Component assembly

• US 9,880,590 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McClure, Stephen R., Banko, Joshua D., Gibbs, Kevin D., Rappoport, Benjamin M., Ternus, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US15/249,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/10 Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0281 Reinforcement details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components housing.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

a housing including a bottom wall and side walls that cooperate to, in part, define a cavity, the side walls having edges the define an opening that is opposite the bottom wall, wherein an interior surface of the bottom wall includes steps suitable for mounting an internal component thereon, wherein the steps form a terrace of steps with varying patterns; and

a component mounted on at least one of the steps.

2. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the component includes a mounting feature that has a shape that conforms to at least a portion of the steps such that the mounting feature is directly mounted to the bottom wall.

3. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the component comprises a battery.

4. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing is metal.

5. The portable computing device as recited in claim 4, further comprising a display.

6. The portable computing device as recited in claim 4, wherein an exterior surface of the bottom wall has a spline shape.

7. The portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps are curved.

8. A method for installing internal components into a housing of a portable computing device, the housing having side walls and a bottom wall that cooperate to define a cavity, the sidewalls having edges that, in part, define an opening arranged opposite the bottom wall, the housing having mounting steps formed on an interior surface of the bottom wall forming a terrace of steps with varying patterns, the method comprising:

aligning an internal component with a portion of the terrace steps, the internal component having a mounting feature that is conformally shaped to the portion of the terrace of steps; and

bonding the mounting feature to at least one of the mounting steps.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising arranging a cover in the front opening.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the housing is metal.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the mounting steps are machined into the housing.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the bottom wall comprises a spline shaped exterior surface.

13. A housing for a portable electronic device comprising:

a bottom wall characterized as having a spline shaped exterior surface, the bottom wall cooperating with side walls to at least partially define an internal cavity of the housing, the side walls having edges that in part define an opening arranged opposite the bottom wall; and

steps formed on an internal surface of the bottom wall for supporting and mounting an internal component, the steps having varying patterns to provide a terrace shaped internal cavity.

14. The housing of claim 13, wherein the steps are configured to support and mount multiple internal components.

15. The housing of claim 13, wherein the housing is made of aluminum and the steps are formed by machining the aluminum to provide the terraced shaped internal cavity.

16. The housing of claim 15, further comprising an integrated beam system that provides an even distribution of loads applied to the housing.

17. The housing of claim 13, wherein the steps have rounded edges.

18. The housing of claim 13, further comprising a mounting feature for coupling the internal component to at least one of the steps.

19. The housing of claim 13, wherein the housing is formed out of metal and the steps are machined to be curved.

20. The housing of claim 13, wherein the internal component is a battery.