Handheld portable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10474193-B2
Application number	US-201715648982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2011
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing can be machined from a single billet of material, such as a billet of aluminum. The single piece housing can include ledges with a surface receiving a trim bead and a cover. Corner brackets can be attached to the single piece housing to improve the damage resistance of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing machined from a billet of material and comprising:
a lower portion defining a flat bottom surface;
an upper portion defining an opening;
a ledge formed around a perimeter of the opening; and
a set of side surfaces that extends between the lower portion and the upper portion to define a curved profile;

a display positioned within the opening of the housing; and
a cover positioned over the display and coupled to the ledge.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a side surface of the set of side surfaces defines a button opening that is configured to receive a button.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing includes an interior surface defining a portion of an interior volume; and
the housing defines a boss along the interior surface that is configured to mount a printed circuit board.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , further wherein the boss includes a threaded feature configured to receive a fastener.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing includes an interior surface defining a portion of an interior volume; and
the housing defines a raised column that extends into the interior volume and is configured to receive a fastener.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing defines an interior volume;
the electronic device includes an audio element positioned within the interior volume; and
a side surface of the set of side surfaces defines a speaker grill configured to pass sound to or from the audio element.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
a side surface of the set of side surfaces defines a port for receiving an external connector.

8. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing formed from a metal billet, comprising:
a first portion defining a flat bottom surface;
a second portion defining a display opening; and
a set of side surfaces that extends between the flat bottom surface and the display opening and defines a curved profile;

a display disposed in the display opening; and
an audio element that is acoustically coupled to an acoustic opening formed in a side surface of the set of side surfaces.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the housing defines a ledge formed around a perimeter of the display opening; and
the electronic device further comprises a transparent cover that is positioned over the display and attached to the ledge.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the set of side surfaces defines a tray opening; and
the electronic device further comprises a subscriber identity module tray positioned within the tray opening.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the acoustic opening is one of an array of holes that defines a speaker grill.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a protective layer coupled to the housing and is positioned over an interior portion of the display opening.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the set of side surfaces defines a button opening that is configured to receive an external button.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the electronic device further comprises a wireless transceiver;
the set of side surfaces at least partially defines an antenna opening; and
a radio-transparent material is positioned in the antenna opening and is configured to pass wireless communications to or from the wireless transceiver.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a unitary metal housing comprising:
a lower portion defining a flat bottom surface;
an upper portion defining a cover opening;
a set of curved side surfaces that extends between the lower portion and the upper portion to define a curved profile; and
a button opening defined in a side surface of the set of curved side surfaces;

a button positioned at least partially within the button opening; and
a cover positioned at least partially within the cover opening.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:
the electronic device further comprises a wireless transceiver; and
the unitary metal housing defines an antenna opening that is configured to pass wireless signals to or from the wireless transceiver.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a radio-transparent material is disposed in the antenna opening and defines an exterior surface of the electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:
the unitary metal housing includes an interior surface that at least partially defines an interior volume;
a mounting feature is defined along the interior surface; and
a printed circuit board is positioned within the interior volume and secured to the mounting feature.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the mounting feature is a threaded boss.

20. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein a first perimeter defined by the upper portion is larger than a second perimeter defined by the lower portion.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Mcclure Stephen R
• Corbin Sean S
• Ternus John P
• Gibbs Kevin D
• Franklin Jeremy C
• Kibiti Elvis M
• Raff John
• Henry Jules B
• Rappoport Benjamin
• Wright Derek W
• Uttermann Erik A
• Yu Ming
• Peterson Carl R

Classifications

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• G06F1/1633 Primary

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