IP Library Granted Patent US 8,712,233
Granted Patent B2
US 8,712,233 · App. 13/413,525 · Granted Apr 29, 2014

Electronic device assemblies

Inventors: Kevin D. Gibbs (San Carlos, CA); Carl R. Peterson (Santa Clara, CA); Erik A. Uttermann (San Francisco, CA); Conor P. Lenahan (Cupertino, CA); John P. Ternus (Los Altos Hills, CA); Justin R. Wodrich (Saratoga, CA); Elvis M. Kibiti (San Francisco, CA); Derek Wright (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G03B1/00G03B17/30G03B17/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,712,233
App. No.
13/413,525
Granted
Apr 29, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device may have a conductive housing. A dielectric structure may be mounted in the conductive housing to form an antenna window. An electrical component such as a camera, light sensor, or other device may press against a conductive foam structure. A printed circuit may have conductive traces that form an antenna ground and antenna resonating element. The printed circuit may be wrapped around a support structure. The electrical component, the conductive foam structure, and the printed circuit wrapped around the support structure may be compressed between a display cover layer and the antenna window. A camera window may be attached to a camera window trim using multiple adhesives. The trim may have a curved exterior surface that matches a curved housing surface. A flexible printed circuit cable may have a folded portion. A band structure may surround the folded portion to form a service loop.

Claims (35)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a dielectric structure;

a support structure;

a flexible printed circuit that is wrapped around the support structure and that includes conductive traces that form an antenna ground and an antenna resonating element in an antenna; and

a conductive foam structure that presses against the antenna ground and that pushes the support structure and the antenna resonating element against the dielectric structure.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a conductive housing, wherein the dielectric structure is configured to form an antenna window in the conductive housing.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprises an electronic component, wherein the conductive foam structure is compressed between the electronic component and the antenna ground.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the electronic component comprises a camera.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising a display cover layer mounted on a front surface of the conductive housing, wherein the camera, the conductive foam structure, the support structure, and the flexible printed circuit that is wrapped around the support structure are compressed between the display cover layer and the antenna window.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the camera, the conductive foam structure, and the flexible printed circuit are configured to occupy a volume of less than 2000 mm 3 .

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna ground and antenna resonating element are configured so that the antenna operates in a satellite navigation system band.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one electrical component that presses against the conductive foam.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the at least one electrical component includes a camera.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the at least one electrical component includes a light sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a conductive housing in which the dielectric structure serves as an antenna window for the antenna, wherein the conductive housing has a curved surface; and

a camera window mounted in the curved surface.

12. Apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device housing;

a camera in the electronic device housing;

a camera window trim structure mounted in an opening in the housing;

first and second adhesives of different types; and

a camera window that is mounted in the camera window trim structure with the first and second adhesives.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein the first adhesive comprises ultraviolet-light-curing adhesive and wherein the second adhesive comprises hot melt adhesive.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the ultraviolet-light-curing adhesive and the hot melt adhesive form a seal between the camera window trim structure and the camera window.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein the electronic device housing has a curved surface and wherein the camera window trim structure has a curved exterior surface that matches curved surface of the electronic device housing.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein the camera window trim structure has grooves on the curved exterior surface.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a rectangular periphery and four corners;

four corner brackets, each corner bracket being located in a respective corner of the housing;

a rectangular display cover layer; and

a rectangular ring-shaped gasket that runs around the rectangular periphery and that is interposed between the display cover layer and the four corner brackets, wherein a gap laterally separates at least some of the rectangular display cover layer from the rectangular ring-shaped gasket, wherein each of the four corner brackets has a portion with a recess configured to receive a portion of the rectangular ring-shaped gasket and has a non-recessed portion, wherein the gasket has an L-shaped cross sectional shape over each non-recessed portion, wherein the gasket has an L-shaped cross-section over each non-recessed portion and has an extended portion that covers the non-recessed portion under the gap to block the corner brackets from view through the gap.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the rectangular display cover layer comprises a layer of cover glass.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the corner brackets comprises metal.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the gasket comprises a polymer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2012
From: GIBBS, KEVIN D.; PETERSON, CARL R.; UTTERMANN, ERIK A.; LENAHAN, CONOR P.; TERNUS, JOHN P.; WODRICH, JUSTIN R.; KIBITI, ELVIS M.; WRIGHT, DEREK
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 027820/0706 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61603118 · Feb 24, 2012
Related Publication 20130223836A1 · Aug 29, 2013