ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING METAL HOUSING AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20170013735A1
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jongmin, Kim, Jaeseon, Hwang, Donghyun, Kim, Woongchan, Choi, Youngsik
• Granted Patent: US 9,988,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 4/00 Processes for removing metallic material from surfaces, not provided for in group C23F1/00 or C23F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/022 Anodisation on selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/12 Anodising more than once, e.g. in different baths
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/16 Pretreatment , e.g. desmutting
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/243 using organic dyestuffs
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/246 for sealing layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03

Abstract

An electronic device having a metal housing includes an external housing including a first face facing a first direction, a second face facing a second direction which is the opposite direction of the first direction, and a lateral face at least partially surrounding a space formed between the first and second faces, and a display exposed through the first face of the external housing, wherein the external housing includes a metal substrate having a first part at least partially forming the second face and a second part at least partially forming the lateral face, the second part being integrally extended from the first part; and a non-metallic material coated on the first part, and wherein the second part includes micro dimples having a repeated pattern on the lateral face.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an external housing including a first face facing a first direction, a second face facing a second direction which is the opposite direction of the first direction, and a lateral face at least partially surrounding a space formed between the first and second faces; and

a display exposed through the first face of the external housing,

wherein the external housing includes;

a metal substrate having a first part at least partially forming the second face and a second part at least partially forming the lateral face, the second part being integrally extended from the first part; and

a non-metallic material coated on the first part, and

wherein the second part includes micro dimples having a repeated pattern on the lateral face.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the metal substrate further has a third part extended between the first and second parts and exposed to outside.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the metal substrate further has a third part extended between the first and second parts, and the external housing further includes another non-metallic material coated on the third part of the metal substrate.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first part has an injection part formed of a heat-resistant and acid-resistant material of engineering plastic by an insert injection.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the heat-resistant and acid-resistant material is Poly-Butylene-Terephtalate (PBT) or PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS).

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the lateral face has an anodized surface formed by an anodizing process.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the micro dimples are formed in the repeated pattern on the anodized surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the non-metallic material coated on the first part has a heat-resistant and acid-resistant ingredient which at least partially prevents oxygen or water penetration into the micro dimples having the repeated pattern formed on the lateral face of the external housing and is thereby unaffected by anodizing.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the non-metallic material undergoes a curing reaction by a bake-type coating at a top coat, has adhesiveness between a middle color coat and a bottom primer coat and between the bottom primer coat and a putty, and uses primer material having adhesiveness with both metal material and PBT material containing 40% of glass fiber.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the anodized surface has a diameter of 20˜

30 nm and a depth or thickness of 3˜

6 μ

m.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the external housing further includes a diamond-cut face formed applying a diamond cutting process to a boundary between the anodized surface and the first part.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the micro dimples are formed in the repeated pattern on the anodized surface through a second anodizing process performed on the anodized surface after formation of the diamond-cut face.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic device having a metal housing, the method comprising:

a forming operation for forming an external housing; and

a lateral processing operation for processing a surface of the external housing,

wherein the forming operation for forming the external housing includes;

a base metal preparation operation for preparing a base metal of the external housing;

a first numerical control (NC) processing operation for processing the prepared base metal to form the external housing;

an insert injection operation for attaching an injection part to the first-processed base metal;

a second processing operation for forming an outward part of the external housing with respect to the base metal having the injection part;

a coating operation for coating a non-metallic material on a surface of the base metal having the outward part; and

a third processing operation for forming a lateral face of the external housing by removing a peripheral part of the base metal from the outward part, and

wherein the lateral processing operation for the external housing includes;

an anodizing operation for forming an anodized surface on the lateral side of the external housing; and

a diamond cutting operation for forming a diamond-cut face with respect to a boundary between the anodized surface and the coated surface of the external housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the first, second and third processing operations is a numerical control (NC) processing.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the lateral processing operation for the external housing further includes an operation of attaching a masking film before the anodizing operation, and an operation of releasing the masking film after the anodizing operation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the coated non-metallic material has a heat-resistant and acid-resistant ingredient which at least partially prevents oxygen or water penetration into micro dimples formed in a repeated pattern on the lateral face of the external housing and is thereby unaffected by anodizing.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the anodizing operation includes an electroless polishing performed on the lateral face of the external housing, a first anodizing processing, a coloring performed on micro dimples formed in a repeated pattern on the lateral face, and a sealing of the colored micro dimples.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the polishing is adjusted in temperature and time to determine texture and gloss of the anodized surface.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the lateral processing operation for the external housing further includes a second anodizing operation with respect to the anodized surface after the diamond cutting operation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second anodizing operation includes an anodizing processing performed on the anodized surface after the diamond cutting operation, a coloring performed on micro dimples formed in a repeated pattern on the lateral face, and a sealing of the colored micro dimples.