Structural tank integrated into an electronic device case
View Patent ↗An apparatus is provided with a conductive bezel section and a conductive ground plane section forming a perimeter and being positioned opposite the conductive bezel section. The conductive ground plane section is separated from the conductive bezel section by a perimeter gap at the perimeter. A structural tank circuit is integrated with and connecting the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section across the perimeter gap. Another implementation may include a structural capacitor or a structural inductor integrated with and connecting the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section across the perimeter gap.
1. A device casing comprising:
a conductive bezel section;
a conductive ground plane section forming a perimeter of the device casing, the conductive ground plane section being separated from the conductive bezel section by a perimeter gap at the perimeter; and
a tank circuit positioned within and connecting the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section across the perimeter gap, the tank circuit including a conductive inductor element formed as a structural portion of-the device casing.
2. The device casing of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more components residing between the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section forming a resonant cavity including a ground plane resonant cavity portion between the one or more components and the conductive ground plane section and another resonant cavity portion between the one or more components and the perimeters of the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section.
3. The device casing of claim 1 wherein the tank circuit comprises a structural capacitor formed as a metal stub extending from the conductive bezel section toward the conductive ground plane section, the metal stub being separated from the conductive ground plane section by a gap filled with a dielectric.
4. The device casing of claim 1 wherein the tank circuit comprises a structural capacitor formed as a metal stub extending from the conductive ground plane section toward the conductive bezel section, the metal stub being separated from the conductive bezel section by a gap filled with a dielectric.
5. The device casing of claim 1 wherein the conductive inductor element is formed as a metal trace connecting the conductive bezel section to the conductive ground plane section.
6. The device casing of claim 1 wherein the tank circuit comprises a structural capacitor spanning at least a portion of the perimeter gap and a structural inductor spanning at least a portion of the perimeter gap.
7. The device casing of claim 1 wherein the tank circuit is formed as a structural portion of an electronic device case.
8. The device casing of claim 2 wherein the one or more components include a printed circuit board and further comprising:
a single radio frequency feed structure connecting the printed circuit board to the conductive bezel section.
9. The device casing of claim 1 further comprising:
a single radio frequency feed structure connecting a conductive cap section to the conductive bezel section.
10. The device casing of claim 2 wherein the one or more components include a printed circuit board and a battery.
11. The device casing a of claim 1 wherein the apparatus directs a radio frequency carrier wave away from the conductive ground plane section.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tank circuit operates as a resonant circuit.
13. A device casing comprising:
a conductive bezel section;
a conductive ground plane section forming a perimeter of the device casing, the conductive ground plane section being separated from the conductive bezel section by a perimeter gap at the perimeter; and
a capacitor positioned within and connecting the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section across the perimeter gap, the capacitor formed as at least a structural portion of the device casing and including a metal stub extending from one of the conductive ground plane section and the conductive bezel section, the metal stub being separated from the other one of the conductive ground plane section and the conductive bezel section by a gap filled with a dielectric.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
one or more components residing between the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section forming a resonant cavity including a ground plane resonant cavity portion between the one or more components and the conductive ground plane section and another resonant cavity portion between the one or more components and the perimeters of the conductive bezel section and the conductive ground plane section.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the one or more components include a printed circuit board and further comprising:
a single radio frequency feed structure connecting the printed circuit board to the conductive bezel section.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
a single radio frequency feed structure connecting a conductive cap section to the conductive bezel section.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the one or more components include a printed circuit board and a battery.
18. A device case comprising:
one or more conductive elements forming a gap;
a tank circuit integrated with the one or more conductive elements, the tank circuit spanning across the gap and including a conductive inductive element formed as at least a structural portion of the device case.