Electronic device structures joined using shrinking and expanding attachment structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9454188-B2
Application number	US-201414295051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2014
Priority date	Jun 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device has structures that are assembled using attachment structures. The attachment structures change shape to help join the electronic device structures together. Structures that may be joined together can include electronic device housing structures, display structures, internal device components, electrical components, and other portions of an electronic device. The attachment structures can include heat-activated attachment structures, structures that are activated using other types of applied energy, and structures that change shape due the application of chemicals or other treatments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus, comprising:
a first electronic device structure;
a second electronic device structure; and
a shrinkable attachment structure that draws the first electronic device structure into contact with the second electronic device structure, wherein the second electronic device structure has a stop structure with a surface that arrests motion of the first electronic device structure relative to the second electronic device structure due to shrinking the shrinkable attachment structure.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first electronic device structure comprises glass.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the second electronic device structure comprises a metal electronic device housing structure.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises foam.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises adhesive that attaches the foam to the first and second electronic device structures.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises a clip.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein the clip is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: a polymer and a shape memory metal.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises a corrugated sheet.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 further comprising adhesive coatings on the corrugated sheet that attach the corrugated sheet between the first and second electronic device structures.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first electronic device structure is a first connector and wherein the second electronic device structure is a second connector that is configured to mate with the first connector so that contacts in the first connector couple to contacts in the second connector.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises a polymer and is coupled between a portion of the first connector and a portion of the second connector.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 10 further comprising:
a first printed circuit on which the first connector is mounted; and
a second printed circuit on which the second connector is mounted, wherein the shrinkable attachment structure comprises a polymer and is coupled between a portion of the first printed circuit and a portion of the second printed circuit.

13. An electronic device, comprising:
a first electronic device structure having a first surface;
a second electronic device structure having a stop structure with a second surface; and
a heat-activated shrinkable attachment structure that shrinks to pull the first electronic device structure towards the second electronic device structure when heated so that the first surface contacts the second surface and thereby prevents further motion of the first electronic device structure relative to the second electronic device structure.

14. An electronic device, comprising:
a first electronic device structure having a first surface;
a second electronic device structure having a stop structure with a second surface; and
a heat-activated shrinkable attachment structure that pulls the first electronic device structure towards the second electronic device structure when heated so that the first surface contacts the second surface and thereby prevents further motion of the first electronic device structure relative to the second electronic device structure, wherein the second electronic device structure comprises a recess, and wherein the heat-activated shrinkable attachment structure is in the recess.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the heat-activated shrinkable attachment structure comprises foam.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Bushnell Tyler S
• Sauers Jason C

Classifications

• Y10T29/49119

  Brush · CPC title

• H05K13/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components · CPC title

• H01R4/726

  Making a non-soldered electrical connection simultaneously with the heat shrinking · CPC title

• G06F1/183

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title