IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,653,466
Granted Patent B2
US 11,653,466 · App. 17/645,709 · Granted May 16, 2023

Components of an electronic device and methods for their assembly

Inventors: Bryan P. Kiple (Los Gatos, CA); Charles B. Woodhull (San Francisco, CA); David A. Pakula (San Francisco, CA); Tang Y. Tan (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H05K5/04B23C5/00B23C5/1081B23P11/00B23P17/00B23P17/02C25D11/02C25D11/022C25D11/12C25D11/34G03F1/38H01Q1/243H01Q1/42H04M1/0254H04M1/11H05K5/02H05K5/0217H05K5/0243H05K5/0247H05K5/03H05K13/00B23C2220/04B23C2220/16B23C2220/20B23C2220/28B23C2220/48B23C2226/31B23C2226/315C25D11/246H04M1/0249Y10T29/47Y10T29/49002Y10T29/49826Y10T156/10Y10T156/1064Y10T407/1906Y10T409/300896Y10T409/30952Y10T409/303752
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,653,466
App. No.
17/645,709
Granted
May 16, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.

Claims (37)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing that carries an antenna assembly, the antenna assembly including: an antenna; and

a cover plate coupled to the housing and defining a portion of a backside of the housing, the cover plate being transparent at frequencies used by the antenna for wireless communication and being opaque to light at visible frequencies,

wherein an area defined by a backside of the housing that is not transparent to the frequencies is greater than an area defined by the cover plate.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the cover plate is coplanar with the backside of the housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises sidewalls defining a front opening and a rear opening.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the cover plate is disposed in the rear opening.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising a cover glass positioned over the front opening opposite the cover plate.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein:

the cover plate and the side walls define a cavity;

the antenna assembly is a first antenna assembly disposed in the cavity; and

the electronic device further comprises a second antenna assembly disposed in the cavity.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:

the first antenna assembly is disposed within the cavity adjacent to the cover plate; and

the second antenna assembly is disposed at an end of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the area defined by a backside of the housing that is not transparent to the frequencies comprises metal.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum.

10. An electronic device housing comprising:

a backside coupled to the housing, the backside including:

a transparent region being transparent at frequencies used by an antenna for wireless communication and being opaque to light at visible frequencies; and

a non-transparent region being opaque to the frequencies,

wherein an area defined by the non-transparent region is greater than an area defined by the transparent region, and

wherein an outer surface of the antenna cover plate region is coplanar with an outer surface of the non-transparent region.

11. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the transparent region of the backside comprises glass.

12. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the non-transparent region of the backside comprises metal.

13. The electronic device housing of claim 10 , wherein the transparent region of the backside comprises a first transparent region and a second transparent region.

14. The electronic device housing of claim 13 , wherein the first transparent region defines an end of the backside of the housing.

15. The electronic device housing of claim 14 , further comprising sidewalls disposed perpendicular to the backside, wherein the first transparent region is adhered directly to the sidewalls.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a backside; and

an antenna assembly including a radio frequency (RF)-transparent cover plate coupled to the housing,

wherein an RF-opaque area defined by a backside of the housing is greater than an area defined by the cover plate, and

wherein an outer surface of the cover plate is coplanar with the backside of the housing.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the cover plate defines an area of the backside.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the cover plate comprises at least two separate portions.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the separate portions of the cover plate defines an end portion of the backside.

20. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the RF-opaque area defined by the backside comprises aluminum.

Continuity (8)
Continuation 17032956 · Sep 25, 2020
Continuation 16404498 · May 6, 2019
Continuation 16042992 · Jul 23, 2018
Continuation 15832606 · Dec 5, 2017
Continuation 14821620 · Aug 7, 2015
Continuation 13610773 · Sep 11, 2012
Provisional Application 61689170 · May 29, 2012
Related Publication 20220117106A1 · Apr 14, 2022