Antennas for wireless electronic devices

A portable electronic device, comprising:

• a device housing having a first housing portion with a first surface and a second housing portion with a second surface, wherein the first and second housing portions are hinged together;
• a dielectric member on the first surface that has portions that define a path for radio-frequency signals from an interior portion of the first housing portion to an exterior edge of the device housing;
• and
• an antenna mounted within the first housing portion adjacent to the dielectric member so that radio-frequency signals for the antenna pass along the path, wherein the dielectric member forms a channel having a given dimension along which the radio-frequency signals propagate at an operating frequency and having lateral dimensions perpendicular to the given dimension that are greater than one half of a wavelength in the dielectric member at the operating frequency.

A laptop computer, comprising:

• a conductive housing having top and bottom conductive housing portions that are hinged together;
• a dielectric member, wherein portions of the dielectric member define an antenna window on the top conductive housing portion through which antenna signals pass between interior and exterior regions of the top conductive housing portion;
• and
• an antenna that handles radio-frequency antenna signals, wherein the antenna is contained within the top conductive housing portion adjacent to the dielectric member, wherein when the top and bottom housing portions are parallel to each other and are facing each other, the laptop computer is in a closed position, and wherein the antenna is oriented relative to the dielectric member so that the antenna signals pass through the dielectric member to the exterior region of the top conductive housing portion when the laptop computer is in the closed position and when the laptop computer is in an open position, wherein the dielectric member comprises an elastomeric member on the top conductive housing portion that prevents the top and bottom conductive housing portions from directly contacting each other.