Exposed Glass Article with Inner Recessed Area for Portable Electronic Device Housing

• US 20140078412A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, Jeremy C., Qian, Amy, Leong, Ming, Babiarz, Kristina A., Gibbs, Kevin David, Cheung, Eugene C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/41 Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615

Abstract

Transparent articles for use as outer surfaces of electronic devices and methods therefor are disclosed. A transparent cover can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. The transparent cover can include material to mark, mask or color a portion of the transparent cover, such portion thereupon becoming opaque. The material can be provided in a recessed portion of an inner surface of the transparent cover, such portion being a portion of the transparent cover that is not over a usable portion of the display. The electronic device can, for example, be a portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for producing a glass article having an opaque border region, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass article for use as an outer surface for a portable electronic device;

physically manipulating a peripheral region of a backside of the glass article; and

applying at least one layer of material to the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass article.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass article is a cover glass for the outer surface of at least one side of the portable electronic device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass article is substantially transparent, and wherein the at least one layer of material at the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass sheet renders the manipulated peripheral region of the glass sheet opaque.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass article is clear, and wherein the at least one layer of material applied at the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass sheet renders the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass sheet colored.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of material comprises at least one layer of colored ink or paint.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the applying of the at least one layer of material to the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass article comprises:

applying a plurality of layers of material to the manipulated peripheral region of the backside of the glass article to form a layered stack of material.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the layered stack of material includes at least one layer of a first material, and at least one layer of second material.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the layered stack of material includes at least one layer of a first colored material, and at least one layer of second colored material.

9. A method for forming a plurality of glass articles for portable electronic devices, each of the glass articles being configured to serve as a portion of an outer surface of a housing for the corresponding portable electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass sheet suitable for providing multiple instances of glass articles for an outer surface of a housing for a portable electronic device;

singulating the glass sheet to form individual instances of the glass articles;

forming a recessed boundary region on an inner surface of at least a plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles;

subsequently chemically strengthening the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles; and

applying ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

polishing, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, the plurality of the individual instances of the glass.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

applying, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, a translucent protective coating to an outer surface of the individual instances of the glass articles.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region substantially fills the recessed boundary region with the ink.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein a top surface of the ink within the recessed boundary for a given one of the glass articles is less than or equal to a top surface of a center region of the given one of the glass articles.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region but not a center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to a center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles; and

removing the ink that has been applied to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

16. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying a film on a center region but not the peripheral region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles;

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles, the ink being applied to the center region is applied to the film; and

subsequently removing film from the center region, thereby removing the ink that has been applied to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

17. A method for producing a transparent article having an opaque border region, the method comprising:

obtaining an article for use as an outer surface for a portable electronic device, the article including at least a center region and a border region;

physically manipulating the border region of a backside of the article; and

applying at least one layer of material to the manipulated border region of the backside of the article.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one layer of material comprises at least one layer of colored ink or paint.

19. A method for forming a plurality of glass articles for portable electronic devices, each of the glass articles being configured to serve as a portion of an outer surface of a housing for the corresponding portable electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass sheet suitable for providing multiple instances of glass articles for an outer surface of a housing for a portable electronic device;

forming a recessed boundary region on an inner surface of at least a plurality of the multiple instances of the glass articles;

singulating the glass sheet to form individual instances of the glass articles;

subsequently chemically strengthening a plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles; and

applying ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

polishing, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, the plurality of the individual instances of the glass.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

applying, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, a translucent protective coating to an outer surface of the individual instances of the glass articles.

22. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region substantially fills the recessed boundary region with the ink.

23. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein a top surface of the ink within the recessed boundary for a given one of the glass articles is less than or equal to a top surface of a center region of the given one of the glass articles.

24. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region but not a center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

25. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to a center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles; and

removing the ink that has been applied to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

26. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles comprises:

applying a film on a center region but not the peripheral region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles;

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles, the ink being applied to the center region is applied to the film; and

subsequently removing film from the center region, thereby removing the ink that has been applied to the center region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles.

27. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing including a bottom surface and side surfaces;

a glass cover for an outer surface for a portion of the electronic device housing, the glass cover including an outer surface that serves as the outer surface for the portion of the electronic device housing, the glass cover including an inner surface having a recessed area and a non-recess area, the recessed area including non-glass material; and

a touch screen assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the touch screen assembly being provided internal to the electronic device housing, and the top surface of the touch screen assembly being adjacent to the inner surface of the glass cover.

28. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 27, wherein the glass cover is transparent at the non-recessed area so that the touch screen assembly is visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the non-recessed area, and wherein the glass cover is opaque at the recessed area so that the touch screen assembly is not visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the recessed area.

29. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing including a bottom surface and side surfaces;

a transparent cover for an outer surface for a portion of the electronic device housing, the transparent cover including an outer surface that serves as the outer surface for the portion of the electronic device housing, the transparent cover including an inner surface having a recessed area and a non-recess area, the recessed area including opaque material; and

a touch screen assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the touch screen assembly being provided internal to the electronic device housing, and the top surface of the touch screen assembly being adjacent to the inner surface of the transparent cover.

30. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover comprises a glass cover.

31. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the opaque material comprises at least one layer of ink or paint.

32. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover includes a first layer of a first area that provides the outer surface for the portion of the electronic device enclosure, and a second layer provided on the first layer and having a second area that provides the inner surface for the transparent cover.

33. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover is transparent at the non-recessed area so that the touch screen assembly is visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the non-recessed area, and wherein the transparent cover is opaque at the recessed area so that the touch screen assembly is not visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the recessed area.