User-serviceable dimensionally-constrained device
The description relates to devices, such as user-serviceable dimensionally-constrained devices. One example can include a first portion and a corresponding second portion. The example can also include a gap reduction assembly positioned along edges of the first portion and the second portion that biases the first and second portions toward one another. The example can also include an alignment assembly that laterally aligns corners of the first portion and the second portion and a locking assembly that locks the aligned corners of the first portion and the second portion against one another.
1. A device, comprising:
a first portion that includes a keyboard and a touchpad and a corresponding underlying second portion, both the first portion and the second portion having edges extending between corners; and,
the first portion and the second portion each contributing to magnetic elements that bias the edges of the first portion and the edges of the second portion toward one another,
the first portion and the second portion each contributing to an alignment assembly that includes alignment pins in the corners of the first portion that automatically laterally align with pin receptacles in the corners of the second portion as the first and second portions are automatically biased toward one another by the magnetic elements, and,
the first portion and the second portion each contributing to a locking assembly that secures the corners of the first portion and the corners of the second portion against one another via fasteners that extend through recesses in the corners of the first portion adjacent to the alignment pins and are received in threaded recesses of the second portion, the recesses and the threaded recesses being automatically aligned to receive the fasteners by the alignment pins and the pin receptacles.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic elements comprise elongate magnets positioned along multiple edges of the second portion and elongate ferrous metal strips along multiple edges of the first portion.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the elongate magnets are positioned along all of the edges of the second portion or wherein the elongate magnets are positioned along less than all of the edges of the second portion.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic elements further comprise a gap reduction assembly that biases the edges of the first portion against the edges of the second portion to eliminate gaps between the first and second portions.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic elements secure the first portion to the second portion even without the locking assembly.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein individual alignment pins are adjacent to individual fasteners in individual corners.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the alignment assembly further comprises the magnetic elements working cooperatively with the alignment pins and the pin receptacles.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the alignment pins extend from each corner of the first portion and the pin receptacles extend from each corner of the second portion.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic elements and the alignment assembly automatically align and hold the first and second portions together without the fasteners.
10. A device, comprising:
a first portion and a corresponding second portion that both have edges extending between corners; and,
the first portion including a touchpad facing away from the second portion and a metal strip facing toward the second portion;
the metal strip interacting with magnets in the second portion to bias the edges of the first portion and the edges of the second portion toward one another,
the first portion and the second portion each contributing to an alignment assembly that includes alignment pins in the corners of the second portion that automatically laterally align with pin receptacles in the metal strip as the first and second portions are biased toward one another by magnetic elements in the second portion and the metal strip in the first portion, and,
fasteners that extend through the corners of the second portion adjacent to the alignment pins and are received in the metal strip to secure the first and second portions together.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the metal strip extends along all of the edges and all of the corners of the first portion.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the metal strip contacts both the first portion and the second portion.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the metal strip comprises a single metal strip that extends around an entirety of a perimeter of the first portion.
14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic elements and fasteners secure the first and second portions together without adhesive.
15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the fasteners are recessed in the second portion.
16. The device of claim 15 , further comprising feet that are removably secured to the second portion over the fasteners.
17. A mobile computing device, comprising:
a first portion that defines an upper side that includes an input device and a lower side that faces a second portion, the lower side comprising a metal strip extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the first portion,
the second portion comprising magnets that engage the metal strip to bias a periphery of the second portion toward the periphery of the first portion,
the second portion comprising alignment pins that engage pin receptacles in the metal strip and adjacent fasteners that extend through the second portion into recesses in the metal strip, and wherein the fasteners are recessed in the second portion and covered by removeable feet.
18. The mobile computing device of claim 17 , further comprising a processor positioned between the upper side and the lower side of the first portion.
19. The mobile computing device of claim 17 , wherein the metal strip comprises a single metal strip that extends around an entirety of the periphery of the first portion.
20. The mobile computing device of claim 17 , wherein the metal strip contacts both the first portion and the second portion and the fasteners compress the first portion and the second portion together against the metal strip.