Mounting structures for portable electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12261969-B2
Application number	US-202217706109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 1, 2008
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device is provided. The device may have upper and lower portions. The upper portion may have clips that attach to springs on the lower portion. The device may have a housing with a bezel. A prong on the springs may ground the bezel. A vibrator mounting bracket may hold a vibrator in place within the housing. The vibrator mounting bracket may have an end that engages the housing. A threaded insert may be welded to the spring. A screw that passes through a hole in the vibrator mounting bracket may be screwed into the threaded insert to attach the vibrator to the housing. An elastomeric member may bias the vibrator towards the bracket. An acoustic module may serve as a subassembly for the device. Components such as an antenna, dock connector, microphone, and speaker may be attached to the acoustic module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile phone comprising:
a tilt assembly defining a front surface of the mobile phone and comprising:
a transparent cover;
a display assembly coupled to the transparent cover and having a display unit and a capacitive touch sensor; and
a mid-plate coupled to the display assembly and defining a spring member positioned along an edge of the tilt assembly; and

a lower housing assembly, comprising:
an electronic circuit assembly; and
an electrical contact operably coupled to the electronic circuit assembly and configured to electrically couple to the spring member of the mid-plate when the tilt assembly is coupled to the lower housing assembly.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein:
the mid-plate is electrically coupled to a first ground circuit of the display assembly; and
the electrical contact is electrically coupled to a second ground circuit of the electronic circuit assembly.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein:
the spring member comprises one or more metal tabs;
the lower housing assembly comprises one or more spring clips that engage with the one or more metal tabs; and
the electrical contact is coupled to the one or more spring clips.

4. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein:
the one or more metal tabs each define an opening; and
the one or more spring clips are each configured to engage with a respective opening in the one or more metal tabs.

5. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein the one or more metal tabs extend into the lower housing assembly when the tilt assembly is coupled to the lower housing assembly.

6. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein:
the lower housing assembly comprises a fastener opening; and
the tilt assembly comprises a retention feature that secures the tilt assembly to the lower housing assembly with a threaded fastener that extends through the fastener opening.

7. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein the lower housing assembly comprises:
an electrical port configured to receive an electrical connector;
a first audio port positioned along a first side of the electrical port; and
a second audio port positioned along a second side of the electrical port.

8. The mobile phone of claim 7 , wherein the mobile phone further comprises:
a speaker positioned behind the first audio port; and
a microphone positioned behind the second audio port.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Mittleman Adam D
• Jenks Kenneth A
• Cheng Karen Y

Classifications

• H04M1/0202

  Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03) · CPC title

• H04M1/026 Primary

  Details of the structure or mounting of specific components · CPC title