Components of an electronic device and methods for their assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10849244-B2
Application number	US-201916404498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2019
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing that includes side walls defining a front opening, and an antenna window that is opposite of the front opening;
a cover glass positioned over the front opening;
an antenna panel disposed within the antenna window and comprising a material that is transparent to radio frequencies; and
a coupling member disposed between the cover glass and the antenna panel, the antenna panel being coupled to the coupling member.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a back wall that together with the side walls define a cavity, and the portable electronic device further comprises an antenna that is carried within the cavity.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the back wall includes a radio-opaque material.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the side walls include a front edge that defines the front opening and a back edge that defines the antenna window.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the front edge has a first curvature and the back edge has a second curvature.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the antenna panel is flush with an exterior surface of the side walls.

7. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing including side walls that define a cavity, the side walls forming a front edge that defines a front opening, the side walls forming a rear edge that defines a rear opening;
a cover glass extending over the front opening;
an RF circuit disposed within the cavity, the RF circuit coupling with an RF antenna to establish a wireless communication channel;
an antenna panel comprising RF-transmissive material, the antenna panel extending across the rear opening; and
a coupling member disposed within the cavity between the antenna panel and the cover glass, the antenna panel being coupled to the coupling member.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the front edge has a first curvature and the rear edge has a second curvature.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein an exterior surface of the antenna panel is flush with exterior surfaces of the side walls.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the coupling member includes a dielectric material.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the RF-transmissive material is glass material.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a bottom wall and side walls that together define a cavity, at least one of the side walls forming a front edge that defines a front opening, at least one of the side walls forming a rear edge that defines a rear opening;
a cover glass extending over the front opening;
an antenna panel comprising RF-transmissive material coupled to the rear edge so as to cover the rear opening;
an RF circuit disposed within the cavity and communicatively coupled to a wireless communication channel with an RF antenna; and
a coupling member disposed within the cavity between the antenna panel and the cover glass, the antenna panel being coupled to the coupling member.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the front opening is opposite of the rear opening.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein an exterior surface of the antenna panel is flush with external surfaces of the bottom wall and the side walls.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one side wall includes a radio-opaque material.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kiple Bryan P
• Woodhull Charles B
• Pakula David A
• Tan Tang Y

Classifications

• H05K5/04 Primary

  Metal casings · CPC title

• H04B1/3827

  Portable transceivers · CPC title

• C25D11/022 Primary

  Anodisation on selected surface areas · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title