Architecture features of an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10747274-B2
Application number	US-201615253758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A portable electronic device, having a single piece housing to carry operational components having a front opening, an integral bottom and sidewalls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening. The operational components can include a display to present visual content disposed within the front opening and having an outermost protective layer, a main logic board that extends along a central portion of the cavity having a size and shape that bisects the cavity into a first portion and a second portion each having substantially the same size and shape, a power storage system supported at the bottom wall and comprising a first power storage unit located in the first portion and second power storage unit located in the second portion, each being coupled to the main logic board, and self-contained audio components positioned at each corner of the single piece housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a single piece housing arranged to carry operational components and comprising: a front opening, a bottom wall and sidewalls integrated with the bottom wall that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening, the operational components comprising:
a display capable of presenting visual content and disposed within the front opening and having an outermost protective layer;
a main logic board that extends along a central portion of the cavity having a size and shape that bisects the cavity into a first portion and a second portion each having substantially the same size and shape;
a power storage system supported at the bottom wall and comprising a first power storage unit located in the first portion and second power storage unit located in the second portion, each being coupled to the main logic board;
a self-contained audio module positioned at each corner of the single piece housing;
a can member disposed over the main logic board and comprising an opening that at least partially receives the main logic board;
a cover disposed over the can member and the opening, the cover comprising:
a thermally conductive layer that draws and directs heat away from the main logic board; and

an electrically conductive layer disposed over a surface of the thermally conductive layer, the electrically conductive layer providing an electrical grounding path for the main logic board.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the self-contained region comprises a rib integrally formed within the second portion and disposed in the second portion, the rib capable of spreading an acoustical energy of the audio module.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second portion comprises a rib integrally formed within the second portion and disposed in the second portion, the rib capable of spreading an acoustical energy of the audio module.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising a cover sealed with the rib at the second portion that combines with the second portion to define a back volume for the audio module, the cover comprising several layers of materials, and wherein at least one layer of material comprises carbon fiber having several fibers.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the cover includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and an inner layer positioned between the first outer layer and the second outer layer.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the several fibers are oriented in a first direction aligned with one of the corners, and the rib in the second portion is oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising an underpass that opens to the first portion and the second portion allowing an audible sound from the audio module to pass into the second portion.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a second electrically conductive layer over a second surface opposite the surface and wherein the electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer are adhesively secured with the thermally conductive layer via an electrically conductive adhesive.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises a graphite material and wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises a metal alloy that includes at least nickel or copper.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the thermally conductive layer is completely enclosed by the first and second electrically conductive layers.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second circuit board comprising a second integrated circuit, the can member having a second opening that at least partially receives the second integrated circuit, the cover being disposed over the can member and the second opening.

12. An electronic device, comprising:
a single piece enclosure arranged to carry operational components and comprising: a front opening, a bottom wall and sidewalls integrated with the bottom wall that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening;
audio modules symmetrically disposed on opposite sidewalls, wherein each audio module includes:
a rib feature integrally formed with the enclosure, the rib feature defining a first region that receives an audio module and a second region connected to the first region;
a cover sealed with the rib feature at the second region that combines with the second region to define a back volume for the audio module; and
a main logic board that extends along a central portion of the cavity having a size and shape that bisects the cavity into a first portion having a first power source and a second portion having a second power source;

a can member disposed over the main logic board and comprising an opening that at least partially receives the main logic board;
a cover disposed over the can member and the opening, the cover comprising:
a thermally conductive layer that draws and directs heat away from the main logic board; and

an electrically conductive layer disposed over a surface of the thermally conductive layer, the electrically conductive layer providing an electrical grounding path for the main logic board.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second region comprises a rib integrally formed within the second region and disposed in the second region, the rib capable of spreading an acoustical energy of the audio module.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the cover comprises several layers of materials, and wherein at least one layer of material comprises carbon fiber having several fibers.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the cover includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and an inner layer positioned between the first outer layer and the second outer layer.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:
the enclosure comprises a corner,
the several fibers are oriented in a first direction aligned with the corner, and
the rib in the second region is oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

17. A method for forming a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
arranging a main logic board within a single piece housing of the portable electronic device for carrying operational components, the housing having a front opening, a bottom wall and sidewalls integrated with the bottom wall that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening such that the main logic board extends along a central portion of the cavity having a size and shape that bisects the cavity into a first portion and a second portion each having substantially the same size and shape;
disposing a power storage system at the bottom wall, the power storage system comprising a first power storage unit located in the first portion and second power storage unit located in the second portion, each being coupled to the main logic board;
positioning a self-contained audio components positioned at each corner of the single piece housing; and
arranging a display to present visual content within the front opening, the display having an outermost protective layer;
disposing a can member over the main logic board, the can member comprising:
an opening that at least partially receives the main logic board, and
a cover disposed on the can member and the opening, the cover comprising:
a thermally conductive layer that draws and directs heat away from the main logic board; and
an electrically

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Uttermann Erik A
• Raff John
• Kuna Melody L
• Keats Jason S
• Lobisser G Kyle
• Kamorowski John R
• Ross Oliver C
• Zhang Guangtao
• Balaji Santhana Krishnan
• Ai Jiang
• Scritzky Robert
• Mcclure Stephen R

Classifications

• G06F1/184

  Mounting of motherboards · CPC title

• G06F1/183

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  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 title

• H04M1/035

  Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities · CPC title

• H04M1/60

  including speech amplifiers · CPC title