Enclosures having a seamless appearance
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsAlexander M. Kwan, Cesar Lozano Villarreal, Siri Amrit Ramos, Xuyang Zhang, Peter A. Dvorak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enclosure for an AC to DC adapter has a continuous and apparently seamless exterior surface. The enclosure includes a housing and a cap that are joined by a pair of weld joints. One weld is formed on an interior portion of the enclosure providing strength and one weld joint is formed on the exterior surface providing a seamless appearance for the enclosure.
Claims22
An enclosure for an electronic assembly, the enclosure having a seamless exterior appearance and comprising:
- a housing comprising a bottom wall and at least one side wall extending from the bottom wall, the at least one side wall comprising a beveled end portion having a curved tip;
- a cap comprising a protrusion coupled to the beveled end portion of the housing, wherein the cap, the bottom wall, and the at least one side wall define a cavity in which the electronic assembly is disposed;
- a first weld joint formed between the protrusion and the beveled end portion of the housing and a second weld joint formed between the housing and the cap, wherein the first and the second weld joints are separated by a non-interference region;
- and
- at least two electrical prongs extending through the bottom wall and electrically coupled to the electronic assembly.
A method of forming an enclosure having a seamless exterior appearance for an electronic assembly, the method comprising:
- forming a housing having a bottom wall and at least one side wall extending from the bottom wall, the at least one side wall comprising a beveled end portion having a curved tip, and the bottom wall being formed around at least two electrical prongs extending through the bottom wall;
- disposing the electronic assembly within the housing such that the electrical assembly is electrically coupled to the at least two electrical prongs;
- positioning a cap comprising a protrusion on the housing;
- and
- coupling the protrusion to the beveled end portion with a first joint and a second joint that are separated from each other by a non-interference region, wherein the cap, the bottom wall, and the at least one side wall define a cavity in which the electronic assembly is disposed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.