Housing assembly and electronic device using the same

An housing assembly includes an outer housing, an antenna cover, a support member, and an elastic member. The outer housing defines an antenna opening. The antenna cover is positioned in the antenna opening of the outer housing. The support member is positioned in the outer housing. The support member forms an assembly portion for receiving the antenna module. The assembly portion is aligned with the antenna opening. The elastic member is positioned between the support member and the antenna cover, generating elastic force snugly fixing the antenna cover to the outer housing. An electronic device using the housing assembly is also provided.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to housing assemblies, more particularly, to a housing assembly for an electronic device.

2. Description of Related Art

An electronic device such as a mobile phone uses an antenna to receive signals from a communication base station. The antenna is either internal or external. The internal antenna is positioned in the electronic device to maintain a small size.

The electronic device using the internal antenna defines an antenna opening in a housing thereof. A plastic antenna cover is positioned in and closes and opens the antenna opening. The internal antenna receives and sends signals through the antenna opening and the antenna cover. The antenna cover is often fixed to the housing by screws, which can consume considerable time during assembly and disassembly, be unsightly, and the antenna cover may not align with the housing. Therefore, the appearance of the electronic device can be compromised.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A definition that applies throughout this disclosure will now be presented. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other feature that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. Referring toFIGS. 1 through 3, an embodiment of an electronic device100includes a housing assembly20, an antenna module30, and a touch panel40. The antenna module30and the touch panel40are positioned in the housing assembly20. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic device100is a tablet computer.

A housing assembly20includes an outer housing11, a support member13, an antenna cover14, and an elastic member15between the support member13and the antenna cover14. The support member13, the antenna cover14, and the elastic member15are positioned in the outer housing11.

The outer housing11includes a bottom plate112and a side plate113extending from an edge thereof. The bottom plate112and side plate113cooperatively define a receiving groove115. The antenna module30, the touch panel40, and the support member13are received in the receiving groove115of the outer housing11. The outer housing11defines an antenna opening114. In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna opening114is defined in an end of the bottom plate112adjacent to the side plate113. The outer housing11is metal, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, titanium or stainless steel. A thickness of the outer housing11is less than or equal to about 1.2 millimeters (mm).

The support member13forms an assembly portion131for receiving the antenna module30. The support member13is adhered to or tightly fastened to the outer housing11, with the assembly portion131corresponding to the antenna opening114. In the illustrated embodiment, the support member13is a substantially rectangular frame. The support member13is plastic, so that a signal sent by the touch panel40can transmit through the support member13and transmit via the antenna opening114.

Referring toFIG. 3again, the assembly portion131includes a bottom surface1311and a sidewall1312extending from an edge of the bottom surface1311. The bottom surface1311and the sidewall1312cooperatively define an assembly groove1313. When the assembly portion131is fixed to the outer housing11, the bottom surface1311closes the antenna opening114. The bottom surface1311further defines a positioning groove1315(seeFIG. 2) for the elastic member15.

The antenna cover14includes a main portion141corresponding to the antenna opening114and a flange142extending from an edge of the main portion141. In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna cover14is plastic. The elastic member15is positioned in the positioning groove1315, and the antenna cover14is received in the antenna opening114, so that the elastic member15can generate an elastic force securely fitting the antenna cover14with the outer housing11.

Referring toFIG. 4, in the illustrated embodiment, the elastic member15is metal. The elastic member15includes a substantially rectangular frame152having four sidebars including a first sidebar1521, a second sidebar1522, a third sidebar1523and a fourth sidebar1524and a connecting portion153in a middle portion of the frame152connecting the first side bar1521and third sidebar1523of the frame152. The first sidebar1521is connected to the second sidebar1522and fourth sidebar1524at right angles to the respective ends of the first sidebar1521. The third sidebar1523is connected to the second sidebar1522and fourth sidebar1524at right angles to the respective ends of the fourth sidebar1524. The second sidebar1522and the fourth sidebar1524have curved portions155. The frame152includes a plurality of elastic support portions154formed by punching The positioning groove1315includes a substantially rectangular groove1316corresponding to the frame152, and a connecting groove1317corresponding to the connecting portion153, so that the elastic member15is easily assembled to the positioning groove1315of the support member13.

In assembly of the housing assembly20, the antenna cover14is positioned in the antenna opening114of the outer housing11with the flange142attached to the inner surface of the outer housing11. The elastic member15is positioned in the positioning groove1315of the support member13. The support member13is fixed to the outer housing11. When elastic support portions154of the elastic member15resist the antenna cover14, elastic force generated thereby snugly fits the antenna cover14to the outer housing11. Correspondingly, no height difference occurs between the antenna cover14and the outer housing11. After the housing assembly20is assembled, the antenna module30is positioned in the assembly groove1313of the support member13. The touch panel40is positioned in the receiving groove115of the outer housing11, and attached to the support member13. In use, the antenna module30receives and sends signals through the antenna opening114and the antenna cover14.