Button retention, assembly, and water sealing
A sealed physical button for use with a portable electronic device that effectively presents ingress of liquids. Embodiments include a button cap having flange portions that interlock with complementary flanges from a button retainer. The button cap may also include a downward oriented central post, proportioned and oriented to interface with the top surface of a button attached to a bracket. The button retainer may include an aperture sized and positioned to receive the central post of the button cap. The button retainer may rest on a shelf within the electronic device housing such that the shelf interposes the bracket and the retainer to form a rigid seal.
1. A button assembly comprising:
a cap having a flange;
a post coupled to the cap;
a housing;
a retainer positioned below the cap, the retainer having a flange and defining an aperture, the aperture positioned to receive the post; and
a switch axially aligned with the post; wherein:
the retainer is attached to the housing to form a seal; and
the flange of the cap interlocks with the flange of the retainer by twisting about an axis defined by the post.
2. The sealed button assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive positioned between the retainer and the housing.
3. The button assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a post seal positioned between the post and the aperture.
4. The button assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket fixedly coupled to the retainer with a screw.
5. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cap has a substantially oblong shape.
6. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the switch is fixedly coupled to a bracket coupled to the retainer.
7. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the post interfaces a top surface of the switch.
8. The button assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a button seal positioned between a top surface of the switch and a bottom surface of the retainer around the perimeter of the aperture.
9. The button assembly of claim 2 , wherein the seal comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.
10. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cap and retainer have substantially the same shape.
11. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cap is a rounded rectangle.
12. An electronic device comprising:
a housing defining a button aperture; and
a button comprising:
a button cap positioned above the button aperture;
a button cap retainer positioned below the button cap, the button cap retainer coupled to the button cap by a flange formed around the perimeter of the button cap;
and
a switch portion positioned below the retainer;
wherein:
the retainer is attached to the housing to form a seal; and
the button cap and button cap retainer interlock together by one of twisting or sliding.
13. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising a perimeter seal coupled to the button cap retainer.
14. The electronic device of claim 12 , the button cap further comprising a central post having a O-ring seal; and
the button cap retainer further comprising a central aperture positioned to axially align with the switch portion;
wherein:
the central aperture receives the central post and O-ring seal; and
the central post extends through the central aperture to interface with a top surface of the switch portion.
15. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the coupling between the button cap retainer and the button cap comprises a screw.
16. A button comprising:
a button cap;
a button cap retainer coupled to the button cap;
a bracket configured to couple to the button retainer and to seal to an interior surface of a housing of an electronic device; and
an electrical switch positioned between the bracket and the button cap retainer; wherein
the button retainer is configured to seal to an exterior surface of the housing of an electronic device; wherein
the button cap and the button cap retainer engage by twisting about a central axis of the button cap retainer.
17. The button of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device is a wearable electronic device.
18. The button of claim 16 , wherein
the button cap comprises a post;
the button retainer defines an aperture; and
the post extends through the aperture to contact the electrical switch.
19. The button of claim 16 , wherein a feature of the button cap is configured to interlock with a feature of the button retainer.