Housing for a Portable Electronic Device

• US 20130107433A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wong, Chee Yee, Mycroft, Damian, Newman, Mark, Lihou, Robert John
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02

Abstract

A housing for a portable electronic device including a first transparent curved portion configured to curve from a front face of the housing to a first side face of the housing; a second transparent curved portion configured to curve from the front face of the housing to a second side face of the housing; a third transparent curved portion configured to curve from a rear face of the housing to the first side face of the housing; and a fourth transparent curved portion configured to curve from the rear face of the housing to the second side face of the housing.

Claims

1. A housing for a portable electronic device comprising:

a first transparent curved portion configured to curve from a front face of the housing to a first side face of the housing;

a second transparent curved portion configured to curve from the front face of the housing to a second side face of the housing;

a third transparent curved portion configured to curve from a rear face of the housing to the first side face of the housing; and

a fourth transparent curved portion configured to curve from the rear face of the housing to the second side face of the housing.

3. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second side faces of the housing extend along the length of the housing.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the first side face and the second side face defines the width of the housing.

5. A housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distance between the front face and the rear face defines the depth of the housing, and the depth is smaller than the width.

6. A housing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a front wall providing the front face and positioned intermediate the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion, wherein the front wall, the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion are integrally formed.

10. A housing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a rear wall providing the rear face and positioned intermediate the third transparent curved portion and the fourth transparent curved portion, wherein the rear wall, the third transparent portion and the fourth transparent portion are integrally formed.

14. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first transparent curved surface and the second transparent curved surface is provided by a first half shell, the third transparent curved surface and the fourth transparent curved surface is provided by a second half shell, and the first half shell is joined to the second half shell at the first side face and the second side face.

15. A housing as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first half shell is adhered directly to the second half shell at the first side face and the second side face.

16. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth transparent curved portions are made from transparent material.

20. A housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has an opening, at least partially defined by an outer rim of the first, second, third and fourth transparent curved portions.

21. A housing as claimed in claim 20, further comprising an end cap positioned to cover the opening and the outer rim, wherein the end cap is configured to house an audio device.

24. A housing as claimed in claims 20, wherein the housing has a further opening, at least partially defined by a further outer rim of the first, second, third and fourth transparent portions, at a further end of the housing.

25. A housing as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a further end cap positioned to cover the further opening and the further outer rim, wherein the further end cap is configured to house a further audio device.

28. A portable electronic device comprising the housing as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a display, viewable through the front face of the housing, wherein the display has a first curved portion in register with the first transparent curved portion of the housing, and a second curved portion in register with the second transparent curved portion of the housing.

2. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a transparent shell having a length, a width and a depth, wherein the transparent shell comprises an opening at one end of the length; and

an end cap configured to cover the opening, wherein the end cap comprises an aperture for an audio device.

31. A housing as claimed in claim 30, wherein the transparent shell comprises an outer rim, substantially perpendicular to the length, defining the opening, and the end cap is shaped to cover the outer rim defining the opening.

32. A housing as claimed in claim 30, wherein the end cap comprises a portion that extends into the transparent shell and holds the end cap in place.

33. A housing as claimed in claim 30, wherein the transparent shell has a further opening at further end of the length, and the housing further comprises a further end cap configured to cover the further opening, wherein the further end cap comprises a further aperture for a further audio device.

34. A housing as claimed in claim 33, wherein the transparent shell comprises an outer rim, perpendicular to the length, defining the further opening, and the end cap is shaped to cover the outer rim defining the further opening.

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a transparent shell having a length, a width and a depth, wherein the transparent shell comprises an opening at one end of the length, the opening being defined by an outer rim of the transparent shell; and

an end cap positioned to cover the opening and the outer rim.

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)