METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE HOUSING

• US 20090218041A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Froyd, Ryan M., Shellberg, Thomas, Spanoudis, Stephen L., Hagen, Carl R., Hupp, Michael, Coll, Bernard F., Johnson, Scott V., Dean, Kenneth, Fisher, Allison M., Jaskie, James E., Young, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US12/040,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20090218041A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/305
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 5/00 Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers

Abstract

A method for forming a housing for an electronic device (510) includes providing a first rigid layer (102, 302) including a curved surface defining a cavity (108, 308). A first adhesive (112, 312) is optionally applied over the curved surface, and an electro-optic module (105, 305) having a flexible substrate and a viewable surface (111, 311), is conformally fitted on the first adhesive (112, 312). A second adhesive (114, 314) is optionally disposed over the electro-optic module (105, 305) and a support structure (122) is optionally placed on the second adhesive (114). The support structure (122) includes an attachment apparatus (126) for mounting electronic circuitry. The first and second adhesives (112, 114) are cured. One of the second adhesive (114) or both the first rigid layer (102, 301) and the first adhesive (112) are transparent for viewing a viewable surface (111, 311) on or coupled to the electro-optic module (105, 305).

Claims

1. A method for forming a housing for an electronic device, comprising:

providing a first rigid layer including a first surface having a curved surface;

conformally fitting an electro-optical module on the curved surface, the electro-optical module comprising a flexible substrate and having a viewable surface;

disposing a first adhesive over the electro-optical module; and

curing the first adhesive, wherein one of the rigid layer or the first adhesive are transparent adjacent the viewable surface.

2. The method of claim 1, when the first rigid layer is transparent, further comprising:

disposing a second rigid layer over the first adhesive; and

securing circuitry to attachment points on the second rigid layer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the conformally fitting step comprises:

conformally fitting an electro-optical module having a display as the viewable surface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing a second adhesive between the rigid layer and the electro-optical module, and wherein the curing step includes curing the second adhesive.

5. A method for manufacturing a plurality of electronic device housings, comprising:

providing a rigid layer defining a cavity for each of the housings;

placing one of a plurality of electro-optical modules on each of the rigid layers and within the cavity associated with each electro-optical module, each of the electro-optical modules comprising a flexible substrate;

disposing a first adhesive within each of the cavities and over each of the electro-optical modules; and

curing the first adhesive overlying the plurality of electro-optical modules in a single batch.

6. A method for forming a housing for an electronic device, comprising:

providing a first rigid layer defining a cavity;

placing an electro-optical module on the first rigid layer and within the cavity, the electro-optical module comprising a flexible substrate;

disposing a first adhesive within the cavity and over the electro-optical module; and

curing the first adhesive.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising disposing a second adhesive between the first rigid layer and the electro-optical module, and wherein the curing step includes curing the second adhesive.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the providing step comprises providing a first rigid layer having a transparent portion, wherein the electro-optical module includes a viewing area viewable through the transparent portion.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the disposing step comprises disposing a first transparent adhesive.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising placing a second rigid layer on one of the first adhesive and the first rigid layer, and having attachment points.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the placing step comprises placing the electro-optical module includes a viewing area on a side opposed to the rigid layer, and the disposing step comprises disposing a first adhesive that is transparent.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the placing step comprises providing a plurality of electrical leads extending through the rigid layer.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the providing step comprises providing the rigid layer having attachment points attached to electronic circuitry.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the disposing step comprising disposing a first adhesive having a thickness greater than 50 micrometers.

15. The method of claim 6 wherein the placing step comprising providing a plurality of electrical leads extending from the first adhesive.

16. The method of claim 6 wherein the placing step comprises placing the electro-optical module having a melting temperature of less than 250 degrees C.

17. The method of claim 6 wherein the providing step comprises providing a rigid layer having a curved portion defining the cavity and the electro-optical module is conformally fitted within the curved portion.

18. The method of claim 6 wherein the placing step comprises placing an electro-optical module that comprises an organic shape.