Patent Application
20220163998
Portable electronic devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, notebook computers, and tablets include components, such as a power source and an electrical component. The power source and the electrical component are electrically coupled to each other to enable operation of the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices also include a body panel to cover the power source and the electrical component.
The detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc. include various components, such as a power source and an electrical component, that are coupled together for operating the portable electronic devices, the power source may be a battery and the electrical component may be a printed circuit board or a motherboard of the portable electronic devices. In an example, the battery and the motherboard may be coupled by a cable and a connector. In another example, the battery and the motherboard may be coupled by a connector. The connector may be fixedly arranged between the battery and the motherboard to electrically couple them to each other.
Further, the components of the portable electronic devices are covered by a body panel, to protect the components from external factors, such as dust. During disassembly of the portable electronic device, the body panel may be removed to repair or replace any component of the portable electronic device. As the battery and the motherboard is electrically coupled, during disassembly, probability of occurrence of electrical short-circuits may become high. The electrical short-circuits may affect other electrical components of the portable electronic device, thereby causing irreparable damage to the portable electronic device.
The present subject matter discloses example body panels with connectors for portable electronic devices. The body panels of the present subject matter facilitate prevention of electrical short-circuit between different components, such as a power source and an electrical component, two electrical components, one electrical component and a plurality of wires, one electrical component and one flexible circuit board, or other components, of a portable electronic device, while disassembling the portable electronic device.
As per the present subject matter, the body panel of the portable electronic device may include a connector that may be affixed to the body panel. The connector may be an interposer that may provide an electrical interface that routes between one connection to another. In an assembled state of the body panel on the portable electronic device, the connector may get positioned in a gap between the battery and the motherboard of the portable electronic device. As a result, the connector may electrically couple the battery with the motherboard in the assembled state of the body panel on the portable electronic device. In a disassembled state of the body panel, the connector may be removed from the gap and the electrical coupling between the battery and the motherboard may be disconnected upon disassembling.
Accordingly, the removable placement of the connector fixedly attached to the body panel of the present subject matter facilitates in disconnecting the electrical connection between the battery and the motherboard during disassembly of the body panel. The connector may thereby prevent any chances of short-circuit between components, such as the power source and the electrical component of the portable electronic device.
The present subject matter is further described with reference to the accompanying figures. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the figures and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. It is thus understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
The manner in which the body panels and the portable electronic devices implementing the body panels are implemented are explained in detail with respect to
The body panel 100 may include a planar surface 102 that may face the battery and the motherboard in an assembled state of the body panel 100 on the portable electronic device. For example, the planar surface 102 may be an inner surface of the body panel 100, in the assembled state of the body panel 100 on the portable electronic device. The assembled state of the body panel 100 may be the state when the body panel 100 is disposed on or attached to the portable electronic device. In an example, the body panel 100 may be attached to the portable electronic device by way of screw fasteners, snap fit mechanism, and the like.
Further, the body panel 100 includes a connector 104 affixed on the planar surface 102 of the body panel 100. The connector 104 is to form interconnections between two electrical components, such as the battery and the motherboard. In an example, the connector 104 may be affixed on the planar surface 102 using screw fasteners, adhesives, etc. in the assembled state of the body panel 100 on the portable electronic device, the connector 104 may get positioned between the battery and the motherboard of the portable electronic device. The connector 104 may thus, electrically couple the battery with the motherboard.
The body panel 100 thus ensures that during disassembly of the body panel 100, the connector 104 is removed from between the battery and the motherboard, thereby disconnecting the electrical coupling between the battery and the motherboard. As a result, short-circuit may be avoided from occurring.
The body panel 200 may include a planar surface 208 that may face the battery 204 and the motherboard 206, when the body panel 200 is attached to the portable electronic device 202. In an example, the body panel 200 may also include a connector 210 affixed on the planar surface 208. For example, the connector 210 may be attached to the body panel 200 by screw fasteners, adhesives, and so on. In an example implementation, the body panel 200 and the connector 210 may include openings (not shown) to receive fasteners. The fasteners may be inserted in the openings to affix the connector 210 with the body panel 200. In an example, the connector 210 may be made of a plastic material. The connector 210 may act as a bridge to electrically couple the battery 204 and the motherboard 206 of the portable electronic device 202.
Though the connector 210 is depicted to have a rectangular shape, the connector 210 may have any suitable shape based on the portable electronic device in which the connector 210 may be implemented. In an example implementation, the connector 210 may have a shape to provide a space efficient interconnection between the battery 204 and the motherboard 206.
In an example implementation, the connector 210 includes a first set of interconnects 212 to connect with corresponding interconnects 214 of the battery 204. Further, the connector 210 includes a second set of interconnects 216 to connect with corresponding interconnects 218 of the motherboard 206. For example, the first set of interconnects 212 may be female connectors to receive corresponding male connectors 214 of the battery 204. In other example, the second set of interconnects 216 may be male connectors configured to receive corresponding female connectors 218 of the motherboard 206. The number of the first set of interconnects 212 and the second set of interconnects 216 may vary based on the portable electronic device 202 in which the connector 210 may be implemented.
In an example, the first set of interconnects 212 and the second set of interconnects 216 may be made of a conductive material. In another example, the first set of interconnects 212 and the second set of interconnects 216 may be coated with a layer of the conductive material. Examples of the conductive material may include, but are not limited to, Gold, Silver, Copper, Beryllium, Titanium, Brass, or a combination thereof. Although the first and second sets of interconnects 212 and 216 are depicted as extending outwards from the connector 210, the first and second set of interconnects 212 and 216 may be surface interconnects, such as metal plated contact areas.
To assemble the body panel 200 on the portable electronic device 202, the body panel 200 may be attached to a chassis (not shown in
During repairing or replacement of any component of the portable electronic device 202, the body panel 200 may be removed to disassemble the portable electronic device 202, The removal of the body panel 200 from the portable electronic device 202 leads to removal of the connector 210, thereby disconnecting the electrical coupling between the battery 204 and the motherboard 206 of the portable electronic device 202.
The assembled state of the body panel 300 may be a state when the body panel 300 is attached to the portable electronic device to cover a battery 304 and a motherboard 306 of the portable electronic device. For example, in the assembled state, the body panel 300 may render the battery 304 and the motherboard 306 inaccessible to a user. In an example implementation, the body panel 300 may include a plurality of protrusions (not shown) for being received by a plurality of notches (not shown) formed on a chassis (not shown) of the portable electronic device. In another example implementation, the body panel 300 may be attached to the portable electronic device by using screw fasteners.
As depicted in
The portable electronic device 400 may also include a body panel 406 to cover the battery 402 and the motherboard 404 in an assembled state of the body panel 406 on the portable electronic device 400. The body panel 406 may include an outer casing of the portable electronic device 400 or a portion thereof.
Further, the portable electronic device 400 may include an connector 408 that may be affixed to the body panel 406. The connector 408 may provide interconnections between two electronic components, such as the battery 402 and the motherboard 404. In an example, in an assembled state of the body panel 406 on the portable electronic device 400, the connector 408 may be removably positioned between the battery 402 and the motherboard 404 to electrically couple the battery 402 with the motherboard 404.
As the connector 408 may be affixed to the body panel 406, the connector 408 may connect the electrical coupling between the battery 402 and the motherboard 404 during assembly of the portable electronic device 400. Further, during disassembly, the connector 408 may get removed from in-between the battery 402 and the motherboard 404. The connector 408 may thus, facilitate in preventing any short-circuit during disassembly of the portable electronic device 400.
The portable electronic device 500 may include a body panel 508 to cover the power source 504 and the electrical component 506 on the chassis 502, in a coupled state of the body panel 508 to the chassis 502. The body panel 508 may be an outer casing of the portable electronic device or a portion thereof. The body panel 508 may be formed from materials including an aluminium material, a plastic material, or carbon composites, and so on, including combinations thereof.
The portable electronic device 500 may also include a connector 510 affixed to the body panel 508. In an example, the connector 510 may be a connector that may provide interconnections between two electronic components, such as the power source 504 and the electrical component 506.
In addition, the portable electronic device 500 may include a coupling element 512 to couple the body panel 508 with the chassis 502. In an example, the coupling element 512 may include a hinge to couple the body panel 508 to the chassis 502. In an example, in the coupled state of the body panel 508 with the portable electronic device 500, the connector 510 may position between the power source 504 and the electrical component 506 to electrically couple the power source 504 with the electrical component 506.
In an example, in the coupled state of the body panel 508, the body panel 508 may overlap the chassis 502 to cover the power source 504 and the electrical component 506. For example, as depicted in
In an uncoupled state of the body panel 508, the body panel 508 may be removed, such as for repair, from the chassis 502 of the portable electronic device 500. As the body panel 508 is detached from the chassis 502, the connector 510 may get detached from the portable electronic device 500 along with the body panel 508. As a result, the electrical coupling between the power source 504 and the electrical component 506 may get disconnected.
Although aspects for the present disclosure have been described in a language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not limited to the specific features or methods described herein. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of the present disclosure.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2019/046214 | 8/12/2019 | WO | 00 |
