US 11,379,010 B2Granted

Electronic device housing with integrated antenna

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsMelody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster

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Abstract

An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device comprising:

a display;
a cover over the display and defining at least a portion of a front surface of the electronic device;
and
a housing comprising:
a first metal segment defining a portion of a back surface of the electronic device;
a second metal segment defining:
a first portion of a top side surface of the electronic device;
and
a first portion of a first lateral side surface of the electronic device;
a third metal segment defining:
a second portion of the top side surface of the electronic device;
and
a first portion of a second lateral side surface of the electronic device;
and
a molded element formed of a polymer material and positioned between the first metal segment and the second metal segment and between the first metal segment and the third metal segment and defining:
a second portion of the first lateral side surface of the electronic device;
a second portion of the second lateral side surface of the electronic device;
and
a third portion of the top side surface of the electronic device.

16 more elements

An electronic device comprising:

a display;
a cover assembly defining at least a portion of a front surface of the electronic device;
a touch sensor configured to detect touch inputs applied to the front surface of the electronic device;
a housing at least partially enclosing the display and the touch sensor and comprising:
a first conductive segment defining a portion of a back surface of the electronic device;
a second conductive segment defining:
a first portion of a first lateral side surface of the electronic device;
and
a first portion of a top side surface of the electronic device;
a third conductive segment coupled to the first conductive segment and defining:
a first portion of a second lateral side surface of the electronic device;
and
a second portion of the top side surface of the electronic device, the second portion of the top side surface longer than the first portion of the top side surface;
and
a nonconductive molded element positioned in:
a first gap defined between the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment;
and
a second gap defined between the first conductive segment and the third conductive segment;
and
antenna circuitry coupled to the second conductive segment.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/903,110Filed 16 Jun 2020 · continuation
Priority: 30 Aug 2018
Published: US 2020/0073445 A11 Oct 2020
Granted: 5 Jul 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01Q 1/243
Specially adapted for hand-held use: with built-in antennas
G06F 1/1626
For portable computers: with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
G06F 1/1656
Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626:…
G06F 1/1698
Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675: the I/O peripheral…

Family

Application62/725,227Us provisional application · filed 30 Aug 2018
Application16/183,591Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Nov 2018
US 2020/0310495 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Oct 2020
US 10,705,570 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0073445 A1Published application
US 11,379,010 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.