Patents by Inventor Taylor H. Gilbert

Taylor H. Gilbert has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150355682
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with conductive structures and antennas mounted near a gap between the conductive structures. A conductive member may be used to at least partially fill the gap in order to prevent emission from the antenna from entering the gap and interfering with the operation of the antenna. The conductive gap-filling member may include a conductive outer layer and a non-conductive inner layer. The inner layer may have opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or may be a continuous tubular insulating layer. The outer layer may be a layer of conductive fabric having opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or to opposing edge portions of the inner layer. An edge portion of the outer layer may be attached to a conductive structure. An insulating material may be formed between another edge portion of the outer layer and a second conductive structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Taylor H. Gilbert, Derek W. Wright
  • Patent number: 9131037
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing such as a metal housing. A display may be mounted in the metal housing. Antenna structures may be mounted in the housing under an inactive peripheral portion of the display. Integrated circuits and other electrical components may be mounted in the housing under an active central portion of the display. Shielding structures may be configured to form a wall that extends between the display and the metal housing. The shielding structures may include a sheet of conductive fabric that is shorted to the metal housing and metal chassis structures in the display. The shielding structures may also include a tube of conductive fabric that is capacitively coupled to ground traces in a touch sensor panel. The conductive fabric tube and the sheet of conductive fabric may be shorted to each other using conductive adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Julio C. Quintero, Miroslav Samardzija, Robert W. Schlub, Jiang Zhu
  • Patent number: 9063700
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with conductive structures and antennas mounted near a gap between the conductive structures. A conductive member may be used to at least partially fill the gap in order to prevent emission from the antenna from entering the gap and interfering with the operation of the antenna. The conductive gap-filling member may include a conductive outer layer and a non-conductive inner layer. The inner layer may have opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or may be a continuous tubular insulating layer. The outer layer may be a layer of conductive fabric having opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or to opposing edge portions of the inner layer. An edge portion of the outer layer may be attached to a conductive structure. An insulating material may be formed between another edge portion of the outer layer and a second conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor H. Gilbert, Derek W. Wright
  • Patent number: 9065175
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a conductive housing with an antenna window. Antenna structures may be mounted adjacent to the antenna window. The antenna structures may have a dielectric carrier. Patterned metal antenna traces may be formed on the surface of the dielectric carrier. A proximity sensor may be formed from a flexible printed circuit mounted on the dielectric carrier. The flexible printed circuit may have a tail that contains a transmission line for feeding the antenna structures. The transmission line may include a positive signal conductor that is maintained at a desired distance from the conductive housing using a polymer sheet. A portion of the antenna structures may protrude between a microphone and a camera module. Plastic camera module housing structures may have an inner surface coated with a shielding metal. A U-shaped conductive fabric layer may be used as a grounding structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Conor P. Lenahan, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Robert W. Schlub, Salih Yarga, Jiang Zhu
  • Patent number: 8998622
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with electronic components and electrical connectors coupled between the electronic components. A connector may be formed in a small gap between the electronic components. The connector may be a thin sheet of flexible conductive material with a conductive adhesive on one surface. The connector may be installed between the components using an applicator that is attached to the connector. The applicator may be a pull-tab liner having a first surface that is tacky and a second opposing surface that is non-stick. The applicator may have an extended portion that can be held by a technician while installing the connector. The connector may be installed by inserting the connector and applicator between the components, pinching the components against the connector and applicator, and removing the applicator by pulling the extended portion to peel the applicator from the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor H. Gilbert, Sean S. Corbin
  • Patent number: 8895865
    Abstract: The embodiments relates generally to the use of conductive connections for electrically grounding a series of conductive substrates. More specifically the embodiments teach configurations of conductive connections that do not overly constrain relative motion between the connected conductive substrates. Conductive pressure sensitive adhesive is used to attach opposing ends of the conductive connectors to the conductive substrates. A substrate portion of the conductive connectors is scored by a cutting device such as a die cutter to reduce rigidity of the substrate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventors: Conor P. Lenahan, Taylor H. Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20140259627
    Abstract: The embodiments described in this paper relate generally to a fastener configured to reduce a risk of doing damage to a high cost component. Various embodiments of fasteners configured to be threaded during insertion are described. This is accomplished by selecting a material for an engaging portion of the fastener that is soft enough to yield to a set of threads to which it is driven into. In this way, a complementary threading pattern is formed on an exterior surface of the fastener as it is twisted against threading of the high cost component to which the fastener is configured to be coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Conor P. LENAHAN, Taylor H. GILBERT, Piotr S. TRZASKOS, Alex C. Yeung
  • Publication number: 20140111684
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a conductive housing with an antenna window. Antenna structures may be mounted adjacent to the antenna window. The antenna structures may have a dielectric carrier. Patterned metal antenna traces may be formed on the surface of the dielectric carrier. A proximity sensor may be formed from a flexible printed circuit mounted on the dielectric carrier. The flexible printed circuit may have a tail that contains a transmission line for feeding the antenna structures. The transmission line may include a positive signal conductor that is maintained at a desired distance from the conductive housing using a polymer sheet. A portion of the antenna structures may protrude between a microphone and a camera module. Plastic camera module housing structures may have an inner surface coated with a shielding metal. A U-shaped conductive fabric layer may be used as a grounding structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Conor P. Lenahan, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Robert W. Schlub, Salih Yarga, Jiang Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140112511
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing such as a metal housing. A display may be mounted in the metal housing. Antenna structures may be mounted in the housing under an inactive peripheral portion of the display. Integrated circuits and other electrical components may be mounted in the housing under an active central portion of the display. Shielding structures may be configured to form a wall that extends between the display and the metal housing. The shielding structures may include a sheet of conductive fabric that is shorted to the metal housing and metal chassis structures in the display. The shielding structures may also include a tube of conductive fabric that is capacitively coupled to ground traces in a touch sensor panel. The conductive fabric tube and the sheet of conductive fabric may be shorted to each other using conductive adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Julio C. Quintero, Miroslav Samardzija, Robert W. Schlub, Jiang Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140073152
    Abstract: The embodiments relates generally to the use of conductive connections for electrically grounding a series of conductive substrates. More specifically the embodiments teach configurations of conductive connections that do not overly constrain relative motion between the connected conductive substrates. Conductive pressure sensitive adhesive is used to attach opposing ends of the conductive connectors to the conductive substrates. A substrate portion of the conductive connectors is scored by a cutting device such as a die cutter to reduce rigidity of the substrate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Conor P. Lenahan, Taylor H. Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20140065851
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with electronic components and electrical connectors coupled between the electronic components. A connector may be formed in a small gap between the electronic components. The connector may be a thin sheet of flexible conductive material with a conductive adhesive on one surface. The connector may be installed between the components using an applicator that is attached to the connector. The applicator may be a pull-tab liner having a first surface that is tacky and a second opposing surface that is non-stick. The applicator may have an extended portion that can be held by a technician while installing the connector. The connector may be installed by inserting the connector and applicator between the components, pinching the components against the connector and applicator, and removing the applicator by pulling the extended portion to peel the applicator from the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Taylor H. Gilbert, Sean S. Corbin
  • Publication number: 20140063773
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with conductive structures and antennas mounted near a gap between the conductive structures. A conductive member may be used to at least partially fill the gap in order to prevent emission from the antenna from entering the gap and interfering with the operation of the antenna. The conductive gap-filling member may include a conductive outer layer and a non-conductive inner layer. The inner layer may have opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or may be a continuous tubular insulating layer. The outer layer may be a layer of conductive fabric having opposing edge portions that are attached to each other or to opposing edge portions of the inner layer. An edge portion of the outer layer may be attached to a conductive structure. An insulating material may be formed between another edge portion of the outer layer and a second conductive structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Taylor H. Gilbert, Derek W. Wright