Portable Electronic Device Housing with Outer Glass Surfaces

• US 20120275100A1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Pakula, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Scott Myers
• Original Assignee: David Pakula, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Scott Myers
• Inventors: Pakula, David, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Myers, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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: 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: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Improved housings for electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electronic device housing can have one or more outer members (e.g., exposed major surfaces), such as front or back surfaces, that are formed of glass. The one or more glass surfaces can be part of outer member assemblies that can be secured to other portions of the electronic device housing. In other embodiments, apparatus, systems and methods for robustly attaching a cover portion of an electronic device to a bottom portion, e.g., a housing portion, of the electronic device are described. The electronic device can be portable and in some cases handheld.

Claims

1. An electronic device housing, comprising:

a front glass cover placed and secured to provide a front surface for the electronic device enclosure; and

a back glass cover placed and secured to provide a back surface for the electronic device enclosure.

2. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the front glass cover serves as substantially all of the front surface for the electronic device enclosure, and wherein the back glass cover serves as substantially all of the back surface for the electronic device enclosure.

3. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device housing comprises:

an outer periphery member having side surfaces, the side surfaces being primarily formed by the outer periphery member.

4. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device enclosure further includes a side member extending around a periphery of the electronic device enclosure.

5. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the side member is primarily metal or plastic.

6. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the front glass cover is not more than about 5 mm and the back glass cover is not more than about 5 mm.

7. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the front glass cover is about 1 mm and the back glass cover is about 1 mm.

8. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device housing is substantially made of glass.

9. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein about 75% of the external surface of the electronic device housing is glass.

10. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 1, wherein the front glass cover is at least substantially transparent, and wherein the back glass cover is rendered at least substantially non-transparent by a coating.

11. An electronic device housing, comprising:

an outer periphery member defining a side surface for the electronic device enclosure; and

a cover assembly placed and secured with respect to the outer periphery member, the cover assembly including at least a glass member that provides an exposed outer surface for the electronic device enclosure.

12. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 11, wherein the outer periphery member comprises metal.

13. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 11, wherein the glass member serves as a front surface for the electronic device housing.

14. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 11, wherein the thickness of the glass member less than about 1 mm.

15. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 11, wherein the glass member is at least substantially transparent.

16. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 15, wherein the outer periphery member substantially comprises metal.

17. An electronic device housing as recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the glass member is rendered at least substantially non-transparent by a coating.