Two-shot knuckles for coupling electrically isolated sections of an electronic device and methods for making the same
Two shot knuckles include a first shot component and a second shot component. Both shot components are composed of different dielectric materials, where the first shot is composed of a relatively high strength structural material and the second is composed of a cosmetic material. The first shot component can physically couple two conductive sections together by interfacing with a coupling structure of that section. The first shot component includes second shot retaining regions and a cosmetic region. The second shot component occupies the cosmetic region and anchors itself to the first shot component using the second shot retaining regions. The second shot may be the only part of the two-shot knuckle visible to a user of an electronic device and can exhibit any desired color.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a first conductive segment defining a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, the first conductive segment having a first protrusion extending into an interior of the electronic device, the first protrusion defining a first cavity;
a second conductive segment defining a second portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, the second conductive segment having a second protrusion extending into the interior of the electronic device, the second protrusion defining a second cavity, the second conductive segment separated from the first conductive segment by a gap; and
a non-conductive structure extending into the gap, filling the first cavity and the second cavity, and defining a shell at least partially covering a first surface of the first protrusion and a second surface of the second protrusion, the first surface of the first protrusion and the second surface of the second protrusion facing the interior of the electronic device.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the exterior surface is a first exterior surface;
the second conductive segment defines a second exterior surface; and
the non-conductive structure defines a third exterior surface flush with the first exterior surface and the second exterior surface.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an enclosure including the first conductive segment, the second conductive segment, and the non-conductive structure; and
at least one electrical circuit housed within the enclosure; wherein,
the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment are connected to the at least one electrical circuit and configured to support an electrical function of the electronic device.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive structure comprises a plastic.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive structure comprises a glass filled nylon.
6. An enclosure for a portable electronic device, the enclosure comprising:
a first section formed from a first conductive material and defining both a coupling structure and a first portion of an exterior surface of the enclosure, the coupling structure defining a cavity;
a second section formed from a second conductive material and defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure;
a first material at least partially filling the cavity, and defining a shell at least partially covering an interior-facing surface of the coupling structure, the interior-facing surface opposite the first portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure; and
a second material, different from the first material, extending into a gap between the first section and the second section and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure.
7. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein:
the coupling structure is a first coupling structure;
the cavity is a first cavity;
the interior-facing surface is a first interior-facing surface;
the second conductive material defines a second coupling structure of the second section, the second coupling structure defines a second cavity;
the first material at least partially fills the second cavity; and
the shell at least partially covers a second interior-facing surface of the second coupling structure, the second interior-facing surface opposite the second portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure.
8. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein:
the first conductive material and the second conductive material comprises a metal; and
the second material comprises a plastic or a nylon.
9. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein:
the first section comprises a first solder pad providing a first connection to circuitry within the enclosure; and
the second section comprises a second solder pad providing a second connection to the circuitry within the enclosure.
10. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein the first material extends between the first section and the second section.
11. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein the second material directly contacts the first material.
12. An enclosure for a portable electronic device, the enclosure comprising:
a first conductive section having a first protrusion extending into an interior of the portable electronic device, the first protrusion offset from a first end of the first conductive section and defining a first cavity;
a second conductive section having a second end and a second protrusion, the second protrusion defining a second cavity, wherein a first gap separates the first end from the second end, a second gap separates the first protrusion from the second protrusion, and the first gap and the second gap have different widths; and
a dielectric coupling the first conductive section to the second conductive section and extending into the first gap and the second gap, into the first cavity and the second cavity, and defining a shell at least partially covering at least one of an interior-facing surface of the first protrusion or an interior-facing surface of the second protrusion.
13. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the first protrusion is integrally formed with the first conductive section.
14. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the second gap has a greater width than the first gap.
15. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein:
the first conductive section defines an exterior surface of the enclosure; and
the interior-facing surface of the first protrusion is opposite the exterior surface.
16. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the first conductive section and the second conductive section are configured to support an electrical function of the portable electronic device.
17. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the shell reveals an exposed surface of the first protrusion.
18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the shell reveals an exposed surface of the second protrusion.
19. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein a conductor is conductively coupled to the exposed surface of the first protrusion.
20. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first protrusion defines a through-hole; and
the non-conductive structure extends through the through-hole of the first protrusion.