PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9629272-B1
Application Number: US-201514720376-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Electronic device with array of reworkable components

Abstract:
An array of electrical components may be mounted in openings in an electronic device housing. Gaskets may be used to seal the electrical components to a housing wall. The housing wall may be planar or may have a cylindrical shape or other curved shape. The electrical components may be mounted to the housing wall using screws and nuts. Each nut may have a central member with opposing stops at the ends of the central member. An opening in each central member may receive a screw to allow the nut to rotate between an installation position and a locked position. The openings in the housing wall may have scalloped extensions that allow the nuts to clear the housing wall while the components are being inserted into the housing. Following installation, the nuts may be rotated into the locked positions.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing have a housing wall with an opening; 
 an electrical component; and 
 at least one screw and at least one corresponding nut that mount the electrical component within the opening, wherein the nut moves between an installation position that allows the electrical component to be installed within the opening and a locked position in which the electrical component is secured to the housing wall and wherein the nut has a first stop that bears against the electrical component when the nut is in the installation position and a second stop that bears against the electrical component when the nut is in the locked position. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the housing wall has a curved surface and wherein the electrical component has a curved exterior surface portion that matches the curved surface of the housing wall. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  wherein the housing comprises a cylindrical housing and wherein the housing wall forms a curved cylindrical surface for the cylindrical housing. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  wherein the housing comprises metal. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electrical component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of: a light source, a light detector, a speaker, and a sensor. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electrical component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of: a light source and a speaker. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein the housing comprises an array of openings including the opening and wherein additional electrical components are mounted in the array of openings using respective screws and nuts that rotate between an installation position and a locked position. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic component has an exterior surface with an opening that receives a shaft of the screw. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 8  further comprising an elastomeric gasket that is compressed between the housing wall and the electronic component when the nut is in the locked position. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 9  wherein the electronic component has a circular exterior surface and wherein the elastomeric gasket comprises a ring-shaped gasket. 
     
     
       11. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having a housing wall with an array of openings; 
 a plurality of electrical components each of which is mounted in a respective one of the openings; and 
 a plurality of screws and corresponding nuts that mount the electrical components within the respective openings, wherein each nut is movable between an installation position that allows the electrical component to be installed within the opening and a locked position in which the electrical component is secured to the housing wall. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein each electrical component is installed in a respective one of the openings before rotating the nuts to the locked positions and wherein each opening has a plurality of outwardly protruding extensions, each extension being configured to allow a corresponding one of the nuts to pass through the opening during installation. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  wherein each nut has a first stop that bears against an electrical component stop surface when the nut is in the installation position and a second stop that bears against the electrical component stop surface when the nut is in the locked position. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein each nut has a threaded central member with opposing ends that support the first and second stops. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the electrical component stop surface comprises a planar electrical component stop surface, wherein the first and second stops comprises respective first and second planar stops, wherein the first planar stop is parallel to the planar electrical component stop surface when the nut is in the installation position, and wherein the second planar stop is parallel to the planar electrical component stop surface when the nut is in the locked position. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein each electrical component is an audio component with a circular outline. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein each electrical component is a light-based component. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the array includes 20-100 of the openings, wherein there are 20-100 of the electrical components mounted in the openings, and wherein the housing wall comprises a curved housing wall. 
     
     
       19. An electronic device, comprising:
 a cylindrical housing surrounding an interior region and being surrounded by an exterior region, wherein the cylindrical housing has a cylindrical housing wall covered with an array of openings passing between the exterior region and the interior region; 
 a plurality of electrical components each of which is mounted in a respective one of the openings; and 
 screws and nuts that mount the electrical components within the respective openings, wherein each of the electrical components is mounted in a respective one of the openings with a plurality of the screws and a plurality of the nuts, wherein each opening has scalloped extensions, and wherein each scalloped extension allows a respective one of the nuts to pass from the exterior region into the interior region. 
 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein each electrical component has a circular outline, wherein each opening has a circular shape with at least four of the scalloped extensions, wherein the array of openings has 20-100 openings, wherein a circular elastomeric gasket is interposed between a portion of each electrical component and a portion of the cylindrical housing wall surrounding the opening in which that electrical component is mounted, and wherein the nuts are each rotatable between an installation position in which the nut clears the cylindrical housing wall and passes through one of the scalloped extensions and a locked position in which the nut secures one of electrical components to the housing.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/057,785, filed Sep. 30, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices with electronic components mounted to device housings. 
     Electronic devices include electronic components. Some components such as integrated circuits and batteries are mounted within interior portions of electronic device housings. Other components are mounted on the exteriors of housings. For example, components that emit or receive light or sound are often mounted in exposed locations on housings to facilitate proper operation of the components in supplying output and receiving input. 
     In some device designs, it may be desirable to mount multiple components in an array. For example, some electronic components benefit from operation as a coordinated group. It may be helpful in such arrangements to mount components in close proximity to each other. If care is not taken, components may be damaged during installation, damage may be created to the housing to which the components are being mounted, components may be difficult to repair when faults are detected, or components may consume more space within a device than desired. 
     It would be desirable to be able to address these challenges with a mounting scheme that is suitable for use when mounting components in a variety of housings. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may have a housing wall. An array of electrical components may be mounted in a corresponding array of openings in the housing wall. The components may be audio components, light-based components, sensors, or other electrical components. Gaskets may be used to seal the electrical components to the housing wall. 
     The housing wall may be planar or may be curved. Curved housing walls may have cylindrical shapes to form cylindrical housings. The array of openings in the housing may cover some or all of the surface of the cylindrical housing wall. Each electrical component may have a connector that is coupled to a signal path in the electrical device 
     The electrical components may be mounted to the housing wall using screws and nuts. Each nut may have a central member with opposing stops at the ends of the central member. An opening in the central member may allow each nut to rotate between an installation position and a locked position. The openings in the housing wall may have scalloped protrusions that allow the nuts to clear the housing wall while the components are being inserted into the housing. Following installation, the nuts may be rotated into the locked positions by rotating the screws. The screws may be tightened to hold the components firmly against the housing. If it is desired to repair a component after the component has been mounted in the device, the screws and nuts may be rotated in the opposite direction to unlock the nuts and release the components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a handheld electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a tablet computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a computer display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is perspective of an illustrative electronic device such as a computing device or other device with a cylindrical housing that surrounds an interior region and that is surrounded by an exterior region in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic component being mounted in an opening in a device housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative electronic component of  FIG. 6  following mounting of the component to the device housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device showing how an array of components may be mounted to the exterior of a device housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of an illustrative electronic component with a circular outline in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of an illustrative electronic component with an oval outline in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of an illustrative electronic component with a rectangular outline in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of an illustrative electronic component with a hexagonal outline in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic component with a trapezoidal cross section in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic component with a smoothly tapered cross section in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic component with a cross section that is tapered in a step-wise fashion in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic component with a cross section that is triangular in shape and has untapered portions in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is a top view of an illustrative component with a flat outer surface that has been mounted in an opening in a cylindrical housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a top view of an illustrative component with a curved outer surface that has been mounted in an opening in a cylindrical housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of an illustrative electronic device in which a component is being mounted in an opening in a housing with a curved surface such as a cylindrical housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 20  is an exploded perspective view of an interior portion of an illustrative electrical component and an illustrative screw and nut for mounting the component in the housing of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 21  is an interior view of an illustrative mounting nut in an installation position that permits installation of an electronic component to a housing from the exterior of the housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 22  is an interior view of the mounting nut of  FIG. 21  in a locked position suitable for maintaining the component in a mounted position on the exterior of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 23  is an exploded cross-sectional side view of an electrical component and housing to which the electrical component may be mounted using a screw and nut in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional side view of the component and housing of  FIG. 23  following locking of the nut in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 25  is a cross-sectional top view of an illustrative component that is being mounted to an electronic device housing using a nut that is captured in a track while the nut is being tightened during mounting of the component in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 26  is a cross-sectional top view of an illustrative component mounting arrangement having a structure such as a housing structure or component structure that helps stabilize a tip portion of a mounting screw in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may include components. The components may be light-based components, audio components, sensors, or other electrical components. The components may be mounted within the interior of an electronic device and/or may be mounted on the exterior of an electronic device. Configurations in which electrical components are exposed on the exterior of a housing may facilitate signal input and output operations using the components (e.g., light signals, acoustic signals, temperature information, etc.). Accordingly, configurations in which components are mounted within openings in housing surfaces are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     In some devices, it may be desirable to mount multiple components in proximity to each other. For example, optical components may be mounted in proximity to each other to form a display with an array of pixels or other light output device (e.g., a light-based status indicator), speakers may be mounted in an array to form a phased speaker array or to provide enhanced output levels, microphones may be mounted in an array to gather audio information from multiple directions, proximity sensors may be mounted in an array to create a touch or motion input device that can capture input from a user&#39;s hand or other external object, and other sensors and input-output components may be mounted in arrays to enhance the ability of a device to gather input and provide output. 
     Multiple components may be mounted adjacent to one another in a regular array having one or more rows and one or more columns of electrical components. Components may also be organized in a less regular fashion such as a pseudorandom pattern on the surface of a device housing. 
     Illustrative electronic devices that may be provided with components are shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 . 
     Illustrative electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  has the shape of a laptop computer having upper housing  12 A and lower housing  12 B with components such as keyboard  16  and touchpad  18 . Device  10  may have hinge structures  20  that allow upper housing  12 A to rotate in directions  22  about rotational axis  24  relative to lower housing  12 B. Display  14  may be mounted in upper housing  12 A. Upper housing  12 A, which may sometimes be referred to as a display housing or lid, may be placed in a closed position by rotating upper housing  12 A towards lower housing  12 B about rotational axis  24 . 
       FIG. 2  shows how electronic device  10  may be a handheld device such as a cellular telephone, music player, gaming device, navigation unit, or other compact device. In this type of configuration for device  10 , housing  12  may have opposing front and rear surfaces. Display  14  may be mounted on a front face of housing  12 . Display  14  may, if desired, have openings for components such as button  26 . Openings may also be formed in display  14  to accommodate a speaker port (see, e.g., speaker port  28  of  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 3  shows how electronic device  10  may be a tablet computer. In electronic device  10  of  FIG. 3 , housing  12  may have opposing planar front and rear surfaces. Display  14  may be mounted on the front surface of housing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , display  14  may have an opening to accommodate button  26  (as an example). 
       FIG. 4  shows how electronic device  10  may be a computer display, a computer that has been integrated into a computer display, or a display for other electronic equipment. With this type of arrangement, housing  12  for device  10  may be mounted on a support structure such as stand  30  or stand  30  may be omitted (e.g., stand  30  can be omitted when mounting device  10  on a wall). Display  14  may be mounted on a front face of housing  12 . 
       FIG. 5  shows how electronic device  10  may have a cylindrical housing. Device  10  may be, for example, a desktop computer such as the Mac Pro computer available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Housing  12  may have an input-output connector region such as region  32  that contains input-output connectors (e.g., Universal Serial Bus connectors and other digital signal connectors, power connectors, audio connectors, memory card slots, and other input-output connectors). Upper surface  12 - 1  of housing  12  may be planar or may have curved surfaces (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). Sidewall  12 - 2  of housing  12  may have a curved surface so that housing  12  has a cylindrical shape (as an example). Housing  12  may also have other shapes (e.g., conical shapes, pyramidal shapes with curved and/or planar sidewall surfaces, spherical housing shapes, other shapes, and combinations of these shapes). 
     Housing  12  may have a vertical dimension (height in dimension Z) that is larger than its lateral (horizontal) dimensions (i.e., widths in dimensions X and Y). Configurations in which housing  12  is shorter in height and wider in width may also be used. If desired, part of housing  12  may be cylindrical and part of housing  12  may have one or more planar sidewalls. For example, housing  12  may have the shape of a half cylinder in which the front portion of housing  12  has a cylindrical shape and the rear portion of housing  12  has a planar rear housing wall. Other shapes with cylindrical surfaces may also be used (e.g., quarter cylinders, three-quarter cylinders, etc.). Display  14  may be mounted in housing  12  or may be omitted from device  10  of  FIG. 5 . 
     The illustrative configurations for device  10  that are shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5  are merely illustrative. In general, electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, an accessory such as a charging station, a stand for a display, speaker or other electronic device, an alarm clock, a speaker, a docking station, an amplifier, a projector, a camera, a video camera, gaming equipment, a television cable box or other set-top box, lighting equipment, a motion sensor, a touch pad or other input-output device that gathers data from a touch sensor(s), networked attached storage or other data storage device, a wireless access point, a router, or other network equipment, other equipment, or equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices. 
     Housing  12  of device  10 , which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed of materials such as plastic, glass, ceramics, carbon-fiber composites and other fiber-based composites, metal (e.g., machined aluminum, stainless steel, or other metals), other materials, or a combination of these materials. Device  10  may be formed using a unibody construction in which most or all of housing  12  is formed from a single structural element (e.g., a piece of machined metal or a piece of molded plastic) or may be formed from multiple housing structures (e.g., outer housing structures that have been mounted to internal frame elements or other internal housing structures). 
     Display  14  may be a touch sensitive display that includes a touch sensor or may be insensitive to touch. Touch sensors for display  14  may be formed from an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, a resistive touch array, touch sensor structures based on acoustic touch, optical touch, or force-based touch technologies, or other suitable touch sensor components. 
     Display  14  may include display pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, organic light-emitting diode pixels, or other suitable image pixel structures. If desired, display  14  may be omitted from device  10  (e.g., to conserve space) or multiple displays such as display  14  may be included in device  10  (e.g., in an array). Light-based status indicators and other input-output devices may be used to supplement information displayed on display  14  or may be used to provide a user with status information and other output when display  14  has been omitted. 
     If desired, one or more electrical components may be mounted on housing  12 . For example, a single component or an array of components may be mounted in the position(s) of illustrative component(s)  34  of  FIG. 5  or elsewhere on housing  12  of  FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 , or  5  or on other electronic device housings. Electrical components  34  may be mounted on a planar housing wall or a curved housing wall. Components  34  may, for example, be mounted an a surface of housing  12  where housing  12  has a non-planar surface such as where housing wall  12 - 2  of  FIG. 5  is curved (e.g., curved on the side of a cylinder). In general, components  34  may be mounted on a curved surface such as a corner of a housing, a rounded edge of a housing, a curved sidewall, a curved front wall, a curved rear wall of housing  12 , a curved top wall, etc. Configurations in which housing  12  has a cylindrical surface on which components  34  are mounted in an array (e.g., configurations of the type shown in  FIG. 5  in which components  34  are mounted in an array on some or all of curved cylindrical outer surface  12 - 2  of housing  12 ) are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     The electrical components that are mounted to housing  12  such as components  34  of  FIG. 5  may be electrical components such as light-emitting diodes, lamps, displays, lasers, or other light-emitting components, may be vibrators, buzzers, speakers, tone-generators, microphones, or other acoustic components, may be sensors such as touch sensors, temperature sensors, accelerometers, compasses, gyroscopes, position sensors, proximity sensors, or may be other suitable electronic components. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , each component  34  may be mounted in a respective opening in housing wall  12 - 2  such as opening  36 . Component  34  may be mounted from the exterior of device  10  or from the interior of housing  12 . After component  34  has been placed within opening  36 , fasteners or other suitable attachment mechanisms (e.g., clips, adhesive, springs, other engagement features, etc.) may be used in securing component  34  to housing wall  12 - 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , component  34  may be mounted so that some or all of exterior component surface  40  is flush (or nearly flush) with outer surface  38  of housing wall  12 - 2 . In configurations in which housing wall  12 - 2  is curved (e.g., when wall  12 - 2  forms part of a cylinder), external component surface  38  may have a matching curved surface (e.g., some or all of the curvature of surface  40  of component  34  may match (or nearly match) the curvature of housing wall surface  38 . 
     Electrical components  34  may be coupled to control circuitry using signal paths such as signal path  42  of  FIG. 7 . Signal path  42  may include one or more conductive lines on printed circuits or other substrates, wires, optical fibers, light-pipes, cables, plastic carriers with metal traces or other electrical signal lines, or other signal paths. The electrical and/or optical paths that are coupled to components  34  may be used to carry power signals, digital and/or analog signals (e.g., control signals, image data, audio signals, sensor information, etc.), or other signals. 
     Connectors such as connector  44  of  FIG. 7  may be used to facilitate attachment of the electrical components to signal path  42 . For example, components  34  may each have a respective connector such as connector  44  of  FIG. 7  that mates with a corresponding connector on an optical and/or electrical cable or other signal path  42 . Connector  44  may be a zero insertion force cable or other printed circuit connector, may be a coaxial connector or other rotationally symmetric connector for audio and/or radio-frequency signals, may be a power connector, may be a Universal Serial Bus connector or other digital data connector, may be an Ethernet connector, may be an audio connector, may be an optical connector, may be a male connector, may be a female connector, may be a locking connector, may be an reversible (orientation independent) connector with two or more operating positions, or may be any other suitable connector. If desired, connector  44  may have mating contacts that can be coupled and decoupled without using a fixed connection such as a solder or conductive adhesive connection Alternatively, connections between component  34  and a signal path may be made by using solder or conductive adhesive to join mating contacts (e.g., contacts on components  34  and mating contacts on a cable, printed circuit substrate, or other carrier with metal traces or other electrical signal lines). 
     Components such as component  34  of  FIG. 7  may contain subcomponents such as subcomponents  46  and  48 . Subcomponent  46  may be located near the front face of component  34  and may be a lens or lens system (e.g., when component  34  is an optical component), may be a diaphragm or speaker grill (e.g., when component  34  is a speaker), may be a microphone diaphragm, may be an optically or acoustically transparent window structure, may be a dielectric member (e.g., to form a window that allows electromagnetic signals for a sensor to pass through the window), may be a thermally conductive member that allows heat to pass into component  34 , or may be other suitable front-of-component subcomponent. Subcomponent  48  may be a light source such as a light-emitting diode, laser, or lamp, may be a light detector such as an image sensor or photodetector, may be a speaker driver (e.g., a driver that drives a diaphragm), may be a temperature sensor such as a solid state temperature sensor or a thermocouple, may be a motion sensor, capacitive sensor, or other type of sensor, or may be other suitable electrical subcomponent for supporting the operation of component  34 . 
     If desired, components  34  may be mounted in a continuous (or nearly continuous) array of rows and columns on the outer curved surface of cylindrical housing wall  12 - 2 , as shown in the illustrative cross-sectional side view of device  10  in  FIG. 8 . Components  34  may also be mounted on internal housing structures and/or walls such as upper wall  12 - 1 . An optional covering such as covering  50  may be used to cover components  34 . Covering  50  may be acoustically transparent (e.g., covering  50  may be a plastic mesh and/or metal mesh or other cover with openings to allow sound to pass), may be optically transparent (e.g., by using a transparent or semi-transparent material or pattern of material such as frosted glass, plastic with a thin semitransparent coating or patterned coating layer), may be sufficiently thermal conductive to allow temperature measurements to be made through covering  50  (e.g., a thin metal cover), or may be any other suitable covering structure for improving device aesthetics, enhancing component protection, etc. 
     There may be any suitable number of components  34  in the array of components on wall  12 - 2  (e.g., one or more, two or more, five or more, 10 or more, 20 or more, 50 or more 2-200, 5-150, 20-100, less than 100, less than 50, less than 300, less than 20, 20-70, 20-100, or other suitable number). The distance between adjacent components  34  may be less than 10 mm, 2-5 mm, less than 20 mm, more than 3 mm, between 1-15 mm, less than 5 mm, etc. 
     It may be challenging to mount components  34  to housing  12 - 2  in configurations in which components  34  are spaced closely together, because certain fasteners for attaching components  34  to housing  12 - 2  may be difficult to accommodate within limited spaces. With one suitable arrangement, which is sometimes described herein as an example, attachment mechanisms may be used that permit components  34  to be spaced closely to each other. In this type of arrangement, screws and mating nuts may form two-position lockable fasteners for attaching components  34  to housing wall  12 - 2 . In a first of the two positions (sometimes referred to as the “installation” position), the nuts are positioned to clear the edges of opening  36  to allow component  34  to be inserted within housing wall  12 - 2 . After installation within housing  12  in this way, the nuts may be placed in a second of the two positions (sometimes referred to as the “locked” position) in which the nuts can be tightened to hold component  34  in place. 
     Components  34  may have any suitable shapes such as box shapes, frustoconical shapes (e.g., frustoconical shapes with planar and/or curved ends), pyramidal shapes, shapes with front surfaces that are wider than their opposing rear surfaces, shapes with curved edges and/or straight edges, shapes with curved front surfaces, etc.), cone shapes, step-wise varying cone shapes, spherical shapes, disk shapes, shapes with combinations of curved and straight edges and planar and/or curved sidewalls, etc.).  FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12  are front views of illustrative shapes that may be used for components  34 . In the example of  FIG. 9 , component  34  has a circular outline when viewed from the front (i.e., when viewed from the exterior of device  10  when component  34  has been mounted in housing sidewall  12 - 2 ). In the example of  FIG. 10 , component  34  has an oval outline when viewed from the front.  FIG. 11  shows how component  34  may have a rectangular outline when viewed from the front. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 12 , component  34  has a hexagonal shape when viewed from the front. Other shapes may be used for component  34  if desired. The examples of  FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12  are merely illustrative. 
     Cross-sectional side views of components  34  of different illustrative shapes are shown in  FIGS. 13, 14, 15, and 16 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , component  34  may have a front face such as front face  34 - 1 , an opposing rear face such as rear face  34 - 2 , and side surfaces such as surfaces  34 - 3 . Some or all of front face  34 - 1  may lie flush with outer surface  38  of housing  12 - 2  (i.e., front face  34 - 1  of component  34  may form exterior surface  40  of  FIG. 7 ). In the example of  FIG. 13 , front face  34 - 1  has larger lateral dimensions (in vertical dimension Z and horizontal dimension X) than rear face  34 - 2 . Side surfaces  34 - 3  form a tapering shape so that component  34  is wider at the front than at the rear. Side surfaces  34 - 3  are straight in the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 13 . In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 14 , side surfaces  34 - 3  have smoothly tapering curved profiles.  FIG. 15  shows how side surfaces  34 - 3  may progressively narrow component  34  in a step-wise fashion. In the example of  FIG. 16 , side surfaces  34 - 3  have portions in which component  34  does not taper and portions in which component  34  tapers. Connector  44  may be mounted on rear surface  34 - 2  of component  34  or elsewhere in component  34 . If desired, other side profiles may be used for component  34  (e.g., tapered and/or non-tapered profiles). The configurations of  FIGS. 13, 14, 15, and 16  are shown as examples. 
     It may be desirable to provide front face  34 - 1  of component  34  with a surface shape that matches the surface shape of housing wall  12 - 2 . For example, if housing wall  12 - 2  has a cylindrical shape with a curved (circular) outer surface, component  34  may have a matching curved outer surface.  FIG. 17  is a top view of an illustrative configuration in which component  34  has a front surface (surface  34 - 1 ) that is planar. As a result, surface  34 - 1  does not match the curvature of the curved outer surface of cylindrical housing wall  12 - 2 .  FIG. 18  shows how component  34  may be provided with a curved outer surface (surface  34 - 1 ) that matches the curved outer surface of cylindrical housing wall  12 - 2 . If desired, peripheral edges of surface  34 - 1  or other portion of surface  34 - 1  may match the curved surface of cylindrical housing wall  12 - 2  and other portions (e.g., central portion  34 - 1 ′) may have other surface shapes (e.g., protruding and/or recessed, planar, dome-shaped, etc.). 
       FIG. 18  shows how screws  54  may be screwed into mating nuts  56  to mount component  34  to housing  12 . An elastomeric material such as elastomeric gasket  52  may be interposed between peripheral edge portions of the front of component  34  and housing wall  12 - 2 . This may help form a seal between component  34  and housing wall  12 - 2 . The use of a seal may help prevent the passage of dust, sound, light, air, etc. into and out of housing  12 , thereby ensuring that component  34  perform satisfactorily. Nut  56  may be a rotatable threaded member that has two positions: an installation position in which nut  56  clears housing  12  and allows component  34  to be installed within device  12  and a locking (locked) position in which portions of nut  56  bear against inner surface  58  of housing wall  12 - 2 . In the locked position, nut  56  helps pull component  34  inwardly into device  10  and helps compress elastomeric gasket  52  sufficiently to form a satisfactory seal between housing wall  12 - 2  and component  34 . 
       FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of an illustrative component being mounted to an opening in an electronic device housing. As shown in  FIG. 19 , component  34  may have screw hole openings such as openings  64 . Openings  64  may receive the shafts of screws  54  when component  34  is being mounted to housing  12 . Component  34  may have a front surface such as surface  34 - 1  that is mounted flush with the exterior surface of housing wall  12 - 2 . If desired, only a portion of surface  34 - 1  may have the same curvature as wall  12 - 2 . For example, central portion  34 - 1 ′ may have a depressed shape (e.g., an inwardly protruding dome shape or other recessed shape), may have a planar surface, may have a protruding shape (e.g., an outwardly protruding dome shape), and/or may have other shapes (e.g., shapes associated with concave and/or convex optical lenses, shapes associated with concave and/or convex speaker or microphone diaphragms, etc.). In this type of configuration, the portion of surface  34 - 1  that runs around the peripheral edges of portion  34 - 1 ′ may lie flush with housing wall  12 - 2 . Housing wall  12 - 2  may form a cylindrical shape with a curved surface. The curvature of surface  34 - 1  (or the peripheral portion of surface  34 - 1  surrounding region  34 - 1 ′) may match the cylindrical curvature of housing wall  12 - 2  when component  34  is mounted in housing wall  12 - 2 . 
     When component  34  is mounted in housing  12 , the outer peripheral edge of portion  34 - 1  of component  34  may be aligned with mounting region  60  on housing  12 - 2 . Gasket  52  may have a ring shape with an outer diameter that matches the shape of region  60  and an inner dimension sufficient to provide clearance for opening  36  in housing  12 . Opening  36  may have outwardly protruding portions such as scalloped protrusions  62  or protrusions of other shapes to help accommodate nuts  56  during installation of component  34 . In the example of  FIG. 19 , there are four sets of screws and nuts associated with mounting component  34  to housing  12 , so there are four corresponding screw holes  64  in component  34  and four corresponding scalloped opening extensions such as protrusions  62 . If desired, a different number of screws and nuts may be used in mounting each component  34  to housing  12 . 
       FIG. 20  is an exploded interior perspective view of a portion of component  34 , a portion of gasket  52 , one of openings  64 , one of screws  54 , and one of nuts  56 . As shown in  FIG. 20 , the shaft of screw  54  passes through opening  64  in component  34  and is received within threaded opening  70  of nut (threaded member)  56 . The shaft of screws  54  may have threads  78  that engage with corresponding threads in opening  70  and thereby attach nut  56  to screw  54  so that screw  54  and nut  56  rotate in unison about rotational axis  74  until further rotation of nut  56  is impeded by contact between nut  56  and portions of component  34 . If desired, locking adhesive may be applied to threads  78  and the threads of nut  56  to help secure nut  56  to the shaft of screw  54 . Before the locking adhesive sets, nut  56  can rotate freely on screw  54 . After the locking adhesive sets, nut  56  will be secured to screw  54  until sufficient force is applied to release the adhesive bond between nut  56  and screw  54 . 
     Nut  56  may have a central body portion such as body portion  68  in which opening  70  is formed. At opposing ends of body  68 , nut  56  may be provided with stop surfaces such as planar stop surface  66  and planar stop surface  72 . Component  34  may have a corresponding stop surface such as planar electrical component stop surface  76  adjacent to opening  64 . Nut  56  is configured so that stop surface  66  rests against stop surface  76  (with the plane of surface  66  parallel to the plane of surface  76 ) or so that stop surface  72  rests against stop surface  76  (with the plane of surface  72  parallel to the plane of surface  76 ). Surfaces  66  and  76  will be parallel when nut  56  is in its installation position. Surfaces  72  and  76  will be parallel when nut  56  is in its locked position. Nut  56  may be rotated by 90° or other suitable angle to transition between the position in which stop surface  66  is resting against stop surface  76  and the position in which stop surface  72  is resting against stop surface  76 . 
       FIG. 21  is an interior view of component  34  and housing wall  12 - 2  in which nut  56  has been placed in its in its installation (unlocked) position. Nut  56  may be placed in this position prior to installation of component  34  in housing  12  or may be returned to this position from the locked position by rotation of screw  54  about axis  74  in direction  80 . For example, nut  56  may be moved to the installation position from the locked position when it is desired to remove component  34  from device  10  for rework or repair (e.g., to replace component  34  in the event that component  34  is faulty). As nut  56  is rotated in direction  80 , stop surface  66  of nut  56  comes into contact with stop surface  76  of component  34 . As surface  66  bears against surface  76 , additional rotation of nut  56  about axis  74  is inhibited. The size and shape of nut  56  is preferably configured to allow nut  56  to clear scalloped opening extension  62  of housing wall  12 - 2 . This allows component  34  to be installed into opening  36 . Nut  56  may be rotated by 90° or other suitable angle to move nut  56  between the installation position and the locked position. 
     Because the shaft of screw  54  does not directly screw into housing  12 - 2  in this type of arrangement, risk of damage to housing  12  and therefore damage to device  10  is avoided. This can be helpful in scenarios in which the array of components on housing  12  is relatively large in number, because of the increased risk of encountering a faulty screw thread or other defect when mounting a large number of components. When nuts  56  are used to receive screws  54 , a damaged nut can be replaced without replacing housing  12 . 
       FIG. 22  shows nut  56  in its locked position. Nut  56  may be placed in this position by rotating screw  54  in direction  82  about axis  74  until stop surface  72  of nut  56  bears against planar surface  76  of component  34 . Screw  54  can then be rotated further in direction  82  to pull nut  56  towards screw  54  (into the page in the orientation of  FIG. 22 ). Portion  68 ′ of nut body  68  bears against the interior of wall  12 - 2  as screw  54  is tightened. This compresses gasket  52  between portion  34 - 1  of component  34  and housing wall  12 - 2  to form a seal between component  34  and housing  12 . 
       FIG. 23  is an exploded top view of screw  54 , component portion  34 - 1 , gasket  52 , housing wall  12 - 2 , and nut  56 , showing how nut  56  may have threads  84  that mate with threads  78  on the shaft of screw  54 .  FIG. 24  is a top view of the structures of  FIG. 23  when nut  56  is in its locked position and gasket  52  is being compressed between exterior surface portion  34 - 1  of component  34  and housing wall  12 - 2  of housing  12 . 
     If desired, nut  56  may be captured by a track structure that is formed from portions of component  34  and/or portions of housing  12 . This type of arrangement is shown in  FIG. 25 . As shown in  FIG. 25 , nut  56  may initially be in location  86  (i.e., immediately after installation of component  34  in housing  12 ). In this position, edge portion  88  of nut  56  may bear against track structure  90  (e.g., part of housing  12  or component  34 ). As screw  54  is rotated, nut  54  is pulled in direction  92  towards position  94 . Nut  54  is prevented from rotating relative to housing  12  by the presence of track structure  90 . Following rotation of screw  54 , nut  54  will bear against the inner surface of housing wall  12 - 2 , thereby compressing gasket  52  between component portion  34 - 1  and housing wall  12 - 2 . 
     The use of a screw and nut fastening system for mounting components  34  in housing  12  may facilitate mounting in configurations where space is limited (i.e., screws and nuts may provide a low-profile solution satisfactory for use where additional space for alternative fastening mechanisms might not be accommodated). In devices  10  were space is less limited, components  34  may be mounted using toggle bolts, springs and clips, mating engagement features such as grooves and protrusions, other attachment mechanisms, or combinations of these mechanisms. 
     If desired, structures such as support structure  98  of  FIG. 26  may be provided that receive tip  100  of screw  54  and thereby stabilize screw  54  during rotation about axis  74 . Support structure  98  may be part of housing  12 , part of component  34  (e.g., one of two joined plastic portions of component  34 ), or other suitable support structure in device  10 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150522
Publication Date: 20170418
Grant Date: 20170418
Priority Date: 20140930
Inventors: HOBSON PHILLIP MICHAEL
BOSSCHER NATHAN P.
BAKER JOHN J.
STANLEY CRAIG M.
BOOZER BRAD G.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05K7/14", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1658", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1658", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/183", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/183", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 58765495