Antenna having flexible feed structure with components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9705180-B2
Application number	US-201514825011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Electronic devices may include antenna structures. The antenna structures may form an antenna having first and second feeds at different locations. Transceiver circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency antenna signals may be mounted on one end of a printed circuit board. Transmission line structures may be used to convey signals between an opposing end of the printed circuit board and the transceiver circuitry. The printed circuit board may be coupled to an antenna feed structure formed from a flexible printed circuit using solder connections. The flexible printed circuit may have a bend and may be screwed to conductive electronic device housing structures using one or more screws at one or more respective antenna feed terminals. Electrical components such as an amplifier circuit and filter circuitry may be mounted on the flexible printed circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device having peripheral edges, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer;
antenna structures that include an inverted-F antenna resonating element that extends along at least a given one of the peripheral edges of the electronic device, wherein the display cover layer has a portion that overlaps the inverted-F antenna resonating element;
a flexible printed circuit having transmission line structures for the inverted-F antenna resonating element; and
a fastening structure that secures the flexible printed circuit to the antenna structures, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a bend.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna structures further comprise:
a signal feed terminal for the inverted-F antenna resonating element, wherein the transmission line structures on the flexible printed circuit are conductively coupled to the signal feed terminal.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the fastening structure comprises a conductive fastener.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the fastening structure comprises a screw.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one impedance matching circuit for the antenna structures that is mounted to the flexible printed circuit.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
conductive housing side walls that extend perpendicular to a planar face of the display cover layer, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a first portion that extends substantially parallel to the conductive housing side walls and a second portion that extends substantially parallel to the planar face of the display cover layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the display further comprises a display module that emits light, the display cover layer has an additional portion, the portion of the display cover layer that overlaps the inverted-F antenna resonating element does not overlap the display module, and the additional portion of the display cover layer does not overlap the inverted-F antenna resonating element.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the bend is adjacent to the antenna structures.

9. An electronic device having peripheral edges, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer;
antenna structures that include an inverted-F antenna resonating element that extends along at least a given one of the peripheral edges of the electronic device, wherein the display cover layer has a portion that overlaps the inverted-F antenna resonating element;
a flexible printed circuit having transmission line structures for the inverted-F antenna resonating element;
a fastening structure that secures the flexible printed circuit to the antenna structures;
a rigid printed circuit board coupled to the flexible printed circuit; and
radio-frequency transceiver circuitry on the rigid printed circuit board, wherein the transmission line structures are coupled between the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and the inverted-F antenna resonating element.

10. An electronic device having peripheral edges, comprising:
a display having a display cover layer;
antenna structures that include an inverted-F antenna resonating element that extends along at least a given one of the peripheral edges of the electronic device, wherein the display cover layer has a portion that overlaps the inverted-F antenna resonating element;
a flexible printed circuit having transmission line structures for the inverted-F antenna resonating element; and
a fastening structure that secures the flexible printed circuit to the antenna structures,

wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a conductive trace coupled to the transmission line structures and a hole in the conductive trace through which the fastening structure passes while securing the flexible printed circuit to the antenna structures.

11. An electronic device having a periphery, comprising:
peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures that surround the periphery of the electronic device, wherein the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures form a portion of an antenna for the electronic device;
a display having a display cover layer, wherein a portion of the display cover layer adjacent to the periphery of the electronic device overlaps the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures;
a flexible printed circuit;
at least one conductive line on the flexible printed circuit that forms part of an antenna feed for the antenna; and
a fastening structure that mates with a hole in the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures and mechanically secures the flexible printed circuit to the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures comprise first and second portions, the portion of the antenna comprises an antenna resonating element for the antenna, the first portion of the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures comprises the antenna resonating element for the antenna, the second portion of the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures comprises at least some of a ground plane for the antenna, and the first and second portions are separated by at least one dielectric filled gap.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures have a first surface that extends parallel to a face of the display cover layer and a second surface that extends perpendicular to the first surface.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the flexible printed circuit has a first portion that extends substantially parallel to the first surface and a second portion that extends substantially parallel to the second surface.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a display having a display module that emits light through a display cover layer;
peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures that surround the display module and that comprise external surfaces of the electronic device;
an antenna, wherein a portion of the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures form at least a portion of the antenna; and
a flexible printed circuit board having traces that form part of a feed structure for the antenna, wherein the flexible printed circuit board comprises a bend adjacent to the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 , wherein the display cover layer has a first portion that overlaps the display module without overlapping the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures and a second portion that overlaps the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures and the flexible printed circuit without overlapping the display module.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 , further comprising:
a fastening structure that affixes the flexible printed circuit board to the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 , wherein the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures comprise a threaded hole that is configured to receive a threaded portion of the fastening structure.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 17 , wherein the fastening structure affixes the flexible printed circuit board to the peripheral conductive housing sidewall structures at a first location on the peripheral conductive housing structures, the electronic device fur

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Darnell Dean F
• Noellert William J
• Pascolini Mattia

Classifications

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/189

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

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q1/50

  Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title