Electronic device with contacts flush with housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977460-B2
Application number	US-201715476829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Sep 4, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device comprising a device enclosure having an exterior surface; a contact area positioned at the exterior surface and having first and second ends, the contact area having a plurality of contacts arranged between the first and second ends and substantially flush with the exterior surface; and an alignment feature within the enclosure comprising first and second magnets positioned on opposing sides of the contact area, the first magnet positioned adjacent to the first end of the contact area and the second magnet positioned adjacent to the second end of the contact area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a device enclosure that forms a cavity, the device enclosure having a back wall and a sidewall extending away from the back wall;
a processor and a computer-readable memory positioned within the cavity;
a transparent cover glass coupled to the enclosure opposite the back wall;
a display positioned within the cavity adjacent to the cover glass;
a battery positioned within the enclosure and operatively coupled to the processor and the display;
a contact area positioned at the exterior surface and having first and second ends, the contact area having a plurality of sidewall openings formed through the device enclosure and spaced apart from each other in a single row between the first and second ends;
an insulative frame disposed within the cavity adjacent to the contact area and having a plurality of frame openings corresponding in number to the plurality of sidewall openings, wherein the insulative frame is positioned within the cavity such that each one of the plurality of frame openings is aligned with one of the plurality of sidewall openings;
a plurality of circular contacts corresponding in number to the plurality of sidewall openings, wherein each circular contact extends through one of the plurality of frame openings and through one of the plurality of sidewall openings;
a plurality of insulative rings corresponding in number to the plurality of circular contacts, each of the plurality of insulative rings surrounding one of the plurality of circular contacts to isolate the circular contact from the device enclosure, wherein an exterior surface of each of the plurality of circular contacts is flush with, or recessed less than one millimeter from, an exterior surface of the sidewall in the contact area; and
an alignment feature within the enclosure comprising first and second magnetic elements positioned on opposing sides of the contact area, the first magnetic element positioned adjacent to the first end of the contact area and the second magnetic element positioned adjacent to the second end of the contact area.

2. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the device enclosure is generally rectangular in shape and includes four side walls that surround the transparent cover glass and extend from an upper surface of the electronic device defined at least in part by the transparent cover glass to a back surface.

3. The electronic device set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the four side walls having a curved exterior surface and the contact area is positioned within a curved portion of one of the side surfaces.

4. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of the enclosure and exterior surfaces of each circular contact and surrounding insulator combine to form a continuous surface without any visible gaps between the exterior surface of the enclosure and the exterior surfaces of each circular contact and the surrounding insulator.

5. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the first magnetic element comprises a first magnet and the second magnetic element comprises a second magnet.

6. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the first magnetic element comprises a first array of magnets and the second magnetic element comprises a second array of magnets.

7. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises aluminum.

8. The electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a capacitive touch sensitive layer configured to receive touch input.

9. The electronic device set forth in claim 8 further comprising a force detection sensor configured to detect an amount of force applied to the touch sensitive display.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a device enclosure having a generally rectangular back wall with rounded corners and four exterior walls including first and second opposing side walls along a length of the electronic device and third and fourth opposing side walls along a width of the electronic device;
a transparent cover glass coupled to the device enclosure at the four exterior side walls such that the four exterior side walls extend between the back wall and the cover glass, the transparent cover glass and device enclosure combining to form an interior device cavity;
a touch sensitive display positioned between the transparent cover glass and the back wall;
a processor and a computer-readable memory positioned within the interior device cavity;
a battery positioned within the interior device cavity and operatively coupled to the processor and the touch sensitive display;
an input button configured to receive an input corresponding to a command to the electronic device, the input button disposed at an exterior surface of the electronic device at a location surrounded by the cover glass and outside of the touch sensitive display and centered between the first and second opposing side walls and adjacent to the third side wall;
a receptacle connector positioned at an exterior surface of the third side wall, the receptacle connector having a plurality of receptacle connector contacts configured that enable the electronic device to receive power and data from another device;
a contact area positioned at an exterior surface of the first side wall, the contact area having first and second ends and a plurality of sidewall openings spaced apart from each other in a single row between the first and second end;
an insulative frame disposed adjacent to the contact area and having a plurality of frame openings corresponding in number to the plurality of sidewall openings, wherein the insulative frame is positioned within the cavity such that each one of the plurality of frame openings is aligned with one of the plurality of sidewall openings;
a plurality of contacts corresponding in number to the plurality of frame openings, wherein each one of the plurality of contacts includes a portion disposed within one of the plurality of sidewall openings and includes an exterior contact surface that is flush with, or recessed less than one millimeter from, an exterior surface of the device enclosure in the contact area, wherein each of the plurality of contacts is surrounded within its respective opening by an insulator that surrounds the contact isolating the contact from the device enclosure; and
an alignment feature within the enclosure comprising first and second magnets positioned on opposing sides of the contact area, the first magnet positioned adjacent to the first end of the contact area and the second magnet positioned adjacent to the second end of the contact area.

11. The electronic device set forth in claim 10 wherein each of the four side walls has an exterior surface that is curved between the back wall and the cover glass and the contact area is positioned within a curved portion of the exterior surface of the third wall.

12. The electronic device set forth in claim 11 wherein an exterior surface of each contact in the plurality of contacts has a curvature that matches the curvature of the third sidewall.

13. The electronic device set forth in claim 11 wherein an exterior surface of each contact in the plurality of contacts is substantially flat.

14. The electronic device set forth in claim 10 wherein the exterior surface of third wall and exterior surfaces of each contact in the plurality of contacts and surrounding insulator combine to form a continuous surface without any visible gaps between the exterior surface of the enclosure and the exterior surfaces of each contact in the plurality of contacts and its surrounding insulator.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wagman Daniel
• Ross Oliver
• Jol Eric S
• Esmaeili Hani
• Degner Brett
• Kamei Ibuki

Classifications

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F1/1615

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title

• G06F1/166

  related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle · CPC title

• H01R13/2442

  with a single cantilevered beam · 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