Electronic device with magnetic antenna mounting

• US 8,970,446 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pascolini, Mattia, Guterman, Jerzy, Haylock, Jonathan, Zhu, Jiang, Jeziorek, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOUIZZA, MICHAEL M
• Application Number:
  US13/175,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 343/878, 343/872, 343/787
• US Class Current: 343/878
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer

Abstract

An electronic device may have magnetically mounted antenna structures. The electronic device may have a dielectric member against which one or more antennas are mounted. The dielectric member may be a cover glass layer that covers a display in the electronic device, a dielectric antenna window, or other dielectric structure. Each antenna may have an antenna support structure. Conductive antenna structures for the antenna may be mounted to the antenna support structure. The antennas may be cavity-backed planar inverted-F antennas. Portions of each antenna support structure may be configured to receive magnets. The magnets may be attracted towards ferromagnetic structures mounted on the dielectric member. As the magnets are attracted towards the ferromagnetic structure, the antennas may be held in place against the dielectric member.

Claims

1. An electronic device having an interior and an exterior comprising:

a display cover layer having an internal surface at the interior of the device and an external surface at the exterior of the device;

magnetic structures; and

an antenna that is biased against the display cover layer by the magnetic structures, wherein the antenna is biased against the internal surface of the display cover layer.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a plastic support structure to which the magnetic structures are mounted.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a cavity-backed planar inverted-F antenna.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a display module; and

a housing in which the display module and the antenna are mounted, wherein the display cover layer covers the display module.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising a ferromagnetic structure attached to the display cover layer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a dielectric support member with at least one portion to which the magnetic structures are mounted and at least one portion that supports conductive antenna resonating element structures.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising guiding structures that guide the antenna as the antenna moves relative to the housing when biased by the magnetic structures.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the guiding structures comprise at least one elongated member that passes through an opening in the antenna.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a flex circuit antenna resonating element.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises metal structures on a plastic support structure and wherein the plastic support structure has protrusions that rest against the display cover layer.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a dielectric member;

magnetic structures; and

an antenna that is biased against the dielectric member by the magnetic structures, wherein the dielectric member comprises a dielectric antenna window mounted within a conductive housing.

12. A computer, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted within the housing, wherein the display and housing are separated by a channel;

at least one antenna in the channel;

a cover layer that covers the display;

ferromagnetic structures on the cover layer; and

magnetic structures that are attracted to the ferromagnetic structures and that bias the antenna towards the cover layer.

13. The computer defined in claim 12 further comprising a plurality of magnets mounted to the housing that pull the ferromagnetic structures and the cover layer towards the housing.

14. The computer defined in claim 12 wherein the antenna comprises a cavity-backed antenna having conductive cavity walls formed on a dielectric antenna support structure.