PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10938111-B2
Application Number: US-201916269203-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device with antenna feed bolt

Abstract:
An electronic device may have metal structures such as metal electronic device housing structures and other conductive structures. The conductive structures may have a slot or other opening. An antenna may be formed from the conductive structures. Control circuitry in the electronic device may receive input from input-output devices and may use the input-output devices to provide a user with output. The control circuitry may be coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver that is used to transmit and receive wireless communications. The radio-frequency transceiver may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. The transmission line may have a radio-frequency connector that is coupled to a radio-frequency connector on an antenna feed bolt. The antenna feed bolt may have a shaft that spans the opening in the conductive structures and may be coupled to antenna feed terminals on opposing sides of the opening. The antenna may have a tuning bolt.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device antenna that is configured to couple to a transmission line having first and second signal paths, comprising:
 conductive structures having a first portion with a first antenna feed terminal and a second portion with a second antenna feed terminal, wherein the conductive structures have an opening between the first and second portions; and 
 an antenna feed bolt that is coupled to the transmission line, that has a first bolt terminal shorted to the first portion that couples the first signal path in the transmission line to the first antenna feed terminal and that has a second bolt terminal that couples the second signal path in the transmission line to the second antenna feed terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 1  wherein the antenna feed bolt has a shaft that bridges the opening, wherein the first portion has a through hole opening through which the shaft passes, and wherein the second portion has a recess that receives a tip of the shaft. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 2  wherein the first bolt terminal is formed from a threaded portion of the shaft. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 3  wherein the second bolt terminal is formed from an unthreaded tapered portion of the tip of the shaft. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 2  wherein the antenna feed bolt has a shaft and wherein the first and second portions have respective first and second holes that receive the shaft. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 5  wherein the second bolt terminal is formed from a threaded tip portion of the shaft that is received in the second hole. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 6  wherein the first bolt terminal is formed from a tapered unthreaded portion of the shaft that is received in the first hole. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 1  wherein the antenna feed bolt has a first radio-frequency connector that is configured to mate with a second radio-frequency connector at an end of the transmission line. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 8  wherein the transmission line is a coaxial cable and wherein the first radio-frequency connector is a radio-frequency coaxial cable connector. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 1  wherein the antenna feed bolt has a shaft with a threaded tip that is configured to screw into a corresponding threaded opening in the second portion of the conductive structures. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device antenna defined in  claim 10  wherein the conductive structures and the opening form a slot antenna resonating element that is fed by the first and second antenna feed terminals. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the conductive structures comprise metal electronic device housing structures. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  wherein the conductive structures and the opening are configured to form a slot antenna resonating element operable in a wireless local area network communications band. 
     
     
       14. An antenna, comprising:
 a first metal structure; 
 a second metal structure separated from the first metal structure by an opening; 
 a bolt that is coupled across the opening between the first and second metal structures; and 
 a circuit component in the bolt that is configured to tune the antenna. 
 
     
     
       15. The antenna defined in  claim 14  wherein the bolt has a shaft with threads, wherein the first metal structure has a through hole that receives the shaft, and wherein the second metal structure has threads that engage the threads on the shaft. 
     
     
       16. The antenna defined in  claim 15  wherein the bolt has a first terminal formed from an unthreaded portion of the shaft in the through hole and has a second terminal formed from the threads on the shaft and wherein the circuit component is coupled between the first and second terminals. 
     
     
       17. The antenna defined in  claim 14  wherein the bolt has a shaft with threads that form a first terminal, wherein the first metal structure has a through hole with threads that engage the threads of the shaft and short the first metal structure to the first terminal, and wherein the second metal structure contacts an unthreaded portion of the shaft that forms a second terminal to short the second metal structure to the second terminal. 
     
     
       18. The antenna defined in  claim 14  wherein the first and second metal structures comprise respective first and second metal electronic device housing structures, the antenna further comprising an antenna feed bolt having portions shorted to a first antenna feed terminal on the first metal electronic device housing structure and a second antenna feed terminal on the second metal electronic device housing structure. 
     
     
       19. An electronic device, comprising:
 input-output circuitry; 
 control circuitry coupled to the input-output circuitry; 
 conductive electronic device housing structures that include an opening that separates a first portion of the conductive electronic device housing structures from a second portion of the electronic device housing structures to form an antenna from the conductive electronic device housing structures; 
 an antenna feed member coupled across the opening, wherein the antenna feed member has a first surface that is shorted to the first portion to form a ground antenna feed terminal and has a second surface that is shorted to the second portion to form a positive antenna feed terminal and wherein at least one of the first or second surfaces has threads; 
 radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that the control circuitry is configured to use to transmit and receive wireless communications; and 
 a transmission line coupled between the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and the antenna feed member. 
 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein the transmission line comprises a coaxial cable having a first radio-frequency connector, wherein the antenna feed member has a second radio-frequency connector, and wherein the first and second radio-frequency connectors have mating threads.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/627,582, filed Feb. 7, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, to feeding antennas in electronic devices that have wireless communications circuitry. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices are often provided with wireless communications capabilities. Antennas are used to transmit and receive radio-frequency communications signals. Antennas are coupled to radio-frequency transceiver circuitry using transmission lines. Using an antenna feed coupled to a transmission line, the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may transmit and receive the radio-frequency communications signals with the antenna. 
     It can be challenging to form satisfactory antenna feed structures in an electronic device. If care is not taken, an antenna feed structure may be difficult to manufacture or may not be reliable. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may have metal structures such as metal electronic device housing structures and other conductive structures. The conductive structures may have a slot or other opening. An antenna may be formed from the conductive structures and opening. 
     Control circuitry in the electronic device may receive input from input-output devices and may use the input-output devices to provide a user with output. The control circuitry may be coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver. During operation, the control circuitry may use the radio-frequency transceiver to transmit and receive wireless communications. 
     The radio-frequency transceiver may be coupled to the antenna using a transmission line. The transmission line may have a first end with a radio-frequency connector coupled to a connector on a printed circuit board that includes the radio-frequency transceiver and may have a second end with a radio-frequency connector that is coupled to a radio-frequency connector on an antenna feed bolt. 
     The antenna feed bolt may have a shaft that spans the opening in the conductive structures. The antenna feed bolt shaft may pass through a through hole in the conductive structures and may be received within an opening such as a recess or through hole in the conductive structures. The antenna feed bolt may be coupled to antenna feed terminals for feeding the antenna. 
     Threads on the antenna feed bolt may engage threads on the conductive structures. Threads in the radio-frequency connector in the antenna feed bolt may couple to a threaded radio-frequency connector member on the transmission line. In some configurations, threaded bolts that contain antenna tuning circuits may span the opening in the conductive structures. 
     The conductive structures and the opening in the conductive structures may be configured to form an antenna resonating element for a slot antenna, inverted-F antenna, or other suitable antenna. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing how an electronic device may include circuitry that is coupled to an antenna using a transmission line in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of illustrative electronic device antenna structures of the type that may be fed using an antenna feed in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna feed bolt with an unthreaded shaft tip in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna feed bolt with a threaded shaft tip in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna tuning bolt with a threaded shaft tip in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative antenna tuning bolt with an unthreaded tapered shaft tip in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may have conductive housing structures that are used to form antennas. This allows the electronic device to handle wireless communications. In some configurations, the conductive housing structures having slots or other openings. An antenna such as a slot antenna may be formed from a conductive housing structure that has an opening. Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may be coupled to a slot antenna using a transmission line. The transmission line may have a radio-frequency connector that is coupled to a radio-frequency connector on an antenna feed structure. The antenna feed structure may be an elongated threaded member such as an antenna feed bolt. 
     An electronic device such as electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be provided with wireless circuitry having one or more antennas such as slot antennas that are formed from conductive housing structure openings and are fed with antenna feed bolts. The wireless circuitry may include antennas such as wireless local area network antennas or other antennas. Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a desktop 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 wristwatch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, 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, a wireless internet-connected voice-controlled speaker, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may include storage and processing circuitry such as control circuitry  28 . Circuitry  28  may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in circuitry  28  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . This processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Circuitry  28  may be used to run software on device  10 , such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, reminder list applications, calendar applications, shopping applications, home automation applications, applications for setting alarms and timers, operating system functions, etc. To support interactions with external equipment, circuitry  28  may be used in implementing communications protocols. Communications protocols that may be implemented using circuitry  28  include internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimes referred to as WiFi®—and protocols for other short-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth® protocol), cellular telephone protocols, antenna diversity protocols, etc. 
     Input-output circuitry  44  may include input-output devices  32 . Input-output devices  32  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. Input-output devices  32  may include user interface devices, data port devices, and other input-output components. For example, input-output devices  32  may include touch sensors, displays, light-emitting components such as displays without touch sensor capabilities, buttons (mechanical, capacitive, optical, etc.), scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, cameras, buttons, speakers, status indicators, audio jacks and other audio port components, digital data port devices, motion sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or compasses that detect motion), capacitance sensors, proximity sensors, magnetic sensors, force sensors (e.g., force sensors coupled to a display to detect pressure applied to the display), etc. 
     Input-output circuitry  44  may include wireless circuitry  34  to support wireless communications. Wireless circuitry  34  may include radio-frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry  90  formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifier circuitry, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RF components, one or more antennas such as antenna  40 , transmission lines such as transmission line  92 , and other circuitry for handling RF wireless signals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light (e.g., using infrared communications). 
     Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  90  may include wireless local area network transceiver circuitry to handle 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) wireless local area network communications and may include Bluetooth® circuitry to handle the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® communications band. If desired, circuitry  90  may handle other bands such as cellular telephone bands, near-field communications bands (e.g., 13.56 MHz), millimeter wave bands (e.g., communications at 60 GHz), and/or other communications bands. Configurations in which radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  90  handles wireless local area network bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) may sometimes be described herein as an example. In general, however, circuitry  90  may be configured to cover any suitable communications bands of interest. 
     Wireless circuitry  34  may include one or more antennas such as antenna  40 . Antennas such as antenna  40  may be formed using any suitable antenna types. For example, antennas in device  10  may include antennas with resonating elements that are formed from loop antenna structures, patch antenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures, slot antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, helical antenna structures, monopole antennas, dipoles, hybrids of these designs, etc. Parasitic elements may be included in antennas  40  to adjust antenna performance. In some configurations, device  10  may have isolation elements between respective antennas  40  to help avoid antenna-to-antenna cross-talk. Different types of antennas may be used for different bands and combinations of bands. For example, one type of antenna may be used in forming a local wireless link antenna and another type of antenna may be used in forming a remote wireless link antenna. In some configurations, different antennas may be used in handling different bands for transceiver circuitry  90 . Each antenna  40  may cover one or more bands. For example, antennas  40  may be single band wireless local area network antennas or dual band wireless local area network antennas. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  90  may be coupled to antenna feed  102  of antenna  40  using transmission line  92 . Antenna feed  102  may include a positive antenna feed terminal such as positive antenna feed terminal  98  and may have a ground antenna feed terminal such as ground antenna feed terminal  100 . Transmission line  92  may be formed from metal traces on a printed circuit, cables, or other conductive structures and may have a positive transmission line signal path such as path  94  that is coupled to terminal  98  and a ground transmission line signal path such as path  96  that is coupled to terminal  100 . 
     Transmission line paths such as path  92  may be used to route antenna signals within device  10 . Transmission lines in device  10  may include coaxial cables, microstrip transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstrip transmission lines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines, transmission lines formed from combinations of transmission lines of these types, etc. Filter circuitry, switching circuitry, impedance matching circuitry, and other circuitry may be interposed within the paths formed using transmission lines such as transmission line  92  and/or circuits such as these may be incorporated into antenna  40  (e.g., to support antenna tuning, to support operation in desired frequency bands, etc.). During operation, control circuitry  28  may use transceiver circuitry  90  and antenna(s)  40  to transmit and receive data wirelessly. Control circuitry  28  may, for example, receive wireless local area network communications wirelessly using transceiver circuitry  90  and antenna(s)  40  and may transmit wireless local area network communications wirelessly using transceiver circuitry  90  and antenna(s)  40 . 
     A diagram of an illustrative electronic device such as device  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , device  10  may have a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, etc.), fabric, other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure covered with one or more outer housing layers). Configurations for housing  12  in which housing  12  includes support structures (a stand, leg(s), handles, etc.) may also be used. 
     As shown in the example of  FIG. 2 , components for device  10  may be mounted in housing  12 . These components may include for example, components  100  mounted on printed circuits such as printed circuit  103 . Printed circuit  103  may be a rigid printed circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit formed from rigid substrate material such as fiberglass-filled epoxy) or may be a flexible printed circuit (e.g., a flex circuit formed from a sheet of polyimide or a layer of other flexible polymer). Components  100  may include, for example, integrated circuits and other circuitry for transceiver circuitry  90  and other wireless circuitry  34 . Antenna  40  may be formed from metal housing structures (e.g., outwardly exposed housing walls, legs and other support stand structures, internal and/or external frame members, rear walls, sidewalls, front housing surface structures, metal midplates in handheld devices), and/or may be formed from other conductive structure(s)  104  in device  10 . Threaded members such as bolts may be coupled to these conductive structures as shown by illustrative bolt  106 . Bolts such as bolt  106  may form antenna feeds and/or antenna tuning components for antenna(s)  40  and may therefore sometimes be referred to as antenna feed bolts and/or antenna tuning bolts. 
     A coaxial cable such as transmission line  92  of  FIG. 2  may be used in coupling the circuitry of printed circuit  103  (e.g., transceiver circuitry  90 ) to antenna  40 . Transmission line  92  may have opposing first and second ends. The first end of the cable may have a first radio-frequency cable connector such as first connector  110 . The opposing second end of the cable may have a second radio-frequency cable connector such as second connector  112 . First connector  110  may be configured to mate with a radio-frequency connector such as printed circuit connector  108  on printed circuit  103  (e.g., a connector that is soldered to metal traces in the circuitry of printed circuit  103 ). Second connector  112  may be configured to mate with a corresponding radio-frequency connector that is coupled to and/or forms a part of bolt  106 . Connectors such as connector  108 , connector  110 , connector  112 , and the connector of bolt  106  may be any suitable radio-frequency connectors such as MCX (micro coaxial connector) connectors, other coaxial connectors such as connectors that attach with clips, stab-in connectors, SMA (subminiature version A) connectors, etc. The use of threaded radio-frequency cable connectors such as MCX connectors for forming connectors  108 ,  110 ,  112 , and the connector of bolt  106  is illustrative. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , connector  110  mates with connector  108  to couple transmission line  92  to printed circuit  103  and transceiver circuitry  90  and other electrical components  100  on printed circuit  103 . Connector  112  mates with the connector of bolt  106  to couple transmission line  92  to antenna  40 . If desired, circuitry in components  100  and/or circuitry associated with structures  104  may include antenna tuning circuits, impedance matching circuitry, switches, impedance monitoring circuits, filters, and/or other radio-frequency circuitry. This circuitry may, if desired, be interposed between transceiver circuitry  90  and transmission line  92  and/or between transmission line  92  and antenna  40 . Configurations in which transmission line  92  is formed from one or more linked transmission line segments with intervening blocks of tuning circuitry, impedance matching circuitry, switches, impedance monitoring circuitry, filters, and/or other radio-frequency circuitry may also be used. 
     Antennas in device  10  such as illustrative antenna  40  of  FIG. 2  may be formed using any suitable type of antenna (e.g., slot antennas, inverted-F antennas, patch antennas, monopole antennas, dipole antennas, Yagi antennas, planar inverted-F antennas, loop antennas, other antennas, hybrid antennas that are formed from antenna resonating elements of different types, etc.). These antennas may include, for example, one or more antennas such as single-band or dual-band antennas for supporting wireless local area network (WiFi®) communications and/or other wireless communications. For example, device  10  may include a first antenna or set of antennas for handling 2.4 GHz wireless local area network communications and a second antenna or set of antennas for handling 5 GHz wireless local area network communications. With one illustrative configuration, device  10  contains one or more slot antennas and/or other antennas with conductive structures that are separated by a gap (e.g., a closed slot that is encircled by conductive structures and/or an open slot that has a closed end and an opposing open end that is not covered with conductive structures). 
     An illustrative slot antenna configuration for antenna  40  is shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , conductive structures  104  may have one or more openings such as opening  114  that are fully and/or partially filled with a gaseous dielectric such as air and/or a solid dielectric such as polymer, glass, ceramic, and/or other solid insulating material. Transmission line  92  may have a positive signal line path such as path  94  of  FIG. 1  that is coupled (via positive signal conductive structures in connectors  104  and the connector of bolt  106 ) to positive antenna feed terminal  98 . Transmission line  92  may also have a ground (negative) signal line path such as path  96  of  FIG. 1  that is coupled (via ground structures in connectors  104  and the connector of bolt  106 ) to ground antenna feed terminal  100 . Antenna feed terminals  98  and  100  may be coupled to respective portions of conductive structures  104  on opposing sides of opening  114  (e.g., a slot or other gap in structures  104  that is filled with gaseous and/or solid dielectric). 
     In some configurations, conductive structures  104  may have an elongated shape (e.g., the shape of a rectangular bar or cylindrical rod). In these configurations and other configurations for conductive structures  104 , multiple openings  114  (e.g., elongated openings such as rectangular slots, oval slots, rectangular slots with rounded corners, etc.) may be formed at two or more respective positions along the length of the conductive structures (e.g., at multiple locations along the length of a metal bar or rod). 
     Optional tuning components may be coupled to antenna  40 . As an example, one or more antenna tuning components such as illustrative component  115  of  FIG. 3  may bridge opening  114 . Component  115  may be, for example, a tunable capacitor, a tunable inductor, a tunable component formed from a series of discrete components that can be selectively switched into or out of use with corresponding switching circuitry (e.g., a multiplexer coupled to a set of capacitors or a set of inductors to form, respectively, a tunable capacitor or tunable inductor), etc. Component  115  may have a first terminal coupled to conductive structures  104  on a first side of opening  114  and a second terminal coupled to conductive structures  104  on an opposing second side of opening  114  or may otherwise be coupled to conductive portions of antenna  40  and/or the circuitry associated with antenna  40  (e.g., matching circuits, etc.). In some configurations, component  115  may be formed in an elongated threaded member such as a bolt (sometimes referred to as an antenna tuning circuit bolt). Antenna tuning circuit bolts and elongated threaded members forming antenna feeds such as bolt  106  ( FIG. 2 ) may have positive and ground portions (terminals) that couple to conductive structures  104  on opposing sides of opening  114  and/or that are otherwise mounted to structures  104 . 
     Consider, as an example, the antenna arrangement of  FIG. 4 . In the example of  FIG. 4 , conductive structures  104  form part of the interior and/or exterior of electronic device  10 . (Other portions of device  10  such as display structures, battery structures, buttons, cosmetic covering portions, etc. are not shown in  FIG. 4  to avoid obscuring conductive structures  104 .) As shown in  FIG. 4 , conductive structures  104  may have portions on opposing sides of opening  114 . Opening  116  may be formed from a through hole in structures  104  on one side of opening  114 . Opening  116  may be threaded (e.g., in configurations in which the portion of the shaft of bolt  106  in opening  116  is threaded) or may be unthreaded (e.g., in configuration in which an opening in structures  104  on the opposing side of opening  114  has a threaded portion that receive a threaded tip portion of bolt  106 ). When bolt  106  is mounted in opening  116 , bolt  106  may be used to feed antenna  40  and couple antenna  40  to transmission line  92 . Bolt  106  may have a central conductor surrounded by a cylindrical conductive layer and may therefore sometimes be referred to as a coaxial bolt or coaxial threaded member. Antenna  40  may be a slot antenna, an inverted-F antenna, a hybrid slot-inverted-F antenna, and/or other suitable antenna. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of bolt  106  and associated conductive structures  104 . Bolt  106  may be pigtailed to transmission line  92  (e.g., a coaxial cable) or bolt  106  may have a radio-frequency connector such as connector  106 C that mates with connector  112  (e.g., using threads  118  on connector  106 C and on connector  112  or using other coupling mechanisms). Bolt  106  may have a first terminal such as terminal  106 P (e.g., a positive antenna signal terminal coupled to positive path  94  of transmission line  92 ) and a second terminal such as terminal  106 G (e.g., a ground terminal coupled to a ground path  96  in transmission line  92 ). Shaft  128  of bolt  106  may have a tapered tip  126  that is configured to be received within an opening such as a recessed portion  124  of conductive structure portion  104 - 2 , thereby forming positive antenna feed terminal  98 . Insulating portion  1061  may separate terminal  106 P from terminal  106 G on shaft  128 . The portion of shaft  128  that forms terminal  106 G may have threads  120  that are configured to mate with corresponding threads  122  in opening  116  of portion  104 - 1  of conductive structures  104 , thereby forming ground antenna feed terminal  100 . 
     A cross-sectional side view of another illustrative configuration for an elongated threaded antenna feed member such as antenna feed bolt  106  is shown in  FIG. 6 . In the example of  FIG. 6 , conductive structures  104  have the shape of a metal rod with a rectangular through hole that forms opening  114  for slot antenna  40 . Transmission line  92  may be a coaxial cable (as an example). Transmission line  92  of  FIG. 6  has an insulating layer  130  that surrounds a wire or other central conductive member forming positive signal path  94 . Insulating layer  130  is surrounded by a metal layer (e.g., a braided wire layer, metal foil, etc.) forming ground signal path  96 . Outer insulator layer  132  insulates ground path  96 . Ground path  96  is shorted to metal ground connector member  112 G in connector  112 . Connector member  112 G may have an outer surface such as surface  156  with a hexagonal outline when viewed along longitudinal axis  160  or other shape with flat side surfaces. Member  112 G may have an inner surface with threads  152  that mate with corresponding threads  150  on the outer surface of connector  106 C in bolt  106 . Tip  126  of the shaft of bolt  106  (e.g., in terminal  106 P) may have threads  144  that mate with corresponding threads  144  on the inner surface of opening  147  in conductive structures  104 . Opening  147  may be a through hole or other opening. Connector  106 C may have outer surfaces  158  with flat portions (e.g., surfaces  158  may form a hexagonal outline when viewed along longitudinal axis  160  of bolt  106 ) to allow bolt  106  to be gripped by a wrench or other tool when being screwed into conductive structures  104 . 
     When rotating bolt  106  (e.g., using a wrench to screw bolt  106  into place in opening  116 ), the threads on tip  126  of bolt  106  will engage with the corresponding threads in structures  104 , thereby pulling bolt  106  in direction  170 . This pulls the tapered surfaces of portion  146  of bolt  106  into contact with the inner surfaces of through hole opening  116  in structures  104 . In this way, positive signal tip  126  makes contact with conductive structures  104  to short terminal  106 P to antenna  40  and thereby form antenna feed terminal  98 , while ground signal portion  146  of the shaft of bolt  106  makes contact with conductive structures  104  to short terminal  106 G of bolt  106  to antenna  40  and thereby form antenna feed terminal  100 . 
     When connector  112  mates to connector  106 C, threaded ground member  112 G of connector  112  is mechanically and electrically coupled to threaded ground portion  172  of connector  106 C. Protruding portion  174  of positive signal conductor  94  (which forms positive path portion  112 P of connector  112 ) mates with corresponding portion  140  on positive signal path structure  142  (e.g., a metal core member) of bolt  106 . In this configuration, positive path  94  of transmission line  92  is coupled to positive antenna feed terminal  98  through bolt  106  and ground path  96  of transmission line  92  is coupled to ground antenna feed terminal  100  through bolt  106 . Dielectric  148  (e.g., plastic, etc.) may surround portions of positive signal path structure  142  to insulate portion  146  of bolt  106  from member  142 . 
     If desired, adjustable components such as adjustable component  115  of  FIG. 3  may be formed in an elongated threaded member, as shown by antenna tuning bolts  180  of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Bolts  180  may each have a first terminal  180 X at one end and a second terminal  180 Y at an opposing second end. Component  115  may be formed from fixed and/or electrically adjustable circuitry (capacitors, inductors, switches, etc.) that is mounted within bolt  180 . Component  115  may be fixed (e.g., a fixed capacitor or inductor for antenna tuning) or may be electrically adjusted by control signals from control circuitry  28  (e.g., an adjustable capacitor circuit, an adjustable inductor circuit, etc.). In the example of  FIG. 7 , threads  182  are formed on the tip of the shaft of bolt  180  and form part of terminal  180 Y. In the example of  FIG. 8 , threads  182  are formed on the end of shaft adjacent to bolt head  184  and form part of terminal  180 X. When mounted to conductive structures  104  as shown in  FIG. 3 , terminal  180 X may be shorted to conductive structures  104  on one side of opening  114  and terminal  180 Y may be shorted to conductive structures  104  on an opposing side of opening  114 . Antenna tuning bolts such as bolts  180  of  FIGS. 7 and 8  may have hexagonal heads, square heads, or heads with other shapes (e.g., with flat sides) that facilitate engagement with a tool such as a wrench. 
     During assembly, antenna tuning bolts  180  and antenna feed bolts such as antenna feed bolt  106  may be attached to conductive structures  104  (e.g., at a first manufacturing facility). Later (e.g., at the same manufacturing facility or at a second manufacturing facility as part of a final assembly operation), transmission lines such as transmission line  92  (e.g., coaxial cables) can be coupled to the connector of bolt  106 . This approach may help simplify manufacturing operations in forming device  10  and may enhance reliability. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190206
Publication Date: 20210302
Grant Date: 20210302
Priority Date: 20180207
Inventors: CUSEO, JAMES M.
PARELL, DAVID C.
GUTERMAN, Jerzy S.
Barrera, Joel D.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01Q1/243", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/085", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/0457", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/106", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q1/48", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q9/0457", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/106", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q13/085", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 67477090