Components of an electronic device and methods for their assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11240928-B2
Application number	US-202017032956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

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 including side walls defining a front opening and a rear opening;
a cover glass positioned over the front opening;
a cover plate disposed in the rear opening opposite the front opening, the cover plate comprising a radio frequency transparent material; and
a coupling member disposed between the cover glass and the cover plate, the cover plate being coupled to the coupling member.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is opaque to visible frequencies of light.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the cover plate and the side walls define a cavity; and
the portable electronic device further comprises a first antenna assembly at a first end of the housing and a second antenna assembly at a second end of the housing.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover plate defines lateral dimensions that fit within a periphery defined by the housing.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is adhered to at least one of the housing or the coupling member.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the side walls comprise:
a front edge that defines the front opening; and
a back edge that defines an antenna window.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the front edge has a first curvature and the back edge has a second curvature.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the cover plate is flush with an exterior surface of the side walls.

9. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the housing forms a substantially rectangular cross-section.

10. The portable device of claim 9 , wherein a corner of the substantially rectangular cross-section is chamfered or rounded.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure including side walls that at least partially define an internal volume, the side walls forming a front edge that defines a front opening, and the side walls forming a rear edge that defines a rear opening opposite the front opening;
a cover glass extending over the front opening;
a circuit disposed within the internal volume, the circuit coupled to an antenna to establish a wireless communication channel;
a cover plate extending across the rear opening and comprising a material that is transparent to radio frequencies; and
a coupling member disposed within the internal volume, the coupling member being attached to the cover plate.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the front edge has a first curvature; and
the rear edge has a second curvature.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein an exterior surface of the cover plate is coplanar with an exterior surface of the side walls.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the coupling member comprises a dielectric material.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the cover plate is opaque to visible frequencies of light.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the cover plate is adhered to at least one of the enclosure or the coupling member.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing including multiple walls that define a cavity, at least one of the multiple walls forming a front edge that defines a front opening, at least one of the multiple walls forming a rear edge that defines a rear opening opposite the front opening;
a cover glass extending over the front opening;
a cover plate coupled to the rear edge and covering the rear opening;
a circuit disposed within the cavity and communicatively coupled to a wireless communication channel with an antenna; and
a coupling member disposed within the cavity between the cover plate and the cover glass, the cover plate being coupled to the coupling member.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the front opening is opposite the rear opening.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein an exterior surface of the cover plate is flush with an external surface of the multiple walls.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the cover plate comprises a material opaque to visible frequencies of light.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04B1/3827

  Portable transceivers · CPC title

• H05K5/04 Primary

  Metal casings · CPC title

• C25D11/022 Primary

  Anodisation on selected surface areas · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• H04B1/38 Primary

  Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving · CPC title