Enclosure with metal interior surface layer

• US 10,524,372 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2019
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, James A., Zhang, Guangtao, Kwok, Raymund W. M., Larsson, Karl Ruben F., Graham, Christopher S., Hill, Matthew D., Misra, Abhijeet
• Primary Examiner(s): Aychillhum, Andargie M
• Assistant Examiner(s): McAllister, Michael F
• Application Number:
  US16/360,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20190223310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: 174250
• 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/04 Metal casings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1427 Housings

Abstract

An enclosure is formed by coupling an outer cover to a back enclosure piece. The enclosure defines an interior volume for receiving components of an electronic device. The back enclosure piece is formed from a metal frame component and a non-metal outer cover. A metal layer overlaps the metal frame component and the outer cover within the interior volume. The metal layer has a thickness that provides support and shatter resistance to the non-metal outer cover. The metal layer can form an inductor of a wireless power transfer circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display; and

a housing defining an interior volume and at least partially surrounding the display, the housing comprising;

an enclosure component formed from a glass material and defining a portion of an exterior surface of the housing;

a primer layer disposed on a region of an inner surface of the enclosure component, the primer layer having an activated surface;

an electroless metal layer formed on the activated surface of the primer layer; and

an electroplated metal layer formed on the electroless metal layer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a back cover assembly that includes the enclosure component;

the enclosure component is a back glass cover that defines a back surface of the electronic device; and

the electronic device further comprises a front cover assembly having a front cover that is positioned over the display.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the front cover assembly defines a first portion of an exterior sidewall;

the back cover assembly defines a second portion of the exterior sidewall; and

the electronic device further comprises a frame component positioned between the front cover assembly and the back cover assembly and that defines a third portion of the exterior sidewall.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:

the electroplated metal layer structurally couples the back cover assembly to the frame component.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electroplated metal layer overlaps an inner sidewall of the frame component and a surface of the back cover assembly.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the electroplated metal layer defines an electromagnetic coil; and

the electromagnetic coil is operatively coupled to a circuit and configured to receive inductive power through the enclosure component.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the activated surface comprises at least one of palladium, titanium, or nickel;

the electroless metal layer comprises at least one of nickel or copper; and

the electroplated metal layer comprises at least one of copper, silver, gold, palladium, titanium, or nickel.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the electroless metal layer is a first electroless metal layer;

the electronic device further comprises a second electroless metal layer formed over the first electroless metal layer and the electroplated metal layer; and

the second electroless metal layer comprises electroless nickel.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a battery operably coupled to the display; and

a housing at least partially surrounding the battery and the display and comprising;

a back cover defining a portion of an external surface of the electronic device and comprising;

a substrate formed from glass;

a primer layer disposed along an inner surface of the substrate and comprising an activated region;

an electroless metal layer formed on the activated region; and

an electroplated metal layer formed on the electroless metal layer and defining a wireless charging coil that is configured to receive inductive power through the substrate, the wireless charging coil being operatively coupled to the battery.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the portion of the external surface of the electronic device is a first portion of the external surface of the electronic device; and

the electronic device further comprises a metal frame positioned around a perimeter of the back cover and defining a second portion of the external surface of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a charging circuit that is operably coupled to the wireless charging coil; and

the charging circuit is configured to control inductive charging of the battery.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the activated region comprises at least one of palladium, titanium, or nickel;

the electroless metal layer comprises at least one of nickel or copper; and

the electroplated metal layer comprises at least one of copper, silver, gold, palladium, titanium, or nickel.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the primer layer disposed along a first region of the inner surface of the substrate is a first primer layer;

the activated region is a first activated region;

the electroless metal layer is a first electroless metal layer;

the electroplated metal layer is a first electroplated metal layer; and

the electronic device further comprises;

a second primer layer disposed along a second region of the inner surface of the substrate and comprising a second activated region, the second primer layer and the second activated region at least partially surrounding the wireless charging coil;

a second electroless metal layer formed on the second activated region; and

a second electroplated metal layer formed on the second electroless metal layer.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first electroplated metal layer is electrically isolated from the second electroplated metal layer.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a metal frame positioned around a perimeter of the back cover; and

the second electroplated metal layer is electrically coupled to the metal frame.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a glass component having an internal surface that is opposite to an external surface of the housing;

a primer layer disposed over a portion of the internal surface of the glass component;

a first electroless metal layer disposed over the primer layer;

a first electroplated metal layer disposed over the first electroless metal layer;

a first contact pad electrically connected to the first electroplated metal layer;

an insulator layer disposed over the first electroplated metal layer;

a second electroless metal layer disposed over the insulator layer;

a second electroplated metal layer disposed over the second electroless metal layer and electrically isolated from the first electroplated metal layer by the insulator layer; and

a second contact pad electrically connected to the second electroplated metal layer.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first electroplated metal layer and the second electroplated metal layer are coupled to each other by electronic circuitry positioned within the housing.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first electroplated metal layer and the second electroplated metal layer are coupled by one or more conductive vias that extend through the insulator layer.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first electroplated metal layer or the second electroplated metal layer defines an antenna for a wireless communication system.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first electroplated metal layer or the second electroplated metal layer forms an inductive coil of a wireless power transfer system of the electronic device.