Floating fasteners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644667-B2
Application number	US-201313868037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2012
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

One or more floating fastener assemblies used to fasten components together are described. In some embodiments, the components are top and bottom portions of an enclosure of a computing device. Each floating fastener assembly can include a fastener having at least one surface that can engage with a surface of the enclosure to limit the rotation of the fastener during fastening. Each floating fastener can also include a clearance area for the fastener to “float” in a lateral direction with respect to the enclosure. Thus, when corresponding openings in the top and bottom portions of the enclosure are not exactly aligned, each fastener can shift laterally to allow screws to engage to fasten the top and bottom portions together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A floating fastener assembly for fastening first and second portions of an enclosure together, the first portion having an aperture and the second portion having a cavity, the floating fastener assembly comprising:
a cylindrically shaped body characterized as having a longitudinal axis;
a flared portion at a first end of the cylindrically shaped body, the flared portion having a first edge that defines a first circular opening and a beveled interior surface that extends from the first edge to a second edge that defines a second circular opening that is smaller than the aperture, wherein the first circular opening is larger than the aperture;
a threaded portion of the cylindrically shaped body, the threaded portion having a threaded interior surface that extends from the second edge, the threaded interior surface capable of engaging a screw having a corresponding threaded surface, wherein during a screw insertion operation, the aperture and the beveled interior surface cooperate to align the screw with the longitudinal axis; and
a flange at a second end of the cylindrically shaped body, the flange extending outwardly from the longitudinal axis and having a size smaller than the cavity, the flange having a top surface and a stop surface,
wherein when the flange is within the cavity, movement in a longitudinal direction is limited by an engagement of the top surface with a first interior surface of the cavity and wherein rotational movement about the longitudinal axis is limited by an engagement of the stop surface with a second interior surface of the cavity.

2. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the screw is inserted through the aperture and threadably engages the threaded interior surface of the cylindrically shaped body to fasten the first portion to the second portion.

3. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the aperture has an opening taper and the screw has a corresponding screw taper configured such that when the first and second portions of the enclosure are fastened together, there is a consistent gap distance around a diameter of a screw head of the screw and the diameter of the aperture.

4. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first portion is a top case of a base portion of a laptop computer and the second portion is a bottom case of the base portion of the laptop computer.

5. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises multiple floating fastener assemblies arranged in multiple cavities.

6. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein when the aperture and the threaded interior surface are not suitably aligned the floating fastener laterally shifts within a clearance area and within the cavity to allow the screw to properly seat within the threaded interior surface.

7. The floating fastener assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cavity is formed using at least one T-slot cutting tool.

8. An enclosure for a computing device having a lid portion fastened to a base portion, the base portion comprising a first portion having multiple enclosure openings and a second portion having multiple respective fastener cavities, and floating fasteners configured to be at least partially engaged within the multiple respective fastener cavities, each floating fastener comprising:
a cylindrically shaped portion characterized as having a longitudinal axis;
a flared portion at a first end of the cylindrically shaped portion, the flared portion having a first edge that defines a first circular opening and a beveled interior surface that extends from the first edge to a second edge that defines a second circular opening that is smaller than a respective enclosure opening, wherein the first circular opening is larger than the respective enclosure opening;
a threaded portion having a threaded interior surface that extends from the second edge, the threaded interior surface capable of engaging a screw having a corresponding threaded surface, wherein during a screw insertion operation, the respective enclosure opening and the beveled interior surface cooperate to align the screw with the longitudinal axis; and
a flange at a second end of the cylindrically shaped portion, the flange extending outwardly from the longitudinal axis and having a size smaller than the respective fastener cavity, the flange having a top surface and a stop surface,
wherein when the flange of each floating fastener is within the respective fastener cavity, movement in a longitudinal direction is limited by an engagement of the top surface with an first interior surface of the respective fastener cavity and wherein rotational movement about the longitudinal axis is limited by an engagement of the stop surface with a second interior surface of the respective fastener cavity.

9. The enclosure as recited in claim 8 , wherein the flared portion is configured to prevent the corresponding floating fastener from falling through a corresponding clearance opening that surrounds the cylindrical shaped portion of a respective floating fastener.

10. The enclosure as recited in claim 8 , wherein when the enclosure openings and the corresponding second circular openings of the floating fasteners are not properly aligned, the floating fasteners transversely shift within corresponding clearance areas around the cylindrical shaped portion of a respective floating fastener and within the cavity to allow the screws to properly seat within the corresponding threaded interior surface.

11. The enclosure as recited in claim 8 , wherein each of the enclosure openings has an opening taper and a corresponding screw taper configured such that when the lid portion and the base portion of the enclosure are fastened together, there is a consistent gap distance around screw heads of the screws and each of the corresponding diameters of the enclosure openings.

12. The enclosure as recited in claim 8 , wherein the cavities are formed using a T-slot cutting tool.

13. An outer housing for a computing device, comprising:
a bottom case adapted to contain a internal device components therein, the bottom case having fastener cavities;
a top case adapted to seal the internal device components within the outer housing the top case comprising fastening openings; and
floating fastener assemblies each collectively adapted to removably fasten the top case to the bottom case, wherein each of the floating fastener assemblies comprising:
a fastener having a cylindrical portion having a threaded opening, wherein the threaded opening is configured to accept a screw;
a flared portion at a first end of the cylindrical portion, the flared portion having a internal beveled surface that extends between a first circular opening and a second circular opening that is smaller than the first circular opening and smaller than a respective fastening opening of the bottom case; and
a flange extending outward at a second end of the cylindrical portion, the flange having a stop surface,
wherein the fastener cavities have datum surfaces that are configured to engage with the stop surfaces to limit rotational movement of the fastener, wherein when the fastening opening is substantially aligned with the threaded opening of the fastener the screw can threadably engage with the threaded opening of the fastener, thereby fastening the top case and the bottom case together.

14. The outer housing as recited in claim 13 , wherein the stop surfaces engage with datum surfaces so as to limit the movement of the fastener while the screw is threadably engaging the top and bottom ca

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Farahani Houtan R
• Degner Brett W
• Leggett William F
• Silvanto Mikael M
• Andre Bartley K

Classifications

• F16B5/0664

  at least one of the sheets or plates having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• F16B5/0642

  the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other · CPC title

• Y10T29/49948

  Multipart cooperating fastener [e.g., bolt and nut] · CPC title

• G06F1/1613 Primary

  for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202) · CPC title