Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA)
What is a Patent for Mechanical interlocking connection of threaded fasteners and brittle materials
Search Patent for Mechanical interlocking connection of threaded fasteners and brittle materials
Electronic devices may include a variety of components. These include electronic components as well as structural elements like housings. A lot of the components in an electronic device are made of hard materials that can make it difficult to manufacture and assemble. For instance, a piece of an electronic device like a housing could be made out of a brittle material like a ceramic material.
The brittle component is susceptible to structural issues in the manufacturing of different components as well as the assembly of an electronic device. To minimize the risk of failure, it is possible to alter the geometry of brittle components. In most cases, however, these designs can restrict the possibilities of fastening the component to other components of the device or introduce new design and assembly issues. Further, traditional fasteners and methods of attaching brittle components to other components of the device may result in unintentional areas of stress concentration or lower strengths than desired.
One aspect of the invention is a digital device that includes the ceramic article having a first surface. The ceramic article is a cavity that extends into the ceramic from this first surface. The ceramic article also includes an undercut region that is defined by a retaining layer that is parallel to the first surface and a second one that defines an opening extending tangentially into and dividing the cavity. A fastener may be placed in the undercut area and includes a body defining a securing cavity extending into the body, as well as a protrusion having an engagement surface extending beyond the body. The engagement surface can be used to contact the surfaces of retaining. The electronic device may also comprise an element with an aperture. The aperture being aligned with the cavity that is secured, and a fixing member can pass through the aperture, and then mechanically engage with the cavity for securing.
The ceramic item may contain zirconia as well as alumina in certain instances. The fastener can include a metal. The body that defines the cavity for securing may contain an engagement feature. A feature for engagement can be placed in the fixing component that corresponds to the fastener’s engagement feature. A fastener could have a cross-sectional space that substantially matches the form of the opening. The protrusion could extend nearly completely around the body of the fastener. The curvature radius for the area of ceramic articles that define the undercut could be between 0.001 and 0.1mm. The surfaceof the protrusion can be in contact with the opposing surface of the undercut. The second cavity may extend completely through the fastener, and the fixing member may extend through the fastener and into the ceramic material.
A different aspect of the present disclosure is a fastener including a body having a first surface, and the body having a cavity extending through the body of the fastener via an opening in the first surface, a part of the body that defines the cavity being adapted to accept, and then engage with, the fixing member, and the protrusion extends radially from the body, and with a second surface that is in a parallel position with the first, such that the second surface is abutting the opposite surface of an undercut of a cavity when it is placed therein and engaged with a fixing member.
In certain embodiments, the portion of the body which defines the space of the fastener can have an engagement feature. The protrusion can extend almost all over the body. The fastener can further include a channel in the bodyadjacent to the protrusion. The body can be cylindrical.
Another feature of the disclosure is an assembly comprising a brittle piece defining an opening. The brittle pieces have an undercut portion that defines the cavity. The undercut area may contain an attachment device, which could be a feature of engagement or a retaining area. The retaining surface of the fastener can be placed opposite to the undercut of the brittle object and be engaged with it. An aperture-shaped component can be aligned with theengagement feature, and a fixing member can be inserted through the aperture and mechanically engage the engagement feature.
The component can be an internal component of various electronic devices. A ceramic material can be used to make the brittle component. The retaining surface could be in contact with the undercut surface.
Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.
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