Electronic Device With Display Frame Antenna

• US 20150255853A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kwong, Kelvin, Hooton, Lee E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,293,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic device has a display mounted in a housing using a plastic display frame. The display has an active area and an inactive area. A display cover layer may have polymer coating layers in the inactive area. The display frame may lie under the inactive area. A patterned metal coating layer may be formed on the display frame. The patterned metal coating layer may have portions that form adhesion promotion structures for promoting adhesion between the frame and the adhesive. The patterned metal coating layer may also have portions that form antenna structures. The antenna structures may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals and may be used as adhesion promotion structures. Adhesive may be interposed between the polymer coating layers and the metal coating layer on the display frame to attach the display cover layer and the display to the display frame.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display frame attached to the housing;

a display mounted in the display frame; and

a patterned metal layer on the display frame that forms an antenna.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display frame comprises plastic.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising adhesive on the patterned metal layer that attaches the display frame to the display.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the display comprises a display cover layer and wherein the electronic device further comprising coating layers on an inner surface of the display cover layer and wherein the adhesive is between the coating layers and the patterned metal layer.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the coating layers include an opaque masking layer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the coating layers are textured to promote adhesion to the adhesive.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the patterned metal layer further comprises a portion that forms a non-antenna adhesion promotion structure.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the frame has edges and wherein the adhesion promotion structure comprises metal on the plastic of the frame along one of the edges.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising a texture on the frame to promote adhesion to the adhesive.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:

a printed circuit;

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry on the printed circuit;

an interconnect on the printed circuit that is coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry; and

a conductive coupling structure that is shorted between the interconnect and the antenna and that couples radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to the antenna.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the conductive coupling structure comprises a spring.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the display comprises a display module that produces images in an active area of the display and wherein the display comprises a display cover layer that is coated with opaque masking material in an inactive area of the display.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the opaque masking material overlaps the antenna.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display frame comprises a plastic display frame and wherein the patterned metal layer comprises electroplated metal over a laser-activated area of the plastic display frame.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the display frame comprises a plastic display frame having first and second shots of molded plastic and wherein the patterned metal layer comprises electroplated metal over the second shot of molded plastic.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a screw that attaches the display frame to the housing.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display frame attached to the housing;

a display having display structures that display images in an active area of the display and having a display cover layer that overlaps an inactive area of the display;

adhesive in the inactive area that attaches the display cover layer to the display frame; and

an antenna formed from a metal layer on a portion of the display frame.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the display frame comprises a plastic display frame having a surface and wherein the metal layer is a patterned metal coating on the surface under at least some of the adhesive.

19. Apparatus, comprising:

a display having an active area in which images are displayed and having an inactive area that serves as a border that surrounds the active area, wherein the display includes display structures in the active area that generate the images and includes a display cover layer having portions that overlap the inactive area;

a plastic display frame having a surface to which the display cover layer is attached with adhesive in the inactive area; and

a patterned metal coating layer on the surface of the plastic display frame under the portions of the adhesive and under portions of the display cover layer in the inactive area.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 further comprising:

at least one polymer coating layer on the portions of the display cover layer in the inactive area, wherein the adhesive is interposed between the polymer coating layer and the patterned metal coating layer.