Portable computing device

• US 8,995,115 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bradley Joseph Hamel, Brett W. Degner, Caitlin E. Kalinowski, Chris Ligtenberg, David J. Yeh, Euan Abraham, Eugene Kim, Jay K. Osborn, Jim Hwang, John M. Brock, John Raff, Laura M. Deforest, Matthew P. Casebolt, Michelle Goldberg, Nicholas A. Rundle, Patrick Kessler, Robert L. Coish, Ron Hopkinson, Steven Keiper
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Abraham, Euan, Casebolt, Matthew P., Coish, Robert L., DeForest, Laura M., Goldberg, Michelle, Hamel, Bradley Joseph, Hopkinson, Ron, Hwang, Jim, Kalinowski, Caitlin E., Keiper, Steven, Kessler, Patrick, Kim, Eugene, Ligtenberg, Chris, Osborn, Jay K., Raff, John, Rundle, Nicholas A., Yeh, David J., Brock, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US13/613,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 36167901-67909, 3616791-67919, 36167921-67929, 36167931-67945, 36167955-6796, 361724-747, 248917-924, 248 80- 88, 2481551-1555, 248166-173, 2481801-1862, 2482291-23151, 248/271.4, 248/292.14, 2483161-3168, 292 1- 62, 292/113, 29216911-16923, 29234111-34119, 369/75.1, 369/75.2, 369/75.11, 369/75.21, 369/76, 369/77.11, 369/77.21, 369/78, 369/79, 369/80, 369/81, 369/82
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/06 Specially-shaped heads special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 ; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 41/005 Measures against unauthorised operation of bolts, nuts or pins F16B23/0007, F16B23/0061, F16B23/0069, F16B23/0076 and F16B31/02 take precedence; locks, keys E05B; for valves, taps or cocks F16K35/00; for pipe-joints with swivel-nuts F16L19/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0008 assembled by screws
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A portable computing device includes at least a base portion of a lightweight material that includes at least a wedge shaped top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof. The trough includes a raised portion having a first contact surface and a receiving area, and a bottom case coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device for enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components. The portable computing device also includes at least a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly. In the described embodiments, the lid portion has a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of components in the base portion by way of or more electrical conductors that electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.

Claims

1. A laptop computer, comprising:

a base portion formed from a lightweight material, the base portion comprising;

a wedge shaped top case having a trough and a shoulder formed around a circumference of the wedge shaped top case at an interfacing edge thereof, wherein the trough includes a first wall, a bottom portion, and a second wall that forms the shoulder, with both walls rising above the bottom portion to form the trough, and wherein the shoulder includes a raised portion having a first contact surface, and

a bottom case having a second contact surface formed around a circumference of the bottom case with at least a portion of the second contact surface contacting the first contact surface, and a leading edge that is spaced apart from both the first wall and bottom of the trough by gaps therebetween, wherein the area of contact between the first and second contact surfaces defines a plane that is non-parallel to a horizontal plane generally defined by the laptop computer, and wherein the bottom case is coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the laptop computer, the complete housing enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components; and

a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly, the lid portion having a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of operational components in said base portion, wherein one or more electrical conductors electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.

2. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the top case directly contacts the bottom case only at the area of contact between the first and second contact surfaces.

3. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the wedge shape of the top case is such that when a bottom surface of the laptop computer is at rest upon a flat supporting surface, an angle presented by the wedge shaped top case presents an easy to use keyboard arrangement and touchpad.

4. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein varying one or more dimensions in the size of the top case or bottom case results in a different portion of the second contact surface contacting the first contact surface.

5. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the housing encloses and supports a computer assembly, the computer assembly includes a plurality of components operable to provide a set of defined functions for the laptop computer.

6. The laptop computer of claim 1, the hinge assembly comprising a hollow clutch assembly comprising at least a hollow cylindrical portion that includes an annular outer region, and a central bore region surrounded by the annular outer region, the central bore region suitably arranged to provide support for at least some of the electrical conductors passing between the display and electrical components disposed within the base portion.

7. A method of assembling a portable computing system, comprising:

receiving a top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof, wherein the trough includes a first wall, a bottom and a second wall forming a raised shoulder portion having a first contact surface;

receiving a bottom case having a second contact surface adapted to interface with the first contact surface and a leading edge adapted to be received by the trough;

coupling the bottom case to the top case to form a complete housing for a base portion of the portable computing system, the base portion being adapted to enclose at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components, the coupling resulting in the leading edge being spaced apart from both the first wall and the bottom of the trough by gaps therebetween;

pivotally connecting the base portion to a lid portion by a hinge assembly, wherein the lid portion has a plurality of components, at least one of which is a display; and

electrically connecting at least some of the components in the lid portion to operational components in the base portion by way of one or more electrical conductors that run through the hinge assembly.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the top case is generally wedge shaped in nature.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the coupling also results in an area of contact between the first and second contact surfaces defines a plane that is non-parallel to a horizontal plane generally defined by the portable computing system.

10. A method of forming an interface for a housing component of a portable computing system, the method comprising:

receiving a partially formed and wedge shaped top housing component;

forming a trough around a circumference of the wedge shaped top housing component at an interfacing edge thereof, wherein the trough includes a first wall, a bottom portion, and a second wall in the form of a shoulder, with both walls rising above the bottom portion to form the trough;

removing an extended portion of the shoulder to create a first contact surface at the top of the shoulder; and

receiving a bottom housing component comprising a second contact surface and a leading edge adapted to be received by the trough; and

securing the bottom housing component to the wedge shaped top housing component so that the leading edge is spaced apart from the first wall and the bottom of the trough, wherein the bottom housing component and the wedge shaped top housing component contact each other only at the first contact surface and the second contact surface.