PORTABLE COMPUTER HOUSING

• US 20110089792A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Agarwal, Anand N., Berg, Bruce E., Lin, Bingjiun, Casebolt, Matthew P., Andre, Bartley K., Fetterman, Kevin S., Goldberg, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US12/580,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20110089792A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/223.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14868 Pretreatment of the insert, e.g. etching, cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14311 using means for bonding the coating to the articles B29C45/14795 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14778 the article consisting of a material with particular properties, e.g. porous, brittle
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/02 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/006 Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position

Abstract

An aluminum housing and methods of fabrication are described. The computer housing being suitable for enclosing a computer assembly. The aluminum housing includes an aluminum structural support portion covered by a thermoplastic elastomer material. The aluminum is first textured and anodized before an adhesive film is applied to an unsealed anodized aluminum surface. The thermoplastic elastomer material is then overmolded onto the pre-bonded aluminum structural support to provide a protective layer that is pleasing to the eye and touch.

Claims

1. A multipart computer housing, comprising:

an anodized structural support layer having a porous, textured surfaced; and

a protective cover layer formed over the structural support layer, wherein the protective cover layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer or silicone material.

2. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein the porous, textured surface has high surface energy.

3. The computer housing of claim 2, wherein the porous, textured surface has a contact angle with deionized water that is less than about 30°

.

4. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein the structural support layer comprises aluminum.

5. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein the protective cover layer comprises thermoplastic elastomer that is overmolded over the structural support layer.

6. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein the protective cover layer comprises a silicone material that is compression molded over the structural support layer.

7. The computer housing of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer between the structural support layer and the protective cover layer.

8. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein the protective cover layer covers an entire surface of the structural support layer and extends around an edge of the structural support layer.

9. The computer housing of claim 1, wherein a recycling code is printed wrong-reading on the structural support layer, the recycling code corresponding to the protective cover layer.

10. The computer housing of claim 9, wherein a recycling code is printed right-reading on the adhesive layer before the adhesive layer is bonded to the structural support layer, the recycling code corresponding to the protective cover layer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is overmolded over the adhesive layer.

11. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a computer housing, comprising:

providing an aluminum base having a textured surface;

creating high surface energy on the aluminum base by anodizing the aluminum base;

applying an adhesive layer over the anodized aluminum base having high surface energy; and

applying a thermoplastic elastomer layer over the adhesive layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive layer has a melting temperature lower than a temperature at which the thermoplastic elastomer layer is injected during an injection molding process.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the aluminum base having a textured surface comprises chemically etching the aluminum base.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a thermoplastic bonding film.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the adhesive layer is bonded to the anodized aluminum base having high surface energy before the aluminum base is placed in an injection molding tool.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer layer is wrapped around an edge of the aluminum base.

18. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a computer housing, comprising:

providing an aluminum sheet having an etched surface;

anodizing the aluminum sheet to create high surface energy on the aluminum sheet, wherein the etched surface has a contact angle with deionized water that is less than about 30°

; and

applying thermoplastic elastomer layer directly over an entire surface of the anodized aluminum sheet having high surface energy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the etched surface has a surface roughness, R_a, of about 0.5-0.6 micron.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising pre-bonding an adhesive film to the aluminum sheet before applying the thermoplastic elastomer layer such that the adhesive film is between the anodized aluminum sheet and the thermoplastic elastomer layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein applying comprises overmolding the thermoplastic elastomer layer in an injection molding machine and wherein the adhesive film has a melting temperature lower than a temperature at which the thermoplastic elastomer layer is overmolded.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein applying comprises overmolding the thermoplastic layer in an injection molding machine.

23. A method of manufacturing at least a portion of a computer housing, comprising:

providing an aluminum base having a textured surface;

creating high surface energy on the aluminum base by anodizing the aluminum base;

applying an adhesive layer over the anodized aluminum base having high surface energy; and

applying a silicone layer over the adhesive layer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein applying comprises compression molding the silicone layer.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the etched surface has a surface roughness, R_a, of about 0.5-0.6 micron.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising pre-bonding an adhesive film to the aluminum sheet before applying the silicone layer such that the adhesive film is between the anodized aluminum sheet and the silicone layer.