Housing for portable electronic device with reduced border region

• US 10,401,904 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Werner, Christopher M., Sanford, Emery A., Lynch, Stephen Brian, Dabov, Teodor, Rothkopf, Fletcher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Forrest M
• Application Number:
  US16/008,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20180292862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 36167926
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

An electronic device having a housing structure that is configured to receive at least one glass cover is disclosed. The glass cover serves to cover a display assembly provided within the electronic device. The glass cover can be secured to the housing structure so as to facilitate providing a narrow border between an active display area and an outer edge of the housing structure. The enclosure for the electronic device can be thin yet be sufficiently strong to be suitable for use in electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising;

a housing defining;

a glass front;

a glass back; and

a glass side;

an internal support structure positioned within and secured to the housing; and

a display assembly positioned within the housing and coupled to the internal support structure.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first glass member defines a front exterior surface of the portable electronic device; and

the third glass member defines a back exterior surface of the portable electronic device.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display assembly comprises:

a touch sensing layer;

a liquid crystal display; and

a backlight.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the internal support structure comprises a metal sheet having a thickness of between 0.1-0.6 mm.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the first glass member defines an interior surface opposite the front exterior surface; and

the display assembly is attached to the interior surface.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the second glass member defines a mounting surface; and

a peripheral region of the interior surface is attached to the mounting surface.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the internal support structure comprises a polymer.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a glass housing structure defining;

an interior volume;

a front exterior surface;

a back exterior surface;

side exterior surfaces; and

side interior surfaces opposite the side exterior surfaces;

a screen assembly defining a front side and a back side, the front side secured to a front interior surface of the glass housing structure opposite the front exterior surface; and

a metal frame within the interior volume coupled to at least one of the side interior surfaces and adjacent the back exterior surface of the screen assembly.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein electronic components are disposed within the interior volume.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the screen assembly defines an active display area;

the front interior surface defines a display region corresponding to the active display area; and

the active display area of the screen assembly is attached to the display region.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the metal frame comprises a metal sheet having a thickness of between 0.1-0.6 mm.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the screen assembly comprises:

a touch sensing layer;

a liquid crystal display; and

a backlight.

13. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a glass housing defining an interior volume and comprising;

a glass front portion defining a front exterior surface and a front interior surface opposite the front exterior surface;

a glass back portion; and

a glass side portion;

a touch-screen display assembly coupled to the front interior surface; and

an internal frame structure disposed within the interior volume of the glass housing and attached to an interior surface of the glass side portion.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the glass side portion defines a mounting surface; and

a peripheral region of the glass front portion is attached to the mounting surface.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the internal frame structure is positioned adjacent to a back surface of the touch-screen display assembly.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the internal frame structure is secured to the front interior surface of the glass front portion using an adhesive; and

the touch-screen display assembly is secured to the front interior surface of the glass front portion using the adhesive.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive film.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the interior volume further comprises electronic components disposed therein.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the glass front portion further defines a speaker port for providing audio to a user.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

the electronic components comprise a speaker; and

the speaker port is aligned with the speaker.