Machined window undercut

Abstract

A media player comprising a display screen is provided. The media player can include a housing having an opening and an area of reduced thickness around the opening. The media player can also include a transparent wall having a flange. Alternatively, the transparent wall may not require a flange but rather can be a flat, substantially transparent piece of material such as plexiglass or glass. The flange can be adhered to a surface of the area of reduced thickness in order to form a transparent protective cover for the display screen. In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided. The method can include forming a transparent wall having a stepped edge for placing in an opening of a media player. The method can also include adhering an adhesive to at least one surface of the stepped edge of the transparent wall. The method can include as well using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a media player. The method can also include adhering the transparent wall to the housing using the adhesive.

1 . A portable media player comprising:
 a display screen;   a housing having an opening and an area of reduced thickness around the opening; and   a transparent wall comprising a flange, the flange that is adhered to a surface of the area of reduced thickness, wherein the transparent wall a transparent protective cover for the display screen.   
     
     
         2 . The media player of  claim 1  wherein the area of reduced thickness is oriented internally to the media player. 
     
     
         3 . The media player of  claim 1  wherein the area of reduced thickness is oriented externally to the media player. 
     
     
         4 . The media player of  claim 1  the housing comprising a stepped edge around the opening. 
     
     
         5 . The media player of  claim 1  further comprising a closed-back face. 
     
     
         6 . The media player of  claim 1  further comprising a hand-held media player. 
     
     
         7 . The media player of  claim 1  further comprising a miniature media player. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 forming a housing for storing components of a media player;   forming an opening in one of the faces of the housing;   penetrating a cutting tool through the opening; and   using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of the housing that surrounds the opening.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising adhering a transparent wall to the cut away portion of the underside of the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising adhering an adhesive to a transparent wall, and then adhering the transparent wall to the cut away portion of the underside of the housing using the adhesive. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising adhering an adhesive to a cutout portion of the housing of the media player. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a miniature media player. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a hand-held media player. 
     
     
         14 . A method for forming a housing of a media player, the method comprising:
 forming a transparent wall having a stepped edge, the transparent wall for placing in an opening of a media player;   adhering an adhesive to at least one surface of the stepped edge of the transparent wall;   using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a media player; and   adhering the transparent wall to the housing using the adhesive.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising adhering the adhesive to a plurality of surfaces of the transparent wall. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising placing the transparent wall through one end in the housing, the one end in the housing being different from the opening in the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a miniature media player. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising using the cutting tool to cut away a portion of the underside of a housing that surrounds an opening in a hand-held media player. 
     
     
         19 . A media player housing comprising an opening for disposing a window therein, the opening being substantially bound by a perimeter area of the housing, the perimeter area having a thickness less than a majority of the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The media player housing of  claim 19  wherein the perimeter area is oriented internally to the media player. 
     
     
         21 . The media player housing of  claim 19  wherein the perimeter area is oriented externally to the media player. 
     
     
         22 . The media player housing of  claim 19  the housing comprising a stepped edge around the opening. 
     
     
         23 . The media player housing of  claim 19  further comprising a closed-back face. 
     
     
         24 . The media player housing of  claim 1  further comprising a hand-held media player housing. 
     
     
         25 . The media player housing of  claim 1  further comprising a miniature media player housing. 
     
     
         26 . A media player comprising:
 a display screen;   a housing having an opening and an area of reduced thickness around the opening, the dimension of corners of the area of reduced thickness in the x-axis and the dimension of the corner of the opening in the y-axis each being determined by the radius of a shaft and the radius of a cutting head of a cutter used for obtaining the area of reduced thickness; and   a transparent wall comprising a flange, the flange that is adhered to a surface of the area of reduced thickness.   
     
     
         27 . The media player of  claim 26  wherein the area of reduced thickness faces internally to the media player. 
     
     
         28 . The media player of  claim 26  wherein the area of reduced thickness faces externally to the media player. 
     
     
         29 . The media player of  claim 26  the housing further comprising a stepped edge around the opening. 
     
     
         30 . The media player of  claim 26  further comprising a closed-back face. 
     
     
         31 . The media player of  claim 26  further comprising a hand-held media player. 
     
     
         32 . The media player of  claim 26  further comprising a miniature media player. 
     
     
         33 . A method for forming the housing of media player, the method comprising:
 forming a housing for storing components of a media player;   forming an opening in one of the faces of the housing;   penetrating a cutting tool through the opening, the cutting tool comprising a circular cutting head; and   using the cutting tool to reduce the thickness of a portion of the underside of the housing that surrounds the opening, the portion of the underside comprising corners, dimensions of the corners in the x-axis and the y-axis being substantially dependent upon the radius of the head of the cutting tool.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising adhering a transparent wall to the cut away portion of the underside of the housing, dimensions of the corners of the transparent wall being substantially dependent upon the dimensions of the corners of the reduced thickness portion of the underside of the housing. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising adhering an adhesive to a transparent wall, and then adhering the transparent wall to the reduced thickness portion of the underside of the housing using the adhesive. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising adhering an adhesive to the reduced thickness portion of the housing of the media player. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a hand-held media player. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33  the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising forming a housing for storing components of a miniature media player. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  the forming a housing for storing components of a media player further comprising m a housing for storing components of a miniature media player. 
     
     
         40 . A method for forming a media player housing, the method comprising:
 molding the housing, wherein the housing comprises an opening for disposing a window therein; and   molding the a perimeter region of the housing around the opening, the perimeter region having a thickness less than a majority of the housing.