Thin profile sealed button assembly

{
  "publication_number": "US10102985B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Thin profile sealed button assembly",
  "abstract": "A sealed button assembly including a button cap, a push rod, a button retainer, and a bracket is described. The bracket can couple to the button retainer which itself can interlock with the button cap and push rod through a counterbore, the counterbore being defined in a sidewall of the housing of an electronic device.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A button assembly comprising: a button cap defining a flange; a push rod positioned below the button cap; a retainer comprising a body defining: an aperture adapted to receive the push rod; and an electrical switch adjacent the push rod; a first cavity at a first side of the retainer and configured to receive a first fastener; and a second cavity at a second side of the retainer and configured to receive a second fastener wherein the flange is configured to: engage the body to retain the button cap to the body; and move relative to the body in response to an actuation force applied to the button cap.",
    "2. The button assembly of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member between the button cap and the body and configured to bias the button cap towards an unactuated position.",
    "3. The button assembly of claim 1, further comprising a compressible biasing member configured to bias the button cap away from the retainer.",
    "4. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein: the button cap defines: an exterior surface; and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface and defining a recess; and the push rod is positioned at least partially within the recess.",
    "5. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises a wing extending from the body.",
    "6. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the push rod interfaces with the electrical switch.",
    "7. The button assembly of claim 1, further comprising a gasket seal positioned between an electronic device housing and the retainer.",
    "8. The button assembly of claim 1, wherein the push rod comprises: a body portion; and a seal channel within the body portion.",
    "9. The button assembly of claim 8, further comprising a push rod seal positioned within the seal channel.",
    "10. The button assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a bracket positioned within a housing of an electronic device and fastened to the retainer, thereby clamping the button assembly to at least a portion of the housing.",
    "11. The button assembly of claim 10, wherein the electrical switch is fixedly coupled to the bracket.",
    "12. The button assembly of claim 10, wherein the bracket is fixedly coupled to the retainer.",
    "13. The button assembly of claim 10, further comprising a shim positioned between the bracket and the housing.",
    "14. The button assembly of claim 13, wherein the shim comprises: a first layer formed from metal; and a second layer formed from an adhesive.",
    "15. The button assembly of claim 13, wherein the shim comprises: a first layer formed from metal; and a second layer formed from a compressible foam.",
    "16. A method for assembling a sealed button comprising: positioning a seal at least partially within a seal channel of a push rod; positioning the push rod within a through-hole extending through a retainer, the retainer comprising: a first fastener opening on a first side of the through-hole; and a second fastener opening on a second side of the through-hole positioning a cap over the retainer such that the push rod is at least partially received within a recess defined in a base of the cap; interlocking a wing of the retainer with a flange defined in the cap to retain the cap to the retainer while allowing the flange to translate relative to the retainer in response to an actuation force applied to the cap; positioning the cap, push rod, and retainer adjacent to a counterbore defined in a housing of an electronic device; positioning a bracket adjacent to the counterbore; and fastening the bracket to the retainer through the counterbore.",
    "17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming the cap to take a shape of a rounded rectangle.",
    "18. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning an electrical switch on the bracket adjacent to a bottom surface of the push rod.",
    "19. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning a biasing member between the retainer and the cap.",
    "20. An electronic device comprising: an enclosure defining: a button opening; and a shelf extending into the button opening; and a button comprising: a cap positioned above the shelf and defining a flange; a cap retainer positioned between the cap and the shelf and defining a wing that at least partially overlaps the flange so as to retain the cap to the retainer while allowing the flange to move relative to the enclosure when the cap is pressed; a first cavity at a first end of the cap retainer; and a second cavity at a second end of the cap retainer; and a push rod adjacent a bottom surface of the cap and extending through the cap retainer such that motion of the cap moves the push rod but not the cap retainer.",
    "21. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a bracket positioned below the shelf.",
    "22. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising an electrical switch portion positioned between the bracket and the cap retainer and below the push rod.",
    "23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the bracket is rigidly fastened to the cap retainer via a first fastener received in the first cavity and a second fastener received in the second cavity.",
    "24. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a gasket seal between the cap retainer and the shelf.",
    "25. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a spring positioned between the cap and the cap retainer and configured to bias the flange into engagement with the wing.",
    "26. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the push rod comprises a cylinder comprising a seal channel.",
    "27. The electronic device of claim 26, further comprising an O-ring seal positioned over the push rod at least partially within the seal channel."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Embodiments described herein generally relate to input devices and, more particularly, to thin-profile sealed button assemblies.\n\nAn electronic device can include one or more buttons. A button may be disposed within an aperture defined in the housing of the electronic device. In some cases, a seal may be provided between the button and the aperture in order to prevent or mitigate any intrusion of foreign matter to the interior of the electronic device through the aperture.\n\nButton assemblies typically include a protrusion extending from a button cap to engage an electrical switch. The protrusion is conventionally formed as an integral part of the button cap. Such a configuration can abrade the top surface of the electrical switch. For example, an off-axis application of force to the button cap causes the button cap to pivot, torquing the protrusion, and causing it to laterally draw across the surface of the electrical switch. Repeated abrasion of the electrical switch reduces the operational life of the button assembly and an electronic device incorporating the same. Additionally, repeated abrasion can reduce the effectiveness of seals, and thus the operational life, of the button assembly and the electronic device.\n\nEmbodiments described herein reference a button assembly mechanically coupling a button cap to an electrical switch via a push rod. In these and related embodiments, the button assembly includes a button cap (or, generally, a “cap”), a button retainer (or, generally, a “retainer” or “cap retainer”), a push rod disposed within a through-hole of the button retainer, and a bracket.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01H 13/06",
    "H01H 11/00",
    "H01H 2217/01",
    "H01H 2221/03",
    "H01H 2221/042",
    "H01H 2223/002",
    "H01H 2231/028",
    "H01H 2237/006"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01H 11/00",
    "H01H 13/06",
    "H01H 13/14",
    "H01H 3/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Apple Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "David M. Pelletier",
    "Brad G. Boozer",
    "Colin M. Ely"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-04-22",
  "publication_date": "2018-10-16",
  "grant_date": "2018-10-16",
  "priority_date": "2015-04-23",
  "application_number": "US-201615136868-A",
  "family_id": "63761320",
  "cited_by_count": 17,
  "citations": [
    "US2866141A",
    "US4022296A",
    "US4022993A",
    "US4037068A",
    "US4258096A",
    "US4324956A",
    "US4345119A",
    "US4581509A",
    "US4922070A",
    "US5657012A",
    "US5081329A",
    "US5258592A",
    "US5584380A",
    "US5760351A",
    "JP3034908U",
    "US5881866A",
    "US5898147A",
    "US6344791B1",
    "US6355891B1",
    "US6492602B2",
    "US6525278B2",
    "US20040082414A1",
    "US8648829B2",
    "US6924448B2",
    "US20070235307A1",
    "US7119289B2",
    "US6963039B1",
    "US20070152959A1",
    "US20080049980A1",
    "KR20080045397A",
    "US7605338B2",
    "US7851717B2",
    "US20090312051A1",
    "US8248815B2",
    "US8134094B2",
    "US8263889B2",
    "US8263886B2",
    "US8167126B2",
    "US8432368B2",
    "US8446713B2",
    "US20120067711A1",
    "US8431849B2",
    "US20130037396A1",
    "US20130087443A1",
    "US9510468B2",
    "US8576044B2",
    "US8885856B2",
    "US9064654B2",
    "US20140048400A1",
    "EP2720129A1",
    "US20140233360A1",
    "US9089049B2",
    "US9916942B2",
    "US20150199011A1",
    "US20150221460A1",
    "US20150228423A1",
    "US9871330B2",
    "US20160100499A1",
    "US20160313703A1",
    "US20170069443A1",
    "US20170069444A1",
    "US20170069447A1"
  ]
}