Haptic actuator including outwardly extending terminals from first and second housing shells and related methods
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorNils E. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A haptic actuator may include a housing that includes first and second shells coupled together. The first shell may include a first body and first terminals extending outwardly therefrom. The second shell may include a second body and second terminals extending outwardly therefrom with each of the second terminals being secured with a respective one of the first terminals defining pairs of first and second secured-together terminals. The haptic actuator may also include at least one coil carried by the housing and a field member movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil. A respective flexure may be between adjacent end portions of the housing and the field member.
Claims18
A haptic actuator comprising:
- a housing comprising first and second shells coupled together, the first shell comprising a first body and a first plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom, the second shell comprising a second body and a second plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom with each of the second plurality of terminals being secured with a respective one of the first plurality of terminals defining pairs of first and second secured-together terminals, wherein each first terminal of the first plurality of terminals and second terminal of the second plurality of terminals has a fastener receiving passageway therein;
- at least one coil carried by the housing;
- a field member movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil;
- and
- a respective flexure between adjacent end portions of the housing and the field member.
An electronic device comprising:
- a device housing;
- wireless communications circuitry carried by the device housing;
- a haptic actuator carried by the device housing and comprising,
- an actuator housing comprising first and second shells coupled together, the first shell comprising a first body and a first plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom, the second shell comprising a second body and a second plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom with each of the second plurality of terminals being secured with a respective one of the first plurality of terminals defining pairs of first and second secured-together terminals, wherein each first terminal of the first plurality of terminals and second terminal of the second plurality of terminals has a fastener receiving passageway therein,
- at least one coil carried by the actuator housing,
- a field member movable within the actuator housing responsive to the at least one coil, and
- a respective flexure between adjacent end portions of the actuator housing and the field member;
- and
- a controller coupled to the wireless communications circuitry and the haptic actuator and configured to perform at least one wireless communications function and selectively operate the haptic actuator, respectively.
A method of making a haptic actuator comprising:
- coupling first and second shells of a housing together, the first shell comprising a first body and a first plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom, the second shell comprising a second body and a second plurality of terminals extending outwardly therefrom, the first and second shells being coupled so that each of the second plurality of terminals being secured with a respective one of the first plurality of terminals define pairs of first and second secured-together terminals, wherein each first terminal of the first plurality of terminals and second terminal of the second plurality of terminals has a fastener receiving passageway therein;
- positioning at least one coil carried by the housing;
- positioning a field member to be movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil;
- and
- positioning a respective flexure between adjacent end portions of the housing and the field member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.