrated beam system used to provide support for the radio-opaque housing by distributing a force applied at a point in the radio-opaque housing evenly about the radio-opaque housing, the integrated beam system comprising continuous and concentric loops of steps of housing material, the continuous and concentric steps located at predetermined locations on an interior surface of the radio-opaque housing, formed the continuous and concentric steps being thicker than the plurality of mounting steps.

10. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 9, wherein the side walls have rectilinear edges arranged such that they form a flat side surface and an undercut within the cavity.

11. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the bottom wall and side walls are formed of metal and the radio-transparent antenna window is formed of plastic.

12. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the bottom wall and side walls are formed of an aluminum alloy.

13. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of castellations and grooves cooperate to secure the radio-transparent antenna window within the antenna window opening.

14. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves comprises an aperture through which a corresponding castellation can be inserted, and a cavity within which a portion of the castellation can be captured.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves is configured to receive an amount of epoxy to secure at least a portion of the corresponding castellation within it.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein a distal end of each groove of the plurality of grooves is configured to interact with a lip portion of the aperture of the corresponding castellation to capture the antenna window within the antenna window opening prior to an adhesive being applied.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a radio-opaque housing having a front opening, the housing defining in part an outward appearance of the portable electronic device, the radio-opaque housing comprising;

a radio opaque bottom wall and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the side walls having rectilinear edges, a top edge of the side walls surrounding and defining the front opening, and

an antenna window opening disposed through a portion of one of the radio opaque side walls and a corresponding portion of the radio opaque bottom wall

a radio-transparent antenna window disposed within the antenna window opening, wherein a first portion of the radio-transparent antenna window has a first curvature substantially the same as a curvature of a portion of the radio opaque bottom wall that defines a portion of the antenna window opening and wherein a second portion of the radio-transparent antenna window has a second curvature substantially the same as a curvature of a portion of the side wall that defines a portion of the antenna window opening; and

a protective cover disposed within the front opening of the radio-opaque housing.

18. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein one edge of the radio-transparent antenna window cooperates with a top edge of the side wall to define one of the top edges that define the front opening.

19. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the bottom wall and side walls are formed of an aluminum alloy.

20. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the protective cover overlays a touch sensitive display assembly.