LAMINATING SAPPHIRE AND GLASS USING INTERMOLECULAR FORCE ADHESION

• US 20160270247A1
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Christopher D., Memering, Dale N.
• Application Number:
  US15/059,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270247A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/10 at least one layer having inter-reactive properties
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/20 Aluminium oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a housing, a display coupled to the housing, and a protective cover coupled to the housing and covering the display. The protective cover comprises a transparent layer having a first surface facing the display and a second surface opposite the first surface. The protective cover also comprises a sapphire layer having a third surface corresponding to an exterior surface of the electronic device. The sapphire layer also has a fourth surface opposite the third surface and bonded to the second surface of the transparent layer via intermolecular forces.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to the housing; and

a protective cover coupled to the housing and covering the display, the protective cover comprising;

a transparent layer having a first surface facing the display and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a sapphire layer having a third surface corresponding to an exterior surface of the electronic device, and having a fourth surface opposite the third surface and bonded to the second surface of the transparent layer via intermolecular forces.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sapphire layer has a hardness that is greater than the transparent layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protective cover is more flexible than a single sheet of sapphire having a thickness the same as the protective cover.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the transparent layer is bonded to the sapphire layer by van der Waals forces.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sapphire layer defines a user input surface of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the protective cover is a first protective cover;

the transparent layer is a first transparent layer;

the sapphire layer is a first sapphire layer; and

the electronic device further comprises;

a biometric sensor; and

a second protective cover covering the biometric sensor and comprising;

a second transparent layer; and

a second sapphire layer bonded to the second transparent layer by intermolecular forces.

7. A method of forming a laminated sheet, comprising:

preparing a sapphire sheet and a base sheet; and

bonding a surface of the sapphire sheet to a surface of the base sheet without using an adhesive.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein bonding the surface of the sapphire sheet to the surface of the base sheet includes bonding using van der Waals forces.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying a coating around an outer edge of the laminated sheet to cover a seam between the sapphire sheet and the base sheet.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein preparing the sapphire sheet and the base sheet comprises:

cleaning the surface of the sapphire sheet; and

cleaning the surface of the base sheet.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein preparing the sapphire sheet and the base sheet comprises:

polishing the surface of the sapphire sheet to a surface roughness less than about 1000 nanometers; and

polishing the surface of the base sheet to a surface roughness less than about 1000 nanometers.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein bonding the surface of the sapphire sheet to the surface of the base sheet comprises:

placing the surface of the sapphire sheet in contact with the surface of the base sheet; and

pressing the sapphire sheet and the base sheet together.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising cutting the laminated sheet into multiple protective covers for covering a display of an electronic device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the sapphire sheet is a first sapphire sheet; and

the method further comprises;

preparing a second sapphire sheet;

bonding a surface of the second sapphire sheet to a surface of the base sheet without adhesive;

cutting a first protective cover comprising the first sapphire sheet and a first portion of the base sheet; and

cutting a second protective cover comprising the second sapphire sheet and a second portion of the base sheet.

15. A laminate configured to define an exterior surface of an electronic device, comprising:

a glass sheet defining a first bonding surface and a first outer surface of the laminate; and

a sapphire sheet defining a second bonding surface and a second outer surface of the laminate;

wherein the first bonding surface is bonded to the second bonding surface via van der Waals forces.

16. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface is in direct contact with the second bonding surface.

17. The laminate of claim 15, wherein:

the glass sheet comprises a recess;

the first bonding surface defines a bottom surface of the recess; and

the sapphire sheet is disposed in the recess.

18. The laminate of claim 15, wherein:

the glass sheet has a thickness less than or equal to about 400 microns; and

the sapphire sheet has a thickness less than or equal to about 100 microns.

19. The laminate of claim 15, further comprising a coating around an outer edge of the laminate to cover a seam between the sapphire sheet and the glass sheet.

20. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the glass sheet and the sapphire sheet both include dipolar molecules.