Handheld computing device

• US 7,697,281 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lim, HuiLeng, Lynch, Stephen Brian, Yeates, Kyle, Dabov, Teodor
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US12/205,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.3, 361/679.55, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

A minimum Z height handheld electronic device and methods of assembly is described. The electronic device includes a single seamless housing having a front opening and a cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a single seamless metal housing having a front opening; and

a cover glass disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel;

a display unit disposed within the cavity of the metal housing;

a display screen of the display unit being visible through the cover glass; and

a substantially transparent touch sensing layer disposed between the cover glass and the display screen of the display unit.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, the single seamless housing having an integral bottom and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the bottom wall having a curved bottom surface, the side walls being rounded such that they form a curved side surface and an undercut within the cavity, an inside edge of the side walls surrounding and defining the front opening.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 2, the cover having a flat top surface and being disposed within the cavity at the front opening, the cover substantially filling the front opening between the side walls, the flat top surface being substantially flush with an upper surface of the edge of the side walls.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 2 wherein the cover is attached to a frame, and wherein the frame is mounted to the housing within the cavity of the housing.

5. The electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the seamless housing comprises:

an outside edge;

a mounting bracket attached to the bottom wall suitable for securing an electronic assembly to the bottom wall of the housing; and

an opening in at least one sidewall having a depth of trim at least greater than that provided by the housing alone.

6. The electronic device as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a racetrack, wherein racetrack is an uppermost flat portion of the housing between the inside edge and the outside edge.

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one mounting bracket datum bump arranged to reduce Z height tolerance between the secured electronic assembly and the racetrack.

8. The electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the Z height tolerance between the secured electronic assembly and the racetrack is reduced by forming the at least one mounting bracket datum bump and the racetrack in a single machining operation using a single machine setup.

9. The electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the racetrack is centered by optically determining a plurality of reference points on the formed edge of the seamless housing and cutting the inside edge using the plurality of optical reference points.

10. The electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the racetrack is centered by determining a center point and an angle of tilt of the top opening and cutting the inside edge based upon the determined center point and the angle of tilt.

11. The electronic device as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

prior to the machining of the opening in the side wall, attaching a secondary plate attached to the interior portion of the at least one sidewall at the position of the opening, wherein the secondary plate increases the depth of trim of the machined opening beyond that provided by the housing alone, wherein if the opening has a long and thin web section, then reinforcing the long and thin web section by adding a stiffener bracket.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the opening in the sidewall is formed by metal forming, wherein the metal forming increases the depth of trim of the opening beyond that provided by the housing alone.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the mounting bracket comprises:

a plurality of sacrificial z adjustment bumps having a sacrificial portion arranged along the length of the mounting bracket wherein after the mounting bracket is attached to the bottom wall of the seamless housing, a top most portion of the seamless housing and the sacrificial portion of the sacrificial Z adjustment bumps are machined off concurrently with a drilling a plurality of XY alignment holes, wherein the machining and the drilling are performed in a single machine set up.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the housing is formed from polished stainless steel.

15. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the cover includes an opening for an input mechanism.

16. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a single seamless housing having a front opening and an integral bottom and side walls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the bottom wall having a curved bottom surface, the side walls being rounded such that they form a curved side surface and an undercut within the cavity, an inside edge of the side walls surrounding and defining the front opening; and

a cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel.

17. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein the single seamless housing comprises:

an outside edge;

a mounting bracket attached to the bottom wall suitable for securing an electronic assembly to the bottom wall of the housing; and

an opening in at least one sidewall having a depth of trim at least greater than that provided by the housing alone.

18. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one mounting bracket datum bump arranged to reduce Z height tolerance between the secured electronic assembly and the racetrack.

19. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the Z height tolerance between the secured electronic assembly and the racetrack is reduced by forming the at least one mounting bracket datum bump and the racetrack in a single machining operation using a single machine setup.

20. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

prior to the machining of the opening in the side wall, attaching a secondary plate attached to the interior portion of the at least one sidewall at the position of the opening, wherein the secondary plate increases the depth of trim of the machined opening beyond that provided by the housing alone, wherein if the opening has a long and thin web section, then reinforcing the long and thin web section by adding a stiffener bracket.

21. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 20, wherein the opening in the sidewall is formed by metal forming, wherein the metal forming increases the depth of trim of the opening beyond that provided by the housing alone.

22. The electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein the mounting bracket comprises:

a plurality of sacrificial z adjustment bumps having a sacrificial portion arranged along the length of the mounting bracket wherein after the mounting bracket is attached to the bottom wall of the seamless housing, a top most portion of the seamless housing and the sacrificial portion of the sacrificial Z adjustment bumps are machined off concurrently with a drilling a plurality of XY alignment holes, wherein the machining and the drilling are performed in a single machine set up.

23. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a single seamless metal housing having a front opening; and

a cover glass disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel; and

a racetrack, the racetrack being a region between a formed edge and an inside edge of the seamless housing wherein the racetrack is centered with respect to the formed edge by determining a center point of the display portion, determining an angle of tilt of the display portion, and cutting the inside edge based upon the center point and the angle of tilt.

24. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 23, wherein the racetrack is defined by an outer racetrack profile and an inner racetrack profile.

25. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 23, wherein the metal housing is formed of sheet metal.

26. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 23, wherein the outer profile of the racetrack is created by forming the sheet metal and the inner racetrack is formed by machining, wherein the tolerance of the forming the sheet metal is greater than that of the machining.

27. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a single seamless metal housing having a front opening; and

a cover glass disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel; and

a racetrack, the racetrack being a region between a formed edge and an inside edge of the seamless housing wherein the racetrack is centered with respect to the formed edge by optically determining a plurality of reference points on the formed edge of the seamless enclosure and cutting the inside edge using the plurality of optical reference points.

28. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 27, wherein the racetrack is defined by an outer racetrack profile and an inner racetrack profile.

29. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 28, wherein the metal housing is formed of sheet metal.

30. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the outer profile of the racetrack is created by forming the sheet metal and the inner racetrack is formed by machining, wherein the tolerance of the forming the sheet metal is greater than that of the machining.

31. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 30 wherein the optically determining a plurality of reference points on the formed edge of the seamless enclosure comprises:

taking a series of optical measurements using a camera to measure the outside racetrack profile after a rough cut of the outside racetrack profile is complete.

32. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 31, wherein the racetrack is centered by forming the inner racetrack profile shape by using the optical measurements to find a center (x₀, y₀) and a rotation angle φ

for cutting the inner profile.