DEVICE HOUSING AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

• US 20130101765A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: GUAN, XIN-WU, HUANG, CHAO-SHENG, WANG, REN-BO
• Granted Patent: US 8,597,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/34.6
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/02 by fusing glass directly to metal
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/131 Glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal oxide or metal carbide containing [e.g., porcelain, brick, cement, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1317 Multilayer [continuous layer]

Abstract

A device housing includes a substrate and a decorative article formed in the substrate. The substrate defines a cutout therein and the decorative article is received in the cutout and bonded with the substrate. The decorative article is a glass article which is formed in the cutout by molding softened glass material into the cutout. A method for making the device housing is also provided.

Claims

1. A device housing, comprising:

a substrate defining a cutout therein; and

a decorative article formed in the cutout and directly bonding with the substrate, the decorative article being a glass article.

2. The device housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutout comprises an opening and a bottom wall, the diameter of the opening is smaller than the diameter of the bottom wall.

3. The device housing as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate defines a flange at the opening of the cutout, the decorative article comprises a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end has a cross section larger than that of cross section of the top end, the bottom end of the decorative article is locked in position by the flange of the substrate.

4. The device housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flange extends along the cutout towards the bottom wall of the cutout and forms a peripheral wall of the cutout.

5. The device housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of stainless steel.

6. The device housing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protective film formed on the substrate.

7. The device housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective film is a vacuum deposition layer.

8. The device housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass article is an aluminosilicate glass article.

9. A method for making a device housing, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a cutout in the substrate by etching a portion of the substrate;

providing heated and softened glass material, the glass material being molded into the cutout to form a decorative article.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the heated glass heats walls of the cutout to form a direct bond between the glass and the walls.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cutout comprises an opening and a bottom wall, the diameter of the opening is smaller than the diameter of the bottom wall.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the substrate defines a flange at the opening of the cutout, the decorative article comprises a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end has a cross section larger than that of cross section of the top end, the bottom end of the decorative article is locked in position by the flange of the substrate.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flange extends along the cutout towards the bottom wall of the cutout and forms a peripheral wall of the cutout.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the substrate is made of stainless steel.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the glass material is aluminosilicate glass material, and the glass material is softened in a furnace having an internal furnace temperature of about 800°

C.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of vacuum depositing a protective film on the substrate.

17. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of polishing the substrate before the substrate is etched.

18. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of polishing the substrate after the decorative article is formed.