Manufacturing fixtures for small form factor desktop computer
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsHoutan R. Farahani, Joseph B. Moak, Matthew D. Rohrbach
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One automated process for evenly applying a thin layer within a device housing includes applying a vacuum hold from a curved surface applicator to the thin layer, pressing the thin layer against the device housing with the applicator, wherein said pressing includes applying pressure from the center of the applicator first and then radially expanding said pressure, and pressing the cylindrical outer housing against an outer region of the thin layer to effect a hard pressed application at the outer surface thereof.
Claims15
A cutting tool for cutting a notch within a side wall of a housing, the cutting tool comprising:
- a triangular cutting blade that extends outwardly from a central hub, the triangular cutting blade having a first edge that extends radially from the central hub, a second edge that is about as long as and is generally perpendicular to the first edge, and a third edge that is longer than the first and second edges and defines a right triangle with the first and second edges, wherein the second and third edges define a cutting portion, wherein when the second edge is brought in contact with the side wall, the cutting portion is positioned to cut the notch in the side wall, the notch having a well defined depth in accordance with a difference between a length of the third and second edges.
A method for cutting a notch into a side wall of an electronic device housing using a cutting tool having a plurality of triangularly shaped blades each having a first edge that extends radially from a central hub, a second edge that is about as long as and is generally perpendicular to the first edge, and a third edge that is longer than the first and second edges and defines a triangle with the first and second edges, wherein the second and third edges define a cutting portion, the method comprising:
- bringing the second edge in contact with the side wall such that the cutting portion is positioned to cut the notch in the side wall;
- and
- rotating the cutting tool such that the cutting portion cuts the notch into the side wall, the notch having a well defined depth in accordance with a difference between a length of the third and second edges.
A cutting assembly for machining a notch into an interior surface of a housing formed from a single piece of metal, the cutting assembly comprising:
- a cutting tool, comprising:
- substantially triangular blades extending from a central hub, each of the triangular blades having a first edge that extends radially from the central hub, a second edge that is generally perpendicular to the first edge, and a third edge that defines a right triangle with the first and second edges, wherein the second and third edges define a cutting portion, wherein when the second edge is brought in contact with the interior surface, the cutting portion is positioned to cut the notch in the interior surface, the notch having a well defined depth in accordance with a difference between a length of the third and second edges, and
- a cutting shaft having an end coupled to a central portion of the central hub of the triangular blades and configured to rotate the triangular blades about an axis arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cutting shaft;
- and
- a fixturing device configured to secure the housing in place while the cutting tool performs a cutting operation within the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.