Flushness shims

• US 8,769,792 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): COZART, JERMIE E
• Application Number:
  US13/021,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 294/070.1, 294/070.9, 294/071
• US Class Current: 29/407.09
• 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 method for obtaining a substantially coplanar relationship between a first and second element of a portable media player, the method comprising:

pre-compressing a plurality of foam shims; and

placing the plurality of foam shims in the media player, wherein the plurality of foam shims exerts a force on the first element, the force acting to obtain a substantially coplanar relationship between a surface of the first element and a surface of the second element, wherein the two surfaces are exterior surfaces of the portable media player.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining at least a portion of the force of the plurality of foam shims on the first element across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining which two elements of the media player would be enhanced by a substantially coplanar relationship.

4. The method of claim 1 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 the first element across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

5. The method of claim 1:

wherein, in response to the pre-compression, the compressible foam shims remain in a compressed state in order to provide a force that contributes to maintaining a pre-determined relationship across an operational range of the media player.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

placing the compressible foam shims in the media player.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sealing the media player during the pre-compressing so that at least a portion of the force is maintained across the operational range of the media player.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the force provided by the compressible foam shims is substantially constant across the operational range of the media player.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the force provided by the compressible foam shims maintains a tolerance gap at a minimum substantially independent of operational conditions across the operational range of the media player.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the pre-determined relationship between the two surfaces is controlled by manufacturing tolerances gap at a minimum substantially independent of operational conditions across the operational range of the media player.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the two surfaces are separated by a gap.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the operational range of the media player comprises an activation range for a dome switch.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the pre-determined relationship comprises a first surface of the two surfaces being substantially flush with a second surface of the two surfaces.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the force exerted by the foam shims is substantially constant across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the force exerted by the foam shims maintains a tolerance gap at a minimum substantially independent of operational conditions across a pre-determined operational range of the media player.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between the two surfaces is controlled by manufacturing tolerances when the foam shims are compressed beyond the pre-compression.

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

pre-compressing a plurality of compressible foam shims, wherein, in response to the pre-compression, the compressible foam shims provide a force that contributes to maintaining the pre-determined relationship across an operational range of the media player, and wherein;

a first surface of the two surfaces is an outer surface of a scroll wheel; and

a second surface of the two surfaces is a housing of the media player.

18. 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; and

the plurality of foam shims exerts a force on at least one of the two surfaces, the force acting to obtain a substantially coplanar relationship between the two surfaces;

the at least one of the two surfaces being an outer surface of a scroll wheel; and

another one of the two surfaces being a housing of the media player.

19. A method for obtaining a substantially flush relationship between a first surface of a first element and a second surface of a second element of a portable electronic device comprising:

compressing a plurality of foam shims to a pre-compressed state; and

placing the pre-compressed foam shims in the electronic device;

wherein

the pre-compressed foam shims exert a force on the first element, the force acting to align the first surface substantially flush with the second surface; and

the first surface and the second surface are exterior surfaces of the electronic device.