Housing for a portable electronic device

• US 9,119,293 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mycroft, Damian, Wong, Chee Yee, Lihou, Robert John, Newman, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/635,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20130107433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.27, 361/679.41, 361/679.56, 206/701, 206/703, 206/722, 206/724, 4555751-5759
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02

Abstract

A housing for a portable electronic device including a first transparent curved portion configured to curve from a front face of the housing to a first side face of the housing; a second transparent curved portion configured to curve from the front face of the housing to a second side face of the housing; a third transparent curved portion configured to curve from a rear face of the housing to the first side face of the housing; and a fourth transparent curved portion configured to curve from the rear face of the housing to the second side face of the housing.

Claims

1. A housing for a portable electronic device comprising:

a first transparent half shell having a first curved portion, a front wall and a second curved portion, wherein an outer surface of the front wall provides a front face, the first curved portion is configured to curve from the front face of the housing to a first side face of the housing, and the second curved portion is configured to curve from the front face to a second side face of the housing;

a second transparent half shell having a third curved portion, a rear wall and a fourth curved portion, wherein an outer surface of the rear wall provides a rear face, the third curved portion is configured to curve from the rear face to the first side face, and the fourth curved portion is configured to curve from the rear face to the second side face,

wherein the housing has a length, a width and a depth in which the length is greater than the width and the depth, and the housing has an opening, at least partially defined by an outer rim of the first, second, third and fourth transparent curved portions, at one end of the length.

2. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second side faces of the housing extend along the length of the housing.

3. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the first side face and the second side face defines the width of the housing.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance between the front face and the rear face defines the depth of the housing, and the depth is smaller than the width.

5. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front wall is positioned intermediate the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion, and wherein the front wall, the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion are integrally formed.

6. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear is positioned intermediate the third transparent curved portion and the fourth transparent curved portion, and wherein the rear wall, the third transparent portion and the fourth transparent portion are integrally formed.

7. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first half shell is joined to the second half shell at the first side face and the second side face.

8. A housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first half shell is adhered directly to the second half shell at the first side face and the second side face.

9. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth curved portions are made from transparent material.

10. A housing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an end cap positioned to cover the opening and the outer rim, wherein the end cap is configured to house an audio device.

11. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has a further opening, at least partially defined by a further outer rim of the first, second, third and fourth transparent portions, at a further end of the housing.

12. A housing as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a further end cap positioned to cover the further opening and the further outer rim, wherein the further end cap is configured to house a further audio device.

13. A portable electronic device comprising the housing as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a display, viewable through the front face of the housing, wherein the display has a first curved portion in register with the first transparent curved portion of the housing, and a second curved portion in register with the second transparent curved portion of the housing.

14. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first half shell and the second half shell are wholly made from a transparent smooth material, and each half shell is integrally formed.

15. A housing as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transparent smooth material is glass.

16. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first half shell and the second half shell are wholly made from a transparent plastics material, and each half shell is integrally formed.

17. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a transparent shell having a length, a width and a depth, wherein the transparent shell comprises a first opening at one end of the length and a second opening at a second end of the length, and wherein the first opening is defined by a first outer rim of the transparent shell and the second opening is defined by a second outer rim of the transparent shell; and

a first end cap configured to cover the first opening, wherein the first end cap comprises an aperture for a loudspeaker,

a second end cap positioned to cover the second opening and the second outer rim, wherein the second end cap comprises an aperture for a microphone,

wherein the transparent shell comprises a first transparent half shell and a second transparent half shell, and at least one of the first outer rim and the second outer rim is formed by the first and second half shells.

18. A housing as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transparent shell comprises an outer rim, substantially perpendicular to the length, defining the first opening, and the first end cap is shaped to cover the outer rim defining the first opening.

19. A housing as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first end cap comprises a portion that extends into the transparent shell and holds the end cap in place.

20. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a transparent shell having a length, a width and a depth, wherein the transparent shell comprises a first half shell and a second half shell,

the first half shell has a first curved portion, a front wall and a second curved portion, the first curved portion curves from the front wall to a first side wall of the housing, the second curved portion curves from the front wall to a second side wall of the housing, and there are no apertures in the first curved portion, the front wall or the second curved portion;

the second half shell has a third curved portion, a rear wall and a fourth curved portion, the third curved portion curves from the rear wall to the first side wall of the housing, the fourth curved portion curves from the rear wall to the second side wall of the housing, and there are no apertures in the third curved portion, the rear wall or the fourth curved portion; and

the transparent shell comprises an opening at one end of the length, the opening being defined by an outer rim of the transparent shell, a first portion of the outer rim being provided by the first half shell and second portion of the outer rim being provided by the second half shell; and

an end cap positioned to cover the opening and the outer rim.