Multiband antennas formed from bezel bands with gaps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9653783-B2
Application number	US-201514830227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2010
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. An inverted-F antenna may have first and second short circuit legs and a feed leg. The first and second short circuit legs and the feed leg may be connected to a folded antenna resonating element arm. The antenna resonating element arm and the first short circuit leg may be formed from portions of a conductive electronic device bezel. The folded antenna resonating element arm may have a bend. The bezel may have a gap that is located at the bend. Part of the folded resonating element arm may be formed from a conductive trace on a dielectric member. A spring may be used in connecting the conductive trace to the electronic device bezel portion of the antenna resonating element arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device having four edges, a length, and a width, comprising:
conductive housing side walls that each extend along a respective one of the four edges of the electronic device;
an inverted-F antenna having an antenna resonating element that is formed from a segment of the conductive housing side walls that is adjacent to a dielectric-filled gap in the conductive housing side walls and having a short circuit leg that is separate from the conductive housing side walls;
a ground plane for the inverted-F antenna that extends across the width of the electronic device and that is surrounded by the conductive housing side walls, wherein a dielectric-filled opening is formed between the ground plane and the segment of the conductive housing side walls, the segment of the conductive housing side walls includes first and second substantially perpendicular portions that define edges of the dielectric-filled opening, and the short circuit leg extends from the segment of the conductive housing side walls to the ground plane across the dielectric-filled opening;
a first antenna feed terminal for the inverted-F antenna coupled to the segment of the conductive housing side walls; and
a second antenna feed terminal for the inverted-F antenna coupled to the ground plane.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device has a height that is less than the length and the width and each of the conductive housing side walls extend across the height of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmission line having a signal conductor;
a feed leg of the inverted-F antenna having a first end that is connected to the segment of the conductive housing side walls and a second end coupled to the signal conductor at the first antenna feed terminal, wherein the feed leg and the signal conductor extend across the dielectric-filled opening.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device has a height and front and rear surfaces and the conductive housing side walls extend across the height from the front surface to the rear surface of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the height is less than the width.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 , wherein the width is less than the length.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising an additional short circuit leg coupled between the segment of the conductive housing side walls and the ground plane.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 , wherein the additional short circuit leg is formed at least partly from an additional segment of the conductive housing side walls.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the segment of the conductive housing side walls and the additional segment of the conductive housing side walls extend respectively along first and second perpendicular exterior surfaces of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the conductive housing side walls surround the display.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising a dielectric substrate attached to the segment of the conductive housing side walls.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , further comprising a conductive trace on the dielectric substrate that is electrically connected to the segment of the conductive housing side walls.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , further comprising a flexible printed circuit attached to the dielectric substrate, wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a conductive trace that is electrically connected to the segment of the conductive housing side walls.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the flexible printed circuit is attached to the dielectric substrate by adhesive.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , further comprising a conductive spring, wherein the conductive trace is electrically connected to the segment of the conductive housing side walls through the conductive spring.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Nickel Joshua G
• Zavala Juan
• Zhou Yijun
• Pascolini Mattia
• Schlub Robert W
• Caballero Ruben

Classifications

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q9/42

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• H01Q9/0421

  with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element (H01Q9/0414 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q5/364

  Creating multiple current paths · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title