US Patent 12095206 Threaded fastener retention detection

Portable electronic devices by their nature are designed to be regularly physically repositioned and relocated, which can cause significant mechanical stresses on internal components, including printed circuit boards (PCBs). This is particularly true when a portable electronic device is handled roughly. These significant mechanical stresses can cause threaded mechanical fasteners securing the PCBs to become dislodged. A dislodged threaded mechanical fastener may contact electrically conductive features of the PCB or other internal components, thereby causing a ground fault or short. At a minimum, this may cause the portable electronic device to not work well, or at all. Further, this may cause the portable electronic device to overheat and become a fire hazard. The presently disclosed technology detects if the threaded mechanical fasteners within a portable electronic device become dislodged. A user of the portable electronic device may then be warned, and the portable electronic device may be powered down.