Connector assembly for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073495-B2
Application number	US-201715414708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Particular examples described herein provide for an electronic device, such as a notebook computer or laptop, which includes a circuit board coupled to a plurality of electronic components (which includes any type of hardware, elements, circuitry, etc.). The electronic device may also include a connector assembly that is positioned within at least a portion of a recess of the electronic device, where the connector assembly includes: a first assembly that is to receive a connector; and a second assembly that is to receive an identification module that is to provide an association between a user and the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a computing device casing including a barrel portion, wherein the barrel portion is at least partially cylindrical;
a first metallic ring, wherein the first metallic ring is integrated with the barrel portion; and
a computing device base including a scoop, wherein the scoop is a concave partially cylindrical section of a similar diameter and length as the barrel portion, and wherein at least a first concave metallic partial band is integrated with the scoop;
wherein the first metallic ring and the first concave metallic partial band to magnetically attach in response to the barrel portion being placed in the scoop at a location where the first metallic ring is adjacent to the first concave metallic partial band.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second metallic ring is integrated with the barrel portion and wherein the relative positions of the first and second metallic rings to define a first slot between the two rings to provide access to at least a location within the diameter of the barrel portion, the second metallic ring to magnetically attach to the first concave metallic partial band in response to the barrel portion being placed in the scoop at the location where the second metallic ring is adjacent to the first concave metallic partial band.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first concave metallic partial band further comprises a rib segment protruding out from the surface of the band.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a magnetic attachment force between the first concave metallic partial band and the first and second metallic rings to guide the rib segment into the first slot.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a third metallic ring and a fourth metallic ring are integrated with the barrel portion, and wherein the third and fourth metallic rings are at a same fixed position distance relative to each other as the first and second metallic rings, the fixed position distance defining a second slot.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a second concave metallic partial band is integrated with the scoop.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a distance between a location of the first and second metallic rings in the barrel portion and a location of the third and fourth metallic rings in the barrel portion is approximately the same as a distance between a location of the first and second concave metallic partial bands.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third and fourth metallic rings to magnetically attach to the first concave metallic partial band in response to the barrel portion being placed in the scoop at the location where the third and fourth metallic rings are adjacent to the second concave metallic partial band.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the computing device casing further includes a flat portion to house a display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the base further includes a keyboard on a first side, the first side including the scoop.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the computing device casing to be capable of rotating in relationship to the base when the barrel is magnetically attached to the scoop.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the first and second metallic rings are magnetically attached to the first concave metallic partial band and the third and fourth metallic rings are magnetically attached to the second concave metallic partial band, at least a portion of the display to be adjacent to and facing the keyboard in response to the computing device casing rotating to a fully closed position relative to the base.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the first and second metallic rings are not magnetically attached to the first concave metallic partial band and the third and fourth metallic rings are not magnetically attached to the second concave metallic partial band, and in response to the computing device casing being rotated 180 degrees along an axis perpendicular to an axis of the barrel, the first and second metallic rings to be capable of magnetically attaching to the second concave metallic partial band and the third and fourth metallic rings to be capable of magnetically attaching to the first concave metallic partial band.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, when the first and second metallic rings are magnetically attached to the second concave metallic partial band and the third and fourth metallic rings are magnetically attached to the first concave metallic partial band, at least a portion of the flat portion of the housing on a side opposite the display to be adjacent to and facing the keyboard in response to the computing device casing rotating to a fully closed position relate to the base.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a diameter of the barrel portion is wider than a thickness of the flat portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth metallic rings comprises a ferrous material.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Sharma Sameer
• Satzger Douglas
• Amit Gadi
• Hoshino Yoshikazu
• Harber Chadwick
• Clifton Daniel
• Houdek Ii Philip J
• Moiseyenko Stanislav
• Jauvtis Nathan Isaiah

Classifications

• G06F1/1669 Primary

  Detachable keyboards · CPC title

• G06F21/34

  involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards · CPC title

• G06F1/189

  Power distribution · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title