Electronic devices with printed circuit boards having padded openings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9042105-B2
Application number	US-201213530038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2012
Priority date	Jun 21, 2012
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a printed circuit board having padded through-holes. The padded through-holes may be formed from openings in a printed circuit board substrate and elastomeric members in the openings. The elastomeric members may be conductive elastomeric members such as electrically or thermally conductive elastomeric members. The printed circuit board may be secured within a housing for the electronic device using engagement members that extend through padded through-holes. The engagement members may engage with the housing or with additional engagement members that are attached to the housing. The electronic device may include a cowling structure formed over electronic components on a surface of the printed circuit board. The cowling structure may be secured to the printed circuit board using attachment members that engage with the engagement members in the padded through-holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a printed circuit board having a plurality of padded through-holes;
a structural member; and
a plurality of engagement members, wherein each engagement member includes a portion that is formed within a corresponding one of the padded through-holes and wherein the printed circuit board is secured to the housing using the plurality of engagement members, wherein the structural member comprises a plurality of holes and a plurality of recessed portions, wherein each of the holes is formed in a respective one of the recessed portions, and wherein each of the padded through-holes in the printed circuit board comprises:
an opening in the printed circuit board that extends from a first surface of the printed circuit board to a second surface of the printed circuit board; and
an elastomeric member in the opening, wherein the portion of each engagement member that is formed within the corresponding one of the padded through-holes is formed in contact with the elastomeric member in the opening.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional engagement members attached to the housing.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein each engagement member includes an additional portion that engages with a corresponding one of the additional engagement members that are attached to the housing.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein each additional engagement member comprises a metal engagement member that is welded to the housing.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one electronic component attached to the printed circuit board.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein a portion of each of the additional engagement members is interposed between the printed circuit board and the housing and wherein the at least one electronic component is attached to the printed circuit board between the printed circuit board and the housing.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the structural member is secured to the printed circuit board using the plurality of engagement members.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of attachment members, wherein each attachment member is engaged with a corresponding one of the plurality of engagement members.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein each attachment member includes a portion within a corresponding one of the plurality of holes.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 7 , further comprising:
at least one electronic component attached to the printed circuit board.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein a portion of each of the engagement members is interposed between the printed circuit board and the structural member and wherein the at least one electronic component is attached to the printed circuit board between the printed circuit board and the structural member.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein each elastomeric member comprises a material having a hardness durometer value between 35 and 40.

13. A printed circuit board, comprising:
a printed circuit board substrate having openings configured to receive engagement structures that mount the printed circuit board to a support structure;
first and second standoffs, wherein the first standoff has an opening that receives an associated one of the engagement structures; and
a plurality of conductive elastomeric members formed in the openings in the printed circuit board substrate, wherein one of the conductive elastomeric members is interposed between the first and second standoffs.

14. The printed circuit board defined in claim 13 wherein each of the conductive elastomeric members comprises silicone.

15. The printed circuit board defined in claim 14 , further comprising:
a conductive ground layer, wherein each of the conductive elastomeric members comprises an electrically conductive elastomeric member having at least a portion formed in contact with the conductive ground layer.

16. The printed circuit board defined in claim 14 wherein each of the conductive elastomeric members comprises a thermally conductive elastomeric member configured to conduct heat away from the printed circuit board substrate.

17. The printed circuit board defined in claim 14 wherein each of the conductive elastomeric members further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: copper, zinc, nickel, and silver.

18. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a printed circuit board having a plurality of openings;
a plurality of elastomeric members, wherein each of the elastomeric members is formed in a corresponding one of the openings;
a first set of engagement members attached to the housing;
a second set of engagement members attached to the first set of engagement members through the openings in the printed circuit board;
a plurality of attachment members; and
a cowling structure attached to the second set of engagement members using the plurality of attachment members.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein each of the elastomeric members comprises a first portion formed in contact with a surface of the corresponding one of the openings, a second portion formed in contact with a first surface of the printed circuit board, and a third portion formed in contact with an opposing second surface of the printed circuit board, wherein each of the second set of engagement members includes a portion formed in contact with the first portion of a selected one of the elastomeric members, and wherein the elastomeric members are configured to allow the printed circuit board to move relative to the housing in a direction parallel to the first and second surfaces of the printed circuit board when a sudden force is applied to the housing.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein each of the first set of engagement members comprises an opening, wherein the second set of engagement members each include a first portion in the opening in the an associated one of the first set of engagement members, a second portion in a corresponding opening in the printed circuit board, and a third portion interposed between the printed circuit board and the cowling structure.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the plurality of attachment members comprises a plurality of screws that engage in openings in the second set of engagement members.

22. The printed circuit board defined in claim 18 wherein each of the elastomeric members comprises silicone infused with a metal selected from the group consisting of: copper, zinc, nickel, and silver.

Assignees

• Malek Shayan
• Wittenberg Michael B
• Ardisana John
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Malek Shayan
• Wittenberg Michael B
• Ardisana John

Classifications

• H05K5/0043

  comprising a frame housing mating with two lids wherein the PCB is flat mounted on the frame housing · CPC title

• H05K1/09

  Use of materials for the {conductive, e.g. } metallic pattern · CPC title

• H05K3/42

  Plated through-holes {or plated via connections} · CPC title

• H05K1/11

  Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K7/1417 Primary

  having securing means for mounting boards, plates or wiring boards (H05K7/1461 takes precedence) · CPC title