Components of an electronic device and methods for their assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12137529-B2
Application number	US-202318183825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2023
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

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. An electronic device comprising:
a housing that carries a communication assembly, the communication assembly including:
an antenna; and
a cover plate coupled to the housing and defining a portion of a backside of the housing, the cover plate being transparent for signals used by the communication assembly and being opaque to light,

wherein an area defined by a backside of the housing that is not transparent to the signals is greater than an area defined by the cover plate.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the cover plate is coplanar with the backside of the housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises sidewalls defining a front opening and a rear opening.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the cover plate is disposed in the rear opening.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising a cover glass positioned over the front opening opposite the cover plate.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein:
the cover plate and the side walls define a cavity;
the communication assembly is a first antenna assembly disposed in the cavity; and
the electronic device further comprises a second communication assembly disposed in the cavity.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the first communication assembly is disposed within the cavity adjacent to the cover plate; and
the second communication assembly is disposed at an end of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the area defined by a backside of the housing that is not transparent to the signals comprises metal.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum.

10. An electronic device housing comprising:
a backside coupled to the housing, the backside including:
a transparent region being transparent at frequencies used by an antenna for wireless communication; and
a non-transparent region being opaque to the frequencies,
wherein an area defined by the non-transparent region is greater than an area defined by the transparent region.

11. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the transparent region of the backside comprises glass.

12. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the non-transparent region of the backside comprises metal.

13. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the transparent region of the backside comprises a first transparent region and a second transparent region.

14. The electronic device housing of claim 13 , wherein the first transparent region defines an end of the backside of the housing.

15. The electronic device housing of claim 14 , further comprising sidewalls disposed perpendicular to the backside, wherein the first transparent region is adhered directly to the sidewalls.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing having a backside defining a radio frequency (RF)-opaque area; and
an antenna assembly including a radio frequency (RF)-transparent cover plate coupled to the housing;
wherein the RF-opaque area is greater than an area defined by the cover plate.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the cover plate defines an area of the backside.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the cover plate comprises at least two separate portions.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the separate portions of the cover plate defines an end portion of the backside.

20. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the RF-opaque area defined by the backside comprises aluminum.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H05K5/04 Primary

  Metal casings · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• C25D11/022 Primary

  Anodisation on selected surface areas · CPC title

• H05K5/0243

  for decorative purposes · CPC title

• H04M1/11

  Supports for sets, e.g. incorporating armrests · CPC title