Electronic devices with convex displays

• US 10,348,875 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Thoi V
• Application Number:
  US15/690,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• 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 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.

Claims

1. An electronic device having opposing front and rear surfaces and having a curved side surface between the front and rear surfaces, comprising:

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

a display having a rigid cover layer that forms at least some of the front surface and at least some of the curved side surface of the electronic device, wherein the rigid cover layer comprises opposing inner and outer surfaces and wherein the inner surface has a curved portion that abuts a curved portion of the housing; and

an electronic component mounted in the housing between the front and rear surfaces of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the glass member forms at least some of the curved side surface of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the glass member and the rigid cover layer meet edge-to-edge.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic component comprises a battery.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a flexible polymer substrate and an array of display pixels that displays images through the rigid cover layer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the flexible polymer substrate has a curved portion.

7. The electronic defined in claim 1 wherein the glass member is flush with the rigid cover layer at the curved side surface.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the curved side surface of the electronic device has a curvature that is different than that of the front surface of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive layer having a curved portion.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the touch-sensitive layer is adhered to the rigid cover layer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a connector mounted in the housing between the front and rear surfaces of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

14. An electronic device having a front and a back, comprising:

a glass housing structure on the back of the electronic device;

a transparent display cover layer on the front of the electronic device, wherein the transparent display cover layer has a curved portion;

a display layer having a curved portion and having an array of display pixels that displays images through the curved portion of the transparent display cover layer, wherein the curved portion of the transparent display cover layer has inner and outer curved surfaces, and wherein the glass housing structure has a curved portion that meets the inner and outer curved surfaces of the transparent display cover layer to form a curved sidewall between the front and the back of the electronic device; and

electronic components mounted between the glass housing structure and the display layer.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the transparent display cover layer has a planar portion and wherein the array of display pixels displays images through the planar portion.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the display layer comprises a flexible polymer substrate.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the display pixels comprise organic light-emitting diode display pixels.

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

a transparent housing member that forms at least part of the rear surface of the electronic device;

a transparent cover layer mounted to the transparent housing member, wherein the transparent cover layer has a planar portion and a curved portion, and wherein the planar portion forms at least part of the front surface of the electronic device;

a touch-sensitive layer attached to the transparent cover layer that detects touch input on the curved portion of the transparent cover layer; and

a flexible display layer having an array of display pixels that displays images through the curved portion of the transparent cover layer.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the transparent housing member comprises glass.