Electronic devices with cover layers mounted to displays

• US 10,228,719 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rappoport, Benjamin M., Franklin, Jeremy C., Lynch, Stephen Brian, Myers, Scott A., Raff, John, Howarth, Richard P., Chen, Wei, Stringer, Christopher J., Hoenig, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US16/144,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20190033911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 166 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display cover layer mounted to the device using an adhesive bond with a display. The display may be a flexible display. The flexible display may include Organic Light Emitting Diode display technology. The display may be mounted to a rigid support structure. The rigid support structure may be mounted to a device housing member. Mounting the display cover layer to the display may eliminate the need to mount the display cover layer to the device housing and may allow active display pixels to be visible under the display cover layer closer to the device housing than in conventional devices. Providing the electronic device with active display pixels closer to the device housing may reduce the need for an inactive border around the display and may improve the aesthetic appeal of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a support structure having a first portion that defines a plane and a second portion that bends out of the plane;

an array of pixels on the support structure, wherein the array of pixels comprises a first group of pixels on the first portion of the support structure and a second group of pixels on the second portion of the support structure; and

a display cover layer mounted in the housing, wherein the display cover layer overlaps the first and second portions of the support structure.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a sidewall and wherein an edge portion of the display cover layer abuts the sidewall.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the second group of pixels displays images through the edge portion of the display cover layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the pixels comprise organic light-emitting diode pixels.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a layer of adhesive that attaches the array of pixels to the display cover layer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display cover layer has first and second regions, wherein the first region overlaps the first portion of the support structure and has a first thickness, wherein the second region overlaps the second portion of the support structure and has a second thickness, and wherein the first thickness is different from the second thickness.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing comprises glass.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the pixels form part of a flexible display layer.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display cover layer comprises glass.

11. A cellular telephone, comprising:

a rear housing wall;

a support member having a planar portion and a bent edge portion;

an array of pixels on the planar portion and the bent edge portion; and

a transparent cover layer through which the array of pixels displays images, wherein the transparent cover layer overlaps the planar portion and the bent edge portion and wherein the support member is interposed between the rear housing wall and the transparent cover layer.

12. The cellular telephone defined in claim 11 further comprising a housing sidewall, wherein the transparent cover layer has an edge portion that abuts the housing sidewall.

13. The cellular telephone defined in claim 12 wherein the array of pixels comprises edge pixels on the bent edge portion of the support member and wherein the edge pixels display images through the edge portion of the transparent cover layer.

14. The cellular telephone defined in claim 11 wherein the transparent cover layer comprises glass.

15. The cellular telephone defined in claim 14 further comprising adhesive that attaches the array of pixels to the transparent cover layer.

16. An electronic device having opposing front and rear surfaces, comprising:

a glass housing member that forms at least a portion of the rear surface;

a cover glass that forms at least a portion of the front surface; and

a flexible display layer interposed between the glass housing member and the cover glass, wherein the flexible display layer comprises a bent edge and an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels comprises first and second groups of pixels, wherein the second group of pixels is located on the bent edge, wherein the cover glass has a first portion with a first thickness overlapping the first group of pixels and a second portion with a second thickness overlapping the second group of pixels, and wherein the first thickness is different from the second thickness.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising a housing sidewall, wherein the cover glass has an edge portion that abuts the housing sidewall.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the second group of pixels displays images through the edge portion of the cover glass.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a support structure having a bent edge, wherein the flexible display layer conforms to the bent edge of the support structure.