Electronic devices with improved switch assembly constructions
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsErik L. Wang, Tang Yew Tan, Adam Duckworth Mittleman, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Philip Michael Hobson, Andrew Lewis Johnston
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electronic devices are provided with housings that can have smoother profiles and with switch assembly input components with knobs that can move along tracks in directions at least partially offset from the directions of anticipated resistive forces. The housings can include switch assembly input components with knobs that may move along linear tracks and switch assembly input components with knobs that may move along curved tracks.
Claims26
An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing having a first surface;
- and
- a switch assembly user input component having a user track in the first surface and a user knob capable of sliding along the user track in at least a first user direction, wherein the first user direction is offset from a direction of a resistive force applied to the user knob.
A user input component for an electronic device, the input component comprising:
- a user track;
- a knob capable of rotational movement along the user track;
- a switch track;
- a switch capable of linear movement along the switch track for changing an operational state of the media device;
- and
- an adaptor coupled to the knob and the switch, wherein the adaptor is capable of translating the knob movement along the user track to the switch movement along the switch track.
A method for providing on a surface of an electronic device a user input component having a track and a knob that slides along the track in at least a first direction, the method comprising:
- orienting the track in the surface to create an angle between the first direction and a direction of a resistive force applied to the knob.
A method for changing an operational state of an electronic device, the method comprising:
- sliding a knob in a rotational motion along a user track in a surface of the electronic device;
- translating the rotational motion of the knob to a linear motion;
- and
- sliding a switch with the linear motion along a switch track.
An electronic device package comprising:
- an electronic device that includes:
- a housing having a first surface;
- and
- a user input component having a user track in the first surface and a user knob operative to slide along the user track in at least a first user direction;
- and
- a case that includes:
- a protective shell;
- a hollow within the protective shell;
- and
- a lip about an opening in a surface of the protective shell exposing the hollow, wherein the hollow is operative to receive the electronic device through the opening, and wherein the first user direction is offset from a direction of a resistive force applied to the user knob by the lip during the reception of the electronic device by the hollow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.