Apple Inc.

Connor Raymond Duke

Jesse T Dybenko

Kieran Poulain

Brett W Degner

Frank Faqiu Liang

Michael Eng

Eugene Antony Whang

Christopher J Stringer

Matthew Phillip Casebolt

David H Narajowski

Joshua D Banko

Kevin Scott Fetterman

Jonathan L Berk

Caitlin Elizabeth Kalinowski

Jay S Nigen

Eric R Prather

Eric J Weirshauser

Curtis C Mead

Sung Woo Yoo

Yanchu Xu

Benjamin A Bard

Jeffrey M Thoma

Zhong-Qing Gong

Kevin R Richardson

Nelson J Kottke

Eric Steven Jol

Thomas W Wilson, Jr

Peteris K Augenbergs

Shawn Xavier Arnold

Brian S Tryon

Shaohai Chen

Derek J Walters

Amaury J Heresztyn

Paul Aurelio Martinez

Paul L Nangeroni

James W Bilanski

Nicholas Kunst

Gemin Li

Mingzhe Li

Amanda R Rainer

Miguel Alejandro Lara-Pena

Weng Choy Foo

Shaoqing Xiang

Chun Cheng Teo

A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly having several electronic components mounted on a PCB and a damping layer covering the electronic components, is disclosed. Embodiments of the PCB assembly include an overmold layer constraining the damping layer against the PCB. Embodiments of the PCB assembly include an interposer between a capacitor of the electronic components and the PCB. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Printed circuit board assembly having a damping layer

The present application describes various embodiments regarding systems and methods for providing efficient heat rejection for a lightweight and durable compact computing system having a small form factor. The compact computing system can take the form of a desktop computer. The desktop computer can include a monolithic top case having an integrated support system formed therein, the integrated support system providing structural support that distributes applied loads through the top case preventing warping and bowing. A mixed flow fan is utilized to efficiently pull cooling air through the compact computing system.

Computer thermal system

The described embodiments relate generally to printed circuit boards (PCBs) including a capacitor and more specifically to designs for mechanically isolating the capacitor from the PCB to reduce an acoustic noise produced when the capacitor imparts a piezoelectric force on the PCB. Conductive features can be mechanically and electrically coupled to electrodes located on two ends of the capacitor. The conductive features can be placed in corners where the amplitude of vibrations created by the piezoelectric forces is relatively small. The conductive features can then be soldered to a land pattern on the PCB to form a mechanical and electrical connection while reducing an amount of vibrational energy transferred from the capacitor to the PCB.

Acoustically quiet capacitors

An electronic device may be provided with integrated circuits and electrical components such as capacitors that are soldered to printed circuit boards. Liquid polymer adhesive such as encapsulant and underfill materials may be deposited on the printed circuit. Electrical components such as capacitors may be coated with the encapsulant. The underfill may be deposited adjacent to an integrated circuit, so that the underfill wicks into a gap between the integrated circuit and the printed circuit board. The encapsulant may be more viscous than the underfill and may therefore prevent the flowing underfill from reaching the electrical components. Some of the encapsulant may be located between the electrical components and the printed circuit board. The encapsulant can be cured to form an elastomeric material covering the electrical components that helps damp vibrations. The elastomeric material may be less stiff than the underfill.

Electronic device with printed circuit board noise reduction using elastomeric damming and damping structures

An electronic device may have a source of magnetic field such as a magnet that produces a static magnetic field. A flexible printed circuit may have a flexible tail that surrounds a central portion. The central portion may overlap the magnet. Electrical components may be mounted to the central portion. To prevent undesired vibrations and noise due to interactions between magnetic fields induced by signals flowing in signal lines in the flexible printed circuit and the static magnetic field, the signal lines may be vertically stacked or may be routed along a curved path that does not overlap the magnet. The tail may serve as a service loop that allows a portion of a housing for the device and electrical components mounted to the central portion in alignment with windows in the housing to be detached for servicing.

Electronic device with signal line routing to minimize vibrations

A wireless electronic device may be provided with components such as electrical and structural components. During transmission of radio-frequency signals, antennas and wireless communications circuitry of the wireless electronic device may produce associated time-varying magnetic fields. One or more components may be covered with magnetic-resistant shield structures that protect the components from the time-varying magnetic fields by preventing magnetic-induced vibrations. The magnetic-resistant shield structures may include a conductive base layer such a layer of brass. A magnetic-resistant layer may be plated onto the conductive base layer. The magnetic-resistant layer may be formed from an amorphous nickel-phosphorous alloy. The amorphous nickel-phosphorous alloy may be produced by controlling the manufacturing temperature and proportion of phosphorous in the alloy while performing the plating operations within a length of time that ensures non-equilibrium conditions during the plating operations.

Electronic device with electromagnetic shielding structures

A Non-Uniform Dielectric Layer, Multi-Layer-Ceramic-Capacitor (MLCC) has upper and lower dielectric layers separating upper and lower electrode layers, where the lower dielectric layers have a greater vertical thickness than the upper dielectric layers to reduce piezoelectric effect driven capacitor reaction forces on a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the capacitor is mounted. Such an MLCC may include an upper set of dielectric layers that separate adjacent pairs of upper electrode layers in a top portion of the MLCC, and a lower set of dielectric layers that separate adjacent pairs of lower electrode layers in a bottom portion of the MLCC. A bottom portion of the MLCC may be mounted on a PCB. The thickness of the lower dielectric layers may be between 1.5 and 3.5 times greater than the upper dielectric layers to reduce piezoelectric effect driven capacitor reaction forces in the audio range of human hearing.

Non-uniform dielectric layer capacitor for vibration and acoustics improvement

Computer thermal management

A centrifugal blower in a cooling system of an electronic device having asymmetrical blade spacing with acceptable balance. The asymmetrical blade spacing is determined according to a set of desired acoustic artifacts that are favorable and balance that is similar to that found with equal fan blade spacing. In one embodiment, the fan impeller can include thirty one fan blades.

Centrifugal blower with asymmetric blade spacing

A centrifugal blower in a cooling system of an electronic device having asymmetrical blade spacing with acceptable balance. The asymmetrical blade spacing is determined according to a set of desired acoustic artifacts that are favorable and balance that is similar to that found with equal fan blade spacing. In one embodiment, the fan impeller can include sixty one fan blades.

A centrifugal blower in a cooling system of an electronic device having asymmetrical blade spacing with acceptable balance. The asymmetrical blade spacing is determined according to a set of desired acoustic artifacts that are favorable and balance that is similar to that found with equal fan blade spacing. In one embodiment, the fan impeller can include thirty one fan blades. The perceived sound quality from the fan is improved with essentially no effect on the thermal performance of the fan.

A centrifugal blower in a cooling system of an electronic device having non-uniform blade spacing with acceptable balance. The non-uniform blade spacing is determined according to specific repeating sinusoidal patterns to obtain acoustic artifacts that are favorable and balance that is similar to that found with equal fan blade spacing. The fan impeller can include a prime number of fan blades to prevent higher harmonic interaction among noise sources. The perceived sound quality from the fan is improved with essentially no effect on the thermal performance of the fan.

Centrifugal blower with non-uniform blade spacing

A method and apparatus to improve air flow in an air circulating fan assembly by forming an inlet opening in a fan assembly. A static air pressure profile is calculated along a top portion of the fan assembly configured to operate in an enclosure. The shape of a section of the inlet opening in the top portion of the fan assembly is changed based on a pressure contour of the calculated static air pressure profile. The method is repeated iteratively one or more times using an inlet opening changed by a previously calculated static air pressure profile when calculating a subsequent static air pressure profile. The inlet opening is positioned in the top surface of the fan assembly so that the centroid of the inlet opening is laterally offset with respect to the rotational axis of an impeller in the fan assembly.

Fan inlet and method

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Connor Raymond Duke