Electronic device housing and assembly method

• US 8,995,125 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoshimichi, Louris, Michael James, Hayashida, Jeffrey, Wanderman, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US13/799,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.08, 361/679.09, 361/679.14, 361/679.17, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/44 for undercut articles
• 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first housing of a single piece of material that has first and second spaced apart major walls that extend in lateral directions and at least three side walls extending perpendicular to the lateral directions between the major walls. The major walls and the side walls define an internal cavity, and the first housing defines an opening to the internal cavity opposite one of the side walls. At least one support member is within the internal cavity of the first housing adjacent a major walls a side wall thereof. At least one electronic component is contained within the internal cavity, and a first cover is removably affixed over the opening. At least one of the support member and the first cover contributes to a retention force applied on the at least one electronic component within the internal cavity of the first housing.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing of a single piece of material, the first housing including;

a first major wall and a second major wall spaced apart in parallel from the first major wall; and

at least three side walls coupled to the first and second major walls, each side wall including first and second edges therealong, the first edge extending along a respective length of the first major wall, and the second edge extending along a respective length of the second major wall, a first one of the at least three side walls being positioned in parallel and opposite a second one of the at least three side walls, a third one of the at least three side walls extending between and coupling the first and second side walls;

wherein the first and the second major walls and the first, the second, and the third side walls form an outer casing and define an internal cavity therein, with an opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall;

at least one support member within the internal cavity of the first housing adjacent to at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls thereof;

at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing in a specified position; and

a first cover removably affixed over the opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall, with at least one portion of the cover coupling to at least one of the first and second major walls of the first housing;

wherein at least one of the at least one support member and the first cover applies a retention force on the at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing to maintain the electronic component in the specified position therein.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component includes an attachment feature aligned with the support member, the device further including an attachment member connecting the electronic component with the support member by the attachment feature to contribute to the retention force, and wherein the housing includes a second opening through one of the major walls or side walls that is aligned with the attachment feature.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first housing is a base housing for a base assembly of a portable computer, and wherein the first cover is a first portion of a hinge assembly, the electronic device further including a lid assembly operatively connected to the base housing by the hinge assembly.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first major wall of the first housing includes a second opening therein, the device further including a keyboard assembly having a plurality of keys, the keyboard assembly being removably received within the second opening.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the keyboard assembly is configured to be removably attached within the second opening by a snap-fit arrangement.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is an assembly of a printed circuit board and one or more support units configured to contact at least two of the side walls of the housing within the internal cavity, the one or more support units being assembled with the printed circuit board to retain the printed circuit board within the housing and spaced apart from the side walls.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the support member is one of a plurality of support members, and wherein the electronic component is one of a plurality of electronic components within the housing, at least some of the electronic components being engaged with respective ones of at least some of the support members.

4. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing of a single piece of material, the first housing including first and second spaced apart major walls that extend in lateral directions and at least three side walls extending perpendicular to the lateral directions between the major walls, the major walls and the side walls defining an internal cavity, the first housing defining an opening to the internal cavity opposite one of the side walls;

at least one support member within the internal cavity of the first housing adjacent at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls thereof;

at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing; and

a first cover removably affixed over the opening of the first housing;

wherein at least one of the support member and the first cover contributes to a retention force applied on the at least one electronic component within the internal cavity of the first housing;

wherein the first housing is a base housing for a base assembly of a portable computer, and wherein the first cover is a first portion of a hinge assembly, the electronic device further including a lid assembly operatively connected to the base housing by the hinge assembly;

wherein the first opening extends along a portion of one of the major walls, wherein the first portion of the hinge assembly is of a heat conducting material and extends within the opening portion within the major wall, and wherein the electronic component is positioned adjacent the first portion of the hinge assembly such that heat emitted from the electronic component can be transferred to the first portion of the hinge assembly.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing of a single piece of material, the first housing including first and second spaced apart major walls that extend in lateral directions and at least three side walls extending perpendicular to the lateral directions between the major walls, the major walls and the side walls defining an internal cavity, the first housing defining an opening to the internal cavity opposite one of the side walls;

at least one support member within the internal cavity of the first housing adjacent at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls thereof;

at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing; and

a first cover removably affixed over the opening of the first housing;

wherein at least one of the support member and the first cover contributes to a retention force applied on the at least one electronic component within the internal cavity of the first housing;

wherein the first major wall of the first housing includes a second opening therein, the device further including a keyboard assembly having a plurality of keys, the keyboard assembly being removably received within the second opening;

wherein the keyboard assembly defines a first inclined surface, the device including a second electronic component that defines a second inclined surface, the first and second inclined surfaces being configured to contact each other when the keyboard assembly is received within the second opening and such that the keyboard assembly exerts a force on the second electronic component toward one of the side walls.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing of a single piece of material, the first housing including;

a first major wall and a second major wall spaced apart in parallel from the first major wall;

at least three side walls coupled to the first and second major walls, each side wall including first and second edges therealong, the first edge extending along a respective length of the first major wall, and the second edge extending along a respective length of the second major wall, a first one of the at least three side walls being positioned in parallel and opposite a second one of the at least three side walls, a third one of the at least three side walls extending between and coupling the first and second side walls;

wherein the first and the second major walls and the first, the second, and the third side walls form an outer casing and define an internal cavity therein configured to receive at least one electronic component within the internal cavity in a specified position, with an opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall; and

at least one support member within the internal cavity of the first housing extending from at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls thereof; and

a first cover removably affixed over the opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall, with at least one portion of the cover coupling to at least one of the first and second major walls of the first housing;

wherein at least one of the at least one support member and the first cover applies a retention force on the at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing to maintain the electronic component in the specified position therein.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the support member extends along an interior of one of the first and second major walls and away from at least one of the side walls.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the support member extends along interiors of both the first and second major walls.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the support member is in the form of a rib configured to provide structural support at least for the one of the first and second major walls that it extends along.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the electronic component includes a slot configured to receive the rib of the support member therein such that the rib contributes to the retention force on the electronic component.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the support member includes a boss extending from at least one of the major walls or the side walls.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the boss includes a threaded hole, and wherein the electronic component further includes a through hole aligned with the threaded hole, the device further including a screw that passes through the through hole and engages with the threaded hole such that the boss contributes to the retention force on the electronic component.

17. The device of claim 15, further including a fixation element affixed between the electronic component and the boss such that the boss contributes to the retention force on the electronic component.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing of a single piece of material, the first housing including

a first major wall and a second major wall spaced apart in parallel from the first major wall; and

at least three side walls coupled to the first and second major walls, each side wall including first and second edges therealong, the first edge extending along a respective length of the first major wall, and the second edge extending along a respective length of the second major wall, a first one of the at least three side walls being positioned in parallel and opposite a second one of the at least three side walls, a third one of the at least three side walls extending between and coupling the first and second side walls;

wherein the first and the second major walls and the first, the second, and the third side walls form an outer casing and define an internal cavity therein with an opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall;

a frame element affixed within the internal cavity of the first housing adjacent to at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls thereof, the frame element defining at least one support member;

at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing in a specified position; and

a first cover removably affixed over the opening to the internal cavity located opposite the third side wall, with at least one portion of the cover coupling to at least one of the first and second major walls of the first housing;

wherein at least one of the at least one support member and the first cover applies a retention force on the at least one electronic component contained within the internal cavity of the first housing to maintain the electronic component in the specified position therein.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the frame element is affixed along an interior of at least one of the major walls or one of the side walls.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the frame element is configured to extend between an interior of the first major wall and an interior of the second major wall.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the support member is a rib integral with the frame element that extends in a direction away from an adjacent side wall along at least one of the first or second major walls.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the electronic component includes a slot configured to receive the rib of the frame element therein such that the rib contributes to the retention force on the electronic component.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the frame element includes a threaded hole, and wherein the electronic component further includes a through hole aligned with the threaded hole, the device further including a screw that passes through the through hole and engages with the threaded hole such that the frame element contributes to the retention force on the electronic component.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein the frame element is configured to add rigidity to the housing by assembly therewith.

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the frame element is a portion of a frame assembly that includes a plurality of frame elements configured for assembly together within the first housing.