Low-profile mechanical retention
AssigneeSnap Inc.
InventorsTeodor Dabov, John Bernard Ardisana, II, Ashutosh Y. Shukla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assembly of mechanical components includes a solder joint between two metal components. A mounted component is retained on one side of a support structure by a solder joint on the other side of the support structure between a retainer and a connector that is fast with the mounted component and extends through the support structure. The retainer is of sheet metal construction, so that a height of the solder joint is no more than the thickness of the retainer, thus providing a low-profile joint. The assembly may be in the form of a movable push button for control of an electronic device.
Claims19
An assembly comprising:
- a framework that includes a frame wall having an obverse side and an opposite reverse side, the framework defining a housing cavity;
- electronics components located in the housing cavity;
- a mounted component that is mounted on the frame wall such as to be exposed on the obverse side of the frame wall, the mounted component being a button member that is operable to control one or more functionalities of the electronics components;
- a metal connector that is fast with the mounted component and that projects from the mounted component transversely through at least part of the frame wall;
- a metal retainer that is located on the reverse side of the frame wall such that part of the frame wall is sandwiched between the mounted component and the retainer;
- and
- a solder joint that fastens the retainer to the connector, thereby retaining the mounted component on the frame wall.
A method comprising:
- positioning a target component on an obverse side of a support structure such that a connector that is fast with the target component projects transversely through the support structure to an opposite, reverse side thereof, the target component being a button;
- creating a solder connection between the connector and a metal retainer on the reverse side of the support structure such that part of the support structure is located between the retainer and the target component, thus forming a mechanical retention mechanism by which the target component is mounted on the support structure;
- and
- mounting electronics in a housing cavity defined by the support structure and bordering the retainer such that one or more functionalities of the electronics are controllable by operation of the button.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.