Electronic device having a flexible printed circuit biasing structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9407798-B2
Application number	US-201314028268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2013
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device may have electrical components such as input-output devices. An electrical component may be mounted on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have a bend that forms a flexible printed circuit spring to bias the electrical component in a desired direction. The electronic device may have a display with a display cover layer. In an inactive display area, opaque masking material may be formed on the display cover layer. A light window may be formed in the opaque masking layer. The flexible printed circuit spring may bias the electrical component against the display cover layer in alignment with the light window. An air gap under the electrical component may separate the component from a planar portion of the flexible printed circuit that is overlapped by the electrical component. The electrical component may be a camera, a light sensor, or other device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus, comprising:
a display cover layer;
a flexible printed circuit having a bend that forms a flexible printed circuit spring; and
an electrical component mounted to the flexible printed circuit between the flexible printed circuit and the display cover layer, wherein the flexible printed circuit spring biases the electrical component towards the display cover layer.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical component comprises a light sensor selected from the group consisting of: a light-based proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical component comprises a camera.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprising:
a frame attached to the display cover layer; and
adhesive that attaches the camera to the frame.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprising:
an electronic device housing structure, wherein a planar portion of the flexible printed circuit is supported by the electronic device housing structure and wherein there is an air gap between the camera and the planar portion of the flexible printed circuit.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 further comprising adhesive attached to the camera.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 5 further comprising a foam gasket interposed between the camera and the display cover layer.

8. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a display mounted in the housing;
a flexible printed circuit biasing structure formed from a flexible printed circuit with a bend; and
an electrical component that is biased towards the display by the flexible printed circuit biasing structure, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a portion that is overlapped by the electrical component and that is separated from the electrical component by an air gap, and wherein the electrical component comprises a light-sensitive component that gathers information based on light received at the light-sensitive component.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the display includes a display cover layer, the electronic device further comprising:
an opaque masking layer on the display cover layer, wherein the opaque masking layer has a light opening and wherein the electrical component is in alignment with the light opening.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising a foam gasket between the electrical component and the display cover layer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the light-sensitive component comprises a camera.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the portion of the flexible printed circuit that is overlapped by the electrical component comprises a planar portion on an inner surface of the housing.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising adhesive that mounts the electrical component within the housing.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising a plastic frame attached to the display, wherein the electrical component is attached to the frame with the adhesive.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the light-sensitive component comprises a camera and wherein the flexible printed circuit is configured to form a service loop.

16. Apparatus, comprising:
an electronic device structure;
a flexible printed circuit spring formed from a flexible printed circuit with a bend; and
an electrical component that is soldered to the flexible printed circuit and that is biased towards the electronic device structure by the flexible printed circuit spring, wherein the electrical component comprises an antenna structure on the flexible circuit.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the flexible printed circuit spring includes a layer of material on the flexible printed circuit that is selected from the group consisting of: a metal layer and a plastic layer.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the flexible printed circuit spring has a shaped selected from the group consisting of: a tube shape, a corrugated shape, and an accordion shape.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Havskjold David G
• Sanford Emery A

Classifications

• H05K2201/057

  Shape retainable · CPC title

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title

• H04M1/0264

  for a camera module assembly · CPC title

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H05K2201/046

  Planar parts of folded PCBs making an angle relative to each other · CPC title