ELECTRONIC DEVICE DISPLAY MODULE

• US 20120050975A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Garelli, Adam T., Mathew, Dinesh C., Wilson, Thomas W. Jr., Hendren, Keith J., Augenbergs, Peteris K., Degner, Brett W., Hamel, Bradley J., Kessler, Patrick, Damianakis, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235

Abstract

Electronic devices may have housings. A housing may contain a display on its front face and a rear plate such as a plate formed from glass on its rear face. A peripheral housing member may surround the display and rear plate. An antenna may be formed in the peripheral housing member. The rear plate may be formed from laminated layers including a light guide layer. Device hinges may include hinge structures that are integral to the peripheral housing member. A logo may be formed by coating the rear plate with a patterned masking layer. Display structures for the display and the rear plate may be mounted to opposing sides of a shelf portion of the peripheral housing member. The rear plate may be formed from electrochromic glass and may cover photovoltaic cells and touch sensors. Driver boards may be mounted within a clutch barrel perpendicular to the display.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

upper and lower housings, wherein the upper housing has a front side and a rear side;

a hinge connecting the upper and lower housings;

a display mounted in the front side of the upper housing, wherein the display has four edges;

a peripheral housing member that surrounds the four edges of the display; and

a rectangular plate that is mounted within the peripheral housing member on the rear side of the upper housing.

2. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises metal.

3. The portable computer defined in claim 2 wherein the rectangular plate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, glass, ceramic, fiber composite, and plastic.

4. The portable computer defined in claim 2 wherein the rectangular plate comprises glass.

5. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises fiber composite material.

6. The portable computer defined in claim 5 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises an opening in which an antenna is formed.

7. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises an integral shelf structure, wherein the display comprises at least one planar member that is mounted to a first side of the integral shelf structure, and wherein the rectangular plate is mounted to a second side of the integral shelf structure.

8. The portable computer defined in claim 7 further comprising:

a clutch barrel that covers the hinge; and

a display driver board mounted within the clutch barrel.

9. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises an integral shelf structure, the portable computer further comprising at least one light-emitting diode mounted on the integral shelf structure.

10. The portable computer defined in claim 1 further comprising a shelf structure that is attached to the peripheral housing member, wherein the rectangular plate is mounted to the peripheral housing member.

11. The portable computer defined in claim 10 further comprising at least one light-emitting diode mounted on the shelf structure.

12. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a touch screen having a touch sensor array.

13. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the display has at least one curved corner.

14. The portable computer defined in claim 13 wherein the peripheral housing member has at least one curved corner.

15. The portable computer defined in claim 1 wherein the rectangular plate has at least one curved corner.

16. The portable computer defined in claim 1 further comprising antenna traces on the rectangular plate.

17. The portable computer defined in claim 1 further comprising a camera that receives light through the rectangular plate.

18. A display module having exposed opposing first and second surfaces, comprising:

a display on the first surface of the display module, wherein the display has four peripheral edges;

a peripheral housing member that runs along the four peripheral edges and that surrounds the display; and

a rectangular plate on the second surface of the display module, wherein the rectangular plate has four peripheral edges that are surrounded by the peripheral housing member, wherein the display comprises a backlight unit having a reflector, and wherein light passes through the reflector and through the rectangular plate.

19. The display module defined in claim 18 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display that receives light from the backlight unit in a first direction while the light that passes through the reflector is traveling in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

20. The display module defined in claim 18 further comprising a patterned opaque masking layer on the rectangular plate, wherein the patterned opaque masking layer has an opening through which the light that passes through the rectangular plate passes.

21. The display module defined in claim 18 further comprising touch sensors that are actuated by touch events on the rectangular plate on the second surface.

22. The display module defined in claim 18 further comprising a backlight unit for the display, wherein the rectangular plate comprises laminated layers of material at least one of which includes a light guide layer for the backlight unit.

23. The display module defined in claim 18 further comprising a shelf portion and wherein the rectangular plate comprises a glass plate.

24. The display module defined in claim 23 further comprising a backlight unit adjacent to the glass plate.

25. The display module defined in claim 24 wherein the display comprises liquid crystal display structures that are attached to the shelf portion and that are separated from the backlight unit by an air gap.

26. The display module defined in claim 25 further comprising light-emitting diodes for the backlight that are mounted on the shelf portion.

27. The display module defined in claim 18 wherein the rectangular plate comprises electrochromic glass.

28. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing portion that has a display mounted to a peripheral housing member, wherein the peripheral housing member has at least one integral hinge structure;

a second housing portion; and

at least one hinge that is connected to the second housing portion, wherein the hinge mates with the integral hinge structure while allowing the first housing portion and the integral hinge structure to rotate relative to the second housing structure and the hinge.

29. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the peripheral housing member comprises a metal peripheral housing member and wherein the first housing portion has a front surface on which the display is mounted, the electronic device further comprising:

a glass plate mounted on a rear surface of the first housing portion, wherein the glass plate has four peripheral edges that are surrounded by the metal peripheral hosing member.

30. The electronic device defined in claim 29 wherein the display comprises first liquid crystal display structures, the electronic device further comprising second liquid crystal display structures and a common light guide plate interposed between the first liquid crystal display structures and the second liquid crystal display structures, wherein the second liquid crystal display structures are interposed between the common light guide plate and the glass plate and form part of an additional display.

31. The electronic device defined in claim 29 wherein the display comprises a front-facing display on a front side of the first housing portion, the electronic device further comprising a rear-facing display mounted on a rear side of the first housing portion.

32. The electronic device defined in claim 31 wherein a selected one of the front-facing display and the rear-facing display comprises a cover glass layer.

33. The electronic device defined in claim 31 wherein the front-facing display and the rear-facing display each comprise a respective cover glass layer.

34. The electronic device defined in claim 29 further comprising a dielectric substrate connected to the metal peripheral housing member.

35. The electronic device defined in claim 34 further comprising light-emitting diodes and at least one integrated circuit mounted on the substrate.

36. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the display comprises:

a light guide plate having four edges;

a first plurality of backlight light-emitting diodes along one of the four edges; and

a second plurality of backlight light-emitting diodes along another of the four edges.

37. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the display comprises a light guide plate that is insert molded over a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

38. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the peripheral housing member has a shelf portion and wherein the display comprises a light guide plate and light-emitting diodes that launch light into the light guide plate, the electronic device further comprising a foam strip that is interposed between the light guide plate and the shelf portion and that blocks stray light from the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

39. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the display comprises a backlight unit having light-emitting diodes and a flex circuit substrate with openings, wherein the light-emitting diodes are located within the openings.

40. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein the first housing has front and rear surfaces, wherein the display is mounted on the front surface, and wherein the first housing comprises a layer of electrochromic glass on the rear surface.