Shutter assemblies for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143937-B2
Application number	US-201716481509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Examples of shutter assembly are described herein. In an example, the shutter assembly includes an opening having a magnetic rubber-based shutter disposed in the opening. The magnetic rubber-based shutter is slidable along a length of the opening to selectively cover and expose the camera.

First claim

We claim:

1. A shutter assembly comprising:
a housing disposable within a bezel of an electronic device, the housing comprising an opening adaptable to be fitted onto a camera of the electronic device; and
a magnetic rubber-based shutter disposed within the housing, the magnetic rubber-based shutter being slidable along a length of the opening to selectively cover and expose the camera.

2. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter comprises an aperture, such that the aperture is to align with the camera to expose the camera.

3. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter comprises a magnetic material compounded with an elastomer.

4. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the elastomer comprises one of polysulfide rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, Ethylene Propylene (EPM) rubber, Ethylene Propylene Diene (EPDM) rubber, Silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomers, perfluoroelastomers, polyether block amides (PEBA), chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and thermoplastic urethane.

5. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the magnetic material comprises one of iron, silicon steel, nickel-iron, zinc-iron, molypermalloy, iron-cobalt, ferrite, cobalt-steel, alnico, platinum cobalt, samarium-cobalt, neodymium-iron-boron, cerium-iron-boron, samarium-iron-nitrogen, and manganese-bismuth.

6. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter has a thickness in a range of about 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm.

7. The shutter assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter is coated with a Teflon film.

8. A bezel for an electronic device, the bezel comprising:
a frame to hold a display panel of the electronic device; and
a shutter assembly mounted on a top portion of the frame, the shutter assembly comprising:
a housing having an opening, the opening being adaptable to be fitted onto a camera of the electronic device; and
a magnetic rubber-based shutter disposed within the housing, the magnetic rubber-based shutter having an aperture, wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter is slidable along a length of the opening to selectively cover and expose the camera, such that the aperture aligns with the camera to expose the camera.

9. The bezel as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter comprises a magnetic material, the magnetic material comprises one of iron, silicon steel, nickel-iron, zinc-iron, molypermalloy, iron-cobalt, ferrite, cobalt-steel, alnico, platinum cobalt, samarium-cobalt, neodymium-iron-boron, cerium-iron-boron, samarium-iron-nitrogen, and manganese-bismuth.

10. The bezel as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter is formed by an injection molding technique.

11. The bezel as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the shutter assembly further comprises a Teflon film disposed on the magnetic rubber-based shutter.

12. The bezel as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the Teflon film has a thickness in a range of about 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a camera integrated with the electronic device;
a bezel disposed around a display panel of the electronic device; and
a shutter assembly disposed within the bezel, the shutter assembly comprising:
an opening fitted onto the camera; and
a magnetic rubber-based shutter disposed within the opening, wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter is slidable along a length of the opening to selectively cover and expose the camera, and wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter comprises an aperture, such that the aperture aligns with the camera to expose the camera.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter comprises a magnetic material compounded with an elastomer.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the magnetic rubber-based shutter has a thickness in a range of about 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Yeh Ya-Ting
• Wu Kuan-Ting
• Huang Shih-Hsun

Classifications

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G06F1/1686 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G03B11/043 Primary

  Protective lens closures or lens caps built into cameras · CPC title