Lost core electronic enclosures

• US 9,274,549 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Louris, Michael James, Matsuoka, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Binh
• Application Number:
  US13/930,774
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.21, 361/679.26, 361/679.3, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 361/728, 361/730, 361/731, 361/736, 361/748, 361/752, 361/796, 174/50, 174/50.5, 174/50.51, 174/53, 174/55, 174/56, 349/58, 349/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• 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: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613

Abstract

An electronic product includes an electronic enclosure having a housing pocket fabricated as a seamless single unitary molded structure. The single unitary molded structure defines a cavity therein and has at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity. The housing pocket includes a side opening that is sufficiently large to allow lateral insertion of the electronic assembly into position in the cavity with at least a portion of the electronic assembly extending underneath the at least one molded undercut feature.

Claims

1. An electronic product comprising:

a rigid electronic enclosure having a housing pocket fabricated as a seamless single unitary molded structure, the single unitary molded structure defining a cavity within the structure and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity; and

an electronic assembly positioned in the cavity with at least a portion of the electronic assembly extending laterally underneath the at least one molded undercut feature, the electronic assembly including a display glass,

wherein a wall of the housing pocket includes a side opening that is sufficiently large to allow lateral insertion of the electronic assembly into position in the cavity with at least a portion of the electronic assembly extending underneath the at least one molded undercut feature, and

wherein a top portion of the housing includes a display opening, the display opening exposing the display glass.

2. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the side opening is in a rear wall of the single unitary molded structure.

3. The electronic enclosure of claim 1 further comprising a side opening cover inside the side opening.

4. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the single unitary molded structure includes one or more of glass-filled nylons, unfilled nylons, polyphenylene sulfide, glass-filled polyaryletherketone (PAEK), glass-filled polypropylene (PP), rigid thermoplastic urethane, and elastomeric thermoplastic polyurethane.

5. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the single unitary molded structure defining a cavity within the structure and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity is fabricated using a lost core molding process.

6. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly disposed in the cavity includes a circuit board disposed in the cavity.

7. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein the unitary molded structure includes one or more holes or openings in addition to the side opening leading to the cavity through an exterior wall, and wherein the one or more holes or openings are configured as ports for utility or service connections to the electronic assembly.

8. The electronic enclosure of claim 7, wherein at least one of the holes or openings is configured to accommodate an external pushbutton or switch that is electrically connected to the electronic assembly positioned in the cavity.

9. The electronic enclosure of claim 1, wherein a portion of an exterior surface of the unitary molded structure is configured as a touch-activated key pad that is mechanically coupled to an electromechanical or pressure-sensitive switch in the electronic assembly positioned in the cavity.

10. The electronic product of claim 1, wherein the housing pocket has no seams or parting lines.

11. The electronic product of claim 1, wherein:

the rigid electronic enclosure is made of only two parts, the housing pocket and a cover sealing the side opening,

the housing pocket includes at least one support extending from a bottom wall under the undercut, and

the electronic assembly rests on the at least one support.

12. A computer keyboard, comprising:

a seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining a substantially closed cavity in the computer keyboard and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity, the seamless rigid unitary molded structure being made of a rigid material and including a top wall, opposing side walls adjacent to the top wall, and a bottom wall opposing the top wall and adjacent to the opposing sidewalls, at least one of the sidewalls defining a first opening that is sufficiently large to allow lateral insertion of an electronic assembly into position in the cavity and the top wall defining a second opening sufficiently large to expose a keypad of the electronic assembly; and

the electronic assembly disposed in the substantially closed cavity of the single unitary molded structure underneath the at least one molded undercut feature, the electronic assembly including the keypad, the keypad including keys extending through the second opening.

13. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein the opening in the at least one sidewall is sufficiently large to allow lateral insertion of the electronic assembly into position in the cavity with at least a portion of the electronic assembly extending underneath the at least one molded undercut feature.

14. The computer keyboard of claim 13, wherein the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining a substantially closed cavity in the computer keyboard and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity is fabricated using a lost core molding process.

15. The computer keyboard of claim 13 further comprising an opening cover attached to the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure.

16. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein the electronic assembly disposed in the substantially closed cavity includes a layer of electromechanical switches.

17. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein the electronic assembly disposed in the substantially closed cavity includes a backlight layer.

18. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein a surface of the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining the substantially closed cavity in the computer keyboard is configured as a touch-activated keypad coupled to one or more electromechanical or pressure-sensitive switches disposed in the cavity.

19. The computer keyboard of claim 18, wherein the surface of the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure includes a translucent material that allows light from within the cavity to illuminate the touch-activated keypad.

20. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining the cavity in the computer keyboard includes one or more of glass-filled nylons, unfilled nylons, polyphenylene sulfide, glass-filled polyaryletherketone (PAEK), glass-filled polypropylene (PP), rigid thermoplastic urethane, and elastomeric thermoplastic polyurethane.

21. The computer keyboard of claim 12, wherein the electronic assembly disposed in the cavity includes an integrated circuit disposed in the cavity.

22. A laptop computer enclosure, comprising:

at least a pocket having a seamless rigid single unitary molded structure, the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining a substantially closed cavity and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over a portion of the cavity;

a first opening in a rear wall of the pocket, the first opening having dimensions that are sufficiently large to allow lateral insertion of a laptop computer electronic assembly through the first opening into position in the cavity with at least a portion of the laptop computer electronic assembly extending underneath the at least one molded undercut feature;

an opening cover in the opening in the rear wall of the pocket; and

a second opening sufficiently large to expose a keypad of the laptop computer electronic assembly.

23. The laptop computer enclosure of claim 22, wherein the seamless rigid single unitary molded structure defining the substantially closed cavity and having at least one molded undercut feature extending over the portion of the cavity is fabricated using a lost core molding process.

24. The laptop computer enclosure of claim 22, wherein the pocket is configured to hold keyboard electronics.