Electronic Device With Unified Display Mounting Structures

• US 20140168864A1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Wey-Jiun
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133314 Back frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133317 Intermediate frames, e.g. between backlight housing and front frame
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133322 Mechanical guidance or alignment of LCD panel support components
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/00 Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus casings, cabinets, drawers H05K5/00

Abstract

An electronic device is provided with a display such as a liquid crystal display mounted in an electronic device housing. The display has display layers such as a layer of liquid crystal material, a color filter layer, a thin-film transistor layer, and polarizer layers. The display also has backlight structures and a display cover layer. Display mounting structures are formed from a metal member that also serves as a structural midplate within the electronic device housing. Plastic reflector structures such as white plastic and plastic trim structures are molded onto the midplate. The plastic reflector structures form a rectangular recess that receives the light guide plate. The midplate has bent wall portions that form a rectangular recess that receives the display layers. The trim structures define a rectangular recess that receives the display cover layer. Protruding portions with openings attach the midplate to the housing.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a planar metal midplate member mounted to the housing that stiffens the housing;

reflector structures on the planar midplate member that form a recess; and

display backlight structures in the recess formed from the reflector structures.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the reflector structures comprise injection molded plastic structures that are injection molded onto the planar metal midplate member.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the planar metal midplate member has walls that form a recess and wherein the electronic device further comprises display layers mounted in the recess formed by the walls of the planar metal midplate member.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising plastic trim structures that are injection molded onto the planar midplate member.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the plastic trim structures form a recess and wherein the electronic device further comprises a display cover layer that is received within the recess formed by the plastic trim structures.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the plastic trim structures include at least one opening.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the opening has a slot shape and is formed along an edge of the planar metal midplate member to accommodate a flexible printed circuit.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the opening comprises a circular camera window opening.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the housing has portions that are configured to support an outer edge surface of the trim structures.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the display cover layer has a speaker port opening and wherein the plastic trim structures include a speaker port opening that is aligned with the speaker port opening in the display cover layer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising a layer of adhesive that attaches the display cover layer to the plastic trim structures.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising leg structures that attach the planar metal midplate member to the housing.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the leg structures comprise protruding bent portions of the planar midplate member with holes.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the leg structures comprise metal members with holes that are welded to the planar midplate member.

15. Display mounting structures into which a display cover layer for an electronic device is assembled, comprising:

a sheet metal plate having a rectangular periphery; and

injection molded plastic trim structures that are injection molded on the sheet metal plate and that surround the periphery to create a rectangular recess that receives the display cover layer.

16. The display mounting structures defined in claim 15 wherein the sheet metal plate has wall portions that surround a rectangular recess that is configured to receive a display backlight light guide plate with edges, the electronic device display mounting structures further comprising reflective structures around the rectangular recess that are configured to reflect light leaking from the display backlight light guide plate back into the edges.

17. The display mounting structures defined in claim 16 wherein the reflective structures comprise injection molded white plastic that is injection molded onto the sheet metal plate.

18. The display mounting structures defined in claim 16 wherein the reflective structures comprise white paint on the sheet metal plate.

19. The display mounting structures defined in claim 16 wherein the reflective structures comprise white tape that is attached to the sheet metal plate with adhesive.

20. The display mounting structures defined in claim 15 wherein the electronic device has a housing and wherein the sheet metal plate forms a structural midplate member configured to attach to the housing to prevent the housing from twisting.

21. Display mounting structures into which a display cover layer, liquid crystal display layers, and backlight structures including a light guide plate are assembled, the display mounting structures comprising:

a rectangular sheet metal plate;

plastic reflector structures molded onto the rectangular sheet metal plate; and

plastic trim structures molded onto the rectangular sheet metal plate, wherein the plastic reflector structures form a first rectangular recess into which the light guide plate is mounted, wherein the rectangular sheet metal plate has wall portions that define a second rectangular recess into which the liquid crystal display layers are mounted, and wherein the plastic trim structures form a third rectangular recess into which the display cover layer is mounted.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 21 wherein the plastic trim structures include planar portions at first and second opposing ends of the rectangular sheet metal plate and wherein the planar portion at the first end has a speaker opening and a camera opening.

23. The electronic device defined in claim 22 wherein the planar portion at the second end has an opening.