Display cover mounting

• US 10,021,226 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Gagne-Keats, Jason Sean, Hershenson, Matthew, Jiang, Xinrui, Miao, Xiaoyu, Rubin, Andrew E., Tate, Joseph Anthony, Evans, V, David John, Zavin, Rebecca Schultz
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Application Number:
  US15/411,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 455566, 4555751, 4555758
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1021 Removal of binder or filler removal of binder from ceramics C04B35/638
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/225 by injection molding
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/24 After-treatment of workpieces or articles B22F3/1146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/00 Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 131/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl acetate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 133/00 Adhesives based on homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by only one carboxyl radical, or of salts, anhydrides, esters, amides, imides, or nitriles thereof; Adhesives based on derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 163/00 Adhesives based on epoxy resins; Adhesives based on derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 175/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 183/00 Adhesives based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only; Adhesives based on derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 5/04 involving separate application of adhesive ingredients to the different surfaces to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133322 Mechanical guidance or alignment of LCD panel support components
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133325 Assembling processes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133328 Segmented frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Techniques are described for mounting a display and/or display cover to a housing of a display device, such as a mobile phone. In an embodiment, the housing and display cover include chamfered edges at complementary angles to allow for an “edge-to-edge” display. The display cover and housing are affixed to each other at the chamfered edges using curable liquid adhesive.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a housing including;

a bottom wall; and

a plurality of side walls that, along with the bottom wall, form an interior space of the housing with a front opening, the front opening defined by a top edge of the side walls, the top edge of the side walls having a first chamfer; and

a display cover including a panel of transparent material with edges having a second chamfer, the second chamfer of the display cover aligned with the first chamfer of the top edge of the side walls of the housing so as to enclose the interior space of the housing, the display cover affixed to the housing through the introduction of a vacuum within the interior space of the housing; and

an active display assembly arranged within the interior space of the housing and oriented so as to be viewable through the front opening, while in use.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second chamfer is defined by a depth Y measured perpendicular from a bottom surface of the display cover and an angle ϕ

measured relative to the bottom surface of the display cover.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the angle ϕ

of the second chamfer is between 30 (thirty) and 60 (sixty) degrees.

4. The display device of claim 2, wherein the angle ϕ

of the second chamfer complements an angle θ

of the first chamfer such that display cover is affixed to the side wall of the housing at substantially a 90 (ninety) degree angle.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display cover is further affixed to the housing by a bonding material between adjoining faces of the first chamfer of the top edge of the side walls and the second chamfer of the display cover.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the bonding material includes any of a re-workable adhesive or a curable liquid adhesive.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent material of the display cover includes one or more of a glass, plastic, or crystalized aluminum oxide.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed as a single piece of material.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed through an injection molding process.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the side walls of the housing form a bezel around a viewable area of the active display assembly, and wherein the bezel is less than 1 (one) millimeter thick in at least some areas.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the active display assembly is configured for use as a touch screen display.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device is a mobile phone.

13. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:

forming a housing that includes a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls that, along with the bottom wall, form an interior space of the housing with a front opening, the front opening defined by a top edge of the side walls, the top edge of the side walls having a first chamfer;

forming a transparent display cover with edges having a second chamfer;

applying a first bonding material to a bottom surface of the transparent display cover;

affixing an active display assembly to the bottom surface of the transparent display cover using the first bonding material;

placing the transparent display cover and affixed active display assembly over the front opening such that the first chamfer of the top edge of the side walls of the housing align with the second chamfer of the transparent display cover thereby enclosing the interior space of the housing; and

applying a vacuum within the interior space of the housing so as to affix the transparent display cover to the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying a second bonding material along the first chamfer of the top edge of the side walls of the housing before placing the transparent display cover and affixed active display assembly over the front opening; and

allowing the second bonding material to cure so as to further affix the transparent display cover to the housing.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the housing includes:

machining the housing from a single piece of material;

or

an injection molding process.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the housing includes:

injecting a material composition into an injection mold to form a green housing, the injection mold including a cavity in a shape of the green housing, the shape of the green housing corresponding to a near-net shape of the housing, the material composition including a metal material and a binding material;

applying debinding process to remove binding material from the green housing, thereby forming a brown housing; and

sintering the brown housing to from the housing.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the housing includes machining the top edge of the side walls to form the first chamfer.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the transparent display cover includes:

cutting a shape of the transparent display cover from a plate of transparent material; and

machining an edge of the resulting shape to form the second chamfer.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein applying the first bonding material and/or the second bonding material is performed by an automated precision liquid adhesive applicator.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising cleaning the first chamfer and the second chamfer with a solvent before applying the second bonding material.

21. A display device comprising:

a housing including;

a bottom wall; and

a plurality of side walls that, along with the bottom wall, form an interior space of the housing with a front opening, the front opening defined by a top edge of the side walls, the top edge of the side walls having a first chamfer creating an first angled mounting surface;

a display cover including a panel of transparent material with edges having a second chamfer, the second chamfer creating a second angled mounting surface, first and second angled mounting surfaces substantially in parallel and aligned such that the display cover encloses the interior space the housing;

an active display assembly arranged within the interior space of the housing and affixed to a bottom surface of the display cover by a bonding material, the active display assembly oriented so as to be viewable through the front opening, while in use; and

a gasket between the first and second mounting surfaces, the gasket configured to provide an air tight seal between the first and second mounting surfaces;

wherein display cover is affixed to the housing through the introduction of a vacuum within the interior space of the housing.