Devices and methods for connecting device cover components

• US 9,095,046 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ohtani, Tetsuya, Uchino, Akinori, Kitamura, Masahiro, Ushioda, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/786,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.3, 361/679.58, 361/679.26, 361/679.55, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0008 assembled by screws
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for connecting device cover components. In general, the devices and methods can allow first and second covers of an electronic device to be connected together at a plurality of attachment points without any gap space between the first and second covers at the attachment points. In an exemplary embodiment, an electronic device can include a housing that has first and second covers attached to one another at a plurality of attachment points. The first cover can be formed from a first material, and the second cover can be formed from a second, different material. The first material can be a softer material than the second material, which can allow the second cover to penetrate into and deform the first cover during manufacturing of the housing such that no gap space is present between the first and second covers at each of the attachment points.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first cover of an electronic device having an inferior surface and a superior surface; and

a second cover of the electronic device having an inferior surface and a superior surface, the superior surface of the second cover being attached to the inferior surface of the first cover at a plurality of attachment points;

wherein at each of the attachment points, one of the superior surface of the second cover and the inferior surface of the first cover has one or more protrusions extending therefrom that are seated in corresponding one or more depressions formed in another of the superior surface of the second cover and the inferior surface of the first cover with no gap space therebetween such that the first cover cannot rotate relative to the second cover, and

wherein one of the first and second covers is formed from a metal, and the other of the first and second covers is formed from an inelastic polymer such that the metal can penetrate into and deform the polymer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connection member at each of the attachment points, the connection member being seated in a hole formed through the superior surface of the second cover and the inferior surface of the first cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more protrusions comprises a plurality of protrusions, the one or more depressions comprises a plurality of depressions, and at each of the attachments points, the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of depressions are positioned radially around the connection member.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at each of the attachments points, the one or more protrusions and the one or more depressions extend through the connection member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inferior surface of the second cover has a plurality of feet extending therefrom, each of the feet being configured to rest on a table surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third cover having a display thereon, the third cover being movably attached to the first and second covers such that the electronic device can be moved between an open position and a closed position;

wherein when the electronic device is in the open position, the display is configured for visualization by a user, and when the electronic device is in the closed position, the display is not configured for visualization by the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor positioned between the inferior surface of the first cover and the superior surface of the second cover;

and

a display coupled to the first and second covers, the processor being configured to cause data to be displayed on the display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises any one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a computer, a DVD player, a CD player, a portable music player, a gaming system, a television, a radio, and a personal digital assistant.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both the superior surface of the second cover and the inferior surface of the first cover have one or more attachment members extending therefrom.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more protrusions and the one or more depressions are formed in the one or more of the attachment members.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a first cover of an electronic device, the first cover having a plurality of holes formed therein, each of the holes having a plurality of protrusions positioned radially therearound;

a second cover of the electronic device having a plurality of holes formed therein, the plurality of protrusions being pressed into the second cover such that a plurality of depressions are formed in the second cover in which the plurality of protrusions are seated without any gap space therebetween and such that the holes of the first cover are aligned with the holes of the second cover; and

a plurality of connection members, each of the connection members extending through one of the holes of the first cover and one the holes of the second cover such that each of the connection members has a plurality of the protrusions and a plurality of the depressions positioned radially therearound.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of holes of the first cover are positioned around a perimeter of the first cover, and the plurality of holes of the second cover are positioned around a perimeter of the second cover.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions are formed from a first material, the second cover being formed from a second material at least where the depressions are formed therein, and the first material is harder than the second material.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first material comprises a metal, and the second material comprises a polymer.

15. A method, comprising:

connecting a first cover of an electronic device to a second cover of the electronic device such that at each of a plurality of attachments points between the first and second covers, protrusions extending from the first cover press into the second cover so as to permanently deform the second cover to have a plurality of depressions therein, with no gap space between the protrusions and the depressions; and

positioning a connection member at each of the attachment points such that each of the connection members extends between the first and second covers and holds the first and second cover together in a fixed position relative to one another.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

attaching a plurality of feet to the second cover, each of the feet being configured to rest on a table surface; and

attaching a display to the first cover.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

attaching a plurality of feet to the first cover, each of the feet being configured to rest on a table surface; and

attaching a display to the second cover.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising attaching a third cover to the first and second covers such that the electronic device can be moved between an open position and a closed position, the third cover having a display thereon, the electronic device in the open position allowing data displayed on the display to be visualized by a user, and the electronic device in the closed position not allowing data displayed on the display to be visualized by the user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic device comprises any one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a computer, a DVD player, a CD player, a portable music player, a gaming system, a television, a radio, and a personal digital assistant.