Search

EP-4546387-B1 - LOW-PROFILE MECHANICAL RETENTION

EP4546387B1EP 4546387 B1EP4546387 B1EP 4546387B1EP-4546387-B1

Inventors

  • DABOV, TEODOR
  • ARDISANA II, John Bernard
  • SHUKLA, ASHUTOSH Y.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20181010

Claims (15)

  1. An assembly (100) comprising: a framework (103) that includes a frame wall (109) having an obverse side (118) and an opposite reverse side (121), the framework (103) defining a housing cavity (106); electronics components (213) located in the housing cavity (106); a button (112) that is located on the obverse side (118) of the frame wall (109), the button (112) being of a polymeric plastics material and being manually operable to control one or more functionalities of the electronics components (213); a tubular metal connector (204) that is connected to the button (112) by partial embedment thereof in the button (112), the connector (204) projecting from the button (112) transversely through the frame wall (109), an end of the connector (204) furthest from the button (112) defining a plurality of tenons (306) projecting axially from the connector (204); a sheet metal retainer (209) oriented transversely to the tubular metal connector (204), the retainer (209) being located on the reverse side (121) of the frame wall (109) such that part of the frame wall (109) is located between the button (112) and the retainer (209), the retainer (209) defining a plurality of mortise holes (303) complementary to the plurality of tenons (306) of the connector (204), each tenon (306) being matingly received in a corresponding mortise hole (303); and a plurality of solder joints (219), each of which connects a respective tenon (306) to the retainer (209) at the corresponding mortise hole (303), thereby retaining the button (112) on the frame wall (109).
  2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sheet metal retainer (209) is oriented such that a thickness dimension of the retainer (209) is normal to a longitudinal axis of the tubular metal connector (204).
  3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein each solder joint (219) is located at least partially in the corresponding mortise hole (303).
  4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein each solder joint (219) has a height dimension that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tubular metal connector (204) and that coincides substantially with an overlap between the respective tenon (306) and the retainer (209), the height dimension of the solder joint (219) being substantially equal to or smaller than the thickness dimension of the retainer (209).
  5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tenons (306) projects through the retainer (209) substantially no further than a major outer face of the retainer (209) furthest from the frame wall (109).
  6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein, for each solder joint (219), a solder-promoting surface is provided on at least one of the corresponding tenon (306) and the corresponding mortise hole (303).
  7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the solder joint (219) is of a material different than both the connector (204) and the retainer (209), the solder joint (219) attaching to the solder-promoting surface.
  8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein both, for each solder joint (219), both the corresponding tenon (306) and the corresponding mortise hole (303) have respective solder-promoting surfaces, the solder joint (219) comprising a respective localized metal coating attaching to the solder-promoting surfaces of both the tenon (306) and the mortise hole.
  9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the button (112) is displaceably mounted on the frame wall (109) to allow travel thereof in a direction transverse to the frame wall (109), an extent of travel of the button (112) away from the frame wall (109) being limited by abutment of the retainer (209) against the frame wall (109) on the reverse side (121) thereof.
  10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising a biasing mechanism to bias the button (112) away from the frame wall (109).
  11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a compression spring held captive between the button (112) and the frame wall (109) on the obverse side (118) thereof.
  12. A method comprising: positioning a button (112) component of polymeric plastics material on an obverse side (118) of a frame wall (109) provided by a framework (103) that defines a housing cavity (106), such that a tubular metal connector (204) that is connected to the button (112) component by partial embedment thereof in the button (112) component projects transversely through the frame wall (109) to an obverse side (118) thereof; receiving a plurality of tenons (306) projecting longitudinally from an end of the tubular metal connector (204) furthest from the button (112) component in a plurality of complementary mating mortise holes (303) defined by a sheet metal retainer (209) oriented transversely to the tubular metal connector (204) and located on a reverse side (121) of the frame wall (109) furthest from the button (112) component; and creating a solder connection between the connector (204) and the retainer (209) by creating a respective solder joint (219) that connects each of the plurality of tenons (306) to the corresponding mortise hole (303)in which it is received, thereby retaining the button (112) component on the frame wall (109).
  13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a prior operation of creating a solder-promoting surface on at least one of: the plurality of mortise holes (303), and the plurality of tenons (306).
  14. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating of the solder-promoting surfaces comprises creating a respective solder-promoting surface in each of the plurality of mortise holes (303) and on each of the plurality of tenons (306).
  15. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating of each solder-promoting surface comprises applying on their respective area a metal alloy coating that is more receptive to soldiering than the material of the retainer (209) and the material of the connector (204).

Description

PRIORITY This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/782,526, filed on October 12, 2017. BACKGROUND Many mechanical assemblies include the mounting of components on a framework or housing in an environment where there are significant constraints on the physical dimensions of a mounting or retention mechanism. US 2009/301852 Al presents such a mechanical assembly. Such applications often additionally present considerable difficulties with respect to access for assembly. Mechanical retention mechanisms for such applications, such as machine screws or heat-stakes, have physical dimensions and/or access requirements such that the retention mechanism itself imposes size restraints on other components of the assembly. This is often the case in the construction of physical components for electronic devices, particularly where space is at a premium such as in wearable electronic devices. Non-mechanical solutions (e.g., gluing or laser welding) are, however, often non-viable options due to unreliability, long-term deterioration of the connection, additional complexity in tooling, and/or cost considerations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various ones of the appended drawings merely illustrate example embodiments of the present disclosure and cannot be considered as limiting its scope. To facilitate collation of numbered items in the description to the drawings, the first digit of each numbered item corresponds to the figure in which that item first appears. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a housing assembly that includes a low-profile mechanical retention mechanism, according to one example embodimentFIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional side views of the example housing mechanism of FIG. 1, an example mounted component in the form of a button mounted to a housing by a low-profile soldered retention mechanism according to one example embodiment being shown in FIG. 2A in a default position, and being shown in FIG. 2B in a depressed position.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view, on an enlarged scale, of part of the housing assembly of FIG. 1, according to an example embodiment.FIGS. 4A--4D are a series of views showing a sequence of operations for assembling a housing assembly according to one example embodiment. FIG. 4A is an exploded three-dimensional view of an example button assembly prior to mounting. FIG. 4B is a schematic three-dimensional view of the housing assembly before engagement of a retainer ring with a connector forming part of the example button assembly. FIG. 4C corresponds to FIG. 4B, showing the retainer ring being positioned in engagement with the connector. FIG. 4D shows a view corresponding to FIG. 4C, illustrating the formation of solder joints between the retainer ring and the connector by use of a solder iron.FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional partial cross-section of an assembly in accordance with an example embodimentFIG. 6 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an eyewear device that includes an assembly analogous to that described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. The headings provided herein are merely for convenience and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the terms used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The scope of protection is defined in the claims. The description that follows includes devices, systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques are not necessarily shown in detail. One aspect of the disclosure provides for utilizing a solder joint or connection as a mechanical joint. As will be illustrated with reference to the example embodiment that follows, such a solder joint, e.g., between plate metal components, provides for a low height bond that allows a system of which it forms part to substantially maximize available space for other components. FIG. 1 shows an assembly according to one example embodiment, in this example being a housing assembly 100 for button-controllable electronics to be incorporated in an electronics-enabled eyewear device such as the example pair of smart glasses 600 illustrated in FIG. 6. The housing assembly 100 comprises a framework in the example form of a generally box-shaped housing 103 that defines a housing cavity 106 in which electronic components are to be housed. The housing assembly 100 further includes a mounted component in the example form of a button 112 mounted on the housing 103 for allowing user control of the electronics located within the housing cavity 106, in use. As will be described below, the b