ONE-PIECE COVER FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless electronic communication devices and more particularly to the housings of wireless electronic devices of the router or gateway type. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are electronic devices comprising a housing containing in particular an electronic card electrically connected to an antenna, and a heat sink for evacuating the calories produced by one or more of the electronic components of the electronic card during its operation. The electronic card also receives an electromagnetic shielding screen and a mechanical protection cover on which the decorative finishes of the device are generally carried. Such a device is known for example from document WO-A-2016002456.

[0003] The multiplicity of sub-elements making up the electronic device requires numerous assembly operations which weigh on the manufacturing costs of the electronic device as well as on the logistical costs (storage, transport to the production site, distribution to the assembly station) of the sub-elements.

[0004] These many sub-components also make existing electronic devices bulky as consumers seek increasingly compact equipment. SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0005] An object of the invention is to provide a compact electronic device that is more economical to manufacture. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] For this purpose, according to the invention, a single-piece cover is provided according to claim 1. For the purposes of the present application, the term single-piece designates a set of components secured together so as to be able to be handled together without the risk of the components becoming detached. For the purposes of the present application, a cover is an external shell of the product, a part visible on the finished product without disassembly and which protects internal components from the outside. A cover therefore provides mechanical protection (shocks, handling) and depending on the designs (without holes), the cover can provide protection against water splashes, dust and electric / electrostatic shocks.

[0007] This results in a single element combining a plurality of functions, which reduces logistics flows and the volume of assembly operations at the final assembly site of the electronic equipment, and improves the compactness of the final electronic equipment.

[0008] Advantageously, the antenna is connected to electrical connection means arranged to be able to be connected to the electronic device.

[0009] This also improves the compactness of the cover which integrates the connectors and also reduces assembly times.

[0010] Advantageously, the shielding screen is connected to equipotential connection means arranged to be able to be connected to the electronic device.

[0011] This further improves the compactness of the cover which integrates the equipotential bonding connectors and also reduces assembly times.

[0012] For a similar purpose, the cover includes mechanical connecting means arranged to allow the cover to be attached to the electronic device.

[0013] According to a particular embodiment, the cover comprises a metal structure made of a material comprising copper.

[0014] Advantageously, the antenna is embedded in the synthetic material, which provides better compactness of the cover and improves the transmission quality of the antenna.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the electrical connection means comprise a surface contact and / or a contact comprising an elastic element.

[0016] This eliminates the need for strict dimensional tolerancing, which reduces manufacturing costs and ensures long-lasting electrical contact. Preferably, the electrical connection means include a coaxial cable connector, ideally of the UFL type.

[0017] The implementation of proven standard connectors allows a reduction in supply costs and an improvement in the reliability of the electrical connection.

[0018] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing electronic equipment comprising the following steps: (a) manufacturing a cover of the type provided above; (b) manufacturing an electronic device; (c) assembling the cover and the electronic device.

[0019] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge upon reading the following description of a particular non-limiting embodiment of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Reference will be made to the attached drawings, including: there figure 1 is a schematic view, in perspective, of a hood according to the invention; the figure 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the hood of the figure 1 ; there figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a step in a method of assembling electronic equipment according to the invention; figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view along plane IV-IV of the electronic equipment of the figure 3 once assembled. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In reference to the figures 1 et 2 , the single-piece cover according to the invention, generally designated 1, is of substantially parallelepipedal shape and comprises an upper wall and three contiguous side walls such that the housing has an open lower face 2 and a rear face 3 which is also open.

[0022] The cover 1 comprises an antenna structure 10, made of copper, of substantially rectangular shape. The structure 10 comprises on the periphery three folded edges 11, 12 and 13 and an opening 14 of rectangular shape in its center. An internal surface 15 of the structure 10 delimits a housing 4 for receiving an electronic device.

[0023] The cover 1 also comprises a passive heat sink 50, of rectangular shape, housed in the opening 14 of the structure 10 to have a face flush with an external surface 17 of the structure 10 at the level of the upper wall of the structure 10. The smaller sides 51 and 52 of the heat sink 50 comprise edges 53 and 54 projecting from the opening 14 to be fixed against the structure 10 and thus ensure the securing of the heat sink 50 to the structure 10 and an electrical contact with the structure 10. A central protrusion 55 projects from the face 56 of the heat sink 50 opposite that flush with the external surface 17. The central protrusion 55 is coated with a thermal pad 55.1. A conductive ring 60 of substantially square section extends around the protrusion 55 and is welded by a face 61 to the heat sink 50. The face 62 opposite the face 61 comprises a strip of compressible conductive foam 63.

[0024] Hood 1 also includes: a layer of synthetic material 20 - here ABS - overmolded on the structure 10 and the flush face of the heat sink 50 to cover an external surface 17 of the structure 10 opposite the internal surface 15 so as to form an upper wall and three side walls of the cover; four screw pins 30 to 33 projecting from the upper wall of the structure 10 on the side of the internal surface 15 and which respectively comprise a thread 34 to 37; four female UFL type connectors 40 to 43 connected respectively by conductors 44 to 47 to blades 11.1, 12.1, 12.2 and 13.1 cut in the folded edges 11 to 13. The conductors 44 to 47 are fixed to the structure 10 using solder points.

[0025] A method of manufacturing electronic equipment 100 will now be described.

[0026] According to a first phase, the cover 1 and an electronic device are manufactured on two separate production lines which join to allow, in a second phase, the assembly of the cover 1 with the electronic device.

[0027] As regards the cover 1, the pins 30 to 33, the connectors 40 to 43, the conductors 44 to 47 are soldered onto the structure 10 which has been previously cut and folded to form the opening 14 and the folded edges 11 to 13. The heat sink 50 is placed in the opening 14 and the synthetic material 20 is then deposited by overmolding on the assembly. A single-piece cover 1 is then obtained comprising the heat sink 50, an antenna in the form of the structure 10 and an appearance part formed from the synthetic material 20. As will be seen later, the ring 60 forms a shielding screen. The cover 1 can then be stored pending subsequent assembly.

[0028] The manufacture of the electronic part is known in itself and will not be described in more detail here. The electronic device here comprises an electronic card 70 comprising a processor 71, a circular conductive ground track 72 extending around the processor 71, four male UFL connectors 73 to 76 as well as four holes 77 to 80.

[0029] According to the second phase of the process represented in figure 3 , the electronic device - is placed in the housing 4. Screws 90 engaged in the holes 77 to 80 are engaged in the threads 34 to 37 and screwed into them. When positioning the electronic device in the housing 4 and tightening the screws 90, the male UFL connectors 73 to 76 of the electronic card 70 engage in the female UFL connectors 40 to 43 of the cover 1, thus making an electrical connection between the electronic card 70 and the antenna structure 10.

[0030] As visible in figure 4, once the screws 90 are tightened, the thermal pad 55.1 of the heat sink 50 is in contact with the upper surface of the processor 71, thus ensuring the transfer of the heat generated by the processor 71 to the sink 50. When the screws 90 are tightened, the conductive foam 63 of the ring 60 also comes into contact with the conductive track 72 of the electronic card 70, thus creating an equipotential connection with the latter. The ring 60 which extends around the processor 71 then creates electromagnetic shielding of the processor 71.

[0031] This produces electronic equipment 100 resulting from a single assembly operation of the cover 1 and the electronic card 70. The screws 90 allow a mechanical connection of the electronic card 70 and the cover 1 while ensuring durable and reliable electrical connections between, on the one hand, the structure 10, the heat sink 50, the shielding 60 and, on the other hand, the electronic card 70.

[0032] It is noted that the electronic device has its lower face forming the lower surface of the electronic equipment and a side face forming one of the side surfaces of the electronic equipment while the cover forms the upper surface and three side faces of the electronic equipment.

[0033] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but encompasses any variant falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0034] Especially : although here the cover is parallelepipedal in shape, the invention also applies to other forms of cover depending in particular on aesthetic requirements. In the same way, the cover may have a single open face or more than two open faces; although here the antenna structure is made of copper, the invention also applies to other materials such as, for example, tin-plated steel or any other suitable material comprising copper; although here the layer of synthetic material is a layer of ABS deposited by overmolding to form the external surfaces of the cover, the invention also applies to other types of electrically insulating synthetic material such as, for example, polyamide; although here the synthetic material is deposited on one of the faces of the antenna structure, the invention also applies to an antenna structure embedded in the synthetic material;although here the cover comprises four screw pins, the invention applies to other mechanical connection means arranged to allow the cover to be fixed to the electronic device, such as for example riveting, gluing or clipping; although here the conductors are fixed to the antenna structure by soldering, the invention also applies to other means of fixing the conductors to the cover such as for example clipping, gluing or welding; although here the heat sink is fixed to the cover by gluing, the invention also applies to other means of securing the heat sink to the cover such as for example clipping, soldering or welding; although here the cover comprises a conductive ring secured to the heat sink, the invention also applies to other types of shielding screen such as for example a polygonal metal case connected to the antenna by electrically insulated fasteners;although here the shielding screen is connected to the electronic device by a strip of compressible conductive foam, the invention also applies to other means of equipotential connection such as for example by screwing, clipping, elastic connection, springs, metal blade or direct contact; although here the cover comprises a thermal pad attached to the heat sink, the invention also applies to other means of thermal connection of the sink to the electronic device such as for example thermal paste, a thermal gel, thermal foams, a graphite sheet; although here the cover comprises UFL connectors, the invention also applies to other types of electrical connection means such as for example a surface contact or a contact comprising an elastic element;although here the cover comprises an antenna structure made from a metal plate, the invention also applies to other types of antennas such as for example a conductive wire, a wire loop or any suitable means of wireless transmission.;

Claims

1. Single-piece cover (1) for an electronic device (70), the cover (1) comprising: · a structure of antenna (10); · a heatsink (50) having a face flush with an external surface (17) of the structure of antenna (10); · an electromagnetic shielding screen (60); · an electrically-insulating synthetic material (20) forming outside surfaces of the cover (1), overmolded on the structure of antenna and the flush face of the heatsink (50) for covering the external surface (17) of the structure of antenna (10) in such a manner to form a top surface and three lateral faces of the cover.

2. Cover (1) according to claim 1, wherein the antenna (10) is connected to electrical connection means (40, 41, 42, 43) arranged so as to be capable of being connected to the electronic device (70).

3. Cover (1) according to either preceding claim, wherein the shielding screen (60) is connected to equipotential bonding means (63) arranged so as to be capable of being connected to the electronic device (70).

4. Cover (1) according to any preceding claim, including mechanical connection means (30, 31, 32, 33) arranged so as to enable the cover (1) to be fastened to the electronic device (70).

5. Cover (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the structure of antenna (10) cis made of copper.

6. Cover (1) according to claim 5, wherein the conductors (44, 45, 46, 47) extending between the antenna (10) and the electrical connection means (40, 41, 42, 43) are fastened to the metal structure (10).

7. Cover (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover (10) is embedded in the synthetic material (20).

8. Cover (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the electromagnetic shielding screen (60) is conductive ring secured to the heatsink (50).

9. Cover (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the heatsink (50) comprising a central protrusion (55) protruding from a face (56) opposed to the face flush with the external surface (17) and the conductive ring extends around the protrusion (55) and has a face (61) welded on the heatsink (50).

10. Cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the conductive ring has an opposite face (62) comprising a foamed band (63) that is conductive and compressible.

11. Cover (1) according to claim 2, wherein the electrical connection means (40, 41, 42, 43) comprise a surface contact and / or a contact including a resilient element.

12. Cover (1) according to claim 2, wherein the electrical connection means (40, 41, 42, 43) comprise a coaxial cable connector (40, 41, 42, 43).

13. Cover (1) according to claim 11, wherein the coaxial cable connector (40, 41, 42, 43) is of the UFL type.

14. Cover (1) according to claim 3, wherein the equipotential bonding means (63) for bonding with the electronic device (70) comprise a compressible conductive foam (63).

15. Cover (1) according to claim 4, wherein the mechanical connection means (30, 31, 32, 33) comprise at least one threaded hole (34, 35, 36, 37) designed for receiving a screw (90).

16. Method of manufacturing electronic equipment (100) comprising the following steps: a) manufacturing a cover (1) according to any preceding claim; b) presenting an electronic device (70); c) assembling the cover (1) and the electronic device (70) together.