Flushness shims

• US 20080062153A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moolsintong, Pinida Jan, Weber, Douglas J., Zadesky, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,902,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• 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 1/1656 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 with prestressing of part

Abstract

A media player according to the invention is provided. The media player may include a scroll wheel and a housing including a retention ledge. The retention ledge may maintain the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing. A flexible printed circuit may also be included in the media player. The flexible printed circuit may include a first face and a second face. The first face may contact the scroll wheel. The second face may include tactile dome switches. Compressible shims may also form a portion of the media player and may be adjacent the second face. The compressible shims may control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge.

Claims

1. A portable media player comprising:

a scroll wheel;

a housing comprising a retention ledge, the retention ledge for maintaining the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing; and

compressible shims that control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge.

2. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a compressible printed circuit adapted to register user movement relative to the scroll wheel.

3. The media player of claim 2, the flexible printed circuit comprising dome switches.

4. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed adjacent the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed adjacent the flexible printed circuit.

5. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed under the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed under the flexible printed circuit.

6. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit disposed in contact with the scroll wheel, the shims being disposed in contact with the flexible printed circuit.

7. The media player of claim 1 further comprising a flexible printed circuit including one face proximal to the scroll wheel, the flexible printed circuit comprising dome switches, the dome switches being implemented on a face of the flexible printed circuit distal to the scroll wheel, the shims being in contact with the face of the flexible printed circuit distal to the scroll wheel, the shims being separate from the dome switches.

8. The media player of claim 1 wherein the portable media player is a hand-held media player.

9. The media player of claim 1 wherein the portable media player is a miniature media player.

10. A method for obtaining a substantially coplanar relationship between two surfaces in a portable media player, the method comprising:

pre-compressing a plurality of foam shims;

placing the plurality of foam shims in the media player wherein the plurality of foam shims exerts a force on at least one of the two surfaces, said force that acts to obtain a substantially coplanar relationship between the two surfaces.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising maintaining at least a portion of the force of the plurality of foam shims on said at least one of the two surfaces across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining which two surfaces in the media player would be enhanced by a substantially coplanar relationship.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising sealing the media player;

and

in response to the sealing, maintaining at least a portion of the force of the plurality of foam shims on said at least one of the two surfaces across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

14. A method for obtaining a substantially coplanar relationship between two surfaces in a portable media player, the method comprising:

pre-compressing at least one spring;

placing the at least one spring in the media player wherein the at least one spring exerts a force on at least one of the two surfaces, said force that acts to obtain a substantially coplanar relationship between the two surfaces.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising maintaining at least a portion of the force of the at least one spring on said at least one of the two surfaces across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining which two surfaces in the media player would be enhanced by a substantially coplanar relationship.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising sealing the media player;

and

in response to the sealing, maintaining at least a portion of the force of the at least one spring on said at least one of the two surfaces across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

18. A portable media player comprising:

a scroll wheel;

a housing comprising a retention ledge, the retention ledge for maintaining the position of the scroll wheel with respect to the housing;

a flexible printed circuit having a first face and a second face, the first face contacting the scroll wheel, the second face comprising tactile dome switches;

compressible shims adjacent the second fact, wherein the compressible shims control the distance between the scroll wheel and the retention ledge.

19. The media player of claim 18, wherein the flexible printed circuit is adapted to implement user movement relative to the scroll wheel.

20. The media player of claim 18 the flexible printed circuit disposed under the scroll wheel with respect to the surface of the housing with which the scroll wheel is substantially contiguous, the shims being disposed under the flexible printed circuit with respect to the surface of the housing with which the scroll wheel is substantially contiguous.

21. The media player of claim 18 the flexible printed circuit is in contact with the scroll wheel and the shims are in contact with the flexible printed circuit.

22. The media player of claim 18 the shims being separate from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined distance.

23. The media player of claim 18 the shims being separate from the dome switches by at least a pre-determined angle.

24. The media player of claim 18 wherein the retention ledge is in contact with the scroll wheel.

25. A method for obtaining a pre-determined relationship between two surfaces in a media player, the method comprising:

pre-compressing a plurality of compressible shims, wherein, in response to the pre-compression, the shims provide a force that contributes to maintaining the predetermined relationship across an operational range of the player.