Electronic device with locking display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401902-B1
Application number	US-201715828296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device including a hollow housing and a display assembly. The hollow housing includes a wall, a circular opening disposed through the wall, and a first attachment mechanism positioned on the housing proximate to the circular opening. The display assembly includes a circular display screen and a display frame coupled to the circular display screen. The display frame is disposed within the circular opening and has a second attachment mechanism disposed proximate a periphery of the display frame to engage the first attachment mechanism and secure the display assembly to the hollow housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a hollow housing including:
a wall;
a circular opening disposed through the wall; and
a first attachment mechanism positioned on the hollow housing proximate to the circular opening; and

a display assembly including:
a circular display screen;
a display frame coupled to the circular display screen, the display frame being disposed within the circular opening, the display frame having a second attachment mechanism configured to engage the first attachment mechanism via a rotational movement of the display assembly relative to the hollow housing to secure the display assembly to the hollow housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wall is spherically-shaped, and wherein a circumference of the circular opening is smaller than a circumference of the portion of the wall that is spherically-shaped.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first attachment mechanism includes at least one of a tab or a slot; and
the second attachment mechanism includes at least another of the tab or the slot.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism are configured to engage when the display assembly is rotated in a first direction relative to the housing; and
the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism are configured to disengage when the display assembly is rotated in a second direction relative to the housing.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wall is spherically shaped, and
the electronic device further comprises a button assembly disposed within the hollow housing, the button assembly including:
a first button extending through the spherically-shaped portion of the wall and having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the first button is oriented tangentially to the spherically-shaped portion of the wall; and
a second button spaced from the first button and extending through the spherically-shaped portion of the wall and having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the second button is oriented tangentially to the spherically-shaped portion of the wall.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display assembly is recessed within the circular opening such that the circular display screen is substantially flush with a rim of the circular opening.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a substantially spherically-shaped wall portion and a first attachment mechanism, the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion having:
an interior surface;
an exterior surface; and
an annulus surrounding a circular opening which extends through at least a portion of the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion, wherein a circumference of the circular opening is smaller than a circumference of the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion; and

a display assembly disposed in the circular opening and including a second attachment mechanism, wherein the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism are configured to engage via a rotational movement of the display assembly relative to the housing to couple the display assembly to the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a single piece, seamless housing.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the display assembly comprises:
a display screen; and
a display frame disposed within the circular opening and coupling the display screen to the housing.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the display screen is circular and is substantially flush with a rim of the circular opening.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein:
the first attachment mechanism includes at least one of a tab or a slot; and
the second attachment mechanism includes at least another of the tab or the slot.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the housing further includes:
a first button extending through the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall, wherein the first button includes an exterior surface oriented tangentially to a portion of the exterior surface of the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall proximate to the first button; and
a second button extending through the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall, wherein the second button includes an exterior surface oriented tangentially to a portion of the exterior surface of the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall proximate to the second button.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein:
the exterior surface of the first button is substantially flush with the exterior surface of the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall; and
the exterior surface of the second button is substantially flush with the exterior surface of the substantially spherically-shaped portion of the wall.

14. A device, comprising:
a housing including:
a substantially spherically-shaped wall portion having:
an interior surface;
an exterior surface; and
multiple button holes extending through the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion, the multiple button holes including at least a first button hole and a second button hole;

multiple buttons including at least a first button disposed in the first button hole and a second button disposed in the second button hole, the first button having an exterior surface and the second button having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the first button is substantially tangent to a portion of the exterior surface of the housing proximate the first button hole and the exterior surface of the second button is substantially tangent to a portion of the exterior surface of the housing proximate the second button hole; and
a button mount attached to the interior surface of the housing, the button mount having a curved exterior surface substantially matching a curvature of the interior surface of the spherically-shaped wall portion, the button mount having:
a first receptacle for accommodating and guiding the first button for travel in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the exterior surface of the first button; and
a second receptacle for accommodating and guiding the second button for travel in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the exterior surface of the second button, the second direction of travel being different than the first direction of travel; and
a display assembly coupled to the housing.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein:
the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion further includes a third button hole;
the housing further includes a third button having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the third button is substantially tangent to a portion of the exterior surface of the housing proximate the third button hole; and
the button mount further includes a third receptacle for accommodating and guiding the third button for travel in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the exterior surface of the third button, the third direction of travel being different than the first direction of travel and the second direction of travel.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the multiple buttons are aligned along a button arc that parallels the exterior surface of the substantially spherically-shaped wall portion, and wherein the multiple buttons are equidistantly spaced along the button arc.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein:
the substantial

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pawar Sourabh
• Cheng Kok Yen
• Schwanke Garrett A
• Tan Hao
• Hu Alexander

Classifications

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1605 Primary

  Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F1/189

  Power distribution · CPC title