HK1182199A - Small form factor desk top computer - Google Patents

Description

Small-sized desktop computer

Technical Field

The described embodiments relate generally to small form factor desktop computing devices. More particularly, a housing for a small desktop computing device and method of assembling the same are described.

Background of the invention

In recent years, small desktop computers have been developed. These small desktop computers provide basic computing services, such as those provided by a central processing unit or CPU, without conventional I/O devices (such as the keyboard and monitor typically associated with standard desktop computers). By providing basic computer services, small desktop computers are affordable and can easily customize applications that are not suitable or at most difficult to use with standard desktop computers. For example, a small desktop computer may be easily placed on a shelf or in a cabinet and configured to serve as a media control center. In order to use a standard desktop computer as a media control center, a sturdy shelf or large cabinet must be used, as opposed to a small desktop computer. Furthermore, most people do not like a standard desktop computer as normal and have a high probability of choosing to hide the unit. In this manner, the small desktop computer is suitable for applications that are not suitable for standard desktop computers.

The reduction in size and ease of use of small desktop computers as compared to standard desktop computers is becoming increasingly popular with the public for two reasons. Factors contributing to size reduction and ease of use may be attributed to manufacturers' ability to manufacture various operational components of increasingly smaller sizes while increasing their processing power and/or operational speed. However, this trend toward smaller, lighter, and more powerful computers presents a continuing design challenge. One design challenge associated with small desktop computers is designing an enclosure for housing various internal components. Such design challenges arise from a number of conflicting design goals, including the desire to make the housing light yet strong and strong, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. Conventional approaches to making computer housings lighter rely on the heavy use of plastics. While conventional plastic designs are generally lighter, housings formed entirely of plastic tend to be more flexible and therefore less robust. Therefore, thicker plastics are often used in order to strengthen the housing and create a more rigid and sturdy structure. However, while increasing thickness is consistent with a more powerful and robust housing, thicker plastic increases weight and bulkiness, which can lead to user dissatisfaction.

Computer housings are typically mechanical assemblies having portions that are screwed, bolted, riveted, or otherwise secured at discrete points, which can result in cracks, seams, gaps, or breaks at the interface surfaces and fasteners located along the housing surfaces. For example, when upper and lower housings are used, a mating line is created that encompasses the entire housing. In addition, the various components and complex processes used to manufacture the computer can make assembly time consuming and require complex processes, such as the use of special tools by trained assembly operators.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved component density and related assembly techniques that reduce cost and improve output quality. Furthermore, the way in which small desktop computers are assembled needs to be improved: such as improvements that enable the structure to be quickly and easily installed in the housing.

Disclosure of Invention

A small desktop computer is disclosed. The small desktop computer includes: at least one monolithic housing having a lower opening configured to provide access to internal operating components, a first opening arranged to receive a plurality of I/O interfaces, and a second opening in the form of a slot adapted to receive an optical disc, such as a DVD. The monolithic housing further includes an integral top, side walls, and bottom that cooperate with the first opening, bottom opening, and slot opening to form a cavity. In the described embodiment, the top has a substantially flat face and a curved edge to fit a sidewall with a straight edge configured such that they form a flat side surface. The interior surface of the top portion includes a plurality of etched grounding points adapted to connect the electrical components to the chassis ground. The small desktop computer also includes a movable support disposed within the bottom opening that, when removed, provides access to at least some of the operational components enclosed within the monolithic housing.

A method of assembling a small computer comprising: the method includes receiving a monolithic metal housing, providing a ground plane in the form of a chassis ground, inserting a first operational component into an opening in the monolithic metal housing, placing the first operational component adjacent to a first attachment member directly connected to the monolithic housing, securing the first component to the first attachment member, inserting a second component into the opening after securing the first component, and aligning and securing the second component to the housing using the first component. In the described embodiment, the first component and the second component are electrically connected to the chassis ground through the first attachment member. In addition, the first and second components are cooperatively sized and shaped to form a compact integrated assembly of components in the housing.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer code executable by a processor for controlling automated assembly operations includes at least: computer code for receiving a metallic monolithic metal housing, wherein the monolithic metal housing provides a ground plane in the form of a chassis ground; computer code for inserting a first operational component into an opening of a one-piece metal housing; computer code for placing a first operational assembly adjacent a first attachment member, the attachment member directly connected to the one-piece housing; computer code for securing the first component to the attachment member; computer code for inserting a second component into the opening; computer code for aligning and securing a second component to the housing using the first component, and computer code for securing the second component to the housing using the first component, wherein the first component and the second component are electrically connected to the chassis ground through a first attachment feature, wherein the first and second components are cooperatively sized and shaped to form a compact integrated assembly in the housing.

The small desktop computer includes at least: a monolithic housing formed of metal to provide chassis ground to operational components enclosed in the monolithic housing, the monolithic housing having a plurality of openings, at least one of which is located in a bottom portion of the monolithic housing, the bottom opening arranged to provide access to an interior volume of the monolithic housing and a plurality of functional subassemblies, each functional subassembly arranged to provide a particular operational function of the small desktop computer, wherein the plurality of functional subassemblies are cooperatively sized and shaped such that the plurality of functional subassemblies form a compact integrated assembly of components in the monolithic housing.

A method is described, performed by providing a monolithic housing comprising a bottom opening arranged to provide access to internal operational elements, a back wall having an opening arranged to accommodate a plurality of I/O interfaces, and a front wall having a slot opening adapted to accommodate an optical disc (such as a DVD), the monolithic housing further comprising cooperating integrated top, side and bottom portions, and a front opening, bottom opening and slot opening cooperating to form a cavity, wherein the top portion has a substantially flat surface and curved edges to meet the side walls with straight edges, such that they form flat sides, attaching a support structure to the front wall, the support structure being formed of a vibration absorbing material, the support structure comprising at least two gaskets; providing a mass storage device comprising a body arranged to enclose and support a mass storage media and associated mass storage device circuitry configured to access the mass storage media, and a plurality of support pins attached to the mass storage device body having a size and shape corresponding to the at least two washers; inserting a mass storage device into the bottom opening; aligning a support pin and at least two washers; and inserting a supporting pin into the washer such that the mass storage device is removable.

A small desktop computing device comprising: a housing having a top surface arranged to provide access to internal operating components, a back surface, and a bottom opening, the front opening arranged to accommodate a plurality of I/O interfaces, and the slot opening arranged to receive the disc media, a removable foot disposed in the bottom opening and adapted to be removed by a user to provide access to at least some of the operational components enclosed in the one-piece enclosure, wherein an interface between the monolithic housing and the removable foot is arranged to allow ambient air to enter the device, the heat generating element, a fan arranged within the monolithic housing and adjacent to the removable foot, wherein the fan is adapted to process ambient air intake and to disperse ambient air through the fan outlet, the air handling manifold has a plurality of angled blades, wherein the inlet of the air handling manifold is adjacent to the fan outlet and the outlet of the air handling manifold is located at an opening along the rear surface of the monolithic housing; and a heat exchanger adjacent to the air handling manifold and arranged such that air passing through the air handling manifold directly contacts one or more external surfaces of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a heat sink portion thermally coupled to the heat generating element.

A method of cooling a small computing device, comprising: directing ambient air into an ambient air inlet located along the equipment enclosure; passing ambient air from an ambient air inlet through the interior region of the apparatus and to a fan located within the apparatus; processing the ambient air to a fan outlet by a fan; dissipating the ambient air from the fan outlet to an air handling manifold having a plurality of angled blades and located within the apparatus; directing the ambient air flow over at least one heat exchanger surface while passing through an air handling manifold; and exhausting the ambient air from the apparatus.

Other apparatuses, methods, features and advantages of the described embodiments will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. The aim is that: it is intended that all such additional devices, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the following claims, and be protected by the following claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The present embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a small desktop computer according to the described embodiments.

Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the computer shown in fig. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the small computer system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4A-4D show a bottom view of fig. 3 with the feet removed to expose the internal components.

Fig. 5 shows an interior view of the foot shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 6-9 show additional embodiments of the foot.

Fig. 10-13 show another embodiment of the foot.

Fig. 14 shows a representative cut-out view of a portion of the housing illustrating a representative anchor notch (anchor notch) and alignment notch (alignment notch) machined directly into the housing.

FIG. 15 shows a representative interior view of a chamber (also referred to as an internal cavity) for an enclosure surrounding various internal components of a computer.

FIG. 16 shows a more detailed view of the bezel shown in FIG. 15.

Fig. 17-19 show a representative mounting feature according to the described embodiments.

Fig. 20-21 show representative Optical Disc Drives (ODDs) according to the described embodiments.

FIG. 22 shows a hard disk drive (ODD) inserted and mounted in a housing such that the HDD is acoustically isolated from the ODD.

23-24 show representative AC power sources and techniques for assembly into a housing according to the described embodiments.

FIG. 25 shows a technique for inserting and mounting a Main Logic Board (MLB) according to the described embodiments.

Fig. 26 shows a representative stacking connector (stackingconnector) according to the embodiment.

Fig. 27 shows a coaxial cable routing system according to the described embodiments.

Fig. 28 shows a surface mount grounding clip according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 29A-29B show a main circuit board removal tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 shows a flow chart detailing the forming of a computer housing according to the embodiment.

Fig. 31 shows a flowchart describing in detail the process of extracting a circuit board according to the embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device, according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 33 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary small desktop computing device in an open state, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 illustrates a bottom plan view of the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 33 with removable feet installed therein, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 35 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 33 with the removable foot removed therefrom, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 36 shows a front perspective view of a removable foot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 37 illustrates a side elevation view of an exemplary input and output (I/O) wall inserted into a rear sidewall of an exemplary small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 38A illustrates a bottom plan view of an exemplary airflow diagram for the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 38B illustrates a bottom plan view of an alternative exemplary airflow diagram for an alternative small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 39 illustrates a side view of an exemplary input and output (I/O) wall inserted into a rear sidewall of an exemplary small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 40 illustrates a side view of an exemplary airflow diagram for an exemplary small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 41 illustrates a rear perspective view of an exemplary set of internal components of a small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 42 illustrates a rear perspective view of the exemplary collection of internal components of FIG. 41 with the fan removed, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 43 illustrates a bottom perspective view of an exemplary small desktop computing device with a removable foot removed therefrom, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 44 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 43 with the fan removed therefrom, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 45 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 46 illustrates a bottom plan view of the exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger of FIG. 45, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 47 depicts a side angled view of the exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger of FIG. 45, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following disclosure (paper), numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the underlying concepts of the embodiments. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that: the embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the underlying concepts.

The present disclosure discusses an aesthetically pleasing small desktop computer, such as the Mac Mini manufactured by apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif^TMThe computer can be placed in many places, otherwise it is not suitable for a standard size desktop computer. It should be noted that: the term "desktop" should not be construed as limiting the locations at which the computing device may be used, as the computing device may be placed on a desk, bookshelf, bookcase, etc.

Due in part to the simplicity of the design, fewer components and less time and effort are required to assemble a small desktop computer. The small desktop computer may be formed from a single piece seamless housing (also referred to as a one-piece housing) that may be machined from a single piece of metal blank, such as aluminum. Due to the metallic nature and the absence of seams, leakage of electromagnetic radiation (EM) may be eliminated, thereby helping to prevent RF leakage to the external environment and to shield RF-sensitive internal components.

The single piece seamless housing may have a bottom portion with a support structure (hereinafter referred to as a foot) that facilitates the layout of the small desktop computer. The feet may be formed of a non-slip material that is resilient but also carries an insubstantial risk of scratching or otherwise damaging any surface on which the small desktop computer is placed. The feet may also be used as a mechanism to provide easy access to nearby internal components. In this regard, the foot may be configured to facilitate removal without the need for special tools other than a simple screwdriver (or even a coin) or the user's hand.

At least a portion of the foot may include an RF transparent material allowing unobstructed passage of RF energy supporting wireless transmission. In some cases, the legs may also be formed to include conductive material that may provide effective Electromagnetic (EM) shielding. In this way, the RF-sensitive circuitry in the small desktop computer may be protected from spurious RF signals from the external environment. In addition to the RF shielding function, the feet may also reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by EM-sensitive circuitry in the vicinity of a small desktop computer, such as an audio processor/receiver, etc.

The one-piece seamless housing may be formed from a metal, which may take the form of a single aluminum billet. A single aluminum blank may be formed to include a shape that accommodates internal components and provides various openings that may accommodate switches, connectors, and the like. The one-piece seamless shell can be machined to the desired shape. One of the advantages of using metal for the housing is the ability of the metal to provide good electrical grounding for any internal components that require a good ground plane. For example, the performance of an embedded RF antenna may be substantially improved when a good ground plane is provided. In addition, a good ground plane may be used to help mitigate adverse effects caused by, for example, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or electrostatic discharge (ESD).

It should be noted that in the following discussion, the term "CNC" is used. The abbreviation CNC stands for computer numerical control and refers specifically to a computer controller that reads computer instructions and drives machine tools (typically power machinery used to manufacture components by selective removal of material). However, it should be noted that: any suitable machining operation may be used to implement the described embodiments and is not strictly limited to those implementations related to CNC.

These and other embodiments are described below with reference to fig. 1-32. However, one skilled in the art will readily understand that: the detailed description given with respect to these figures is for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as limiting.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a small desktop computer according to the described embodiments. In particular, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a small desktop computer in the form of a computer 100 that can process data, particularly media data such as audio, video, pictures, and the like. For example, computer 100 generally corresponds to a device that may perform as a music player, a game player, a video player, a media center, and so forth. Due to the small footprint and lightweight weight of the computer 100, the computer 100 can be easily placed in a convenient location such as a desktop, shelf, or locker.

The computer 100 may include a one-piece seamless housing 102 formed from a metal such as aluminum. The aluminum may take the form of a single billet that is milled and further processed into the desired shape. In some embodiments, the aluminum housing 102 may be anodized (anodized) to provide a protective skin that is scratch and corrosion resistant for maintaining an attractive metallic appearance. The housing 102 may have a substantially flat top 104 and flat side walls 106 that curve to conform to a front wall 108. Portions of the housing 102 may be removed by a machining process such as provided by a system utilizing computer numerical control or CNC to form a defined opening with tight mechanical tolerances. For example, the slot 110 may be formed in the front wall 108 with other openings depending on the size and shape of the disc along the CD or DVD row, as well as other openings that may be used during assembly to place the internal components.

The housing 102 may enclose and internally support various structural and electrical components, including integrated circuit chips and other circuitry, to provide computing operations for the computer 100. The integrated circuit may take the form of a chip, a chipset, a module, any of which may be surface mounted to a printed circuit board, or a PCB or other supporting structure. For example, a Main Logic Board (MLB) may have an integrated circuit mounted thereon, including at least a microprocessor, semiconductor (such as FLASH) memory, various support circuits, and the like. An Optical Disk Drive (ODD) mating slot 110 may be used to read and or write optical media, such as DVDs and CDs, for storing data using laser etched media, while a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) may include a rotating disk media for magnetically storing data.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the computer 100 with an opening 112. The opening 112 may be formed by CNC machining techniques and has a size and shape adapted to receive a baffle 114 for circulation (channel) of heated exhaust air initially taken from beneath the computer 100 from the interior of the computer 100 as part of the interior air cooling system. More specifically, a support structure in the form of feet 116 on which the computer 100 rests lifts the computer 100 a distance "d" from the support surface S. The distance "d" may facilitate the incoming airflow 118, which may be pulled up into the computer 100 by an internal fan through vents located at the front 119 of the computer 100 to provide a cooling mechanism for internal components such as the main logic board or MLB. Once inside the computer 100, the air may absorb heat and then be forced out of the computer 100 by a fan using the baffle 114 as an exhaust. In this way, the operating temperature of the internal components can be kept at acceptable limits. In addition to the bezel 114, a number of I/O ports 120(HDMI, monitor, USB, high Performance Standard Serial bus (FireWire), local area network, etc.), as well as AC power outlets 122, power buttons 124, and memory card slots 126 may be received in the opening 112.

At least a portion of the housing 102 may be adapted to include an RF window, which may be formed using a radio frequency (or RF) transparent material. The radio frequency transparent material may comprise, for example, plastic, ceramic, and the like. In this way, RF energy, at least for wireless communication, may be passed between internal RF circuitry (such as an RF antenna) and external RF circuitry in the form of an RF receiver and or RF transmitter. The wireless communication may be based on many different wireless protocols including, for example, bluetooth, 802.11, FM, AM, and the like. Any number of antennas may be used, and a window or multiple windows may be used according to system requirements. For example, FIG. 3 shows a view of the bottom surface 128 of the computer 100 in which a circular portion of the housing 102 has been removed to form an opening 130 sized and shaped to receive the foot 116. The feet 116 may be formed of an elastomeric material along a line of silicone rubber or plastic having non-slip and radio frequency transparent properties. In this manner, the feet 116 may be used to support the computer 100 on a surface without scratching or otherwise detracting from the appearance of the surface. In addition, the radio frequency transparent nature of the material forming the feet 116 does not adversely affect the ability of the internal RF antenna to send and receive radio frequency transmissions.

The foot 116 may be adapted to be easily removed by a user without the need for special tools. For example, the notch 132 may be used to place a finger or apply a rotational force F on the foot 116_ROther objects of (1). Rotational force F_RMay be of sufficient magnitude to move the foot 116 in a circular, spiral-like motion. Such spiraling motion may cause the foot 116 to rotate upward such that the foot 116 may disengage the housing 102. In this manner, the feet 116 can be easily removed to expose nearby internal components as shown in FIG. 4A. By removing the feet 116, a large number of internal components may be exposed. These internal components may include (a portion of) RF antenna 134, antenna board 136, cover 138, fan assembly 140, (replaceable) memory card 142, and power supply 144. The shield 138 may be formed of metal along a line of aluminum or stainless steel. The enclosure 138 may serve to shield the internal components from electromagnetic radiation from the rf antenna 134 and the external environment. The enclosure 138 in combination with the antenna panel 136 may form what is known as a faraday shield between the internal components of the computer 100 and the external environment, avoiding unwanted electromagnetic interference. In addition to providing EM shielding, the shroud 138 may add structural support to the housing 102 and, when combined with the fan assembly 140, may serve to restrain and secure the drive connectors associated with the fan assembly 140. The air inlet 118 may be considered as the housing 102 entering at the front 119 and exiting at the baffle 114. In this manner, relatively cool air may enter the housing 102 through the fan assembly 140. The fan operation provided by the fan assembly 140 causes the cooling air in the form of air to pass through the heat transfer device (shown in fig. 4B) to receive heat generated by the various internal components and to be exhausted through the baffle 114.

Fig. 4B shows the computer 100 with the antenna board 136 and cover 138 removed to expose other internal components than those described with reference to fig. 4A. In particular, RF circuitry 135 and heat transfer means 137 in the form of a heat pipe 137 and heat exchanger means 139. It should be noted that the thermal device 139 is described in greater detail in a pending U.S. patent application entitled "CoolingArrangment For Small Form Factor Desktop Computer," which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety For all purposes.

To service the computer 100 (i.e., an exchange internal component such as the memory card 142), downward pressure P may be applied to the feet 116, for example_DAnd the feet 116 are removed. Downward pressure P_DThe spring fastener 146 can be disengaged. When the spring fastener 146 is disengaged, the foot 116 responds to the rotational force F by moving in a first rotational direction_RFree to rotate, releasing the foot 116 from the spring fastener 146. Alternatively, the downward pressure P is applied by placing the foot 116 adjacent to the spring fastener 146_DAnd applying a rotational force-F simultaneously_R(to match the rotational force F used to remove the foot 116_RThe opposite direction) causes the foot 116 to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction, which may secure the foot 116 to the housing 102. In this way, no special tools such as putty knives, screw drivers, etc. are required. To provide a good fit and finish (finish) between the housing 102 and the foot 116, the edge 147 is contoured, for example using a CNC machine, to match the contour of the foot 116. In this manner, the look and feel of the housing 102/foot 116 is clean and appealing.

Fig. 4C shows a cage EMI shield 149 according to another embodiment of the invention. The EMI shield 149 may be formed from a radio frequency opaque material such as metal along a line of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like. It can be seen that the EMI shield 149 may be a continuous sheet of radio frequency opaque material having a central opening 151 for accessing various internal components, such as the fan assembly 140, the memory card 142 and the power supply 144. The opening 151 may be used to provide access to the memory card 142 and to facilitate air intake by the fan assembly 140. The EMI shield 149 may also include air holes 153 that allow the airflow 118 to pass from the external environment. The air holes 153 may be located in the portion of the opening 130 that is exposed to air from the external environment. Fig. 4D shows a particular technique for attaching the EMI shielding plate 149 to the enclosure 128 and to a removable Optical Disc Drive (ODD) and for detaching the EMI shielding plate 149 from the enclosure 128 and the removable Optical Disc Drive (ODD). Accordingly, the fastener 153 may align and engage a protrusion (boss)153a integrally formed with the housing 128, and the fastener 155 may align with a protrusion 155a integrally formed with the housing of the ODD. The EMI shield 149 may also provide further structural support for the housing 102 through the spreading opening 130. In this manner, loads applied to the enclosure 102 may be transferred and distributed to other portions of the enclosure 102 through the EMI shielding plate 149. By not concentrating the applied load in a particular area of the housing 102, any potential damage such as buckling or bending resulting from the applied force may be significantly reduced, if not completely eliminated.

Fig. 5 illustrates an interior view of an embodiment of the foot 116 showing a retainer (retainer)148 configured to cooperate with the spring fastener 146 for securing the foot 116 to the housing 102. The retainer 148 is integrally formed to receive the spring fastener 146. The holder 148 may be formed to include a retaining member (feature)150 and a spring lock member 152. The retaining member 150 may be sized and shaped to engage the head 154 of the spring fastener 146 and be locked in position against any further movement of the foot 116 by the spring action provided by the snap lock member 152. Downward pressure P to unlock the foot 116_DMay be applied to the foot 116 to compress a spring coupled to the base 156 and head 154 of the spring fastener 146 (shown in detail in fig. 4B). The compression of the spring causes the base 156 and the head 154 to move downward and away from the foot 116, such that the head 154 disengages the locking portion 150, allowing the foot 116 to rotate. When the rotation aligns the head 154 with the release 152, the foot 116 is completely free to be removed from the housing 102 in a lifting movement of the locking member 150 disengaging the retainer 148 from the spring fastener 146.

To provide as much EM protection as possible, the EMI shield 158 may be formed from a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. The EMI shield 158 may be aligned with the following portions of the legs 116: in the embodiment shown in fig. 4A, the portion is not aligned with the antenna plate 136. Further, in those embodiments that rely on EMI sheet 149, EMI shield can 158 can provide EMI shielding for opening 151 shown in fig. 4C. In this way, any components that would otherwise be exposed are EMI protected from interference from EMI emanating from the external environment, as well as reducing potential EMI effects caused by EM leakage of the computer 100. To ensure a good fit and seal, an EMI gasket 159 may be associated with the perimeter of the EMI shield 158. EMI gasket 159 can engage a corresponding portion of rim 147 to provide an effective air seal. In this manner, there is no obstruction to the intake air flow 118 in the portion of the feet 116 that does not include the EMI shield 158. It should be noted that the air holes 153 correspond to portions of the feet 116 that do not include the EMI shield 158. In this manner, the air intake flow 118 may be well defined because any air flow leakage into and out of the computer 100 is effectively prevented due to the presence of the air seal created by the EMI gasket 159. Thus, the portion 160 of the foot 116 may serve as an intake area sized for the intake airflow 118, the intake airflow 118 serving to help cool the internal components of the computer 100. The raised portion 162 may conform to the recess 132 to increase further depth to more easily grip the foot 116.

It should be noted that in other embodiments, the air intake openings 153 may be incorporated into a separate structure in the form of an air intake ring. The air intake ring may be sized to fit the opening 130. In such a case, the use of an air intake ring may require the use of surface attachment features integrally formed with the rim 147 that may snap into corresponding attachment features located on the air intake ring. For example, in one embodiment, the integrally formed attachment features may take the form of castellations sized and shaped to receive corresponding connection features (such as grooves) on the attachment points on the air intake ring.

Fig. 6-13 illustrate additional embodiments of a foot 116 that are well suited for use with the computer 100. For example, fig. 6-7 show a foot 600 configured for use with an object having a slot shape (such as a coin, fingernail, etc.). For example, foot 600 may include a slotted opening 602 having a closed/locked orientation and an open/unlocked configuration. Using the slot-shaped open portion 602, a coin (as a representative object having the above-described slot shape) can change the direction of the slot-shaped open portion 602 by simply biting the coin and the corresponding slot 704 shown in fig. 7 and applying a rotational force. For example, in the locked configuration shown in fig. 7, a plurality of latches 606 may engage corresponding latch features located on the housing 102 to secure the foot 600. Further, to ensure that the air intake flow 118 is not substantially blocked, the plurality of air intake components 608 may be moved to be positioned opposite the corresponding air intake apertures 153. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8A and 8B, in the open/unlocked configuration, slotted opening 602 may be associated with an opening mechanism such as gear 802, which gear 802 engages gear 804. When the slotted opening 602 is placed in the open/unlocked configuration, a pin/slot mechanism 806 attached to the lock 606 by a snap button (snap fastener)808 may cause the lock 606 to retract from a corresponding locking feature on the housing 102. Therefore, as shown in fig. 9A and 9B, when the slot-shaped opening portion 602 rotates from the open/unlock configuration to the closed/lock configuration, the rotation of the gear 802 is equivalent to the rotation of the slot-shaped opening portion 602. The meshing action of the gears 802 at the gears 804 causes the pin/slot mechanism 806 to operate the latch 606 to engage a corresponding latching feature on the housing 102. In this manner, foot 600 is locked and unlocked using simple rotation of slotted opening 602 that is not more complex than a coin or fingernail.

Fig. 10-13 show another embodiment of the foot 116 in the form of a foot 1000 according to the described embodiments. The foot 100 may include a plurality of latches 1002 as shown in fig. 10 that, when operated, may secure the foot 1000 to the housing 102. Operated means that: the latches 1002 may extend out of the legs 1000 in a manner that engages corresponding latch features on the housing 102. Fig. 11 shows an exploded view of the foot 1000 showing various internal components, such as the foot cover 1102, the base support guide 1104, and a pivot slot mechanism 1106 integrally formed with the latch 1102. In the depicted embodiment, the pivoting slot mechanism 1106 may include a slot 1108 having a curvilinear shape. The slot 1108 can engage a pin 1110 on the base support guide 1104 such that moving the pivoting foot cover 1102, the pin 1110 moves in the slot 1108, causing the latch 1002 to be operated (i.e., extended from the foot 1000) or retracted (i.e., moved into the foot 1000). Foot 1000 may also include a top support cover 1112. Figure 12 shows the foot 1000 in an unlocked configuration so that the lock 1002 is placed in an open/retracted configuration. However, to secure the foot 1000 to the housing 102, the foot 1000 may simply be rotated such that the pivot mechanism 1202 causes the latch 1002 to be operated as shown in fig. 13.

One of the advantages of the housing 102 is that a plurality of alignment and accessory components may be formed as the interior surface of the housing 102. These attachment and alignment features may be used to attach the assembly directly to the housing 102. In addition to providing a mechanism for directly attaching components to housing 102, attachment and alignment features may be used to reduce overall assembly tolerance stack-up by providing anchor points that may be used to align and orient various components during assembly. For example, fig. 14 shows a cross-sectional view 1400 of a portion of the housing 102, showing an exemplary anchor notch (anchor) 1402 and alignment notch (alignment)1404 machined directly into the housing 102. The anchor recess 1402 may be used to anchor a component (such as an ODD) directly to the housing 102. The anchor recess 1402 may also provide good electrical contact to chassis ground because the anchor recess 1402 is etched directly into the housing 102. In addition, the alignment notch (also referred to as a key cut)1404 provides a good alignment feature for components that must interface with the exterior of the housing 102. For example, an AC power outlet 122 that is part of the power supply must be closely aligned with the opening 112. By providing the alignment feature 1404, the power source can be secured directly to the housing 102 in a manner that substantially reduces tolerance stack-up between the power/AC power outlet 122/opening 112.

By machining the anchor recess 1402 directly to the housing 102, the anchor recess 1402 can then be used to attach an operational component, such as an ODD, directly to the housing 102. Since the ODD is directly aligned with the housing 102, the ODD itself can become an alignment and attachment component for subsequently added components (such as a power supply, HDD, fan assembly, etc.). For example, once the ODD is attached to the housing 102 using the anchor recess 1402, the HDD is installed by inserting the HDD into and through the opening 112 (or opening 128 for this purpose) using the ODD as an alignment member. Further, once the HDD is installed, a power supply having a shape that can conform to the case 102 and the ODD may be directly inserted into the opening 112. Since the power supply has a shape that fits the ODD and the housing 102, the power supply can be "guided" into place using the previously installed components. Once properly in place, the power supply can be secured to the housing 102 using the alignment notch 1404, the housing 102, and the ODD.

In this way, the internal components can be sized and shaped to interlock with other already installed components in much the same way that puzzle piece (puzzle) portions are formed to interlock in a particular fashion to form a picture. Using an analogy of puzzle pieces, the internal components of computer 100 can have cooperating sizes and shapes to fit together, assuming a high density configuration. The internal components of computer 100 may be assembled in a relatively small space using a well-defined and orderly assembly process, wherein particular components are installed in a particular order, and in a particular orientation relative to installed components.

Thus, the various internal components are formed as follows: including various interlocking components that can be used to greatly simplify the assembly process, which can be analogized to assembling a boat in a bottle, because the assembly is performed with the components inserted in a particular sequence, with a particular orientation in relation to the other installed components. Once inserted, the inner component is secured in alignment with and at least partially by the previously inserted component. For example, each internal component mates with and aligns with other internal components. The interlocking features may also greatly reduce the number of fasteners that must be used to secure the internal components to the housing 102.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary internal view 1500 of a cavity (also referred to simply as an internal cavity) 1502 of the housing 102 for enclosing various internal components of the computer 100. During assembly of the computer 100, various internal components may be inserted into the internal cavity 1502 using either the opening 112 or the opening 130. The opening 112 is sized to accommodate a number of larger sized internal components, such as an Optical Disk Drive (ODD), a main logic board, or an MLB and a power supply. Generally, the opening 112 is sized such that larger sized components may be inserted directly into the internal cavity 1502 for direct mounting to the housing 102 without any unnecessary twisting and rotation. For example, the ODD may be inserted directly through the opening 112 in the same direction as required for attachment to the housing 102. In this manner, an assembly operator can easily and quickly insert and attach an ODD to the housing 102. With respect to ODDs, other components such as MLBs and power supplies may also be inserted directly into the opening 112 without changing their orientation relative to the housing 102 for installation.

A number of alignment and locking features machined into or attached to the structure of the housing 102 may be used to align and secure the various internal components during assembly. For example, the bezel 1504 may be used to mount and align internal components, such as a hard disk drive and/or an optical disk drive, and a power supply. Bezel 1504 may be attached to an inner wall of housing 102 proximate slot opening 110. The bezel 1504 may be formed of a resilient and impact absorbing material. In this way, any vibrations caused by one component attached to the bezel 1504 (e.g., an ODD) may be sufficiently attenuated so as to not significantly affect other vibration sensitive elements (such as HDDs) that are also attached to the bezel 1504.

A metal logo shield 1506 may be provided for shielding internal components from externally generated electromagnetic fields, particularly in those embodiments where the radio frequency transparent material forms the logo, such as embodiments where plastic is formed on the top surface 104 of the housing 102. The metallic flag shield 1506 may be attached to an inner surface 1508 of the housing 102 using any of a variety of adhesive materials, such as glue. Once applied, the metal flag shield 1506 can prevent electromagnetic energy from penetrating (or bleeding) into the internal cavity 1502. The metallic flag shield 1506 may be formed from a thin sheet of metal, such as aluminum.

As shown in more detail in fig. 16, the bezel 1504 can include a plurality of attachment and alignment features for mounting at least an Optical Disk Drive (ODD) and a removable Hard Disk Drive (HDD). For example, a grommet 1510 (grommet) may be resilient and sized and positioned to accommodate a correspondingly sized space post on the HDD. Since the HDD is not permanently attached to the bezel 1504 using fasteners such as screws or rivets, the HDD can be easily installed and removed as easily as necessary by merely reaching into the interior cavity 1502, grasping and extracting the HDD. Thus, the HDD may be regarded as a detachable HDD.

The metal grommet 1510 may be formed of the same or similar resilient and impact-attenuating material as the bezel 1504. In this manner, the HDD can be detachably mounted to the case 102 and isolated from the vibration generated by the ODD at the same time. The HDD effectively floats relative to the ODD and is therefore isolated from the significant vibrations generated by the fast spinning optical disc. The HDD may be supported by a support pin located at the front of the HDD. The pins (pins) and grommets 1506 may be used to dampen vibrations and help isolate the HDD from shocks caused by violent movement, such as, for example, shocks when experiencing a fall event. Damping is an important consideration because vibrations can disturb the head used to read and write data to the HDD. Thus, by using the grommets 1510, there is no surface contact between the HDD and the optical disk drive or ODD.

Fig. 17 shows an inner cavity 1502 having a mounting bracket 1702 for mounting components directly to housing 102 in accordance with the described embodiments. Mounting bracket 1702 may include a metal boss 1704 and an alignment hole 1705 for an MLB extraction tool described below. The metal boss 1704 may have a size and shape corresponding to the anchor cutouts 1402 etched into the housing 102. The metal boss 1704 may be used to fixedly attach an internal component (e.g., an ODD) directly to the housing 102. In this manner, those internal components mounted and secured to mounting bracket 1702 may be directly aligned with housing 102 via anchor 1402. The metal boss 1704 may include at least a threaded insert 1706. The threaded insert 1706 may be used to secure the inner assembly to the metal boss 1704 by fasteners such as machine screws. In this manner, the internal components may be directly attached to the housing 102 and used to align and mount the subsequently assembled internal components.

As shown in fig. 18, the mounting brackets 1702 may be aligned and attached to the housing 102 using metal bosses 1704. In the depicted embodiment, the metal boss 1704 may be directly aligned with the anchor cutouts 1402 using a metal insert 1802, the metal insert 1802 snugly fitting within the anchor cutouts 1402. To provide an electrically conductive path between the internal components secured to mounting bracket 1702 and housing 102, metal insert 1802 and threaded portion 1706 may be formed as a single piece of metal. However, to ensure good electrical contact between the threaded portion 1706 and the housing 102, the metal insert 1802 may be attached to the conductive band 1804 using a conductive adhesive. In this manner, the metal boss 1704 may be considered to be electrically grounded because it is connected to the housing 102 by the conductive band 1804. The conductive strip 1804 may take the form of a metal strip, such as aluminum, that may be electrically connected to the metal insert 1802. For example, metal band 1804 may be wrapped around metal insert 1802, inserted through an opening formed in metal band 1804, or the like, and then attached directly to housing 102 to form an electrically conductive path with housing 102 (as chassis ground) and threaded portion 1706 of metal boss 1702.

As shown in fig. 19, in embodiments where the enclosure 102 is formed of anodized aluminum, a portion 1902 of the interior surface of the enclosure 102 may be corroded to remove a surface layer created during the anodization process. For example, a portion 1902 of the interior surface of the housing 102 (in the approximate shape of the mounting bracket 1402) may be laser cut to expose the underlying aluminum layer that makes up the housing 102. A good electrical conduction path can be established between the metal threaded portion 1706 and the housing 102 through the metal band 1804 and also through the mounting bracket 1702. In this manner, good electrical contact may be established between housing 102 and any electrical components using mounting brackets 1702. It should be noted that: various portions of the housing 102 in specific locations associated with ground tabs (tabs), also known as EMI domes (fingers), may also be laser cut to ensure a good electrical path to ground.

FIG. 20 shows an embodiment of an Optical Disk Drive (ODD)2000 that may be aligned and attached to the housing 102 using a bezel 1504 to align the ODD slot 110. Further, the ODD 2000 may be attached to the housing 102 by mounting brackets 1702. In this manner, the ODD 2000 may be directly aligned and electrically grounded to the housing 102. For example, the ODD 2000 may include an opening 2002 sized to accommodate a stacked coupler described below. The stacked coupler may have a threaded portion that may be sized to fit within the opening 2002 and engage the threaded hole 1706. The stacked coupler may then be rotated until the ODD 2000 is securely fixed to the housing 102. In this manner, the ODD 2000 may not only be securely fixed to the housing 102, but the ODD 2000 is directly aligned to a known alignment point (i.e., the anchor recess 1402) and electrically grounded to the housing 102.

Once in place and securely fastened to the housing 102 and bezel 1504, the ODD 2000 can be used to align and mount subsequent internal components, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)2100 as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. The HDD2100 may be attached to the bezel 1504 by mounting pins inserted into the grommets 1510 and supported by the frame 2102. The HDD2100 may be secured to the housing 102 by the bezel 1504 without direct surface contact with the ODD 2000. In this manner, any vibration generated by the optical disc in the ODD 2000 can be attenuated to prevent the vibration of the ODD 2000 from interfering with the operation of the HDD 2100.

Fig. 23 and 24 show an AC power supply 2300 according to the described embodiment. As shown in fig. 23, the AC power supply 2300 may be shaped to facilitate installation. For example, the AC power supply 2300 may first insert the "head" portion 2302 into the opening 112. (it should be noted that in actual assembly, the ODD 2000 may be installed and attached before the AC power supply 2300, but in the example shown, the ODD 2000 is left in place for clarity.) the head 2302 may be pushed in until it snaps into the bezel 1504. The head 2302 can be shaped to match the shape of the housing 102. In this manner, the AC power supply 2300 may be tightly packed within the housing 102. Once the head 2302 is securely inserted, the body portion 2304 of the AC power supply 2300 can be aligned with internal alignment features (e.g., alignment features 2306) that can be used to align the AC power supply 2300 with the housing 102.

Because AC power outlet 122 must retain a particular axis with respect to housing 102, particularly opening 112, AC power outlet 122 may be configured to include a rotating bayonet (bayonet)2310 that may be rotated into keyway cut 1404. In this manner, AC outlet 122 may be rotated into keyway cutout 1404 and support AC outlet 122 above and below AC outlet 122 via keyway cutout 1404. In addition, AC outlet 122 may be locked into place by rotating bayonet 2310 into keyway cutout 1404. In some embodiments, a detent (not shown) may be used to further ensure that AC outlet 122 remains locked in place.

FIG. 25 illustrates a technique for plugging a Main Logic Board (MLB)2400 in accordance with the described embodiments. As described above, assembling the computer 100 may be likened to assembling a puzzle or boat in a bottle. Accordingly, the MLB2400 may be inserted into the opening 112 after the ODD 2000 and the AC power supply 2300 have been assembled to the housing 102. The MLB2400 can be inserted into the opening 112 until the I/O walls 2402 are aligned with the opening, at which point the MLB2400 can be secured to the housing 102 using the stacked connector 2600 shown in fig. 26, which can also be used to secure the fan assembly 140 to the MLB 2400. Stacking connector 2600 may be formed from multiple portions, each formed to accommodate a particular component in a uniform fashion. For example, the first portion 2602 may receive a metal boss 1706 and an opening 2002 to secure the ODD 2000 directly to the housing 102. The other portion 2604 is sized to receive a connector 2604 for securing the MLB2400 to the housing 102 via the ODD 2000 and the mounting bracket 1702. A portion of fan assembly 140 is secured to housing 102 by ODD 2000 and mounting bracket 1702. In this manner, a single connector may be used to mount, secure and align multiple components in a single operation.

Fig. 27 shows a coaxial cabling (routing) system 2700 in accordance with the described embodiments. The cable routing system 2700 may include a plurality of standoffs (stand-off)2702, wherein each standoff may be formed of an elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber. Each of the plurality of brackets 2702 can include a recess 2704, the recess 2704 being sized to receive a coaxial cable. By placing each bracket in a specific location on the MLB2400, consistent coaxial cable routing can be achieved. Further, by placing the coaxial cable in the recess 2704, the coaxial cable can be removed from the operating circuitry on the MLB2400, reducing any electromagnetic interaction between the coaxial cable 2706 and the operating circuitry. Furthermore, by specifying a specific location of the rack, consistent cabling can be achieved through the assembly operation in a time and cost efficient manner. Thus, in one embodiment, the cable routing system 2700 may include at least a plurality of non-conductive carriers for supporting and routing the coaxial cables on the main logic board, the carriers supporting the coaxial cables a distance away from the active operating circuitry on the main logic board sufficient to reduce electromagnetic interference with signals carried by the coaxial cables, the carriers also providing a repeatable path for routing the cables on the main logic board.

Fig. 28 shows a surface mount ground clip system 2800 according to an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, surface mount ground clip system 2800 may include at least a surface mount carrier 2802 mounted to and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board ground of MLB 2400. Surface mount carrier 2802 may physically support coaxial cable 2804 in the area of MLB2400, which MLB2400 has at least one active radio frequency circuit. In the depicted embodiment, surface mount carrier 2802 includes a ferrule (ferule) 2806 that electrically connects the ground sheath of coaxial cable 2804 directly to the printed circuit board ground of MLB 2400. In this manner, the surface mount carrier 2802 provides a distributed ground plane to the coaxial cable 2804 in the area of the MLB2400 having at least one active RF circuit.

Fig. 29A-29B illustrate a circuit board removal tool with a main circuit board removed according to an embodiment of the present invention. The main circuit board removal tool may assist the user in removing the main logic board from the small desktop computer housing by engaging the main logic board with the main logic board removal tool. In such embodiments, the main logic board removal tool may be formed from a single open loop of metal having an open end. The circuit board may be removed by inserting each open end into a corresponding opening in the main logic board (the openings being spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing between the open ends of the removal tool) until the open end of the removal tool inserted into the corresponding opening of the main logic board securely engages the corresponding opening 1705 on the housing 102 and creates a centrally located extraction force by applying a lateral force in the direction of removal, urging the main logic board out of the attachment member coupling the main logic board and the housing, thereby enabling the user to remove the main logic board without adversely affecting the main logic board or peripheral circuitry.

FIG. 30 shows a flowchart of a detailed process 3000 for assembling a computer according to the described embodiments. Process 3000 may begin at 3010 with receiving a housing formed of metal. In this manner, the metal housing may provide a chassis ground for the computer. Next, at 3020, a first operational component is inserted into the opening of the housing; the first operating assembly may be sized according to the opening such that the orientation of the first operating assembly remains unchanged relative to the housing. Next, at 3030, the first component is directly attached to the inner surface of the housing using an attachment member. The attachment member is formed directly in the housing. In this way, the attachment member may provide direct alignment with the housing. Thus, the first installed component may serve as an alignment member for the subsequently installed internal components. Next, at 3040, a conductive path to chassis ground is provided to the first installed internal components. The conductive path may be provided by securing the first-installed internal components to a mounting bracket that is electrically coupled to the housing. Next, at 3050, the second component is inserted into the housing through the opening. The second assembly may use the first-installed assembly as a guide to be properly positioned within and associated with the housing. At 3060, the second assembly is affixed to an attachment fixture, which in turn is coupled to the housing. At 3070, the second component is attached to the housing by the first installed internal components. In this manner, each mounting assembly may operate to align and secure a subsequently mounted assembly.

Fig. 31 is a flow chart detailing a process 3100 for removing a circuit board from a small form factor computer in accordance with the described embodiments. At 3110, process 3200 can be performed by snapping the circuit board and a removal tool. In the described embodiment, the extraction tool may be formed from a single ring of material having an open end, such as metal. At 3120, each open end is inserted into a respective opening in the circuit board. The openings are aligned with corresponding extraction features located on the interior surface of the housing for implementing the small computer. At 3130, the open end is inserted until the open end engages a corresponding take-out member on the inner surface of the housing. At 3140, once the extraction member is engaged, at 3150, a lateral force is applied in the extraction direction; the circuit board is detached from the attachment member for fixing the circuit board in the small computer.

Fig. 32 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device 3200 according to some embodiments of the invention. The computing device 3200 may include control circuitry 3202, storage 3204, memory 3206, input/output ("I/O") circuitry 3208, and communication circuitry 3210. In some embodiments, one or more components of computing device 3200 may be merged or omitted (e.g., storage 3204 and memory 3206 may be merged). In some embodiments, computing device 3200 may contain other components not incorporated or included in those shown in fig. 32 (e.g., a motion detection component, a power source such as a battery or power source, a display, a bus, a positioning system, a camera, an input mechanism, etc.), or multiple instances of the components shown in fig. 32.

Control circuitry 3202 may include any processing circuitry or processor that controls the operation and performance of computing device 3200. For example, the control circuitry 3202 may be used to run an operating system application, a firmware application, a media playback application, a media editing application, or any other application. In some embodiments, the control circuitry 3202 may drive a display and process input received from a user interface coupled to the computer 3200.

Storage 3204 may include, for example: one or more storage media including a hard disk, a solid state drive, flash memory, permanent storage such as ROM, any other suitable type of storage component, or any combination thereof. The storage 3204 may store, for example: media data (e.g., music and video files), data for applications (e.g., for performing functions on computing device 3200), firmware, data for user preference information (e.g., media playback preferences), authentication information (e.g., a database associated with authorized users), life information data (e.g., food preferences), sports information data (e.g., information obtained by a sports monitoring device), transactional information data (e.g., information such as credit card information), wireless connection information data (e.g., information that causes computing device 3200 to establish a wireless connection), subscription information data (e.g., information that tracks podcasts, television shows, or other media subscribed to by a user), contact information data (e.g., telephone numbers and email addresses), calendar information data, and any other suitable data or any combination thereof.

Memory 3206 can include cache memory, semi-permanent memory (such as RAM), and/or one or more different types of memory for temporarily storing data. In some embodiments, the memory 3206 may also be used to store data used to operate electronic device applications or any other type of data that may be stored in the memory 3204. In some embodiments, memory 3206 and storage 3204 may be combined into a single storage medium. I/O circuit 3208 may operate to convert (and encode/decode, if necessary) analog and other signals into digital data. In some embodiments, I/O circuitry 3208 may also convert digital data into any other type of signal, and vice versa. The digital data may be provided to or received from the control circuit 3202, the storage 3204, the memory 3206, or any other component of the computing device 3200. Although I/O circuitry 3208 is shown in fig. 32 as a single component of computing device 3200, multiple instances of I/O circuitry 3208 may be included in computing device 3200.

In some embodiments, computing device 3200 may include specialized output circuitry associated with output devices (e.g., one or more audio outputs). The audio output may include one or more speakers embedded in the computing device 3200 (e.g., mono or stereo speakers), or audio components remotely coupled to the computing device 3200 (e.g., ear buds, headphones or earphones that may be wired or wirelessly connected to a communication device).

The display circuitry may also include display driver circuitry, circuitry to drive display drivers, or both. The display circuitry is operable to display content (e.g., media playback information, an application screen for an application implemented on the electronic device, information regarding an ongoing communication operation, information regarding an incoming communication request, or a device operation screen) under the direction of the control circuitry 3202. Additionally, the display circuitry may be operable to provide instructions to a remote display.

The communications circuitry 3210 may include any suitable communications circuitry to operatively connect to a communications network and transmit communications (e.g., voice or data) from the computing device 3200 to other devices in the communications network. The communication circuitry 3210 may be operable to interface with a communication network using any suitable communication protocol, such as Wi-Fi (e.g., 802.11 protocol), bluetooth radio frequency systems (e.g., 900MHz, 1.4GHz, and 5.6GHz communication systems), infrared, GSM plus EDGE, CDMA, quad band (quad band) and other cellular protocols, VOIP, or any other suitable protocol.

In some embodiments, the communication circuitry 3210 may be operable to create a communication network using any suitable communication protocol. For example, the communication circuit 3210 may create a short-range communication network using a short-range communication protocol to connect to other devices. For example, the communication circuitry 3210 may be operable to establish a local communication network using a bluetooth protocol to couple the computing device 3200 with a bluetooth headset.

The computing device 3200 may include one or more instances of the communication circuitry 3210 for performing multiple communication operations simultaneously using different communication networks, although only one is shown in fig. 32 to avoid overly complicating the figure. For example, the computing device 3200 may include a first instance of the communication circuitry 3210 to communicate over a cellular network and a second instance of the communication circuitry 3210 to communicate over Wi-Fi or using bluetooth. In some embodiments, the same instance of the communication circuitry 3210 may be operable to provide communication over multiple communication networks.

In some embodiments, computing device 3200 may be coupled to host device 20 for data transfer, synchronizing communication devices, software or firmware updates, providing performance information to a remote source (e.g., providing a cross-feature to a remote server), or performing any other suitable operation that may require computing device 3200 to be coupled to a host device. Multiple electronic devices 3200 may be coupled to a single host device using the host device as a server. Alternatively or additionally, the computing device 3200 may be coupled to multiple host devices (e.g., to each of the multiple host devices to function as a backup to data stored in the computing device 3200).

In another embodiment, a computer readable medium is provided comprising computer program instructions for performing the various assembly steps described in FIG. 32. In particular, the computer program instructions are operable to control various automatic installation components, such as robotic arms, automatic screw drivers, and the like. This allows the apparatus to be assembled without (or at least with reduced) human intervention. In this manner, the computer instructions may be programmed to control the machine to insert the various components into the housing without substantial human intervention. The computer instructions can also be programmed to control the machine to perform laser etching and laser routing, in addition to other processes required to assemble and test the media player.

The present invention, in various embodiments, relates to small desktop computing devices, such as the Mac Mini manufactured by apple Inc. of Kubinuo, Calif^TM. A small desktop computing device may have a housing formed from a single piece of material, such as an aluminum housing formed from a single aluminum blank, such that it includes a unitary housing. Furthermore, suitable cooling means may allow sufficient cooling of the various heating components in the tight spaces without significantly sacrificing the overall aesthetics of the device. These general topics will be explained in more detail later.

Outer casing

The one-piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of a radio frequency transparent material, provides easy user access to selected internal components, and provides Electromagnetic (EM) shielding. In addition to the advantages associated with aesthetic look and feel, this simple design may result in many of the advantages of a small desktop computer. For example, a small desktop computer requires fewer components and less time and effort to assemble, and a single piece housing without seams may provide good protection from environmental contamination of the internal components as well as electromagnetic shielding.

In such embodiments, the single piece seamless housing may be formed of metal. Where the one-piece seamless housing is formed of metal, the metal may be in the form of a single aluminum billet. A single metal blank may be formed into a shape suitable for receiving various internal components and providing a variety of openings that may receive various switches, connectors, and the like. The one-piece seamless shell can be machined to a desired shape. The housing may be shaped with a spline profile because the upper portion of the housing may have a spline profile. One of the advantages of using metal for the housing is the ability of the metal to provide good electrical grounding for any internal components that require a good ground plane. For example, the performance of a built-in RF antenna can be greatly improved when a good ground plane is provided. In addition, a good ground plane may be used to help mitigate the resulting detrimental effects, e.g., those caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Turning first to fig. 33, an exemplary small desktop computing device is shown in a front perspective view in an open state. The small desktop computer 3300 may process data, and more specifically media data, such as audio, video, images, and the like. By way of example, a small desktop computer 3300 generally corresponds to a device that may function as a music player, game player, video player, media center, and/or the like. Because the small desktop computer 3300 occupies a small area and is lightweight, the small desktop computer 3300 can be easily placed in a convenient location, such as a desktop, a bookshelf, or a small cabinet. The small desktop computer 3300 may include a one-piece seamless housing 3302 formed from a metal, such as aluminum, that may be machined to a desired shape. Where the small desktop computer 3300 has a metal housing and includes radio frequency-based functionality, it may be advantageous to provide at least a portion of the housing 3302 in the form of a radio frequency (or RF) transparent material. The radio frequency transparent material may comprise, for example, plastic, ceramic, etc. The wireless communication may be based on many different wireless protocols including, for example, bluetooth, RF, 802.11, FM, AM, etc. Any number of antennas may be used, which may use a single window or multiple windows, depending on the system requirements. Portions of housing 3302 may be removed by machining and replaced with a radio frequency transparent material.

The housing 3302 may be configured to enclose any suitable number of internal components associated with the small desktop computer 3300. For example, the housing 3302 may enclose and support various internal structures and electrical components (including integrated circuit chips and other circuitry) to provide computing operations for the small desktop computer 3300. The integrated circuit may take the form of a chip, chipset, module, any of which may be surface mounted on a printed circuit board or PCB or other support structure. For example, a Main Logic Board (MLB) may have an integrated circuit mounted thereon, which may include at least one microprocessor, semiconductor memory (e.g., flash memory), various support circuits, and the like. Housing 3302 may include various openings, some of which may be used to receive disk-based media such as a DVD or CD, while others are used to place internal components during assembly. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, ODD slot opening 3332 can be used to accept optical disc media such as DVDs and CDs, while small desktop computer 3300 can include mechanisms for wireless communication, such as a radio, as a transceiver type device or simply as a receiver, and small desktop computer 3300 can include an antenna disposed inside the radio frequency transparent portion of housing 3302.

FIG. 34 illustrates a bottom plan view of the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 33 with removable feet installed therein, according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a small desktop computer 3300 generally includes a top side 101 and a bottom side 103, and a removable foot 104 located at the bottom side. The foot 10 can be easily removed without the need for tools to reveal the bottom opening and various internal components by pressing and rotating the foot 104 using the finger recess 105.

Moving next to FIG. 35, the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 33 is illustrated in a bottom perspective view with feet removable therefrom. The feet have been removed to expose internal components such as RF antenna 108, antenna board 110, cover 112, fan assembly 114, removable memory card 116, and power supply 120, among other things. It should be noted that the shroud 112 is preferably inserted behind the antenna board and in front of the fan assembly 114.

By removing the foot 104, the user is allowed convenient access to those internal components, such as the memory card 116, which the user may wish to replace. In the depicted embodiment, the foot 104 is securable to the housing 3302 and covers the opening 106 by the spring fastener 122 being disengageable (and thus releasing the foot 104) by pressing the foot 104 while applying a rotational force to the foot 104 at the finger recess 105. In this manner, the user can easily access the various internal components without the need to use special tools, such as putty knives, screw drivers, and the like. The feet 104 may be formed of a non-slip material and thus may be used to provide non-slip support for the small desktop computer 3300.

FIG. 36 illustrates a front perspective view of a removable foot, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The receivers 124 described herein use fasteners 122 to secure the feet 104 to the housing 3302. As can be seen, receptacle 124 can be shaped to accommodate the shape of fastener 122 such that a slight pressing action and rotational movement are all conditions required to separate fastener 122 and receptacle 124. It should be noted that the portion of the leg 104 that is not aligned with the antenna board 110 (which functions as an EM shield and support structure) includes the EM shield 126. In this manner, the housing 3302 is formed by the metal and the EM shield 126 and antenna board 110, and the RF-sensitive circuitry within the small desktop computer 3300 or adjacent the small desktop computer 3300 is well shielded from EMI. It should also be noted that: the portion of the foot 104 that is part of the EM shield 126 serves as an air inlet area for the fan assembly 114.

It should also be noted that the outer edges of the EM shield 126 may help prevent or severely limit ambient air intake from outside the overall device, where the EM shield and the outer edges of the detachable feet 104 coincide. As shown in fig. 4, this may effectively result in an air intake zone 128 at the area of the removable foot where the EM shield 126 is not present. While the remaining regions are effectively "no air entry" regions. This effect can be enhanced when desired, such as by using a raised ridge 127 in the housing, as shown in fig. 3. Such convex ridges 127 may be integrally formed in the housing 3302, for example, when the housing is initially formed and machined.

FIG. 37 shows a side view of an exemplary input and output (I/O) wall inserted into a rear sidewall of an exemplary small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown from the rear, the small desktop computer 3300 may include an I/O wall insert made of plastic that includes a plurality of I/O ports 3336(HDMI, FireWire, ethernet, etc.), a vent port of an air handling manifold 3338, an AC power receptacle 3340, a power button 3342, a memory card slot 3344, and possibly other items. Based on this configuration, it can be understood that: the cooling air flow exiting the exhaust port of the air handling manifold 3338 will also be simultaneously exhausted from the entire computer 3300.

Cooling arrangement

FIG. 38A illustrates a bottom plan view of an exemplary airflow pattern for the exemplary small desktop computing device of FIG. 33, according to one embodiment of the invention, while FIG. 38B shows a bottom plan view of an alternative exemplary airflow pattern for another small desktop computing device according to one embodiment of the invention.

It should be noted that: fig. 38A shows the airflow pattern seen in the device of fig. 33-37, while fig. 38B shows the airflow pattern with an alternative foot and shell-to-foot interface in accordance with yet another embodiment. This alternative embodiment, for example, has a bottom opening adapted to engage a castellation (not shown) of air inlet ring 3349, which may be used in an alternative foot configuration (not shown). Specifically, the embodiment of fig. 38A includes only a partial region around the foot where the air intake device may be absorbed. This region is also shown in fig. 37. In contrast, the alternative embodiment of FIG. 38B is configured such that the air intake can be accomplished around the entire circumference of the foot, as shown.

In fig. 38A and 38B, the top side of the depicted figure corresponds to the front side of the disk slot depicted in fig. 33, while the side from which the airflow is exhausted from the apparatus corresponds to the I/O (rear) sidewall shown in fig. 37. In both embodiments, the ambient air intake 3350 into the device is processed through one or more gaps or openings at the interface between the foot and the housing in which the foot is mounted. The intake air then flows radially toward the combination of the fan 3314 and blower 3315, which is located toward the center of the apparatus. This initial intake airflow may flow through one or more internal heated elements (such as HDDs), which facilitates the cooling process. The air is then processed through fan 3314 and fan housing/blower 3315 and from there into air processing manifold 3338. The air handling manifold may have an angled blade stack to direct air away from the blower, through heat pipes or heat exchangers, and ultimately out of the device at a heated exhaust output zone 156.

As described above, the main difference between the embodiments described in fig. 38A and 38B is that: the embodiment of fig. 38A has a limited ambient air intake area or region, while the embodiment of fig. 38B has a larger ambient air intake area or region. Referring to fig. 38A, this embodiment corresponds to the embodiment of fig. 36, further having a removable foot 3304 and EM shield 3326 included therein. When the foot is mounted to the bottom opening of the housing, an ambient air intake area 3328 and an air intake free area 129 are created. These areas may be defined relative to the perimeter of the removable foot, particularly where the interface between the foot and the housing serves as an ambient air inlet for the entire device. As such, ambient air intake 150 is shown only to be present in the vicinity of the foot in air intake region 33.

In contrast, the embodiment of fig. 38B involves an air intake zone that extends substantially around the entire circumference of the removable foot. This air intake zone may be achieved, for example, by not including any substantial blocking edges of the EM shield and/or not including any raised edges integral with the housing, such as those shown by the embodiment shown and described in fig. 38A. The following are specifically envisaged: this feature and/or other suitable airflow blocking or directing features may be used to: ambient air is allowed to be drawn in at one or more selected areas along the perimeter of the detachable foot. Such selective blocking or restricting features may then be used to achieve a desired airflow pattern within the overall device. For example, when a greater general airflow through HDD 3348 is desired, a selectively restrictive air intake feature may be used such that much or all of the ambient air intake airflow passes through the HDD before reaching the input port of fan 3314. Alternative configurations that benefit from other internal components may also be used, as desired.

FIG. 39 illustrates a side view of an exemplary airflow diagram of an exemplary small form factor desktop computing device 100, according to one embodiment of the invention. Similar to the airflow diagram shown in fig. 38A, intake air 3350 enters the device at a selected area around the perimeter at the bottom of the foot 104. Once inside the apparatus, the internal airflow path 3352 may pass through the one or more heating elements 148 until it enters the top or bottom of the radial rotating fan 3314. The continuous airflow path 154 then exits the fan 3314 and blower 3315 configured in the air handling manifold 3338 where a plurality of angled blades arranged in a pattern are encountered. The heat pipe or heat exchanger 3346 may have one or more surfaces exposed to the open sides and the top of the passageway defined by the angled vanes so that the airflow cools these surfaces of the heat exchanger. The heated air then exits the device at exhaust output region 3356. It is easy to understand that: the heat pipe or heat exchanger 3346 may have a circulating fluid therein through which heat is transferred from a heat sink proximate the heating element to a cooling region, wherein a cooling airflow traverses an exterior surface of the heat pipe or heat exchanger. FIG. 40 shows a side view of an exemplary airflow diagram of an exemplary small desktop computing device, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 41 illustrates a rear perspective view of an exemplary set of internal components of a small desktop computing device, while FIG. 42 is an exemplary set of internal components with a fan and blower removed. Further, the radial fan 3314 and blower 3315 are configured such that their air output enters the inlet region of the air handling manifold 3338. The heat exchanger 146 is located on the blades of the air handling manifold and the air is ultimately exhausted from the equipment at the I/O interface side walls. One particular advantage of the angled blade stack is that: air is processed through the device and exhausted over short distances, not allowing an external user to have a line of sight to see inside the device. This may improve the overall aesthetic appearance of the device, as the visibility of the internal components may degrade the aesthetics when the user does not desire such a look and feel.

FIG. 43 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the exemplary mini-desktop computing device with the removable feet removed therefrom, and FIG. 44 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the exemplary mini-desktop computing device of FIG. 43 with the fan removed therefrom, according to one embodiment of the invention. These drawings merely provide an alternative point of view of the items detailed above. In some embodiments, the angled vanes may be angled approximately 20 to 60 degrees so that the internal components of the apparatus are obscured from view from the outside by the user through the air handling manifold and exhaust gas. In some embodiments, the exact angle of the angled blade stack may be about 30 degrees.

FIG. 45 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, heat pipes or heat exchangers 3346 are laid over the cut out (cutway) portions of the stacked and angled blade arrangement, which forms the air handling manifold 3338. Thus, the air handling manifold 3338 can be seen on either side of the heat exchanger 3346. FIG. 46 illustrates a bottom plan view of the exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger of FIG. 45, according to an embodiment of the invention. As can be readily appreciated, two or more heat sinks 3346 on the bottom of the heat exchanger may be used to facilitate heat transfer from the heating elements in contact with the heat sinks.

FIG. 47 illustrates a side angled view of the exemplary air handling manifold and heat exchanger of FIG. 45, according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a line of sight may be formed along the angled blade stack, but achieving this requires significant deflection of the device. Thus, the ready view of the internal components is obstructed.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments may be used alone or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments may also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium that controls the production operations or as computer readable code on a computer readable medium that controls the production line. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that: no specific details are required to implement the invention. The foregoing descriptions and specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art: many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

While embodiments have been described using a number of specific embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of these general principles. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present embodiments. For example, although the extrusion process is the preferred method of making a complete tube, it should be noted that: this is not a limitation and other manufacturing methods (e.g., injection molding) may be used. Therefore, we wish to: it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

Claims (58)

1. A small desktop computer comprising:

a monolithic metal housing comprising:

a bottom opening configured to provide access to an internal operating assembly,

a rear opening configured to accommodate a plurality of I/O interfaces, an

A front face having a slot opening adapted to receive a compact disc such as a DVD, the monolithic housing further comprising an integral top, side walls and bottom that cooperatively form a cavity with the front opening, the bottom opening and the slot opening, wherein the top has a substantially flat surface and an arcuate edge to match the side wall having a straight edge that are configured to form a flat side surface, and wherein an inner surface of the top includes a plurality of etched ground points adapted to connect electrical components to chassis ground; and

a removable stand rotatably affixed to the one-piece metal housing, the removable stand positioned in the bottom opening, the removable stand providing access to at least some of the operational components enclosed in the one-piece housing when removed from the small desktop computer, wherein the removable stand is formed of an RF transparent material for facilitating radio frequency transmission, the removable stand further comprising a foot configured to provide elevated support of the small desktop computer, wherein the foot elevates the small desktop computer a distance from the support surface sufficient to provide an air path that allows external air flow to enter the opening at the bottom portion of the small desktop computer to cool the internal components.

2. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 1, the removable stand further comprising:

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield attached to and covering a portion of an interior surface of the removable bracket, the EMI shield being formed of an RF opaque material effective to block RF energy, wherein an uncovered portion of the interior surface of the removable bracket forms an RF window that is the only portion of the removable bracket that allows RF energy to pass through.

3. The small desktop computer as recited in claim 2, wherein the RF window provides an air channel for external air flow from an external environment into the interior of the small desktop computer.

4. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 2 or 3, further comprising:

an insert portion having a size and shape corresponding to the rear opening, the insert portion comprising:

a baffle for directing heated exhaust air from the interior of the small desktop computer, heated exhaust air resulting from the passage of an external air stream that is initially drawn in from beneath the small desktop computer, the passage of the external air stream forming part of an interior air cooling system for cooling at least some of the internal components, and

a plurality of openings, each opening sized and shaped to receive an I/O interface, wherein the I/O interface includes at least an HDMI interface, a power line interface, and a power on/off interface.

5. A small desktop computer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the foot comprises:

a locking mechanism for locking the removable bracket to the housing in a closed/locked orientation and unlocking the removable bracket from the housing in an open/unlocked configuration.

6. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a plurality of latches having a size and shape configured to positively engage corresponding latch members located on the housing; and

a slotted opening mechanically coupled to the plurality of lockers, the slotted opening having a slotted receiving portion.

7. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 6, wherein the slotted opening allows the locking mechanism to unlock the removable bracket by receiving a suitably shaped snapping tool into the slotted receiving portion and receiving a rotational force in a first direction applied by the snapping tool, the rotational force in the first direction causing the plurality of latches to disengage from the corresponding locking members.

8. The small desktop computer of claim 7, wherein the slotted opening enables the locking mechanism to lock the removable bracket by receiving a suitably shaped snapping tool into the slotted receiving portion and receiving a rotational force in a second direction opposite the first direction applied by the snapping tool, the rotational force in the second direction causing the plurality of latches to snap into the corresponding latch members.

9. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a slot-shaped opening of the mechanical coupling gear member;

a plurality of latches coupled to the slotted opening by the gear member; and

a pin/slot mechanism attached to the plurality of latches by snaps, wherein in the open/unlocked configuration the plurality of latches are retracted from the corresponding latch members on the housing when the slotted opening is rotated in a first direction and the plurality of latches engage the corresponding latch members in the closed/locked configuration when the slotted opening is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.

10. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from a single aluminum blank.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a monolithic metal housing, wherein the monolithic metal housing provides a ground plane in the form of a chassis ground;

inserting a first operational component into an opening in the one-piece metal housing;

placing the first operational assembly proximate a first attachment member, the first attachment member directly connected to the monolithic housing;

securing a first component to a first attachment member;

inserting a second component into the opening;

aligning and securing the second assembly to the housing using the first assembly; and

securing a second component to the housing using the first component, wherein the first component and the second component are electrically connected to chassis ground through the first attachment feature, wherein the first and second components are cooperatively sized and shaped to form a compact integrated assembly fit in the housing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first component is an optical disc drive.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second component is a hard disk drive that includes a mounting post.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first attachment member is a mounting bracket that is directly attached to the one-piece metal housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second attachment member is a bezel formed of a resilient and vibration absorbing material, the bezel including at least one grommet sized to correspond to a hard drive mounting post.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

securing an optical disc drive to the mounting bracket;

inserting the hard disk drive into the housing using an optical disk drive as a guide; and

inserting the hard drive mounting stud into a grommet, wherein the hard drive does not contact and is vibrationally isolated from an optical drive.

17. A small desktop computer comprising:

a monolithic housing formed of metal to provide chassis ground for operational components enclosed therein, the monolithic housing having a plurality of openings, at least one of the openings being located at a bottom of the monolithic housing, the bottom opening configured to provide access to an interior space of the monolithic housing; and

a plurality of functional subassemblies each configured to provide a particular operational function for the small desktop computer, wherein each of the plurality of functional subassemblies is cooperatively sized and shaped such that the plurality of functional subassemblies comprise a compact integrated assembly of components within the monolithic housing.

18. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 17, wherein the single piece housing further comprises:

a first opening arranged to accommodate a plurality of I/O interfaces, an

A second opening having a size and dimensions in the form of a slot adapted to receive an optical disc such as a DVD,

an integrated top, side walls and bottom portion cooperating with the front opening, bottom opening and slot opening to form a cavity, wherein the top has a substantially flat face and a curved edge to cooperate with the side walls having a straight edge arranged to form a flat side surface, wherein an interior surface of the top includes a plurality of etched ground points adapted to connect electrical components to chassis ground; and

a removable bracket disposed in the bottom opening that, when removed, provides access to at least some of the operational components enclosed within the monolithic enclosure.

19. The small form factor desktop computer in claim 18, wherein a compact, integrated component assembly is formed by placing a selected one of the plurality of functional subassemblies into the interior space based on a currently installed one of the plurality of functional subassemblies.

20. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of functional subassemblies is an optical disc drive.

21. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of operational components, at least one of which is a main logic board having at least one coaxial cable forming a signal path between at least two operational circuits on the main logic board, the main logic board further comprising:

a plurality of non-conductive carriers for supporting and routing the coaxial cables on the main logic board, the carriers supporting the coaxial cables such that the coaxial cables are spaced from active operational circuitry on the main logic board a distance sufficient to reduce electromagnetic interference with signals carried by the coaxial cables, the carriers further providing a repeatable path for routing the cables on the main logic board.

22. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of non-conductive carriers comprises a notch sized to support and enclose at least a portion of the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable being at least partially inserted into the notch.

23. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 21, wherein the small form factor desktop computer is sized to be placed on a shelf or in a cubicle, and wherein the housing is formed of metal that provides a chassis ground for at least some of the plurality of operational components.

24. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 23, further comprising:

a surface mount carrier mounted to and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board ground of a main logic board, the surface mount carrier physically supporting a coaxial cable in a region of the main logic board, the region having at least one active RF circuit coupled with the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable carrying RF signals between the at least one active RF circuit and the main logic board, the surface mount carrier having a metal grommet that electrically connects a grounding sheath of the coaxial cable to the printed circuit board ground.

25. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 24, wherein the plurality of surface mount carriers attached to the grounding sheath of the coaxial cable provide a distributed ground plane to the coaxial cable in a region of the main logic board having the at least one active RF circuit.

26. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 25, wherein the grommet is copper.

27. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 26, wherein a metal grommet has a size and shape corresponding to a coaxial cable and electrically contacts a grounding sheath of the coaxial cable through the metal grommet, electrically connecting the coaxial cable to a ground plane in an area of the main logic board having the at least one active RF circuit, such that the coaxial cable is directly grounded to the ground plane.

28. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 27, wherein the main logic board is removed from the small form factor desktop computer housing by snapping the main logic board and a main logic board extraction tool, the main logic board extraction tool being formed from a single open loop of metal having open ends, inserting each open end into a corresponding opening of the main logic board spaced apart a distance corresponding to a spacing between the open ends of the extraction tool until the open end of the extraction tool inserted into the corresponding opening in the main logic board securely snaps with a corresponding feature on the housing and receives a centrally located extraction force in accordance with a lateral force in the extraction direction to disengage the main logic board from an attachment feature coupling the main logic board to the housing, thereby enabling a user to remove the main logic board without adversely affecting the main logic board or surrounding circuitry.

29. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 17, further comprising:

a support structure attached to the front wall, the support structure being formed of a vibration absorbing material, the support structure including at least two washers, an

A mass storage device, the mass storage device comprising:

a body configured to enclose and support a mass storage media and associated mass storage device circuitry configured to access the mass storage media; and

a plurality of backer pins having a size and shape corresponding to the at least two washers, wherein the mass storage device is assembled into the small desktop computer by inserting the mass storage device into the bottom opening, aligning the backer pin and the at least two washers, and inserting the backer pin into the washers such that the mass storage device is removable.

30. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 29, the mass storage device comprising:

a mass storage device main body which is a main body of the mass storage device,

a mass storage data medium configured to store digital data,

mass storage device circuitry configured to provide access to the mass storage data medium, an

A support pin integrally formed with the housing, wherein the support pin is configured to support a mass storage device such that the mass storage device is vibration isolated from other devices in the small desktop computer and provides easy random insertion and removal of the mass storage device.

31. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 30, wherein the mass storage device is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

32. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 31, wherein the removable HDD is supported by a previously installed Optical Disk Drive (ODD) such that the HDD is vibration isolated from the ODD, the ODD being directly mounted to the housing by a mounting bracket that also electrically connects the ODD to chassis ground.

33. The small form factor desktop computer of claim 32, wherein during operation of the ODD, the removable HDD is vibration isolated from vibrations generated by the ODD due to the resilient nature of the support structure and the gasket.

34. A method, comprising:

providing a monolithic housing comprising a bottom opening configured to provide access to internal operating components, a back wall having an opening configured to receive a plurality of I/O interfaces, and a front wall having a slot opening adapted to receive a compact disk such as a DVD, the monolithic housing further comprising an integral top, side walls, and bottom that cooperatively form a cavity with the front opening, the bottom opening, and the slot opening, wherein the top has a substantially flat face and a curved edge to cooperate with the side walls having straight edges that are configured to form flat side surfaces,

attaching a support structure to the front wall, the support structure being formed of a vibration absorbing material, the support structure including at least two washers;

providing a mass storage device, the mass storage device comprising:

a body configured to enclose and support a mass storage media and associated mass storage device circuitry to access the mass storage media, an

A plurality of support pins attached to a body of the mass storage device having a size and shape corresponding to the at least two washers;

inserting a mass storage device into the bottom opening;

aligning the backing pin and the at least two washers; and

the supporting pin is inserted into the washer so that the mass storage device is removable.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the mass storage device is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the removable HDD is supported by a previously installed Optical Disk Drive (ODD) such that the HDD is vibration isolated from the ODD, the ODD being directly mounted to the housing by a mounting bracket that electrically connects the ODD to chassis ground.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein during operation of the ODD, the movable HDD is vibrationally isolated from vibrations generated by the ODD due to the resilient nature of the support structure and the gasket.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

removing the HDD by:

disengaging the RF transparent foot from the housing;

removing a foot from the enclosure to provide access to a removable HDD; and

electrically disconnecting the HDD, an

Detaching the removable HDD support pin from the gasket and removing the HDD through the bottom opening.

39. A small desktop computing device, comprising:

a housing having a top surface, a back surface, a bottom opening configured to provide access to internal operating components, a front opening configured to receive a plurality of I/O interfaces, and a slot opening configured to receive disk media;

a removable foot disposed within the bottom opening, adapted to be removed by a user to provide access to at least some of the operational components enclosed within the monolithic enclosure, wherein an interface between the monolithic enclosure and the removable foot is configured to allow ambient air to enter the device;

a heat generating element;

a fan disposed in the monolithic housing and adjacent to the removable foot, wherein the fan is adapted to handle ambient air intake and dissipate the ambient air through an outlet of the fan;

an air handling manifold having a plurality of angled blades, wherein an inlet of the air handling manifold is adjacent to the fan outlet and an outlet of the air handling manifold is located at an opening along a rear surface of the monolithic housing; and

a heat exchanger adjacent to the air handling manifold and configured such that air passing through the air handling manifold directly contacts one or more external surfaces of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a heat sink component thermally coupled to the heat generating element.

40. A small desktop computing device in accordance with claim 39, wherein the housing is substantially a single component formed from a single sheet of material.

41. A small form factor desktop computing device as recited in claim 40, wherein the housing is comprised of a single seamless housing formed from a single metal blank.

42. The small form factor desktop computing device of claim 39, wherein the removable foot defines a perimeter of the perimeter, wherein at least a substantial portion of an ambient air intake occurs between the perimeter and the housing.

43. A small desktop computing device in accordance with claim 42, wherein the perimeter of the foot includes an air entry area and a non-air entry area, and wherein no ambient air ingress occurs at the non-air entry area.

44. A small desktop computing device as recited in claim 43, wherein the fan is proximate to the non-air entry region, and wherein an airflow pattern from the air entry region, through the non-air entry region, and into the fan is thereby created.

45. A small desktop computing device as recited in claim 44, wherein the entire perimeter of the foot provides an air intake area.

46. A small desktop computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein the cooling airflow pattern through the device is determined by an ambient air inlet into the device, a fan, and an air handling manifold.

47. A small desktop computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein no ingress or egress of cooling air into or out of the device occurs at or near the top surface.

48. A method of cooling a small computing device, comprising:

directing ambient air into an ambient air inlet located against the outer housing of the device;

passing the ambient air from an ambient air inlet through an interior region of the appliance and to a fan located within the appliance;

treating the ambient air by the fan to an outlet of the fan;

dissipating the ambient air from the fan outlet into an air handling manifold having a plurality of angled blades and located within the apparatus;

directing the ambient air flow over at least one heat exchanger surface while the ambient air passes through the air handling manifold; and

exhausting the ambient air from the apparatus.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the ambient air inlet comprises an interface between the enclosure and a removable foot positioned relative to the enclosure.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising the step of:

circulating fluid within one or more heat exchangers from the at least one heat exchanger surface to one or more heat sinks separately located within the one or more heat exchangers.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the one or more heat sinks are thermally coupled to one or more heat generating elements located within the device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the exhausting step occurs when the ambient air exits an outlet of the air handling manifold.

53. A personal computing device, comprising:

a housing defining an internal cavity, the housing having a top surface and a bottom opening configured to provide access to internal operating components located within the internal cavity;

an ambient air inlet to the personal computing device, the ambient air inlet being located at or proximate to the bottom opening;

at least one heat generating element;

a fan located in the housing adjacent to the bottom opening, wherein the fan is adapted to process ambient air from the ambient air inlet and to dissipate the ambient air through the fan outlet; and

an air handling manifold located within the enclosure proximate the fan outlet, the air handling manifold configured to receive air from the fan outlet and to pass air therethrough to the outlet of the air handling manifold and out of the enclosure, wherein air passing through the air handling manifold is adapted to facilitate cooling of the at least one heat generating element.

54. The personal computing device of claim 53, further comprising:

a heat exchanger adjacent to the air handling manifold and configured such that air passing through the air handling manifold directly contacts one or more external surfaces of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises at least one heat sink component thermally coupled to the at least one heat generating element.

55. The personal computing device of claim 53, wherein the air handling manifold comprises a plurality of angled vanes adapted to direct the flow of air therethrough.

56. The personal computing device of claim 53, further comprising:

a removable foot disposed in the bottom opening and adapted to be removed by a user to provide access to at least some operating components enclosed within a housing, wherein an interface between the housing and the removable foot defines an ambient air inlet into the personal computing device.

57. The personal computing device of claim 56, wherein the removable foot defines a perimeter of the perimeter, wherein at least a substantial portion of the ambient air inlet is present between the perimeter and the housing.

58. The personal computing device of claim 53, wherein the cooling airflow pattern through the personal computing device is substantially determined by an ambient air inlet into the personal computing device, a fan, and an air handling manifold.