GB2383472A

GB2383472A - A PCB mounting

Info

Publication number: GB2383472A
Application number: GB0130746A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Hutchison
Original assignee: Vertu Ltd; Nokia Mobile Developments NMD Ltd
Current assignee: Vertu 2013 Ltd
Priority date: 2001-12-21
Filing date: 2001-12-21
Publication date: 2003-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2021-12-21
Also published as: GB2383472B; WO2003056891A1; GB0130746D0; AU2002353185A1

Abstract

A printed circuit board (50) for mounting within an electronic device has a plurality of resilient mounting members (505) such that the board may be mounted in the device without the device requiring complementary mounting members. The board with mounting members enables the device casing to be reused with future technology boards as the boards are easily replaceable within the device. Such devices are typically mobile phones, electronic diaries and notepads.

Description

A Mountinq The invention relates to portable communication devices and in particular to mountings for such devices and associated methods.

Items of technical equipment are generally bought for their functionality. They are quickly superseded and replaced when a faster, cheaper to operate, smaller, or higher specification alternative is released onto the market, the previous model being discarded. The value of the product to its user is in what it can achieve, and perhaps to an extent the image that attaches to the owner of such an item. As fashion is constantly changing so is the image promoted by owning an individual item particularly in a fast moving technical area. What may have been the height of fashion can swiftly become out moded.

In fast moving technical areas changes are prompted by, amongst other things, the requirement to make the product smaller, cheaper, cheaper to use, have greater functionality, make use of emerging technologies or move with the latest tastes in design.

Generally when a radically new technical product is brought onto the market, for an initial period the product is elite and expensive. Consequently only limited numbers are produced. In the early years, because of the inherent rarity and the cost of components, there is a propensity to repair as much as possible. Despite the economic requirement for repair, as soon as a better product is launched, the previous item is soon obsolete and abandoned. The drive for innovation is the challenge of technical advancement and reduction of costs. This pattern has been followed with many items including the first colour televisions, and the first mobile phones.

In other products such as personal computers upgrading is a possibility, but these upgrades are possible only within carefully predefined limits. The

casings are retained as a matter of convenience, it being the retention of the maximum amount of the existing technological hardware that drives the changes.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a printed circuit board for mounting within an electronic device, the board having a plurality of resilient members to mount the board within the device without requiring complementary mounting members on the device.

Thus the PCB may be mounted in a device without requiring further attachment means. This allows the electronics of an electronic device to be upgraded without requiring any changes to the casing of the device. The electronic device may be any electronic device although the invention is particularly suitable for use in portable devices or in electronic devices in which the hardware may be upgraded relatively regularly.

Preferably the resilient members are compressible. The resilient members may be made from natural or synthetic rubber.

Preferably the mounts are designed to hold the board within the casing by means of force between the mounts and surfaces of the device. The mounts may be designed to exert a force laterally against the sides of the board.

Additionally or alternatively the mounts may be designed to exert a force perpendicular to the major plane of the board.

The total amount that the mounts extend around the perimeter of the board is preferably less than 25% of the perimeter of the board and may be less than 10% or 5%.

The invention also relates to a reusable casing for a personal portable communication device having an operating face carrying a user interface including a plurality of user input elements, the casing comprising housing elements defining a cavity for receiving an engine providing the electronic

functionality of the device and a battery for powering the engine and a printed circuit board according to the invention.

The casing may include elements made from precious material.

The invention also relates to a personal portable communication device including a printed circuit board according to the invention and the device may include precious material.

Devices such as mobile phones and computers have historically been designed with the foreknowledge that, within periods as short as months, more desirable products with vastly greater functionality will have overtaken the current models. The devices are accordingly built with these periods of time in mind.

The various aspects of the present invention result from a radically different approach to portable communication devices. A reusable casing for a portable communication device that may be precious, and customisable with sentimental value, turns the drives for previous innovation on their heads. In embodiments of the present invention it is the casing that is the more enduring element of a technical device.

When creating a reusable casing there are new considerations. Future engines as yet undesigned need to be accommodated. Future technologies need to be factored in. One result is that the engine size will probably not remain the same. To account for this in embodiments of the present invention the means for defining the battery cavity may be replaceable to provide different respective volumes for the battery and engine cavities. In this way as engines with greater functionality become smaller a larger battery can be utilised should this be desirable to fill the vacant space and provide a longer battery life.

By displacing the battery and the engine along the length of the casing, end-to end reductions in the size of the engine, for example, can be directly

translated into an increase in size for the battery. In conventional devices where the engine and battery are back to back, this direct correspondence does not occur as the battery size is determined by the casing itself rather than the engine size.

The casing in embodiments of the invention will be the most enduring feature of the device. It will perhaps out live a succession of engines. The display may be a replaceable module as is the engine and the battery. Alternatively the display may be one of the enduring elements of the design.

To be flexible enough for future developments the casing may be provided with external connectors allowing for greater capability than is provided for by the functionality of a current engine. This allows higher data capacity, for example, to be provided in the future when the processing capability of the engines increases. This may mean that one or more of the electrical connectors provided on the casing is not arranged to convey signals. In the interim the connector could be used for another purpose.

The casing may be a conventional one part casing or a clam shell, or other two or more part arrangement, where the user input elements or keys may be located on a different face to a display. In such two part arrangements generally respective casing portions are fixed such that one is movable relative to the other. The movement may be rotational or lateral.

When a casing is to be reusable it can be made from more valuable materials as these will not be redundant and cast aside when the next best technology comes along. A vast range of materials become available for customisation of elements of the device in fact there are virtually no bounds. Embodiments of the invention may use precious and semi precious materials including gem stones, other jewels and minerals, metals including those ranging from gold, silver, and platinum through to alloys such as steel. Materials such as ceramics in their various forms are also available for use in embodiments of the invention, the brittle nature of these materials, being able to be accommodated by the design of some embodiments. In addition, materials

not generally considered in the context of technological devices, such as skins (leather being a particular example), wood and similar materials can also be utilised in embodiments of the invention.

As well as the materials themselves individual elements can be customised with surface decoration that could include veneers of desired materials on plastic or other subframes. The elements could have instead, or in addition, surface texture provided by a particular finish or an engraving or encrustation with gems or other stones or materials.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a communication device showing one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows front, rear, sides and top views of the communication device of figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a communication device suitable for embodiments of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a circuit board according to the invention mounted in a casing of a portable communications device.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a circuit board according to the invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the mounts of the circuit board shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-section of the device shown in Figure 1.

Embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail below with exemplary materials being given for some specific or individual elements of

the device. Where a material or veneer is discussed in relation to an element, the particular character of the element described is one of many or several that may be provided as options to a party commissioning a personalised device in accordance with the invention. In addition the exact material or surface decoration of the element could be individually commissioned.

Although a communication device is described, the invention is applicable to any electronic device.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is a communication device 1 with a precious retainable casing 2. The casing 2 of the device has been designed to be customisable to individual taste with precious materials. To enable individual devices to be created, the number of external parts that the casing is formed from is relatively large in contrast to existing communication devices.

The casing 2 has an optically permeable front face 3 that includes a key array 6. The key array 6 includes a first group of alphanumeric keys 7, for entering telephone numbers, writing text messages (SMS), writing names (associated with phone numbers), etc. Each of the twelve alphanumeric keys 7 is provided with a figure"0-9"or a sign"#"or"*", respectively. In an alpha mode each key is associated with a number of letters and special signs used in text editing. The key array 6 additionally comprises two soft keys 8,9, two call handling keys 10,11, two scroll keys 12, and an on/off key 13.

The functionality of the soft keys 8,9 may depend on the state of the communication device and position within the menu accessed using the scroll keys 12. The current functionality of the soft keys 8,9 can be shown in separate fields in the display region 4 just above the respective keys 8,9.

The two call handling keys 10,11 are used for establishing a call or a conference call, terminating a call or rejecting an incoming call.

The two direction keys or scroll keys 12, in the handset illustrated, are placed centrally on the front surface of the communication device between the

display region 4 and the group of alphanumeric keys 7 and perform a scrolling function.

The seamless face 3 is formed from an optically seamless light guide providing light to illuminate the display region 4 and key legends 15 located on the light guide and associated with individual keys of the key array 6.

The front face 3 is overlaid with a pillow 16 providing apertures 17 to channel sound from a loud speaker 18 and providing an appropriate feel for an element of the device that will be located close to the user's ear. The front face 3 is surrounded by a bezel 19 that can be made from a precious metal.

This acts to protect the edges of the light guide 14 and can help in some embodiments in securing the elements of the casing 2 together.

The keys of the key array in this particular embodiment are arranged to provide particular sensory guidance to the user. Aspects of the design also allow the light guide 14 to be made from a wide range of materials including those that are brittle and so need to be carefully handled and protected from shattering.

The casing 2 is formed from the front face 3 surrounded by the bezel 19, a side frame 20 and a back cover 21. The interface between the side frame 20 and the bezel 19 and the side frame 20 and the rear cover 21 are shielded by rails 22,23 in this embodiment. The rails 22,23 hide raw edges from view and exposure to ensure that the device 1 is both long lasting and elegant.

The construction of the casing 2 enables the casing 2 to be opened with ease to update the engine 24 inside when desired. The casing 2 is also designed to allow the device to accommodate different sized and shaped engines 24, which may be necessary through its life.

Other elements of the design will be discussed in greater detail with reference to the later drawings. By way of introduction, the device will be briefly discussed with reference to its functional elements.

The communication device 1, includes the key array 6, a display 25, an antenna 26, an ear piece speaker 18, a polyphonic speaker 27, and a microphone 28. The communication device 1 is adapted for communication via a wireless telecommunication network, e. g. a wireless network. However, the communication device could also have been designed for a cordless network. Fig. 3 shows schematically and functionally elements of the communication device 1. The microphone 28 records the user's speech, and the analogue signals formed thereby are A/D converted by an A/D converter before the speech is encoded in an audio part 29. The encoded speech signal is transferred to processor 30. The processor 30 may support software in the phone. The processor 30 also forms the interface to peripheral units of the apparatus. These may include a Random Access Memory (RAM) 31 and a Flash Read Only Memory (ROM) 32, a 81M card 33, the display 25, and the key array 6, and perhaps a browser application 34, and a location module 35.

The browser application 34 can be used to request and receive information from the Internet. The location module 35 enables the terminal 1 to determine its current position.

The processor 30 communicates with a transceiver 36, e. g. a circuit, which is adapted to send and receive messages in a telecommunication network. The telecommunications network may be a GSM or W-CDMA network, but the invention may also be applied in connection with any other network, including but not limited to other kinds of wireless networks and various forms of cordless phone systems or in dual band phones accessing sets of these systems or networks. The audio part 29 speech-decodes the signal, which is transferred from the processor 30 to the earpiece 18 via a D/A converter.

The display 25 may form a permanent part of the casing or, to increase the potential for upgrading the engine throughout the life of the casing it may be a module that can be replaced to, for example, account for the inevitable improvements in graphics that may occur.

The constructed casing 2 provides a housing for the printed circuit board 50 holding the engine components 24, and a battery 79 (see Figure 7). When the device 1 is a radio telephone, the casing 2 may also provide a 81M card holder to accommodate a 81M card. For operation under some radio protocols this will clearly not be necessary. The casing 2 is completed by assembling the back cover 21 to the side frame 20.

In the embodiment described the front 3 and rear 21 casing elements are secured to the side frame 20. A silicon sealant may be extruded around the inside of the back cover 21 to prevent unwanted ingress of dirt and fluid.

The skilled man will be aware that the character described above in relation to specific elements of the device can be mixed and matched to suit many distinct design options.

Further aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a printed circuit board (PCB) 50 according to the invention mounted in a casing of a portable communications device. The circuit board 50 is mounted in the casing in a removable manner as will be described below. The casing comprises a frame member 20 that forms the side of the device. The side frame member 20 may be visible to an end user or other side elements of a more attractive nature may cover the side frame member.

The side frame member 20 has a flange 71 that forms a rest for the PCB. The PCB is held within the casing by mounts 505 a, b, c. These mounts can be seen more clearly in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a printed circuit board having mounts in accordance with the invention. The printed circuit board 50 has engine components 24 mounted on one or both surfaces and is of a suitable size to fit within the recess provided by the side frame member 20.

Figure 6 shows the mounts 505 in more detail. The mounts are resilient and preferably slightly compressible and are preferably formed of a natural or synthetic rubber material. The mounts hold the PCB within the casing by means of the force between the mounts and the sides 20 of the casing. In the embodiments illustrated, this force is exerted laterally against the sides of the PCB. However it is also envisaged that additionally or alternatively the mounts may result in a force exerted perpendicular to the major plane of the PCB.

The mounts as shown are rectangular in cross-section. It is believed that this provides the optimum compression forces for the least number of mounts. However other shaped mounts may be used, for instance ones of a circular cross section. A reduction in contact area between the mounts and the device surface may mean that an increased number of mounts is necessary.

It should be noted that the resilient mounts 505 provide shock absorbency for the PCB as well as being the only means of mounting the PCB within the casing. The PCB is not held with screw fittings or the like. This provides the advantages that the PCB itself does not have to be designed to fit snugly within particular sized recesses within the casing or to match screw holes provided on the side member frame of the casing. Thus the PCB and hence the engine can be easily upgraded without having to re-design or reproduce the casing for the phone. The resilient mounts 505 simply need to be of such as size and have sufficient resilience to hold the PCB within the casing by compression forces.

The mounts only extend for a small proportion of the perimeter of the PCB, for instance less than 25% and more likely less than 10% of the perimeter.

Although the drawings show three mounts it should be clear to a person skilled in the art that any suitable number may be used. For instance two or more mounts may be used as required, so long as the board is held within the casing as required.

As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the reusable casing 2 for a personal portable communication device has a user interface 6 including a plurality of user input elements 7. The casing has housing elements 3,19, 20,21, an engine 24 for providing the electronic functionality of the device and a battery 79 for powering the engine. The housing elements are releasably attached one to another to provide access to the interior of the casing. A dividing member 87 defines a battery cavity 85 accessible to the user and an engine cavity 84.

The dividing member 87 also accommodates a connection between the battery 79 and the engine 24. The mounts 505 (only one of which is shown in Figure 7) mount the engine PCB 50 within the engine cavity 84 in a removable manner. The device also includes a PCB 55 for the key array 6. This PCB is also held within the casing by rubber mounts as described above with reference to PCB 50. The battery 79 may also be provided with similar mounts.

The casing 2 has a rear cover 21 and internal compartments 84,85 suitable for retaining the engine 24, the battery 79 and in this embodiment a 81M card 81. The device illustrated, in common with many other radio telephones, advantageously allows access to the battery compartment 85 as the battery 79 may periodically need replacement. Along side the battery compartment 85 in this embodiment is the 81M card holder 80. Under protocols where a 81M card 81 is used to hold subscription information, the user may wish to remove the 81M card 81. For this reason it is convenient for the back cover 21 to be removable to expose both the battery 79 and the 81M card 81. The battery compartment 85 and 81M card holder 80 are provided by an internal dividing element in the form of casing element 87 that is secured to the side frame 20. This may be formed from plastic or one of many other suitable materials. In one embodiment the compartments are formed from stamped metal sheet. Titanium and aluminium are two from the numerous suitable materials.

The portable communication device may be modified by removing the engine 24 from the casing and replacing the engine with another engine having hardware providing a different predetermined processing capability. This may

mean that the dividing element 87 is moved to allow for an engine and/or a battery of a different size e. g. a larger engine 24 and a smaller battery 79 or vice versa. The invention means that this new PCB does not have to be manufactured to fit with any existing fixing means (e. g. screw holes) on the casing. In a conventional arrangement, where the PCB is screwed or clipped into the housing, it would be necessary to ensure that the new PCB has screws or fixing means in positions that corresponded to the complementary fixing means on the casing. However this is not the case with the present invention in which resilient mounts are provided which do not require complementary parts on the casing. Thus if the dividing element 87 is moved, this does affect the mounting means used.

Aspects of the invention have been discussed with reference to a radio telephone function. It will be clear to the skilled man that these aspects apply equally to other electronic devices, such as (but not limited to) other portable communications devices supporting in addition or as an alternative other functions, such as, amongst others electronic diaries, and electronic notepads.

In the future, although the casing will probably be maintained in substantially the same condition, the engine could be replaced with an engine that perhaps has greater processing power or allows for different functionality, for example improved graphics. To replace the engine will be a relatively simple manner of removing the existing engine and replacing it with a new one. The battery and internal casing walls may be changed at the same time if greater battery volume is then possible.

The present invention includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalisation thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigates any or all of the problems addressed.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A printed circuit board for mounting within an electronic device, the board having a plurality of resilient members to mount the board within the device without requiring complementary mounting members on the device.
2. A board as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resilient members are compressible.
3. A board as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the resilient members are made from natural or synthetic rubber.
4. A board as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the mounts are designed to hold the board within the casing by means of force between the mounts and surfaces of the device.
5. A board as claimed in claim 4 wherein the mounts are designed to result in a force exerted laterally against the sides of the board.
6. A board as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the mounts are designed to result in a force exerted perpendicular to the major plane of the board.
7. A board as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the total amount that the mounts extend around the perimeter of the board is less than 25% of the perimeter of the board.
8. A board as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the total amount that the mounts extend around the perimeter of the board is less than 10% of the perimeter of the board.
9. A board as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the total amount that the mounts extend around the perimeter of the board is less than 5% of the perimeter of the board.

<Desc/Clms Page number 14>
10. A reusable casing for a personal portable communication device having an operating face carrying a user interface including a plurality of user input elements, the casing comprising: housing elements defining a cavity for receiving an engine providing the electronic functionality of the device and a battery for powering the engine; a printed circuit board as claimed in any preceding claim.
11. A casing according to claim 10 wherein the casing further comprises means for attaching the housing elements one to another to provide access to the cavity for receiving the engine; a dividing member for defining a battery cavity accessible to the user and an engine cavity, the dividing member accommodating a connection between the battery and the engine;
12. A reusable casing according to claim 11 wherein the means for defining the battery cavity is replaceable to provide different respective volumes for the battery and engine cavities.
13. A reusable casing according to claim 10,11 or 12 wherein the battery and the engine are displaced along the length of the casing.
14. A reusable casing according to any of claims 10 to 13 wherein the design of a replacement means for receiving the engine and battery is dependent upon the size and shape of a second engine and battery pair.
15. A reusable casing according to any of claims 10 to 14 wherein the casing includes elements made from precious material.
16. A personal portable communication device including a printed circuit board as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.
17 A personal portable communication device according to claim 15 wherein the device includes precious material.

<Desc/Clms Page number 15>
18 A personal portable communication device comprising an engine and a reusable casing according to any of claims 10 to 15.
19. A printed circuit board substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
20. A casing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
21. A portable communication device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.