Device housing having improved tolerances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9583285-B1
Application number	US-201414550250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 23, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Input elements, handles, enclosures and alignment of such elements and handles within an electronic device. The elements, such as buttons or input devices, and handles discussed herein may be configured, assembled and/or installed within and/or on an electronic device to ensure proper alignment and positioning within the housing of the electronic device. By properly aligning and positioning the elements and handles within or on the housing of the electronic device, the elements and handles may provide accurate input to the electronic device and may be visually appealing to a user. Additionally, a two-piece enclosure including a hook and cutout portion may secure and/or protect the internal components of the electronic device, while also providing a visually “seamless” connection between the two-pieces for forming the enclosure of the electronic device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A button assembly comprising:
a body portion;
a contact portion coupled to the body portion;
a sacrificial material coupled to and surrounding at least a portion of the body portion, the sacrificial material contacting and coupling the body portion to an aperture formed through a housing of an electronic device; and
an internal component coupled to the contact portion, opposite the body portion, the internal component coupled to the housing of the electronic device subsequent to the coupling of the body portion to the aperture via the sacrificial material.

2. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is positioned within the aperture of the electronic device.

3. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial material comprises an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the aperture of the electronic device.

4. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the internal component is coupled to a portion of the housing of the electronic device opposite the aperture.

5. A method of installing a button assembly within a housing of an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining an inner diameter of an aperture formed in the housing of the electronic device;
removing at least a portion of a sacrificial material coupled to and surrounding at least a portion of a body portion of the button assembly;
positioning the body portion of the button assembly within the aperture of the housing; and
affixing the button assembly to the housing of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the affixing the button assembly to the housing further comprises:
subsequent to the positioning of the body portion of the button assembly within the aperture, coupling an internal component of the button assembly to the housing of the electronic device, the internal component coupled to the body portion via a contact portion.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the removing of at least the portion of the sacrificial material further comprises:
resizing an outer diameter of the sacrificial material to be substantially equal to an inner diameter of the aperture formed through the housing.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the positioning of the body portion of the button assembly within the aperture of the housing further comprises:
coupling the sacrificial material to the aperture formed through the housing.

9. A casing assembly comprising:
a bottom case comprising:
a cavity;
a hook extending into the cavity; and
a chamfered reveal surface surrounding the cavity; and

a top case having a cutout for receiving the hook to couple the top case to the bottom case;
wherein the chamfered reveal surface defines an opening along an exterior surface of the casing assembly.

10. The casing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the top case further comprises converging sidewall portions positioned within the bottom case.

11. The casing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the chamfered reveal surface of the bottom case is angled 1 degree relative to a straight underside of the top case.

12. The casing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the bottom case further comprises an aperture formed in a sidewall opposite the hook.

13. The casing assembly of claim 12 , wherein the top case further comprises a spring clip positioned opposite the cutout, the spring clip positioned within the aperture of the bottom case for coupling the top case to the bottom case.

14. The casing assembly of claim 12 , wherein the top case further comprises a chamfered extrusion positioned opposite the cutout, the chamfered extrusion positioned within the aperture of the bottom case for coupling the top case to the bottom case.

15. A method of assembling a casing assembly for an electronic device, the method comprising:
inserting a top case into a bottom case;
abutting at least a portion of the top case with a chamfered reveal surface of the bottom case, wherein the chamfered reveal surface defines an opening along an exterior surface of the casing assembly;
rotating at least one of the top case and the bottom case; and
engaging a hook of the bottom case with an angled contact surface of a cutout formed in the top case while maintaining the abutment of the portion of the top case with the chamfered reveal surface.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the rotating of at least one of the top case and the bottom case further comprises aligning the hook of the bottom case with the cutout formed in the top case.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising aligning a coupling mechanism of the top case with an aperture of the bottom case formed in a sidewall opposite the hook.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises one of:
a spring clip, or
a chamfered extrusion.

19. A gap control button assembly within a housing, comprising:
a body portion positioned within an opening of the housing;
a pin portion affixed to the body portion; and
an internal component wherein:
the pin portion is rotatably coupled to the internal component within the housing along a rotation axis;
the rotation axis is parallel to and offset with respect to a center axis of the body portion; and
the rotation axis is located within the opening defined by the housing.

20. The gap control button assembly of claim 19 , wherein the body portion is positioned within the center of the opening of the housing.

21. The gap control button assembly of claim 19 , wherein the pin portion is coupled to the body portion between the center of the body portion and a perimeter of the body portion.

22. A method of centering a gap control button assembly within an opening of a housing, the method comprising:
determining a desired distance between the opening of the housing and a body portion of the gap control button assembly;
determining an actual distance between the body portion of the gap control button assembly and the opening of the housing; and
rotating the body portion about an axis extending through the opening and an off-center pin portion of the gap control button assembly, the pin portion affixed to the body portion.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the rotating of the body portion further comprises positioning the body portion of the gap control button assembly within the opening of the housing at the determined desired distance.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the determining of the desired distance between the opening of the housing and the body portion of the gap control button assembly further comprises:
measuring an outer diameter of the body portion of the gap control button assembly;
measuring an inner diameter of the opening of the housing;
comparing the outer diameter of the body portion to the inner diameter of the opening; and
determining a desired, uniform gap spacing between the body portion of the gap control button assembly and the opening of the housing.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:
comparing the desired distance with the actual distance; and
determining that the actual distance is one of greater than, or less than, the desired distance.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein
in response to determining that the actual distance is greater than the desired distance, rotating the body portion of the gap control button assembly in a first direction; and wherein
in response to determining that the actual distance is less than the desir

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Andre Bartley K
• Silvanto Mikael
• Farahani Houtan
• Reid Gavin J
• Keats Jason

Classifications

• H01H2223/036

  forming chamfered apertures for keys · CPC title

• H01H9/02 Primary

  Bases, casings, or covers (accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26) · CPC title

• H01H13/04

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• H01H2231/022

  Telephone handset · CPC title

• H01H13/50

  having a single operating member · CPC title