DISPLAY MODULE & GLASS WITH UNDERCUT PLASTIC FRAME

• US 20180081481A1
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: FOURNIER, Douglas G., KROGDAHL, James R., JARVIS, Daniel W., HUO, Edward S., HOOTON, Lee E., THIRUPPUKUZHI, Srikanth V., OWOC, Garrett R., NGO, Michael, PAKULA, David A., MEYER, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,631,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/302 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/183 Sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10242 Metallic cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10257 Hollow pieces of metal, e.g. used in connection between component and PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20481 characterised by the material composition exhibiting specific thermal properties
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0033 disposed on both PCB faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device having a display assembly is disclosed. Several layers may combine to form the display assembly. For example, the display assembly may include a touch sensitive layer (or touch detection layer), a display layer that present visual information, and a force sensitive layer (or force detection layer). The display layer may include a bend or curve that allows a portion of the display layer to bend around the force sensitive layer. Also, the connectors (that provide electrical and mechanical connections) may be positioned at different locations of the layers. For example, the display layer may include a connector on a first edge region, and the force sensitive layer may include a connector on a second edge region that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the first edge region. By positioning the connectors on perpendicular edge regions, the display assembly may reduce its footprint.

Claims

1. A display assembly for an electronic device, the display assembly comprising:

a touch sensitive layer capable of detecting a touch input capable of controlling the electronic device;

a force sensitive layer capable of detecting an amount of force applied to the touch sensitive layer; and

a display layer that is capable of presenting visual information, the display layer at least partially positioned between the touch sensitive layer and the force sensitive layer, wherein the display layer at least partially curves around the force sensitive layer.

2. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the display layer includes a first edge region having a first connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a first flexible circuit,

the force sensitive layer includes a second edge region having a second connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a second flexible circuit, and

the first edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

3. The display assembly of claim 2, wherein the touch sensitive layer includes a third edge region having a third connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a third flexible circuit, wherein the third edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

4. The display assembly of claim 3, wherein the first edge region is parallel with respect to the third edge region.

5. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the display layer comprises a curved organic light emitting diode display.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a protective layer that is formed from a transparent material;

a display assembly covered by the protective layer, the display assembly comprising;

a force sensitive layer capable of detecting an amount of force applied to the protective layer, and

a display layer disposed over the force sensitive layer, wherein the display layer at least partially bends around the force sensitive layer defining a bend; and

a frame that carries the protective layer, the frame including a notch that at least partially receives the display layer at the bend.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a touch sensitive layer positioned over the display layer, the touch sensitive layer detecting a touch input through the protective layer, the touch sensitive layer comprising a connector; and

a flexible circuit coupled to the touch sensitive layer at the connector, the flexible circuit wrapping around the display layer and the force sensitive layer, wherein the notch receives at least a portion of the flexible circuit.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the display layer includes a first edge region having a first connector electrically and mechanically coupled with a first flexible circuit,

the force sensitive layer includes a second edge region having a second connector electrically and mechanically coupled with a second flexible circuit, and

the first edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a band formed from a metal, the band including a first part and a second part, wherein the first connector is closer to the first part than the second connector, and wherein the second connector is closer to the second part than the first connector.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the band further includes a third part and a fourth part, and wherein the first part, the second part, the third part, and the fourth part are electrically isolated from each other.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a touch sensitive layer, wherein the touch sensitive layer includes a third edge region having a third connector electrically and mechanically coupled with a third flexible circuit, wherein the third edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first edge region is parallel with respect to the third edge region.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a supporting element embedded in the frame, the support element extending from the frame; and

an adhesive between the support element and the force sensitive layer, the adhesive securing the first flexible circuit with the supporting element.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the second flexible circuit is adhesively secured with the supporting element by a second adhesive.

15. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the frame includes a second notch, and wherein the protective layer includes an extension positioned in the second notch.

16. A method for forming a display assembly for an electronic device, the method comprising:

positioning a display layer between a touch sensitive layer and a force sensitive layer, the touch sensitive layer configured to detect a touch input that controls the electronic device, the force sensitive layer configured to detect an amount of force applied to the touch sensitive layer; and

bending the display layer such that the display layer least partially curves around the force sensitive layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the display layer includes a first edge region having a first connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a first flexible circuit,

the force sensitive layer includes a second edge region having a second connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a second flexible circuit, and

the first edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch sensitive layer includes a third edge region having a third connector capable of electrically and mechanically coupling with a third flexible circuit, wherein the third edge region is perpendicular with respect to the second edge region.

309

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first edge region is parallel with respect to the third edge region.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the display layer comprises positioning a curved organic light emitting diode display between the touch sensitive layer and the force sensitive layer.