Buckling shock mounting

• US 9,129,659 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Montevirgen, Anthony S., Lynch, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US13/281,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20130100591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 3/0876 and of the same shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A buckling shock mounting and method related thereto are discussed herein. In one embodiment, the buckling shock mounting may take the form of a plurality of panels oriented uprightly within a plane to form at least one geometric shape. The plurality of panels are made of a uniform material and each of the panels is configured to buckle when a threshold amount of force is applied perpendicularly to the plane.

Claims

1. A buckling shock mounting comprising:

a plurality of panels oriented transverse to a plane;

wherein the plurality of panels are made of a uniform material;

wherein each of the panels is configured to buckle without breaking when a threshold amount of force is applied perpendicularly to the plane, and wherein each of the panels is configured to deflect in accordance with a first force-to-displacement ratio for a first applied force that is less than the threshold amount, and deflect in accordance with a second force-to-displacement ratio for a second applied force that is greater than the threshold amount, and

wherein the first force-to-displacement ratio is greater than the second force-to-displacement ratio.

2. The buckling shock mounting of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of geometric shapes formed within the plane by the plurality of panels.

3. The buckling shock mounting of claim 2, wherein a first geometric shape buckles at a first threshold amount of force and a second geometric shape buckles at a second threshold amount of force.

4. The buckling shock mounting of claim 1, wherein a thickness of at least one panel is increased to increase the threshold amount of force that causes the panels to buckle.

5. The buckling shock mounting of claim 1, wherein a thickness of a group of panels is increased to increase the threshold amount of force that causes the panels to buckle.

6. The buckling shock mounting of claim 1, comprising a first region having a first buckling threshold and a second region having a different buckling threshold.

7. The buckling shock mounting of claim 1, wherein the at least one geometric shape comprises at least one of a rectangle, a triangle, a heptagon, or a hexagon.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a shock sensitive component mounted within the housing;

a buckling shock mounting made of a uniform material and supporting the component, wherein

the buckling shock mounting comprises a plurality of geometric cells having sidewalls configured to buckle without breaking upon application of a threshold amount of force applied in a first direction;

wherein at least one sidewall is configured to deflect in accordance with a first force-to-displacement ratio for a first applied force that is less than the threshold amount, and deflect in accordance with a second force-to-displacement ratio for a second applied force that is greater than the threshold amount, and

wherein the first force-to-displacement ratio is greater than the second force-to-displacement ratio.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the buckling shock mounting comprises a rubber or foam material.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the buckling shock mounting comprises:

a first region configured to buckle upon application of a first amount of force; and

a second region configured to buckle upon application of second amount of force, wherein the second amount of force is less than the first amount of force.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the sidewalls of the first region are thicker than the sidewalls of the second region.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the cells takes the shape of a rectangle, a triangle, a heptagon, and a hexagon.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the cells of the first region and the second region have different geometric shapes.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the shock sensitive component comprises one of a:

camera, a display, a speaker, a microphone, a printed circuit board, or a hard disk drive.

15. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising a second buckling shock mounting coupled between the housing and the shock sensitive component.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the second buckling shock mounting is configured to help maintain alignment of the shock sensitive component within the housing.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the second buckling shock mounting comprises:

a first region configured to buckle upon application of a first amount of force; and

a second region configured to buckle upon application of second amount of force, wherein the second amount of force is less than the first amount of force.

18. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising a shock sensitive component, the method comprising:

creating a housing;

positioning a component within the housing;

coupling a buckling shock mounting to the component on a side of the component opposite of the housing, the buckling shock mounting comprising a plurality of panels arranged within a plane to form a geometric shape,

wherein the plurality of panels are configured to buckle without breaking when a threshold amount of force is applied to the panels, the panels buckling in a direction other than a direction in which the force is applied, the panels are configured to deflect in accordance with a first force-to-displacement ratio for a first applied force that is less than the threshold amount, and deflect in accordance with a second force-to-displacement ratio for a second applied force that is greater than the threshold amount, and

wherein the first force-to-displacement ratio is greater than the second force-to-displacement ratio.

19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 further comprising coupling a second buckling shock mounting between the housing and the component.

20. The method of manufacturing of claim 18, wherein the second buckling shock mounting is configured to buckle at a force approximately equal to that of the panels of the buckling shock mounting.