Portable computing device

• US 9,829,932 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Abraham, Euan, Brock, John M., Casebolt, Matthew P., Coish, Robert L., DeForest, Laura M., Goldberg, Michelle, Hamel, Bradley Joseph, Hopkinson, Ron, Hwang, Jim, Kalinowski, Caitlin E., Keiper, Steven, Kessler, Patrick, Kim, Eugene, Ligtenberg, Chris, Osborn, Jay K., Raff, John, Rundle, Nicholas A., Yeh, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US14/593,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 36167901
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/06 Specially-shaped heads special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 ; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 41/005 Measures against unauthorised operation of bolts, nuts or pins F16B23/0007, F16B23/0061, F16B23/0069, F16B23/0076 and F16B31/02 take precedence; locks, keys E05B; for valves, taps or cocks F16K35/00; for pipe-joints with swivel-nuts F16L19/005
• 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: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0008 assembled by screws
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A portable computing device includes at least a base portion of a lightweight material that includes at least a wedge shaped top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof. The trough includes a raised portion having a first contact surface and a receiving area, and a bottom case coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device for enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components. The portable computing device also includes at least a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly. In the described embodiments, the lid portion has a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of components in the base portion by way of or more electrical conductors that electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

a body comprising a first end and a tapered second end narrower than the first end, the body having an inclined top surface and configured to support and enclose a plurality of operational components, the body further configured to present to an end user one or more user input components at an incline in conformance with the inclined top surface of the portable computing device, the one or more user input components comprising;

a keyboard assembly, the keyboard assembly comprising a keyboard having a plurality of pressable key pads;

a touch pad located within a touch pad opening in the body in proximity to the tapered second end and comprising;

a glass layer defining;

a top surface adapted to accept touch inputs from the end user; and

a front edge adjacent a lip defined by a front side of the touch pad opening;

a cosmetic layer located below the glass layer; and

a sensor layer bonded to the cosmetic layer and adapted to detect touch inputs at the top surface of the glass layer, wherein the front edge of the glass layer and an edge of the sensor layer define a plan accordance with an inclined surface of the tapered second end of the body;

a bottom cover, wherein the body and the bottom cover are secured to each other by way of a plurality of fasteners to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device; and

a lid portion comprising a display assembly arranged to present visual content.

2. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a hinge assembly having a size and shape that fits within the first end of the body, the hinge assembly arranged to pivotally connect the complete housing and the lid portion, wherein one or more electrical conductors electrically connect at least some of the operational components in the complete housing to the display assembly, at least one of the electrical conductors being carried in the hinge assembly.

3. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the body comprises a trough and a shoulder formed at an interfacing edge of the body, wherein the shoulder includes a raised portion having a first contact surface.

4. The portable computing device of claim 3, wherein the bottom cover includes a second contact surface having a portion thereof that contacts the first contact surface, and a leading edge that is spaced apart from a first wall of the trough, wherein the area of contact between the first and second contact surfaces defines a plane that is non-parallel to a horizontal plane generally defined by the portable computing device.

5. The portable computing device of claim 4, wherein the leading edge of the bottom cover is spaced apart from a bottom portion of the trough.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the body directly contacts the bottom cover only at the area of contact between the first and second contact surfaces.

7. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein the trough includes the first wall, a bottom portion, and a second wall, with both walls rising above the bottom portion to form the trough, and the second wall forming the shoulder.

8. The portable computing device of claim 7, wherein the trough and shoulder are formed around a circumference of the body at the interfacing edge.

9. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the operational components is a solid state memory module, the solid state memory module comprising:

a substrate having a top side and a bottom side; and

a first plurality of memory devices arranged linearly on the top side of the substrate.

10. The portable computing device as recited in claim 9, the solid state module further comprising:

a second plurality of memory devices arranged linearly on the bottom side of the substrate;

a controller linearly arranged in accordance with the first and second plurality of memory devices and arranged to provide control signals to the first and second plurality of memory devices; and

a set of contacts located along one edge of the substrate, the contacts being adapted to interface with a high speed connector coupled to a motherboard of the portable computing device, where the set of contacts are separated into at least two groups by a physical gap located between the separated groups.

11. The portable computing device as recited in claim 10, the high speed connector comprising:

a plurality of contacts each comprising;

a first portion used to make electrical contact with a corresponding contact on a printed circuit board; and

a second portion aligned with the first portion arranged to make contact with a corresponding one of the set of contacts of the solid state memory module when the high speed connector completes a high speed communication channel between the solid state memory module and components on the printed circuit board.

12. The portable computing device as recited in claim 11 wherein the high speed connector further comprises:

an insulative shield arranged to cover at least a top portion and a back portion of the high speed connector and having a front side opening for receiving at least the portion of the solid state memory module including the set of contacts and at least one opening for visually determining that the portion of the solid state memory module including the set of contacts is correctly inserted into the high speed connector, wherein

when the insulative shield is connected to a ground contact, the insulative shield acts as a ground plane improving signal integrity between the solid state memory module and components on a printed circuit board connected thereto.