Media player with machined window undercut and transparent wall disposed therein

• US 8,182,638 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Douglas Joseph, Moolsintong, Pinida Jan, Zadesky, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAY, LINDA LAMEY
• Application Number:
  US12/840,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20100282405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 156/108, 156/153, 156/254, 156/257, 156/258, 156/268, 156/513, 156/514, 156/293
• US Class Current: 156/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/00 Stereophonic arrangements stereophonic pick-ups H04R9/16, H04R11/12, H04R17/08, H04R19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1059 Splitting sheet lamina in plane intermediate of faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1064 Partial cutting [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1066 Cutting to shape joining edge surfaces only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]

Abstract

A media player comprising a display screen is provided. The media player can include a housing having an opening and an area of reduced thickness around the opening. The media player can also include a transparent wall having a flange. Alternatively, the transparent wall may not require a flange but rather can be a flat, substantially transparent piece of material such as plexiglass or glass. The flange can be adhered to a surface of the area of reduced thickness in order to form a transparent protective cover for the display screen. In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided. The method can include forming a transparent wall having a stepped edge for placing in an opening of a media player. The method can also include adhering an adhesive to at least one surface of the stepped edge of the transparent wall. The method can include as well using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a media player. The method can also include adhering the transparent wall to the housing using the adhesive.

Claims

1. A method for forming a housing of a media player, the method comprising:

forming a transparent wall having a stepped edge, the transparent wall for placing in an opening of a media player;

adhering an adhesive to at least one surface of the stepped edge of the transparent wall;

using a cutting tool to cut away a portion of an underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in the media player; and

adhering the transparent wall to the housing using the adhesive.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adhering the adhesive to a plurality of surfaces of the transparent wall.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing the transparent wall through one end in the housing, the one end in the housing being different from the opening in the housing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media player is a miniature media player; and

the using the cutting tool comprises using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a miniature media player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media player is a hand-held media player; and

the using the cutting tool comprises using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a hand-held media player.

6. A method for forming the housing of a media player, the method comprising:

forming a housing for storing components of a media player;

forming an opening in one face of the housing;

penetrating a cutting tool through the opening, the cutting tool comprising a circular cutting head; and

using the cutting tool to reduce a thickness of a portion of an underside of the housing that surrounds the opening, the reduced thickness portion of the housing comprising corners, dimensions of the corners in the x-axis and the y-axis being substantially dependent upon a radius of the circular cutting head of the cutting tool.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising adhering a transparent wall to the reduced thickness portion of the housing, dimensions of the corners of the transparent wall being substantially dependent upon the dimensions of the corners of the reduced thickness portion of the housing.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising adhering an adhesive to a transparent wall, and then adhering the transparent wall to the reduced thickness portion of the housing using the adhesive.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising adhering an adhesive to the reduced thickness portion of the housing of the media player.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a hand-held media player.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a miniature media player.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising molding a housing for storing components of a miniature media player.