Ceramic sintering for uniform color for a housing of an electronic device

• US 10,561,033 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2019
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ely, Colin M., Memering, Dale N., Takagi, Kazuya, Matsuyuki, Naoto, Waniuk, Theodore A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miggins, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US16/298,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20190208653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3244 Zirconium oxides, zirconates, hafnium oxides, hafnates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3262 Manganese oxides, manganates, rhenium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. MnO
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3275 Cobalt oxides, cobaltates or cobaltites or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bismuth cobaltate, zinc cobaltite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6567 Treatment time
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/661 Multi-step sintering
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/9661 Colour
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/486 Fine ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/64 Burning or sintering processes C04B33/32 takes precedence ; powder metallurgy B22F
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/0009 Pigments for ceramics C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a housing of an electronic device includes determining a sintering profile configured to produce a selected color at a selected depth within a wall of the housing, sintering a ceramic housing precursor in accordance with the determined sintering profile, thereby forming the housing, and removing material from the housing up to the selected depth.

Claims

1. A housing for an electronic device, comprising:

a wall defining an exterior surface of the housing, the wall comprising;

a ceramic material; and

a pigment incorporated with the ceramic material;

the ceramic material having an L* value at or near the exterior surface greater than about 87 in the CIELAB color space.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the color of the ceramic material at or near the exterior surface has an L* value between about 87 and about 95.

3. The housing of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material comprises zirconia.

4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the color of the ceramic material at or near the exterior surface has an a* value between about −

15 and about 5.0, and a b* value between about −

10 and about 10.

5. The housing of claim 4, wherein the color of the ceramic material at or near the exterior surface has an a* value between about −

2.0 and about 3.0, and a b* value between about −

1.5 and about 3.5.

6. The housing of claim 1, wherein the pigment comprises an oxide material.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the pigment comprises titanium oxide.

8. A component for an electronic device, comprising:

a ceramic material having an exterior surface and including a pigment;

the ceramic material having an L* value at or near the exterior surface greater than about 87 in the CIELAB color space.

9. The component of claim 8, wherein the color at or near the exterior surface of the ceramic material has an L* value between about 87 and about 95.

10. The component of claim 8, wherein the color at or near the exterior surface of the ceramic material has an a* value between about −

5.0 and about 5.0 and a b* value between about −

5.0 and about 5.0.

11. The component of claim 8, wherein the exterior surface comprises a machined exterior surface.

12. The component of claim 8, wherein the exterior surface comprises a machined portion and an unmachined portion, each portion having an L* value greater than about 87.

13. The component of claim 8, wherein the exterior surface defines an exterior surface of the electronic device.

14. The component of claim 8, wherein the ceramic material comprises zirconia.

15. The component of claim 8, wherein the pigment comprises one or more of titanium dioxide, iron oxide, cobalt oxide, and magnesium oxide.

16. A housing for an electronic device, comprising:

a pigmented ceramic wall defining a machined exterior surface of the housing, the ceramic wall having a color;

the color of the machined exterior surface of the housing having an L* value greater than about 87 in the CIELAB color space.

17. The housing of claim 16, wherein the color of the machined exterior surface of the housing has an L* value between about 88 and about 93.

18. The housing of claim 16, wherein the color of the machined exterior surface of the housing has an a* value between about −

2.0 and about 3.0, and a b* value between about −

1.5 and about 3.5.

19. The housing of claim 16, wherein the pigmented ceramic wall comprises zirconia.

20. The housing of claim 16, wherein the pigmented ceramic wall has been machined to remove at least about 0.25 mm of material.