Mounting structures for portable electronic devices

• US 9,917,934 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mittleman, Adam D., Jenks, Kenneth A., Cheng, Karen Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/858,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 4555501, 455567, 4555751, 361600, 36167901, 36167955, 36167956, 361814, 340582, 340683, 340 76
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components

Abstract

A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device is provided. The device may have upper and lower portions. The upper portion may have clips that attach to springs on the lower portion. The device may have a housing with a bezel. A prong on the springs may ground the bezel. A vibrator mounting bracket may hold a vibrator in place within the housing. The vibrator mounting bracket may have an end that engages the housing. A threaded insert may be welded to the spring. A screw that passes through a hole in the vibrator mounting bracket may be screwed into the threaded insert to attach the vibrator to the housing. An elastomeric member may bias the vibrator towards the bracket. An acoustic module may serve as a subassembly for the device. Components such as an antenna, dock connector, microphone, and speaker may be attached to the acoustic module.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a vibrator;

a spring member defining a first end directly attached to the housing and a second end coupled to a feature within the housing;

a bracket coupled at a first end to an interior wall of the housing and at a second end to the feature within the housing, the bracket configured to impart a first force on the vibrator towards the interior wall of the housing; and

a biasing member between the vibrator and the housing that biases the vibrator towards the bracket, wherein

the housing imparts a second force on the vibrator through the biasing member, the second force opposite the first force.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein:

the spring member comprises a metal spring defining the first end of the spring member; and

the metal spring is welded to the housing.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the vibrator comprises a weight and a motor that spins the weight.

4. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a vibrator;

a housing member defining an exterior surface of the portable electronic device and an interior wall defining an interior volume of the electronic device;

a bracket comprising;

a first end coupled to the interior wall of the housing member at a first location;

a second end coupled to the interior wall of the housing member at a second location; and

a portion between the first and second ends that extends over a portion of the vibrator and imparts a first force on the vibrator towards the housing member; and

a resilient component disposed between the housing member and the bracket that biases the vibrator towards the portion of the bracket between the first and second ends of the bracket, wherein

the housing member imparts on the vibrator a second force opposing the first force.

5. The portable electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein:

the bracket comprises a through hole; and

the portable electronic device further comprises a fastener that passes through the through hole and holds the bracket in place.

6. The portable electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising a threaded component into which the fastener is screwed.

7. The portable electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising a spring member having a first end positioned between a portion of the fastener and the threaded component.

8. The portable electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the threaded component is mounted to the housing member.

9. The portable electronic device as in claim 5, wherein the through hole is located at the second end of the bracket.

10. The portable electronic device defined in claim 4, wherein the second end of the bracket is welded to the housing member.

11. The portable electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the vibrator comprises a weight and a motor that spins the weight.

12. The portable electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the vibrator is configured to alert a user to an event.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

the bracket directly contacts a first side of the vibrator; and

the resilient component is disposed between the housing and a second side of the vibrator substantially opposite the first side.

14. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a vibrator within the housing;

a bracket comprising;

a first end coupled to a first portion of the housing;

a second end coupled to a second portion of the housing; and

a portion between the first end and the second end that extends over a portion of the vibrator and imparts a first force on the vibrator towards the housing; and

an elastomeric biasing member between the housing and the vibrator that imparts, on the vibrator, a second force towards the bracket, wherein;

the bracket is formed of a first material;

the elastomeric biasing member is formed from a second material that is different than the first material; and

the elastomeric biasing member is not disposed between the bracket and the vibrator.

15. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the vibrator comprises a weight and a motor that spins the weight.

16. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the vibrator is configured to alert a user to an event.

17. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the vibrator is configured to alert a user to at least one event selected from the group consisting of:

an incoming telephone call, an incoming email message, a calendar reminder, and an alarm clock.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a vibrator;

a bracket comprising;

a first end coupled to a first portion of a housing; and

a second end coupled to a second portion of the housing, wherein a portion of the bracket holds the vibrator;

a fastener received by a threaded component to couple the second end of the bracket to the housing;

a spring member having an end positioned between the second end of the bracket and a portion of the threaded component; and

a biasing member positioned between the housing and the vibrator, wherein the biasing member biases the vibrator towards the bracket.

19. The portable electronic device as in claim 18, wherein:

the end of the spring member is a first end; and

a second end of the spring member is attached to a portion of the housing.

20. The portable electronic device as in claim 19, wherein:

the spring member comprises a metal spring member; and

the portion of the housing comprises a metal material.

21. The portable electronic device as in claim 20, wherein the second end of the spring member is welded to the portion of the housing.

22. The portable electronic device as in claim 18, wherein the vibrator rests on the biasing member in a vibrator cavity formed in the housing.

23. The portable electronic device as in claim 18, wherein:

the housing comprises a metal housing; and

the threaded component comprises a metal threaded insert.

24. The portable electronic device as in claim 18, wherein:

the bracket comprises a first through hole at the second end;

the end of the spring member includes a second through hole defined therethrough;

the second through hole is aligned with the first through hole; and

the fastener passes through the first and second through holes and into the threaded component.

25. A vibrator mounting assembly, comprising:

a vibrator;

a housing having a portion that defines a hole; and

a bracket comprising;

a first end that engages the hole;

a second end coupled to the housing away from the hole; and

a portion between the first and second ends that

directly contacts the vibrator and forces the vibrator toward the housing; and

a biasing member between the housing and the vibrator and configured to impart an opposing force on the vibrator towards the bracket.

26. The vibrator mounting assembly defined in claim 25 wherein the biasing member is in direct contact with both the housing and the vibrator.

27. The vibrator mounting assembly defined in claim 25 wherein:

the second end of the bracket includes an additional hole; and

the vibrator mounting assembly further includes a screw passing through the additional hole to hold the second end of the bracket in place.

28. The vibrator mounting assembly defined in claim 27 wherein the screw is screwed into a threaded insert mounted in the housing.

29. The vibrator mounting assembly defined in claim 28 further comprising a spring member positioned between the screw and the threaded insert and welded to the threaded insert.

30. The vibrator mounting assembly defined in claim 25 wherein the second end of the bracket is welded to the housing.

31. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a vibrator;

a housing;

a bracket comprising;

a first end coupled to a first portion of the housing;

a second end coupled to a second portion of the housing; and

a portion between the first end and the second end configured to bias the vibrator towards the housing; and

an elastomeric member positioned between the housing and the vibrator, wherein the elastomeric member is not positioned between the bracket and the vibrator.

32. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the elastomeric member is in direct contact with both the housing and the vibrator.

33. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein:

the second end of the bracket includes a hole; and

a fastener is disposed through the hole to hold the bracket in place.

34. The portable electronic device of claim 33, wherein the fastener is screwed into a threaded insert mounted to the housing.

35. The portable electronic device of claim 34, further comprising a spring member positioned between a portion of the fastener and the threaded insert.

36. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the second end of the bracket is welded to the housing.